Revealed: The Key Ingredients Needed For A Successful Blog
There’s no denying that blogs are a brilliant way to discuss news and opinions with the world. They are easy to set up; in fact, so easy that one can set up a blog in just five minutes! As you can appreciate, there are thousands of blogs online these days.
So what differentiates the successful ones from the ones that no-one visits? Well, it turns out there are plenty of key ingredients to cooking up a successful blog. If you’re thinking of setting one up soon, make sure you take on board the following tips:
Use a self-hosted WordPress installation
The problem with using the hosted version (on wordpress.com) is you’re limited to what you can do. You won’t have the freedom to install particular plugins or themes. Nor can you make changes to the server’s configuration.
It’s possible to get affordable Web hosting and manage your WordPress installation yourself. In fact, many hosts offer a one-click installation service, so you don’t need to upload any files as such! Another benefit of self-hosting is you can move your WordPress site to another server or host. All you need to do is backup your files and “restore” them on the new server.
Don’t use a pre-made template
Yes, themes are popular because they look good and are easy to install. But there are also some significant downsides to using them. For instance, support for the themes can get cut without any notice. That means you could end up having security vulnerabilities. Also, there’s the fact that many other people could have the same site design as you!
Instead, it makes sense to pay for a web development company to build you a bespoke theme. The advantage here is you’ll end up with a unique look and feel to your blog. And you can integrate other Web services into your design too.
Make your content sexy
No, I don’t mean you don’t have to put pictures of half naked people on your blog post! What I am saying is that you need to make your blog posts attractive to your target audience. Is your content easy to read? And is it relevant to the general niche of your blog?
Let’s say that you run a blog centred around supercars. Your audience will want to learn about when a new Ferrari will get unveiled, for example. They are less likely to find metal pressing technology an interesting read.
Ensure your content reads well
It’s crucial that your blog posts are easy to read. If you have a lot to talk about, ensure that you paginate your content to break it up a bit. Another thing you should do is ensure that your spelling and grammar is up to scratch.
Yes, some people may not care about such matters. But it may annoy others enough to stop visiting your blog. And that’s something you want to avoid!
Team up with other sites
Last, but not least, make sure you promote your blog by working with other sites! For instance, you could review a product related to your industry. You may even offer discounts to your readers if they want to buy the same products you’ve reviewed.
There’s no reason you shouldn’t monetize your blog. Just make sure that you’re not blogging just to make a few bucks. You should blog because you have a passion for your chosen niche.