This guest post is by the Blog Tyrant.
The Blog Tyrant is a 26 year old Australian guy who plays video games at lunch time and sells blogsfor $20,000 a pop.
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Quite a sensible and good list, already saved it :D Thanks :)
And aside from the list itself the infographics says a lot about holding readers and keeping them to read the whole content.
Great looking infographic Ramsay and excellent advice. I’ve got work to do!
Amazing post Ramsay.
I missed your guest posts here on pro blogger, waiting for more from you.
Hello Daren!
This guest posts is really great and helpful especially for new bloggers!! I agree that it is very important not to put your effort and space only for the logo but you need also to concentrate on your content! It is very crucial for every blog to have the forn in a visible area where visitors can have fast access and to subscribe to their email list!!
I believe that the design also is very important for a blog because people actually have images in their memories and the better your blog looks like the more returning visitors you will have!
Thank you,
Lavrentiadis Zouras
monetizing-website.com
This is really an interesting Infographic. I think I’ve found another interesting blog to follow. Thanks for posting the Infographic here at ProBlogger otherwise I would miss the chance to read the Blog Tyrant blog.
Thanks for the helpful info! The infographic quality is impressive and one of the best I’ve seen! :-)
None of this EVER occurred to me! I have a blog about blogging http://www.dailyblogging-tips.blogspot.com and I think I may reconsider my banner.
Apparently, #8 needs no explanation ;)
Great information here. Do you have a recommendation on a theme for WordPress that lines up with this advice?
@ Jon Stolpe I would suggest the thesis theme, as this framework is does not have any boundaries in layout and you can really customize it to the T.
@ Blog Tyrant great info-graphic, i need to work on a few of the points mentioned. But i also have already implemented some on my blog. I would like to add an additional point though. I believe putting social networks for readers to follow you on above the fold is also a wise idea.
Hi BT,
Super tips!
One note on #5 – capture as many email subscribers who actually want to sign up. Bloggers sometimes obsess over numbers, or capturing information, and forget that they only want good matches…because good matches count!
I like the idea of being super clear with your headline. Help readers know exactly what your blog is about.
Make your free giveaway clear, and compelling.
Changing my capture page and blog design – with greater clarity and a better picture of my ideal match in mind – helps me connect mostly with individuals who want what I have to offer.
I seek good matches, not numbers. Intend to do the same to prosper more quickly.
Thanks!
RB
How do you make good matches? Do you have a filter process?
Its quite nice but great & helpful advice for Blog & I will surely follow your these valuable steps for my Blog !
Nice one… thanks!
I think the first thing that user should see on the sidebar is “About Me” section with your nice picture.
This post seems to be quite informative. Well, I think the cover page of your blog must look interesting as well as creative with all the important features regarding posts and all, should be listed so that t it is easier for the visitors to get all the information just at their first glance. I like all the points you have posted above. Quite interesting, I must say. Thanks for the share!!
Interesting infographic. The points mention for above the fold are really effective. I’m already following these points. i added popular post widget some days ago waiting for effective result :)
Users spending 80% of their time above the fold is an interesting and eye opening fact. I came accross this at the right time as I’m just re-thinking my layout after swithching to the Genesis framework.
I think this will surely help me in creating new blogs to run successfully.
Are we guessing what #8 is?
Perhaps big nice interested heading.headings are key to getting the reader interested in the first place..
You have confirmed what I had been thinking. Thanks so much.
Excellent post. I’ve been basically doing what you have mentioned. Lately I’ve seen many blogs with nothing but the header image above the fold. Sometimes I cannot tell what the site is about. I usually just go somewhere else.
Paul
I’m confused about people not being able to tell what a site is all about if header images is too big and they have to scroll. Is scrolling that big of a hardship? How and why did you go to the website is an important question. I’d say 98% of the time I click over to a website is because they promise information I’m looking for. If the information they promise isn’t above the fold, I usually have the self determination to scroll down a little to get that promised info. Obviously if I have to scroll thru pages and pages of posts to get the info I likely won’t come back. But to just go elsewhere when the header images in too big? Well, that just silly, lazy or your standards are way too high.
