Blogging: Insert Rant Here
Hi.
While I really enjoy reading a good rant, I’m not especially good at ranting myself, but there have been a few things on my mind for a while now, so I thought I’d give it a try and get some stuff off my chest. Of course, all of this is relating to blogging.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a expog or a blogpert or whatever you want to call it. Far from it in fact, but still, I have picked up a few things during my travels around the blogosphere that seem like common sense. And it baffles me that there are some bloggers out there that haven’t picked up on these things.
What I’m getting at is optimizing your blog to make it as convenient for readers to READ it as possible. I mean, isn’t that why we blog? So we can share our thoughts with whoever happens to stumble on our blog and read it. Why wouldn’t you want to make it as readable as possible?
With that in mind, I’m going to address the things that peeve me off the most: Posting, Comments, and Following.
First off, I’m all for you making your blog as colorful as you want it to be. Why not? Colors are cool. But I’ll tell you what is not cool. Making your post hard to read with colors. Please! For the love of eyesight, don’t use a dark font color with a dark background, same thing goes with a light font color on a light background! I may think your blog is cool, and I may want to read what you have to say, but if looking at your posts makes me strain my eyes, I’m out of there.
I used to loath dark backgrounds, but then I figured out it was because colors weren’t being used correctly. Now, I really don’t mind dark backgrounds when they are paired with readable font colors and font sizes.
Here are some great examples of blogs with dark backgrounds, but they are still very easy to read:
Here are some examples of light colored posting areas with dark fonts that are very easy to read:
Also, keep in mind that the most important thing about your blog should be your POSTS!!! Not side bars. I’ve seen some blogs where the posting area is the same size or smaller than side bars and my first reaction is always, WTH?
Yeah, sure, sidebars are fun and flashy when you put all those fun pictures up, and I love them, as you can tell, but what really matters is your posting area. Make sure it is wide, clear of clutter, and readable. I just don’t get blogs that put more attention and effort into side bars than posts. Your posts are what people stop by for to read.
Next, Comments.
I love comments. You love comments. We all love comments. So why the heck make it hard to comment? IMHO, if you want comments, it should be the easiest thing to do on your site.
Please don’t make me jump through hoops just to leave a comment. Make your comment section easily accessible. I don’t know how or why it happens, but I’ve seen some blogs that make you run to the left and then duck under a tunnel just to find where to comment. And then if that wasn’t bad enough, you have to play a guessing game? Why?
I get that some people don’t want spam in their inbox, but wouldn’t it be easier to just delete the spam you may happen to get in your inbox than lose a comment because someone couldn’t get through the ‘word verification’ quiz. Sometimes those word verifications things are really hard to decipher. Once it took me six times to get it right, and somewhere along the way my comment disappeared from the preview box. After that, I was so frustrated, I just gave up and clicked out of the blog. True story.
To be honest, I find myself commenting more often on blogs that don’t require it, and I bet you do, too. I don’t require the word verification thing on my blog, and up to this day, *knocks on wood* I haven’t gotten a single spam message. JS.
Lastly, Following.
Again, I can’t stress this enough, make it as easy as possible for readers to follow your blog! Sign up for a feedburner account. It’s FREE! Add it to your blog! Give your readers options. Let them follow through RSS, Google Reader or with an e-mail subscription!
Follow the steps above and make this:
Enter your email address to subscribe to The Unread Reader:
Delivered by FeedBurner
And while you are on feedburner, make sure to explore the different features like “email branding” which allows you add a picture to your email delivery, and “delivery options” which lets you set the time your email gets sent out. Also check out the “optimize your feeds” tab. I’m not gonna pretend I understand all the different options feedburner offers, some of the graphs and charts really puzzle me, but all the important stuff seems easy enough to use.
You can also offer your readers a variety of follow options with social icons, which you can download for free and added to your blog. So, go on and get some already! 
