I tried thinking of a title for this training tutorial and still I ended up with ‘My Blog Sucks’ so I guess here we are with part 1 of My Blog Sucks.
Over the last few weeks I have been looking at my blog and found there are issues with the layout. I have been seeking advice from a few bloggers, not all of them have returned my email yet so this is a rolling update as they come in.
I will be adding comments as I get them and also my own thoughts along the way.
Let the Feedback Commence
Today received an email from Danny Iny of Firepole Marketing and his thoughts on my blog. Here are the questions I asked Danny:
Hi Danny,
I intend to create a lot of tutorial series on my blog (1 about opt-ins done already) the next series is about my blog and how I can create a better structure to keep guys on the site and find content easily. I just wonder if you could give my blog 5 minutes and give a little feedback. I understand you are busy, but this would be amazing if you could take a quick look.
Thanks for your time Danny much appreciated.
Regards,
Dan
Danny replied which was awesome and also with some awesome feedback:
Hi Dan,
Sure, I’m happy to help. 
Here’s some feedback on your blog:
1. Your “connect with Dan” opt-in isn’t as prominent as it could be, and it doesn’t give people a strong “why” in terms of giving you their contact information. Also, below that you have the free ebook button; why not just change the form to point to the ebook, and merge the two?
2. You’ve got a whole bunch of clutter on the sidebar, especially the ads – are they making you any money? If not, I suggest removing them, and being more strategic about your advertising, when you have the traffic to make it worthwhile.
3. You might want to add an opt-in option to the footer (people who scroll that far are usually pretty interested).
Does that help?
As you can see already I have some great feedback about my blog and what I need to change. I have spoke to a few more guys and await their feedback. I will update as we go.
What I Have Planned This Week
1. I have identified a few problems around my blog. First of all Danny is right. My opt-in is a little hidden, it doesn’t stand out. The last tutorial course I completed about opt-in, so this should fix that. I have a plan to create a graphical opt-in on the side bar:
2. The next part of my blog I have concern with is the advertising. Although they are my own products, I am a little unsure they are fitting with my blog and if they look as good as they should? I will be removing these and replacing them over the course of this week as a test.
3. I never thought about the footer at all, but it seems Danny has a point. There is nothing there to draw in any opt-ins, especially as the footer is the optimal spot for the people who stay the longest. I will check out some footer plugins or maybe add an opt-in box direct from Aweber. If you have any ideas for plugins please let me know?
4. I have added a Google + social media icon and will be moving the icon to the top rather the middle where it is now. This may help follows and retweets. Below is the old one, you can now see the new one on the right.
5. The final change for this week is going to be the popular post slider on the home page. It links to my past blog posts, but what I want it to do is link to getting started page. I want to see if I can place a graphic on the slider which links directly to a getting started page and my about me page as these are two of the main pages I want people to see.
The reason behind this is I would like people to get to know me on a personal level and engage with me as much as they see fit. I want to build trust with my readers and I don’t feel this can be done without seeing the guy behind the mask. First impressions last, so we have to make it great the first time.
As for the getting started page, I would like to show people exactly that ‘How to get Started’ where they can go, what are the best posts to read, how to start a blog and so on. I think this one is going to take some time, but it will be worth it.
This should keep me busy this week. If you are following me and doing the same, Kill it!
Your Turn
Let me know your thoughts? What do you think of the changes?
Let me know if you make any changes to your blog. Please post in the comment section what you have done with the link to your blog in the URL field of the comment section.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to share 
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There is nothing special about me, I'm just a regular guy who makes money by working online. I am very passionate about what I do and I would love to show you around...
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Dan
For listbuilding in the sidebar use the aweber plugin, and then for the footer I use digilistbuilder that I picked up when it was a WSO. I Give away my own CTP badge as it is what a lot of my target audience are actively looking for. I promote splash pages in the Traffic Exchanges that point to relevant blog posts where I can be seen as the expert.
