Reader Blog Critique : Xfep.com
The first blog to be critiqued in our new Reader Blog Critique section is David Peralty’s eXtra For Every Publisher. David is an experienced blogger who has worked with many large blogging companies like SplashPress and Bloggy Network and this experience shows in his posts on Xfep, which is where he blogs about everything ranging from Social Media to Blogging to Search Engine Optimisation.
As will be the norm in this section, the blog owner gives you all a a brief summary of what they believe needs addressed. This is what David emailed me when I asked him about this.
Concerns
- Is it too much like a personal blog in design to be taken seriously as a business/blogging resource?
- Are there too many advertisements now?
- What do you think of the content variety?
- Are there too many categories, should I switch many of them to tags and generalize my categories more to create a shorter list?
- Are things placed in a visually appealing way?
In addition I welcome commenters to talk about the blogs content and design and any suggestions you have for promoting the blog.
Prizes for commenters
The 3 most helpful and constructive commenters will each get $10. Alternatively, if you prefer, I can register a domain for you at eNom and push it to your account 
David Peralty will decide who the 3 most helpful commenters were.
Additionally :
- No brainer but just a reminder that readers should be constructive (both positive and negative comments) ie. don’t just say ‘this sucks’ or ‘that’s fantastic’ without explaining why
- It will be better if readers put all of their suggestions into one post however I’m more than happy for those who have commented to add any additional notes in another comment.
- Although I have put up some prizes, I hope this isn’t viewed as a competition ie. I hope that bloggers get into the spirit of things and do their best to give their honest opinion about the blog in question
If you have any questions about any of this please let me know in this thread
Blog to be Reviewed : eXtra For Every Publisher
Written by Kevin Muldoon from Blog Themes ClubPosted on August 27th, 2008 and filed under Reader Blog Critique
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23 Responses to “Reader Blog Critique : Xfep.com”
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Thanks Kevin. I look forward to seeing what your readers think as I am definitely looking to get Xfep to the next level. I super appreciate everyone that comments with any suggestions, and while “it sucks” won’t be chosen as a winner, it is criticism that I am willing to take, none the less.
1. Empty space in upper-left corner. It’s usual place for logo and makes me feel lost for a moment when I can’t find it there. And together with upper banner it makes impression of “site with banner instead of header that says something about priorities”.
2. Reasonable amount of ads on front page but total overkill on post page. Banner – post body – banners – related posts – banner – comments – banner. Together with sidebar that many banners make content look tiny and lost. Lots of unused space above search bar as well.
3. Too many categories, too little tags. Like they are swapped.
4. Looking at page with ad blocker most ads remain at place but categories list is killed. Which is weird and might be worth looking into code/scripts.
5. “Sponsors” and “Recent posts” break the flow of sidebar.
6. “Top” counter (or whatever it is) under footer feels out of place.
Except header part I like it overall.
Sorry “Lots of unused space above search bar as well” should go to 1 not 2, added it later to the wrong place.
THe blog overall has a good design but has been ruined because there are simply too many ads on the blog and placed in the wrong places. On the home page alone there are 8 advertising spots, with 5 above the fold. It would be better to have the articles running across the full right column.. and placing the 125 ads in the left columnb above the categories, along with the search tool. The 468×60 banner at the top is just a pain in the ass and takes a lot of focus off the 728×90. Plus the google ad at the bottom of the right sidebar is just a complete waste of time!
I’m actually quite disappointed with the number of comments to this so far. Come on guys, for this to work we all need to take part. As it stands just now I’ve had three times as many bloggers email me about having their blog reviewed that are leaving comments.
Again, this feature can only work if we all join in.
Don’t much much about the blog, but this site has some AWESOME blog themes.
For the first question, the answer is a “not-so-firm YES”.
Since you’re blogging with publishers in mind, a bit more corporate look won’t hurt, instead it would do good.
.Regarding Advertisements.
Personally, I don’t advocate ADs on the homepage right after every post.
(Yes, I’ve noticed. there is ADs only after first “x” posts.)
Since, you’ve got 3 AD units plus the sidebar ADs, the post page is hugely *monetized*.
Thus, if you’re keeping the post pages like that, I suggest you make the home-page a bit AD-Free.
The Content Variety.
The areas you focus are good. “Nothing-missed-out for a techie”.
But the HUGE list of Categories is a NO-NO.
This makes the readers feel lost and confused as to go where.
As you’ve said, convert some of them to tags and generalise the categories more and make it in the range of 5-10.
Finally, I would suggest you to justify your content. It makes reading easier.
And, think about promoting your feed a bit more.
