Note: I originally posted this survey when I was thinking about changing my WordPress.com theme. The answers provided by my readers eventually convinced me to switch to WordPress.ORG, where I have more control over the specifics of my blog’s appearance. Survey results are shown in blue below. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your thoughtful opinions. And if you have more ideas for improvements, please let me know—blogging is always a work in progress!
1. How readable is the style of the LifeLines blog? (consider headlines, type size, column width, colors, etc.)
a. It’s perfect, don’t change a thing! 46%
b. It’s a strain, but I read it as a favor to Melanie 0%
c. It’s ok, but it could be better 15%
d. Other 38%, with the following comments—
-
- I like the ones with a mix of writing and pictures the best.
- Don’t change on my account! LOL
- I’m sure whatever new design you come up with will be just as nice.
- A font with a serif would be much better!
- I like the green—it symbolizes life to me.
I ask the above question because I’m thinking about changing my blog theme, which would affect not only the overall appearance, but also things like the default font, the size of the post’s headline, where the page tabs are located, and more. I think such a change might be an improvement, but if you readers are happy “as is,” I don’t want to mess with that!
2. Are you on Facebook?
a. Yes 100%
b. No
a
I myself have a personal profile on Facebook, and I also have a Facebook page for LifeLines, which I haven’t made much use of. I’m wondering if I should be paying more attention to my Facebook presence, perhaps by forwarding this blog to Facebook. Leave me a comment if you think that’s a good idea.
3. Which posts do you enjoy most?
a. Posts in the “Faith” category (sharing my part in God’s story) 29%
b. Posts in the “Diversity” category (sharing stories about race and culture) 23%
c. Posts in the “Reviews” category (sharing thoughts about other people’s stories and story-telling devices) 20%
d. Posts with lots of photos 10%
e. Posts with video 6%
f. Posts in the “Writing” category (helping others share their stories) 6%
g. Other 6%, with the following comments—
-
- Short posts
- That one with all the fun words!
As I mentioned in “Why (do I) blog?“, my tagline is “helping you share your story.” That’s what this blog is all about. But how does that help you? I’d like to know if I’m meeting a need.
4. Why do you read the LifeLines blog?
a. It’s good for my spiritual journey 26%
b. To learn something new 21%
c. I’m a fellow blogger 21%
d. As a favor to Melanie 11%
e. I’m thinking about writing a memoir 5%
f. It’s good for my business 0%
g. I don’t really read it; I subscribe, but I delete it when it lands in my inbox 0%
h. Other 16%, with the following comments—
-
- I enjoy reading it.
- One day I will write my memoirs.
- I like the clear and succinct way Melanie writes about her topics.
a
Honestly, part of the reason I’m asking this question (and question 3) is that I want to attract more subscribers. I would love your help with this. If you have friends, co-workers, or family members who might benefit from the information I post here, please invite them to subscribe! And please use the buttons below to help me get the word out! When you “Like” a post, it shows up in your Facebook news feed, so all the people in your Facebook network will see that you like what I’ve written. And when you “Share” something I’ve written, you’re posting the blog link to your Facebook wall, so all your friends can click on it! I don’t know if I’ll get any more subscribers this way, but it can’t hurt!
Do you have other ideas about how I can share this blog with more people? Or should I not worry about that?
Related posts:
Melanie,
I may not comment on a lot of your posts, but I enjoy hearing your thoughts on a variety of subjects. Keep Bloggin’!
Jim, thanks so much! It’s good to know you’re out there. :)
Hi Melanie, I think you are wise to do this. You know the old saying, “An unexamined life is not worth…. Well an unexamined blog is well, a very public diary.
Know that I appreciate the time it takes to write and post. I love seeing the world through your eyes.
Toni, it’s always good to hear from you! Thanks for these encouraging words. I know how busy you are, and I appreciate your taking the time to not only read Lifelines but to stop by and comment.
Thank you!
Hi Mel, I will respond to one part of your question. I have connected my blog, “johnklompmaker.wordpress.com,” to Facebook. Don’t ask my how I did it, but I like the result. I am finding that FB is one active means by which others are finding my blog. Shalom. Oh, now I need to find a short statement for my blog also…..maybe, let the chips fall where they may? Naw, I’ll keep working.
Yeah, the advantage of Facebook is that people are already there, and there’s a pre-existing culture of interaction. The main disadvantage I see is that if people enter the conversation over on Facebook, and not here on the blog itself, those interactions don’t show up in my stats, so I don’t have a true picture of which posts are really engaging people. Plus, people are usually on Facebook for social reasons, and they don’t necessarily want to be marketed to.
What I’m trying to do for now is: post a link on Facebook each time I post a new blog. That way, if the Facebook crowd is curious, they can click the link and come back here to read the whole thing. I also include the “like” button on my blog, so if people read something here, they can “like” it, and it will show up on their news feed in Facebook.
As for your tagline, are you looking for something to replace “re-using, recycling, and redeeming old wood”? That was something I put there when I set up your blog, because I remembered the warmth in your voice when you were telling me about finding old furniture and transforming it into Christmas ornaments. I like the idea of “redeeming” a piece that someone else had thrown away.