Top Mistakes that Bloggers Tend to Make Over and Over Again

There are some usability mistakes that bloggers tend to make over and over again. We will list them here, so that you can use it as a checklist.

1. No search box : Internet users resort to the search box whenever they need to find something specific. Some people even use search to navigate around websites. If you don't have a (visible) search box on your site, those users will get very frustrated.

2. No archives : It is essential to have a page where the visitor can browser through all your posts. Apart from improving the user experience, this page will also be healthy for your search engine optimization, as it works as a sitemap.

3. No contact page : It is very annoying for visitors if they have something to tell you and can't find a way to get in touch. Secondly, you risk losing valuable feedback if that is the case.

4. Complex navigation : Try to make your navigation structure as simple as possible. This involves using a main navigation bar, having a link back to the homepage on all internal pages, avoiding drop-down menus and so on.

5. Bad typography : If people can't read your content comfortably they will just head somewhere else. Make sure that your font is big enough, that the letter and line spacing is adequate, that you have enough white space surrounding the content and so on.

6. Invisible links : Hyperlinks are cornerstones of web navigation, and they should always be easily recognizable. Try to make your hyperlinks underlined. If you don't like that, at least make sure that their color stands out and that users won't get confused regarding what is clickable and what is not.

7. Too many ads : Many bloggers tend to assume that in order to make money blogging they need to jam ads all over their sites. This is not true. To make money blogging you need to have quality traffic, and too many ads will reduce your quality traffic over the long term. Start with as few ads as possible, and move your way up consciously, always putting your visitors' experie nce first.

8. Badges, buttons and widgets : This is another very common mistake. Since it is so easy to add badges, buttons and widgets, many bloggers fill their sidebars completely with them. Most of those items, however, won't add much value to your visitors, while cluttering your design and possibly driving traffic away from your site.