Blogging Features: Too many choices

Comments. Trackback. Blogroll. E-mail updates. Digg This. Social Media links like Digg, Facebook, Reddit. Subscribe to this using one of many services. Top commenters. Most popular entries.
It can get messy and crowded. I was relieved to find the Share This, which compiles many social media sites along with an e-mail this feature into one nice box. The box only appears when you click on it, so it keeps the blog neat.
When reading blogs, I like these features:

  • Comment: Leave it off and it sends a message that your readers’ opinions don’t matter.
  • Subscribe: Both RSS link and by e-mail.
  • Permalink: So I can directly link to the post instead of making people look for it. I’d rather not reference it than have people search for the post.
  • About: Sometimes I want to know more about the site, blog, and person(s) behind it.
  • Categories: Great for research and finding more content covering a specific topic without digging through all the posts.
  • Archives: I do look at older posts when conducting research or trying to find something, but not specific enough to enter a keyword into a search box.

Just my opinion after almost eight years a blogging. Others may love the social media linking, tagging, digging, and top posts. I’ve been trying to research what feature are must haves for a blog and the opinions vary.
Not all blogs stand alone. This blog makes up a part of my business site. That’s why random testimonials appear on the side along with a subscription box for my monthly newsletter.
Some say the blog should be the home page for sites that contain content not related to blogging. I choose not to do this because not all prospective clients care about blogs. As a compromise, the latest blog entries appear on the home page. Of my current clients, only two have blogs and they’re not big on blogging.
People find a business site in many ways and landing on the home page with a blog might confuse the visitor. Although many have heard of blogging, they don’t all want to read blogs and get involved in the blogosphere.
What blog features do you like? Don’t like?

2 thoughts on “Blogging Features: Too many choices”

  1. There are a lot of choices out there. I think the key is to look for features that add value rather than those that just seem to call attention to themselves. I also look for features that blend well with the look of my site. Some are just too ugly to use, no matter what useful feature they might have.

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