Oct 19, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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

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!
  • 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.
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      2. Love the look of your blog, you have used your theme fully to your advantage and chosen meaningful content, I wish you the best with your purpose and writing!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Loved it! Your blog is very well organized. Everything is concise and clean. I enjoyed reading your About page and also your artistic statement. I would encourage you to keep pursuing 🙂 You’re doing a fabulous job!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Hi everyone!
    I’ve wondering if I should buy a domain and hosting. What do you think of my blog? Should I give it a try or work more with my free wordpess account?
    Thanks x

    Liked by 1 person

    3. I decided to wait to pay for the hosted until my space was filled up with all of my photos. Once I did that then I went ahead and did hosted but I haven’t found that it made any substantial difference in my google hits or searches or follow counts.

      Curious what others think though…

      Liked by 1 person

    4. I like it. Your blog is very cute. The style and layout is very neat and clean. I love your posts as well. For now, I think maybe working more with your free blog first. It’s always better to take things slow rather than jumping the gun into things. I wish you the best of luck 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    5. You can check out the differences between a WordPress.com hosted site and a self-hosted one here:
      https://wordpress.com/support/com-vs-org/

      Generally, most bloggers find that the hosted version (WordPress.com) meets their needs, unless there’s a very specific feature (like a plugin you really, really require) that’s unavailable on WordPress.com, in which case a self-hosted site becomes something to consider.

      Like

    2. Congrats on your baby. I love the idea of you starting a blog like this because everything will go by in such a flash. You will be able to connect with others and look back and remember all of the things that were important at the time that may be fading from memory. I have a travel blog but it is easy to forget about my travels. I can look back and reread about them later and remind myself. Best of luck with you.

      Also, we have the same thing. Feel free to look at my usage of the theme for ideas. Yours looks great though!

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Hey! I just checked out your blog and I thought it was great! I think you’re doing a great job and your son is gorgeous! your theme is great and very complimentary to your content! so far so good! I’m a stay at home mum (UK) and I know your woes! I’ve had to deal with a ‘breach’ quite a few times, my little one is 3 now but it doesn’t get any easier! Keep up the good work!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you!

        Your blog covers very interesting topics. What bothers me is that the content is not highlighted. I think a category menu would make it easier to navigate and would attract new readers to check more posts.

        All the best!

        Like

    4. Hi Giulia,
      I loved your blog! Especially the photography category. I think your layout is also very nice. Everything is easy to navigate and easy on the eyes. Your About page is also very thorough. I think you’re doing a great job 🙂 Keep it up! And I’d appreciate it if you could give me some feedback on my blog! Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Blog looks great. You have great usage of all sorts of widgets which I love. Can you tell me though do you have a search box? If you do I couldnt easily find it. Just a thought for you in case viewers might want to search through your content separate from the archives. Also, have you thought about providing access via categorization?

      Like

    3. I don’t think it’s plain at all! I personally prefer minimal presentation because it looks clean and concise. I love your categories and the “feel” of your blog. And your “non quiet librarian” is witty 🙂 I think you’re doing great. Keep it up!

      Like

  9. Hello everybody. Check out my review of Hilary Clinton’s book, “Hard Choices.” It was about her time as Secretary of State and countries she traveled to in that time. Clinton was great at solving a crisis.

    Like

  10. HI! I’m brand new here. I have blogged before, but let the cruel words of friends stop me from continuing. I’m here to give it another try because I love writing about all the things I love. Anyone that would like to check it out, that would be great. I’m not worried about it being great or perfect, it isn’t, but it’s me.

    https://thethirtysomethinglifeblog.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 2 people

    3. Hi Rebecca,
      I think your blog is great! It gives a very welcoming vibe. Your layout is nice and I enjoyed your About page. I’m sure readers will definitely feel connected to your blog. Keep up the great work!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi Taylor, I popped over to your blog and I liked your content. I don’t think older people are really that good at predicting the future lol, it just something older people do, unless your still with that Jonh guy, then maybe they can! All I know is, if I ask my Gran to tell me the Future, she tells me to shut up, its a load of old codswallop!
      Anyway, I think, judging by your content, your theme it fitting BUT you deffo need to get creative in your customiser! I think, as a young woman, the colours and header of your theme could do with being a bit brighter! don’t be afraid of the customiser, it’s full of great options and ways to make a blog more personal! Anyway, I hope that gives you a little food for thought, have a nice day 🙂

      Like

  12. Hi all. I am looking for a couple of things. 1: some general feedback on my site, (You should get to it by clicking on my name). I am happy with the layout so I am thinking more in terms of content, is it boring? Does it grab you? Are the posts too long, you know usual readability stuff.

