It’s a fact : most bloggers want visitors. But what does the visitor want back from the blogger?
First in : the title
The title presents itself first to the visitor. Keep the content flowing according to the title. The post should deserve that great title. Keep it attractive, creative and intuitive.
A K.I.S.S from the post
Depending on your content, try to KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE(K.I.S.S)
Time. The visitor’s time is precious. Behind every post there are ideas/messages that you want to convey. Convey them in the most simplest form.
Use simple and plain Engish. They don’t want to feel that they need a dictionary while reading your posts. Even if the words weigh for that occasion, that might just distract them from the main post’s idea.
A paragraph might be too much for an idea, compact it as much as you can until you reach sentences. Rehearsal is a must. Then this makes the post crispy and delicious to read.
The blogger to watch for this : Liz Strauss. Read any of her posts, that might take you less than 10 minutes but you’re sure out with the messages she wanted to convey.
The visitor don’t want to feel that he has lost his time by reading a post OR still trying to understand it. KISS it for them.
Being part of it
Address the YOU to the visitor. While writing something to them, make it feel like they are part of it. Then they gonna find what’s MORE FOR THEM. It’s a return to your blog.
More of it
If the visitor loved what you’ve posted : then give it more of it. Wordpress’s functionality that you might digg into to accomplish just that :
- Post’s tag
- Related Posts
Use UTW plugins and display corresponding and appropriate tags for that post. Tags are a more specific way to group posts. A click on them will then bring more posts of the same tag. More content of the same type.
Posts discussing the same idea or having similar content should have a special place on your blog. To display related posts you can either use The Related Posts plugins OR one another functionality of the same UTW plugins you’ve been using to display tags.
To display related posts using the UTW plugins, just put that PHP call somewhere in your template(the sidebar might be a good place):
<?php UTW_ShowRelatedPostsForCurrentPost("posthtmllist") ?>
That’s a 2-in-1 use of the same plugins.
Have a nice place to display your categories. It’s another place for the visitor to look for more similar content. Find a good place on your blog and place that call to pull your categories and display them:
<?php wp_list_cats(); ?>
Tags v/s categories
Tags are more specific way to group posts while categories, a cleaner way. If you post much about everything and anything, tags can be a better way out. Otherwise if you’ve got your niche subject, categories might be the right choice.
let them keep it
That’s one of the most important functionality to present to the visitor but one of least seen on blogs : letting the visitor keep that beloved post.
If they loved it, they want to keep it for a re-read. Moreover they might have just cast a glance on that post, found it interesting but would like to put it for a later read. That’s where social bookmarking site like digg and del.icio.us come onto scene : to keep crispy articles that might want a re-read or a later read.
Allow the visitor to keep your crispy articles by providing them a one-click way to bookmark them on their favourite social bookmarking site. Wordpress’s users might get a look at popular plugins like Sociable, Bling This(mixture of English and French bookmarking site) to put that great functionality on.
Is that all?
By no means. There’s more to it that what’ve posted above. Let the comment form now make us discover what visitors might want more from the content. Let the VISITORS tell us now 
related reading
- Making it quick and easy for you to bookmark and earn traffic
- how to keep the everlasting blogging love
- how-to contact form for blogger
- Hiding your image buttons for some sidebar goodness
- Quick shooting stats of your Wordpress blog
- Could blogger beat wordpress?
- The proper way to write code in your blog posts
Tags: 25 Comments
25 responses so far ↓
Well written Hans. I always like to know About the blogger, so I look for a link there, and it has to be easy to navigate.
@ techz
thanks for appreciating my writing Techz. Don’t miss the other sequels, more on About the Blogger.
Infact Techz I think to really learn about the blogger, you’ve got to try out everything and not being afraid of “asking questions” even silly ones if I can permit myself.
To really know to what extent a blogger can be good is how he gets to view even the most simplest questions of yours.
As for me, I’ve learnt the blogger I want to be by learning from errors I’ve made. What about you techz, how do you get to view or more know about the blogger you’re
Thanks very much for coming to here.
