9 Must-Haves for a Successful Blog
9 Must-Haves for a Successful Blog
One of the perks of starting a blogging journey is that you can often begin with very little. On your path to developing a site and brand, you can grow step by step and continually fine-tune your process and content. As you establish yourself as a blogger, here are 9 must-haves to help you build a successful blog and reach your goals.
How do we define a successful blog?
There are many ways to be successful in blogging, and not all of them involve money. For our purposes here, we want to be specific in how we define success. Whether you are seeking to monetize your blog to replace an income or simply bring in a little extra, success can be determined based on multiple factors.
We will measure a successful blog by:
- the ability to generate traffic and bring new and returning readers to the site
- the ability to produce income of any size, and…
- the impact it has on the reader and how it brings value to those on the other side of the screen.
Things you need for a successful blog
In general, these 9 things are well-recognized across the blogging industry as components of a successful blog that can continually bring ongoing traffic, bring an income of any size, and provide valuable content to readers.
1. An optimized website with good site speed
An optimized site encompasses many areas such as overall content organization, a user-friendly design, and efficient mobile viewing. But most importantly, if the site takes too long to load, viewers will leave your page and not see the content in the first place! A site that is poorly done in terms of optimization could impact your ability to rank on Google, which in turn means low visibility and traffic reach.
2. A clearly defined niche
When users visit your blog, they need to clearly understand what you offer and how you can help them. Your main topic should be something your readers actually want or need. While it’s okay to have several subtopics presented in various forms of content, it is best to choose a niche (cooking, lifestyle, gardening, entrepreneurship, etc.) and develop content for that specific audience.
3. Clear navigation that guides readers through your site
When readers visit your site, you don’t want them to be confused about where to find your content. It should be easy to find basic navigational tools like a menu of categories and a search bar. Categories should be easy to understand and make sense within your niche (learn more about categories here).
Additionally, it should be obvious what you want readers to do next. Is there a clear invitation to read your newest content or navigate to another page? Is there a place to sign up for your email list or an option to contact you?
Consider your site from the lens of a map or a blueprint. Your flow should guide your readers to discover your content!
4. A good hosting company
You will likely be starting a self-hosted blog which means you need a blog host to store your site. Do your research upfront to find a reputable company that has excellent customer service to support you with questions and troubleshooting. Consider how this host will help to ensure site speed (which is just one piece of the site-speed puzzle), and that the host can ensure there will not be downtime when you have traffic surges.
5. Valuable content
This may be one of the most important factors to consider. A successful blog should provide value.
We always encourage bloggers at any level of experience to post on a regular basis – however, quality is always going to outweigh quantity. Put yourself in your readers’ shoes and write what people will actually want to read. Make your content compelling and reader-focused while also adding your own personal expertise.
6. Strong visual elements
After all, this is what readers will notice first!
Include value-adding images in content, photo quality, and context. Add other valuable visual elements like graphics and pull quotes and improve your content with visual explanations. Even use video content where it can be helpful!
7. Interaction with readers
One way to build relationships with your audience – and keep them coming back – is through interacting with them! Let your readers know the human behind the screen.
Ask questions or pose discussion encouraging reader comments and then respond to them. Get to know your readers and the challenges they face that pertain to your niche. Ask your audience for input and actually create content they ask for or need.
8. An eye on analytics
Analytics help you measure your success! With a tracker like Google Analytics, you can see what people are viewing the most and replicate content with a similar method or similar topic. Also, use your analytics to guide you in either updating or removing the posts that are not getting views (essentially adding “dead weight” to your site).
9. An email marketing strategy
Every blogger, no matter how “green” or experienced, should be continually generating an email list! Use an email opt-in tool to capture the email addresses of the readers who visit your site.
A method of communicating to your readers’ inboxes allows you to nurture them by providing even more value in addition to your site (more on that here). In return, they will come back to visit new content and revisit older resources. Later on, should you choose to monetize through any product sales, those on your email list will be the most likely audience to purchase because of established trust.
BONUS – The right mindset
Whether you’re just starting a blog, or revamping your established site, know that mindset will always play a role in your success. Remember:
- When starting a blog, it takes time to establish yourself and layer on these 9 components. Be willing to be a beginner and accept that you will make mistakes – that is okay!
- As with nearly every success, know that there will be good times and hard times. Reframe your mind to be willing to learn and change and keep going!
- Remember why you started your blog – most likely to share your message with others. A successful blog will not be solely focused on you, but instead, take your expertise and provide value to your readers.
Anyone can start a blog, but a successful blog requires a combination of hard work and a savvy understanding of what it takes to reach the measurable outcomes discussed here. As always, we are here to cheer you on in the process!