In the last installment, I researched a few sites and made claims to the areas that stopped traffic. I think this type of discussion contains value for any blogger. I almost considered adding green lights and nailing a few sites, but I’ll keep to the current motif and only add stop signs to my case studies today. Be wary, though — green lights may be coming soon!

The idea of keeping traffic contained on our site should not be new to anyone who’s been blogging or site building for a while. At times, traffic can seem like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off — running around vapidly, then silently departing our world. How can we rein in traffic? We need visitors to dig deeper into our site, write comments, subscribe to feeds, and interact with our community.

Case Study #3

The Viral King website still has the new blog shine to it. The site features content related to viral marketing, and does so with, well, with coolness. I love the look of it, the curved angles of the sidebar boxes, the over-sized RSS feed and Technorati favorite icons in the header, and, of course, the Viral King character. It all ties together well, and I’m sure new visitors to the site would give it more than a second look.

The site has a lot of stop signs in place. Remember stop signs keep the visitor from bailing out on the content — they force readers to look deeper into the site and idle a while longer. I already mentioned the two icons in the header as well as the character, but I think the header navigation may be a critical stop sign in the design.

The navigation separates itself from the blog in that it stretches the width of the window, while the content maxes out at 973 pixels wide. This makes a difference, not for its incongruence, but for its statement. It’s telling a visitor that its anchoring the page. The search form also appears in the navigation bar. If you need something, it’s there to show you. I would say this is a terrific stop sign.

The Viral King also offers a free Viral Resource Report, which adds another crucial stop sign. Offering free information in the form of downloadable content places your site onto a reader’s hard drive. When they open the ebook days, weeks, or months later, they will likely make a return trip to your site and opine on blog posts. It’s a great stop sign technique.

Lessons Learned from Viral King

The Viral King displays the site navigation in a way that doesn’t detract from the site’s balance, but does illuminate the content. Having over-sized RSS and Technorati icons ensures readers subscribe to your content in order to find you later. Once again, it pays to have a clean site with well thought out placement of graphics. And the Viral King character, definitely shines.

When is the title’s advice appropriate? On our blogs, elements of our personalities get left out of the conversation. A social media blogger may never reveal an affiliation with a 12 step program. A religious blogger may never speak about their left leaning political ideology. A mommy blogger may never reveal their stock trading woes.

Should I reveal religious and spiritual beliefs, political views, and moral stances? I don’t think so.

Should we ever discuss these items with our readers? And if so in what forum should we do this?

I feel it can hurt our brands if we dive into the religion topic with our readers on a blogging tips site. I read a post last week that drew inspiration from Atheism. Does this type of post hurt credibility or increase readership through controversy?

Drawing a Line

I’m a political junkie. I listen to NPR frequently. I watch the news. I listen to political podcasts. I don’t support a candidate on my blog, but I do Twitter various links and informative posts.

If our blog focuses on anything other than our personal life, shouldn’t the personal opinions regarding off topic items be left, well, off our blog? Or is this political correctness muckity-muck?

(Political incorrectness is) a term used to describe language, ideas, policies, or behavior seen as seeking to minimize offense to racial, cultural, or other identity groups. Conversely, the term politically incorrect is used to refer to language or ideas that may cause offense or that are unconstrained by orthodoxy. [Source: Wikipedia]

What happens when I open myself up to religious debate on my blog? Does it increase my readership? I don’t think so. It may increase traffic for a period of time. But the content doesn’t add value to my archives. I feel it alienates certain readers based upon a poor choice.

I’m all for telling the truth about online services, other’s blog posts, new online fads, etc. I do not believe it’s beneficial to demean anyone’s personal beliefs. It would ultimately hurt my content and my explosion on the Internet would be stifled.

Should blogs focusing on anything other than the individual be considered only a part of who a person is?

A Blog’s Character

My blog has my voice. I write blogging tips, review sites, and speak about online services and utilities for bloggers. I frequently use metaphors to describe blogging, because I think this adds color and flavor to my site. I would not demean, discredit or write disparaging metaphors towards anyone’s creed or religion. It would not benefit my brand.

I do see how this type of activity would help certain character blogs. We all know characters that invite conspiracy, demand attention, and create arguments for the sake of arguments. They invite the attention that comes with controversial blog posts.

So what do you think. Should our blogs cross the line into our personal beliefs? Do you want to know that the blogger writing about blogging tips carries Zoroastrian beliefs close to their heart?Or should that information be left off the table?

