Contents
It is not uncommon for most bloggers to make wrong decisions during the initial journey of their careers. There are many beginner blogging mistakes most bloggers do when they starting out their career. Even the topmost bloggers of today might have made huge errors at their starting journey. However, many bloggers don’t care to undo those mistakes while a few ones constantly review and upgrade their blogs- and that’s the differentiator between a failed blog and a revenue-generating blog with global recognition.
In this post, I am going to talk about some common and a few uncommon mistakes made by new bloggers.
Mistake 1: Not following visual branding practices
Many new bloggers conveniently ignore the saying that still holds- A picture is worth a thousand words which underlines the immense impact of layout and site design in building your brand. They end up investing in a layout with limited controls over visual elements which restricts your branding efforts. Many new bloggers are a bit too relaxed when it comes to creating a visual branding strategy for their blog. They think that posting valuable content and social media sharing is enough for branding. They don’t concentrate on the branding aspect of their visual layout.
Mistake 2: Getting overwhelmed by upselling tactics
If you want to enjoy a long-term career in blogging, you certainly need a self-hosted WordPress site to start and run the blogging site. But when you search for a hosting plan and a domain name, many providers present you with a chaotic collection of options with an extra price tag for each. As a beginner, your main objective is to deliver a positive user experience. So, it’s enough to get a unique domain name and buy WordPress hosting plan that assures a reliable, fast-loading website. You don’t need add-on services in the beginning. Start small and scale up gradually as your blog grows.
Mistake 3: Choosing an irrelevant or substandard theme
As the theme represents the brand it can have a subtle yet deep impact on visitor’s mindset as well. Many bloggers buy cheap WordPress templates to save a few dollars. That’s a costly mistake. Shabby themes create distrust and may prevent people from making a purchase or subscribing to your blog. Likewise, the mismatch between the business/brand statement and a theme can also raise doubt about their genuineness. Just like the interiors of your brick and mortar shop the WordPress plays a vital role in attracting people and keeping them engaged for long.
Mistake 4: Ignoring the ultimate Security of your content
Content is your asset and so is the database of your customers/readers. So, ultimate security here means taking backups of this vital data on a daily basis. It will make it easier for you to quickly bring your business back on the track even after the your site is hacked or damaged. Cyberattacks are registering a hefty growth every year and the attackers aren’t targeting any specific businesses or sectors. So, fortifying WordPress security isn’t enough. You should also make a solid bounce-back strategy to minimize post-attack damage to the business.
Mistake 5: Not setting up a Contact Form
So, while your blog is still in the initial stage, you can utilize this time to do your homework for marketing strategy. Collect the information, make subscribers and help visitors know more about your passion and profession. The beginners generally have the notion that it will take time before their blog gets recognition and then they will start working on the marketing tactics. However, blogging is a field with heavy competition which means agility is the key to success.