I’d add that a Contact Form is a must. I like the feeling that I can email a blogger any time I please.
However, I don’t agree with all the social bookmarking buttons. If I want to bookmark something on, say, del.icio.us, I don’t click on the del.icio.us button on the site, I click the ‘Post to del.icio.us’ bookmark in my toolbar. I’m sure it’s the same for many other people.
In fact, I might write a post up on that soon …
Still, excellent post Hans, and I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on what visitors want out of bloggers’ comments.
[…] Over on BlogoSquare, Hans has gotten off to a great start with his first post, in an eventual series, on what visitors want the most out of a blogger. In 'The Blogger: Sequel 1', one particular point he makes, however, is advice I strongly disagree with. Allow the visitor to keep your crispy articles by providing them [with] a one-click way to bookmark them on their favourite social bookmarking site. […]
useful post again, Hans !
I agree with what you said and I can’t see anything to add…
And I’m thinking of adding tags or categories to my blog too
hey hans, i found a thing you’ll find cool :
Bloggersnap
maybe you already know that…
@ yvonne
and it’s there so I’ll go get a tour onto that crispy post and tell you what I think
As for the way you bookmark sites on del.icio.us, I don’t think it’s the same for other social bookmarking sites. That’s why I thought that the buttons below your posts might be a good way out : for “all” the other social bookmarking sites that just don’t let you have the post to me stuff(like the del.icio.us one) for your browser itself
Thanks for giving your insights onto here Yvonne.
@ nym
hello Nym,
thanks for that great link nym, rocking yeah
yeah that might be a great way to stay organised there, labels I think how’s blogger calling them
And about the great contact form Yvonne said about, I think there should also be one for blogger.
Hey nym a poll for blogger users : would you like a contact form for blogger and would it be useful for you
@ hans : what do you call a contact form ? i can’t see exactly what it is.
@ nym
it’s a quick way to let your visitors send you some words directly to your mailbox without having to display your mail address.
Look at my contact form and you’re gonna see what I’m talking about
remember our discussion for the emalimage stuffs about spammers, then that’s the fun way to let others(excluding spammers) reach you.
ya, a contact form is a must…
this reminds me that i dont have one yet,
also, this post is 100% true about what visitors want from u
will try to be as close to it!
@ yashvin
if you want you can also have a nice emalimage to display your mail if you want somewhere down in your about you :clown: you decide now how you want your visitors to get in touch with you.
hey there’s also the shoutbox, get a look at my contact page to see it.
Give visitors what they want…
Know what to give to your visitors to get them coming back….
Excellent post dude.Really loved it.Welcomeback to blogging
[…] related ones. The ones with same tags/keywords get listed as related. To know how to implement it, see here for more info. Using UTW also reduce the stress that other related plugins will put on your server […]
Mauritius. If you want a blog mixing topics to interest to teenagers with great blogging info altogether, head to BlogoSquare. The posts are entertaining, educative and witty at the same time. Here are my two favourite posts for newbie bloggers : How to get your blogging at your best and keep this everlasting blogging love and many of more great posts among my popular articles. I also provide free help,advice,support for wordpress,themes,plugins and to new bloggers alike. I design wordpress themes for free so if you want to get
Does these work for Blogger?
@ Culture Shiok! :
sure this guide helps provide you a clear understanding of what to provide for your posts…. all the tips work apart the plugins issues which is only for wordpress.
You can nevertheless allow your visitors to bookmark your posts by putting the links directly on your blog, see this post.
hope this helps
do tell me 
Nice blog… you’ve got a lot of helpful information and advice here.
@ Grokodile
thanks for dropping by and for the quick service you provided. Too great to see me listed on the Grokodile list
It would great fun to have you in my blogroll at UBSquare. Consider joining anytime you want
[…] Give visitors what they want […]
[…] Give visitors what they want […]
[…] Give visitors what they want […]
[…] Give visitors what they want […]
[…] Give visitors what they want […]