31DBBB Feedback
jsnflo @ sxc.hu
I like the word feedback. It suggests that I’m offering something that can feed you, and you’re returning the favor to me by offering some useful criticism and helpful hints. So first of all to all you 31DBBBers helping me out today, thank you. This is awesome. I’m excited about this. Second of all, I would really appreciate your comments and observation on the following.
- Site layout: How easy is it to get from one post to another, find information you are looking for etcetera? How does the sidebar look, does it have all the widgets you want/expect? Are there enough/too many posts on the home page? (if too many, any idea how I can change that?)
- Site Content: Site content is pretty much an outflow of my youth ministry. Is it consistent however with the pitch, which is to “ignite in [the reader] the passion I have for Christ”? There are a couple of things, like poetry and art work, that I think do that, but I’d really like another opinion on that one.
- SEO – All I know about SEO is that it stands for “search engine optimization.” Can someone help me out with what exactly that means? I want people to be able to find my blog, but how does that work on a search engine? What can I do to improve it?
- Tone: I have a habit of coming across as a know-it-all, please tell me if I’m doing that here.
- Anything else? All comments are welcome.
That’s it! Thanks everyone for taking a look and taking the time to comment.
Categories: Uncategorized
I love your use of pictures.
Also your header image is great – it fits the title.
In the sidebar, I’d just recommend putting up popular posts and recent comments.
Youth Ministry? What sort of age group (everyone means something different) – It would be cool to see more videos.
Currently my youth are 16 and older (all three of them) but it’s great fun. I’ll see about doing some videos….not big video person mostly b/c I too often get stuck with computers that don’t have speakers, but I’ll def look into it. Thanks for the feedback!
Site Layout – I like your layout. Easy to read font. The picture in the headers promotes well the theme. I like the link at the top of the post going back to the previous post and forward to the next. Good idea, made it easier to navigate from one post to another. I am one that doesn’t do much with the sidebar. But yours is uncluttered and well formatted.
Site Content– As your content flows from your passion, it will ignite others. I appreciate especially your poems, simple yet passionate. What are you trying to do with the Prayer Closet? I understand the quote from Mt. 6, but are you expecting people to leave prayer requests, leave comments on prayer or what? You might want to be more clear on that.
SEO – Key words are important in SEO, and where you place them. You might make a concise statement of your “elevator pitch” in the Title bar and include in it key words that would drive people to your site. Meta tags are also imprtant, check out articles on OCC about SEO for more info. They were helpful to me.
Tone– I did not detect the “know it all” in you.
Else –I enjoyed Joan’s paintings. You might consider using some of those to illustrate your posts, although the stick people are cool and unique.
I like the layout, not too much on the sidebar (like how you have stuff at the bottom of the page), the background color and such look nice. The font size and type, you use pictures, how you write and what you write, it all seems good.
As for the SEO i’m still trying to totally figure that one out too. I’m trying to start using Google Adsense and Analytics and Webmaster. I’ve heard these may help. Not sure if this is SEO or not but you can tweet about blogposts, give a link to your blog wherever you can post a website, talk about it on Facebook…
I like your blog, it looks great.
I like that your blog has a very clean look. The content is not distracting. Side bar content is not too bogged down. The salad picture on this blog looks really good and is making me hungry. I kind of like the stick people pictures. I think it is unique and defines you. You don’t seem like a know it all to me, especially since you are just as clueless about SEO as I am.
Just a small suggestion- the “Just another WordPress.com weblog” in the top right of your blog could be edited with something that fits your blog, like your elevator pitch.
Thanks for pointing that out to me, I didn’t even realize I could change the tag line until u mentioned it.
I had it up on mine for a long time too!
These are all great suggestions, and I want to chime in on your question about your tone. I think it’s great you even asked. Your tone is authoritative and strong. If people are put off by that, continue to be encouraging and friendly like you are on my blog and they will come around soon enough.
I think you are doing a great job on your blog. Your writing is targeted for your audience and has quality content as well. I like your header and the easy-to-read style. Everyone here from 31dbbb has made good comments. I like the creativity of your theme tied in to your feed and your post favorites list. Do you think you would want to add a blogroll list?
By the way, when you find out how SEO works, please let me know. Could use more exposure myself. Thank you.
Janis
Site layout
Nice, clean, basic design and layout. No major frills, but that makes it easy to deal with visually. While my blog probably goes overboard with this, I notice that some of the best blogs that I’ve seen keep a VERY simple look like this. In short, your blog is easy on the eyes.