A site should have stop signs in place to direct the traffic coming from various sources. An effective stop sign can lower bounce rates, increase visibility of monetization efforts, encourage RSS subscription, and ultimately provide more value to readers. I have noticed on my blog that my bounce rate increases from certain sources of traffic. This article does not illuminate strategies for one particular source of traffic but for all sources.

Site Visitors and Their Needs

Every site visitor has a need, whether its to educate themselves on a topic or simply to entertain themselves during their off hours. Every blog should likewise have a purpose. Affiliate marketing blogs would obviously be focusing content on marketing strategies, while SEO blogs would be helping their readers optimize their sites. But what happens if the reader comes in to the blog through a stale link and finds a post concerning a contest? Will they care to stop to read about the contest, and even further into the archives to determine what the blog represents? Can you entice them further into the site?

I think its best to work with examples, so I’ve traveled around to my favorite blogs and placed stop signs where I think visitors might be sucked in a little further to that site’s content. Let’s start out with Tyler Cruz.

Case Study #1

Tyler has a very unique and colorful site, where he describes his adventures as an Internet Entrepreneur. A site visitor would stop after seeing his logo for sure. They would also check out the Get Noticed area due to the nice finger graphic and its placement on the page. I also think his post titles do a good job of illuminating content in a bold, yet not overpowering, way.

Keep in mind I’m not looking at Advertising spots, but areas of design that encourage readers to stick around, read content, subscribe to a feed, etc. I think his RSS Feed area doesn’t attract my attention as much as it should. It could be muted by the over-sized ad banner or the pull of character graphics on the left side of the screen. It’s not terrible, by any means, but I think you have to look for it rather than have it pop out at you.

Lessons Learned from Tyler Cruz

It pays to have a unique logo and template for your site. The placement of certain graphics can weight one side of a blog too heavily and attract attention away from important activities like site subscription, but may also encourage advertiser activity on the site. In Tyler’s case, an advertiser would gain prime real estate and attention across the main ad banner, or along the side, as the eyes tend to be pulled in that direction.

Case Study #2

Ben’s site focuses on providing readers with blogging and website tips without the jargon. He’s mindful of usability standards when creating his blog archives, which include a separate Tutorials section. The site is based on Majestic, not WordPress. You may notice his template doesn’t look like some of the standard designs you see around the Blogosphere. Like Tyler’s site, he pulls readers into various parts of his blog through his graphics and design.

His site header seems to shrink every time I return. I think the header design does a good job of attracting the eyes towards the weighted right sidebar, with the tiny arrows directing you right. Above the sidebar, a visitor would stop to read the navigations as Ben has separated out various parts of his blog. It makes it quite simple for someone to visit the Tutorials section when they find his site looking to learn something.

His most discussed blog entries widget on the sidebar may also attract readers to dig deeper into his site content. It’s placement lower on the page also makes it appear after reading an entire article on his site. It’s positioned at the level where you would naturally look after reading. This works well to draw readers in and stop them from leaving the site.

Lesson Learned from Ben Barden dot com

Ben’s site teaches that subtle graphics can draw attention to different areas of a site. A breadcrumb trail can also place valuable links in front of readers, giving them the option to dig deeper into the content. His site also shows how the placement of certain items, like popular posts or recent comments widgets can be lower on the sidebar to encourage further exploration after a visitor reads the day’s article. Again, I think the only thing lacking would be more attraction to the RSS subscription service, although he does offer a helpful guide to RSS. I know I’ve pointed a few of my offline friends to his description just to save the hassle of IMing a dissertation on the subject.

Stop Signs and Traffic

Of course having great content, like the two of these sites, encourages readers to stay. Even with great content, a flawed design may let visitors off the hook sooner than you like.

These two case studies should have at least peeked your interest. How many stop signs do you have on your site?

This is a new series for Jason Boom dot com. These mini reviews take a look at what attracts readers to certain areas of your site. If you would like to be included in this short run series, please use the contact form to request your site’s inclusion in the upcoming case studies.

This whole week has been a struggle. I’ve been stung by the flu bug. My site has suffered for it. I’m sure most people have been sick at one time or another. This can often times lead to calling into work, missing appointments, and spending the days watching bad television instead of doing the much needed work. So how can a blogger, who should be on point everyday, recover and stay strong through the sickness?

First, a little backstory to get the muse primed.

This afternoon I went to the bank to deposit a few checks. Afterwards, I went to the office taking a backroad. The backroad has one stop sign behind the Assembly Hall (where the college basketball team plays here). For some reason, I followed the car in front of me right through the stop sign, not paying attention to anything I guess. I’m out of it. The combination of a sinus cold and medication made me entirely not focused. Anyways, there was a cop sitting at the stop sign. That’s right — a cop! I had run a stop sign with a cop right there. When he asked what the hurry was, I told him I was in no rush, just had the flu. He let me off with a warning, but I couldn’t help but wonder how much else had I missed in the past week.

