Last Updated on: February 28th, 2015
Have you ever wondered if you chose the wrong profession, questioned your blogging motives, or conducted experiments or tests on your blog to see what works best?
How did they turn out? Did you achieve the results you had hoped for?
My Experiment for Growth
In playing around with my blog last year, I made the offer to authors (and writers everywhere), saying that I would be willing to promote them for the month of April, as an experiment to try to gain blog followers. At the time I had about 20, approximately. (Yes, and I mentioned that in the post. I’m nothing if not honest, remember?)
Well, back then, I didn’t realize that April is the month of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. I was a new blogger; what did I know?
(Shh. I know NOW that I didn’t know much about blogging then!)
As I read this year’s challenge invite, I started thinking about how much my blog has grown since last April, despite my lack of participation in that Challenge. And while I did not sign this blog up this year, I did enter Poetry Perfected into it.
It’s 463 on the list.
I think I have about a dozen readers over there right now, and that little blog of mine (which I neglect, I regret to admit) could definitely use some growth, as evidenced by my recent blog stats:
This is a pretty sad scenario, if you ask me. I feel so ashamed, looking at the sad state of affairs over there, but it’s my own fault. I don’t post regularly there, and look at writing poetry as a hobby, kind of like watching TV. I also don’t promote it, talk much about it, or visit many other poetry blogs to build my “community” for it. I actually don’t care that much about it anymore, and never really did.
This blog, however, is my baby, and I love it here. I almost don’t want to move to my own site, but I think I should.
Why I’m Moving
This blog is growing fine all on its own. Then again, this is my main blog. (Not everyone likes poetry. Sometimes, even I don’t!)
Of course, when I received my first Liebster award and posted the “Official Rules” on May 2, 2013, I had no idea how that one post would alter my blog’s popularity or help me build PageRank. (I didn’t even know what PageRank was, back then!)
I also didn’t know that my posts on Google+ circles would bring me a lot of traffic (readers/visitors), either, but I felt that someone had to answer these questions.
. . . Not that I’m complaining! . . .
What I find interesting is how traffic can be so unpredictable.
Sometimes, in our minds, we believe we have written an awesome post, but then it flops, no one comments on it, no one reads it, and it gets forgotten, even though we may have worked hours and hours on it. Then there’s the post that the little voice in your head said to write that performs wonderfully, even if you thought it wouldn’t.
Am I the only person who has had this experience? I think not; we’ve all had our ups and downs, haven’t we?
Growing by numbers
I also counted the number of visitors to this blog for the first four months of its existence:
- January (27), February (119), March (301) and April (553) of 2013.
If you add up the numbers in brackets you can see that I had 1000 visitors in four months.
It is now February 7, and so far, I have had 1155 visitors this past week!
Yes, it’s definitely time for a move. 🙂
Are you going to join me on my new journey? I hope so!
I’ve found out some of the answers to my blogging questions, and I would like to explain that you will NOT be able to see my future posts, in your reader or otherwise, unless you subscribe to this blog VIA EMAIL. You do this by clicking the “YES! SIGN ME UP!” button in the top right corner of my sidebar.
If you cannot see this button, you have to “unfollow” this blog at the top in the top black bar where it says “Following/Like/Re-blog” and then hit the re-fresh button on your browser. (I am not sure what to do if you are on a phone!)
The reason you need to follow me via email using the widget in my sidebar is so that you can be “imported” with me when this blog moves. (Please don’t ask me to explain this; I’m a non-techie and cannot explain how this transfer works); I just know what I’ve been repeatedly told and so I am passing this information on to you, because you are important to me and I want you to be a part of my new website!
I’m getting a new name, too!
I’ve put a lot of thought into this, and have been doing my research. I’ve used my survey feedback to plan the types of posts you all want to see, and I’ve even hired a designer to make me an image I can use on my new site! (You can still take this survey; there is no time limit on it, and I check regularly for more input from my readers.)
I’ll be posting at least once more on this blog before it gets moved, to make things official and to give you the inside scoop about my new blog, but I’d appreciate it if you would take a moment to find the widget (top right hand of the sidebar, where it says: It’s Your Choice!) to sign up via email.
You can always unsubscribe later on, once I’ve moved and you know where to find me. I won’t mind!
Thanks for being a part of my online journey. It seems I’m here to stay. I’m not going away; I’m growing and I’m loving it, and I want you to come with me.
I’ve got great things planned for us.
Join me?
And of course, feel free to post a comment. You know I always reply to my comments. But don’t forget to subscribe via email. 😉 I’d hate for you to be left behind.
Congrats on taking the leap. I know it was a well thought out decision and one you’ll not regret. It’s funny, I’m in a full redesign of my current blog along with creating a new business website. So you and I seem to be on the same trajectory. Best of luck to you Lorraine. 🙂
Thank you, Susan! You have the advantage of having your own tech guy/gal. I’m looking forward to your new site, too! 🙂
Awesome 😀
Well, let me know if you need any help! Good luck with the move 🙂
I appreciate your willingness to help, Jeevan. I’ll be in touch if I need you! Thanks again. 😀
Good luck on the move! I hope everything words well for you. I moved from blogger to self-hosted wp last year. Perhaps not the best decision ever but I’m starting to learn more and i’ts working out. I hope everything goes smoothly and you grow your blog the way you want!
