Can anyone give me some pointers for my blog?

14 years ago

Using comic book icons does not make your blog look very professional - unless its about comic books.

Also, do you have permission to use those images?

I'am seeing I, my,,,, first person words used too much. Drop the I, my and me words and give your post a sense of authority.

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Plish

14 years ago

It's good you've got your opt-in above the fold however I have to say it's not very clear what you have to put into that empty box! I realise it's email but a lot of people won't have a clue.

Would also help if your blog posts or at least titles were visible above the fold too. It all looks a bit jumbled as well, if you could straighten things out it'd definitely appeal to potential subscribers a lot more.

Hope that helps.

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wilsonusman

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Plish

It's good you've got your opt-in above the fold however I have to say it's not very clear what you have to put into that empty box! I realise it's email but a lot of people won't have a clue.

Would also help if your blog posts or at least titles were visible above the fold too. It all looks a bit jumbled as well, if you could straighten things out it'd definitely appeal to potential subscribers a lot more.

Hope that helps.

Thanks it did help for sure, I just tried this new setup where you could see the entire posts, but before it was just the title and an excerpt...should I change it back to that?

Thanks
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Plish

14 years ago

Originally Posted by wilsonusman

Thanks it did help for sure, I just tried this new setup where you could see the entire posts, but before it was just the title and an excerpt...should I change it back to that?

Only if you can add images with the excerpts to draw people in. Standard excerpts just won't be interesting enough on average.

Btw I strongly disagree with the guy who was telling you to drop 'I' and 'My'. You've gone for a very personal touch and people want to hear about YOUR experience. Talk in the 1st person, it's a great way to connect with your audience and with a domain that is YOUR personal name... It's absolutely key.

Thanks
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wilsonusman

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Plish

Only if you can add images with the excerpts to draw people in. Standard excerpts just won't be interesting enough on average.

Btw I strongly disagree with the guy who was telling you to drop 'I' and 'My'. You've gone for a very personal touch and people want to hear about YOUR experience. Talk in the 1st person, it's a great way to connect with your audience and with a domain that is YOUR personal name... It's absolutely key.

Dude you're the flipping man!!

I really appreciate it. My friend Pat Flynn is a super authority online and he says I, and me and he's super respected even though he doesn't feel like an authority and he still does it. So I think I'll take your advice

Nothing again your OPINION Kev, it's just that "I" feel that's just what I am going for.

I am not trying to piss anyone off, I really appreciate everyone's advice.

Thanks

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wilsonusman

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ~kev~

Using comic book icons does not make your blog look very professional - unless its about comic books.

Also, do you have permission to use those images?

I'am seeing I, my,,,, first person words used too much. Drop the I, my and me words and give your post a sense of authority.

Thanks I'll make sure I change that for sure. I don't understand exactly why is it important that I have to many "I" and "me"

Thanks
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~kev~

14 years ago

Originally Posted by wilsonusman

I don't understand exactly why is it important that I have to many "I" and "me"

Anytime you use the words "I think", "I feel",,,, your stating your opinion.

Example 1 - I think you should not use the word I took much.

Example 2 - Do not use the word I too much.

Example 1 comes across as your opinion, which carries less weight then fact.

Go to a news site - foxnews, abcnews, cnn,,,, how many times do their article writers use the word "I"? Not too many times.

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Plish

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ~kev~

Anytime you use the words "I think", "I feel",,,, your stating your opinion.

Example 1 - I think you should not use the word I took much.

Example 2 - Do not use the word I too much.

Example 1 comes across as your opinion, which carries less weight then fact.

Go to a news site - foxnews, abcnews, cnn,,,, how many times do their article writers use the word "I"? Not too many times.

I'm a little confused. You've demonstrated with examples that are really misleading. Your 1st example is an opinion and sounds weak. Now look at how you can use the 1st person to gain authority whilst also putting a personal touch on your post.

Example 1 - My single best piece of advice would be to not use the word 'I' too much.
Example 2 - Do not use the word I too much.

Kev, OP's blog is not a news blog. It's a personal blog about his journey. No one wants to hear concise statements from someone who has initially marketed himself as a very personal guy and someone who wants to take you through his experiences.

