Mini-Session 4: (Why) Navigation is Important to You and Your Readers

Joe Hauckes

Liz has invited me to be a “speaker” at this Virtual Version of SOBCon07. I’m not really sure why she picked me, but I was more than happy to accept. So, whether you are able to attend the Conference in 3D in May or in 2D Now, Everyone is Welcome to join in Today at the SOBCon07 Virtual Version.

(Why) Navigation is Important to You and Your Readers

What’s the most annoying thing you encounter when you are looking for something specific? Let’s say you already found a Blog that looks promising as a place to get some answers to some questions you may have. You see the original article you landed on, but you have more questions.

You go through “Archives”. You hit the “Previous post” and “Next post” links in search of some specific information but you can’t seem to find what you are looking for. You know it should be there somewhere (and it very well could be) but you just can’t seem to find it.

What do you do next? You go somewhere else to find what you need.

That’s where NAVIGATION comes in…

When someone visits your Blog, especially for the first time, you need to give them a way to find other things that could be of interest to them. You want to draw them deeper into your site. In order to do that you should give them access to the places they can find what they are looking for by providing things like Series You Have Written, some of your Most Popular Posts and Posts related to the subject of the post they landed on.

Show them your Recent Posts so they can get a better idea of the overal Theme and Subject Matter of your Blog. Provide a Category List covering the various topics you have covered previously.

Put links to the Most Recent Comments and any Special Projects you have running at the time. Invite visitors to join in, let them know you want them to be part of your community. The more Intra-links you provide the deeper new readers might dig to find information and possibly become Loyal Readers and Friends.

The only way I can achive my objective to help out others working at home is to makeit easy for them to READ what I’ve WRITTEN. And this can Best be accomplished by providing really Good NAVIGATION to other posts on My Blog.

What are your thoughts about NAVIGATION? Can you think of other reasons NAVIGATION is important to you? Your Readers?

Thank you, Joe!
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Visit Joe’s Blog Working at Home on the Internet where his main objective is to help others through my experiences in Working at Home by writing helpful articles. .–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Let’s open the Q&A . . .

I’ll go first, Joe, what’s your biggest frustration when navigating blogs?

During the Virtual Conference today, you can take $100 off registration to SOBCon 07.