Jun 22, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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

Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/63057306@N04/5734415538">Beachfront Solutions</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(CC BY-SA 2.0)</a>

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! We tend to delete duplicate comments asking for feedback on the same post.
  • 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!
  • When leaving comments, please remember not to add your blog’s url as your signature. It’s kinda spammy: after all, your handle links directly to your blog.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.
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  1. I started ablog namedbhashabharati.blogspot.com. Alomg with onr Engish poem “ke said I said I”I wrote about 100 marathi poems in it,after which I almost stopped composing poems.The blog remained unused for nearly 10 years,when my cmputer was affected by virus and I kept the computer aside/Now I am using a laptop andalthugh all data with google is intact, I cannoot open that perticular blog, in spite of vigorous searching

    krishnakumar

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Hello everyone! I would love to have some quality feedback about my blog! Have been posting since December and would love to know what other people think about my blog. Any feedback is appreciated and I will also give you a feedback on your blog as well! Cheers ^_^

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Hi Noct, I went through your blog and I loved the clean layout for your blog. However, the one concern I have is the ability to comment on your post. The comment icon is off to the right side which isn’t very noticeable since the poems are going downward. Also you should consider adding in the follow me widget for new visitors. That will draw in more viewers to your blog.

      Checkout mine at: xaviangubora.com

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Thank you so much! I will take your suggestions into consideration. What were your thoughts about the content and quality of my posts? Please let me know
        I will check out your blog and let you know as well

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I liked your content. The stories are really cool and you’re doing fine with it. It just needs a way to keep new viewers following your blog. That was my biggest concern with your blog. That’s why I recommend the follow my blog widget (or whatever its called). And to move the comment widget around.

        I could suggest you guest blog on another blog. That will bring in more viewers that way and build a friendship with other bloggers.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Agreed with everyone else; widgets are great. It’s even fun to say. Widget, widget, widget. (I’m so sorry, I’m excited for two days off work.) In addition to the other suggestions, I would also recommend inserting Read More tags to your posts. It helps break up the content and, with your writing style, I can see it drawing the reader in. It will also improve your post flow. Love your content. Here, have a follow.

      Liked by 2 people

    3. Hello! Really loved your simplistic layout and the beautiful images you choose for your posts. Also, love your content. It is different and new! Perhaps you could use more widgets to draw readers in?

      On a side note, I would love it if you gave me feedback on my blog. I’m a new blogger (only two posts in) so any and all feedback will be appreciated. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  4. Hello everyone, I’m been blogging for about 2 years. My blog is about my upcoming graphic novel, Xavian, that I’m currently creating. If you like adventure, fantasy, mythology, and sci-fi then you’ll love my blog. However, it’s no where near perfect and I want to hear some feedback on how my art blog is and ways to improve it. Here is the link:

    xaviangubora.com

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Sold within two seconds of clicking on your blog. Sorry, do worse? Seriously, I cannot complain about any of this. I hope this really takes off for you.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Hello everybody!
    I am a new WordPress user and am barely beginning to write posts on my blog. If I could hear some feedback on my post “The College Application Process and How It Almost Killed Me” or on my overall blog layout I would really appreciate it.
    Thank you! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Hi, I really like the fresh perspective that you have brought out in your blog posts as well as the sheer determination that you put in for your college application process.

        I’m a new blogger as well and I would really appreciate some feedback on my blog posts. Do take a look at it when you are free.

        https://vintageparachute.wordpress.com

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I love your blog layout! It looks professional but also fresh and vibrant. Your short story and poetry are fascinating and are telling of the darkness that lies within all of us. I hope to read more of your upcoming works!

        Liked by 1 person

  6. hello everyone,

    I recently started my blog (or i’m trying to get better at it)… does anyone know the answer to: if I change my blog address will that completely delete all my posts? i am wanting to change it but i am too scared!!

    Also, I have my About Me as my parent page. What are your thoughts on this? Should I make my homepage/parent page my recent blog posts instead of About Me?

    Thanks!!

    xoxo

    Liked by 3 people

    1. According to me, your homepage should have your recent blog posts instead of ‘About Me’ so that the reader can get a chance to read your blog posts first and then read the ‘About Me’ page if required.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You might want to keep a standard home page so that visitors get to know what they will find in your blog. You can have a separate About page.

