First Impressions of Blogs

JoeMilford Level 1

August 29, 2017, 7:05 am

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First Impressions of Blogs

What are some of the things that immediately turn you off or make you not return to blog pages or other sites? What do bloggers and forum creators do that could run off traffic?

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galegatling

galegatling

Mine would probably the amount of ads on page. I can deal with 1 or 2 or 3 ads specially if they are light sized or text based ones. But when it comes to those banner sized and very flashy ones, I would hit that 'x' tab button faster than a horse running away from a hyena. In the case of blogs or sites who don't have ads too, another thing that would probably turn me off when I visit them is the content and specially on the first and last part.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I agree with you about the ads. I can't stand those websites and blogs that look as busy as a street at night in Las Vegas. Sometimes, less is definitely more, and the ads and banners can bombard with so much overkill that I do not even investigate the content, whether it is deserving or not.

7 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

I know what you mean. Most of the time it isn't even the amount of ads, but just the placements and organization of it. I've been to some sites where they have lots of ads but they are placed correctly so they don't bother me while I browse the content. I am glad that fewer sites now utilize pop up ads though because those really are the most annoying, but even then after closing the pop up tab it's usually okay to browse the site after that.

7 years ago

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Soulwatcher

Soulwatcher

Yep I totally agree most people put up a blog with a few pages and then they plaster it full of adds and wait for the $10k a month check that never comes because they don't have any readers because their blog is overrun with ads. I honestly think people just don't get it! They think that they can throw up a blog with a few pages and be a million air and that's furthest from the truth. If your blog is going to have any hope of making any money you need a ton of content before you start ads and you need to keep a seady flow after the ads are started.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

That's funny--it is almost as if, sometimes, the harder you try (in the wrong way, I guess), the less successful you are. However, I think that anyone with some common sense should KNOW that they should not over-populate the page with such a mess of pop-ups, ads and widgets. I never thought that blogging was a "get-rich quick" scheme--I know this has happened and can happen, in certain situations, but I think those situations are not necessarily the norm, and most of us just have to work at it over time and stay focused and determined.

7 years ago

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Soulwatcher

Soulwatcher

I think that's where I went wrong with my blog, I was trying too hard instead of sticking to the tried and true and I think people confused my website as a blog instead of a forum. So I have completely revamped my blog part of the website and I have revamped my forum in hopes of new members.

Its still work in process but the next thing I am going to work on is the promotion. And I am moving in 3 weeks and I somehow hope to have this all done in 3 weeks LOL.

7 years ago

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Rumu

Rumu

I couldn't agree more on your take of the subject. Ads are the most annoying and turn off reasons why I would sign off and most likely not return to a certain blog. The most annoying amongst all those ads are automatic video playing. I don't know about you, but where I come from, we use mobile data for connecting to the Internet which makes blogs like that come through as an expensive site to visit giving the unnecessary ads display.

Another thing that turns me off from a blog is bad content, I mean less meaningfull contents like a post from 4 years ago still sitting on the homepage, bad grammar, articles with reviews or recommendations of certain sites without direct links to such sites, posts with much images and lesser words and so many more.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Yeah, I understand that having ads helps the blog owner earn and I'm all for supporting the person if the content is good, but there should be a limit on the ads you place and how they actually fit the layout of your blogging page.

7 years ago

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bienn05

bienn05

I am a person who is lazy to read. So, I don't appreciate blogs. I want to watch videos of tutorials more than reading. I am a person who just wants my life to be easier.

7 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

Same here. I really got turned off with the multiple adds popping here and there in blogs. Also, I hate those ads that pops up when you thought that you'll get redirected to the content you want to browse but doesn't and redirect you to an add instead.

7 years ago

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Tronia

Tronia

Hmm, that's a good question that every blog owner should ask himself/herself. It's important to not use some of the things that generally annoy the visitors.

From the top of my head here are the things that drive me mad and make me turn off the website/blog:
- content lockers,
- asking for my email right away,
- being too pushy with popups,
- too many ads,
- bad content,
- terrible grammar
- and more.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Tronia,
I really like this list here, and I think it definitely quickly outlines the don't of blog presentation and construction. Too many ads or pop-ups, or both, really do push me away and make me not want to come back to a site. Also, bad grammar makes me feel like the presenter of the site or blog does not care enough about the material to edit it before submitting it to the public audience.