It's like finding a blog about gardening and then being sold a TV. Obviously it's more subtle than that, but so much of marketing is about subtlety.

With all due respect, I'm not convinced by your argument at all.

Thanks

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Istvan Horvath 14 years ago

Originally Posted by ~kev~

Go to a news site - foxnews, abcnews, cnn,,,, how many times do their article writers use the word "I"? Not too many times.

Sorry, as a former journalist/columnist I have to disagree here.

A blog is NOT like the impersonal news. It is more like the personal column - if you want journalistic analogy.

The impersonal news are (usually) written and edited in a way that every other media can consume it (think of news agencies like AP, Reuter etc.)

Personal columns in any newspaper, magazine come with the picture of the author and very much with their personal opinion. That's exactly why we read them

BTW, every journalist's dream is to become a columnist one day...
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FutharkLifehack

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ~kev~

Using comic book icons does not make your blog look very professional - unless its about comic books.

Also, do you have permission to use those images?

I'am seeing I, my,,,, first person words used too much. Drop the I, my and me words and give your post a sense of authority.

I guess you can say the same thing about Dosh Dosh, using anime characters...yeah, what a failure...

Thanks
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wilsonusman 14 years ago

Originally Posted by FutharkLifehack

I guess you can say the same thing about Dosh Dosh, using anime characters...yeah, what a failure...

LOL, I saw that and they're doing pretty well...you don't think an image matters that much as long as the content is good.

What do you say?
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addykho

14 years ago

just my 2 cents - Your 'sponsors' section may want to move further up. May be park below the newsletter. This will give your ads more clicks. I personally don't really like the Black header, it does not seems to blend well with the main body. But I must admit different people have different idea with the colours

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wilsonusman

14 years ago

Originally Posted by addykho

just my 2 cents - Your 'sponsors' section may want to move further up. May be park below the newsletter. This will give your ads more clicks. I personally don't really like the Black header, it does not seems to blend well with the main body. But I must admit different people have different idea with the colours

I really been wanting to hire a designer honestly but I just can't afford it yet. So I've been making those myself.

About the ads, I am not focusing on making money with this site really, I just want to help as many people and also build subscribers. Should I still bring the sponsors back up?

Thanks

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sameffect

14 years ago

the header image is pix elated. not sure if that's a look you want. i personally don't care for it, but that's just MY opinion

(I'm not going to try to act like the authority by leaving out I MY etc. haha)

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wilsonusman

14 years ago

Originally Posted by sameffect

the header image is pix elated. not sure if that's a look you want. i personally don't care for it, but that's just MY opinion

(I'm not going to try to act like the authority by leaving out I MY etc. haha)

Trust me I know, I am the one making those headers, I really want to bring someone in to do my design.

Thanks

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arnold55

14 years ago

the thing that strikes me in "awe" is your pr of 1 and your alexa ranking...how did you obtain such status so fast?????

thanx
arnold55

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Loren Woirhaye

14 years ago

I would recommend you avoid the use of reversed type
(light type on dark background), because most people
don't read it and if they try it's hard to comprehend

I'd try to focus your header message/USP/whatever
on the benefit to the reader, not your own coolness -
so, just off the cuff, I'd say make your message
about how the reader can be mobile and affluent.

If your target market is also people in your age group
you may want to emphasize your age and lack
of "adult" responsibilities (kids, etc...) but if you are
shooting for a market that has baggage (many of
us do) I suspect advertising your swingin' lifestyle
will leave them cold. Instead, focus on the nuts and
bolts of how to extricate oneself from extraneous
bonds that tie a person down. Tim Ferriss, despite
his bachelor smarminess, has done a good job of
appealing to people in a more encumbered psychographic
by sharing practical tactical ways to reduce the crap
in your life - which is useful to lots of people, even
those not looking to become jetsetters.

Thanks

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wilsonusman

14 years ago

Hey fellas,

I just redid a few thing to the header now can you tell me what you think?

Location Independence Blog-Wilson Usman's Fun Lifestyle

Thanks

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Istvan Horvath

14 years ago

I would try increasing the line-height value for the post titles in the css file: when it's too long and breaks in two lines, it doesn't look good. The line-height is smaller than the font-size...

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Can anyone give me some pointers for my blog?

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