Dec 21, 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>

The Community Pool is now closed for the holidays! It will reopen (in a new post) on January 4, 2016. Happy new year!

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?

Did you just start blogging and you’re not sure how to get going? Has your blog been dormant for a while but you’d like to give it a jolt of life? Join our free Blogging 101 course (or any of our other offerings at Blogging U.).

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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  1. Hello all,

    My blog follows (1) my weight loss journey and (2) my other random ramblings that I like to share. I would love to get any input others are willing to contribute. In particular, I’m curious what you think about the layout of the blog and the length. I’m concerned that perhaps I write too much for any particular post so readers get bored before finishing the post.

    http://gbconspiracy.com/

    Thanks in advance,
    Wes

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Very nice, but is it possible to add something like a jump or a read more tag to your posts? That way the reader stays interested and goes through a much shorter scrolling limbo. Did I mention that your blog name is immensely entertaining?

      Like

      1. Thanks for the comments! When you indicate a jump or read more tag would you mean just showing the first paragraph, for example, and then a continue reading button for the full post?

        Like

    2. I don’t see an issue with length if the material is engaging enough. I may be personally biased though as my posts tend to be in the 1500 word range. I did overhaul my theme so that only the first few sentences appear and the post must be clicked into. I find it makes my home page cleaner and easier to navigate for readers. P.S. You should add Troeg’s Mad Elf to your holiday beer list đŸ™‚

      Like

    3. I like what you’re writing here. Looking at the two most recent entries, it seems like you do a pretty good job of breaking up a lot of text by way of video and pictures.
      Good luck on your weight loss goals, and happy blogging! đŸ™‚

      Like

    4. Hi, I like the humour in your posts! They’re a good length, detail enough but not rambling on. Good luck with your weight loss, I too am writing a blog monitoring my weight loss. Merry Christmas!

      Like

  2. Hey all! I’m mckelodeon, and I run the nerd lifestyle blog, Nerd•ily! I’m here to ask for some help. I have an ongoing series in which I write a guide for beginning comic book fans. Since I’m a beginner myself, I am still learning the tricks of the trade. I have lots of ideas as to where this series will go, but I do need some help. Any advice, tips, tricks, and recommendations would be very much appreciated! The link to the help wanted add is here: http://nerdilyblog.com/2015/12/16/help-wanted-comic-book-recommendations/

    I will try to be swift in my replies here, but I’m so busy with work today, so patience please! Otherwise, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Thanks!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’m glad I’m not the only one who ‘swims’ at work. Unfortunately I don’t really do comics but if you ever decide to start a manga series you know where to find me. Happy holiday-type things!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I do read comics but I am more of a gamer… so the only comics that you might want to do is x men , have not checked all your blogs… YET but I will try to catch up

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Hello blogging community!

    I have just started a blog where I will interview others and “share the human experience”. My goal is to interview 10,000 people. I will use my blog to document my progress and post my interviews.
    If anyone has any tips on how to conduct interviews or suggestions for new blog themes (free), that would be greatly appreciated.
    https://10thousandfaces.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 2 people

    1. What a fantastic idea! As to conducting interviews I think you should have the same sort of guideline or ‘rules’ to guide the answers and give you a way for people to expect what to see. But…don’t be afraid of spontaneity either. You can use the guidelines as only a rough guide to let you continue. As to the free themes, just come on here and leave comments and view other people’s blogs to get a feel for what seems right for you. We all have a different idea of what works and what we want to do. You can’t do it all at the start, since you just got your feet wet…get some more interviews up and then you might get interested in new layouts and different ways to organize your blog, which I suspect will be an issue eventually with so many interviews planned. Looking forward to seeing this grow and I’m giving you a follow!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. What a fascinating project! I look forward to reading more. đŸ™‚

      With interviews, I think questions that don’t have yes/no answers are good because they prompt people to talk and expand on their answers.

