In my opinion, one of the golden rules of blogging is to always look for ways to improve your blog. If you aren’t looking to improve, then your blog will never progress and you’ll probably be running an unsuccessful blog forever. There are so many changes you could make as you can always improve what you have, but these changes can range from something drastic like changing your theme, to something a lot simpler (which I will list below). The points I’m making in this article should hopefully help you to improve your blog, one small step at a time.
So, let’s get straight into the action…
Fix up your 404 page
Whilst you may think it a mere error page, you should definitely consider putting some love in to your 404 page. By just leaving your error page as the standard ‘You’re looking for something that isn’t here’, you’re potentially losing out on a valuable reader or two. Here are my three top tips for writing a good 404 page:
- Give your reader valuable advice on what to do now they’re on your 404 page. Tell them the alternatives (go to the home page, contact you with the error etc).
- Try and reassure the lost reader. They’re probably pretty annoyed already, so by telling them it’s their fault, you’re probably losing a reader.
- Add your own personality and humour. By doing this, you’re making it more appealing for them to stay on your site and maybe even read a few of your articles.
Alex Fraiser from Blogussion wrote a whole article on 404 pages that’s well worth a look… you can see it here.
Add a new widget
One of the great things about Wordpress (which I’m assuming/hoping you’re using as a blogger) is that there’s a MASSIVE range of sidebar widgets that you can use on your website. By changing one of these or adding a cool new widget, you can add a lot to your blog.
You can view a wide range of Wordpress plugins/widgets by clicking here…
Get a new logo
Getting a new logo is great for a number of reasons. For a start, it’ll make a nice change, thus making it pretty likely that the new logo will provoke discussion, which is important for any blog. A logo is also a great way to market your blog (yes, really!) so by getting a new logo, you should hopefully bring in a few new readers, IF you know how to market it right.
You’re probably sat there thinking ’How is that a small change?! Logos cost a fortune!’. Well, you’re wrong. You can get amazing quality logos at really cheap prices. For one of my previous projects I got a quality logo for just $25!
A while back, right in the early days of Teenius, I wrote a post about logos. You can see it here.
Do something original
Yeah, that’s right… step out your comfort zone a little bit and try something new. OK, it’s a little bit risky, but if it doesn’t work then you can always convert back to the old way. I can’t really make many recommendations for this, as it has to be something that is not only personal to you, but also from your own imagination.
Changes, huh?!
What do you think of the four changes listed above? Have you sorted out your 404 page? When was the last time you tried something new? Can you suggest a good sidebar widget?
Whatever you have to say, I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave a comment below or, if you really liked the post, please submit it to a social bookmarking site using the links below.
Making your blog stand out from the rest isn’t an easy task. You can, however, use your imagination and experiment with it until you hit that unique thing that makes different from other blogs.
A custom theme, for example, is generally good enough to highlight your site. You can also offer services to your visitors (SEO, Marketing, Writing, etc.), turning your site into something more than just a bunch of cronologically ordered entries for your readers.
It’s just a matter of creativity, as you said
Héctor | SEO Blog’s last blog post..Engaging First-Time Visitors, How?
Yeah, I love that point because anyone can fix up their 404 page and get a new widget, but not many people seem to have the creativity and imagination to actually make your own change.
And, regarding the theme, I think that’d probably class as a big change, but your point is still valid
Those are some good ideas I haven’t thought of doing anything like that before.
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Well, nice post there.
I always try to make changes to my blog. Its like when I don’t write post, there’s must be something other new at the blog.. the looks or something funny
But, as your title says “4 small changes that can make a big diff to your blog”. Changing logo is not a small change, plus if your blog is already branded with your logo.. DONT change !. Its kinda conditional fundamental of your written post. I prefer not to change logo, if you already have one.
Yes, you can make changes to font, color or a slight re-design but not a new logo is recommended ! (atleast by me).
About the widgets.. I prefer only those who can grab attention to readers for more articles. is great. Widgets linking to post should be like your rss column. Colourful, catchy. yeh!
That s for now, nice post btw !
Enk.’s last blog post..How to Write a Search Engine Optimised Blog Post
Your first point is a good one. Every blog will (or should) get a reasonable amount of returning traffic, but if you aren’t posting any new posts then it looks like you’re inactive and could put them off visiting again. By making a small change or two every now and again it shows you’re still active. That said, don’t think that changes is an excuse for not posting
Regarding the logo, yeah, sorry, I should have been clearer about that. But, for small blogs or people who haven’t done much branding, you can change your logo and it is a small change.
I didn’t mean that making changes is an excuse.. I was just telling when I don’t post.. it means I’m playing with my Blog / Wordpress. haha!
Enk. | STFRAGU.com’s last blog post..30 Beautiful Footer Designs
Interesting post. I really need to get a logo. I also am always making changes to my blog, and they almost always help.
Jake | Web Journey’s last blog post..Google Friend Connect?
Yeah, I think the thing to remember when doing changes if that if you’re going to be making big changes, you shouldn’t do it that often as it can put people off.
And, yeah, a logo is really important. Check out my post I linked to above
@ Hector
and all you can do is to experiment what works for you and what not. Because quite frankly I have doing all sorts of experimenting on my blog and now I know what type of content works best. Still i try lot of different things -.- and I need a customized theme for sure……..
Totally agreed with your point “Standing out in bunch of already settled blog is really a pain in ass” in my words
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As bloggers, we should never stop experimenting with our blogs. We should do our best to keep our blog evolving into something better for our readers.
I also wanted to point out that drastic changes (such as changing the theme) can do more harm than good when done too often. Keep in mind that sudden changes can have a negative impact on your branding, thus affecting the whole user experience and the strenght of the relationship between you and your readership.
