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3 Masters Every Blogger Must Be a Slave To

May 6, 2011 62 Comments

1. What is your favorite new blog?

The reason you want to know the answer to this question is because a new blog has broken through the noise and captivated your attention. Why? What secret -or not so secret- souse is the blogger using to make you stand up and take notice?

How can you take that sauce and add it to your Goulash?

2. What blog have you been reading consistently the longest?

We are all transients on these here Interwebs. We hang around for a while then we move on. If a blogger has been able to keep your attention for longer than few post, how did he do it? Why have you been hanging around on his blog for so long whilst blowing by countless others?

What made your longest blogging relationship so sticky?

3. What is the best designed blog you know?

Make no mistake. People WILL turn around and leave if your design sucks. I’ve done it.

Things are so easy online, the second we encounter a modicum of frustration we bolt out the virtual door that leads away from your blog. The layout, color schema, font size, typography…it ALL matters.

I find the best blog design is the one that doesn’t get in the way of content and takes the reader deeper into the blog archives. As if the reader is sliding down a funnel.

What blog  -in your mind- epitomizes the pinnacle of blog design?

  • I would love to hear your thoughts on this. The floor is yours.

*Links welcomed

 

Creative Blogging
  • http://twitter.com/LeoWid Leo Widrich

    Dino, love that one, great stuff.

    Very good idea to ask those 3 questions I believe. As goes for number 1 I believe @AskAaronLee:disqus ‘s blog is one that is only a bit over a year old I think, yet already a great establishment.

    Number 2? Definitely yours, I think it was one of the very first ones I subscribed via email and I love coming back! :)

    Number 3? @Nicholas_Cardot:disqus ‘s blog is my answer, beautifully designed and well worth reading too.

    So now, let me reflect a bit more on what the secret is those three are using! In the Buffer it goes :)

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      I love Aaron Lee’s blog. Great stuff. Which is why I wrote a few articles for his community back in the day. In fact, I think he has the stickiness factor for me, cuz I’ve been back again and again.

      Thnx for choosing my piece of virtual real estate as your fav sticky blog. It means a lot :-)

      Nic’s blog is pretty sweet in terms of design. I dont think he uses it anymore but I think I pilfered the “3 main categories across top” from his old blog.

  • http://hustlersnotebook.com Jk Allen

    Finally made it Dino!

    1. My favorite new blog is TheSkoolofLife.com. The blog is not new, but new to me. There, Srini chronicles his story of living abroad, his business ventures and of course, surfing. Sounds like a “different” combo, but man it’s all put together wonderfully.

    From Srini, I’m learning a lot about doing what I love at whatever the cost maybe. In terms of blogging – he gets out and connects with people – which draws people in. I’ve taken notes!

    2. The longest standing blog in my Reader account would TheSalesLion.com Since day one I was hooked. Marcus and I formed a relationship which has spawned beyond the internet. He writes about business, marketing, personal development and has a powerful community feel to everything he creates.

    The thing that made this relationship so sticky is because Marcus is just a genuine guy. Getting to know him and learn from him has been awesome and rewarding. Not to mention, he’s helped me grow significantly by way of mentioning me a few of his posts.

    3. HustlersNotebook.com! Okay, that’s a joke. But I like DannyBrown.me. He just has a nice flow, rather unique look, and everything functions well. I particularly like his comments section.

    I use Thesis and wish I could figure out how to jazz up my comment area – but a rookie I am!

    I love this site too.

    I love the Action oriented Nav Bar. It has a nice flow and allows me to cut right to the chase. And for you, it allows you to direct people where you’d like them to go.

    That’s all I have for now Dino. And one last thanks for the support you’ve been showing me. I really appreciate it buddy.

    PEACE

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      I was hoping to discover some new blogs with this post, but your entries could might as well be my entries. I love @skooloflife:twitter , and its a relatively new blog on my radar as well.

      @thesaleslion:twitter
      blog is awesome. And I def agree with the
      @dannybrown:twitter
      ‘s blog assessment. Everything is exactly where it should be.

    • http://www.theskooloflife.com Srinivas Rao

      Thanks for the shoutout man. Been enjoying your content as well my friend. Glad that we’ve connected.

  • http://www.getting-unstuck.com/http://fearlessdating.wordpress.com/http://www.getting-unstuck.com/ RILEY HARRISON

    And how do you keep track of all the categories of blogs you read or intend to read or wish to learn from? This is an issue I’m still trying to sort out. RSS feeds and getting blogs via email is really a time saver for those blogs you know you are going to read on a regular basis.
    Riley

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      I use Rockmelt the Browser to keep track of all the blogs I visit and their publishing schedule, etc. Rockmelt is in Beta but I can send you an invite if you like. Lemme know.

  • http://www.highballblog.com/ Constantin Gabor

    To be honest, I was expecting something else from the headline… :-)

    Okay – for the first question: DIYBlogger.net (no doubt about it); second to it would be Tristan’s blog BloggingBookshelf.com

    For the last two questions: Copyblogger, but I’m not reading it as much – it has became…well…dull.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      Love Tristan’s blog. Great choice.

