Welcome to my personal opinion of what I believe is the hardest part of your blog: the pages. I think they’re the hardest because this is what attracts the most visitors, so you want your pages to make a good impression! I hate pages, I feel like they’re never good enough, and I just never feel like I have it right! Just recently, I finished redoing all of my pages, and I am actually satisfied! Now, I want to share with you some tips on WHAT pages you should have, what to put on them, AND why they are important.
First, what pages will you need?
There are pages you NEED and then pages you SHOULD have. We’re going to talk about those NEEDS and then those I highly recommend to go with them.
NEEDS
An about page. They suck to write, so good thing I’ll be helping you later in the post! Yes, you need them. Yes, your readers will get to know you in your posts, but not as much as they would by reading your about page. That, and it’s like a homepage for yourself. This is more than likely what will give future visitors a good or bad impression. It’s where they virtually meet you.
A contact page. This is how people respond and have a conversation with you virtually. You can also get compliments through these, so why the heck not, am I right?! Really – you need one. If somebody loves your blog and they have questions or something, they need an easy place to reach you. This is that place.
SHOULD HAVES
A road map or homepage breaking things down. I have an info page that gives an overview of my entire blog, and then I have a search page with all my topics people can easily hop to. I totally recommend these – it makes your readers more likely to stick around and explore because it’s easier!
A best of or popular posts page. I think these are really important because they’re like a portfolio of your blog. Visitors can see if you write about anything they’re interested in, and so forth.
What should I do for my about page?
Of seriously all the pages, I find this one the hardest. There’s so much you could put, and I find it overwhelming. You’re just going to have to experiment and find what works best. Here are some starting points, though.
– To start, introduce yourself and the key factors that make up YOU. Then introduce your blog and briefly describe it.
– Go into those things you love, example: a certain drink, color, what you like to do in your free time, etc.
– Add a main photo of you at the beginning. Add some other photos throughout the page in whichever layout you choose.
– Talk about your hobbies and talents.
– Talk about your family or just your life currently.
– Share what you are working on right now and some dreams.
– Talk about some things that make up your blog and why or how you started your blog.
– Share a quote you love and why or your life motto or your blog motto.
– Wrap it up with a friendly conclusion, and point to other aspects of your blog the visitor should go next.
You can do all of these or none. It’s totally up to you! These are the things I included in mine, hopefully they can stir some ideas up for you too! Just write, and be you. I think that will work best.
What posts should go under my best of or popular posts?
Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel like a best of page and a popular posts page are two different things. I think a best of is some of your best posts, whereas a popular posts is just that – your most popular posts. A lot of those times those are pretty similar. I choose which posts I put on my best of, unlike how some do what their statistics say are the most popular. If there’s a post I feel confident in, I want to get it out there!
So that is what I recommend for your best of. It is just that: your best posts. It can be the most popular ones or the ones you feel are your best. Either works! Use it wisely, though. That is most likely where visitors will go to read more into your blog!
Do I need to make a page for my services?
Absolutely, if you offer services! This makes it easy to find. I don’t have any books or products out yet, but I still made pages and will add to them in the future! Somebody may not know you offer your services if all you do is put them in a blog post or two. You need to have a separate page with all of the important info.
Why and what should I put on my contact page?
A photo of you – to make it more personal. A friendly blurb – reassure the reader about contacting you. A contact form – if possible. Some people prefer those, but it’s not a necessity. Your email address, and use the correct signs [make it easy, so they can copy and paste, no more (at) and (dot)]. Your social links – if you don’t have them linked already. Be friendly and be you!
What other pages would YOU recommend and why?
