Question on one of my blogs

My opinion?

I clicked on the link and when I was taken to the blog, I was smacked in the face.

What do you want your site visitor to do first?

Your prime real estate (top of the blog) is cluttered with many choices.

The only thing of value that's above the fold is the opt-in box, and it's down too low. It should be up in the top corner with a reason to grab the visitor's attention.

The header is very blah. Stick something up there with some nice graphics. Try a smiling, happy person or colorful food.

I didn't open every post on your blog, but I did sort of spot-check to see what's up.

When I opened this one:

Diabetic Menu Planning ? How To Adapt Your Meals To Your Diabetic Menu | Diabetic Menu | Diabetic Menu

I noticed you aren't providing any links to affiliate programs. How about talking about specific things you have learned from specific books and including links to buy those books. I'm not talking about copying pages and pages from the books. Just a little quite here and there. Even something as simple as:

This post gives specific bits of data about planning meals. One's health isn't something to gamble with, and most people want to know the source when you're quoting info about health. Most people won't read it and do as you say just because it's online. For all they know, you made this up.

That's one reason it's important to show the sources of this info. Doing it by quoting the authority figure and their book (which you are trying to sell) is PERFECT.

If you haven't read the books that you're trying to sell, you might be thinking, "Holy cow! I can't afford to go buy all of these books and then take the time to read them!"

If that's the case, take your computer (or pen and paper) with you to Borders or Barnes and Noble, order yourself some coffee, and do some homework.

You don't have to read the entire book to get the gist of whatever you're talking about.

Jot down the name of the book and the author's name. Make a note of the ISBN.

Then skim through the book, pulling out a fact here and there. Write down a few whole sentences once in a while if it's a really good quote.

Then add this info to your blog posts.


I'm a member of Amy Bass' program, The Niche Blogger, which is a frequent WSO. It's a fabulous program and I highly recommend it. She walks you through the whole process so you won't end up scratching your head and wondering why you're not making sales.

Hi Jillian,

thank you for taking the time to take a look. I was already thinking of changing the layout of the blog, so I will put this at the top of my to do list. I used this theme after I had it on another blog, where it did seem to work really great (but off course not every site or niche is the same).

I have affiliate links in some posts and not in others. I didn't want to seem like I was desperate to get someone to buy, but maybe I should change it and get more affiliate links in it. Next place on the to do list The thing is off course, that a lot of my knowledge comes from experience. I don't have diabetis myself, but I've grown up in a family where diabetes is very common and I do know that I have a great risk to get it myself, so I learned everything by doing it myself and talking to my own doctor and the specialists where my family goes to. But like you said, giving them references might be a very good idea.

Regarding the Nicheblogger, I'm a member myself. I joined when I saw it on her blog and I haven't regret it since. All my blogs are doing so much better since then, it's just this one that's not making the cut although it does get good traffic and earns half of my adsense money every month. I'll start adapting tomorrow with the two things you mentioned in mind.

Take care,

Leslie

I see what you mean. I'm going to add some more affiliate links so every post has at least one. Like you say not everyone reads every blog posts and some don't even see the homepage, they go directly to a link they found through google and won't see the other posts, so to say.

Take care,

Leslie

Leslie,

1) It's not pretty. Look at blogs like Smashine Magazine or Web Design Depot for ideas.

2) Why am I here? What's the compelling reason? If your website were a storefront on a busy street, would you bother to look in/walk in (even if you were a diabetic).

3) Too busy. Read 37 Signals free book on simple web design or Barry Schwartz' Paradox of Choice.

Keep moving!

Hi Bud,

Thank you for your input. I will be changing the layout this week. It's a wp theme that worked well, it seems, on another blog of mine, but this one doesn't do well with it.

Take care,

Leslie