by Richard Leigh

Created on: February 02, 2009   Last Updated: February 15, 2009

When determining What makes a "good blog," you can never be too precise. What one person deems to be a "good blog," another will not, and the fact is that you just can't please everyone every time. In basic terms though; what makes a good blog is one that is well written, updated regularly, and researched well. In addition to this, a good blog also requires a good quality design; get the design wrong, and visitors will be put off a blog before they've even begun reading.

A blog needs to be aesthetically pleasing; that's the first rule when creating a blog. You can have a blog with the best content in the world, but if the design isn't right; people are going to be put off, and all the effort you've put into writing is going to count for nothing, as very few people will stop around to actually read it. So quality content is key, but never underestimate the power of appearance.

A good blogger will always check their work back, looking out for the errors, and correcting anything that does not read well. Errors and mistakes put people off reading, and if a blog is badly written and/or full of spelling errors then visitors will be put off, and the chances are that they won't check out other pages on the blog, and won't be coming back again. The writing needs to read well, and it's always important to have a powerful first paragraph. A first paragraph needs to really excite the reader, entice them to read on, and this can definitely be the key to what makes a good blog. An interesting first paragraph will ensure that the visitor keeps reading, and if they like what they see; they're likely to come back to the blog, and may even subscribe to the blog's RSS feed.

Visual content is another key factor in what makes a good blog. The writing may be excellent, the design is perhaps perfect, but what about visual content to keep the readers interest also? Whether it be pictures, videos, or even both; visual content works well with a blog, and not everyone that hits your page is going be a big reader. Some people are more attracted by visual qualities than they are by textual excellence; blogs that are visually rich will tend to work well, and visitors will be impressed by the visual excellence of the blog.

Dependent upon the theme of the blog, then humour may well help in really making a blog special. It's always important to be careful with humour and not use it at inappropriate times; putting your personality into a blog post can really provide a blog with life though, and

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