        Or, have the blog description and a description about yourself on the same page ie. your home page.
        When someone visits your blog for the 1st time, it’ll be good if they can get to know what they will find there. Phrasing it in an attractive way will only pique their interest.

        Hope this helps 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Hello,

      Changing the blog’s address will not affect your posts, though it would mean that people will no longer be able to access them at their old URLs (to redirect visitors to your new URL you’d need to purchase the Site Redirect upgrade). You can find out more information and detailed instructions on changing your blog address here:
      https://wordpress.com/support/changing-blog-address/

      As for your second question, there’s no universally correct answer — for some people (most personal bloggers), it makes the most sense to have a homepage that displays their latest posts. For many others, though — for example, if you’re using your site as a portfolio, a professional or business hub, etc. — it could make sense to go for a static homepage. It really depends on your goals for your site — you could also just try out each option and see which one works best for you and your audience.

      Like

      1. Ben, thanks so much for the thorough reply. Since I’m not tech savvy at all, I have one clarification question – if I change my blog address, will my blog be completely empty? Or will it still appear exactly like it is just a different address? When you say people won’t be able to access at old URL’s, that is only in reference to me linking that post to like Twitter or FB, correct?

        thanks so much,

        Amanda

        Liked by 1 person

      2. My pleasure, Amanda. As you guessed, your blog will look exactly the same — it’s the same blog for all ends and purposes — but existing links (like on social media, as you mention) will no longer work (unless you decide to go with the Site Redirect upgrade). Whether or not that’s something to worry about is entirely up to you, of course.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Hello everyone!

    I am a new blogger and have only posted twice till now. I would really like your feedback on my posts (one is a poem and the other a short story) as well as some pointers for the layout of my blog.

    My last question to you would be, how do I get more people to read my blog and make it more popular? Any help would be gratefully received and thanked!

    My site is:
    https://vintageparachute.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. hey there,

      here are some of your options, dear.

      – thru social media.
      – engaging in forums like this Community Pool where you interact and give feedbacks to other blogger, too
      – try visiting and leaving comments to other blogs; you can also reblog 😀
      – or you can try to attend blog challenges and blog party ( I have an ongoing event: http://berryduchess.com/2015/06/19/join-berrys-summer-blog-party-2015/)

      sometimes we have to give back, too 😀

      hope it helps!

      Liked by 2 people

  8. Do you reply to each comment on your blog?

    One article went viral a couple of weeks ago. 250K views! I can’t think of new things to say to each comment. Just wondering what you guys do.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I hit “like” for all the comments on my blog (unless there is an obvious reason I wouldn’t like it, such as the person being rude) and then I only comment on the ones I feel compelled to comment on. You can always comment with a quick “thanks” if you want to do more than hit “like.” Congratulations on your post going viral – how do I make that happen?! 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks Lynn. That’s what u started doing.

        It is an article on grief. It was from last August. Someone found it and shared it on FB and others shared it. I average 1200-1500 visitors per month. But one day last week I had 37,000! My stats are going back down now. Only 1200 yesterday. It will be back to 30-50 per day soon.

        I don’t publicize or promote. I simply write about my life – my journey through grief into grace after our twenty year old son was killed, along with four friends, in a car wreck in August 2013.

        Like

    2. Woah. So jealous I can’t even speak. I do my best to respond to comments; people love to be acknowledged. I struggle with this a lot because I’m fairly antisocial but I like to think I do my best. Set some time aside for this if you need to, like a mini-schedule. If I really, REALLY can’t think of a response I’ll at least ‘Like’ their comment. That way the reader knows their comment was seen and appreciated. Engaging with your commenters is crucial. Best advice would be to just do what you can.
      (send your readers my way! =P )

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Leiden, many of those who commented told their story of losing a child. Heartbreaking. “I’m sorry” just didn’t seem to cut it.

        Now that my stats are going down closer to normal, I may try to go back and reply to more if the comments.

