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.
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    1. Hello,

      Since the stolen content isn’t hosted by us here at WordPress.com there’s not a lot I can help you with, I’m afraid. I can, though, point you in the direction of the relevant resource over at Google (since Blogger is a Google product):
      https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905?rd=1#ts=1115645

      I hope this helps you rectify this situation. For more information on how to prevent content theft in the future, take a look at this page:
      https://wordpress.com/support/prevent-content-theft/

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Hi everyone! I recently started my 2nd blog here on WordPress about the art and photography I do. I am not sure if the art and photography look well layed out together, and wonder if I should just focus on one or the other. For instance, when you go to my page, I have a section of featured content on top with art/photography juxtaposed, and I am worried it’s non-cohesive. I would love for some of you to visit my blog and let me know what you think (about this or anything else that concerns layout). I appreciate any forthcoming feedback!
    http://www.fourframesart.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hm. I’m torn here; I like it, but I don’t like it. The content you do have is very visually appealing and you’ve got great talent, but the blog itself looks… cluttered? I’m surprised we use the same thing as you’ve achieved a totally different look. I feel like if you can move some widgets around a bit and do some organizing it will stand out for all the right reasons.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for the comment! I was wondering if there was too much content, so I appreciate your sharing that the site looks a bit cluttered. I think I will get rid of the featured slider perhaps and take off a few widgets to see if that makes it look more polished. I look forward to checking out your blog to see how you’ve interpreted the theme!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi Sophia, I like your blog layout. I actually think it’s quite clean looking. The white background is perfectly suited to letting your artwork stick out. But I might streamline some of the sidebars to keep the focus on your posted work, if you know what I mean? But that’s just a suggestion, I think your site looks fine. Thanks, Daniel

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks Daniel. I had already made a change based on a suggestion I saw here and took off the top content slider (which contained both art and photography). Based on your comments, I think it had a positive impact. Will definitely look at the sidebars and see how I can “slim down” there. Thanks so much for looking and lending your opinion!

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Work on getting your About page together, for starters. For the rest, I’m going to have to echo everyone else in saying more/bigger pictures. How you format your pictures matters, too, regarding size, placement, and structure.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks Leisel. I have just started blogging and this is my first blog ever 🙂 so thank you guys so much for taking time to even comment on such a silly blog.

        Liked by 1 person

    4. Hi there. Like some other commenters I would suggest using a more elaborate header, including an image. This allows your site to be more immersive I think… All the best, Daniel

      Like

    2. hi – I like what you have done so far, but I wouldn’t know what it was about from the title – which is great – or from just finding your site – you need to flesh out the theme a bit, by maybe adding a more specific subtitle and get some additional information on your blogroll.

      I did the blogging101 course in january and it changed the way I used my blog – however it was a very intense couple of weeks – you may want to join that – go to the wordpress daily events page – to check it out – or just gather a bit more info from looking at others sites.

      but don’t change your main idea – its great!

      Like

    3. Hi Holly. I really like your layout, but then I’m partial for white backgrounds and clean lines! One thing I might suggest is adding some widgets, images etc. to your sidebar. Nothing too fancy or distracting, but it looks a little bare on that left side. Thanks, Daniel

      Like

    1. I like your blog! I love that you make a point to share how each particular thought/subject/passage connects to your life, etc. instead of just sharing knowledge without context. I like when you say “This is where I’m at and this is how this passage struck me…” – keep it up, I like it! I’m really new to wordpress so I can’t really comment on layout/appearance, but it looks great to me!

      Like

  8. My latest post is about legalizing drugs if we want to try and fix the problem. Am I wrong? Anyone else have thoughts or criticisms about my view point? I would love some feedback.

