7 Common Blogging Mistakes You’re Making & How To Fix Them

I read so many blogs. Most bloggers also read a ton of blogs and I think we all tend to notice common blogging mistakes that seem to appear on every few sites. While these aren’t the be-all-end-all of a blog, I’m a firm believer that it’s all in the details. Fixing these tiny mistakes could seriously enhance your blog!

1. An extremely extensive commenting process.

I find that I’m most inclined to leave a comment when the commenting system is simple. Disqus almost always means I will comment–I just need to type and click “Comment”, it’s so easy! Meanwhile, some blogs have a whole process where you have to fill out forms and get approved and make sure you’re not a robot…the amount of effort it takes to comment gets frustrating and usually ends with annoyance or just exiting the page without commenting.

Solution: Get an extension like Disqus that makes commenting simple. Or, modify your comments to not require the “I’m not a robot” option–you can probably be able to find a different way to prevent spam from clogging your blog comments.

2. Text that is difficult to read.

Generally, most blogs have a standard dark gray or black font. The problem, however, is that a lot of bloggers have link colors that are super light or pale to match their theme. Listen, I get that it matches your theme, but I literally cannot read your links. If readers have to squint to read something, it’s not a good sign.

Solution: Open your website and grab some friends/family. Show them your font color in question and ask if they can easily read it. If even as little as two people can’t, you might want to make them a shade darker.

3. A huge banner/header.

A blog header with a ton of height makes me so angry. My entire screen is filled with your banner and now I must scroll and scroll just to see  your precious content. No one’s banner needs to be extremely tall. In Pinterest, height should exceed the width for images but when it comes to your blog header, please don’t. Of course, it’s personal preference, but you want your content to be the star and you can’t see the star if it’s hidden behind banners and links.

Solution: If your banner takes up half of your screen or more, you might want to consider making it smaller or redesigning.

4. Posting way too often.

It’s one thing to be able to publish very often and have quality content, but it’s another thing to strive for quantity over quality. There is no need for filler little posts that are literally one paragraph about something you bought or a few sentences about your day. Not to be blunt, but no one actually cares. We’re following you because we love your content…don’t give us half-assed little blurb posts solely because you wish to post every other day.

Solution: If you feel like posting something but don’t have ideas or time for a long and quality post, try doing a round-up. Round ups are easy, entertaining and help other bloggers gain exposure.

5. Writing too many sponsored posts.

While it is important to make money and do the occasional sponsored post, if your blog constantly has sponsorship,  it begins to feel a little bit phony and unreal. It’s also important to note that many sponsors these days require that you don’t have mostly sponsored posts on your blog.

Solution: Strategically plan out your sponsored posts. If you can, schedule them far apart from each other and make sure that you keep the reviews and sponsorship posts relevant to your blog and niche.

6. Your site design is cookie cutter.

Most bloggers in my niche/the niche I read has a super similar blog design. It’s simple and white with pops of peach/gold/black. Most of them have a handwritten font and simple banner with their About me in the sidebar and pretty peach/gold graphics all over. While it’s nice to be uniform and have a pretty look, it’s hard to be memorable if you look like everyone else!

Solution: Try to have a unique element on your site. Whether it’s opting to choose a color scheme you haven’t seen other bloggers use often or deciding to make your banner very unique, try to have something that keeps you apart from other blogs in terms of aesthetic.

7. Being too serious.

I strive to keep my blog light-hearted and honest no matter what. My voice is me and in order to keep my blog fun and genuine, I have to keep my voice! Even though it’s not the standard to throw in the occasional curse word in my post or be brutally honest and humorous about certain topics, it’s who I am. Keep your conversational tone when you blog! The majority of people prefer to read a post that sounds like it was written by a person, not a robot.

Solution: Write (mostly) how you speak. Keep your personality in your posts–avoid become too lecture-y and make sure to keep your voice. It’s key.

These are problems that have a lot of simple fixes. Some of them might not be problematic to you, but I garuntee they deserve a second look. What are some blog mistakes you often notice? 

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