    2: I am looking for more blogs to follow, and when I say more blogs to follow I mean genuine personal blogs, not selling me something, not entrepreneurs, not authors promoting their new book, not 100% poetry (sorry poets I find it difficult to get into), just genuine, personal blogs

    Any feedback would be great, thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Hi everyone, I’m new to blogging! I’ve just published my first post and was wondering if anyone could give me some feedback! Thanks in advance x

    Https:// chloetalksblog.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

    2. I would suggest you put something in the title that tells readers what your blog is about. It is hard to tell at this point since there isn’t much content yet? Lifestyle blog? Fashion? That might help readers connect and want to follow you. I hope that is helpful.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. H e l l o everyone! I am super late to the pool today but I am on the lookout for some feedback if possible!? Today I spent eons making lots of new headers for my categories, I think it looks okay but I’d like some fresh eye is possible! Thank you so much!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I really liked your blog! The layout is very cute haha. Your blog gives off a very elegant feel. I liked how you split your content into multiple categories. Everything is so concise and easy to look around. You’re doing a great job 🙂 Keep up it!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi,
      I think your scribbles are great 🙂 The layout is simple and clean. Very easy on the eyes. The only thing I’d suggest is if you made an about page so that viewers can better understand your blog and also connect with you more personally. I wish you the best of luck!

      Liked by 2 people

  20. Hello fellow bloggers!

    I wanted to stop over and ask you kindly to have a look at our blog. We’re having concerns about font read-ability.We put a bold font on some of the blogs for a quick fix. Gaia’s Cure is all about our journey from house to homestead. Cooking affordable meals for a family of four from scratch. Our gardening victories and defeats & more. Stop by have a look around, pick up a new recipe for dinner tomorrow and leave us some feed back please.
    https://gaiascure.wordpress.com

    Thanks in advance!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi Gaia, I’ve just taken a look at your blog. Liking the format, suggest upping the size of your typeface if possible with the theme…was a little hard reading through my NHS Specs! 🙂 Other than that i found it a most enjoyable read…feel free to drop into my blog at any time – https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com

      Like

    2. Hello,
      I think your layout and the feel of your blog is awesome! It gives me a very organic vibe. I enjoyed your contents of your posts and also liked your recipe category. I think you’re doing a great job 🙂 Keep up the great work!

      Like

  22. Hello people!
    I’ve just uploaded the second in a three-part series of posts on my (mainly film) photography blog, consisting of some shots I took on film of my recent stay at the English seaside.
    you can find the post here:
    https://anotherlifeinlondon.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/by-the-sea-pt-2/
    or my blog here:
    https://anotherlifeinlondon.wordpress.com

    I would really appreciate it if you would take a look and give me any feedback you might have! Also, let me know if you have a photography/film photography blog you think I might be interested in as I would really like to widen my network of fellow film enthusiasts. Thanks!

    Annie

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I love the look of your blog. It makes me want to dive in there and see about your travels. I love your about page. I think it is informative and interesting. I think you have a wonderful start and just need to keep at it. I am a photographer and have a travel blog so your page is right up my alley. I hope you check me out. I gave you a follow so we can keep track of each other! Cheers.

      Like

  24. Hello

    I would appreciate some feedback on my website …. I’m kind of struggling with the direction I would like to go with it – it’s a place to host my travels / gopro vids but id also like some feedback …. So all advice and feedback would be great appreciated

    Thanks in advance

    http://Www.projames.com

    Liked by 1 person

    1. So, I love the look of your blog. I am partial to that theme. I love that it appears to be a travel blog since I have one too. I like that you are all over the place a little bit because it makes it exciting. All of it has to do with travel, outdoors, etc. I would recommend that you add something to the top so people know what it is right off the get go. And I would recommend that you add something to your about page so people can understand who you are and why you are there.

      I gave you a follow so I can see where your adventures take you. I hope you will check out my site too. 🙂 Happy travels.

      Like

      1. Hello,

        That is fantastic and helpful – thanks for taking the time! I will certainly have a look and follow so I can see your adventures! Happy Travelling! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  26. Would love comments on a recent posts about being a good presenter, found here: http://teegarner.com/2015/10/01/be-the-best-presenter-avoid-these-pet-peeves/

    I’m a romance author so sometimes my posts feel a little all over the place. My intention was to write in three targets, aspiring writers (because I teach novel writing), disability lifestyle because I have a disability and want to inspire and writing life/journey but I also like writing about. Also, I feel there may be a little too much sarcasm here, not sure if those that don’t know me will see my attempt at humor.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love the feel of your blog. Bipolar is a real thing and I hope you keep fighting! The only thing I’d suggest is if you made an About page. That way viewers can better understand your blog and connect with you more personally. I wish you the best of luck!

      Liked by 1 person

    3. The initial look of your site is visually arresting and perfectly suits your name. I agree the font size is an issue, especially with the white lettering. I found myself having to magnify the text which takes me out of the content. As far as content it’s great. I really like the work that grew out of the writing prompts.

      Liked by 2 people

      2. I’m pretty new at this but my theme lets me change it under “Customize”, then “Fonts”, choose a size for “Base Font”. I also type mine in a word document first and then paste in so I have more control of text then I feel like I get by typing directly into WordPress but I write relatively long posts.

        Liked by 1 person

  28. Hello

    Just started a blog and I have some inspirational posts from Africa. Please check out my blog “Africainspirationblog”.

    Liked by 1 person