Please evaluate Blog site (reward details inside)

[BizDoc]

Hello. I'm looking for evaluation of content and layout for my blogger site. the Ingenious Business Guide (http://bizmd.blogspot.com)

The reward I mention is the content at the site which will grow your business. What would you value being able to add profit to every sale you made, or increase prices easily, or become a powerful negotiator right now? You can learn how ... just by clicking on the site above.



Okay, that's the extent of my pitch. Please let me know your opinion on:

Content of posts: frequency, relevance, clarity, interest, style (dumbed down/over the head), length.

Design - I'm in the process of redesigning this template and I'll repost the mockup when I get it hosted.

I would love to know what you all think. Please be as brutally frank as you wish. There's no ego in this request. I genuinely want to craft the optimum site. Thank you very much for your candid opinion.

Cheers!

[Forummaster]

I checked your blog and found it beautifully designed. The contents are also nice and written in line the subjects. As you have said, you may change the blog template. I think it would it would be more lucrative. Thanks for publishing such a nice blog.

[Fergal]

Overall the blog looks great and it contains some very useful tips for new business owners. The first comment I would make is that your blog might do better on its own TLD domain name. Blogspot blogs can be very successful, but it will be easier for you to brand your blog if it has its own domain name. It will also be easier for your visitors to remember the name of your blog and make a repeat visit to it.

You asked about post frequency and personally I feel that this is something you should be looking to increase. There were times when there was five days between your posts, your visitors don't have much reason to return to your blog, when there is a break in posts. If you added quality content every day, your visitors would have a stronger reason to return. One way you could achieve this is by having guest posters, post on your blog.

I see that you have the AddThis retweet buttons, which is great, however it could also help to have a "follow me on Twitter" button or link clearly displayed on the blog. When I see websites that I like, I generally follow them on Twitter to help me keep up to date with what they are doing. A linked In button might also be a good idea, as it's a network that is particularly attractive to business people.

Good luck with it!

[BizDoc]

Thank you both for the feedback. I will consider and act accordingly.

Cheers!

[GekiDan]

Your blog's design is really attractive. Using a notebook like template made it look really like a notebook that one will definitely take note from.

And since you are running using the Blogger platform, you can add the "Post Summary" (http://www.bloggerbuster.com/2008/02/how-to-create-post-summaries-in-blogger.html) script so that only the first paragraph of your articles will be seen on your homepage. And it is to minimize the length of your page. You can also check this blog (http://www.bloggerbuster.com) for some modifications and customizations on your blog.

Your blog is kinda lacking a logo. You can customize this image (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qTWVg4q5lCo/SNHktfyPxBI/AAAAAAAAA9U/eLXti-ZE5F0/s1600/pagebackci5.jpg) so that you can add your logo or banner. After it is up, just remove the Header Widget on your dashboard so that the text above this image (The Ingenious Business Guide) will be gone.

I also noticed that there's an empty space above the list of your recent post, do you have a blank widget there? Can't the list be moved upward?

And, I'm wondering why the title of your article simple Marketing, pt iii (http://bizmd.blogspot.com/2010/07/easy-marketing-pt-3.html), including other parts, are in lowercase while Do you have a paypal account? then Read This Immediately! (http://bizmd.blogspot.com/2010/07/hidden-risks-of-accepting-paypal.html) have the stating word in uppercase letters?

Adding a custom domain will not hurt. You can now get a COM domain for at least $6-$7. Having this will give you much better search engine visibility. Your blog also lacks a Favicon.

Last suggestion, have you tried using the Justified text alignment?

[50Cent]

Looks very for your blog design. Just a advice for you, find or create a better quality of image you used? As the current one are not really looking good and appealing.

[BizDoc]

Hi 50 Cent,
Thank you for your critique. Do you mean the profile photos or the graphic images? I find or take photos and then run them through a cartoon transformation filter to brand my look. Are you suggesting it takes away from the professionalism?
Thanks,
Cheers!

[BizDoc]

Your blog's design is really attractive. Using a notebook like template made it look really like a notebook that one will definitely take note from.

And since you are running using the Blogger platform, you can add the "Post Summary" (http://www.bloggerbuster.com/2008/02/how-to-create-post-summaries-in-blogger.html) script so that only the first paragraph of your articles will be seen on your homepage. And it is to minimize the length of your page. You can also check this blog (http://www.bloggerbuster.com) for some modifications and customizations on your blog.

Your blog is kinda lacking a logo. You can customize this image (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qTWVg4q5lCo/SNHktfyPxBI/AAAAAAAAA9U/eLXti-ZE5F0/s1600/pagebackci5.jpg) so that you can add your logo or banner. After it is up, just remove the Header Widget on your dashboard so that the text above this image (The Ingenious Business Guide) will be gone.