    Jdusty45.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. Apparently it’s working in Portugal – well, they never implied that they encourage the use of drugs it’s just the punishment is totally different. People who are caught in possession of a certain amount of drugs are required to go through rehab/counseling. Instead of spending the money to house them in jail the money is issues to facilities to help individual recover from drug abuse. Can it work in the US? Sure… but in my opinion not enough people in power are interested in making that happen. I think maybe if other countries follow suit then the US government will consider it after concrete proof that it works; even then that’s just a maybe.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You are definitely right I believe. Isn’t it funny though that not enough people in power are interested in making it happen? This is one of many reasons why democracy doesn’t work. They have too many special interest groups making boat loads of cash by ripping apart minority families and growing cartels. If they had even a small molecule of empathy or compassion for other human beings the world could be run off freedom to choose instead of counterfeit currency. I think Portugal should be proud of what they have accomplished. It’s interesting how it is never on mainstream news. Thanks for your thoughts. I think your right on the money with your assessment.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Hello all,
    I have recently started blogging for my company. We are in the B2B space so it’s sometime difficult to make such dry subject matter exciting for readers (we manufacture industrial glues). Please check out our two latest blog posts. I’d love your thoughts on whether these are engaging enough? Do you have suggestions on how to make our subject matter more exciting? I really want to spice it up, but obviously still stay on track with our subject matter.

    I’d love your thoughts! Thanks all. -Maria
    http://www.lddavis.com/blog/

    Like

    1. You’re right; from a personal standpoint I have absolutely zero interest. But hey, I’m not your target audience so no worries there, eh? Your latest post in particular does an excellent job of breaking up any perceived ‘monotony’ with the infographic. Personally, I’m a fan of infographics as they break up a lot of information into better, more easily digestible infobits. Yours is brightly colored, looks ‘fun’, and has a professional appearance. Your June 1st post is also very relevant and informative. Job well done, I’d say.

      Like

    2. Thank you Leisel! I appreciate the feedback. I’ll keep it going with infographics – I agree with you; they’re much more “fun”.

      -Maria

      Like

    1. A few minor things, really:

      Is there an About page? Do you have one? If so, I can’t find it.
      Some of your paragraphs run a little long and, while interesting, they are challenging to wade through.
      You may want to consider adding Read More tags to your posts as well.

      Nicely done.

      Like

      1. Thank you! I will definitely add an About page and work on my long paragraphs especially:) Thanks for the help! I love how your blog is organized, and your writing is so candid! Thanks again for reading.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. It’s a great start for sure. You may want to consider adding some categories or featuring certain posts so your visitors can choose to jump to any particular article without having to scroll through all of your content. Keep writing! 🙂

      Like

      1. I am so impressed with your categories! I think that as I start to add marketing and newspaper pieces more I will definitely want categories to separate them from horse-related posts – I hadn’t thought of categories before so thanks so much!

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Hello lovelies, any comments on my new post, or especially on layout/content/user-friendliness and general aesthetics of my blog would be great. It’s been up for nearly a year now, but I only tend to post once or twice a month, so I still feel like a bit of a newbie!! Thanks a lot 🙂

    Do or die?

    Liked by 3 people

    3. I enjoyed glancing through your blog. The layout is very easy on the eyes. You don’t post regularly but I can see that the posts that you do have are of great quality. I aim to have the same quality as you some day. Are all of the photos you used in your blog of ones you’ve taken yourself? I’ve followed your blog. You may consider adding a Follow by email widget so people can easily follow you via email as well.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Oooh, thank you for the widget suggestion – I’ll have a go at adding that (not very WordPress savvy!!) and thank you for your lovely comments. Yes – the photos are all mine. I’m not a very technically knowledgeable photographer, but I do love taking photos when I travel 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

    4. I really like the look of it! I am being extremely picky when I say this, but I might suggest adding a title to that tag cloud or category listing widget. (That’s so minor I feel kind of bad even mentioning it, but..)

