ipad 2 Blog!

[Patriot]

I happen to write my own iPad 2 blog. For those of you who are interested check it out and let me know what you think!

Thanks!

http://slicedapple-raj.blogspot.com/

now

http://slicedapple.wordpress.com/

[enkoujin]

1. You should find some matching link text to go with your layout - I don't think the orange goes well with the page even if it strongly contrasts the blue background.

2. I don't understand why there's a big picture of an iPad at the footer.

3. The title and motto of your blog is a bit plain - in my opinion, it could be a little shorter.

4. Fix your minor grammar, punctuation and capitalization.

5. There's a "{" at your footer and you should properly credit your template unless you made it by yourself.

6. Identify your niche audience and cater to your needs. Who are you trying to target? What is your blog trying to accomplish? Write your blog according to how you want your readers to read it.

7. In my opinion, it's best to change your website address to something that is related to your blog. If you're blogging about sliced apples, then your website is appropriately named "slicedapple-raj.blogspot", but if you're mainly blogging about iPads for Apple and an Apple-targeted niche, then it should be something like "ipad-mania.blogspot". Just my opinion.

8. Fix your tags. How do your readers (or even yourself) know whether a product was tagged "interesting" or "cool"? Pretty hard to navigate, my friend.

9. In my opinion, I think the background should be related to what you're blogging about.

10. If you can, try to allow more horizontal space for your text/posts. I think your blog is proper for a standardized 1024x768, but try tweaking around.

11. Although I like your anecdotes, I think you should start off with your product reviews by stating it clearly and giving your readers simple opinions and optionally let them read your anecdotes:


Product: Name of the Product I Purchased

(picture of your product)

Available From:

- Retailer 1
- Retailer 2
- Retailer 3

Price: $14.99 CDN + $3.50 shipping (stating the currency is important here since you don't live in the US and it'd be cool to provide an approximate price for US/British/Austrailian readers).

Pros:

- It does the shit that I want it to do.

Cons:

- It was damn expensive.

Anecdote:

- I was walking downtown pass these corporate executives who were texting while crossing the streets (what idiots, lol!) when I saw this shit in the display of one of those upscale tech-saavy shops. The product was so awesomely awesome that it made me fall to my knees and made me cried. Ten minutes later, I found myself purchasing the product with a 100+x% hidden retail markup on it, but didn't mind since its value is probably worth more than my parents' lives.

- I used it and these are the results:

(pictures)

Bottom Line:

- This product has great value, but it was more expensive than a fat prostitute you can find around 8PM in a ghetto neighbourhood. Just wait z months when retailers start lowering pricse so that you can get the best bang for your buck (although the bang shouldn't apply to any 8PM fat prostitutes, rofl!!!).

The key to successful blogging is trying to make your content simple, easy to understand and allows easy navigation for its users.

[Patriot]

I'm new to this blogging thing, but can tell going into the next phase many if not all your suggestions will help get me there, first of all thank you for taking the time and interest in it. I plan to blog about many things and its best I learn now at an early stage versus later on. I've updated with your suggestions to the best of my ability and quite frankly I needed that kick in the ass. Made me think about a few things I never considered.

Based on your list here is what I have done so far. I hope I am moving in a forward direction, let me know, be as candid as you need to be.

1. That's a work in progress, but I totally agree, until I learn how to do custom layouts to the blog, I've gone with something a bit easier and neutral.

2. Removed!

3. Changed, but will continue working on that until I get that feeling its right.

4. Every time I read it, I make changes, sometimes better sometimes worse, I know I will get that eventually.

5. What do I put before that? They credit themselves automatically.

6. Something I will consider in writing new pieces

7. When starting off I didn't put to much thought into this, and for now will have to keep this so I don't lose those who have bookmarked me. If I ever host on my own, I'll fix that then.

8. I've made a minor adjustment, will add and adjust as I gain more experience with it.

9. Went with a more neutral one until I learn to do better.

10. Did a few minor tweaks and the result to me (because I compared an instant before and after) is crazy. I will work with the space they give me, but just working on it for a few minutes made a world of difference.

11. Will make the format more easier to follow in subsequent posts!

[enkoujin]

Learn graphics design, HTML 5.0, be creative and how to write and you should be fine.

[Patriot]

Thank you very much! Please check up on me from time to time and let me know how you think it's going!

Believe me, I will start self study on Design and HTML 5.0! Might take me a while, but I'll get there!

[enkoujin]

I like it already.

Minor improvements in the meanwhile:

1. Background text could be more darker (increase opaqueness in black colour slightly); the grey text is a bit hard to see with the grey iPad screen in the background.

2. Pictures on the side aren't really necessary and I feel it clogs up your spaces, but that's my personal opinion.

3. Get rid of your advertisements - unless you really think you can generate heavy pocket change by just blogging, it's not worth it for the extra $5 or so every month.

It's just better to get rid of advertisements overall for now until you get more readers. This will let your readers think you're blogging out of your own free will and hobby rather than just a guy who wants to cash in their visits. Besides, everyone else already knows how Google Adsense works and from what I've seen, it's just not that successful when you start out.

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/AdSense/thread?tid=1e28808c9bf2ec83&hl=en

Later on, when you have thousands of daily readers, you can come up with some bullshit about your real life and about how you need money and then subject your readers to ads like a sell-out.

4. Get rid of your page/hit counter. It makes me feel like a number as everyone else who visited your blog. But keep it if you want, although there are a many ways to check how much traffic you're getting.

Major improvements in the long run:

1. Good temporary background, but you'll eventually need a layout that...feels right. It's hard to describe, but here are many examples of innovative layouts and designs you can get a good idea of:

http://inspiredology.com/49-professional-innovative-websites/

2. Customize your own widgets/icons for RSS, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

3. Innovation, innovation and innovation! Also, HTML, (CSS, Javascript, Jquery, etc. if possible; I haven't used blogger enough to understand what programming languages it supports and what doesn't) graphics designing and improvement in writing.

Remember, because you're catering to Apple readers or soon-to-be Apple fans, how much innovation you can produce in your graphics designing and blogging will help boost your readers and ratings.

[Patriot]

1. I changed the color of the text altogether, I was having issues in how to change it, because they don't put things in the layout where you think they should put them. I worked it and found white was easy to read.

2. Removed, and I like how it looks without them now. That was really needed, thanks.

3. I figure never to get one penny and don't need it, I just put it up because I was shocked they offered it to me. I thought I was special. I now know better. Will leave it up till I make my first click and then most likely cancel it.

4. Removed, no one likes being a number. And that information is better left to me and for my purposes. I'm doing this because I love it!

Major Improvements in the long run

Already looking to host it on my own URL. Will see if I can develop my own background or see what its available out there, Today is my 2nd week in existence and I am learning tons! I thought I would have my second blog up by now, but running one is proving time consuming enough!

Thanks again for your assistance!

[Patriot]

I took almost everything you told me and headed over to WordPress, when I create my own domain, I will do the last thing and change the URL name, I just haven't thought of anything yet. I also may start focusing on a broader audience. But I am getting closer to that optimal website!


http://slicedapple.wordpress.com/