Did you know that there are some simple blogging “no-no’s”? Things that will drive your readers and fellow bloggers absolutely bonkers? If you’re wanting to up your blogging game and grow, you need to avoid these Blogging Pet Peeves! But don’t worry… I’ll tell you how to fix them 🙂
Music on your site. Seriously! Whats the Point? Here I am tapping away, surfing the web, jamming out to Pitbull or Frank Sinatra, and I stumble upon a new blog. All of the sudden there is weird music playing over “Fly Me to The Moon”! What the Heck???? If I can’t figure out where its coming from and fast… I’m just going to leave your site! Â Now I don’t have a tutorial on how to turn off music… because if you have music on your site, you’re the one that put it there. Please, don’t do it!
Obsessing about numbers. You can tell a rookie blogger by how often they talk about numbers… gfc follwers, twitter followers, facebook followers… I could go on, but that might be just as annoying 😉 Here’s the thing when it comes to blogging, If you build it, they will come. Sounds cliches, but its true. Solid content, a well designed site and a blogger with a firm foundation/identity, will draw a following. Its not easy, but ignore the numbers! The one thing that helps me not obsess is using  a monthly tracker, once a month I write all my stats down. This helps me keep a record, with out checking for new facebook likes every 5 seconds! Click Here for a free Stats Tracking Printable 🙂
Your “About Me Page”. Its pretty important… and it needs to sound like you! So please, don’t refer to yourself in the third person! Pretend you’re introducing yourself to a new friends and tell it like a story. Basics 4 Bloggers has 5 steps to writing an effective About Me Page. Check it  out!
Not renaming your photos. Did you know that it effects your SEO and that sometimes the description you assign the photo is what ends up plastered all over pinterest? Oh Amanda has some great tips on watermarking and how to rename your photos. Do it! It only takes a second and makes you look far more professional!
Captcha or Word Verification. This is the one thing that will drive away comments like nobody’s business! Seriously! I have to really be interested in what you’re saying to bother with captcha. I can only squint at so many squishy nonsensical words in a day.
Anh, from Feminine 23, Shows you how to turn Captcha off your blogger blog!
Asking for someone to follow you the very first time you interact with them. Please, Please, PLEASE don’t comment on other blogs just to ask them to follow you. Chances are they won’t… and it comes off as a little desperate. Comments like “Hey I like your blog. You should follow me back at www.Iamsolame.com” Drive me more than just a little crazy.
Ads that have sound. Ahhhhhhhhhhh *insert me screaming LOUDLY* I think I hate this more than music on sites! Just as annoying but harder to find and turn off. Ads are great, but if they’re going to drive traffic away, you don’t want them!
Rafflecopter Giveaways that don’t have clickable links. Its a quick and easy fix. Only adds a few moments to putting together a giveaway and will make it much easier for your readers to follow through on each entry. Living Pretty PDX broke down the basics of putting together a rafflecopter form and how to code the clickable links. Believe me, its not difficult! If I can figure it out, you’ll be just fine 🙂
Blog designs that have dark backgrounds and light colored fonts. It might look cool… until you try to read it. Then its a whole other can of worms. Now I am no expert on blog design, I leave that to the experts, like my friend Jac. But take it from someone who reads a lot of blogs, simple, light backgrounds and dark fonts are easiest on the eyes.
Now if you’re currently blogging and guilty of a few of these Blogging Pet Peeves, don’t worry! They aren’t hard things to take care of 🙂 Make the changes a few at a time and you’ll hopefully see the difference 🙂
Oh and feel free to ask questions here 🙂 I’ll answer if I can and at the very least point you in the right direction.
This is such great advice for bloggers! My biggest pet peeve is probably the captchas – or the autoplay music. Both have me running away!!
Bravo! My last tweet addresses my biggest pet peeve, "There is nothing I hate more than having to figure out what a Captcha image says to comment on a blog. #annoying" seriously, all the letters get smushed together and then you have to figure out if it's a number or letter AND if you're using a device with autocorrect it tries to autocorrect it each time you type it, then you have to erase it and start over. Ugh. Sorry. Super long never ending sentence. Anyways, I agree with it all!
