---
title: "Blog Usability Checklist"
date: 2007-04-17
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $('#toc').toc({ minimumHeaders: 3, listType: 'ul', showSpeed: 0, headers: '#content h2, #content h3, #content h4, #content h5, #content h6' }); /*..."
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/17/20-1/index.html
---

> For AI agents: a documentation index is available at https://idratherbewriting.com/llms.txt. Markdown versions of all pages are available by appending .md to any page URL.

# Blog Usability Checklist

Below are some usability tips for your blog. This was by far my most popular post, so you can flip through each tip by clicking the numbers below, or read the [expanded version of the post](https://idratherbewriting.com/2007/04/09/twenty-usability-tips-for-your-blog--condensed-from-dozens-of-bloggers-experiences/) here.

## 1. Pick a topic for your blog.

[![Theme](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/pickatheme1.png)](http://bokardo.com/)

## 2. Encourage comments.

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/comments1.png)](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/2007/04/comments.png)

## 3. Make it easy to subscribe.

[![Subscribe to RSS](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/subscriberss1.gif)](https://iinnovate.blogspot.com/)

## 4. Include an About page.

[![About page](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/about1.png)](http://lorelle.wordpress.com/about/)

## 5. Present your ideas visually.

[![Present Ideas Visually](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/presentideasvisually1.png)](http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2007/03/the_best_user_t.html)

## 6. Keep posts short and to the point.

[![Keep posts short](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/short11.png)](http://campbell-online.com/blog/2007/03/21/cio-insight-outsourcing-does-not-save-money/)

## 7. Use subheadings for long posts.

[![Keep Posts Short](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/short2.png)](http://www.copyblogger.com/the-5-immutable-laws-of-persuasive-blogging/)

## 8. Link abundantly

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/trackbacksexplained1.png)](http://www.brianoberkirch.com/2006/07/18/edgework-shel-israel/)

## 9. Make headlines descriptive.

[![Headlines](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/headlines11.png)](http://www.management-college.net/71/5-reasons-why-you-should-treat-your-employees-like-dogs/)

## 10. Archive by topic.

[![Category archives](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/archives1.png)](http://www.bloggingpro.com/)

## 11. Include a list of Related Posts beneath each post.

[![Related Posts](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/related-posts1.png)](http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2007/04/03/is-your-blog-ready-for-web-30/)

## 12. Allow users to contact you offline.

[![Contact offline](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/contact1.png)](https://usefulvideo.blogspot.com/2007/02/yahoo-pipes-tutorials.html)

## 13. Present your real viewpoint.

[![Speak your mind](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/speakmind1.png)](http://www.scriptorium.com/palimpsest/2007/03/rant-small-business-and-health.html)

## 14. Write for your future employer.

[![Fired](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/employer1.png)](http://queenofsky.journalspace.com/)

## 15. Include a Top Posts section.

[![Top Posts](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/classics11.png)](http://blog.guykawasaki.com/)

## 16. Provide an index.

[![Index](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/index1.png)](http://www.dagondesign.com/sitemap/)

## 17. Get your own URL and match it to your blog's title.

[![Match Title to URL](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/titleurl1.gif)](https://lifehacker.com/)

## 18. Include a Recent Posts section in your sidebar.

[![Recent Posts](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/recentposts1.png)](http://iconlogic.blogs.com/weblog/)

## 19. Reward commenters for commenting.

[![Top Commenters](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/topcommenters.gif)](http://johnchow.com/)

## 20. Post often.

[![Technorati Report on Posting Frequency](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/postoften1.png)](http://www.sifry.com/alerts/archives/000443.html)