Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You're only a stranger once.

October 25, 2005

Blog Review Checklist

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 9:43 am

When was the last time you looked at your blog the way your readers do? If you write only for yourself, you look at it that way every day. . . . You are your audience. You’re done.

The rest of us are looking for an audience a little bit larger than one.

Humans have unconscious tendencies. We do lots of the things we like to do and ignore the things we don’t. This makes for a blog that looks great from our point of view, but can leave gaping holes–holes that our readers see, holes they probably won’t tell us about.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s okay to leave things out, as long as we know that we’re doing it. Not every blog has to do everything. In fact, most really shouldn’t. But walking around with a hole in your blog could be embarassing, especially if you don’t know about it.

Here’s a checklist to make sure your blog’s (ahem) vital parts are covered.

Blog Review Checklist

Sure it takes time to review your blog. It takes even more to make tweaks and changes. But you invest so much time blogging. Doesn’t it seem worth it?

A rule of good publishing says, Spare the reader not yourself. In the end, you won’t be sorry.

–ME “Liz” Strauss





Filed under Audience, Blog Review, Checklists, Successful Blog, Survival Kit | 41 Comments »




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41 Comments to “Blog Review Checklist”

  1. October 25th, 2005 at 11:43 am
    Blog Blog » Blog Archive » Blog Style said

    [...] Your website is still the portal where the majority of your readers will view your content and as such should be updated regularly (we’re talking site design here since updating blog content is a given). Liz Strauss of Successful-Blog has got a great checklist of things to look for when building (or re-designing) your site and Jennifer Sullivan over at SEO chat has got a great argument for why you should use CSS for its design. [...]

  2. October 25th, 2005 at 2:45 pm
    ME "Liz" Strauss said

    Thanks for sharing your link with us. It might be nice had you also shared your name.

  3. October 25th, 2005 at 2:54 pm
    Sam said

    Good stuff! It would probably make sense to add “Delivery Options” to this list. Be able to offer your RSS feed and the ability to add to my yahoo, bloglines, etc right off the bat. If not on the front page, then somewhere obvious. Options, readers like options.

  4. October 25th, 2005 at 2:55 pm
    Sam said

    Under second read, I guess that would probably already be covered under design and marketing. Carry on…

  5. October 25th, 2005 at 3:16 pm
    Ross said

    Please note that the first comment was not posted by me and I do not know who did or why. I loved the post and linked/referred to both the author and blog in my original entry.

  6. October 25th, 2005 at 3:24 pm
    Sam said

    @Ross/Liz: It’s a trackback. It’s done automatically by most blogging software when you reference a post in your own blog. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrackBack

  7. October 25th, 2005 at 3:48 pm
    ME "Liz" Strauss said

    Sam,
    It makes sense though to be explicit. I’ll add that into the checklist. under Marketing as you suggested.

    Liz

  8. October 25th, 2005 at 3:51 pm
    ME "Liz" Strauss said

    Thanks Ross,
    The mistake is probably mine.

    Thanks Sam. For that Trackback clarification. I’ve been confused for quite a while about exactly how a TrackBack works. I’ll leave my remark of shame (blush) for all to see.

    smiles, Liz

  9. October 25th, 2005 at 7:50 pm
    Hello, Hanni here » Successful Blog said

    [...] Survival Kit (1) [...]

  10. October 25th, 2005 at 10:13 pm
    Jon said

    I think it was more likely a pingback, not a trackback.

    A trackback is purposeful in that the author of the entry has to enter the trackback URI of the post s/he wishes to trackback to when publishing the post.

    A pingback is automatic in that if I include a URI in any entry, my blogware will send a pingback to that URI. If the receiving blogware is able to handle pingbacks then the excerpt from the pinging entry will be inserted as a comment in the pinged blog.

    Since Ross has no knowledge of that comment (which he would if he purposely trackbacked you) then I would think it was an automatec pingback from his WP installation to yours.

  11. October 25th, 2005 at 11:45 pm
    ME "Liz" Strauss said

    Thanks Jon for that explanation. I always thought the two were the same thing, but it makes total sense now that you explain it. Even the words seem self-explanatory. I appreciate your stopping by.

    smiles,
    Liz

  12. October 26th, 2005 at 8:16 am
    Martin (HomeOfficeVoice) said

    Yep, Jon is exactly right on this. WP automatically pingbacks when a link is placed in a post to another WP blog’s post.

    Many people get the two confused.

  13. October 26th, 2005 at 9:13 am
    ME "Liz" Strauss said

    I’m new to Word Press by about 10 days now. It’s got it’s glories, but I drive a five on the floor. I’ll never be totally comfortable with machines, in this case software deciding things for me. :)

    Thanks to you nad Jon. At least I won’t be getting confused about what it is anymore.
    Liz

  14. October 28th, 2005 at 10:08 am
    CT Biz Blogs said

    A blog review checklist

    When you first begin blogging, you’re pretty much talking to yourself. It takes time and effort for readers to appear. When you talk to yourself, it’s easy to forget that the people you want to talk to have a different context; you tend …

  15. October 28th, 2005 at 10:12 am
    CT Biz Blogs » Blog Archive » Resource: A blog review checklist said

    [...] Wake-up call! That was exactly what I needed to hear. There was a “hole” in my blog, to use a phrase from this useful article, Blog Review Checklist, from what is fast becoming one of my “must read” blogs, Successful Blog. (Plus, they also use WordPress as their blogging platform, which I use and love.) [...]