The other thing to add to the sidebar is your twitter feed as it will show a bit more about your personality. Overall don’t go changing too much as if we all had identical blogs it would make for a dull world.
Andrew
Andrew Stark recently posted..5 Warning Signs That Your Safelist Marketing Campaign Is Not Working
Thanks Andrew, I will look into these features shortly.
I already use Aweber for the sidebar, but I want to advertise something that people want to read and not just have a vacant looking opt-in.
I have plans for the feeds in the sidebar, but I think having FB and Twitter in there is a little too much. I need to think about that one Andrew.
I won’t change my blog too much, I just want it a little more user friendly. A few tweak here and there should do it.
I have a guy working on something very cool for me at the moment, so can’t wait to get that on there.
Thanks for the info Andrew, much appreciated.
Hi Daniel
I think we had the discussion about your opt in box some time ago. It doesn’t work as is, why sgould anyone give you their email address?
I love your social media buttons. One of my blogs has a slider on the left hand side which I quite like.
As for people trusting you, you are one of the most sincere and likeable people I have met on the internet.
Your product buttons do need a new lease of life so will be interesting to see what you do with them.
So far, your makeover sounds good, can’t wait for the next post.
Dee
Dee recently posted..The best laid plans ……
Thank you so much Dee. I’m going to buy you some flowers
I see where you are coming from with regard to the op-in box. People still need a push sometimes and by offering incentives is a much better way to gather opt-ins. You can add value in the AR followups. it’s about helping people and converting people.
Product buttons will be removed soon. I just want to video/screenie the before and after look.
Thanks Dee
Hey Dan
This was just released, I’m not sure if it does what you need but you can check it out if this doesn’t get blocked lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA5mbMstuns&feature=player_embedded#!
His name is Mike Airtime, one of Marc Milburn’s students.
Good luck.
Kelly the Canadian!
Kelly Provost recently posted..Mr X talks through what people can look forward to:
Hey Kelly,
Thanks for the product recommendation there thank you. I have checked it out and it does look interesting. I do like to code my own images and place the in my site, but this may just swing it.
Thanks Kelly.
Do you not have an avatar setup at gravatar.com?
Hey Dan,
You are welcome, the more we can help each other in this business, the more success we can all enjoy (my theory anyway).
And no I don’t have an avatar there, should I? LOL – never heard of it.
Take care.
Kelly…
Kelly Provost recently posted..Mr X talks through what people can look forward to:
Oh and thanks for posting these replies for blogging, I’m fairy new to the blog gig and will accept any and all advise.
Cheers!
Kelly Provost recently posted..Mr X talks through what people can look forward to:
No problem at all Kelly
if you go to gravatar.com you can create one. The email address you use in Gravatar should be the email you use in the comments section, each is attached to an image when you upload it to Gravatar. Check it out it’s easy.
Another great post Dan, as the saying goes ‘ you dont’t get a second chance to create a first impression ‘. That’s so true, i really like the idea of putting another opt in box near the footer, I will be doing that myself.
Thanks again Dan
Continued success
Kevin
Kevin Long recently posted..My New Ebook Is Complete!
Great Stuff Kevin, Let me know when you get that footer opt-in setp and I will definitely take a look.
Thanks for your comments as always.
Do all the UK people stay up late
Just me and thee i think mate.lol
Kevin Long recently posted..My New Ebook Is Complete!
Hi Daniel and Kevin
I am usually online till about 3 am but log my email out at about 2 am.
Dee
Dee recently posted..The best laid plans ……
Hey Dan,
I think you got pretty cool advice from Danny Iny here and I will certainly be following your advice on how to improve our blogs as well.
Even though I consider that my site is not that cluttered, it doesn’t tells the visitor exactly what to do or where to go. They just see a rather boring optin box and nothing to get in exchange for their email address and I still haven’t managed to create any content pillars yet but I’m working on this right now.