      Like

    3. I’ve said before how great I think this idea is. In terms of interview tips, I think it’d be neat if you asked a few of the same question(s) to everyone so we can see the varying answers. As for a theme, I’d suggest using Mixfolio, Pictoro or Cubic because the grid layout would make it easy for many recent posts to be easily accessed so people can read them all.
      Happy Blogging!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I would love to hear feedback about my post regarding people saying on social media that they’re “humbled” when great things happen in their life.

    I always like to incorporate stories and a touch of wit into my posts. Hopefully you like it, but let me know any feedback, specifically regarding if the point comes across strong enough without being catty. đŸ™‚

    “Humbled”

    Liked by 4 people

    3. Your blog is awesome! Just the kind of entertaining writing I’ve been looking for. I love it when something that can seem so routine gets picked apart and exposed for its ridiculousness – to me, that is comedy with an endless supply of material. Keep up the great work! (And please let me know what you think of my blog http://www.letmebefrankwithyou.com)

      Like

  7. Hey! I write poems and short stories related to emotions.

    http://www.being1nsane.wordpress.com

    I also have a monthly prompt thing called ” The Topic Thingy” Which has many big writers participating in. Come on in ! The month’s topic is “The first SIGHTING of LOVE”

    Here is the link to it

    https://
    being1nsane.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/topic-for-decemberrr-and-other-ttt-posts/

    It’s easy and I am sure you will enjoy it.

    Good day! Oh and merry Christmas đŸ˜‰

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Thanks community pool! I recently launched my running/marathon training/travel blog, http://www.janerunswild.com, and am wondering what your thoughts are on attracting more site visitors. I attempt to engage my readers with comments at the end of each post- but please let me know if you have other feedback. Thank you!

    Like

  14. Hey everybody :D!

    I’ve recently started a poetry blog that mainly deals with free-verse poetry (interspersed with some eclectic prose every now and then) and details about life, love, and other ephemeral musings.

    I’d appreciate it if you could give some feedback regarding the layouts/quality of the blog and the literary pieces. I do aim to please, and would like to maximize the readership pleasure of my blog, so to speak :D.

    Thanks in advance, and wishing everyone a happy holiday season,

    Andrew
    https://markandrewsantos.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 2 people

    2. I really enjoyed your latest post – especially that you posted the raw picture of it in your journal with an illustration next to it, definitely an attention grabber! You may consider getting a side bar, that lists your recent posts or sorts them by category, it may help readers navigate easier, in my humble opinion, of course. đŸ™‚ Your color scheme is very neutral and easy on the eyes without seeming “dull” or “boring”, which I love. Keep up the good work, and good luck đŸ™‚

      Like

    3. Andrew, in your case I suggest not using the “continue reading” option. Show us the entire poem right away, and don’t waste space showing us the various categories/tags you’ve given it.

      Also, I think you should find a way to make it clear visually where the poem ends and your comments about it begin.

      I think a visually attractive header would really improve the look of your blog. Good luck with your writing.

      Like

  15. Hello blogging community 🙋

    Happy holidays & merry Christmas! Before we take off for the holidays I wanted to share my recent changes to simply said.

    Everyone has been on the wrong end of Shade at some point or another. Even if we didn’t know it. Nine times out of ten- you didn’t deserve it. Now shade has turned into a social epidimic & everyone is a target. WRITING ABOVE THE SHADE is fighting social shaming, social ignorance, and discussing all the latest shade. Join me and get a sip of some tea!

    Witness the Shade||NatGeo on The Radar, and Not in A Good Way, After Posting “Explicit” LGBT Instagr… – http://wp.me/pGLoH-ca

    Presidential Shade: Barack Obama “Running Wild” on Reality TV – http://wp.me/pGLoH-cK

    Liked by 2 people

  16. Merry Christmas, friends! We’re all on here because we have a perspective and stories to share and/or love to write. Me, too. I love to be right. Check out my perspective at: notthestateofmyhouse