7 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

You've listed most of the things that people will find extremely annoying. If any of those things are present on a blog then I will close that window straight away. Content lockers are probably the most annoying things that could be on a blog. There is nothing way than having to pay to read an article or to share the link on social media to read it.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Specially the pop ups at first visit. I think this is common now and most blog and site owners tend to have this feature wherein, if you visit a blog or a site, and you stay there for like 5 seconds, something pops up asking you to subscribe or register and I really hate that. Turns me off instantly. And the worst part is, sometimes there isn't an "X" button or cancel and you have no choice but to register or go back.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I feel you on this one--it really turns me off too. It seems invasive, to a degree. It's funny, too, because I want to make money of of ads at my sites, but I am totally reluctant to put these types of ads and pop-ups on my sites because I figure if they would drive me away then they would drive away possible customers and clients likewise. There is a smooth and smart way to advertise, but a barrage of pop-ups is never the way to go, if you ask this old man.

7 years ago

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Authord

Authord

Damn, a blog clustered with Ads, nothing drains the blood in my veins, like that, it irritates me to the core, some newbies blogger or should say noobs, will cluster Ads over the page, without arranging it, or providing a small field set, below the navbar to place their Ads.
And some blogs that over do, their designs, these blogs with designs like an old "scroll" in the background, or a tree design, i bounce those blogs with the speed of thought, it a turnoff.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Authord,
This seems to be the most prominent pet peeve here. I am a newbie, but I have not made these mistakes yet, lol. I am trying to build my sites around the things which bother me online and then avoiding those so I don't make the same mistakes. After reading through this who;e forum and the responses here, though, it is definitely an overabundance of ads which people just can't stand.

7 years ago

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Rumu

Rumu

I agree with you on that, ads are one of the most annoying things one can come across in a site, especially those big pop-up ads .

I think this topic is a very interesting one and every site owner should look into this so as to know and learn on how to improve their site in an attempt to better serve their visitors.

7 years ago

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Painterly

Painterly

The number one thing I hate about blogs today is auto-playing videos that have the nerve to follow me when I scroll down. Likewise, as a blogger myself, I understand you have a need to link social media accounts for SEO purposes. We're all trying to make a buck here. But if your little social media slider covers the text on the side of your blog I will never return to your site. Overlays of any variety are why I've broken down and installed ublock origin. I simply won't tolerate them. There's such a thing as a hard sell, but badgering potential customers, which all blog readers are to some extent, is not how you make the sale.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Painterly,
Good Lord! I hate this...it's like some weird form of harassment. It's like social media ad ambush. It's like an unpleasant odor you just can't seem to escape. Yes, I too hate this robot widget gadget trend.

7 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

I don't mind these as much but maybe that's just because I don't visit these types of sites often enough. If I do and I didn't like that feature, I would imagine it could get very irritating. I usually don't even close the video as it follows me scrolling down because most of the time I like the background noise, but sometimes I really am just not that interested in the video enough so I click away quickly and do get a bit annoyed that it even followed me in the first place. However, I do prefer that this feature is a default since otherwise I would just forget it exists and wouldn't take advantage of it whenever I do find myself wanting to watch a video throughout reading the article.

7 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

Advertisements and multi-page articles. If there are multiple advertisements on the article/page and it is making it hard to read the content or browse the page then I will close it straight away. I will not suffer because some author wants to make a lot of money through advertisements. And multi-page articles are horrible as well. This is where they will split an article into multiple pages so that you see loads of their advertisements and I guess it increases the number of hits for their website as well.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

DarthHazard,
You make a good point here. Ads exploding all over a page, with seemingly no tact or restraint, basically scream to the visitor of the page that the creator of it is just trying to make a buck, and to me this is a signal, whether it is true or not, that the content is not being taken as seriously as the desire to make some cash. I think it is also tacky and disrespectful to the audience to bombard them like this when they are trying to digest decent content or discover a product or service which could help, entertain, inspire, or be beneficial to them.

7 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

A bad color theme could be even worse than just littering your page with ads, in my opinion. I don't mind even having too many ads as long as they are placed correctly in the page and aren't too obtrusive, in that they aren't placed in the middle of the body of text I'm trying to read. However, if the color theme is not comfortable on the eyes, then I am a lot less likely to stick around and come back, since I am not comfortable when reading on that page and would rather just get the information somewhere else where the color scheme is much more tolerable.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I agree that ads have to be placed strategically and tastefully on the page--that is a good point. You remind me of the importance of the colors and the appeal to the eye. I guess using complimentary colors is more important than the colors themselves--in other words, there should be a good mix of hues going on there to entice the viewer.

7 years ago

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nnacrter

nnacrter

Can't give my impression in blogs. Until I don't see background and topic of the blog.

7 years ago

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mdbree17

mdbree17

Color should be moderated. As they say, less is more. What's more important is the content and its usage. Ads can be a pain, but I can deal with some. However, if it's too much then it will totally irritate me and will just close the tab.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Besides all the previous impressions, this one right here is one I do really agree. There's nothing more annoying than opening a blog, and feel your eyes burning under neon colors on the screen everywhere. Sometimes, people want to look creative and original, or maybe colorful and joy, but actually it looks like some wacky carnival. Put some extra terrible grammar, lots of adds and banners, and very abstract menu/home page, and there you go! worst blog ever.