I’m not gonna lie, my Google reader and follower list is so huge it overwhelms me! I follow over 300 blogs, and I check my reader about once a week, maybe? The best way for me to keep up with my favorite blogs is to subscribe by e-mail, but some of my favorite blogs don’t offer the subscribe by e-mail option!!! Gah!
Subscribing by e-mail is much for manageable for me. I subscribe to about 15 blogs by e-mail, so it makes it easier for me to not miss new posts. I used to go around asking my favorite bloggers to add the e-mail option, but then I thought, Why am I doing this? Shouldn’t it be something the blogger wants to offer their readers! Am I right in thinking this?
Still feeling lost on how to make the most out of your blog? Parajunkee offers some great tips with her Book Blogging 101 and her blog tutorials. Every post is super helpful, and chock full of important information. IMHO, those posts should be mandatory reading for anyone looking to start or improve their book blog.
When I first got started with book blogging, html stuff boggled my mind, and it still does, but there is a lot of help out there. I researched and read a lot of different tutorials. When I was confused or unsure about something, I just asked some of my newly made bloggy friends, and I got so much great feedback! It was awesome!
I could be way out of line here by bringing up these issues, and I certainly don’t mean to offend anyone. Everyone has different preferences, and you could have a totally different opinion on what makes a blog readable, and that is fine. The only reason I felt the need to address some of this stuff is because I’m tried of stumbling across blogs that are hard to read, follow, or comment on.
What this post all boils down to is my fierce love of reading. Every free second I get, I’m reading something, whether it is blogs, books, or fanfiction. I’m a reading fiend. I read because I enjoy it, and I’m just putting this stuff out there because I believe that together, we can make the world a better place to read.
Si se puede!
I’d like to think I’m a pretty open person, so I’d like to know what your take is on all of this? What are your blog peeves or suggestions for blog improvement? 
Good to know you haven't gotten any spam from not having word verification…I think I will take that off mine because I hate doing them. I also didn't know about the feedburner thing or email subscribe, so thanks for metioning it! When I get some time I will check that out.
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Thanks for the advices! I've seen a lot of blogs with so much colors or images at the sidebar that I get distracted with that and don't read the posts.
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Yes, word verification can be pretty annoying, I got rid of it a while back.
I agree on making your blog easy to read, if I have trouble to read a blog I will not come back.
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And I am still learning how to bloggy.
Thanks for the tips Missie.
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Great post. THanks for the tips!
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Love this post and couldn't agree more – you learn as you go I guess, lol! Happy Friday and I am glad I found your site, you have now been added to my Feedreader. I know what you mean about 300, I think I might have more than that, lol!
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Love the post, Missie! I'm still in the learning process too, but I completely agree with the hard font! I seriously had to click off a blog that I was in the middle of reading an interview on because I literally started getting a headache! No matter how much I tried to zoom in, it didn't rectify the problem! And thanks for the pluggy by the way! *grins*
It's funny that you bring up the word verification thingy because I've been thinking about getting rid of mine as well. I find that the WordPress ones are the worse!
On a different note…. I have a little award for you! Click here -> AWARD PICKUP!
I had a really busy week again this week, so I'll be trying to get caught up on all the dish at your place this weekend! Miss ya! *huggles*
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AMEN about the commenting! I hear ya!
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I don't blog -both because I don't have anything to say that deserves a whole blog post & because I'd rather read than write- so your helpful advice does not apply to me, but I have found countless times as a reader all the issues you addressed above to be a huge problem.
I've found myself nodding with every line I read:
Difficult to read font/background?
No e-mail notification option?
Difficulty in commenting?
Yes, yes and yes! I agree with all of the above. So thanks, not for helping me directly with the blog I'll never write but because I hope that some of the blogs I'd really like to follow and find it difficult to, will be improved because of you.
And I love what you've done with this site aesthetically too btw.
