Visitors know how to improve Your Blog: 7 tips to make them speak

Who is the best judge of your blog? For whom you spend most of the time reading, browsing web and thinking of a new killer post? Yes, the audience - your blog readers. For instance, check this article which says a simple, hard-hitting fact (you can skip reading the full article - but remember it) - Blog Readers Spend More Time and Money Online.

Some accidentally hit your blog through search engines - few subscribe or bookmark and visit often but, everyone who have visited your blog always formed an opinion about your blog. That might be a good or bad - but, they had something to say, right? They make or break a blog - if they love your blog, they would bookmark you.

So, we should spend some time on listening to our customers - shouldn't we?

Imagine, what if you have known to some 100 ideas about improving your blog for FREE. I will swap a month's pay for that. Ok, we get down to business - How do you make your readers speak on your weaknesses? Here are 7 tips:

1) Conduct a Poll / Survey: If you have not collected a feedback for your readers, it is the best time to conduct a user need survey. Use polldaddy for a one question blog or you can design a full questionnaire (limit to 10, please!) using zoomerang or surveymonkey (both have free accounts - but maximum 100 responses for a 10 days period).

2) Reward those who speak: Do not think you have not got a BIG reward. Either you can announce 'a random winner will get an iPod' a deal or if you do not have a budget, give-away a free e-book for all the respondents (Write a feedback and download this e-book).

3) Add a Guesbook: You can not have a permanent poll running around - so, have a guestbook link at your blog contact page or more prominently in the front page. Do you know the second most checked thing in a blog (after the About page) is the Contact us / Feedback page. Make it obvious that you are listening.

4) Feedback link in the RSS feed: Ask your feed readers to help you in improving your blog. Add a 'request a blog post / tip' or 'Ask a Question' link so, readers can easily reach you and by this way, you can get ideas for future blog posts (Stop scratching your head!).

5) Rating - One-click for rating for posts: As long as it is a simple, unobtrusive - a simple thumbs up / thumbs down icon - it is OK to have at the end of every post. Get a rating widget for new Blogger from Spotback. You can find many plugins for Wordpress blogs.

6) Make them comment on your posts: This is tricky - because as the Problogger himself says, only 1 out of 100 readers (read his excellent tips) make an effort to comment (we are lazy!). But, even we have to come out of our shelves to comment on others' blogs. Set out a time to take a blog walk - just to interact with readers - use mybloglog, blog directories, backlinks - and comment on their blogs. They will come back and do the same thing for you.

7) Publish Recent Commentors / Comments: Recent commentors ( 5 or 10) list is a good way to reward the readers who leave a feedback. Link their name with their blog or web page - they will love it.

Similarly, recent comments also good to show how readers thought about your blog posts.

source: http://www.howtoliveonline.com/2007/06/visitors-know-how-to-improve-your-blog.html