Blog Review – XP Tricks dot Net
4 September 2008
59 Comments
Eerik from XP tricks has won this jump-the-queue blog review worth $150 as a prize in the Lets Win This Contest Together that ran for a month at Shanker Bakshi’s blog and concluded on 1st September. Inspirit Blog had sponsored the contest with prizes worth $185. Today I am going to review Eerik’s blog XP tricks jumping over the queue of so many blogs already waiting for a free blog review from Inspirit Blog.
Having said that, I’d start with this blog review that will cover all the elements of a blog from its design and eye candy to the add-ons and content, from the management of navigation bar to the sidebar widgets, and everything else that is significant for a blog. Whatever I’d tell through this review will (of course) be related to this particular blog, but I’d recommend that all of you read through and try to pick the maximum tips from this review to better up your own blog.
Navigation Overview
5 posts on the home page is optimal and the read more tag has been sensibly used to optimize the length of the home page. You can dig through the previous posts by clicking on the Older Entries link below the 5 posts on the main page. However I am disappointed not to see the archives anywhere. Its hard to navigate older entries beyond a few pages without the archive in place. No having or listing an archive virtually kills the prospects of your previous blog posts getting their due exposure. You might get some search engine traffic to them but unless people read that buried comment, rate or review it, social-bookmark it, you’re not going to get good rankings in the SERPS (Search Engine Results PageS) even!
The navigation bar at the top is minimalistic with only the most basic pages listed there : About | Contact | Register. However when I ran through the links in the rightmost sidebar just above the footer, I figured a link to the Link Exchange page. That can come in the top navigation bar as well, instead of being down there so neglected! My personal recommendation yo all of you is to list all the pages on your blog together at one place, be it the navigation bar or a prime spot in the sidebar.
Besides all this, the posts have not been categorized (or labelled) and hence there is no categories widget in the sidebar or anywhere else on the blog. Sorry Eerik, but I am not at all pleased with the navaigation on your blog and I really recommend you add the archives in the sidebar, and tag or categorize your blog posts appropriately so that they can be easily accessed from the tags/categories widget. Also, move the Link Exchange page to the navigation bar from the bottom where no one will easily notice it. Your Link Here looks more like a text link ad-spot.
Sidebars and Footer Overview
The very essential features that I feel should always be there in a blog’s sidebars are navigation elements (as we talked above), feed subscription options, social bookmarking, social networking and blog promotion widgets, blogroll and resources link-list ( and advertising elements – if you wish to). Out of these basic elements, you have the feed subscription options in the right place on the home page, and social bookmarking buttions like digg, reddit, etc. on the single post page. You may add the RSS subscription options on the single-post page as well.
You should start working on other elements as well. The prime aim of any blog is building traffic. As soon as possible, join social networking sites for bloggers like blog catalog and mybloglog, entrecard, etc. and work on growing your blog’s community. Build a healthy readership base so that all your hard work doesn’t go in vain. If you’re investing your peace and time in publishing useful content, you should market it in the right way so that people actually see it. It’s important to build traffic and grow your blog’s readers community.
Considering that your blog is now 8-9 months old (Yes, I read back till the first welcome to XP tricks post), the MyLinks section just above the footer should not be empty as it is right now. See below how I use that space on my blog. A very basic footer with copyright information is okay. You may add a privacy policy or disclaimer there. Else, its fine.
About Page
Another important thing that you should take care of while writing an About page is that it should give the reader an idea of what the website or blog is about and who’s the person behind it. You’ve briefed about XP tricks in 2-3 lines but I did not see your name anywhere in the whole blog. I would have never known that you’re Eerik if you’d not told your name while entering the contest.
Advertising
You’re using Google Adsense smartly on the main page with text-links unit just below the title and an ad-block below the post. Nice places to put those ads, actually. However consider avoiding the in-line ad placement in your blog. I find that quite distracting as your blog’s content container isn’t as wide that it’ll accumulate the ad quite well. You should consider this post of yours and see how the image used in the post is being pushed out of view due to the ad placed along with it. You may consider placing adsense somewhere in the sidebar, instead.
