The User-Friendly Blog
Last Update: June 14, 2012
I spent an hour or two perusing the web looking for related blogs and other sites so that I could make comments and see what my competition is up to. Instead, I was taking notes about site set up. What makes a site more appealing and user friendly?
One of the advantages of looking at blogs within my own niche is that I have discovered that my site isn't as user friendly as I hoped. So, tonight, I made more pages that make it easier for people to find more of my posts.
For instance, my blog is http://homeschoolingintheburbs.info On this site, I have written curriculum reviews, family movie nights, science experiments, etc. Yes, some of my posts were correctly categorized and links to those categories were on the right column, but it doesn't take much side bar content to push it below the fold. Pages are listed immediately beneath the header image, making them "pop" and look more important.
I decided to make pages entitled with names of categories I write about most. Within each page are links to the posts of the given topic. It probably took about an hour given that I have only 35 posts. However, it is important to keep my visitors on my site, rather than wandering elsewhere on the web. The are less likely to stay if my site is not user friendly.
There are a few posts with topics that I haven't written much about. I decided not to make pages for them for the time being. However, I may find a way to creatively add them to the other pages or write more on those topics in the future. Perhaps, then they will be linked directly on a page within my site.
My site is only about 2 1/2 months old, give or take. So it is still a work in progress- I'm sure it will be when it is 10 years old, too. If anyone has suggestions about improving my site to make it more user friendly or any other ideas, I am anxious to read what you have to say.
Thanks for dropping by!
One of the advantages of looking at blogs within my own niche is that I have discovered that my site isn't as user friendly as I hoped. So, tonight, I made more pages that make it easier for people to find more of my posts.
For instance, my blog is http://homeschoolingintheburbs.info On this site, I have written curriculum reviews, family movie nights, science experiments, etc. Yes, some of my posts were correctly categorized and links to those categories were on the right column, but it doesn't take much side bar content to push it below the fold. Pages are listed immediately beneath the header image, making them "pop" and look more important.
I decided to make pages entitled with names of categories I write about most. Within each page are links to the posts of the given topic. It probably took about an hour given that I have only 35 posts. However, it is important to keep my visitors on my site, rather than wandering elsewhere on the web. The are less likely to stay if my site is not user friendly.
There are a few posts with topics that I haven't written much about. I decided not to make pages for them for the time being. However, I may find a way to creatively add them to the other pages or write more on those topics in the future. Perhaps, then they will be linked directly on a page within my site.
My site is only about 2 1/2 months old, give or take. So it is still a work in progress- I'm sure it will be when it is 10 years old, too. If anyone has suggestions about improving my site to make it more user friendly or any other ideas, I am anxious to read what you have to say.
Thanks for dropping by!
Join the Discussion
Beckywahm
Premium
Even if "they" don't like links at the bottom/footer, I don't either. I want my viewers to stay on my site as long as possible. Menus and other internal links need to be in a handy place. If it's confusing or in an obscure place when I visit someone else's site, I leave. I don't need to spend time figuring out someone's site- unless they have something that is so unique and hard to find to make it worth my time.
Beckywahm
Premium
Thank you. I am thinking about getting rid of the list found in the widgets because I think people will pay more attention to the menu under the header. However, I think it will be more work on my end. What are your recommendations? Which would you keep, which would you discard to make it more user friendly? Thanks :)
Bigman
Premium
I would keep the Home, Privacy Policy etc where they are supposed to be.
The other Pages you can list under Menu which is found under Appearance.
In here you can create menu's which have custom titles for listing your articles under according to Category.
So you create a new Category called (for example) Picture Books then you can add a Custom Widget found in Widgets under Appearance.
Drag this to your Sidebar and call it Picture Books.
Then all content written under that Category will be listed in your Sidebar under that Title of Picture Books.
I may create someting to show how to do this as it's a bit complicated to explain.
Hopefully you will understand what I'm getting at though...lol
The other Pages you can list under Menu which is found under Appearance.
In here you can create menu's which have custom titles for listing your articles under according to Category.
So you create a new Category called (for example) Picture Books then you can add a Custom Widget found in Widgets under Appearance.
Drag this to your Sidebar and call it Picture Books.
Then all content written under that Category will be listed in your Sidebar under that Title of Picture Books.
I may create someting to show how to do this as it's a bit complicated to explain.
Hopefully you will understand what I'm getting at though...lol
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