I don’t think that removing your own products from your sidebar can negatively impact your sales since you already list them in your menu but as you said, you can just test the CTRs and see if it is better or not to have them display in your sidebar too.
I definitely agree on the suggestion box right at the end of the articles or even in the footer.
Will be on the lookout to see how you change things around here mate.
Good luck and all the best!
Sergio
Sergio Felix recently posted..6 Hours Self-Imposed Social Media Blackout
Hey Sergio, thanks for the Re-Tweet I just seen it come though on my iPhone.
Danny’s advice was awesome, his blog layout is a great model to follow.
I’m sure you will create some amazing material Sergio. Your blog is still in it’s infancy but growing very fast.
Testing my products in the plan Sergio. I will list then in the about me and products page. I want to run some more blog/hosting/generic ads to see what happens. Personally I don’t care about the monetizing aspect just yet. I may just take them away all together.
The purple/blue box at the bottom of the post is going to change. It’s a custom, so I have the developer on it now. It should look great if he can do what I have asked him. (don’t ask)
Let me know if you implement any changes Sergio, I know you were looking at it.
Thanks man.
Hi Daniel
Very interesting – I believe I will be learning a lot from watching this project.
I am wondering exactly what Danny means when he says to “be more strategic with the advertising”? Did he give you some specific ideas on what to do there ? I ask because I need to fix that on my blog…
Thanks!
Mary Kathan recently posted..IM Trustworthy
What Danny means is I need to look at what my visitors want to see. I personally don’t think the sidebar ads make a difference. After all you are not here to buy from ads.
I will be making the ads more tailored to my content i.e. blog related ads such theme ads and courses.
At the moment, monetizing is not interesting me. My audience takes priority, not revenue.
I will talk more about this at the end of this course.
Thanks Mary
Hi Daniel,
I think this is a great post. You’ve identified your issues with your blog that I’m sure are also shared by many of us and we will be learning along with you.
It would be interesting to know how this will develop and what other valuable tips you’ll be getting from other helpful bloggers.
Good luck with the changes you’re planning. We’ll be expecting a great looking blog soon!
Theresa Torres recently posted..Energy Cost: Tips to Stay Afloat with Energy Prices Rising
Hey Theresa, welcome.
We all get told to start a blog but no one actually explains the important parts. I intend to change this completely over the course of the next few weeks. It should be fun.
I don’t think my blog will change a great deal physically, but navigation will improve as well as user interactivity.
Thanks for commenting Theresa, much appreciated.
Hi Dan
I like this post it gives some good advice, I like the social media icons where they are now!
I will also look at an opt-in box in the footer as this seems a good idea, I would be interested to know how it works for you.
Regards
Pauline
Pauline recently posted..Most Popular Questions Asked By Online Marketers
Hey Pauline, great to see you back here.
I am looking forward to the changes also. I am looking forward to what the outcome is regarding subscriptions and interaction. Let’s hope it a positive change.
I’m sure I can provide some good information for you to follow and implement to your own blog.
I will add the changes this week and go through it next week.
Thanks Pauline.
It certainly pays to take a step back from time to time to look at what’s working and what’s not on our blogs. I think Danny is right about your Optin Form. I’ve noticed a difference to my optins from my detox niche blog since I have installed Popup Domination. Have you thought about adding that?
I unfortunately had to disable my WP3 Super Cache plugin for it to work but at the end of the day you have to test these things.
Will be keeping an eye out for your changes and your posts on how they are working for you.
Sandy Halliday recently posted..Will ezArticleLink Help Me Get On Page 1of Google?
Hi Sandy,
I did used to use Popup Domination and it worked well. I don’t think I will use it here as the general feeling from most of the readers is they simply don’t like it.
I may add a test a little later on the home page, but for now I will just go for the opt-in on the right.
I do have pop-ups on a couple of my niche sites and it they do perform well. You are right, pop-ups do work, there is no denying it.
Thanks Sandy
Hey Dan,
That’s interesting but what exactly do you mean by the “general feeling” from most readers?
