Jeff Foxworthy slings jokes that all start with ‘You might be a redneck if..’ I’m going to co-op this simplistic and successful opener to explain what make a good blog.
Well, you might be a good blog if…you have a good design that’s easy to read and interact with. Most of the articles I read about blogs, focus on the text, not presentation. Brian Carroll in “Writing for Digital Media” mentions the importance of breaking up the text, but it is step 9 out of 10 (164). In my opinion, this is the most important aspect of a good blog. The first thing I look for when I visit a new blog is not whether the writing is engaging or creative, its if I can read it easily. If the text is poorly organized I won’t read the blog. Good design is fundamental for getting reader to stay on your blog long enough to read a post. Good design also keeps people on the blog. Lance Hosey “Why We Love Beautiful Things” in says that bad design have subtle, dramatic negative effects on the individual.(Hosey) An example of this is The busier the blogs is that I find myself less likely to finish post that have busy webpages. Finally, all post have to be tagged and/or indexed well so that they can be access. If I can’t navigate a blog easily it’s as likely I’ll leave it.
You might be a good blog if…you have an singular voice. That voice can be from one writer or many, it just has to have a continuous point of view that the blog post are written from. Having a singular voice is crucial for two reason. The first being that Carrol describes a part of ‘ethical blogging’ is to be transparent as possible and revealing bias.(158) The reader knows who you are and the frame of reference that the post is coming from. It creates trust and connection between the reader and the blogger. Also, writing with a singular voice will make the writing more creative and original. XKCD is an incredibly popular web comic that states in its banner that it is about romance, sarcasm, math, and language.(xkcd.com) XKCD is popular because its audience knows and enjoys the particular voice its being written from.
You might be a good blog if…collaborative. There must be communication between the reader and the blogger. The very least having collaboration and communication allows the reader to fact check the work. Pete Rorabaugh in “Organic Writing and Digital Media: Seeds and Organs” said that collaboration in a digital environment lends the reader to the best version of the idea and entry the were trying to create.(Rorabaugh) Maybe this collaboration may not change existing post but through this communication the blogger can take steps in the right direction to improve their work.
These are my opinions based on person experience and articles I’ve read. Feel free to have your own ideas of what on a good blog.