5-things-your-blog-might-be-lackingBlogging has become one of the largest industries on the internet, as more and more companies realize how important blogging is to the success of their websites. Still, just because companies are posting content to their blogs doesn’t mean they’re a success. If you’ve had your blog up and running for a while with very little traffic or conversions, it’s probably lacking a few things.

1. An About Us Page

A blog is a wealth of information, but it’s also a social event for many people. They like to know who’s writing the posts and why they’re an authority on the topic. Whether it’s a company or personal blog, a little information about the author can yield wider readership.

2. Current and Relevant Posts

Are you still writing about events or techniques that were only popular a year ago? You’re already way behind the times. It’s not enough to only be relevant with your blog posts anymore; you must also be current.

The best blogs will have a blend of both timeless information and current news associated with the industry. As an example, check out this blog from Dragon Products, LTD. They specialize in all things oil equipment and processing, and their blog is up to date, primarily with industry news and the occasional informational post.

3. Tasteful Images

Most of the information your brain processes is visual, and the brain can process images 60,000 times faster than text, according to Hubspot. In other words, tasteful, high quality images are necessary to give your blog authority, make it memorable, and increase reader engagement.

4. Posted Publish Dates

Many blogs choose to leave the publishing dates out when posting. They believe it can hide the content that’s not current for SEO purposes. That may be true to some respects, but it doesn’t outweigh the benefits of adding publication dates to each of your posts.

Don’t believe it? Think of the top performing blogs on the Internet, like BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed knows their audience likes seeing the dates on their content, and as long as they continually publish current posts, they’ll always have enough content for SEO purposes.

5. Great Design

People care about more than just the information and images on the page. They also want to read a blog that looks and functions well. To begin with, it should be optimized for any screen, since mobile devices are now used for blog posts just as often as desktops and laptops. Posts distorted on a small screen by an un-optimized website is a major turnoff for readers.

In addition, good design doesn’t mean a flashy look and varied colors. It means it’s easy to read and comprehend the information. Consider highly respected blogs like the New York Times and Forbes. Each of these platforms has a plain, white background with streamlined navigation, tastefully displayed ads and widgets, and simple fonts. With blogging, a simple and streamlined design should be the status quo.

When working to improve blog performance, it pays to step back and think clearly about the design, pages, and content. Evaluating what your blog is missing is one of the best things you can do to increase overall performance.