---
title: "Twenty Usability Tips for Your Blog — Condensed from Dozens of Bloggers’ Experiences"
date: 2007-04-09
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $("
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog-condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/
---
# Twenty Usability Tips for Your Blog — Condensed from Dozens of Bloggers’ Experiences
[![Theme](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/pickatheme2.png)](http://bokardo.com)

## 2. Encourage comments

Allow comments, and respond to comments. Blogs are dialogues, not monologues. If you turn commenting off, you lose out on the Web 2.0 aspects of your blog. Comments enrich your thoughts and take you to a higher level of analysis. You benefit from the additions, corrections, tips, and other feedback from readers. To encourage comments, don’t require sign in. Activate [Akismet](http://akismet.com) and this [math plugin](http://sw-guide.de/wordpress/math-comment-spam-protection-plugin/) to avoid spam. Add the [Subscribe to Comments](http://txfx.net/code/wordpress/subscribe-to-comments/) plugin so users can be aware of follow-up comments. When people comment, respond to their comments, and keep the dialogue going because this is what Web 2.0 is all about: connecting users to each other and sharing information.

[![Enable comments](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/comments2.png)](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/2007/04/comments.png)

## 3. Make it easy to subscribe

Make it easy to subscribe to your feed by placing an orange RSS button in a highly visible location. Route your feed through [Feedburner](http://feedburner.com) so you can keep track of your subscribers. You can also offer an e-mail subscription using FeedBurner. In the example below, subscription information is prominently displayed in the upper-right corner.

[![Subscribe to RSS](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/subscriberss2.gif)](https://iinnovate.blogspot.com/)

## 4. Include an About page

Include an about page to let people know more about you. Are you a technical writer based in Seoul, a developer working at Microsoft, a Russian open-source business mogul? Your blog reveals your personal views, so introduce yourself to your readers. Don’t blog anonymously. You can include a photo in your About page — some think it makes you more real to your readers. Include some basic facts, such as where you live, your job title, your interests, and other biographical information. You may want to omit the company you work for, if content on your blog inappropriately reveals company information.

[![About page](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/about2.png)](http://lorelle.wordpress.com/about/)

## 5. Present your ideas visually

In this culture of scanning and clicking, long blocks of text aren’t read. Break up your text with visuals—graphs, charts, photos, blockquotes, and videos. Annotate the images to reinforce your meaning. [Creating Passionate Users](http://headrush.typepad.com/) always reinforces its message with visuals. If you get photos from other blogs or from Flickr, include a link back to the source. Most popular blogs are visually rich.

[![Present Ideas Visually](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/presentideasvisually2.png)](http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2007/03/the_best_user_t.html)