I also noticed that there's an empty space above the list of your recent post, do you have a blank widget there? Can't the list be moved upward?

And, I'm wondering why the title of your article simple Marketing, pt iii (http://bizmd.blogspot.com/2010/07/easy-marketing-pt-3.html), including other parts, are in lowercase while Do you have a paypal account? then Read This Immediately! (http://bizmd.blogspot.com/2010/07/hidden-risks-of-accepting-paypal.html) have the stating word in uppercase letters?

Adding a custom domain will not hurt. You can now get a COM domain for at least $6-$7. Having this will give you much better search engine visibility. Your blog also lacks a Favicon.

Last suggestion, have you tried using the Justified text alignment?

Hi Gekidan,
I thanked you before but my post must have gotten trapped in the ether. Anyway, thank you so much for your thorough feedback. I intend to redesign with summaries for two reasons: 1) to display more content; and 2) to trap analytics. Unfortunately I am unable to use the Blogger's built in functionality of the jump summary, and I borrowed/tweaked an existing template so I can't insert the Jscript Msr Bloggerbuster recommends.

As to the logo, I'm unsure. I've tried to use the animated headline gif but can't seem to get it to work in this template. I am in the process of rewriting my own and changing the elements I want to including these two and a better sharing facility.

I've corrected the extra line problem. The text I wrote that way to differentiate; do you think it detracts? Too fanciful?

And I'm considering a custom domain but the ones I want aren't yet available. I'll probably do that in the future but for now I'm content to host with Blogger.

Thanks again!
Cheers!

[GekiDan]

And I'm considering a custom domain but the ones I want aren't yet available. I'll probably do that in the future but for now I'm content to host with Blogger.
Just a heads up, you can use custom domains Blogger.

[50Cent]

Hi 50 Cent,
Thank you for your critique. Do you mean the profile photos or the graphic images? I find or take photos and then run them through a cartoon transformation filter to brand my look. Are you suggesting it takes away from the professionalism?
Thanks,
Cheers!

I mean the graphic image. Just keep it original would be better..

[Tecknowoman]

Hi BizDoc - just had a look at your blog.

My first question is why you don't run a self-hosted blog with as much customization as you could want? Anyone who knows me here will know I have a bug bear about maintaining control of your assets which you can do cheaply online.

Second I found the lovely curly, paisley image background at the top distracting from your purpose and content. It isn't related and takes up space.

Third I suggest breaking up your larger paragraphs into smaller bites. Offline and in different formats they are probably fine but online they look like big walls of words. Smaller bite size chunks would make it easier. In my case I am a scanner of blogs and the size of your paragraphs made it difficult to scan to see whether you had valuable content for me to bother reading the entire post.

With images see if you can make it obvious why they are relevant. For example the post with the car - as I just looked quickly there was nothing to indicate why a car was relevant without reading it. Tying the image and a heading, or a caption showing relevance helps to grab interest and entice people to read.

Good luck with it - it is a good looking blog and from your posts here you appear to be offering great content.

[BizDoc]

I mean the graphic image. Just keep it original would be better..

Just want to make sure I understand: keep it original as in uncaricatured? Or something else?

[BizDoc]

Hi BizDoc - just had a look at your blog.

... I found the lovely curly, paisley image background at the top distracting from your purpose and content. It isn't related and takes up space.

Third I suggest breaking up your larger paragraphs into smaller bites. Offline and in different formats they are probably fine but online they look like big walls of words. Smaller bite size chunks would make it easier. In my case I am a scanner of blogs and the size of your paragraphs made it difficult to scan to see whether you had valuable content for me to bother reading the entire post.

With images see if you can make it obvious why they are relevant. For example the post with the car - as I just looked quickly there was nothing to indicate why a car was relevant without reading it. Tying the image and a heading, or a caption showing relevance helps to grab interest and entice people to read.

Good luck with it - it is a good looking blog and from your posts here you appear to be offering great content.

My apologies for the belated reply. I didn't realize I'd been getting comments.

This is terrific feedback and I thank you. I will be ditching the paisley as soon as I find something appropriate to my theme.

I started with a template that had most of what I want. As my availability and competency increases I am successively refining it to better meet my needs. Eventually I'll ditch the template entirely, but I don't have the time or skills necessary yet.

The comment about the graphics being relevant to the title is a good one - I'll add captions where the association isn't readily apparent. I also appreciate your emphasis on brevity. As suggested above, I'm adopting a blurb and <more here> link to expand content but it's a work in progress. I'm hoping that will satisfy that need.

Thanks for some terrific critique. Please feel free to add any other comments, you or anyone else out there have. I want to make this blog the best it can be.

Cheers!

