Hello everyone... I posted on the forum a few days ago announcing the start up of my new blog Shabby Jo Designs. I still do not have any followers. Will someone please be honest with me and tell me what is wrong with my blog and why I have over 200 pageviews within 4 days but not one is willing to "Join this Site"????

Thank you in advance for your kind honesty!
Stacy

I think many people wait to see how a blog progresses rather than becoming a follower based on one or two posts, especially if they don't know the writer - it's really hard to get a sense of style or direction with almost no content.

Also, you have to participate by following other blogs and commenting, and participating in forums like this one. Based on your posting history here, it appears that you became a member of this forum solely to advertise your blog, and I for one ignore that kind of thing.

And finally, there are a thousand bazillion blogs out there, you just need to work at it and spend time on it. Because there are so very many, and because I really don't have much time, I'm pretty selective in the blogs I follow, they have to be worthwhile or inspiring in some way.

Good luck!

• stick Said:

This is the case for me. My life is too busy to follow blogs of the people I do know, let along the blogs of people who are new to me.

I took a look at your blog, Shabby Jo, and I agree with the advice and feedback that stick had to offer.

Blogger limits the number of blogs we can follow to 300. Therefore, I've discovered that I have to be picky and choose to follow blogs that I can learn from.

Also, it seems that your blog is for promoting your personal sales. We're all crafters here and most of us want to make our own.

You seem very excited about your tri-shutter card. Some people like to know which tutorial you followed and/or what inspired you to try tri-shutter.

I love blogging! Keep working at it and the followers will come in time. Patience

You've already got great advice but I will add one more thing that I think is very important. Blog Candy! Right now I am offering to lend my husband to one lucky Follower for one week! I imagine that there will be a long line of gals wanting to follow my blog just for the chance of winning him. :-)

My advice is not to worry about having followers. I don't "follow" any blogs. I sign up for their feeds through Google Reader. It makes it easier for me to read my fave blogs out of single site. I have a free account with site meter and that tells me how many people visit my blog daily, where they're from, how they found my blog, etc.

Personally, I sign up for the feeds of blogs that don't have a whole bunch of info that has nothing to do with the topic at hand. For instance, if I find a blog about paper crafting, but the posts go on and on about the blogger's day of shopping for new clothes I skip that blog immediately. Same with blogs that only concentrate on sales. I prefer blogs that go to the meat of the subject.

Thank you so much for all of you taking the time to comment and tell me the truth. I am sorry that it appears to you ladies that I have ill intentions. I made a big mistake that I am now discovering as so.... I had a previous site and corresponding login. I changed everything to Shabby Jo Designs because my other name was a tonge twister!!! In doing so I deleted everything related to the old name. I was starting over! Well, now I know I should have found a way to integrate the two or use the old one to notify everyone of the change. But i can't undo what i have done! So now I am back to square one with everyone :(. I will use the wonderful advise and information I have been given. I did not know there is a limit to the blogs you can follow - that's is just a down right silly limitation! What does it matter to them how many we follow! As for me following other blogs... For some reason when I click on "join this site" I receive an error. I am not having any luck getting help with it. I was trying to "join" all the blogs I followed under my old blog as well as new ones and neither works. Anyway I thank you all again and I hope to re-establish myself here as before!! As for the tri shutter card I will do a new post tonight talking about where I saw it and how I made the adjustments that I made (I made mine 5x7 closed).

Thanks,
Stacy
Shabby Jo Designs

I think Marfa is right - just enjoy doing your blog and don't worry about followers. They may acome eventually, but in the meantime you are doing a blog that you enjoy doing.

I'm thinking you have a way to see how many people are checking it out so just be patient.

Its not a contest to see how many followers you can get so if people are looking at it, that is good.

• shabbyjodesigns Said:

That's great!

I do like your name "Shabby Jo Designs." It's quite catchy and cute! I also saw your business cards on your blog and thought they were really nice and looked very professional! I hope you'll stick around! We're all learning all the time

Yeah, I agree with Stick - when there's not much content there's no way to know if you'll want to 'follow.'