Thank you, Carla! 😀
Hi Lorraine
Just wanted to let you know I’ve learned more about blogging from following your blog than any other place. Sure I’ll be following your new site.
Elaine, that’s so good to hear! I plan on doing more “helpful” posts, too.
If there is anything specific you want to know how to do, let me know and I will make sure I help you. Ok?
Lorraine,
I was able to sign up on the sidebar and now there is a message in the sidebar box that says a confirmation email has been sent. It hasn’t come yet but that may be for one of two reasons. 1. I just signed up and it may take a little while. 2. I was already signed up so it might not send another email. I use Aweber for my sign-ups so I’m not sure how the WordPress.com or Mailchimp works.
I started out in the beginning with my own site. I think once you get use to it you’re going to love it. There are so many ways you’ll be able to tweak your blog and make it function the way you want. It may seem overwhelming now but there are plenty of plug-ins you can use and all you need to do is upload them and activate them.
Good luck with it. I look forward to following your progress.
Janice, thanks for commenting. I’m really excited about the new site and have been trying to choose some plugins already. In my mind, I know how I want everything to look and now I just have to bring my vision to reality.
I’m happy to have you join me! 😀
Phew! What a relief! I thought I was losing my mind! Good luck!
No, and I edited your long comment, as you have probably noticed. No one needed to see that! LOL
God, I hate technology!
I’m a newbie, too, but I don’t see where I can sign up. I see the box with Join Me in it and the Pinterest button on the left, but I don’t see any widget to click on. Can you give me a hint where it is. I don’t want to miss any of your posts.
Do you see a button that says “YES! PLEASE SIGN ME UP!” ?
Look in the top right-hand corner of the sidebar. Let me know if you don’t see it, or if it does not work.
I will be posting again before I move with a new Mailchimp form, so you may want to sign up for the newsletter, too.
But let me know about the button, please, Jo Ann. If you cannot see it, I’m not sure what I’m going to do… 🙁
This is what’s in the sidebar;
You’re awesome for following this blog! It’s nice to know someone cares…
You are following this blog, along with 2,129 other amazing people (manage).
I don’t see where it says Join Me.
Silly me. You are already following my blog via email, Jo Ann. Don’t worry! You’re fine!
WAIT – no, you’re not. Not sure what to do here, except tell you to wait for next week’s post where I will have all this figured out and have a form for you to use instead.
Stay calm. I’ll straighten this out by next week!
Oofda, I can help you make sure no one gets lost Lorraine
Cool, thanks!
I don’t see where to sign up for email either. I don’t see a sidebar.
Crap. I wonder what’s going on? You don’t see my Facebook like box either? Or my Goodreads box? Or a list of posts? Nothing?
I’ve updated my post with new information and instructions. Let me know if things are better, please! Thanks! Gosh, I hate technology!
OK. I was on an iPad mini. When I got on a computer everything worked like you originally said. When I clicked to sign up,it said something about being awesome for following the blog. It did request an email address. Is that right?
Yes, and I think I really need to start understanding how all these different devices work. SIgh. I am behind the times with some things, I guess. But ahead of the times with others. 😉
I think you are following via the reader, though. No worries, I’ll get it figured out eventually.
Technology changes so fast it is hard to keep up.
No kidding. It doesn’t help, either, that I have no experience with smart phones, iphones, ipads, etc. I do have my kick-ass laptop, though, so at least I’m somewhat “with the program” despite my occasional lack of techie skills. The good thing is that I can follow directions and so can self-learn if there is a tutorial to follow, which is how I learned much of my blogging knowledge.
That is great. A lot of people can’t learn like you do.
I know that. But hopefully, they can learn from me, as I tend to pass this information onto others. 😉
I’m sure they can and I think it is wonderful that you are going to share what you learn.
Thanks. I try to be helpful whenever I can!
hi lorrain; congratulations on the growth of the blog and having the courage to go from a blog to your own site. I’m sure it is scary especially for a non tech person. I can remember when i went from a traditional website to a self hosted word press site. and I know what you mean about not knowing which posts will get the traffic. its that way with sales. the rides i thought had no chance are some of the ones that got the most interest or sold the quickest. I had my best traffic ever when i wrote the interview post with the owner of that party rental company in michigan. I’ve ben pushing for more interviews since but people are either too busy or not interested. I had great results from my first youtube show but haven’t managed to pin down another good episode yet. i originally hoped to do one every week. but i am still getting started. so the hope is i can have another one before its been a whole month. keep pushing a ahead. tai care friend, max
Max, thanks for your words of encouragement. There is nowhere else to go BUT ahead!
Be patient with your videos; you will get better at doing them as you learn.
That all said, it’s really important to test at first and write on a lot of topics with different styles, then distill your best. Just knowing that you have to do this is a pretty good advantage.
Yes, testing is important!