  16. October 28th, 2005 at 10:41 am
    ME "Liz" Strauss said

    CT Biz Blogs point out a common pitfall we all can fall into–doing things one way because that’s how we learned it.

    Thanks for adding to the conversation, CT Biz!

  17. October 28th, 2005 at 11:31 am
    Sabine Kirstein said

    Re: trackbacks and pingbacks; Well, I guess I demonstrated both a pingback and a trackback!

    I have a WordPress blog, and put the trackback URL into the trackback field in the editing form. I forgot that WordPress pingsback other WordPress blogs. So I wound up leaving 2 entries in here. It looks to me as if the first entry is the trackback, and the second is the pingback. Neither one has my name.

    Maybe that’s something I need to format in my admin desktop. Oh boy, more holes.

  18. October 28th, 2005 at 11:46 am
    ME "Liz" Strauss said

    Well, first of all no harm done. Twice the attention is better than none. :) The place to check out your settings is options Discussion. I think you’re right about which is which based on the format.

    But no worries. Word Press holds many mysteries for people just learning it. I’m blogger trained so I’m in heaven right now.
    Liz

  19. November 7th, 2005 at 7:58 am
    David’s Link Blog » Blog review checklist said

    [...] Posted in Uncategorized at 11:55 am by I found quite a cool a blog checklist designed to increase traffic and I thought it would be nothing short of hilarious, and somewhat telling, to see what would happen if I applied it to this site, here goes: [...]

  20. November 7th, 2005 at 9:34 am
    ME "Liz" Strauss said

    David,
    Thanks for thinking my checklist worth talking about.
    Liz

  21. November 10th, 2005 at 9:02 am
    Pingback Fishing and Trackback Hunting | GreatNexus Webmaster Blog said

    [...] The two are very similar and the only distinction I make is that pingback is done automatically by blog application like WordPress to all the links found in the post, whereas, trackback is done manually using “the send trackbacks” to input box. Believe it or not, I came across this distinction while reading comments made to an excellent Blog Review Checklist by Hanni. [...]

  22. November 10th, 2005 at 9:29 am
    ME Strauss said

    Thanks for thinking my Blog Review Checklist was worth sharing with your readers. :)
    Liz

  23. November 10th, 2005 at 3:10 pm
    Directory Listings as Blog Promotion » Successful Blog said

    [...] The blog looks great. You’ve been through the Blog Review Checklist. You’ve got several posts with great titles and compelling content–to let readers know you’ll be around, when they come back. Now it’s time to let people know that you exist. [...]

  24. December 3rd, 2005 at 2:05 pm
    Checklist for Linking to Quality Blogs » Successful Blog said

    [...] This second checklist: Checklist for Linking to Quality Blogs serves both of those purposes. It differs from the original Blog Review Checklist in the point of view and in the way the questions are worded. The values in this checklist are approached from a readers’ point of view. I hope you find it helpful for defining quality blogs around the Internet. 1. Audience: What words would you use to describe the blog? What do you find most engaging about this site? 2. Purpose: What is the purpose of this blog? Is the purpose stated plainly where you can see it? How well does the blog meet that purpose? 3. Content: How well does the content support the purpose? Is the content quality, relevant, readable, interesting, accurate, entertaining, and appropriate for the audience? 4. Design: How well does the look of the blog communicate the kind of blog it is? Is navigation easy and intutive? Do items flow naturally from the first to the next? Do the color palette, image, and type choices support the content or call attention away from it? 5. Posts: Are the posts on a consistent schedule? Do they offer variety and interest within the blog’s purpose and theme? 6. Comments: Does the blog writer read and respond to comments to form a sense of community? Do you get a sense of community at this blog? 7. Technical Issues: Did the blog load fast in your browser? Was the experience more confusing or fun? 8. Writing: Is the writing clear and respectful of readers? Does the writing voice let readers know who the writer really is? Is the blog essentially free of errors in grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation? 9. Organization: Are there categories to draw you into the backlist? Is there an archive feature of “Golden Oldiesâ€? that you would have interest in exploring? Are the Categories named things that you can understand? 10. Marketing: How would you promote this blog, if it were yours? 11. Persuading the Writer: If you are thinking of asking to link with this blog, what do you know about the blogger? What does your content bring that will add value to this blog? How might you persuade the blogger that your blog will enhance his or her readers’ experience? Find three specific links that show how your quality content ties relevantly to this blog’s content. Use this information to write a compelling argument for making a link. [...]