Was this feed back in comments or did readers email you about it? Did you ask them about it?
Sandy
Sandy Halliday recently posted..Will ezArticleLink Help Me Get On Page 1of Google?
Hi Sandy,
There have been a few comments regarding this issue on the last tutorial series I created. You can take a look at the series here:
http://www.dansumnerblog.com/building-subscribers-with-optin-part-4
Like I said I will be testing this at a later date.
Thanks Sandy
I like your changes. Does posting new articles mean new changes?
) Because that’s all the change I’ve done in the last few months. I’ll follow your example: write a list with some improvements (I don’t know if you did that, but I will), make tests on my other blog (actually, I should create it first), then (if everything goes smoothly) I’ll make the announcement! Ta-daaaaa!
Jack recently posted..Simple DIY Projects That Can Transform A Home
Hey Jack,
Yeah I did write a list of changes. I actually mind mapped my site to see where I needed to make the changes.
New posts are always a welcome change Jack, good for SEO and your blog stats
You seem to have it nailed Jack. Let me know when you are finished creating.
Thanks, Daniel! Keep the fingers crossed. I’ve got a lot on my mind these days, but this is something I need to do. Improvements are always for the best.
Jack recently posted..Where To Start With Home Improvements
Hi Dan
I think it looks great – and as I always turn up at blog posts rather than the home page I have to confess I can’t actually remember what it looked like in the past! It is so difficult to know what to add to the sidebar sometimes – you don’t want to overwhelm people and at the same time you want to give them different ways to connect to your blog and stay in touch. Once the only way to stay in touch was using the RSS feed now between Facebook boxes, Twitter feeds and social media buttons there is more choice than ever and it can be hard to know the best one to offer and easy to offer them all!
Diane Corriette recently posted..101 things to know about being an introvert (free eBook)
Hey Diane,
I do think the title is a little extreme, but hey it gets the point across doesn’t it.
I have decided what I am going to add to the sidebar and that is (drum roll) opt-in and details about the blog. I am going to take away all monetizing from my blog and concentrate on subscribers.
I know what you mean about how to connect with people. That’s why we should have it all. People have their favorites, we just have to be everywhere!
Thanks Diane
Hi Dan,
Interetsing post. Will keep an eye out. Not got time to change my blog at the moment. Not doing enough of other things. OtherJ.O.B. taking up a lot of my time at the moment.
Good luck, will be keeping tabs.
Regards
Donald
Donald recently posted..eBay
Hi Donald, No problem at all. If you wait until I’m finished with my blog then you can simply check out the posts and copy the parts you think will work for you. I’m sure you will find some useful content and additions.
Let me know if you need anything if you get stuck
Hi Dan,
I like the upgrades you are making to your site. I am constantly trying to find ways to improve my blog as well. You definitely have one of the better blogs that I’ve seen as far as user friendliness, easy ‘navigation, and great content. I do agree about the opt-in page.. it’s a little difficult to find. You don’t want people to have to search for it after all.
I always think blogs with ads everywhere are annoying and take away from the content of the blog… I don’t see that problem with your blog, so good job there. I have been working on adding plugins to my site such as bookmarking icons and such.
You have a slick blog, I’ll check back to see how your changes look.
~Jeremy
Jeremy Ruggles recently posted..A Fresh Start to Internet Marketing- Lets Do It Right
Hey Jeremy, first of all welcome. Thanks for the comments I appreciate what you have to say. I couldn’t agree more about the opt-in, and I will be changing that very soon. I find if people have to search for things then they generally don’t bother.
I will be removing all the ads from my site very soon. I don’t want any ads yet. Traffic and engagement have priority at the moment.
Check back next week, I will have completed some changes by then.
Thanks Jeremy.
Hey Dan,
It’s great to get feedback – I just went through a similar exercise and got some great tips from people.
Overall I think your blog layout is strong – just one thing I noticed: your search box text (in my browser at least) is hidden towards the end of the sentence. I guess the font either needs to reduce in size or the box needs to be made bigger.
