Best way to design and implement my blog...

by Rader
10 replies
I have a blog on my website titled "Resources" and on that page are titles with short paragraphs introducing an article set. Inside that set, or page, are multiple articles or blogs related to that title.

1. Is there a better title to use for my resources page?
2. What is the most efficient way to organize and design a blog so it generates the most traffic?

the blog is at http://www.brandroot.com/resources
#blog #design #implement
  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    That's not a typical blog setup... so we don't know what you did there. We have no idea what kind of blogging software you are using.

    Organize and design are two very different things: every blogger can (and should) organize the structure of their blog, before they start it; however not every blogger is able to design, some people say that's an unrelated profession...
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  • Rader,

    There isn’t really a design that is going to generate traffic. If people have never visited the site, they won’t see the design and the way things are structured won’t bring people in. I would focus on producing quality content in order to bring more people into the site. Write about stuff that people will find useful. Post things that visitors will want to share. This is what makes some blogs successful. They fulfill a need for their visitors in some way.
    Here are also a few good tips on making good blog content,

    3 Ways to Create Highly Valuable Blog Content | Social Media Examiner

    Hope that helps you,

    Shawn
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    Outsource to the experts...

    We customize your Blog, eBook, Press Release and Sale Copy content with your message.

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  • Profile picture of the author Romeo90
    Originally Posted by Rader View Post

    2. What is the most efficient way to organize and design a blog so it generates the most traffic?
    Personally, I would scrap that layout now, and move over to the WordPress platform, because if I was a visitor, the first thing I would do is click the back button on my browser.

    When starting a blog, the first thing you need to focus on is the layout and design which will hopefully stop a visitor doing the above.

    Have a look at WordPress. User friendly and there are thousands of themes out there that you will find better suited to what you want to achieve.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rader
      Originally Posted by Romeo90 View Post

      Personally, I would scrap that layout now, and move over to the WordPress platform...
      The entire site runs on Joomla. The layout is just the way it was designed.
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  • Profile picture of the author khooster1
    Your layout is not structured properly.

    Can you use a blog theme?
    Get this setup before we discuss further.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rader
      Originally Posted by khooster1 View Post

      Your layout is not structured properly.

      Can you use a blog theme?
      Get this setup before we discuss further.
      well what is the proper layout? What could I use that would go well with Joomla (which is what I am using)? I need to make sure it goes with the design of my site.
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  • Profile picture of the author howtogurus
    Hi Rader, no need to dump the Joomla. Nice, easy to use web development platform, but it does tend to create stuffy sites. For the design first look around the web and make notes of the sites that you find attractive, then emulate what they are doing.

    As for bringing in traffic, there are several ways of doing that. What makes blogs so successful for traffic on Google is that the first page has ever changing (fresh) content that is hopefully relevant to the niche of the blog. The first thing I would do would be to move your current first page content down a bit and make space to put a paragraph or two from your most recent blog post. If you keep that changing it will dramatically help your search engine visibility. Of course the nice thing about blogs and fresh content is that it helps your search engine placement without spending any money. For guaranteed quick exposure you will need to spend the bucks, on Google that would be AdWords (can be very expensive).

    We really are only talking about Google here as it is the number one destination for anyone searching for information on the web. But anything that helps your Google placement will also help in all of the other search engines as well.

    Bottom line, good content, fresh content, original content and you should do well. Anything else will require advertising, free or other wise.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rader
      howtogurus, thanks a lot. That was encouraging. I'm going to take your advise about the front page. I am currently using adWords but I also create very original and fresh content so I am hoping that helps me out soon. The site is just barely getting started. Anyway, I appreciate you comments.
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  • Profile picture of the author Cyber Star
    when you are poor at driving traffic and still don't know what to do, I suggest you to improve your design rating for now. people will trust a user friendly site and they will bookmark it when there is a value to keep it. For example, my tumblr blog is having a poor performance even tough I only post a quality image. So I try different approach and customize my tumblr site with more interesting and user friendly stuff. Now, my site have more than 800 followers just in 2 months.
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  • Profile picture of the author thomasmathew100
    If you want to generate traffic to your website, you need to write articles that have the right and unique keywords that will direct the visitor to your website. You can also make use of backlinks, be open to coordinate and work with other websites for them to link a page of your website to theirs. Just make sure that the links you’re exchanging with has a relevant connection to the purpose of your site. As for the design of your website, I think it needs a makeover to make it look more attractive, that people won't be bored visiting your site.
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