For those of you who don't know, there are several free blog platforms out there - Blogger, Wordpress, Weebly, etc. Theses platforms allow you to blog for free but they add their name to the end of your domain. You can always purchase your own domain and pay a monthly fee. This will remove the platform's name but to the best of my knowledge, if you ever stop paying the fee, your blog post will no longer be shown.
Example: I use Blogger powered by Google and my domain is: Bee-ingMommy.blogspot.com
A domain without the platform's name looks more professional but for those of use who can't afford the monthly fee, are just starting out or are blogging for fun, the free platform is great!
Yes some monthly fees are super low but over time they add up and if you are just starting out and not sure you want to blog long turn I recommend just using the free domain.
When I originally started blogging, I had no clue all that went into blogging. The first few years I used Blogger's theme, Ethereal. After a while I decided I wanted it to look more professional. I couldn't get any of the free layouts I found to work (I was uploading them to the wrong place...oops...) but I did find some code to make the blog posts appear smaller with a picture on the home page like I wanted.
I liked my layout a lot better than before but it still wasn't what I wanted. That's when I came across my current layout, Sorella by Way2Themes. Of coarse I had to tweak the code to better suit my niche but overall I like it! Way2Themes layout is awesome and pretty close to what I have been looking for. They have several more awesome layouts so check them out!
The theme you choose is important because this is what your audience sees. A theme can make or break your blog - dark colors, clutter, hard to read text. Make sure you choose a theme that matches your niche and gives off the feeling you want your blog to have.
The theme you choose is important because this is what your audience sees. A theme can make or break your blog - dark colors, clutter, hard to read text. Make sure you choose a theme that matches your niche and gives off the feeling you want your blog to have.
*Click the links to be redirected to the websites. I am NOT affiliated with the blogs/websites shared. All opinions are my own. Please see my full disclosure for more information.
Aside from the theme, here are some ways you can make your Free Blogger Blog look more professional:
1. Bye Bye Navbar
Remove the Navbar from the top. You can do this by going to Layout, select Navbar, select Off and save. If you have a non-blogger theme, it has most likely already been removed in the code.
2. Professional Looking Picture
Add a picture of you with a brief bio. Keep your photo clear of clutter and other people. Just you with a simple background is perfect!
Readers are more likely to relate to you if they can see a picture of who is writing the content they are reading. Anonymous logo faces come across as sketchy because you have no clue who is behind the scenes.
Don't forget to use the same picture across the border aka on all your social media platforms so people know it's you! Consistency is key!
Readers are more likely to relate to you if they can see a picture of who is writing the content they are reading. Anonymous logo faces come across as sketchy because you have no clue who is behind the scenes.
Don't forget to use the same picture across the border aka on all your social media platforms so people know it's you! Consistency is key!
3. Keep it Simple
Light or plain backgrounds with darker text are easier to read than a dark background with light text. White backgrounds are popular right now!
Try to keep the same theme throughout your entire blog from the post layout to the colors used. Also try to keep what you post in the sidebar to a minimum so your blog doesn't look and feel super cluttered.
Too much clutter = hard to find what I'm looking for = I'm leaving and probably not coming back. You want your blog to be simple and easy to navigate.
Try to keep the same theme throughout your entire blog from the post layout to the colors used. Also try to keep what you post in the sidebar to a minimum so your blog doesn't look and feel super cluttered.
Too much clutter = hard to find what I'm looking for = I'm leaving and probably not coming back. You want your blog to be simple and easy to navigate.
4. Get on Social Media
The first two years of blogging I didn't create any social media accounts for my blog so when I switched my blog domain, I lost all my views and basically had to start all over minus my previous posts. Make at least one or two social media accounts and link to them in your sidebar so readers can easily find and follow you if they want to.
Different social media platforms work better for different niches. What may work for someone else may not work for you so find the one that your audience uses the most and go for it!
For me, Pinterest brings in the most traffic followed by Facebook. I don't have a huge Facebook following but it still gets the job done.I easily gained followers on Twitter but didn't have any luck getting them to proceed to my blog. (I no longer have a Twitter.) Instagram is fun to use but doesn't really bring me traffic either. Find the platform that works best for you!
Different social media platforms work better for different niches. What may work for someone else may not work for you so find the one that your audience uses the most and go for it!
For me, Pinterest brings in the most traffic followed by Facebook. I don't have a huge Facebook following but it still gets the job done.
Depending on your theme, you may already have social media buttons, if not you can search for some free ones you like. In the past I have used AddToAny's code and Shareaholic. My current theme came with them.
5. Add Share Buttons
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a blogger is not having share buttons. If I'm reading a post and want to save it to Pinterest or share it on Facebook but it doesn't have a share button am I really going to do all the extra work of copying and pasting the link or am I just going to leave your site?
Make sure to add share buttons and preferably your social share handle (Twitter handle - @name) so you will be tagged if your content is shared.
Blogger has share buttons you can add. You can do this under Layout, select Blog Posts, check the box next to Show Share Buttons, save. They are not the best looking share buttons, but they work.
Blogger has share buttons you can add. You can do this under Layout, select Blog Posts, check the box next to Show Share Buttons, save. They are not the best looking share buttons, but they work.
