Congratulations! You have a blog with content and a nice design… however that isn't enough!
How are you going to make this your best blogging year yet?
You need to do something out of the ordinary, gain attention and do it better than your competition!
Right now may be the best time for you to take a look at your blog and see where you can find room for improvement and get creative.
This is exactly what I have been going through with my blog at BloggingTips.com.
I'm ashamed to admit it, but I haven't been able to give the site the dedication and attention it deserves, but that is going to change in 2013!
I've already made plenty of changes to the site to improve navigation, remove excess advertising, bring in a new team of writers and I have a personal goal to bring the site into the top 10,000 ranking on Alexa and to at least double the traffic.
So how can all of these big goals be accomplished?
One of the best ways to do this is to put yourself in the spotlight and gain the attention of others.
This is exactly what I am doing with my blog case study, which not only highlights the changes I've made to the site, but it also puts me out there in front of everyone to make good on my mission to create an authority niche blog from scratch, and share the process with all of my readers at the same time. If I fail… I fail in front of everyone!
If that isn't motivation enough, then I don't know what is!
Now getting back to some areas that you can improve your blog for the new year, here are some areas that you can quickly improve your blog and increase your overall brand value, social sharing and readership.
Give Your Logo or Brand a New Look
First thing… if you don't have a logo then you definitely need to get one.
It's one of the first things people see and it also gets branded in their minds every time they see your content and visit your site.
Another important thing to remember is that you can get a really great logo design in the $50-$200 range. You don't need to spend big money to have a big identity!
Make Your Content More Shareable
Google is now killing web sites that are using old and unethical backlink methods and are rewarding sites for being more social.
This means that you need to not only create killer content that people share, but also to make sure your content can easily be shared!
Focus on adding sharing buttons to all of your content for Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Don't waste loading time and space on adding a bunch of buttons for social networks that people don't use.
Improve Your Site Navigation
You probably have a lot of people coming to your site for the first time. What are they doing when they get there for the first time?
Once someone gets to your site they are going to leave right away or stay for the content.
Keep visitors on your site longer by giving them exactly what they want, and telling them exactly where to go.
Clean up your site navigation and create a “Start Here” page for your first time visitors.
There are plenty of WordPress plugins that will also help with the overall navigation and ease of use of your site.
Bring In Some New Writers
If you currently have a blog that requires a lot of content and updating, you may want to explore your options for bringing in new writers.
For example, on BloggingTips.com the focus is everything blogging, which can range from writing, social aspects, WordPress and so on… This means there is a ton of content and way too much for just a couple people to handle and keep up with.
With the new year here I decided to bring in a whole new set of writers who know what they are doing.
You can find writers all over the place, whether they are people you know online of if you post a blogger job on other job related web sites.
The important thing is to check quality and only bring in the best writers that will contribute to your overall brand and site experience.
If you don't have the funds to pay for more writers on your site, you also have the option to bring in guest post bloggers at no cost.
Are You Going to Make 2013 Your Best Year Yet?
I've been making money online for over 15 years now and blogging for over 6 years now!
One thing I've learned is that you never know what is around the corner, but you always have to keep working towards whatever your goals are and be ready for what's next.
The best way to make 2013 your best year yet, is to set yourself and your blog up for success!
Follow these steps for blog improvement and find where you are currently falling behind or not achieving your goals.
Write a list. Take action. Do better every day!