Jun 29, 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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  2. Dear all,
    Please check out my latest blog post about a heritage building which is an Art Deco gem located in Beach Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The inner city of George Town ws declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site and this Art Deco gem is located within the Core Zone of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Especially for Art Deco and heritage architecture aficionados, check it out: https://zainabdullah.wordpress.com/2015/06/28/heritage-building-of-penang-old-ocbc-building-on-beach-street/

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Hi everyone. I have recently changed the format of my blog from what was simply a link to my instagram account previously, to a place where I now upload more thought out/detailed posts of film photographs. I have found that the followers I gained in the previous format do not seem to engage with this new format (no longer commenting or liking, and with much lower view counts) so I wanted to see if anyone here shared my interests? I would appreciate any feedback on my posts (actually on the posts would be great) whether it its something about the photos you liked or some constructive criticism and I would love to interact with people who are interested in photography/film photography; perhaps I would enjoy your work too!

    So yeah, would really appreciate any feedback about the blog here, or any feedback about individual posts themselves on the post comments. Any creative criticism/pointers are greatly appreciated; I’m eager to improve. Thanks!

    Liked by 4 people

    1. You might try dipping a toe into a deeper or more personal topic here and there. I remember when I was a teenager I stopped all my magazine subscriptions because they had no substance outside of fashion, celebrities, fashion, personality quizzes, boy crushes, fashion, gossip, and fashion. See how an article or two tests on your audience.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Anyone else update an iPhone today? Now my blogs show up twice in the list of sites. Comments are there twice in the notifications and it says I haven’t followed any blogs in the reader. Anyone else have this issue?

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Hello Everyone:)
    It feels like it was just Monday not so long ago and we’ve had a great Pool Party…anyway:) I am happy to be back to share what new things I’ve done with my blog and meet some lovely new bloggers!
    This week I’ve changed my theme and I am enjoying the new look!
    My blog covers most of my passions like: fashion, food, movies, photography and writing. With each post I am sharing a little piece of my world:)
    Let me know what you think:)

    this is me

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello Wilson,
      I think you are on the right track with this! I would suggest as something to keep in mind the further you go. Is to organize your posts into categories or provide a way for readers to quickly find the article they are looking for. Take care and good luck!

      Liked by 2 people

  14. Hey guys!Just stumbled on the community pool and i think it’s a wonderful idea. I’ve also recently started a new blog and would welcome any feedback on the content of the posts and the general design of the blog. I would be happy to take a look at anyone else’s! find me at marskimani.wordpress.com. Greetings from Nairobi, Kenya.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. G’morning! It looks like you’re off to a good start. I would recommend adding to your About page and possibly adding some additional relevant imagery to your posts. I also noticed a bit of text-speak (the occasional ‘u’ instead of ‘you’, for example) that can really cause some readers (myself included) to grind their teeth. Cheers to our shared ‘quarter-life crisis’!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks so much Leisel! I really appreciate the feedback and will definitely make those changes. If you allow me one more question…how might I add relevant imagery to my posts?Do you mean within the post itself or the featured images?

        Like

      2. Both, really, or however you see fit. When I say ‘relevant imagery’ I’m typically referring to just adding photos that relate to the topic. It would probably be odd to add a carrot to a post about cell phone usage, for (a ridiculous) example. If you’re not sure how to add photos, check out WordPress Support. They have really great tutorials.

        Like

    1. Since reblogs are considered posts in their own right, you can’t remove them from your posts page. In case what you’re really after is a page where you can collect all your past reblogs, that is possible to achieve — you can assign all reblogs to the same category (for example, Reblogs), and the create a category page where your visitors could find them all in one place. For more on category pages, visit this page:
      https://wordpress.com/support/category-pages/

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I thought your post was entertaining and I was able to read the whole thing but thought it was a bit wordy. The pictures really helped break things up though and were fun. I didn’t watch the video at the end but only because it was 5 minutes and I’ve seen quiet a few of those types of videos. Just to pass on what someone else told me…you want readers to find your blog with proper tags, because they otherwise will be disappointed with the post. The most apparent of these may be the tag “sex”. If someone was searching with the term sex I don’t think they’d find what they were looking for in your post. The title is a fun play on words but none of it really has to do with sex. I’m also new to the blogging world though so feel free to take or leave any of this 🙂 Thanks for the fun entertaining post.

      Liked by 2 people

    1. Your layout is perfectly user friendly. The pages at the top and the sidebar are easy to read/use. The only thing I’d suggest is a hover box so when the mouse is held over the pages at the top, a few word blurb pops up so people know what the pages will entail. I can’t remember how to do that, but it is possible (sorry!). Play around with page settings…
      Happy Blogging!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hello, nice to meet you! First off, the layout/theme of your blog is gorgeous! I especially love your header; it’s eye catching but doesn’t overwhelm the page.

