Lauren
Successful business owners know the importance of including a blog on their websites. From improving audience engagement to increasing conversions, blogs have the potential to make a significant impact on any ecommerce business.
However, for businesses that want to reap these benefits, it is not enough simply have a blog as a part of their websites. In order to be effective, these blogs need to be engaging enough to sustain existing subscribers and attract new traffic.
If you are struggling with maintaining and gaining subscribers for your blog, it is probably time for you to make some changes to your blog.
Here are 10 signs to look for that will indicate that your blog needs a makeover:
1. Your posts lack quality content
The most essential element of any successful blog post is high-quality content. While it might seem advantageous to simply push your products or fill your posts with SEO-friendly keywords, these strategies will actually push away your target audience.
Consumers are drawn to blogs that provide them with relevant, useful content. When you write blog posts that add value, your readers are far more likely to revisit your blog, share your content with their family and friends, and explore your products and services.
Go through your posts and see if you are providing quality content to your readers. If all of your posts are about your products, your blog is in desperate need of a makeover.
Create posts with hot topics within your industry, interviews with industry experts, answers to commonly asked questions, or other relevant material, and will help your readers understand that your brand has much more to offer than just your products.
2. You are seeing a decline in traffic
If your blog used to gain a lot of traffic, but you are starting to see these numbers dwindle, then you need to make some changes to your blog. Subscribers do not stop reading blog posts for no reason. A decrease in blog traffic means that you need to adjust your blog’s layout, the content of your posts, or even the frequency of your posts.
Take a look at your metrics. If your blog traffic has declined, or it is staying stagnant, it is time for you to overhaul your blog.
3. Your content is outdated
An undeniable sign that your blog needs an update is if it has posts mentioning old, outdated information. If you have a blog post about how Facebook could be the next big thing for your industry, your subscribers are not going to stick around for long.
Check your posts, especially your older ones, and make sure they are offering accurate, up-to-date information about relevant topics that will capture your audience’s attention.
4. Your posts are few and far between
Posting regularly is a great way to build a loyal reader base and help your audience know that your business will be a consistent source of valuable content. You should post content frequently so that your readers will not lose interest in or forget about your brand between posts.
If your last blog post was…well, you actually can’t quite remember when you wrote your last blog post, then your blog needs an upgrade.
5. You barely have any comments
Comments are an easy way to track reader engagement. If you notice that you have not been receiving many comments on your blog posts lately, you should take it as a sign that your content is not up to par.
When your blog posts are relevant and engaging, your subscribers and readers will interact with your posts. If you have heard nothing but crickets on your last few posts, you need to make changes to your blog.
6. Your blog does not have a clear direction
When it comes to creating content for your blog, you should be a river, not a flood. It does not matter how frequently you post on your blog if you are always posting about several different, unrelated topics without a clear purpose. In fact, blogging in this matter will do more harm than good for your business.
Look through your blog posts and make sure they are being written with a specific goal in mind. When you have a clear vision and mission for your blog, it will be easier for you to provide your readers with engaging, high-quality content on a regular basis.
If your blog posts are directionless, then you need to make a few adjustments to your blog.
7. Your blog takes forever to load
Approximately 40% of website visitors will leave a page that takes more than 3 seconds to load. It is more important now than ever for you to make sure that your blog loads quickly so that your readers are not tempted to exit your website.
You can fix your loading speed by resizing and compressing images, minimizing your use of JavaScript, simplifying your blog design, or even switching your website host if necessary.
Monitor your loading speed. If it takes more than a second for your blog to load, then your blog needs a bit of a makeover.
8. Your blog design is not mobile-friendly
As the number of mobile users continues to increase worldwide, there has been an influx of mobile shoppers. Roughly 4 out of 5 consumers shop online using a smartphone, and many consumers use their phones to look up information about a company before they make any purchases.
If your blog posts are not optimized for your mobile users, you are going to miss out on several potential subscribers and customers. Try to access your blog on your own smartphone. If it takes too long to load on your phone or it is too difficult to navigate and read, that is a clear sign that you need to revamp your blog.
9. Your exit rate is high
If you are unsure whether or not your blog is successful, keep an eye on metrics like your exit rate. Your exit rate for your blog is the percentage of people who exit your website after visiting your blog.
A high exit rate for your blog is a strong indicator that your blog needs some work. If customers who visit your blog are not willing to stay on your site long or browse other pages of your website, then you probably need more compelling posts that will add value and encourage your readers to further engage with your brand.
10. Your blog is not shared on social media
If your blog is in good shape, at least a few of your subscribers will share your posts with their friends, family, and colleagues on social media. When readers receive content that they find interesting and important, they are likely to share this content with others.
If you notice that your content has not been shared on social media sites in a while, you need to consider giving your blog a makeover.
If your blog needs a makeover, we can help. Content Cucumber can help you step up the content on your blog so that you can provide your readers with the high-quality blog posts they deserve. Learn more about Content Cucumber and how we can help you improve your blog when you visit our website.
