This is a guest post by Edwin from Guide Goods. If you are interested in guest posting on Sam’s Web Guide, please visit our guest post guidelines page here.
Blogging is (believe it or not) just like the restaurant biz. Many things will influence choices and your first impressions. Reputation, Brand, Comfort and other factors come into play. You have to treat your blog the same way. Don’t think just because you have a great name and an amazing website idea that people will flock to it.
The following tips will increase viewership, help to build a solid community, and improve overall traffic quality.
Attractive Look
Design is crucial to make your blog more user-friendly for your readers. It must be easy to use and highlight crucial points on your site. You can show important aspects from your site like Popular Posts or Recent Posts sections to try to reduce your bounce rate.
Also, try to make your site look nice. If I were to go to a website that seems dirty, messy and all overall the place I would immediately leave. This would really affect my first impression.
Make your Visitors Feel Comfortable
In a great restaurant I would like to feel right at home. I want to feel like one of the family and be able to ask anything without passing the comfort-zone. I want to be friends with you. I want you to say ‘ Hi ‘ to me, ask about what interesting things I’ve been up to and such. Your visitors should feel welcome and want to be part of your community.
Delicious Menu Items
When I read a menu there are always certain things that pop out at me. The way the restaurant describes the food makes my mouth water. Your content must do the same thing.
It needs to pop out at your visitors with an interesting title and content that is rich in flavor. That will make your visitors say, “wow that’s good!” They will want to order more or see what else is on the menu. This is a great way to increase readership, loyalty and traffic.
Superb Branding
A great brand is what makes someone remember something. For example, a product or company but in our case a blog. It is a sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify your site. You need to build one that stands out from the crowd and symbolizes perfectly what your site is about. Similarly, when we see logos for companies like Apple, Nike or Google we can immediately associate thoughts of success and excellent products, we need to focus on building our blog’s brand and image so that we will have the same effect on our readers.
Build an Enviable Reputation
Just like ‘street rep’ if you follow all the tips above, your site will have an awesome reputation in the minds of your readers and they will want to follow you. They will tell all their friends and encourage them to visit. They will say it has an amazing design, content that is just informative and engaging. There are many other readers and bloggers out there who are crucial to your growth. Make a good, lasting first impression.
Group Discussion
Whoa that was a mouthful! Now take a seat, grab a pad and write down some ways you can apply these tips to your own website. Tell us if these tips improve your traffic and community. Also recommend some more tips. We would love to hear your tricks of the trade.
Agreed on this Edwin.
The food makes me come back and become regular in a restaurant. Same goes with blogs, the content I read and the value they bring turn me a fan. Aside from that, few intricate details add interest and amusement.
Great analogy. Keep it coming
Thanks Jane. Glad you liked my analogy.
.-= Ed´s last blog ..Five Awesome Electronic Gadgets For 2010 =-.
Hi Edwin,
The reason I first read this blog is that I heard from a friend that Robyn has a great site. Then, enjoying some of the articles and comments on this blog is what has kept me coming back.
Thank you very much for the post. These are all good ideas!
- mark
Yep like I said in my post. If one person recommends a site then tells a friend then if that friend likes it he will tell another friend. It is a long line of targeted traffic.
.-= Ed´s last blog ..Five Awesome Electronic Gadgets For 2010 =-.
Hey Sam, this is a good analogy. If I give good service, maybe I’ll get a big fat tip!
.-= Ileane @ Blogging´s last blog ..SEO Site Tools Finds Google Page Rank =-.
Ha ha maybe unless you put a fly in the soup
Thanks, Edwin. It’d be great if you did a follow up about building an Enviable Reputation. What could one do to accomplish that? I hope to read more from you!
Cheers,
Tia
.-= bizchickblogs´s last blog ..Soulful Blogging: Interview with an Artist-Blogger, Jessica Schanberg =-.
To build a good reputation dish out great content.
Making visitors feel comfortable is probably the most important to me. I feel if that’s in place, most else will fall into place.
.-= Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..DEDC Remains DoFollow – BUT… =-.
Exactly.
Food should be ranked number 1. Not many would go to a restaurant with great ambiance but bad food. But people are likely to go to the nastiest place just to get good food. Content is king is still pretty relevant.
.-= Vincent´s last blog ..Create Art With Mouse Cursor Path =-.
Correct. Content still rules but design is still important.
What if the restaurant offers sooo much good food, it’s hard to choose? If you visit my blog, you’ll see the delimma-you offer up much food for thought by the way…
Clara.
.-= Clara´s last blog ..Some T.G.I.F. News! =-.
That is a good thing. I guess they will have to stay and try everything
Blogs are definitely like restaurants. Everyone wants one. Everyone thinks they would be good at running one. Everyone thinks its easier than it really is. Finally, people are always starting them and when they don’t get much traffic they shut them down.
.-= Chuck Edwards@Weight Loss Tips´s last blog ..The Special K Diet and Challenge =-.
Hey Chuck.
That is so true. A lot of people think that blogging is a simple task and a quick money maker but they’re wrong. Just like a restaurant it takes time, awesome customer service and a long-term plan to ride the wave.
Thanks for commenting
.-= Sam´s last blog ..24 Deadly Signs of a Failing Blog =-.
this is very helpful by choosing a subject many people can relate to made it easy for people to understand . good job
.-= ron´s last blog ..How to get the most outta your twitter . =-.
Thanks for commenting