I am currently using Shareaholic's share buttons because I can add my Twitter handle to it. I use to use a code/design by The Blog Decorator. There are several tutorials and button designs out there you can use as well. Pinterest also has a plug-in you can add so the "Pin It" button will show up on your pictures.
6. Subscribe via E-mail
I currently use Bloggers e-mail subscription, Feedburner. It is very basic. It pretty much just sends out an email with a snippet from my latest post. I can see how many subscribers I have and the number that click on the e-mail along with set a time frame I want the email to go out. It is nothing fancy and you can't write personalized e-mails but it works.
I've read that your subscription list is the most important thing a blogger can create so make sure you have one even it it is simple and make sure to occasionally download your subscription list incase something were to happen. Maybe one day I will switch to a more advanced e-mail subscription like MailChip with a freebie but for now Feedburner gets the basic job done.
Add Feedburner - go to Layout, select +Add a Gadget, select Follow by Email, save, then move it to where you want it to appear on your blog, Save.
To view your stats, download your subscriber list or change what time the email is sent out, go to Layout, select the Email Gadget, click on View stats - right above the save button.
7. Add an About Me Page
You've already added a face to your blog and a short bio, but sometime your readers want to know more about you like where you are from, why you blog, or why they should trust what you are posting. If you run a parenting blog but aren't a parent yourself, people may end up staying clear.
DO NOT go into specific details about your kids and personal life. Your full name, birthday, height, weight, address, etc... DOES NOT need to be shared with your audience. This is personal information so keep it personal.
DO NOT go into specific details about your kids and personal life. Your full name, birthday, height, weight, address, etc... DOES NOT need to be shared with your audience. This is personal information so keep it personal.
My About Me Page isn't perfect, but it use to be way worse. I had a ton of pointless information and several family pictures. I felt like it was way to much and overwhelming for my audience so I tried to simplify it. Like I said above, Keep it Simple!
Check out my About Me Page!
Check out my About Me Page!
This is very important. According to my research you legally have to have these pages. If you want to use any Affiliates or Monetize your blog you must have these pages. I don't know all the specifics because I am not a lawyer but basically it tells your readers the information your blog will collect, what affiliates you are associated with along with your blogs policy and rules to help cover your booty incase any problems ever do arise.
You can find several blog post on how to add these pages. You can also find free examples of these pages online or pay for them. Make sure they fit your blogs needs because every blog is different.
You can find several blog post on how to add these pages. You can also find free examples of these pages online or pay for them. Make sure they fit your blogs needs because every blog is different.
9. Add a Search Bar & Labels
You want your blog to be laid out so your readers can easily find what they are looking for. This sounds like a simple task but it is harder than you think. If they can't find what they are looking for they are going to quickly leave your blog.
Blogger has the options to add a search bar, labels, categories, Blog Archive, etc... to your blog. All of these can help readers find what they are looking for.
Blogger has the options to add a search bar, labels, categories, Blog Archive, etc... to your blog. All of these can help readers find what they are looking for.
I currently have two search bars - one at the top and one toward the bottom. I also have my home page post set up to be smaller so it is easier to read the title and find what the reader is looking for instead of scrolling through my entire post like it use to be.
I use to have a Blog Archive in my sidebar. I liked it because it had all my blog titles in order but the more you post, the longer it becomes making it look cluttered plus it didn't look right with my new theme so it had to go.
I ended up adding a Categories section and only selected to show a few main categories so it wasn't overwhelming. The Categories and search bars will show blog post that I have labeled with those categories/select words so make sure you are adding specific labels to each blog post.
Add Labels - Open up a post, in the side bar ---> under Save you will see a Labels tab, click on it and add new labels or select existing labels. Separate each label with a comma, hit Done. Save.
Add Blog Archive, Categories, Search - go to Layout, select +Add a Gadget, select what you want to add, then move it to where you want it to appear on your blog. Save.
10. Add a "Keep on Reading" Section
You want your readers to stay on your blog as long as possible. One way to help do this is to add a "Keep on Reading" section at the bottom of your blog posts. This allows your readers to see previous posts and hopefully click on them.
There are several ways you can do this:
- Add blog links to the bottom of your post yourself or install a code/plugin from theses websites.
- Shareaholic's Related Content
- LinkwithIn
- This blog post's code (currently using)
If you want to keep track of how your blog is preforming, I recommend getting Google Analytics and adding your blog to google. This will help you know what your demographic is, what day/time gets the most traffic, what post are performing well and tons more! The best part is that Google Analytics is free!
I hope this list helps you make your Free Blogger Blog look more professional. There are several other things you can do to your blog to make it look more professional, theses are just a few things I did to help improve my blog.
Remember, every blog and blogger is different so not all of these may work for your blog and that is perfectly fine. Find what works for you and your blog and stick to it! Your blog will stand out because you are different!
I'd love to know what you do to make your Free Blog look more professional. Comment Below!
I hope this list helps you make your Free Blogger Blog look more professional. There are several other things you can do to your blog to make it look more professional, theses are just a few things I did to help improve my blog.
Remember, every blog and blogger is different so not all of these may work for your blog and that is perfectly fine. Find what works for you and your blog and stick to it! Your blog will stand out because you are different!
I'd love to know what you do to make your Free Blog look more professional. Comment Below!
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