Comments on: Twenty Usability Tips for Your Blog — Condensed from Dozens of Bloggers’ Experiences http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/ The Latest Trends in Technical Communication Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:30:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mike http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-200593 Mike Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:04:01 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-200593 As I’ve spent most of my professional life working on websites, not blogs, it hadn’t occured to me that date categorization isn’t very helpful for the user, apart from showing you’re posting fresh content. As I’ve spent most of my professional life working on websites, not blogs, it hadn’t occured to me that date categorization isn’t very helpful for the user, apart from showing you’re posting fresh content.

]]> By: 6 best practices of blogging | http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-172167 6 best practices of blogging | Thu, 09 Dec 2010 23:07:50 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-172167 [...] Twenty usability tips for your blog [...] [...] Twenty usability tips for your blog [...]

]]> By: Plan for the machine, write for the human- The key to successful blogging. | Tomorrow's Journalism http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-167610 Plan for the machine, write for the human- The key to successful blogging. | Tomorrow's Journalism Tue, 02 Nov 2010 08:37:08 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-167610 [...] Links. idratherbewriting.com say: Links increase readership and let others know you’re writing about them. Others can see [...] [...] Links. idratherbewriting.com say: Links increase readership and let others know you’re writing about them. Others can see [...]

]]> By: Nicky Douglas http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-155289 Nicky Douglas Sun, 11 Jul 2010 08:14:46 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-155289 These are all great ideas. I have found myself not link as much as i should be - I am definately going to pick up the frequency of these. Its great that we have the ability to use top posts, relevant posts etc.. the tools we have available to use and the integration with other Social media are creating a whole new blogging world. Great article. Thanks These are all great ideas. I have found myself not link as much as i should be – I am definately going to pick up the frequency of these.

Its great that we have the ability to use top posts, relevant posts etc.. the tools we have available to use and the integration with other Social media are creating a whole new blogging world.

Great article.

Thanks

]]> By: Kathy Cook http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-154575 Kathy Cook Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:42:10 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-154575 Hi I have just finished my usability study of 5 personal blogs. The following were 'basics' which blog designs are generally doing well, and are expected by users, if they're not part of the user interface the impact on user satisfaction is very great: 1) The right information at the right time to readers to gauge readership (comment counters, retweet counters, Facebook ‘like’ counters) 2) Clear Time and date info on when a post was posted 3) Enable users to easily View comments and Leave comments. 4) Provide good profile info - with a photo The following would resolve the main issues users are having with blogs: 1) Make subscribing easy: offer Email subscription as well as RSS, provide self-explanatory text and instructions, and make it really visible in the first part of your blog screen above the page fold. 2) Make it clear what your blog is about. A blog shouldn't be a puzzle. Self-explanatory descriptive titles, headings, introductory text and welcome messages will all help to resolve the mystery of what a blog is about and why you're blogging. 3) Keep the main stuff above the first page fold - long pages make users work too hard. Good content architecture and structure in blog content categorisation, tagging and pages all reduce the effort needed by users to scroll. 4) Give users a search facility to find information. Make the search visible at the top of the first page and give it labelling to show it is to search the blog. If you have search function don’t bury it down several page folds – put it where users need it – at the top. 5) Get organised down there! Linking to related articles or posts, tagging, and content categorisation, consolidate the number of tags so there are not hundreds, and use a tag cloud or category cloud or some kind of navigation menu so users can see the content options at the top of the first screen. Pages also help to organise content. 6) Give them clear navigation on every page/ screen with a persistent link to your main page as the Home Page. 7) Help your readers to share the love. Twitter Retweet, Facebook ‘like it’ and email sharing are all essential. I have published the complete usability study on my blog at http://tvustudent.wordpress.com Kind regards Kathy Hi

I have just finished my usability study of 5 personal blogs.

The following were ‘basics’ which blog designs are generally doing well, and are expected by users, if they’re not part of the user interface the impact on user satisfaction is very great:

1) The right information at the right time to readers to gauge readership (comment counters, retweet counters, Facebook ‘like’ counters)
2) Clear Time and date info on when a post was posted
3) Enable users to easily View comments and Leave comments.
4) Provide good profile info – with a photo

The following would resolve the main issues users are having with blogs:

1) Make subscribing easy: offer Email subscription as well as RSS, provide self-explanatory text and instructions, and make it really visible in the first part of your blog screen above the page fold.

2) Make it clear what your blog is about. A blog shouldn’t be a puzzle. Self-explanatory descriptive titles, headings, introductory text and welcome messages will all help to resolve the mystery of what a blog is about and why you’re blogging.

