There is a lot of talk around the blogosphere about how to best optimize a blog and how to create a look that's appealing to readers and one that keeps them coming back. Not as much has been written about what not to do. Below are some things that are likely to drive readers running from a blog site, never to return: (the examples were randomly selected using the "next blog" feature on Blogspot.)
Using a dark background. This format is much favored by artists and graphic designers to give their sites an arty, edgy appearance. The problem is that it makes the text extremely difficult to read. Unless a site is all graphics, it is best to avoid this approach.
Example: My Learning Approach
Making a site too busy. Dancing cats, flashing ads, and multi-colored banners are likely to drive readers away, complaining of visual overload. It's better to choose one feature and one or two colors to represent a site than to try to include everything.
Example: Urban Myth
Adding music. This is a controversial one, but many readers hate it when they are bombarded with music the instant they enter a Web site. In addition to entertainment sites, cruise lines and restaurants are notorious for this feature. Better to give readers content, not music. At the very least, give the reader a easy way to turn off the music.
Example: Hector Vega
Sharing pet pictures. Unless a blog is about veterinary medicine or cat shows, pet pictures do not belong on a blog—no matter how cute they are. It just makes the blog look amateurish. Instead, send those pet pictures to "I Can Has Cheezburger."
Example: This post from Freelance Writing Jobs
Forgetting to update. Most bloggers are guilty of this every once in a while, especially on with personal blogs that only pay a few Adsense dollars or nothing at all. However, letting a blog languish for months like an abandoned ship is a sure way to lose readers.
Example: ...and I hate worms (a garden blog)
Using boring blog post titles. Blog titles should engage the reader and describe your post in a few words. Ideally, they should contain one to three keywords related to your article. The worst thing a blogger can do is to number his blogs, as in Blog 9, Blog 10, Blog 11 in the example below.
Example: Engaging Technology in the Classroom
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