First time bloggers help

chris74 · 16 Jul 2007 at 17:36

Hi

Ive decided to use wordpress to create my first blog Click Here reviewing and talking about the latest consumer electronics and also creating an Amazon affiliate shop which again is accessable via the site.
Ive chosen my template on which im fairly settled but what im hoping from you guys is tips on what to include, best ways to spread the word and also help in its page rankings and also any other valuable information i should know to help this nOOB blogger create his site.

I look forward to any advice or criticism offered

Chris

clv101 · 16 Jul 2007 at 17:41

I'd lose the Amazon shop - it's unlikely to make any real money for you and it just clutters up the page making the site look a bit naff.

Augmented · 16 Jul 2007 at 19:34

Clean and smart, but my first thought is about grammar. I don't consider myself any kind of expert on good writing, but poor grammar makes a blog look particularly unprofessional and it's a simple thing to correct. If you want to become a respected blogger, keep on top of it. No need to go over the top. Simply running it through a word processor before publishing will help a great deal; apostrophes, capital I for the personal pronoun and so on. "Content is king", as they say.

In general, I think the layout of the site could do with something unique and particular to it. A logo would help, and drop the generic rotating banner graphic in favour of something a bit more interesting and relevant. Perhaps use the banner space to link to the latest article headlines/teasers, headlines from a relevant newsfeed, or perhaps affiliate items you want to promote.

Also, the email subscription link in the sidebar doesn't work.

chris74 · 16 Jul 2007 at 20:06

Thank you both especially Augmented for your opinions.
Grammar was always going to be my stumbling point. I've often wondered if there is a plug in specifically for this purpose or should i type it up on Word first?.
As for the banner i would have to agree also. It was the first theme i came across that wasn't centralised. I had previous problems using those themes due to the fact that my Amazon store would not properly show because of their restrictive widths and my lack of any .php skills.

With regards the email facility. That was included as it is with the theme. Can you give me any suggestions in how to make it work as it should?.

Thank you so far hope to hear more tips and suggestions

Chris