I’m surprised at how many new bloggers, sit around baffled at why they can’t get readers to stick around. They wonder why their bounce rate is so high, or why users that actually do come by the site, never come back.
It’s interesting that most of these bloggers never consider using the tools they have at their disposal to fix their problems. Instead most either whine incessantly, or pretend like nothings wrong. Both are destined for failure, more so the latter.
So what is the number one way to make sure your blog is not only useful, but easy to navigate? Use your friends.
Sit down and ask yourself, “If I can’t get my friends to read my blog, why the hell will anyone else?”.
I understand that people’s interests differ, and maybe all of your friends aren’t interested in your blog.
I have that same situation. In fact, I doubt my girlfriend spends more than an hour online a day. So I know she’ll never get into reading my blog.
But, I also know that I have a friend or two that would, and do. I have friends that read my blog everyday, are subscribed to my RSS feed, and leave a comment often.
If you’re saying to yourself “This doesn’t apply to me, my friends will never read what I write”, you’re disillusioned.
First of all, do your friends even know you write a blog? If they don’t that could be a pretty bad sign of your marketing prowess. Your friends are the easiest people to get in touch with, and you already have built trust with them. They’re already inclined to like your blog.
If you haven’t told your friends about your blog, letting them know is simple. You can tell them when you see them, or my personal favorite, throw a party celebrating the launch of your blog and advertise it to your friends on Facebook. The second method, insures you not only let everyone know about your blog, but also can lead to lots of drunken debauchery. No one can complain about drunken debauchery.
Now that some of your friends know about your blog, use them to get feedback on your site. Force them to tell you the truth, and best yet, watch them as they navigate to your site the first time.
Does the content stick out to them? Do they like the ads? Is the design good? Does your writing style suck? These are all questions you should be asking as your friends reads your blog.
As time passes, ask your friends if they still enjoy your blog. Welcome them into the brainstorming process, and let them give you suggestions on your next blog post.
When you do this, you’re writing posts for what your readers want. This mindset leads to a much more successful blog, than when you write what you want.
Now your friends are your base. They’re the most devout of your followers, and their input should matter. Don’t forget to treat them to a beer or two, thank them for their effort.
All successful blogs start small, with only a hand full of readers. When you tell your friends, and you awe them, they tell their friends. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire and over time, your site builds its reputation. But without the feedback from your friends, your blog’s early adopters, you’ll lose time while you guess at what your readers want.
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