Most importantly, as Rarst pointed out, the Top-Left blank area needs serious attention. Fill it up.
You might want to raise the left sidebar to fill that place.
Thank You !
I’ll start by answering your initial questions
* Is it too much like a personal blog in design to be taken seriously as a business/blogging resource?
I do think the design has a more personal feel to it but I don’t think this is a bad thing, and I certainly don’t believe it won’t be taken seriously because of it.
* Are there too many advertisements now?
Yes. Way too many. On posts there is currently a 728×90 and 468 banner above the fold, 3 125×125 ads on the sidebar, 1 120×600 google adsense ad on the sidebar, 3 125×125 ads underneath the post, and 2 300×250 banners underneath the post.
It’s overkill. This will probably scare off potential advertisers too as the ads are so saturated their banner will not get much attention. I honestly think you would make more money by having a dedicated ad area on the sidebar and perhaps one ad underneath the post. I’d drop the rest.
* What do you think of the content variety?
I like it. As you know I’m a subscriber to your blog and I enjoy reading it and I think the variety plays a big part of it ie. one day your giving advice when the next day you’re ranting off about something that pissed you off. It’s a good mix.
* Are there too many categories, should I switch many of them to tags and generalize my categories more to create a shorter list?
I personally don’t mind the number of categories because they are neatly displayed on the sidebar however you could group many of them together. For example, at the moment you have a category for adsense, advertising, affiliates and monetization. These could easily be placed in one category.
By doing this you could go down to about 10 categories and differentiate different subjects with tags (I’m sometimes guilty of adding too many categories too!).
* Are things placed in a visually appealing way?
I think the main content content area could be a little wider. Though this is a problem all 3 column designs suffer from.
Overall I think the ad situation is the biggest thing that needs addresses. As it stands just now the sidebar has a list of 5 recent posts however it’s placed way down at the bottom with lots of ads above and below it. The design is good though and if the ad situation is improved I think you’d see a big difference.
I also think the logo is really good – bold and easy to brand.
Hi!
The first thing i noticed is that there are tooo many advertisements.
You can do without the AdSense at the top.
A favicon is essential as it looks good when bookmarked
The ‘home’, ‘about’ and other pages must have the first letter in capitals. Looks far better.
The text below ParisLemon and SheGeeks looks terrible, please do something about it.
I liked the content, no concern over there
If possible get a more stunning logo, trust me, it will really help.
There two places, very close by to subscribe for your RSS. I would recommend removing ‘Join 509 others and Subscribe’. I feel it is futile.
Try fixing the errors on your page
Also, a more professional design would definitely set an impact.
And I don’t think anyone will scan through the numerous categories……
Hope this helps you!
I’m sorry this got kind of long!
I personally like the look and feel … I go for more of a “friendly look” so readers will feel they know “me” and not a business … but it’s also very clean. Love the colors too.
I’m not yet familiar with your blog so I don’t know how often you work “product promotion” into your blog posts – but I for me you are showing a lot of ads. I do really like the featured speaker button … and since I don’t know you it gives you some instant credibility in my eyes. Once I click directly on a post I get distracted mostly by the 3 tile ads at the bottom of the post – though I don’t mind so much the bigger one (Performancing I think).
The content variety looks great! I will definitely stick around and see what I can learn.
Too many categories is an issue I’ve struggled with. I think I’d try to consolidate them and this it has encouraged me to map mine out a little better too. I’m not familiar with how “tags” work so I can’t comment there.
Visually, I too agree that the upper left corner is … hmmm … like something is “missing.” I’ve never seen a blogroll/links to others at the top of a site like that. Unless those are all your sites personally I don’t think I’d put them there. You don’t want to loose people before they even have a chance to see your site. I thought they were navigation links … So, I’m thinking that if you took those off of there it would move everything up and you wouldn’t have the upper left white space any more. I personally don’t like the AdSense right there AS your header. However, if you are getting good results with them then of course I wouldn’t move them! I like to “hang out” with people “I know, like, and trust” so I wish you’d have your picture somewhere. If not in the header possibly even in that upper left white space?
I am personally considering moving my sidebar tile ads down even further because I don’t want people to stop by and wonder what I’m trying to “sell” them. I’d rather them focus on my content and grow to enjoy the blog … then they will buy eventually right? I’ve been reading more and more that the onslaught of ads just isn’t working.
Sorry again to be so long winded! *SmiLes* Suzanne
Looks like things are picking up, and I am starting to see some very helpful comments.
With some things, you guys have hit on things that I hadn’t thought about and that I should be concerned with, so even though you didn’t always understand what you were seeing, your insights have been very helpful.