      The only thing I would suggest changing is adding borders around your photos to distinguish them from one another. Some of your pictures look very similar and could be mistaken for a duplicate. Aside form that, I couldn’t really fins anything else that needed improvement!

      Keep up the good work and I look forward to more DIY projects from you soon (:

      Also, if you get a chance, head over to my blog and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome! Thanks so much in advance. (www.therealtanasiakenney.wordpress.com)

      Liked by 2 people

  21. I have a kayaking blog (mainly talking about Puget Sound area).
    This is a post where I pulled something from online and blogged about it. Most of my posts are only my own writing, not linking to other’s. How often is too often to do something like that?
    I’m just thinking every once in a while (2x/month ish) but don’t know if sharing content/reblogging is a good way to build followers or scare them away.
    Do you usually write more or less when sharing?
    What are your thoughts?
    http://kayakyrstin.com/2015/06/24/cancer-survivors-whitewater-kayaking/

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Hello Community Pool Goers,
    I’ve recently whipped up a post about apples. Yeah, apples (please bear my weirdness)

    If you’re interested it’s at https://redefiningrandom.wordpress.com/2015/06/29/why-should-you-be-an-apple/

    If you’re not, I won’t live my whole life, locked in a dark room, crying silently in the corner, just because you have no care for a person’s feelings.

    Also, I’m looking for guest bloggers.
    https://redefiningrandom.wordpress.com/be-my-guest/

    Liked by 4 people

    2. Hi Bri, nice to meet you! I found this post VERY informative and well-written. Who knew a simple spice could have so many health benefits? I don’t use turmeric in my cooking very often but will definitely try incorporating it into more of my dishes now that I know a little more about it. Thanks for the additional resources as well!

      Also, if you have a moment, stop by my blog and let me know what you think. Thank you in advance! (www.therealtanasiakenney.wordpress,com)

      Liked by 2 people

  25. Hey this is amazing 🙂
    I just started a blog about a day ago, do check it out and let me know what you guys think. All pointers are welcome.
    Specifically though, let me know if you think the layout is too boring and if I should shake it up a bit. Thanks guys

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Hey swetha! Just stopped by your blog and i really enjoyed your writing. just to note:yes you could do with a change of layout just to keep things interesting and also consider adding an email subscription button for those who would like to subscribe to your blog. Happy writing!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. What marskimani said. Integrate any and all applicable social media and following options, expand your About page (maybe a picture, too?), break up your giant text bricks into smaller, easier to read paragraphs. Include photos and/or infographics where appropriate. Consider adding some widgets. And if your posts run long consider adding Read More tags. You’re off to a good start.

      Like

  26. Hello! I am sorry if this question is repetitive, but I was wondering how to make different categories for my posts? For example “Poetry”, “Short Stories”, or “Blogs”. I have only written a few posts but would like to make them more organized! And, of course I would love if anybody would like to read the posts and let me know what you think, as the only readers I have had so far are Facebook friends 🙂
    Thanks!
    P.S. Any general design advice you may have would be welcomed as well.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Some design advice, if I may:
      — Add a tagline to your blog.
      — A few more paragraph breaks for ease in reading; some of yours run a little long. This point is relatively insignificant compared to my other suggestions, really.
      — Add Read More tags if necessary to entice the reader to click a post or to make scrolling through posts easier.
      — Add widgets. Give people the opportunity to interact with you through social media integration. Follow buttons, sharing buttons, something, anything! Right now you just have this giant depressive black wall at the side of your blog just begging to be filled. I cannot stress this particular point enough. How will you reach your audience otherwise?
      — I wish I knew the context of your blog header; I might like it more.
      — Adding pictures to blog posts can help.
      Did that help? I hope it helps. I can’t find my work coffee cup and I am (more of) a jerk (than usual) without coffee.

      Like

      1. No, thank you so much that is exactly the type of advice I was looking for!
        – The tagline is something I’ve been thinking of, but is difficult as I don’t feel as if I have a running theme or anything like that in my writings and am wanting to begin to add different types of things; short stories, critiques ect. But I will definitely be trying to think of a tagline!
        – Have you ever ran into problems with the way you type in your blog not coming up correctly when you post? It has only ever done this to me when I did the poem but I could not for the life f me get it to make paragraphs for it! As for the other posts, I will re-read over them and touch up 🙂
        – Widgets, this was the main un-names thing I was wanting to do! To get the blogs sorted out into different categories and not just all together in one long strip.
        I created “categories” in the form of widgets on the side, but am having trouble actually attaching specific blogs to the specific category.
        Excuse my ignorance in all things technological.
        – The picture for the blog header? Is there a way to post a caption, or better yet add words on top of it?
        – I’m glad you meantioned the photos, I had some in the “All the Good Things” post but am not sure if they are showing up on other computers, because they are not on mine 😦

        Lastly, are the tags you post with your blogs tags that will take you to other posts all over wordpress or only posts you have written? (Again, sorry if these questions are dumb!)