I'll admit that I was scared to read your list at first. I just KNEW it would be everything I'm doing, lol. Thankfully, I'm not guilty of any of those, but good to know still….in case I ever had ideas of doing it. So glad you shared! I really enjoy reading your Blogging tips/instructions. 🙂
I agree with all of the above. A major peeve I have is when a blogger asks you to follow friends of theirs in order to gain an entry into a giveaway, which, when you’re clicking “like” seems okay, until some off-the-wall post or tasteless picture shows up randomly on your Facebook page. Another peeve? Bloggers that talk smack about and discuss fans that post opposing views or negative replies to an article or topic. You asked for their opinion. Ignorant or not, right or wrong, you asked them for it, and you got it. Just because people are signed up with your blog doesn’t mean they think or believe everything you do. There may be subjects you want to discuss, but is your blog full of strangers the place to do it? Tact and diplomacy go a long way, as well as a short list of rules regarding conduct on your blog.
Great post! Seriously though, if you ask me to follow you I just won't. One girl commented and said "don't reply by email, come over to my blog" um excuse me?! Thanks for the shout out too 🙂
Don't you just love bossy comments? ROFL!!
i agree with everything you said especially about the music and the follow back comment.
AMEN!!! Hahahaha these things drive me INSANE!
Yes yes and yes! This is all so true! I can’t stand when someone comments that they’re following me and would love a follow back. It makes me feel like they’re just following my blog to get a follow. I usually will follow my readers who interact with me on a constant basis, because I feel like we’ve built a relationship. But I will never respond to or follow someone who tells me to follow them. Especially if its obvious that they didn’t even read my post!
And music. Ugh.
This should go out as some sort of memo for anyone who starts a blog!
Playing "find the musical ad" is definitely NOT my favorite game when I have 15 tabs open! 😀
Okay, so I was really nervous when I saw your post on FB – I work in distance education so there are things that I think apply to blogging as well. However, reading through your list, I think I'm okay so far! I love, love, love the point about music – and let's not forget dancing/moving icons! And from an educational standpoint, renaming your photos is absolutely necessary for ADA purposes (just one of those FYI things you'll now have stuck in your head).
I gotta rename my photos, I started on it but haven't finished it! YIKES! Most everything else I'm good and I'll agree with you on them, especially the music!
Probably renaming some of my photos would be a good idea but since a lot of my older photos really are nothing special so not sure I'll make the effort. I'd cringe to see them pinned, lol!
Coming across a blog with ads with sound is the worst! That's an instant tab close for me.
I haven't made any extra effort to go back and rename photos from old posts. I started changing the names right around the time i switched to wordpress. Not something I'm too worried about for old ones, but definitely something that I do now 🙂
Yes, yes, yes! Especially Rafflecopter giveaways that don't have clickable links and light words on dark backgrounds. Hopefully many people heed this geat advice!
xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
Thanks!!! As a newbie blogger i need all the tips and tricks I can get. I actually logged out and tried to comment on my blog to make sure it wasn't annoying!
True! I don't manage my photos well out of laziness, but am relieved that I'm in line with the rest of your recommendations. The music one kills me, every time! Ugh.
Thank you so much for these tips–I've already bookmarked the picture piece. . . smart advice.
I get a bit lazy labeling pictures too, have been tempted to add music (thank goodness I didn't!) and got rid of a busy background that distracted even me. Now…what can I do to get comments? Seriously, sometimes I think I'm talking to myself in writing. Hello? Anyone there?
The best way to get comments is to end your post with a question… a call to action if you will. And make sure you don't have captcha!
thank you so much for sharing this, very very informative. I will def put this to good use
I just found about renaming photos the other day. I was happy to discover that! I hate music on blogs and other than the ads with the sounds. I don't really care for the ones that pop up on the page and you have to click it off to get to the content. I think I seen that on one or two blogs. I do need to revamp my "About Me" section. I plan on doing that sometime this week. Plus you can't even currently find it, which I also need to fix. Thank you for these tips!
