Very often you hear the “store” metaphor and while it is a cliche I am going to use it again here without apology!
The reason why the analogy works is because there are many things in common between setting up shop and starting a blog:
- You need traffic
- Customer service counts
- People will only engage if you offer something valuable
- Appearances count
- Word of mouth works
I am sure you can think of more.
What I want to suggest you think about though is your storefront. Your shop window.
When people look at your blog, do they see a good representation of what you have on offer or do they see something that pulls them in, gets them over the threshold, or something uninviting or even confusing?
The most successful stores put a lot of effort into
- Appealing presentation
- Window displays
- Showing product selections and offers
- Signage that takes you to what you are looking for
- Guiding you past other things you might be interested in
We can do the same thing by selecting a good blog name and slogan (where am I and why I ought to care), showing a selection of best/popular content (window display) and showing related content and categories (aisles and signage).
Next time you are looking at a favorite blog, think of it in these terms, how do they show off their best stuff to good effect and how do they draw you further in. You just might be inspired to make a change that brings in more patronage to your blog.
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