7 years ago

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Soulwatcher

Soulwatcher

I have to agree with you, re a huge turnoff and I don't know why webmasters prefer to use them. My self I prefer a nice white background and a nice light blue, those are my ideal colors. Whats a real turnoff for me is a blog with a dark background that makes it hard to read texts.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Yes, finally someone said this! The worst thing ever is a dark background. Honestly, I have no idea how someone can read on those, or even dare to write. And what about those dark ones, that have moving effect like waves or comets, those literally make feel dizzy. So, another tip for bloggers, avoid using very visual effect backgrounds or pop up ads, those are annoying and cause a lot of distraction.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

ballyhara,
I hate those moving backgrounds! I also can't stand the sites which have these crazy anime or manga backgrounds with the text super-imposed over them--that drives me nuts. There is a place for visual effects and imagery, sure, but when those effects and nuances distract from the audience's ability to actually interact with and enjoy the content then they are just a huge detriment!

7 years ago

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mildredtabitha

mildredtabitha

I will take this point as a tip. I haven't come across such blogs with waves on background. I have only come across blogs with very dark background and the writing is also dark in color making it hard to read unless I zoom.

I will make sure to follow some points here so I can make my new site to be friendly.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

This forum is great for getting very useful tips. In fact, I've learned a lot from comments around, because the opinion of users is what keep forums and blogs alive. Obviously the content of the blog is what really matters, but no one wants to visit a blog that's full of very uncomfortable issues, like dizzy background, or a dark one with messy writing, annoying ads and pop ups, so keep those in mind, and you will get a nice blog of your own.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I would definitely have to second this comment. I have learned so much from this forum and forums like it, and, many times, members of the community steer me towards places to get templates, service, freelancing jobs, etc. There are many people in forums such as this who have been at this much longer than I have, and so I value and respect their expertise gained through experience, which is the most valuable teacher that there is.

7 years ago

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mildredtabitha

mildredtabitha

Ads also irritate me. I also do not like blogs with too many pictures.

If the colors prevent me from clearly reading the posts then I would rather leave the blog or forum and look elsewhere.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I guess we all agree that if a blog's first impression is too messy or too over-colorful, or not appealing in its choices of colors, then we will turn our backs on it and move along to the next more pleasant site. Readability and the ease of interaction with a site is of the utmost importance. I hate gauche or over-the-top sites that just explode in a messy way like Crayons melting all over hot asphalt.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Yeah, while pictures are recommended to make your blog look better than just pure text, excessive use of pictures and colors can really be detrimental to your blog and will not be attractive to look at.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I have heard these two comments, which you have mentioned above, so many times regarding blog and overall web-page quality in general. "Content is king" is a common phrase, and I strive to remember this in my own work. If the colors are too busy and wild and distracting, I get pretty turned off and may not give the content any attention, actually. I am like you in this way--there are so many blogs out there to browse that I guess I feel as if though I do not have to deal with one which "gets on my nerves".

7 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

For me, I think it is important for a blog to have great and well written content, but, I also think that the blog should be designed aesthetically and with well planned adds. Most content are disregarded because people tend to not notice it because the site's design is too bare or does not catch attention. I also think that there should be well planned adds which helps to bring extra income to the blog's creator. All in all, having those 3 blog necessities would possibly give any blog a positive boost in order to be successful.

7 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

I normally get my first impression of a blog, website or online space from its overall design. That tells me how much work, money and effort was put into the site. If that checks out, then I know I'll enjoy most of the content provided.

7 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

That is so true, just like what I have said before, more people are visual. They commonly look at the way something looks and when appeals to them, then they will check it out else they'll just leave it be and go look at another thing that will better interest them.

7 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

Yep. Your site and its design should also match your topic or theme. If your site for example is a site that sells pastries or allows people to order cakes for example, its theme shouldn't resemble a tech blog or sports website. It should carry baking and cooking themes as much as possible. When people land on your website, they should immediately feel immersed in that world.

7 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

That is so true. It should never fall out of theme. It is like establishing one's blog according to their niche. If one is focused on a certain topic, it would not confuse potential viewers or consumers, which is a good thing.

7 years ago

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mitan143

mitan143

For me, it is actually the readers' interest to the content. I know one blog site that has been popular for too long but people suddenly unfollow this blogger since he became against the majority of the people's interest. He does political blogs.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Well, politics are always a sensitive topic, not to mention when is treated on a blog. Honestly, what you say is true, a blog can't survive without reader's interest. But in politics, is very hard to fulfill everybody's ideas and opinion. Obviously the blogger must be very clever, and accept everyone's opinion, otherwise it will happen what you just said, followers/readers will stop checking on that blog.

7 years ago

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