Additionally, once this is complete, I will go over each comment left and leave a detailed response, so that each person will hopefully have a better chance of winning, if they haven’t already.
Thanks to all that are commenting. If anyone else has opinions, I’d love to see them and I appreciate all of the people that have taken the time to write theirs out.
Any chance of having smaller blogs and/or bloggers featured for critique. Or is this going to be a playground for the good ol’ boys network
Trey – Can you post any feedback in this thread as comments here should be about Xfep, not the actual review process itself. Post your questions there and I’ll be happy to get back to you
David,
We’re glad that you’ve benefited from this.
I just went through and responded to your questions in order:
No, in fact I think it is most definitely serious enough for a blogging resource, but also appeals to those people who just have a personal blog and are interested in trying to take it to the next level. It’s not intimidating.
I think you’re fine with the ads on the sidebar. However, the large ads between posts were distracting and didn’t really seem to flow well.
The content shows a really good variety, some sections have less than others, but obviously that will come with time. Make sure though that with so many different categories that certain categories don’t get ignored. If I am really interested in the marketing category for example, I don’t want to have to wait weeks on end for an update (marketing has been updated twice in the last week, but you get the idea).
Again, I think the categories thing ties in with the above. If you can continue to write quality content about all the categories then by all means keep it. It gives your reader plenty of choices and makes it easy to find exactly what you are looking for.
Visually everything looks pretty good. I would prefer that the large ads in between posts be removed in the sake of better flow, and the adsense ad at the top of the page seems kind f awkward, but otherwise I like the way it looks. Easy to navigate.
my first impressions of this site is that it is clean, tidy but a spam site.
i wouldnt read it if i cam accross this site.
There are way too many ads and not just the amount of ads it is how the content is displayed. it is as if all the site is there for is to get users to click the ads not read the content.
The left hand menu is massive, and again looks spammy. it looks like it has been set up for search engines to read.
it is a shame as now i have taken the time to read some of the site it has some good content.
I would look at setting categories or sections for each area of the site and make your home page come alive using some imagery to attract the user.
Ads are fine but they need to be second importance on the page if this is a serious blogging site.
i think the colours are ok, they are easy to read just some nice pics to brighten it up would be nice or maybe a shallow header graphic.
the rss links could do with some funy graphics or a better layout a bit like this site maybe.
i hope this helps
Though I’m not an expert in reviewing a blog, I’ll try to point out what I know:
1. As all said above, too many ads
2. The design looks pretty
3. The navigation links at the top are not easily readable
4. It takes time to load
5. The blank space on the sidebar above ‘recent posts’ looks little odd
6. Reduce the number of categories – or better use a label cloud
Now for some justification for a few things. Xfep.com is primarily used for me as a way to make some money to fund other projects, mostly projects where I pay other bloggers to do work. The more money that I make with Xfep, the more money I can devote to paying bloggers, hence the abundance of ads.
Also, ads above the fold of a page sell better and can command a higher price, but of course create that trade off that many of you mentioned.
As for the positioning of certain elements. The theme was done by Elena of DesignDisease and then later I integrated ads. The ad needs weren’t addressed during the design of the theme, and so that is why certain things aren’t working well design wise. This isn’t entirely my fault, nor am I complaining very much as I have a great blog theme, maybe just not the right theme for Xfep.
I understand the loading time is very long and that is mostly because of the amount of JavaScript (for various things) as well as the advertising (coming from three different sources not-locally hosted). I am working on trying to improve the speed of the blog, but I think an overall redesign would be needed.
The dark bar of links at the very top is for a blog network I am part of. We all commit that top space to the network as a sign of its importance to us. I agree that it does look like part of the site and could easily be confused as navigation. (Something I hadn’t considered before).
The blank space above recent posts was due to an advertising Glitch. Though, I agree, mixing recent posts with the ads in the sidebar is fairly useless and breaks up the flow and alignment appearance of the sidebar.
I am a category guy… always have been, and I don’t know why. I am concerned about moving categories over to tags as I sometimes only gave posts one category, and what would happen if I move that category into being a tag? Would it then have no category or be Uncategorized?
Tags are being used as input for a plugin, and I will probably remove them from public display.
I have never been one to add many images to posts, something I definitely need to work on, so thanks for bringing that up.
All in all, I see many things I need to work on. I have already started reducing the number of ads per page, and will be working on maybe financing a new design, while still keeping the branding in this design.
Thanks again to everyone that has commented. I have sent my thoughts on who helped me the most, taking into account who jumped at the opportunity early on, and so you can expect to be notified soon if you’ve won the prize.
Glad the feedback has helped you out David and congratulations to those who won
I think you should limit the categories