Site Content
Looks pretty good to me so far. I can really sense your heart in the content that you are sharing, and it seems to be a really good message. I think that many will be lifted up and strengthened by your words here.
SEO
Hard to tell from this side, because I think that most of that is back-end stuff. But I can say think about strong and descriptive titles. Also think about the first paragraph of your content containing important key words that you would want to pop in a search result. And look for some WordPress plugins that might help you to manage SEO (through metadata).
Tone
It sounds okay to me, but I know that I sometimes struggle with the same thing. I think that it is important for people like us to focus on things that will foster discussion. So ask more questions in your posts. Try to avoid language that ‘tells’, and use words that ‘ask’ and allows people to discover on their own. But from what I’ve seen so far, you don’t come off as cocky or anything… actually you seem quite humble.
Anything else?
Nope… just keep up the great work! The blog looks fairly new, and I think that you are on the right track!
Thanks for the feed back Dan. Will def try moving more towards the “asking” kind of mind set.
I love the clean look of your blog. When you figure out SEO, help me out. As for the tone issue–I write my blog with two friends in mind, both are dads around my age whom I love and respect–I when I read my final draft before publishing, I ask myself does this post speak to Tom and Scott in their language and would they appreciate the points, humor, etc. Hope this helps
Thank you, that was extremely helpful!
I like your blog, Sage. And I see you replaced the “just another WordPress blog” thing.
It’s amazing how many long-time bloggers still have that up there. I love your header picture, and I like the combo of the dark sides with the white text area. I like the dark look, but white or yellow or etc. letters on black just burn holes in my eyes. So for me, this is a great compromise.
Your poetry is excellent. I don’t think I’ve said so, but I really like your style. Jesus told stories; David wrote poetry and songs; Ezekiel “painted” surrealistic pictures with his words; God minutely laid out the design of the Tabernacle, including the artwork. This language speaks, I think, more directly to our spirits than bare facts and doctrines. Even your exceedingly clever and cute stick figures accomplish this task.
So . . . sorry to be so unhelpful, but I don’t see anything about your blog that I’d change, and I subscribed to it the first day I visited, so I’ve been checking it out since the beginning of our project. Well done, IMO.
Blessings, Cindy
Nothing “unhelpful” at all. I really appreciate the encouragement
Good morning from the UK Seiji. I’m a day late getting to this but trust you don’t mind the wait
Your site layout is clean and simple and a good contrast of colours from the black background to the white frontend. The font is clear and readable and the overall layout is one of ease on the eye. Likeothers have said – I do like teh header picture and complements the blog title nicely.
As to teh sidebar and content – well no problems their either – except I feel your ‘About’ page is a little light on information. Who are you? What right do you have to say what you say? Where are you? You don’t necessarily need all of this info but some goes a way to helping the reader understand you and understand that you aren’t a ‘know it all’.
Site Content: This bit may fit better in your about page as well – but I don’t get the line drawings. Maybe explain where they come from or why you do them in say preference to pictures or ???
SEO: Wow – loaded question there
I can’t help you but there are lots of stuff out there that can. However I asked this same question over here: http://forum.churchtechmatters.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7 last year and got some good responses – best I leave you to read through that as a starter and then perhaps like me you’ll give up.
Thanks for the comments Stuart, I’ve been staring at my about page for days now trying to figure out if there’s anything more I can add or build it out. I’m a little hesitant about putting too much personal information out there, but that’s one of those things I just need to get over I guess. Thanks again!
In which case don’t make it too personal but just something to make you more approachable (as I’m sure you want that) and more open.
So include just your first name – though that could be found elsewhere I guess. Or as I suggest a bit more about the line drawings you do or a bit about your vision or … I like to know a bit about the person behind a blog and am always even more curious when they don’t provide any info….!
Man, I am a day late….crazy at work and had a lot to do at the church yesterday.
As for your site.
It’s clean…it’s got great content…and you are being yourself.
With that said, this isn’t a suggestion for you, it’s what I try to keep in mind when I write.
Who am I trying to reach?
That doesn’t have to be the blog in general, but maybe more specific to posts. I try to reach cowboys. I don’t always do this, but sometimes in missing the mark, I do reach others. But I still aim every time for the cowboys.
We are told to plant the seed. My friend, you have a loaded shotgun full of “seed” and talent to sow it.
Just shoot from the hip and fire both barrels like you been doin’.
Shoot from the the hip! I can do that!…. I think. I think the last time I actually held a gun was when I was skeet shooting in Boy Scouts back in the 90s.