Content Overview
Overall, you’re blog has quite some content worth reading but not everyone is as patient as me to navigate through all the older entries through the link at the bottom. Work on your blog’s navigation bar so that posts and pages are easily accessible. Try to minimize writing content that can be found elsewhere on the internet and bring up more original and interesting tutorials, tips, tricks and tweaks unless the intent of your blog is to share the goodness of internet that is already there.
I hope that this review helps you optimize your blog and build some traffic and a healthy readers’ community. Feel free to drop your comments, share ideas and opinions and write about this review on your own blog to share with your readers.
Peace.
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Hey Eerik what about VISTA Tips and Tricks – I hope you would soon come up with it.
Great review Abhinav.
Even after checking out these awesome XP tricks, I think I still want a macbook
Baume Mercier Capeland´s last blog ..Iwc Ingenieur
Thanks for the review!
The MyLinks and navigation are not finished yet as I started to use this theme a couple of days ago as I was having some problems with the old one.
I’ll put an archives and a random posts widget on the sidebar as you suggested. One of my readers also mentioned this.
Most of my readers aren’t bloggers and the blog network widgets will probably distract them. As to getting traffic from social networks, I’ll give it a try.
Thanks for the ideas!
Eerik
http://www.xptricks.net
To Shanker Bakshi:
I have actually thought of making a Vista tips & tricks blog as well, but first I have to get Vista!
Eeriks latest published blog-post ………. How to: change the start button text on Windows XP
If that is the case with your theme – if you need any help with it, feel free to contact me anytime. I’d be pleased to assist you with your blog.
And even I haven’t upgraded to Vista yet! I have used it on the laptop that I got for my dad and on a couple of friends’ laptops and I am least impressed with it.
Hey Abhinav, Nice Review!!
@Eerik congratulations!! you have nice content on your blog..
don’t say anything about VISTA – oh em lovin it.
I like the Windows look of the page that matches his subject. I found an interesting tip on changing the START button but I think a little more depth in the content would be nice also. Maybe break down to be educational to some that are newbies.
Thanks!
Very comprehensive review, I’m going to go and look at the reviewed website to see point by point what you saw to see if I can learn how to improve my own blog. Thanks!
Great info – keep up the great work.
A complete review which gives you an insight into your own blog, A few tips on navigation, sidebar and footer overview are very good that can be kept in mind, so as to improve our blog.
Great Review. You covered all of the points! Keep up the good work man!
What type of theme designs do you think are better for usability purposes? 2 or 3 columns? How should the navigation be structured?
Myron Tays latest published blog-post ………. If poor people worked they wouldn’t be poor anymore would they?
Congratulations Eerik.
Even after checking out these awesome XP tricks, I think I still want a mac…
Money Bushs latest published blog-post ………. ScratchBack Links: Tip Jar for Blogs
Really great article. Thanks for tips and congratulations!
Cosmetic Ledys latest published blog-post ………. Body Care – Ancient Secret of Beauty and Youth
Great review and a great website. There’s a lot tweaks on there I didn’t even know about.
And only after that I saw the perfectly simple correct solution. ,
A great site with information I could definitely use.
Susans latest published blog-post ………. It’s a Boy
Great list, best part is they also work on my mac, which uses xp
Very valuable and excellent tips, i always wanted to some changes in terms of my destop appearance, and h=you have provided really excellent tips. Thanks a lot, the article is very well written as well.
Catering Miamis latest published blog-post ………. Catering Miami, Wedding and Social Events
First of all, great review on the website! Secondly, you coudn’t have taken a better screenshot, because I just learned a new trick just by looking at that image
Jeans latest published blog-post ………. Body Art Changes
Great Review. You covered all of the points!
Just found your review… i like you do this. Covering layout, content & navigation. Great.
thanks
Nice design, I particularly like the way you used the Windows logo colors in creating the design. Also the column layout and monetization is very well done.
Joes latest published blog-post ………. How to Clean the Dust out of your Computer
Very good review. I think so. It would be also nice to see something about Vista.
Lamborghinis latest published blog-post ………. What About Forex?