        Like

    3. wow! first of, congrats!

      second, as much as possible, I try to send a response to those who took their time to leave a message because I personally don’t fancy other bloggers who do not even interact with the world. (this is my personal opinion and choice). i think people may understand if you don’t reply to all of them (say 250k comments, too) but at least , maybe interact to some?

      again this is just me, D

      xo,
      berryduchess

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Hi everyone. I just now made a new post on my blog. It would really be nice if you could check it. Thanking in advance 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi, I really liked the touching post on Father’s Day! Keep up the good work! 🙂

      On a side note, I would appreciate it if you checked out my blog and gave me some feedback.

      Like

  11. Hi, Freida here….pardon me but my motive for blogging is to begin the process of making money. Although I am excited to make new friends and read other people’s posts and gain valuable insights I would like to make money. Am I out in the left field all by myself with this? Are people just blogging for the sake of blogging? I am just asking because I don’t really see comments about people wanting to make money. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. If you’re in it strictly for the potential of future income, take a moment to sit back and do some research. Yes, it is possible to make money through blogging. Personally, I do have a Paypal donate button on my site for anyone wanting to donate to my bakeware fund, but that’s it. I’m not about to force people to pay for anything they don’t want to. If I generate enough of a following, absolutely I’d like to make money. It’s one of my life goals to publish a cookbook.

      Seriously, stop, alt tab, and do some research before you decide what you want to do.

      Like

      1. Thanks Leisel. Oh so there is hope for making money blogging…oh ok…sounds more like what I am looking for. Goodluck with your paypal thing! I will try to do more research.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi! I loved the theme that you have chosen for your blog posts. Emotions and everyday life is indeed something which needs to be talked about and discovered by people. Keep up the good posts! 🙂

      In terms of the look of your blog, I suggest using widgets. They really attract readers in. I also noticed that there was no like option for your posts. Maybe you could add that so that your reader can like whichever post he/she liked and not have to comment on it.

      On a side note, I am a new blogger as well and I would love some feedback on my blog!

      Like

  14. Hai hai everyone!
    I’m not entirely new to WordPress but I just recently started a new blog and deleted my old one so it is ‘fairly’ new. I was hoping to get some constructive criticism on the blog’s overall layout and content. I would also love to offer some of my critique to those who do the same for me! ^_^ Happy blogging! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I’m struggling with physical theme and layout. Feel free to comment on posts if you like, but I understand how subjective my content is and am more focused on the look/feel. What tutorials should I read or are any themes better suited for what I’m trying to do? I’m not a daily blogger if that helps. I may have 3 topics in 1 day and then go 2 weeks with nothing to say. Thanks for any feedback you feel would help.

    Like

    1. Hey I checked out your blog! Before I get to the layout I would just like to say that you might have more success with your blog if you spread your posts out and didn’t post three in one day and then wait a couple weeks. If you have more then 1 idea in one day I would wait a few days then post it! Your layout is clean and easy to navigate through I would just like to see more colour and more pictures!

      Liked by 1 person

      3. Very inspiring. The image choices are thought provoking and fit perfectly. They really make everything pop and work perfectly with your theme. You also appear to be varied in presentation and succinct, which I think are good traits. Overall a great example for a newb like myself 😉

        Like

    2. Hi! I heartily recommend you check out some of our posts on customizing themes:
      https://wordpress.com/blog/tag/customizing/

      You may or may not stumble on a theme that you particularly love, but more important, these posts demonstrate how any theme can be easily tweaked, with just a few changes, into something that suits your specific needs.

      If you have a more specific idea of the layout and features you’re looking for, running a few searches on our Theme Showcase is also a good idea:
      https://theme.wordpress.com/

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Hi everyone,
    Looking to get some feedback on a couple of my posts in terms of style and structure. Also wouldn’t mind some feedback on my site format as well. Thanks!

    thelonebullmoose.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. Just a couple of comments re your site headings. Your ‘Home’ and ‘About’ are the same. I believe that the Home tab should take you to your latest post and then the others below…

      Your other two tabs I found a bit confusing as to what they meant… ‘Your Moose Experience and Your Moose latest thoughts (Hope I remembered correctly) I’m not sure where they are intended to take you… as a reader just wondering

      And then your “… ” I clicked on not knowing what it was and it was to follow you, but again not clear to someone coming to your site….

      I think that it’s maybe good to not leave readers wondering about what things mean.. otherwise they just may not hang around to figure it out….