3) Keep the main stuff above the first page fold – long pages make users work too hard. Good content architecture and structure in blog content categorisation, tagging and pages all reduce the effort needed by users to scroll.

4) Give users a search facility to find information. Make the search visible at the top of the first page and give it labelling to show it is to search the blog. If you have search function don’t bury it down several page folds – put it where users need it – at the top.

5) Get organised down there! Linking to related articles or posts, tagging, and content categorisation, consolidate the number of tags so there are not hundreds, and use a tag cloud or category cloud or some kind of navigation menu so users can see the content options at the top of the first screen. Pages also help to organise content.

6) Give them clear navigation on every page/ screen with a persistent link to your main page as the Home Page.

7) Help your readers to share the love. Twitter Retweet, Facebook ‘like it’ and email sharing are all essential.

I have published the complete usability study on my blog at http://tvustudent.wordpress.com

Kind regards

Kathy

]]> By: Woman's World http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-154308 Woman's World Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:50:28 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-154308 Interesting!! You're right about our favorite post often buried deep and never comes back to the surface. Creating a list of all posts ever made and put a link for that list on the homepage/top nav-bar is a way to prevent this happening. Thank you for reminding us. Interesting!! You’re right about our favorite post often buried deep and never comes back to the surface. Creating a list of all posts ever made and put a link for that list on the homepage/top nav-bar is a way to prevent this happening. Thank you for reminding us.

]]> By: Geek is a Lift-Style. » Best of April 2007 http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-154247 Geek is a Lift-Style. » Best of April 2007 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:17:42 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-154247 [...] Twenty Usability Tips for Your Blog 20 selected tips, condensed from Dozens of Bloggers’ Experiences. What distinguishes good blogs from poor ones? The author has compiled a list of useful tips, especially by reading “lessons learned” posts by bloggers. Amongst 20 mentioned principles are Post often, Encourage comments, Make it easy to subscribe, Present your Ideas Visually, Make headlines descriptive, Allow users to contact you offline and Include a Top posts section. [...] [...] Twenty Usability Tips for Your Blog 20 selected tips, condensed from Dozens of Bloggers’ Experiences. What distinguishes good blogs from poor ones? The author has compiled a list of useful tips, especially by reading “lessons learned” posts by bloggers. Amongst 20 mentioned principles are Post often, Encourage comments, Make it easy to subscribe, Present your Ideas Visually, Make headlines descriptive, Allow users to contact you offline and Include a Top posts section. [...]

]]> By: Herramientas Blogging: 120 recursos para Bloggers — Sicrono http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-154187 Herramientas Blogging: 120 recursos para Bloggers — Sicrono Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:20:04 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-154187 [...] prácticas para blogs empresarios: sólo tips prácticos para sus propios negocios. 20 tips de usabilidad para tu blog: recursos para conseguir nuevos usuarios y mantener a tus lectores. Gran lista de buscadores de [...] [...] prácticas para blogs empresarios: sólo tips prácticos para sus propios negocios. 20 tips de usabilidad para tu blog: recursos para conseguir nuevos usuarios y mantener a tus lectores. Gran lista de buscadores de [...]

]]> By: Bass Drum Mallets http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-151301 Bass Drum Mallets Sat, 15 May 2010 18:56:31 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-151301 So many thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I think strongly about this and really like learning pile on this topic. If quite possible, though gain expertise, would you mind updating your web page with successful information? It is tremendously helpful for me. So many thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I think strongly about this and really like learning pile on this topic. If quite possible, though gain expertise, would you mind updating your web page with successful information? It is tremendously helpful for me.

]]> By: Tom Johnson http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/comment-page-3/#comment-151210 Tom Johnson Thu, 13 May 2010 13:15:14 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-%e2%80%94-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/#comment-151210 Interesting idea -- does usable blog software lead to usable design? I think that yes, certainly that would be true. Part of the usability of WordPress is the way the code is architected. It's broken into a lot of separate files so you can easily zero in on the code you need to change. In contrast, Blogger's code is compiled into one big file. You can change all the code in Blogger, just as you can in WordPress, but changing it in WordPress is a lot easier. Hence more people are able to make the changes that they need in order to implement a more usable design. Interesting idea — does usable blog software lead to usable design? I think that yes, certainly that would be true. Part of the usability of WordPress is the way the code is architected. It’s broken into a lot of separate files so you can easily zero in on the code you need to change. In contrast, Blogger’s code is compiled into one big file. You can change all the code in Blogger, just as you can in WordPress, but changing it in WordPress is a lot easier. Hence more people are able to make the changes that they need in order to implement a more usable design.

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