Regards,
Rich
Rich recently posted..How to Build a Massive Twitter Following
Hey Rich, hope you are well. First thanks for commenting, I really value peoples opinions here.
Yeah I don’t like it either, I will look into moving the search box this week.I would like it to be more prominent on the sidebar.
Thanks for your input Rich.
Hey Dan,
I agree, Danny gave you some great advice. One of the first things I had noticed about your blog is that you don’t have a prominent opt-in for your readers and it’s always suppose to be the first thing they see in your sidebar. Sure you want people to connect with you on the social media sites but if they were to all disappear tomorrow, wouldn’t you much prefer having those people opt-in to your list first? That’s a little more important in my opinion.
I don’t even have a footer but I do have the opt-in box below my posts and another option below the comment box so I’ve gotten more subscribers from those so they’re working.
I’ve also thought seriously about putting something in place so that new visitors will know where to go first and what they can learn from me. Just putting all of that into place is what I need to figure out. I’ve seen it on a few other blogs so I definitely think that’s a great idea.
I have no doubt you’ll have your blog rocking in no time and then we can all take notes from you!
Have fun!
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..How To Get Others To Build Your Links
Hi Adrienne,
Danny does give some great advice. I have been trading email with him for a few days now. The opt-in going to change very soon. I also have a developer working on something for me, so this should be ready very soon too.
I most definitely agree that opt-in is the most important, it a lot more direct than social media.
I will be placing an opt-in on the footer, just not sure which one yet?
As for my getting started, I have a plan. All will be revealed soon. It has taken me a bit of time to develop some stuff but it should work fine.
Thanks Adrienne.
Dear Dan,
Well, you are certainly candid!!
This is good and also a bit entertaining. I like how you just went for “my blog sucks.”
I will also say that I personally do not think your blog sucks in any way…but I am interested in the changes you’re making to it.
I think that your assessment seems to be pretty valuable in terms of function and flow for your readers. I have been considering getting some feedback on my own so that I may make some improvements/enhancements. This is a constant work in progress and it’s easy to let some things slip along the way because there’s always something else keeping me busy in other areas. It feels a lot like juggling.
I’m going to be paying attention to your spot here as things are being revamped. Surely I’ll get some good ideas from you.
Hope you have a fab weekend!!
Cat
My Blog Sucks, was probably going to get more attention than other titles Cat, I believe that the title has a great deal to do with click through. I thought it hit the spot.
I will be going through the changes to shortly in a on screen video, so it should be good. I won’t get all the changes done, but most of them should be done ok.
All blogs are a work in progress Cat. I do like your blog, especially how everything is presented to you in the menu bar. If you want some opinions, simply ask for them. I did and I received some great feedback.
Thanks for stopping by Cat, have a great weekend
Dan,
I have been busy for the past weeks that I haven’t got time to read your blog. And when I get here, I must give you an applause for such a good headline. It sure captivates the interests of readers. Second, I went over the content and your social media buttons are definitely great.
Third, I really don’t think your blog sucks but I admire your courage to make it better. It made me think about mine. It is currently on the progress of making some changes and adding some stuff.
Anyways, I’ll be checking out on you for the next part of this great blog. I am getting good ideas from you.
Thanks!
Spatch
How to Blog recently posted..Blogging to Get Out of Debt Tactic: Write Good Titles
Hey Spatch,
Thanks for the blog compliments, much appreciated.
I know my blog doesn’t suck that much, but the title was a great title and it did do it’s job and drawing attention.
Hope you enjoy part 2 which is available now.
your blog does not suck u offer such interesting information and i am sure a lot of people enjoy reading your posts and i am one of them.
Hey Thanks Andrew, I was a good title to gain interested though wasn’t it. I did have s e issues as you will see through the whole series of the my blog sucks posts. You will find out exactly why I wanted to change things around.
Thanks Andrew much appreciated.
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