Recent Blog Entries
What is your site about?
Written by Tyme White on October 5, 2006
I’m going to be looking through hundreds of submissions. I go to your site, I’ve never been there before (unless you were smart and made me a friend so I could check out your site) so I’m sitting there, looking at YOUR site. First thing I’m going to want to know: what do you write about? I do have communities to fill.
I should be able to quickly find this out with categories (tags). Or something on the about page. Or something on the front page. If you have a tag cloud, that’s awesome (I’m putting one on my site) because that lets me know, at a glance, what topics you talk about most. I can click on the larger tags, see if you’re still writing about those topics, and I have an idea where your site should be placed.
What I dread, is the archive list with nothing to tell me what your site is about. See, unless it is a commercial site on a specific topic, most writers tend to write about a multitude of things. If I cannot quickly figure it out, imagine new readers coming to your site for the first time. They aren’t going to stick around long to find out.
October 5th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
For WordPress users I recommend some sort of Extended Archives plugin and at least the Ultimate Tag Warrior. They make my site archives look pretty good.
October 5th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Maybe that’s why I’m trying to write on about 10 different blogs, haha.
October 5th, 2006 at 7:00 pm
+1. i’m in the process of putting both back on my site after a recent re-theming.
October 5th, 2006 at 8:22 pm
If my site was rejected in round 4, do you recommend that I don’t resubmit for this next round?
October 5th, 2006 at 8:39 pm
I enjoyed these thoughts! I’m in the process of creating a new site which will include be organized much better…hopefully it can be used as an educational resource!
October 5th, 2006 at 9:31 pm
I agree with Devin, the ultimate tag warrior is pretty sweet. I love the tags could I have on flickr. It is a good idea to look for a plugin for wordpress.
Thank you for the reflection Tyme. Very helpful.
October 5th, 2006 at 10:12 pm
I don’t think guests will have a problem figuring out what I am writing about, since it is only about one topic, but I will try and my even more apparent; not sure how I will do that, since I can’t do categories nor clouds (don’t know how to do it)
October 5th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
[...] Tyme over at the 9rules network asks a very good question, namely — What is your site about?. I should be able to quickly find this out with categories (tags). Or something on the about page. Or something on the front page. If you have a tag cloud, that’s awesome (I’m putting one on my site) because that lets me know, at a glance, what topics you talk about most. [...]
October 5th, 2006 at 11:42 pm
I tried UTW, but I not sure why it refused to work. Anyway I have my Live Archive Waiting for you
BTW, Are you on Orkut ?
October 6th, 2006 at 4:21 am
Bah! I tag posts into categories, but don’t have the list viewable on the main page. I have, however, got the ELA plugin installed. Not quite the same, but i like it.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:17 am
hi tyme, my first time commenting.
although I am not submitting my site, I really appreciate these posts, thanks!
I think you mentioned the email one before and that was exactly what I was doing, so I started posting a reply on the site, as well as sending the email (for some comments), but I only get like 5 people to my site a day so I can do that
thanks again.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:24 am
jack, if the site has improved, why not?
Shaz, as your site starts to gain some popularity (and you’re on WordPress) it may be wise to install the Subscribe to Comments plugin. Comments can choose to get an email when anyone posts a comment after you.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:01 am
I define my blog by categories. Most of the categories I write about have been falling under “life” and “body & soul”. I’m not at all writing about the latest drug to try for that miracle cure. But I could say that avuee at this moment is about growth and personal development. I mean after all, I did have a summer from Hell.
October 6th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
This is all very exciting.
I tracked back to this post using the link suggested above and it hasn’t appeared here. I noticed one trackback comment from smackFoo. Any suggestions?
thanks,
David
October 6th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
[...] Tyme White over at 9rules is posting hints as to what she’s looking for in the next blog submission round. This post, “What is your site about?”, nudges potential applicants to make sure their site has a clear focus. Do you think my “About” intro sums it up? Does my site offer what it claims? I like feedback. [...]
October 6th, 2006 at 1:15 pm
I think I figured it out. Using wordpress, there’s a place at the bottom of the post edit page where the trackback url is placed. My apologies.
There are some good suggestions for organizing categories here in the comments, and especially in SmackFoo’s post.
David
October 10th, 2006 at 12:04 am
[...] Of course, failing that, just remember one thing when you’re reviewing my site, Tyme. You and I are Facebook friends. [...]
October 17th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
I do find that tag clouds can sometimes be annoying. Make sure you use them in the appropriate way. I was looking for blogs on a topic and went to this one site. There was NOTHING on what I was looking for until I found, in the large black space, hidden words, a tag cloud, that happened to have the topic I was looking up. That was the ONLY thing on his whole site that had to do with my topic, a single word.
Please be responsible with your tag clouds!
October 19th, 2006 at 11:33 pm
Facebook and 9rules…
With so much work on my plate (the big project that can’t be named yet = working into the wee hours seven days a week), this morning I’m moving slow into the day. There has just been too many late nights and not enough time goofing off. I n…
October 24th, 2006 at 11:38 pm
[...] Tyme White, the 9Rules site selector and co-founder, believes that content is king and she needs to be able to easily identify what your site is all about. She recommends tag clouds and she “dreads long archive lists” which tell her nothing. Since she has communities to fill, if she can’t quickly determine site content, she’ll not going to stick around to find out. Ms. White also mentioned she is looking for curb appeal. This is the first impression someone has when they see your site (or a house from the street.) [...]