This is one of the more useful posts that I’ve found on ProBlogger in quite some time. I’m in the process of redesigning my site and I’m glad to see that I’m following many of the points on this infograph. Thanks!
Unique tips i found here. I’m much confused before on what to place above the fold. During the algorithm changes most of the websites removed ads showed above the fold. This Infografic cleared my doubt. Now i will change my blog structure accordingly. Thanks for the ping.
Yes Praveen, You are absolutely right, Make changes as per latest algorithms to escape from search engine tweeks
#4 – Editing the “comments” text by adding a call to action, inviting the user to comment is my favorite tip. Going to add that one pronto. :)
#7 Could also have “start off with a very short paragraph (one-two sentences)” and “use a good font size / line-height ratio to improve readability” (great in the example) :)
if you have Google AdSense, it’s always good to put a 728 x 90 banner advertisement in the top fold of your website or blog, so that your site is properly optimized to make more money on the Internet :-)
Hmm. Where are these stats coming from? One in particular doesn’t make obvious sense, i.e., that users most want to comment after reading the title. (Why would they want to do that — and what would they possibly have to say already — simply from having read the title…?)
Not saying that the info mentioned isn’t accurate, of course; just would be interesting to see what research they’re based on. Can you please share?
Thanks much.
I always love articles from the blog tyrant. A great infographic that tells it all, for sure!
This is one of the more useful posts that I’ve found on ProBlogger in quite some time. I’m in the process of redesigning my site and I’m glad to see that I’m following many of the points on this infograph. Thanks!
Thanks for reminding me about this. I always knew the above the fold portion is the most important part of the blog but seems to ignore it often. The scenario of choosing between ads or content to prioritize makes me often forget that readers “judge a blog by it’s above the fold”.
Very useful post – I have changed a few things about my blog and I am already beginning to feel much better about it. I made the Blog title logo at the top much smaller so that there is more space above the fold for my content to show. I will pay more attention now to how I title my posts now and what content I write in the first few sentences. I will also aim to include a picture that illustrates what the post is about to draw readers in visually, and utilise the sidebar more effectively.
Thanks
:)
So here’s the dumb questions….1) Where is the fold 2) different varying web browsers (not everyone uses Chrome) 3) Where is the fold for mobile devices?
I really like #3 adding a popular posts page! It makes sense to emphasize that over regular categories since it’s your best stuff. I never thought about the Comments verbiage….but anything to invite readers to engage is worth trying. Very nice infographic, thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for this. Prompted a timely self-review of my blog headings/categories. The Genesis/Minimum theme (I use) had obviously already taken much of this into consideration.
Thank You for this informative article! I have been blogging now for over 7 years and still have issues and problems when it comes to what to place above or below the “Fold”…? And, after reading this post, i am more satisfied that it DOES make a difference whether you place Google Adsense Ads or an important link, affiliate link or even a quick, nice, professional “about me” summary.
Thank You Again!
D Lee
Blogtools.biz
nice infographic … especially the part showing the fold :)
I have to analyze this on my own site…Above the fold is just such prime real estate I can never decide what to put there, I tend to lean more towards organic google traffic for the blog, and then plugging my forum above the fold in a sticky post…
I may have it all backwards though, who knows..
Looks like I still have a bit of fine-tuning to attend to! Thanks for the tips, “Tyrant” – because people use different fonts and screen displays, what would you say is the “safest” bet for selecting the bottom boundary of a blog’s fold?
Interesting perspective on the “fold”.
Read #27 here: http://www.businessinsider.com/100-things-you-should-know-about-people-2010-11?op=1
Another interesting perspective with some data to back it up
Great list! Above the fold has a lot to do with keep a visitor on your site.
Thank you for sharing your perspective!
Why would people want to comment right under the post title?
Good post. I would like to add 1 important element you left out. The search bar! I usually look for the search bar first so I can find exactly what I want. ;)