Jan 19, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for advice, feedback, and friendly blogging chatter.

Have you just published a new post and are dying for some feedback? Did you recently start your blog and could use some layout or design advice from your more seasoned peers?

Tap into the wisdom of The Daily Post blogging community and leave your question here in the comments. Others can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

To help us make the Community Pool a productive space for discussion, here are some tips you might find useful:

TIP: To keep from losing your place in the comment thread while you visit others’ blogs, right-click on a link to open it in a new tab or window.

  • While you’re not required to, we encourage everyone who requests feedback to also reply to at least one or two other bloggers who need some help. Spread the love!
  • The Community Pool comments section can get quite big — and starting duplicate threads doesn’t help. Thanks for not posting the same question more than once!
  • If you’re looking for quality feedback, be as specific as you can. Questions about a particular post tend to draw more comments than ones about entire blogs. Questions about specific design elements are more likely to be answered than ones asking for general layout advice.
  • We discourage leaving links without a more substantive message or question. These are often overlooked by other bloggers, and we frequently remove them to make the comment reading experience smoother.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.

Photo by Brian Cantoni.

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  1. I’m trying to improve my blog without the design and layout to take it to the next level, as cheesy as it sounds. If anyone had any tips about my blog or style of writing please feel free to let me know.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The colors look fine with the coffee theme, but I don’t know about the wood background.  It doesn’t even line up, patern-wise.  Maybe put up a single, simple image of a coffee cup instead.  Your posts (including the one you mention) could use an image as well, as a hook (e.g., Mundays from Office Space, or a comic strip).

      Like

    1. Hey, I visited your blog and have seen your attractive theme. Also I see you love Harry Potter series. Well I also like Harry Potter.
      You should organise your ABOUT page so people get to know who you are and goal(s) of your blog.

      Like

  4. I have no idea what I’m doing… I”m completely new to having my own blog (i’ve always been a guest blogger). How do you generate traffic, receive feedback from readers regarding content (like a content poll as to waht they’d like to see?)

    Liked by 2 people

    1. First, tag appropriately—the strong and relative/inspiring points for a post. To get feedback, make sure to give feedback on other blogs. There’s no sure-fire way to get traffic, but making sure the blog reflects the life (and isn’t just saying things) can go a long way. Follow people with common interests.
      You can actually set up polls; see Dashboard:Settings:Polls. “Add Poll” should show up when editing a post. Don’t do it too often; your professional wisdom matters for a website. Have fun.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I’m new to blogging and I don’t know what I’m doing at all. I just want to help and reach out to single moms like me. My blog is SingleMOMSociety.wordpress.com. Any helpful tips are welcomed. Thank

    Liked by 3 people

    1. A really nice idea for a blog and I wish you all of the best, although I think that the piece ‘Why a blog for single moms?’ needs to be more visible, perhaps sticky it to the top or create an entire welcome page dedicated to it as people will read it and feel like they can relate to you better especially with that heartwarming picture. The overall layout is nice but all of the white makes it feel a little bit clinical and official, maybe look for some softer colours so it feels more welcoming and friendly. I wish you all the best,

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Ok, your blog idea is amazing and your writing is too. I personally don’t like the colors of your blog. The white makes the font too hard to read for me and the font is too small as well. It might be only me, but I wouldn’t last long trying to read your blog. If I were you, I would try out different themes so that the words jump out. For now, I have to squint to read. I hope that wasn’t too harsh because your blog is truly amazing and you should continue to write! Good luck!!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I am completely new to the blogging world and would love some feedback. I know I need to add pictures but any tips/advice/comments would be magical! Thanks y’all!

    Liked by 3 people

      1. Hi Lauren, I noticed you said in your first post that you were going to put pictures in and I was thinking if you’re going to put in big pictures then this layout will work great for you as the pictures will look crisper with the white background and “pop” more but if your blog is going to be mostly text then you may want to think about a blog layout with bigger writing and a coloured background as white can be hard to read especially if it is a long post. I wish you all the best on your journey, I hope you keep up with your blog!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I love your blog layout it really helps boost the fresh and free message that you give in your photos, the feeling of being out there on holiday and enjoying it. It would be a good resource point for those who are looking to go, perhaps a picture to draw attention to the location with each post (perhaps a world map?). Other than that you are well on your way to be a travel blogger, but make sure to preview your posts as there is a small formatting error at the bottom of your last post where you talk about “The Best:”. Goodluck.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hiya! I love the layout, it really has a nice personal feel to it as well as that fantastic picture at the top. It really feels like you could be a neighbour or a friend as you write like you’ve known us all for ages. It could just simply be the challenge of keeping it up as youve mentioned 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Life of Grace—great blog title!

      I’d suggest putting the recent posts on the side, so you don’t have to scroll down for it.  If you love putting up pictures, find a way to add recent images or posts so there isn’t simply a ‘Pictures’ link.  Love the Life, and keep smiling!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hiya! I don’t know if that is the best layout for you as the colours seem a little overpowering, that deep plum just doesn’t sit right with me but that could just be my eyes! Maybe go for something that really draws attention to your titles so that people know what thy’re getting themselves in for when they click on your blog! I wish you all of the best.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I just think the way it forces the title to be all caps feels like I’m shouting, I do like how minimalistic it is though. I don’t feel like I can speak as an art student either, I prefer all sorts of awful clashes :p. I think I’ll stick with it for now, maybe add an about page, who knows.

        Like

    1. Hi maggy, I clicked on your blog and the first post was titled “FISH” one of the biggest suggestions I would make is to move what you wrote on the bottom to the top. You always want to introduce your blog first, so people aren’t confused about what it is that they’re reading. Like me, at first I wasn’t sure what the blog was about until I read that you were trying to translate the song!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. thank you, you’re right!

