5 Reasons Why Your Blog Sucks

Guest post contributed for Name.com by Kimberly Myers. Kimberly is a freelance writer and contributes to a number of blogging communities. She also buys and sells domains and websites.

Everyone can have a blog, but not everyone is good at blogging. Let’s face it – a lot of blogs suck.

What makes a blog suck? Some of the factors depend on your niche. However, there are five common reasons many blogs of all categories are subpar. If they describe your blog, it might suck, but only for now! Luckily, they are easy to fix.

Lacking a common theme

It can be challenging for an unfocused blog to gain readers. That is not to say every post should be exactly the same, but it’s often good for them to have something in common. That way, readers have an idea what to expect, and they can look forward to your posts.

If you feel like your blog is getting scattered, think back to the past. Most people were moved to start blogging because they wanted to communicate something to people outside of their current limits, be it geographical or social. Perhaps they had a strong interest in a subject, so they wanted to share what they knew, or what they had taken the time to discover. Reflect on why you started blogging in the first place and consider returning to that general idea, or something you’re equally passionate about now.

Neglecting your content

Most people visit a blog for content that adds value to their lives. They don’t want to feel duped into selecting a page with nothing more than poor content propped up by search engine optimization tricks. The tricks may have got readers there, but it won’t make them stay, and it certainly won’t compel them to return. Be sure your content is solid. As soon as you neglect content, your blog begins to suck.

Not updating regularly

You should always be offering readers new material. Once your updates drop to less than once a week, you’re probably not updating frequently enough. After you have established a workable time frame for updates, stick to it. Your readers will begin to expect posts at certain intervals, and if you skip out on posts often, it will likely turn people off. If you know that your updates will suffer in the days ahead because of scheduling conflicts, complete posts early. Then, schedule them to be posted around the date most readers would expect it.

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Failing to hold conversations with your readers and fellow bloggers

Blogs are not one-way lectures – they’re dialogues. Just as they allow you to broadcast your ideas rapidly, they are designed for quick reader responses, too. The best blogs have space for comments. Sometimes, they even have questions in the posts to get the conversation going in the comment section. Bloggers can then hop in the conversation and keep the discussions going.

Not only should you communicate with your readers, but you should reach out to other bloggers, especially those who write on topics similar to yours. These conversations can help enrich your segment of the blogosphere, leading to better blogs all around. They could also possibly direct traffic to your site.

Being afraid to take risks

You shouldn’t forget that, when it comes to social media, little is set in stone. Blogs are a great way to show creativity and ingenuity, and sometimes you have to break a few rules to stay true to those traits. If you have faith in a blogging project, don’t let fear stop you from trying it out.

Even if your blog sucks now, it has the potential to be great, especially if you’re dedicated to improving it. A few changes can really turn your blog around.