        Thank you so much for your help, you’re an angel!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. – I have only had this issue once, and I’m fairly certain it was just a random bug after some troubleshooting.
        – Widgets can be tricky. If you have any questions or concerns I’d recommend heading over to WordPress Support. They have very thorough, comprehensive tutorials.
        – Re: blog header picture thingy (terminology indicates the day is getting longer and longer), this is totally doable if it’s your own image. There are a variety of tools you can use to get this effect. I personally use a combination of PS Paint and MS PowerPoint. It makes sense in my head, anyway. Image editing is both fun and a labor of love.
        – If you’re worried about losing images, save them to your device and pull them from there. And keep backups of backups of backups of backups.
        – Er, both-ish? People can search for blog posts in their Reader by searching for tags. Adding tags helps people with similar interests find you. If they’re clicking on a tag IN your blog, it will take them to all posts on your blog that use that particular tag.
        Anyway, I’d love to see what you come up with. But not before Friday. >_> I am now chest deep in flour and fondant. Happy blogging!

        Like

    1. The sideways scrolling boxes are really awkward to navigate. Is that created by your theme?

      Okay, I checked your main page. Definitely the theme. Might want to consider a more user-friendly theme; I wanted to get away as fast as I could, despite your content.

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Good Evening from Minnesota USA!!! I have been a blogger for over a year, but I can’t seem to find the way to get consistent views on my blog. Some days I hit thirty or more and other days I hit six! On two separate occasions I have hit sixty or above. It is these numbers I would love to replicate on a daily basis. I am shooting for a minimum of 2000 hits per week. Is there anyone who can give me the honest, brutal feedback I require to be a blogging pro?

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I can do brutal. /cracks knuckles

      Personally, I hate your theme. I would recommend looking into trying other themes ASAP. Why? There’s no graphical interface to draw at least a base surface interest. It’s awkward to comment on posts with the comment button being skewed so far to the right. There are these giant, glaring red headlines of caps lock doom that I’d rather run from than read. For the love of all that’s holy, experiment with other themes. Just not a magazine layout theme; it wouldn’t suit your posting style.

      Your tagline- “A Day in the Life” Of who? Of what? Why? You may wish to take a critical, editing eye to this. What makes you stand out and why would anyone want to read it? I’ve read your stuff; you can do better.

      Perhaps a bit more about you in your About page, with better formatting. Again, you can do better; you’re more interesting than that.

      If you look at your site navigation/menu/whatever that thing poses as on your theme, you’ll see you have two columns of the exact same content/widgets which is clunky, unappealing, and redundant. Don’t get me wrong, widgets are great when utilized properly.

      From what I can see, you have a single WordPress Follow button, that’s it. There’s no social media integration, no easy to find sharing options, nothing. Correction: I found sharing options by clicking on a post. Considering that I can read an entire post of yours and comment without actually clicking the post, this is a huge NO for me. Do you have a Facebook page for your blog? Twitter? Instagram? Anything? Integrate it. Give people a reason to want to follow you and see more.

      As your posts tend to be longer, consider adding Read More tags. It makes it easier to scroll between your posts and gives people a reason to click your posts. Make it enticing.

      Add pictures. People in general are extremely visual and don’t want to subject themselves to an eternal scrolling text purgatory, no matter how high quality the posts may be.

      I promise I don’t want to deter you. You have good content. Make it stand out. Otherwise, from what I can see the only way you’re getting views is from personally showing your friends and family and posting in the Community Pool.

      Consider taking the WordPress Blogging 101 course. It will help you network and build a base audience. Keep coming back to the Community Pool every week for input; you’ll gain invaluable advice and maybe even some followers. Network with people. Follow and comment on other blogs and people will start coming to you. Keep at it. You can do great things.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hey there, nice to meet you! I really enjoyed reading your flash fiction post about “A dog named Bob.” I honestly couldn’t find anything wrong with it! It was funny and light-hearted and I felt like I was in the head of the narrator. Creative writing seems to be your forte so keep up the good work!

      Also, if you get a chance, stop by my blog and tell me what you think. Thanks in advance! (www.therealtanasiakenney.wordpress.com)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you 🙂 I like your blog layout, it’s fresh and simple. Although the Title “Tania’s Beauty Blurb” would look better if it was a lighter color in contrast to the green 🙂 Or is the background was a lighter color.

        Also, I like your writing style, it is awesome. Your word-choice and sentence structure, I wish to make it better like that 🙂

        Like