        I was way too concerned with how the post looked aesthetically to worry about if people would understand it’s purpose.

        I’ll change it 🙂

        Like

      1. Thank you! I like your blog too, the artwork is fab 🙂 I think you can write a mish-mash of whatever is current in your life! I like the ‘quirky little things’ and the blogs about running are really helpful to me, thanks! 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Hi Charlotte. Loved your header image and clever writing style. The only thing I didn’t like was the resonance I feel regarding the ‘creeping up’ of the pounds, and the love of cake. At 39 myself, it hit too close to the mark 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you for your kind comment! I am sorry if that offended in any way, it’s a personal feeling and a personal blog, not meant to be any reflection of anyone else’s stature or feelings towards food. But useful critique, I’ll bear in mind for future posts 🙂

        Like

      2. I was not offended AT ALL! It was a tongue in cheek reference that i too can laugh at my own ‘fatness’ 😊 But had I been offended I wouldve really been comforted by your reply. The most terrible jokes (mine) are the ones you have to explain 😉

        Liked by 2 people

      3. I’m glad I didn’t offend, I would have hated to have thought that my ‘musings’ had done that to a fellow blogger! By the way, I think that your blog is absolutely amazing! I had a little look (hope you don’t mind…) and I aspire to have something as acomplished (…and to have the opportunity to travel as much as you have!) Kudos to you, seriously WOW! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Thanks Charlotte: I have to admit – it’s been fun. I just noticed that you have another site intrepidbookworm. I am currently scouting for potential reviewers for my upcoming travel ebook You Can Keep Your Adventure, Just Leave Me the Toilet Paper. Any chance you’d be interested in an advanced reading copy for a potential review?

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I used to have the same blog theme as you and although it didn’t fit with my own blog I think it fits with yours well. It makes everything clear and organised. I noticed that we both enjoy reading and would like to be writers which is great as I always like finding fellow bloggers with similar interests. If you have the time it would be great to get some feedback on my own blog. Thanks 🙂

      https://infinitedaydreamer.wordpress.com/

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you very much for the feedback! It’s funny that the theme works so differently for us. Ultimately, I’d like a “cleaner” one, but haven’t found the right one yet.

        Of course I’ll check out your blog! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. First – well done on winning the award!
        You write so well, I’m instantly drawn into the little bubbles of text. Funnily enough, the theme situation is the reverse here: I tried a theme similar to yours, and it looked really weird, but it is perfect for your blog. x

        Liked by 1 person

    2. I took a look around & enjoyed what I saw. You have a witty voice and catchy titles for your posts (the jiggling one was intriguing and clever). And anyone who enjoys gnocchi is OK in my book 😉

      Liked by 2 people

      4. I know, right? BTW, on a totally non-gnocchi related topic, I am close to releasing my first travel ebook and am currently looking for potential blogger/reviewers to send advanced reading copies. Any chance you’d be interested? No worries if you’re not

        Liked by 1 person

      8. Hey, congratulations on the release of your travel ebook. I’ve got detailed travelogues (on Japan and India) from an Indian perspective on my site, too. Would be interesting to read your work.

        Cheers

        Like

    3. Great Travel blog. I’m enjoying perusing it. Great shots, too.
      I’ve got a couple of travelogues on my site also. One on a week in Japan and another on a road trip through India. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    1. You’ve got some excellent info and useful graphics there. My only suggestion would be to shorten your post length, as some might shy away from what they might consider a “long read”. Thanks for sharing

      Like

  26. Hi everyone! I’m really new to the blogging scene, I started my blog 6 months ago but didn’t post much. I really want to crack on with it this year, and would welcome any feedback. Please feel free to be honest! It’s just my little insight into food, a bit of fun…. Thank you so much x

    http://myeatenmess.com

    Liked by 3 people

  27. Hi folks! I still consider myself relatively new to blogging, and always appreciate feedback! Decided to go in a simpler direction with my blog, and I’d love for you to check out a post or two and see what you think 🙂

    alexjameswise.wordpress.com

    Any feedback is would be a benefit.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Simple doesn’t mean you have to remove everything. 🙂
      Understated would be a word to think about.
      You talked about the sights of London, “dazzling bright lights” and limousines, but there are no pictures (or at least detailed descriptions) at all to document this.  What would you like to tell and show a friend who isn’t acquainted with the experience?  Or even yourself if you had amnesia.  Just a thought.

      Like

  29. Hey there bloggers. Here’s a freshly minted (slightly long) post that I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts on:

    https://plumblegum.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/lovecraftian-lessons-in-brand-marketing/

    As the title states, it’s focused on the classic horror writer and branding concepts, but I also wanted to make it enjoyable read for anyone not heavily involved in those niches. Feel free to let me know if succeeded or missed the mark there.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I enjoyed this piece. It’s clearly well-thought out and reasoned. Your make your case cogently and my interest didn’t sag at any point. (I’ve put up some travelogues on my site; would be great if you could also provide some feedback.) Cheers.

      Like

      1. I appreciate the feedback, Sid. I must say, I’m incredibly impressed by the story of your trip to Japan. An incredibly detailed account, but still a flowing, personal narrative. If you keep traveling and writing, I’ll keep reading.

        Liked by 2 people

  30. Absolutely, and how kind of you. I would like to have the artistic sketch that is there, or something like that, but I don’t like the idea of people having to go to another page to read my blog. I’d much prefer to find a format that is still artistic and enables me to post pics with my blogs and keeps a main (identifying) photo or work of art. Suggestions?

    Liked by 2 people