Nice Review.i interested with this article
gorges latest published blog-post ………. JSM Meat Issues Recall, Possible E. Coli Contamination
Very detailed review. I do have to add that while joining social networks is something I always encourage people to do – adding their widgets is not right for all blogs. Unfortunately they add latency to the page load and in my experience don’t bring same level of benefits to each blog. Something that each blog owner should test and not just blindly put onto sidebar
Alexs latest published blog-post ………. WebProsperity Pre-Launch
I’ve just found your excellent blog. You have some really useful articles in here – so I shall be back for another read when I get back from work. Keep it coming…
Great detailed reaview.. Thanks for that great tips…
i appriciate your work.. come soon with some interesting vista tricks..
have to admit I quite like the blog, the design and the layout except I agree about the navigation which is a little confusing and would be made a lot user friendly if it was included on the right as well as being at the bottom of the page.
That was a very in-depth posting – I love reading your work!
Thank you,
Michael-John Wolfe
Michael-John Wolfes latest published blog-post ………. Residuals and Royalties Introduction Video
It seems great. I am subscribing now. Thanks for sharing a lovely information with us.
I think it should be Vista Tricks now. XP will soon be unsupported and we won’t have a chance to do these tricks.
Abhinav, thank you for this review! Site is really interesting.
Bregolass latest published blog-post ………. Car Alarm Video
Congratulations for this post winning at blog seo contest, you deserve it. This is such an informative blog.
Cesars latest published blog-post ………. The Tnomeralc Web Design Toys
i changed my windows button with his tipps , its so cool
and comgratulation for winning the contest.
i hope we ll see more useful post like this from him.
johns latest published blog-post ………. Virtuelle Welten Teil 2
I do like the idea of featured posts, its a great idea for getting traffic to older posts via one click and not just providing access to recent posts. Do you think its necessary to have subscribe to Rss feeds at the top of the page or is the standard feed link at the bottom of the navigation ok?
Isn’t it a bit late to be posting on a blog about XP? I mean with vista on most new pcs and Windows 7 on a way I’d think that most of the readers would switch the OS.
Well, this is my answer to that seemingly impertinent question. ,
I learned some new things about my XP operating system from you. Thanks for sharing.
Tony
Tonys latest published blog-post ………. Dallas Mavericks versus Atlanta Hawks Free NBA Pick
Great key points especially about navigation and the footer. I always forget the footer info. Thanks!
Flip Video Camcorders latest published blog-post ………. Flip Video Camera Comes in Colors
This is a comprehensive review from you. You really have a ‘great eyes’ on this kind of things.
There is nothing extraordinary with this site, it has a basic wordpress template, nothing else…
Free brushess latest published blog-post ………. Paris Metro Map Brushes
Nice review. I’ve been cehcking in with that site from time to time, and have been glad to see some nice tips being offered up. Very helpful.
Computer Mouses latest published blog-post ………. Razer Lachesis
Great job on the review. I’m sure the author really appreciates it!
Kai Los latest published blog-post ………. One Post Per Page
Follwing this, I think he has got the navigation system right and there are some good posts as well. I rely on TechPublic articles and downloads for some XP tricks because tinkering with OS should be done with a proper advice from experts. This blog is also very good, I will try some tricks mentioned there soon. Thanks for the review.
i agree with this , for best blog review asp.net and XP is the best combination.
I just need to come up with something REALLY original
By the way, I think you’re natural born romantic mystery novelist and you should keep it up the good works
I was all ready to drop $500 on a video camera for the birth of our little girl. I thought I’d try this out and see what I thought. This thing is great. Go for it.
Good review. I really like the site design, it’s sleek and easy to navigate. And I kinda found the content to suit my needs since I’m a Mac user =)
Hnr1e´s last blog ..Bead knitting stitches
Nice design and great review
thanks
What about some tricks for Windows 7?
XP happens to be one of the operating systems that have the most annoyances (just second to Vista)
XP is so limiting and so…I dunno…it won’t let you do a lot of things unless you know how to mess with registries and stuff. It’s especially true of the Home edition.
SFB@New Honda CRV´s last blog ..Honda CR-V makes smarter use of space for practical and pleasurable trips.
I’m currently using XP on my laptop. I still find it reliable compared to other OS. Glad you’ve made a blog review for xp tricks dot.
Mark´s last blog ..School Grants For Studying Abroad
Wow this is great..thanks. its very useful and very informative.I completely agree,so many important points so concisely.
Wow! Totally awesome, Thank you so much for sharing!
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thanks for the post, will condsider it..