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Loved your rant =) and couldn´t agree more, i have blogs and sites i hade to quit reading bc of the colour and font, some of them give me a migraine, even more if they have sidebars w flying gif´s in lovely colours LOL Thank you for getting the word out on such a basic thing, =)
best wishes, Linda
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I can second your stance that not having word verification has not led to any spam comments. I got rid of it and haven't regretted it!
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Awesome post, sweetie! Very helpful.
I'm still learning my way around blogger, but I think I have most of the things you mentioned fixed.
Not so bad, I guess! lol
Thanks for the tips Missie
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Hi Missie, you've offered some great advice. So many times bloggers don't realize they've made common blogging errors and it's always nice when a seasoned blogger is willing to offer up advice. On the other hand the great thing about owning a blog is the freedom to run it how you want. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Have a great day!
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@FV, Very true. To each his own.
Thanks everyone for commenting!
I hope I don't come off as being self righteous, because I know my blog is not without its own problems/faults. Loading on my site probably takes long than necessary because I love my side bar pictures and buttons, and I don't want to give them up.
Really, my whole master mind plot behind this post was to brainwash people into removing their 'word verification' requirement, to make my life easier. LOL!
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Missie—The one thing not mentioned here is clutter. I am not a big advocate of ads, avatars and anything that roll, move, shake or otherwise draw too much attn to themselves. They distract from the site. You are drawing readers' eyes to what's on the sideline rather than the content.
It could be I am atavistic and grew up in a time when I was taught less is more. I tend to go onto sites and examine them visually. Font use, font colors, background, how much white space between items.
You need to go onto sites created by graphic designers, I think, to see what I mean. The cool, clean approach that draws you in. I've gone onto some blog sites and thought the experience was like going into a teenager's unkempt bedroom. There may be good information there but it's a mess to get through the tangle of stuff on the floor and on the chairs to sit down and spend some time there.
A lot of this is learned trial and error. See what you respond to, what sites draw you in and examine why.
But the bottom line is make the true content of your site text generous and attractive.
BTW … good use of those arrows, Missie. Helps someone to know exactly how to use Feedburner's feature.
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@NYC, yup blog clutter = messy bedroom.
I guess it really doesn't matter what your blog looks like as long as you offer readers many different options for following. That way they can read it on a 'reader' of their choice or get it by e-mail.
For all the blogs I subscribe to by e-mail, the posts are nice and plain and easy to read in my inbox!
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I get disappointed when I don't see the blogger has a twitter button. I follow btwn 250-300 blogs too and I'm discovering I like to follow book bloggers on twitter. Esp. if they post their blog titles. Another thing that bothers me is when they don't have their social share buttons enabled under each post. I went to tweet a friend's post the other day and she didn't have her buttons enabled, so I just said forget it. Make it easy for people to promote you!
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Awesome post sweetie! I agree with a lot of what you said =)
hehe and you used my i love book blogging button =P
I hate having to hunt for places to follow on a blog, if its hard to find I give up =/
xoxo
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I agree completely! While all the blogs I follow go to GoogleReader, I click on each post I want to see to read it/comment on their site and I HATE when it hurts my eyes. I'm also terrible at captcha. It's possible I'm a robot, but I don't like filling those things out.
I've never looking at the email options in Feedburner before. I'll have to check that out!
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Thanks so much for this post! You wrote about some things I had to use on my blog mainly because I didn´t know how to change it, but thanks to you I was finally able to change them.
There is however something I´m curious about: How do I get the widget you have to show your awards and Teams? I´d love to have that for my blog!
Once again, thanks for this post!
xoxo,
Christine
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Hey Christine,
Here is a tutorial for marquees:
http://www.parajunkeedesign.com/2010/05/how-to-do-scroll-your-blog-roll.html
Hope that helps!
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Thanks so much for sharing! I´m doing a little blog reconstruction and you just saved me!
I am however afraid I got this whole color/background/font thing wrong!
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Great post, Missie.
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I can not agree more. I hate word verifications. Or light colors on light backgrounds.
GREAT post
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