Get a Good Review.
So, I've been in the sphere for well over six years now and i find myself more than qualified to pass a judgement or two.
So, if your looking for a good review. Post here and we'll take it from there.
So nice of you :)
This is Siddharth from Coimbatore. An amateur blogger. Would really be of great favour, if you could give a critical analysis of my blog.
Thank you.
Okay! Let's see.
1. Wordpress has cooler layouts, look around and you'll find exactly what your want. Don't settle for everything, experiment.
2. Replace the large "follow me on: " icons for smaller ones, try Add this
3. Tags Tools and Categories need to go, i'd chose better widgets or make do with a minimal look for your page.
4. Unless, its something personal, it is a good idea to give the translation to the vernacular text alongside the original. For those who don't understand.
5. Your writing is simple, straight from the mind. which is very good, but try and experiment with language. I am sure you'll bring out something unique.
6. Last but very important, font justify your posts.
Alright.
Too many posts on a page, a maximum of 4 is good. I'd recommend replacing the "archive" widget for a "latest posts" and additionally maybe a calendar/drop-down.
I'd also advice changing the default font type to something that suits your style of writing, since your into story writing, pick something that works well with that. There is no exact science, experimentation works - try Trebuchet MS and font justify.
I like the green but if your good with editing, extend the size of your post body to cover the large green on both sides into something smaller.
As for the writing, your good to go. Although, there's a certain beauty to description over direct speech. Think about it!
So nice of you. This is my blog URL
http://cresloga.wordpress.com/
Would like to know your thought on my blog
Bad header. Work harder on it. Otherwise, I like the layout mostly,
Way too many entries on a single page - Reduce to 4 maybe 5 max.
In the Blogroll section, u still have the default links to wordpress, what for?
Also, Recent Posts and Cresloga look like the same thing. Just use the RSS signature instead.
As for writing, i'd check Grammar and like i tell everyone i come across. Font justify;
I however, appreciate the photo to post alignment; very professional and decent.
Thank you for your feedback. Will look into it
Bad header. Work harder on it. Otherwise, I like the layout mostly,
Way too many entries on a single page - Reduce to 4 maybe 5 max.
In the Blogroll section, u still have the default links to wordpress, what for?
Also, Recent Posts and Cresloga look like the same thing. Just use the RSS signature instead.
As for writing, i'd check Grammar and like i tell everyone i come across. Font justify;
I however, appreciate the photo to post alignment; very professional and decent.
Thanks Rahul. I'm planning to work on it this weekend.
Im not against using standard pre-designed layouts but i'd suggest some experimentation. Even in wordpress where you dont get too many chances to work with whats given to you, one has to try.
Yours is a very old Blogger layout, there is so much more to do these days. Extra unused widgets on the right, Learn how to work with html. simple delete would remove these widgets. Are google ads getting you any business? if not - lose em.
About me comes on top before all other widgets. Visitor locations - pointless. Very long page, minimize post numbers.
I like the idea of signatures, see if u can find a better place for them, right bottom corner maybe.
But i like the research gone into your writing, adopt a style!
hi there, please review mine too..it wil be of great favour, thanks already 
.
Ill start once again with font justify;
next, the post background, the first dim black background before the orange part cud use a bit more width (in case editable) to accommodate your about me better.
Id remove "library thing" and replace it with that Facebook badge from the left.
Also bring Blog archive to the right below followers or even replace archive with "recent entries"
Otherwise your page is pretty simple, no use of the chatbox though, i think u shud re- install once u get more traffic.
As for the writing, grammar needs improvement. Otherwise your alright, i like the fact tht u express urself in detail - pretty rare quality to have.
thanks so much! i wil sure work on it...
Hi Somebody Somewhere.
Another member of Indiblogger introduced me to your blog. It would be a major understatement to say your blog does not deserve a rank of 36.
Feel free to check out my blog and review it. Thanks. Hope you are well.
I am well. Thank You.
Oh my ratings are low because i am infrequent, i have bouts i guess - i tend to go on hiatus every now and then. Another member you say, pray tell who?
Now, for the quick review:
My very first impression of your page was, well crowded. Intelligent but crowded.
There are so many things, im not sure most readers will have the chance to choose what to read from so much material. My guess is most of the stuff is imprortant, and you wouldn't want to remove them. So, next best thing, shirnk number of posts to either one or two per page.
Your bloglink title makes it clear ur a "punditcommentator", so i'd change the blog header into something more than just those same words. Experiment.
Way too many widgets on the side, if you take my advice and reduce post number to one or two, ull see that it will do justice to remove a few widgets too.
I'd remove labels and archive and use an "About me" instead. Tell the readers why ur really a "pundit commentator"
I like the work, otherwise.
And your welcome.
@SS:
Hey there. Just saw this. Thanks for taking a look.
I hear you about the site looking crowded, especially the sidebar. I'm just not quite sure what to do about that.
The theme of the blog is so broad that I need the blog archive and the full categories list and the popular post list on the sidebar - I cover news and politics and human interest and fun off-topic stuff and I don't know what will attract the eye of each reader.
I need the Alexa badge because it boosts the stupid Alexa score since most readers do not have a toolbar. (And everybody at Indiblogger tells me Alexa is very imp but I've forgotten why - lol)
I want to keep track of my readers since they come in from all over the world so I need the Feedjit but am willing to consider prettier alternatives that provide the same information. I was just looking at revolver maps...what about site counter? What do you suggest?
There is an About page up on top, along with a Contact page - and another row of categories to make it easier to browse the site.