  25. December 8th, 2005 at 3:07 am
    Blog Design Checklist » Successful Blog said

    [...] Blog Review Checklist [...]

  26. January 23rd, 2006 at 5:36 pm
    CT Biz Blogs » Blog Archive » Who’s your audience? said

    [...] Today I want to revisit Liz’s Successful Blog post about the Blog Review Checklist. This is a great resource not only for reviewing an existing blog, but also for organizing your thoughts if you’re just starting to blog. [...]

  27. May 27th, 2006 at 4:33 am
    David Neawedde said

    Great Advice! Thanks!

  28. June 25th, 2006 at 10:00 am
    Mike said

    Great useful tips. Really takes in consideration of the viewers perspective.

  29. June 25th, 2006 at 11:53 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mike,
    Glad you found it useful. I get charge out of making things that people can walk away with and immediately put to work. YEA!

    Come again! You’re not a friend here.

  30. August 25th, 2006 at 5:47 am
    Free Marketing Resources | FMR » Must Read 25-08-2006 said

    [...] Get it at Successful Blog. [...]

  31. September 7th, 2006 at 6:56 am
    Liz Strauss [dot] com Setting Up a Home 3: Prelaunch Blog Review Checklist said

    [...] In an effort to avoid this problem, you might consult the Blog Review Checklist I developed for reviewing existng blogs. However, the version below has the questions that need to be considered when launching a brand-new blog. [...]

  32. June 7th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
    Blog Review Checklist « bloggersblurt.wordpress.com said

    [...] Jan 27th, 2007 by timethief When started this blog I consulted what Liz Strauss had to say in her article written for Successful and Outstanding Bloggers. IMO Liz’s Blog Review Checklist is is one of the most useful blogging tools around. I’ve copied part of the checklist list below and you will find the whole article at this link. [...]

  33. July 18th, 2007 at 4:00 am
    Send Me Your Flagship Content Links! @ chrisg.com said

    [...] Here is one of many of my favourite posts from Liz [...]

  34. February 7th, 2008 at 10:33 am
    Take Your Blog to the Next Level Using this Checklist of Over 200 Blog Review Questions | Carnival of Coaches said

    [...] your blog is at and where might you want to take it.  He thanks Michael Martine and Liz Strauss for their assistance and inspiration on the project.The categories and questions are extremely [...]

  35. February 18th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
    Building a blog with readers in mind « one cool site said

    [...] Blog Review Checklist Adapted from Liz Strauss [...]

  36. April 1st, 2008 at 9:54 am
    Scott said

    Hello Liz!

    Thank you for a very help set of pointers for setting up a new blog.

    I’m currently researching to start my first blog and, sometimes, I feel like a Scottish cowboy trying to lasso cattle as I learn about blogging…

    For example, in all my travels, I’ve still to find a post that explains HOW to add content to a pre-launch blog i.e. using WordPress without making the blog live/ without it pinging or being seen before launch day.

    The nearest I’ve found is how to install WordPress on your pc- hardly simple e.g. transferring the content-filled blog up to your server for the first time etc.

    If there’s a better way to build a blog prior to launch day, I’d love to find out.

    Still lassoing…

  37. April 1st, 2008 at 6:49 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Scott,
    Those are good questions all.
    In short, you’re making it too hard.

    Write the posts as drafts. Then fire them all on the day that you launch, giving them any date that you want.
    (be realistic)

    No need to install WordPress on your pc really — unless you’re self hosting, but it sure seems that way until you understands how it all works.

  38. April 2nd, 2008 at 12:03 am
    Scott said

    Bingo!!! With that one suggestion, you’ve helped solve the mystery of how to create my pre-launch blog.

    As with most solutions, the key is simplicity- the more familiar I become with the “tools”, the easier it should become to focus on the important stuff like the content (I’m raring to go on that one!)

    I’m a new subscriber to Successful Blog because, even though I’m currently at the planning/ researching, I value the ideas and advice shared here by both yourself and your readers.

    It’s excellent, so thank you. :-)

  39. May 8th, 2008 at 11:23 am
    The Ultimate Guide to a Wildly Sticky, Successful and Outstanding Blog - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once. said

    [...] be a much more relaxed blogger if you have a sense of where you fit. You might want to take the Blog Review Checklist — the most comprehensive evaluation review tool. It’s backed by 20 years of working with readers and how they interact with text (online and [...]

  40. December 1st, 2008 at 12:05 am
    10 Bloggers' Checklists You Should Review | vAssistant Services said

    [...] Liz Strauss recommends you look at your blog the way your readers do and plug the holes in your blog with her Blog Review Checklist. [...]

  41. January 12th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
    links for 2009-01-09 | BlueWave Media - BlueWave Media Cafe said

    [...] Blog Review Checklist – Liz Strauss at Successful Blog – Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You… When was the last time you looked at your blog the way your readers do? If you write only for yourself, you look at it that way every day. . . . You are your audience. You’re done. (tags: webdesign marketing business website blogs blogging blog tips checklist) Please Share and Enjoy: [...]

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