      Liked by 1 person

    5. Hi Sarah. I really enjoyed your latest post. The being vs doing distinction is one that’s really occupied my thoughts lately and I thank you for addressing it so clearly. Regarding your blog layout I don’t have anything to add, I think it looks great. Thanks, Daniel

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Hello everyone! I’m a relatively new blogger and I’d love for any feedback on the appearance and layout of my blog. I post a lot of DIY projects, crafts, art and photography. Other suggestions on what to post would also be greatly appreciated! Have a lovely day! 🙂

    xx, https://misscaly.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. I think you have a great blog going here! The projects you posted look so cute! I wish was more artsy like that. 😉 The only thing I can think of improving perhaps making it easier for readers to glance through the titles of your DIY projects, perhaps adding a list in the sidebar of the titles of your posts in this area so your visitors are not required to scroll through all the steps in order to get to the next project idea?

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Hey everyone – I’ve been blogging off and on but I FINALLY found my rhythm and I think I can do this blogging thing long term instead of tackling it in phases. I’ve only recently moved to WordPress from Blogger and I’m incredibly glad I did. I’ve come to the point where I’m happy with my layout however, I still want to improve my presentation of my posts if possible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    Like

  16. Hi everyone!
    I recently re-entered the blogging community and would love some people to check out/ share some tips on how it looks. I am working on getting all the photo’s the same size, but for some reason, one photo doesn’t want to cooperate. I am trying to build up a strong blogging community centered on well-being, happiness, and gratitude. I am a sucker for lists and cute pictures. I would love some support and advice. I have done this before from a different perspective – but i am excited about the new adventure.

    Like

      2. Haha. Someone told me if I stay with that theme to categorize them cause it seemed too busy. Lol

        Like

  17. Hi everyone

    I’m very new to blogging and my posts are still very random. I’ve written a whole lot but scheduled them so I’m only posting one a day.

    Here are my questions – is it ok to have a random jumble of posts all one blog. I cover whatever’s on my mind really. Or would you recommend I start different blogs for different things?

    Also – any recommendations on how to build a reader base when I want to remain anonymous (so can’t use social media).

    Liked by 2 people

    1. We recently published a post with ideas for people who cover many topics in their one blog. You can find it here:
      https://wordpress.com/dailypost/2015/01/15/many-topics-one-blog/

      On the question of building a reader base while anonymous, I’d say the most useful thing is to become engaged with the community (or communities) of bloggers who publish on similar themes to yours. You can also start social accounts for your blog that are separate from your personal profiles — that way you can still have a presence on social platforms like, say, Twitter or Facebook, but without the immediate identification with your real-life persona.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. I need feedback desperatly. I have nothing but positive feedback from my fan base who knows me. I need stranger danger input. I write from the heart, but that doesn’t mean it is interesting. I want to know if what I write inspires and moves those who don’t know my back story. Will you help? http://www.gerirene.com

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Your posts are a little long and don’t suit the type of article that I tend to read, though I know there are people that do like that type of writing. Keep writing, try to help people with your blog, and have fun with it.

      -Levi

      Like

  19. Love your writing voice. Poetry does not usually hold my attention but yours did. I am now your faithful follower. I think your background is a little busy but that is just my taste. Enjoyed my visit to your site very much.
    GeriRene.com

    Liked by 1 person

  24. I am yesterday new to blogging and I am learning how to setup my blog and so far, not much luck. I want to add photos of my creations with descriptions, etc…
    I would like to have separate pages for blouses, dresses, pants, etc.. Is this the right place for me? Can I do this?

    Like

  26. Greetings fellow bloggers. I run a poetry blog and would love some feedback. The blog design is quite simple because I do not want to distract from the poems, and it is the poems I would like to hear some opinions about. Those of you who enjoy reading might look at my latest post, a sonnet, and give me some (gentle!) literary criticism… I would also like to know which poems speak to people most, as I’ve tried a number of different styles, so, if you care to, you could read say the last five poems and tell me which was your favourite and why. In the meantime I will see if I can help with any of the questions others have posted on this forum. Thanks all, Daniel

    Like

  28. Hello everyone! I wanted to start blogging because I want to share my experiences in life with everyone. I will be focusing on beauty, travel, reviews, and so much more. I hope that you guys can leave feedbacks. Thank you!😊😊

    Like