    Like

  18. Hi Everyone! As a new blogger, I have found that Community Pool is a great way to get feedback AND see the work of a lot of new talented writers. I love it here! I’m going to spend some time this afternoon reviewing some of your blogs. I’d like to ask for any recommendations for some good humor blogs that you’re seeing on WordPress. I have found a few but hope to subscribe to more. Please list the addresses of any sites you find funny here and while you’re at it, take a look at mine and let me know what you think! http://www.letmebefrankwithyou.com

    Liked by 3 people

      1. I rarely type LOL and it hasn’t been often in my brief blog experience when I have L’dOL but your blog makes me LOL! Yours is one that I’ll read frequently. Thanks for the feedback. I’ll definitely mess around with categorizing things now that I have a few posts accumulated. Stay funny!

        Liked by 1 person

  21. Hi all! Just started my blog and not too sure what the main niche will be yet. That’s what’s kept me from starting before now. I’ve decided to just go for it and write what feels right! The niche will evolve over some time, and then I can start sharing and doing what needs done for followers!
    My first post is an Algarve Beauty Haul – would love any constructive feedback on it! Thanks so much đŸ™‚ https://classofamsterdam.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. Just checked out your blog. You are off to a great start. My little piece of advice would be to fill out your About page. It’s a great way to give readers a chance to know a little bit about you. I always check the About page first when I encounter a new blog so I can get a feel for the author and the content. Keep on blogging and happy holidays!

      Like

      1. Ok, thanks! Right now I’ve no idea what that means, but I’m going to look into it and fix it later today. Thanks a lot for the heads up! I’m also still figuring out the difference between free hosting on WordPress, and downloading the software and doing things that way. Is it possible to do the latter for people who don’t know coding?! Or is it all very technical? Thanks again

        Like

  25. I would love some feedback on my blog! mainly I’m wondering about how i should make my site look.
    Is anyone good with graphics and can give me a few tips on how to improve the look of it, or a really good (free) wordpress theme to use.
    Thanks, I am at
    https://edinparis.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. I really like how minimalist your site is. I like your theme. The only feedback I would give you is to add a search field so people can search through your posts. Also think about categorizing them to grab reader’s interest. I think it looks great and I like your use of images to grab the interest of those who are visual.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. @BulldogTravels You seem son honest, yet encouraging. I’d love you for you to check out my blog and give me some ideas on how to insert a search bar, or categorize my posts. Thank you in advance!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Hi there. So I dont know how much help I will be because I dont know what options are available in your theme. (They are all different.) But, in your setting there should be a widget or a function to add a search bar. If you have the option I would put it at the top or on one of the sides. This will allow readers to come in and search on a term to see if anything matches it and then click on that post. Alternatively, or in addition, if you categorize your posts and then post those categories on the bottom or down one of the sides readers could click on it and see what other kind of content you have. I think this helps readers who are interested in one of your topics to get in there and read some more. For example I have a lot of posts on Ireland. For those who are interested in Ireleand they can click on my category of Ireland and read all of the posts I have written that involve that subject. I think something similar could apply to you especially later on after you have written a lot! Does that make sense? best of luck to you. đŸ™‚

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Hey there, people would be interested in reading your blog if you ask nicely. People blog because they enjoy it, not for other people’s enjoyment, or looking for stats, comments, or likes. I’m sure people would love to see what you’re reading if you use manners. Take a look at some other comments and how they politely asked others to check out their blog.

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Hi all
    My blog is a personal one where I share opinions, political/activism news, stories about my personal life as a women of colour!
    Would be great if other women of colour and people of colour could share their blogs – want to expand my reading circle đŸ™‚

    Liked by 1 person

      3. Your blog looks great. Perhaps just think about adding a search box and eventually categorizing your posts once you have a bunch in there. I think this helps keep readers on your blog once they make their way there.

        Like

    3. Blog looks good. Cheerful and great! Love the polar bear sweater. I like the theme you chose. You might want to start thinking about categorizing your posts so readers can go through and read all the posts you make on a certain subject. That seems particularly important in the topic you chose to blog about…fashion! You look fabulous. đŸ™‚

      Like