I see this so often on Pinterest: “Things You Should Never Have On Your Blog” or “Biggest Blogging Turn Offs” or even “Why I’m Not Reading Your Blog”. And I click out of curiosity and end up rolling my eyes and getting a little annoyed. So many of the items they list are completely subjective and they don’t really have a viable reason for not having. But there are some that beat the rest in the that’s-totally-subjective contest.
Read More Tags
If you haven’t already seen, I use read more tags. The read more tag is when you add it after a certain section of a post, so it must be clicked to continuing reading a load the actual post page. I saw one blogger didn’t like this because she didn’t want to have to load a new page. While that’s fine and dandy, I’m keeping my read more tags. They keep my home pages cleaner and easier to navigate and make it easier to track my stats for what posts get the most traction. If my whole post was on the home page, I can’t exactly track my stats for that post. So, it’s beneficial for me to have the read more tag and I’m keeping it.
Popups
One of my biggest pet peeves in blogging is pop-ups, and for some reason, a blogging don’t is not having one? Popups are usually the “subscribe to my newsletter!” boxes, and I will immediately close the tab and find something else to read when it shows up. I can’t see the content or read what you’re writing when a box pops up covering. No, I don’t want to subscribe until I know if I like your work or not. Personally, I think it is best to have the banners at the top, having a side popup that is out of the way, or integrate subbing into your posts. Even putting a box in your sidebar I can click on is preferable over a pop up for me. Of course, if you think it works for you do it, just I am not a fan at all.
Profanity
So I totally get why people say not to curse in your writing, and it has the potential of offending readers. However, I am not a person to shy away from it myself and believe that it can be a powerful tool to get your point across. I have used some profane words to get my point across in pst writing. It’s certainly a preference and has its time and place, so I am not including it in the majority of my writing. Again, it’s subjective to what you want and what your readers want.
Pin It Graphics
I am mainly including this because when I saw the reason the blogger hated when we don’t have a pin it button, I was confused and annoyed. Her reasoning was that it took too much work to manually pin it. I don’t know what she meant by manually pinning it, especially when sharing buttons at the bottom are available and a Pin It button can be added to your browser, so I didn’t exactly get why she required that we add a plugin with a graphic over the images, when there are simpler options available. I know it’s best to make your site accessible for the laziest human on earth, but come on.
What I want to be taken away from this is you can do what you want to your blog, it is your corner of the Internet after all.
What are your blogging pet peeves? Let me know with a comment!
Definitely with you on the pop-up front! Especially being in the UK and subject to GDPR and cookies etc etc – some site just have too many things to close before I can read anything! Loads of ads drive me bonkers as well.
I’m right there with you on the use of the read more tag. Helps to keep your home page nice and clean, plus it has the added benefit of keeping your stats nice and clean.
On that same note: I despise when people don’t use read-more tags and their home page is a giant blob of words you’ve gotta endlessly scroll through while looking for something you’re actually interested in reading.
Not being able to comment is a pet peeve I have. A few times I’ll go to comment and it’s Blogger only, or Google+ only. It’s frustrating. I want to interact with you! Let me! lol
Same!!! I had this frustration with Disqus a lot too
I tend to be very British when it comes to my profanity; I regularly use bloody, bugger and bollocks to name a few but I’ll avoid some more mainstream ones. I use them plenty in life and have zero problems with doing so. There’s just something about using them in my writing that feels off to me. As you said it’s all about personal preference.
But I am so with you on the pop-ups and it is a RELIEF to see someone say it openly. I get so fed up visiting blogs and having to click through several ‘subscribe to my newsletter’ pop-ups before I’ve even gotten to see a single page of their blog. By that point, their blog could be the best thing since sliced bread and I couldn’t give a damn.
Very good topic! I’ve seen a lot of blogging Do’s and Don’ts articles and some I agree with, and some not so much. I’m personally guilty of having a pop-up on my main site AND my blog because I was told a long time ago that it’s a great way to build your list. But I also find them annoying. I gotta do better!
And using profanity is a choice and helps define a brand’s or blog’s character and personality. My philosophy is: like it, read it. Don’t like, don’t read. It’s really that simple.
Yeah I find placement of pop ups important. If they don’t cover the content or distract heavily, I find them fine