Could you elaborate on why you feel 1-2 posts per page would be good? (The custom template I installed does not make it easy to switch this if you are not proficient in html so I need to be convinced this is a hindrance to readers)
Thanks for taking the time to give your honest constructive feedback.
Oh, it was Animesh Misra. I think he came across you on one of these forum threads. I don't think he's been a long time reader or anything.
The idea is for you to have some kind of uniformity in your page. Notwithstanding the fact that your cover a variety of subjects, it might do some good for the page to reflect a single purpose.
You can move everything thats spread out into a more minimal form. Eg. Archive collapse into archive dropdown. The labels can be made into a prettier tar cloud, look around for blog tools that help u do tht.
As for the pressing need to have counters, ranks, i'd move them all to the footel instead of the side.
I havent been on blogger in forever, but im hoping there's a setting that lets u custom the number of posts in a page with no need to edit any html. I am not sure abt this though, i know WP has it. As for the why, its because i think you lose a lot of readers because they think the page is too complicated to be interesting. Let me explain, if you have a strong readerbase already, im sure they will stay loyal even if u change the layout. Now think about the many who just come in for the first time, its better if u give them something specific to take back so they come back again and the second time they will get to exploring u in detail.
There is a vast chance that many readers come and go simply because they think ur just another news site. Also, remember ur writing a blog and not an actual info website. Keep it bloglike.
Edit typo: * Tag cloud
Also, I did see the about and contact on top but i think it should be more prominent. Since ur work is aimed at informing readers, it might do some good to show off ur credibility more clearly. Let people know whose writing and why he should be read.
@SS:
Hey, I'm not sure I understand how listing only 1-2 posts on the homepage helps. :-(
My technical problem with a newly installed custom nonBlogger authorized template aside, I still don't really understand why keeping a single post on the homepage would entice readers. Wouldn't a whole week's worth of news commentary be better from the point of view of attracting first time visitors?
Could you take a look at the sidebar now - I changed the blog archive format and restored the size of the labels cloud to it's previous reduced size. I'm iffy on the double placement of the Pages widget but you wanted more prominence. What do you think?
Re: About Page, I hear you, believe me, but I'd like to keep it as is for now. I'm sure I'll tweak it as time goes on. :)
I'd never heard of Alexa prior to indiblogger and I would have removed it along with all the other badges I took off when I redesigned the blog had it not been for the traffic counting issue.
I really don't know what to do with Feedjit - can't put that huge thing in the footer. Perhaps it is time to switch to stat counter/revolving map.
I'm glad you picked up on the fact that it is most definitely not a news site. :) The content of my posts make that abundantly clear. But the frequency and breadth of my posts required a suitable template to match. So far, the response to this template has been nothing but positive. If I find one that suits the work better 3 months from now, I won't hesitate to change the template.
Okay. Looks a lot better.
Let me know how it goes in a few months.
@SS
Thanks so much for your inputs and for such a detailed review. I really appreciate it. Hope all else is well.
All is well.
Ah! ill spare more than 5.
The magazine look for a gaming site. Sure.
Remove from the vault and wiki countries. i dont know something doesnt feel right about the two.
Images before each post, could do with "center align"
Otherwise, your good to go. Although i'd pick images with better quality. Some seem blurred. Try not to shrink images to a size that they cant take.
I'll keep it simple and in bullets.
1. Header Image
2. Same font for posts
3. Font align Justify posts
4. Too Long a page, so reduce posts per page and add a calendar of previous posts.
5. Lose the Archives widget, andif u insist on having it- make it drop down.
Lets start here...then we can work on customizing it further. As for the writing, i like the fact tht ur trying to express ur thoughts as ellaborately as possible. I suggest u read more blogs first. it might help u trigger a writing style thats unique to u and more interesting to read.
Your Welcome.
My blog: http://alightheartedtalk.blogspot.com
By the way, I don't get to underastnd why you include so much of multimedia content like too many videos and images. It is taking too much time to load.
Tis' one entry. It loads fine on most networks.
Now for the review,
I like your page, for the most part its organized. Simple and easy to browse.
I think u shud work on a header image instead of plain text.
Add more spice to the Menu/Meta/Pages - mostly bgcolor i think.
Also, sicne i find ur blog somewhat personalised , u can consider custom text for "comments" or "written by" or "read more"
Otherwise, good to go.
Hey dude !
We guys have been blogging for jus over 2 months now !
Yeah,you read it right... It's a WE.
We have our own team writing for us ! Planning to start our own website soon !
Plz do let us know ur comments/suggestions/ideas !
And oh , we have a FB fan page too , with over 100 members ! Jus search for "CRAPTIVATE" , you'll get it !
http://badabingbadabambadaboom.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/un-written-rules-in-indian-engineering-universities/ is the link !
Good Stuff. Your looking for me to review ur blog or this particular post?
Am looking for a review. Jus posted our most popular post. Thats all !
ok.
I like it, a lot. Excellent widget work. great mix of photo and content.
Few pointers though, fewer posts per page cud make navigation simpler. I could definitely see a better header. Something more exciting and colorful.
But, ur good to go just as u are.
One up!
Hey! Review my blog and be frank enough to let me know anything you think about it! Here is the link:
http://sandhya-unique-unicorn.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
Wishes,
Sandhya.
I love the title, for starters. Maybe u can get a better header to show it off.
I think you should font align justify uour posts for better presentation. Otherwise, i think your intention was to keep the loo simple, and you've pretty much done that.
No questions, hands down one of the best organised blogs ive seen around. For the all that content - you've found a place for them all.
Good work.
