Today I want to talk about a problem I see all over the internet and it's probably happening to your site right now.
The problem is that because you're familiar with your blog or website, that changes how you see it. And that can have a real cost in lost readers, fans and sales.
If you've ever told someone your website's URL and then wanted to shout “But it needs to be updated!! 😭” then you know that blog or website design you feel confident about can be a game changer. Especially if you work online.
(What, you can't shout in Emojis? We're really overdue on working together! Call me?)
The problem of perspective isn't unique to blogging or online business. You see yourself differently when you feel confident. A great outfit, good hair day, or having a great start to the day can change how you experience your world, and that experience makes us see ourselves a little differently – hopefully in a positive way!
We're also often our worst critics because we're so familiar with seeing ourselves in the mirror. We fixate on details about our appearance that no one else sees, because their perspective is different.
Being familiar with your blog or website also changes how you see it. That means that when your readers and customers view it, what they see is completely different than what you see, and unless you're aware of this it can end up causing you big problems.
I know this firsthand from designing blogs, websites and shops for the past five years.
Where you see your familiar blogroll in the sidebar, your readers may see a wall of text that doesn't seem important, so they choose to ignore it – along with your sidebar content that is important!
Where you see cute wording in your nav bar (because you know exactly what the pages link to) new readers can see confusing phrases that make them unsure they're in the right place.
Turn Your Blog Design Into A Superhero For Your Business
If your blog or website is under performing, instead of looking for a blog designer to make your world prettier, go on clutter-and-clarity patrol. It’s not enough to have the right answers for your readers, customers and clients – you also have to remove the things that let doubt and confusion creep in.
1. Go simple
Give clear, self-explanatory titles to any links on your blog. Make sidebar buttons easy to understand at a glance, and re-think anywhere you have small cursive text that your readers have to work at understanding.
One of the best ways to give any aspect of your website or social-media presence a more professional look is to add space around each element. But you don’t have to edit your blog theme to make this happen – you can delete non-essential items from your sidebar and add space between them (even just adding blank text widgets). Look at your blog navigation and remove anything that’s not crucial. Having a few links that actually get clicked will do more for your blog than sharing all your pages at once. Finally, make sure you state exactly what your blog is about somewhere prominent on your site because what’s clear to you isn’t necessarily clear to your readers.
Confused readers don’t opt-in, share your work, or experience the results of your work. Removing clutter means the important parts of your blog will shine and receive more clicks than when they’re surrounded by distraction.
2. Know what game you're playing
It’s crucial that you give your readers some way to support you that will help you continue doing your work. If you’re blogging to make connections and build community, maybe that’s emphasizing comments in your blog design and building engagement there. If you make income from page views, designing post ideas that maximize them will keep your blog running.
It’s important to know what keeps you motivated and moving forward, and to guide your readers to take those actions when they’re on your site. What can you remove that doesn’t serve that purpose? What can you emphasize that does?
3. Ask for what will help you win
Have you heard the phrase “call to action?” Online, a call to action is a direct request to get readers clicking! If you ask your readers to comment on your posts, or if you ask your best friend to meet you for lunch, you’re already a pro. As women, we often avoid asking for things directly because we don't want to be a bother. (As a former shy lady I know the feeling!) We worry that making a requests might make us less likeable so we avoid asking for things – including clients to visit our sales pages, asking our social media followers to visit our shops, and lots of other requests that actually act as sign posts leading your audience to what helps you keep doing what you do.
Here’s the thing: I’m betting that you’re all kinds of likeable! Holding back is a subconscious habit that can make your online work harder than necessary. Once you know what helps you succeed, start asking for it.
If you knew that your site was confusing readers and costing you money, what would you simplify?
LAST UPDATED ON: June 16th, 2015
CATEGORY: Content Marketing Strategy
Great article! I think it’s great advice for bloggers and I’m linking to it in my weekly link up this week, and was just wondering if it was okay to include the picture you use in the post. I’d credit you and only use it for this post to promote the link back to your blog.
Absolutely, Kaylee! Thanks for including me.
Thanks so much for this post, Kyla! It is a great reminder to always check in with my blog(s) + shop and see if they are still working for me or what needs an upgrade/ change.
I need to do this on my blog! I really great tool for some honest and in depth reviews is peek. It’s free but someone records a video while going to your site and they give you their initial thoughts and feedback.
It can be rough and hard to take but it’s so eye opening.
http://peek.usertesting.com/
That tool is fascinating, isn’t it Nora? I agree that it can be tough, and it’s important to remember that the people viewing the websites aren’t your ideal customer / reader, that they’re probably not as blog savvy as your people are, and that their feedback tells you much more about them than it does about you. That aside, it’s really helpful to see your site through someone else’s eyes. The things that they get stuck on aren’t what you’d think! It takes that saying “keep it simple, stupid!” to a new level when you see someone who’s less internet proficient try to navigate your site. And how little they read never fails to amaze! What’s surprised you about using it?
Definitely! The woman who reviewed my site seemed very familiar with small business sites like mine. She made some fantastic recommendations that I completely agreed with, I just didn’t think about. I like to do one every few weeks to get different perspectives and ideas.
One review said my site had too much white space and needed a blue or red background – things like that I know are personal preferences and I usually ignore things like that. Watching where new visitors navigate, and what links they’re most drawn to is very interesting and helpful!
Every review should be taken with a grain of salt since they aren’t my ideal clients, but it is a great starting point!
I’ve never heard of this before, Nora, but I just submitted for my first Peek. Can’t wait to see what they suggest!
I personally need to work on the “Call to action” portion of my blog. I want more interaction! :D Thanks for your great tips.
Just knowing that is a huge advantage, Shaina! Asking a question at the bottom of posts can be a good place to start. It’s a long life, so keep working on it and seeing what works for your audience. You’ll get there!
Thanks for this post! I’m planning to give my site a BIG makeover when I get back from vacation in early July. I definitely need to simplify!
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, Ali! Have fun on your vacation, and with your makeover when you return! I’d love to see what you create – drop back in and let me know when it’s ready so I can check out your before and after :)
Yes! It is so much easier to see the flaws in someone else’s blog than your own! I especially like your point about knowing your goals for your blog. So important. Thanks for this post!
Thanks for commenting Daniela! I’m going through this with my services page right now. What I have is not perfect by any stretch, but I’m going to keep working at it a little every day and know that having it out there is part of how I’m going to get to clients who are perfect for me. Something you may find helpful is printing out a screenshot of your blog, and making notes on the paper. For me, just being able to annotate it and scribble on my design can be a big help in taking that step back I need to be more critical.
What a great idea! Having grown up on a computer I feel so comfortable with it, but nothing beats the ability to write on paper and the freedom to annotate ANYWHERE.
I love your point about asking for help. I still feel awkward with this and sometimes a little paralyzed with how to do it. It’s always on my mind. I’ll have to start being more purposeful about this.
It’s tough to do! One of the things that’s helpful for me is to remember to be casual when asking for help from people. I tend to be very earnest and committed, and online you can often get a better response to a positive, casual check in rather than a long detailed ask. And until you feel confident, just keep confidently and succinctly stating what you need (sometimes I call this blurting – but done with tact) and try to trust that the awkward feeling isn’t useful emotionally feedback. It can get you a lot further than you expect! ;)
This is so timely! I’m working on Step #3 currently, but making sure that each of the pages on my site has one (and only one!) call to action that is clear and unmissable. Is unmissable a word? It is now!
I’m inspired to take another look around my blog – or even ask some friends to!
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com