      Just some thoughts for you …. Diane

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Hello! I am so grateful for this opportunity to receive feedback, and give feedback to others.

    I wrote a book that I hope to get published the traditional route. I started my blog to build my platform. My blog has evolved to include more than information about my book.

    I would love input on a couple of things:

    1. Please read some of my foster adoption posts. (Jan. 2015 has a post called “Born in My Heart: A Bittersweet Adoption Blessing that gives the background of my story.) Then tell me what parts of foster adoption are intriguing and/or you would like to learn about. People in this situation can relate to my blog topics but I’d like to get a diverse readership that includes readers who haven’t been through this experience.

    2. Please let me know of any foster/foster-adopt blogs on WordPress. I have found quite a few but I am sure there are more!

    Feel free to comment directly on any of my posts, and general feedback about my blog is welcome too. I am happy to look at your blog as well. 🙂

    Thank you for taking the time to help me out!

    Like

    1. I like your format and layout. After looking over several blogs, many are busy and convoluted. Yours has a nice, simple, homey feel to it. In my short experience with a foster home, the biggest surprises were often in dealing with the family and how the system works to prioritize families in finding children a permanent home. This can be difficult if you learn the family is unfit to parent but the system doesn’t agree. (as well as many other issues with dealing through family concerns, expectations, etc). I had no idea how much involvement the birth family had during the fostering process. Keep up the good work.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Hello all 🙂 I like the community pool idea!

    I came up with this way to promote older posts on my blog: http://readaninterview.com/read-finder/

    Basically it’s a series of pages linked together. You answer questions to narrow down what you’re interested in, and eventually you’ll be sent to a specific post to read. I’d like feedback on this idea and how it looks on my site. Any comments appreciated! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Hello, all. I am a brand spanking new blogger. I started writing without putting much thought into organization and tags. I’m clueless. Can anyone recommend some resources? Or possibly, take a look at my blog (~week old) and give me some pointers?

    Liked by 2 people

  27. So I’m a new blogger….first day here. I’m hoping for advice. I feel overwhelmed learning the site and do. & don’ts. I’m anxious to get my thoughts out and gain followers. Patience isn’t my strong suite so any advice would be comforting right now. I’m hoping kindness of experienced bloggers can get me over my first day jitters.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi Wendy! I remember my first day! It was very nerve wracking! I’ll be honest gaining followers will take time so don’t drive yourself crazy if you feel like it’s not moving at the speed you thought it would. Make sure you keep posting quality content and the followers will come! Also your theme is really simple I would suggest changing it to one a little more exciting and eye catching! Make sure you know where you want to go with this blog and find like minded people who are doing the same thing and see what makes them successful! You can do it! Keep posting in community pool! A hint: The community pool post goes up every monday at 12pm so make sure to be one of the first commenters so people can see you better! 🙂 Anyway good luck!

      Like

    2. Welcome to WordPress.com!

      Have you considered taking our Blogging 101 (entirely free) course? The next one starts very soon around the beginning of July, and, beyond an intro to the nuts and bolts of blogging, it also gives you access to a buzzing community of bloggers who constantly support and give feedback to each other. Find out more information here:
      https://wordpress.com/dailypost/blogging-university/

      Like

  28. i’m looking for a new blog theme that will increase readability and encourage readers to explore my past posts as well. please please, i welcome all suggestions and feedback. Thank you!!!

    happy to provide feedback to anything you need as well 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Hi Lacy, I can give you some feedback.

      From first glance, your “Flounder” theme doesn’t help with readability. Since you write very long and detailed stories, you need a theme that stops your message halfway. For example a theme that will have a “continue reading” message will help tremendously. Because your posts are so long people might leave due to the amount of text. So Minimalism theme would best fit your blog. Hoped I help.

      Check my blog at: xaviangubora.com

      Like

  29. Hello everyone! I’m a relatively new blogger and I’d like to understand how I can reach more people with my blogs.  This is really important to me and I want to improve my blogging style. Any feedback and support that you can provide would be appreciated! I’ve set myself a goal with the blogging to complete a blog a day! My blog link is: https://fonzandcancer.wordpress.com/. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

    Liked by 2 people