Ha, thanks for sharing. I hate to admit that I'm guilty of a couple of these… Just need to find the time to rename ALL my images…
Hmmm… you have me wondering about my images! That is def something I am going to be paying more attention too! I am visiting from Mop It Up Monday! Thanks for sharing!
Shelley
http://www.piggyinpolkadots.com
hi Jennifer, I totally agree and thank you! I get super annoyed when someone leaves a nice comment and then says I hope you'll visit me too. Then I feel guilty so I do, but I would have probably visited anyway except now I'm a little peeved! And those catcha verification thingys are so time consuming and frustrating…here you have spent precious moments typing away your clever comments and POOF! they disappear or you have to jump through 20 hoops and now you're really annoyed and pounding keys on your computer! And the music, really, that is probably the most annoying of all! Can you tell you have really hit a nerve here!!! Ha ha, phew, I feel better after all that venting! Thanks for the info and the links, I am going to check out the naming photos one to be sure I'm doing that right! Thanks so much!!
Jenna
I agree with every single one of these…I'm particularly peeved by those comments where in the second sentence, they're asking for a follow. The ironic thing is that many of my follows come from discovering people through comments…but it's never the ones who ask for it! Thanks for taking the time to write this up…and it a very lady-like way. Glad to have found your site!
Warmly,
Lauren
The Thinking Closet
Great advice! I'll definitely be taking heed about not renaming my photos…. Good stuff there, thanks a lot!
Oh my goodness, I love all of these. I am still a huge rookie, but I know what I like and don't like as a reader, and these are definitely them. I agree with "the Painted Apron", I feel guilty and visit when someone asks me to, lol!
These are cool tips, Jennifer! Thanks so much for sharing this @ The SHOW OFF Weekend Blog Party!
Jessica
The Wondering Brain
I made a blogging pet peeves list on April Fool’s Day, in honor of all things annoying. It was very different than yours, but of course the follow for follow made it on the list! I really appreciate your practical advice here. I never rename my photos, telling myself ain’t nobody got time for that. Lol. I didn’t realize it affected your visibility (which I’m assuming is what SEO means? See I don’t even know). I started blogging in July but I also started grad school in August, so I still feel like a newbie in some ways. For example, I just created a Facebook page for the blog this week! Only because I kinda had to, since the button will be included in the new design which will be going up by the end of the month. So yeah, thanks so much for this post!
-Nathy
SEO = Search engine optimization… basically its how Google reads your blog and helps people find you. The more keywords you have in your blog, the higher you get listed etc. 🙂
This list is spot on!
It might be beneficial to point out that when renaming picture, keep in mind that when someone goes to pin your post on Pinterest, the description auto-fills with the picture name. Although, I am guilty of not consistently naming my photos.
Girl this is SPOT ON! I agree with every single one of them!
Each point mentioned is certainly a turn off for me especially the music thing and that there's no visible way to turn it off. Ugh. Along with that, the youtube/video ads that automatically come on. SMH The other thing that drives me away is if a website is loaded with ads, images and glittery images causing the page to take 30-60 secs to load. How about the pop up ads that break through your pop-up blocker. How they do that?! Yes, this is when it becomes an automatic first and last visit for me. As a blog reader soon to be a first time blogger, this advise is much appreciated and will be kept in mind when I create my blog. It's an excellent reminder to think about what I do NOT want my readers to contend with. Thank you so much for the advice!
you are very welcome! If you want any help when you start your blog let me know! I've learned TONS in the past 2 years!
These tips are so helpful, thank you!
Better than Rafflecopter … Promosimple with easier set up for clickable links and they don't charge you for Pinterest button link.
Agreed x1000! Especially the rafflecopter links. I hate having to copy and paste to enter so i'll only do it if I really, really want the prize!
I think I am safe from all of these. Some of my oldest posts may still have messed up name tags for the photos but at this time I don't have time to go back and fix those mistakes, maybe someday.
Omg these are so on point. Music on site ?? Ha that's the worst!!!
xoxo
Lee Anne
Totally agree with all of these! Take note people!
Emma xx