The muse seems to take a vacation when I’m sick. I usually just sleep it off, similar to how sports players just walk off injuries. Occassionally I’ll catch something that digs its claws into me and doesn’t let go. Such was the case this week. So how can I expect my blog to survive the next time this happens? Cause, I’ll be frank (instead of Jason), my site statistics have fallen dramatically. Here’s how I plan to combat the flu in the future.

1. Write extra blog posts, at least five. This way I won’t be without material when my head feels like a logger has done his business to my noggin’.
2. Invite guest bloggers to come on in and take over for a few days. I’m sure some of you out there would write something compelling for the extra exposure.
3. Never get sick again. I know — I should be superhuman. My head shouldn’t be what’s exploding, right?

I think I can do one and two. So my advice would be to find a few bloggers who could take over if things get too difficult. Aside from that, I’m not sure what else to do in a situation like I’ve been in. Do you have any advice and/or comments on the subject?

Blogging is not racing. There is no finish line. There is no checkered flag. However, there are a lot of cars turning the corners at breakneck speeds. We can use the idea of drafting to take our blog to the next level. What is drafting, you ask. Let’s look at the Wikipedia entry on the topic.

Drafting or slipstreaming is a technique in sports racing where competitors align in a close group in order to reduce the overall effect of drag or fluid resistance of the group in a slipstream. Especially when high speeds are involved, drafting can significantly reduce the average energy expenditure required to maintain a certain speed. [source: Wikipedia]

So when racecar drivers draft, they reduce the wind resistance of their own vehicle by following closely behind another. The wind streaks right over their hoods, giving them the momentum and power to slip past their competitors at the right moment.

I’m not suggesting bloggers are competing. Quite the opposite. If Entrecard has taught me anything, it’s that bloggers together do some interesting and fascinating things. I am suggesting we can compete only when we network and find support of other drivers.

This is nothing new, you say. We all know the pack mentality works to survive. So then why would we streak ahead of the pack? What possible motive would we have to be the first car in the race? Furthermore how can we break away from the pack to position ourselves in the lead for any niche?

Pole Position

The time trials prior to a race determine the frontrunners from the beginning. Those who lag behind often times have to fight the entire race to gain on their competitors. In the blogging world, those who began blogging years ago have a leg up on the blogs that began in 2007 or early 2008. What can the newcomers do to reduce the drag and increase their velocity?

I’ve been asking myself this very question for a while now. I’m sure many of you have read blogs discussing techniques to increase page views, RSS subscriptions, and site traffic. I’ve come up with a few questions to ask yourself about your own blog, which I’ve asked about my own, that should propel your site towards your own finish line.

1. What purpose does your blog serve? - This question may seem like an easy answer, but when I asked myself this question a few weeks ago I had to step back to think. I want a site that’s helpful, honest, and committed to writing and to marketing. I also want a site that caters to bloggers and to their views and ideas. My purpose is to inspire those reading to create, to write, and to gain excitement about their chosen niche.
2. Does the blog meet my expectations? - I ask myself this before I start writing about whatever comes to mind. It helps me focus on what needs filling in on the site. I have a lot of content, but I see it like building a foundation brick by brick. Each new article represents a piece of the foundation. If I’m writing content that veers from my site’s message then I’m creating a faulty foundation. I need to go back to question one and recalculate.
3. How can I keep the blog on target or mold it into what I need? - I can keep my own blog on target by mapping out the course. I know the turns and conditions I have to face before I ever put rubber to road. If I know what’s coming, then I know where to turn. I become more organized and stay focused.

I know for certain no finish line exists, only our personal one. We have pit stops and some cars drop out of the race, but we always keep moving. 

Alexa, Technorati, Exactrank, and other sites will tell you the popular blogs — the frontrunners. If we fixate on the numbers, and forget to look for the opportunity to spring ahead, then we may be just running out of gas waiting for the next pit stop to catch our breath and reconsider it all.

How do I draft?

I draft in the blogosphere all the time. I join networks like Entrecard, forums like Bloggeries, subscribe to RSS feeds of fellow bloggers, read content on popular blogs, write content that’s helpful to others, and guest post on other site’s in my niche.

Through blogging, we sometimes might rub other bloggers the wrong way. But, we all know rubbin ’s racin. The important thing is to stay in the race.

Do you draft with your blog?