[GekiDan]

Since you are using the Blogger platform, you might want to check out these links posted on the Useful Online Business Resources (http://www.businessadviceforum.com/showthread.php?t=377&highlight=resource):


Blogger Templates
BTemplates (http://btemplates.com/)
AllBlogTools (http://www.allblogtools.com/)
50 More Beautiful Blogger Templates (http://mashable.com/2007/09/13/blogger-templates/)
How to Install Blogger Templates (http://makeblogpopular.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-upload-or-install-blogger.html)

Blogger Tutorials, Tips and Tricks
Complete List of Blogger Tutorials (http://www.bloggerbuster.com/2008/04/complete-list-of-blogger-tutorials.html)
Tutorials on Blogger Template Design (http://www.ourblogtemplates.com/2007/06/tutorials-on-blogger-template-design.html)
BloggerBuster (http://www.bloggerbuster.com/)

[krispykreme]

cool blog, but I think I have seen this designs before..

[BizDoc]

Hi all, esp. GekiDan and Tecknowoman and all the other contributors of feedback:

I incorporated your suggestions and we've also added additional functionality. Would love your comments now. We're pretty proud of the site and it continues to get better.

Please check it out: http://BizMD.Blogspot.com

... and I think we'll be migrating to Wordpress with a custom domain later.

Thanks,
Chris

[GekiDan]

Seems to be improving.
I see that you already used the post summary script which is good.
I also noticed that there's a SHARE before the article starts. Is there supposed to be an image there since I saw similar things on other blogs with image on that link?
The numbered navigation is also cool. I would love to use on my blog but I don't know how to do it. Can you share the link wherein you used to add that?
The LinkWithIn widget after each post is a plus.

The only thing you need to do is add a logo on your blog.
As I have suggested before, you can add your logo directly to this image (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qTWVg4q5lCo/SNHktfyPxBI/AAAAAAAAA9U/eLXti-ZE5F0/s1600/pagebackci5.jpg) so that your template will not be destroyed.

[harisjmi]

Your blog design is really attractive i liked it..its something different . As per the content i personally found it informative and knowledgeable thought you need to be a frequent poster in order to retain your readers.More over as been already said by other members its better if you have you own domain name rather that using blogspot.

[BizDoc]

Thanks all! We continue to strive to improve the site. We're migrating over to BizMD.info this week and next we'll be adding a marquee explaining the purpose of the site.

Thank you for all your comments and feedback.

Cheers!

[BizDoc]

Seems to be improving.
...The numbered navigation is also cool. I would love to use on my blog but I don't know how to do it. Can you share the link wherein you used to add that?


Hi GekiDan,
http://www.allblogtools.com/tricks-and-hacks/adding-numbered-page-navigation-for-blogger
Cheers!

[GekiDan]

Thanks for that BizDoc.:)


Thanks all! We continue to strive to improve the site. We're migrating over to BizMD.info this week.
Anyways, why did you choose an INFO domain?
I think it's much better to get into COM now than later. You might regret not going into COM later.
This happened to me. I started off with INFO and I noticed that we are getting less search engine visits. Then later I switched to COM and search engine visits rose up.
THe downside, I need to redirect INFO to COM and change all previous links to COM.

You can get promo coupons here to save on your purchase of a COM domain:
http://gamesweasel.com/godaddy-coupon-codes/
http://livecodes.blogspot.com/

Hope that helps.

[50Cent]

Just want to make sure I understand: keep it original as in uncaricatured? Or something else?

Ok let me rephrase it. A better quality and clearer image.


one more, also add a logo would make your blog more professional. As logo is a very important part of the blog too.

[GekiDan]

Hi GekiDan,
http://www.allblogtools.com/tricks-and-hacks/adding-numbered-page-navigation-for-blogger
Cheers!
I tried this out but it doesn't seem to work on my current template.
I'll try again next time. :)

[llm0824]

I opened your page, very ornate design :)

[BizDoc]

Hi guys,

I'm migrating the old blogger site over to Wordpress. Check out the new site: IngeniousBusinessGuide.com (http://IngeniousBusinessGuide.com).

One caveat: it's a work in progress and I've decided to keep the theme.

Thanks!

[GekiDan]

It's cool that you have successfully migrated to Wordpress from Blogger. :thumbsup:
The only thing I noticed there is the footer. The footer has lots of free spaces that can be eliminated.

[Fergal]

Well done on the move BizDoc, the site looks great. One thing I don't like is the vertical skyscraper ad after the first blog post, it takes up a lot of space and it looks out of place. It would be better to put that ad in your sidebar. If you want to include an ad in that slot use a different ad size, that fits better into the available space - a 300 x 250 or 336x280 ad size would work much better in that location.

Good luck with it.