Héctor | Blogging Diary’s last blog post..Engaging First-Time Visitors, How?
Haha, your first point is just what I was trying to say in the first paragraph, but you did it clearer
Regarding doing loads of drastic changes often, I agree. When I posted the post about getting my new theme, one of the comments said that I shouldn’t change my theme so often, and I have to agree with that as it COMPELTELY screws up your branding. (that said, my new theme is here to stay. My old – free – theme was just a temporary measure.)
I really don’t know anything about coding. Just a little which I know. So did not touch the 404 page but done the other three I hope. anyway awsome post Simon..
Harish | Blogging Kid’s last blog post..List Building – Why And How ?
I know very little code either, but it’s easy to edit your 404 page. Somewhere in your theme files, there should be one called ‘404.php’. Take that into an editing program and you’ll see a part that says:
‘The page you trying to reach does not exist, or has been moved. Please use the menus or the search box to find what you are looking for.’
Edit that into something more appropriate. You don’t need to know any code, as all you’re doing is changing text
Great thanks a lot Simon..
Great tips! I can check off the 404 page advice and the changes of themes, etc..
Now about that trying something risky, I am not there yet
Well perhaps I just haven’t thought of something risky enough to fdo 
It doesn’t neccessarily have to be risky, it just needs to be different. Try doing something new on your blog… it really could be anything!
Great tips! Really helpful mate!
Monty | Make Money Online’s last blog post..How can forums help you?
I just recently created a new logo. As I’ve commented before, I don’t think you can get a truly successful logo for simply $25. Your logo should represent your vision and your goals. For OW, I wanted a logo that said “it’s not about blogging, it’s about writing, and it’s about professionalism.” I think my new one does that. Of course it was free because I made it myself.
I disagree with adding new widgets. They can slow down your blog and you should consider the value it has to your readers, not just the idea of it “looking cool” to yourself.
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In my opinion the price is irrelevant. You can get a quality logo for $25, and I know that because I have experienced it in the past. Like you say, as long as it fits it’s purpose (brandable, recognisable etc), it shouldn’t matter how much you paid for it.
Dude.. its not about the $25 here.. as if you know, Twitter bird was designed for $6.
.
About your logo, Its like a two alphabets surrounded by a circle. Get something that shows your blog is about writing .. and make it look professional. Yes, that can make you use your $$$
. No offence, just a suggestion.
Off the topic, nice blog there !
Enk. | STFRAGU.com’s last blog post..30 Beautiful Footer Designs
Nice article! I actually made my 404 page just a big plug for my free ebook
Tom – StandOutBlogger.com’s last blog post..IncomeDiary.com – Inspiration & Education!
Nice idea Tom!
I’m thinking that when I do mine properly (currently just got a temporary thing up), I’ll try and plug my posts a little bit as I don’t have a product, but, yeah, that’s a great idea!
Damn it. Your blog is so hot. I like your new design.
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Thanks for the compliment, Hussein
Yeah, I’m completely loving the design too.
Good points. And that’s why I recently create a unique logo and avatar for myself.
Jacob Yap’s last blog post..Tea Sticks
I´d add a 5th change, … making your blog search-able and visitor friendly.
Like for example you only show your 5 most recent posts, and the 5 most popular posts, but I am sure there are more than 10 posts worth reading on your blog, an archive page or widget would be very useful to make it easier to find them
Mirjam’s last blog post..Earn More Money with Clickbank – Clickbank Affiliate Tools You Have to Know
Yeah, good idea, but I find that usually readers won’t stick around for 5 articles, so I think that’s a good amount to display. Also, in the list in the header, there isn’t room to do any more than five.
Regarding the archive page, yes, I’m planning to make a good one, but I’m just waiting until the blog has a few more posts first
The way I see it, they won´t stick around for any article if the title doesn´t catch their attention … showing 10 might give you more possibilities to keep them around then 5, right? Besides, you still have plenty of space in your sidebar
I made the comment, because I did try to read more on your blog but got fed up skipping through the option to read earlier posts at the end of your article
Mirjam’s last blog post..Earn More Money with Clickbank – Clickbank Affiliate Tools You Have to Know
OK, well, thanks for the feedback Mirjam, I’ll definately look further into it!
Well, i got lot to learn from you. I am trying to get a unique logo for my website. Any suggestions? Where is subscribe to comment via email option?
In that case, stay tuned on the blog!
Unfortunately I don’t have a ’subscribe to comments’ option, but I’ll look into it.
Regarding your logo, at the moment it’s just text so I wouldn’t really even class it as a logo. Try getting a little picture made for you or something like that.
Yes it is just a simple text. I will go for a logo when i will be in the condition to afford it. It is just one month old.
Hmm, I’m not having a go or anything, but I personally feel that a logo is one of the most important parts of any website, purely because of the branding, so I would say get one as soon as you can!
Thanks for the mention in your post Simon! Like I said, I got that post linked to by 2 sweet blogs in one day!
I’m like really weird, I don’t use Widgets on Blogussion. I’m all code, I love to see that code because I have to edit everything. With widgets, I have to search through page sources for the classes or ID’s to an element, and it it just a pain to do.
Like I said, weird!
Alex | Blogussion.com’s last blog post..Wordpress Releases Version 2.8 “Baker”
Yeah, but I suppose that not many people will be able to code and stuff, so widgets are a lot easier for them. I know I’m one of those people anyway!
And, no problem, it’s a great post
It’s not so difficult also to get a new template, I some times do that!
I will add your blog to my 100 list of blogs using CommentLuv
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No, but a template is an important part of your branding, so I wouldn’t recommend changing it too often. Also, if you use custom themes then it’s a pretty big thing!
And, thanks for adding me to the list!