Log For Blog

I have actually benefited from Steve’s site in the past so I was pleasantly surprised to discover his blog was the next to be reviewed.  He has a terrific set of social icons that I have copied and currently use on my site – if I can follow his easy-to-understand instructions, anyone can!   There are tons of other resources that he has made available, like a flash program to make banners, several SEO tools and even a couple of themes.  Steve has compiled a terrific set of resources, most of them are free, for web designers and bloggers to use.  I also like how his ads are placed, they are really tasteful and do not distract the reader from his content.  I like his layout and his site is pretty easy to navigate.  If I could sum up his site in one word I say: user-friendly.  As a hobby blogger, I will definitely be back to visit Steve’s site in the future.

My only complaint is the dark background.  I don’t have the best eyesight and it is harder to read, and some of his tabs seem to go to completely different sites which don’t have as easy-to-follow directions (Site Analysis).

SEO Web Design by Steve is a great tool for bloggers like myself!

…

Next blog to be reviewed: Quirky Momma

I Am Blogging is a blog ran by a passionate India blogger by the name of Anirban Roy. It hosts a variety of information regarding new web technology and news which is definitely worth checking out. Even as a serious computer wiz myself, I found a few posts that really taught me something. No only that, it is very well organized and the theme is pretty solid which lets face it… is hard to find when surfing the net for new bloggers. Also, navigating around this information is pretty effortless and actually enjoyable.

Its hard to find blogs that are easy to read and enjoy… I think I Am Blogging does just that… he has a casual style that makes you feel as if you are in an actual conversation and the topics are very helpful to web designers, bloggers, and anyone interested in technology. The updates on his site are pretty regular, which is a good sign that it is worth your time to bookmark or subscribe to the RSS feed. When someone is willing to share his or her experiencings with you and they can write well, there’s nothing to lose by supporting that person… especially if its a topic you are highly interested in. Thanks for the experience Anirban Roy, I hope your blog succeeds in its goals.

Next blog to be reviewed: RogueDeals.com

This seem to be the second review for I Am Blogging and I’m happy to report some stuffs were “corrected”!

The meta was removed and I like the blog layout and theme: loads fast, not too many widgets or plugins, clean and professional. The blog is very easy to navigate, with a search box located in the navigation bar. The RSS feed and email feed buttons are clearly labelled and social medias buttons are nicely added in the sidebar.

Oh, don’t be shy: you could move you reader count widget to the top, 83 readers isn’t bad for a relatively new blog!

Now, after the layout, the second thing I usually look for on the blog is an “about” page. Who are you, why are you blogging, what is the blog about? I’m a bit lost here because the blog is quite impersonal and if I don’t look at the previous posts closely, I don’t know what is the main theme… this is not obvious by the blog’s title, “I Am Blogging”. The posts are signed either, I don’t see the author metadata.

As a user, it doesn’t make me feel like leaving a comment, because I don’t know who am I talking to!

The posts are short, but it doesn’t bother me. They are easy to read and convey the informations well.  Some tips are quite useful: I like the way the author explained the difference between a PR0 and a PR N/A:  it’s something I had wondered!

Overall, I’d say there are some good tips here and a potential growth for this blog. But I’d definitely add some personal and profesional info, to better relate to the readers.

Next blog to be reviewed: Correr Es Mi Destino

Hello there, I’m Eric Foor with GadgetEffect and I’ve checked out your blog recently.

-As a somewhat new blogger myself, there have been a few things that I figure might be better to keep hidden. On your site, you have a meta with your login. I have my meta not listed as to when I go to login, I just type wp-admin as part of the extension in the main link. That way bots can’t just scan the links on your main site and find one to brute force (which is your wp-admin). It’s possible that it won’t matter much if you have it there or not, but I would prefer to take as many steps as possible to prevent bruteforce. I wouldn’t suggest removing the login though if you have other people then yourself logging in to your website.

-With how short your posts are, I doubt you would need a “Goto Comments” link at the top. The posts are short and easy to read and people could see the comments show up when they scroll in no time at all.

-The first poster for the post about Geocities (http://www.anirbanroy.info/yahoo/yahoo-geocities-closing-later-this-year/) made a link to his own site talking about how he made comments about it. I believe what he should have done is make a trackback, not a comment saying he made a post. Then he goes to suggest about a different website with free hosting. Looks like a spam comment to me.

-You should have an About page as to explain to people what are the goals for the website. Like, what the website is about and who you are. I have the basis of what you post about, but I still don’t have the main idea. Is it just help with general topics on blogging?

-If you can, try to have either longer posts with more information and detail, or update your posts more often. I believe more people would come back more often for updates, if the posts can be very informative.

Overall, I like the look of the site, nice and snazzy. I would say it’s simple and not over the top. Your posts are easy to read. For your how-to’s, I would recommend using pictures of showing to people on what to do and how to do it. Try using more pictures in general too. Other then that, good job and keep on trying!

P.S. I am not a expert and this is just my opinion. If you disagree, then feel free to constructively criticize me by sending an email to eric@gadgeteffect.com

Next blog to be reviewed: GadgetEffect