Seven Things Every Blog Needs

Thinking about starting your own blog? From experience, you’ll have a much better change of getting off the ground if you have these seven things:

1. An “About” Page

Your readers will undoubtedly want to know more about you and your blog. Your about page should be linked near the top of your page and include a way to contact you.

Image: sxc.hu

2. A Blogroll

Some bloggers are opting to leave off the blogroll, but I honestly think that every blog should have one, filled with great related resources. When you do link to other blogs, make sure you introduce yourself so they know you’re adding them to your blogroll. They may return the favor.

3. An RSS Button

People can subscribe to your blog without click on an RSS button, but it it inconvenient. The button reminds people to subscribe and makes the process super easy for your readers.

4. Dates

Some bloggers opt not to put a date on posts, and I think that’s a bad idea. People who come to your homepage or follow a link to a single post want to know when the blog was last updated.

5. Pictures

To me, nothing says a blog is amatuer-ish more quickly than a lack of pictures. Yes, they can be a pain in the tush to use, but they’ll instantly make your blog more interesting.

6. At Least 10 Posts

Before you launch your blog, make sure that you have at least 10 posts written. New readers want to look through posts and see whether they actually enjoy your blog and want to subscribe or if they just enjoyed one of your posts.

7. Good Navigation

To me, the nail in the coffin for any website is weird navigation. I want categories, archves, and an easy way to get to the homepage. If a site’s navigation confuses me, I likely won’t be back.