I feel that page views are more important than followers. Some people just don't have a log-in, or want one, or it's just easier to bookmark the page and go to it- I do this while at work, it's easier to just click a bookmark when I want to see what blog is up to what. I do follow blogs, but they're mostly friends/pretend friends I've made here at sb.com, that I like/admire/get inspired by their work and like to see what they're making.

I can't remember when I even put my blog address in my signature, but I never really made an 'official announcement,' outside of telling one or two friends that I'd started one. People just started showing up.

And I can see by Google Analytics what my page views are, how people are finding me, what searches on Google are leading people to me- Analytics is good/fun to have...

Also, keep your blog easy to read- do your best to watch spelling/grammar/formatti ng (although I make up a good amount of formatting, but I always try to make sure I'm keeping paragraphs and sentences easy to read. But that's just the style I write in-

I don't know if it's just my computer, but the border/graphics on the right side of your blog are inching over into the text area- and the bright blue letters make it difficult to read. I learned in some class in school (long ago, because I'm older than I look) that fonts and the color of them can put people off/make them lose interest/not want to read at all- so I try to keep that in mind when I'm making or doing anything involving text.

-Kory

Ooops, forgot something I had to add:

Upload your picture, info about you- to your blog and here, and photos of your work in your gallery. Talk to people, visit people's blogs and leave comments and make friends. But whatever you do, don't post a one word comment followed by 'visit my blog at:......' Just have the blog address linked to your account, if they want to see your blog, they can click your name and access it- People won't take it kindly if they feel you're spamming their comments section to get traffic to your own blog.

-k

• designguyKORY Said:

Excellent advise. For more on that topic, visit my blog..... just kidding!

I may read and bookmark blogs, but I rarely register as a follower. I agree that right now your blog is hard to read. The green strip with the blue swirls going down right side makes the words hard to read. I won't bother if I have to strain to read you need to make the color go behind the white box where you have the typing. Also, I wouldn't have even noticed the links on the left if Kory hadn't said something. That color of blue on that green are too close in color. They do coordinate and it is pretty, but if you want it read, then you need to make the letters stand out more. Also why does your card have the white X look over it? It makes me think that there was something wrong with it and you didn't want it looked at. That all may just be me. Just thought I'd say since you asked.

Kory, that is really good advice.

I hate it when neighbors here use the boards to pimp their blogs. It is annoying.

You have been very good about it - wonderful about it which is probably why I check yours so often. You don't bribe, entice, reward, or tease about what it is in it. I don't feel like I'm being lured over there. I'm going over there because I want to.

I go there becuase I love to read it and I adore your humor! It gives me a big smile or giggle and sometimes just makes me laugh.

I don't think I've ever seen you trying to get people to go there.

But people like you on the boards and I think that is why they go over there. Its kind of like the Kory fan club over there.

When you first started it you said, "Oh yeah, I started a blog and if you want to go over there you can." That is about all the fanfare you've given it but we all know it is there and I think it is one of the most popular.

Shabby Jo Designs - once people start reading your posts and are curious to want to read more you've written they will go over there. Bribing and trying to lure people over there has a negative affect with a lot of people.

I hate it when people use the comment section of these boards to get traffic to their blog.

Stick has a really nice blog. In fact a lot of people have really good blogs but they rarely mention them, they are just in their signatures.

If you have a great picture of something you have done and want others to see it, get it on Pinterest. That is the only way I read other people's blogs. I happen upon them.

and then you have people like me who just dont read blogs. Years ago i clicked on what i thought was a blog and it was a virus - clicking on ANYTHING makes me nervous!

Good luck!

Henri Jean I hope you weren't referring to me. The fact that I am willing to loan out my husband in order to get 10,000 followers is all in jest. I have no intention of actually selling him off to the highest bidder. He's a keeper. I just like to play on this board and make folks smile. As Kory said, how many followers you have means nothing unless you are in the thousands. What really matters is how many views you have a day. For me, I read tons of blogs a day from this board, but tend to avoid those who just come on here as newbies. JMHO

• theellenbee Said:

Ohio4HMom is NOT going to like hearing this! I think she was already packing suitcases

Mrs. D. read the other thread - I am still pimping the husband.

I agree with everything Kory said. Also since you're early in the game and starting over, I would switch to Wordpress. They have better SEO (search engine optimization) than Blogger or Typepad.

Good luck!