      Safe but good choice with the
      @copyblogger:twitter
      I do think the blog is easy to navigate and it pulls you into the content.

  • Anonymous

    1. In terms of sheer time spent reading and commenting? It’s DIYblogger. And why is the relationship “sticky”? Because of all the articles on blogging, which are always on point. My two other recent favorites include Suvudu and io9, that I got into last year.

    2. Xenophilia! It was the first blog I ever followed, and I still check it on a regular basis. The owner trawls the web for weird news and posts very often. I still check it every week, because I can find all these weird ideas gathered in one convenient place.

    3. Tough question.

    a) Alexis Madrigal’s blog, greentechhistory.com (Inventing Green) used to feature a great, newspaper-style design, but not anymore.
    b) The WW Norton tumblr blog used to be one of the best minimalist blog designs I had ever seen – http://wwnorton.tumblr.com/ – They changed it, it’s still very good, but no longer “the best.”
    c) The Gawker network has got io9. It’s crisp and shiny.
    d) In terms of overall design and content, this one is overwhelming – http://www.livingdesign.info/
    e) Finally, I appreciate the clean, soothing design over at GrainEdit http://grainedit.com/

    See, it’s impossible to pick ONE.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      wow…thnx. Im humbled :-)

      Those are some interesting pics. You’ve given me some homework :-)

  • http://www.FirepoleMarketing.com Danny Iny

    Hey Dino, this post is a fantastic idea – I’m really impressed! Okay, on to the questions:

    1. My favorite new blog… that’s tricky, because it depends how old it can be and still be new… I think Ryan Critchett is really tearing things up with iMarketingHacked.com and RyanCritchett.com, and so is Jk Allen with the Hustler’s Notebook. Vic Magary’s blog is another one to watch, and so is Socially Popular.

    2. The blog that I have been reading consistently the longest has got to be Copyblogger – I’ve been reading stuff on there since before I was even aware of most of the rest of my blogging community, and way before I was blogging myself. I’ve also been reading IttyBiz for a long time, and Penelope Trunk’s blog (guilty pleasure).

    3. The best-designed blog? That’s a tough one, because there are a lot of good ones out there. I find myself coming back to Robert Dempsey’s Itinerant Entrepreneur often as an example of things to emulate (navigation is effective and super-clean), and I think Jennifer Gresham’s blog, Everyday Bright, looks pretty awesome as well. Nick Cardot’s SiteSketch101 is another great example of really awesome and effective design.

    Thanks for getting this conversation going, Dino, I’m looking forward to all the blogs that I’m going to discover through everybody else’s comments!

    Just one thing, though – what are YOUR answers to these three questions?

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      Wait a minute now…who’s asking questions here? lol

      Ok, fav new blogs are
      @mylifestylemax:twitter
      and
      @smartboydesign:twitter

      Consistently read the longest would be
      @smexaminer:twitter

      And best design has to go to
      @RedheadWriting:twitter
      for the sheer originality of it.

      Your choices are awesome btw..in the sense that Im not familiar with most of them, so in my RSS feeder they go :-)

      • http://www.FirepoleMarketing.com Danny Iny

        Awesome, Dino, I haven’t heard of almost any of them (except for SmartBoyDesigns, which is awesome!). Thanks for sharing! :)

        • http://www.FirepoleMarketing.com Danny Iny

          I just stumbled across another blog that’s right up there in terms of content and design:
          http://www.elisesreview.com/
          – check it out, guys!

  • http://askaaronlee.com Aaron Lee

    Hmm! Tough one, gonna be hard to pick! Without a doubt one blog I’ve been reading more recently is DIYblogger.net for sure. I think you’ve one of the best headlines out there. Its catchy, it makes me wanna click all the time lol!

    Consistent and longest would be
    @markwschaefer:twitter
    ‘s blog for sure. i make sure I stop by at least 3 times a week.

    As for designs. I actually love this blog design but since you’re already on my list I would say @dannybrown and @socialmouth :) two hard picks :)

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      DUDE!!! How could I have forgotten about @socialmouths:twitter ? Awesomely designed blog indeed.

      Thnx for the design compliment. I’ve put a lot of thought into it and there are ton more things I’d love to tweak,
      but it will do for now :-)

  • http://www.theskooloflife.com Srinivas Rao

    I didn’t know you could mention other people or insert links into disqus. Pretty cool. Well first I have to say @hustlersnotebook:disqus is my favorite new discovery. Convenient that I’m his too. I love the content there since I’m the hustler phase of my own journey.

    The blog I’ve been reading consistently the longest is

    Middle finger project. Ashley has one of the most entertaining and unique voices I’ve ever come across.

    Design is a tough one. I’m not sure who gets my vote on this one. I know that like the design of Men with Pens and Jen Gresham at Everydaybright recently did a killer redesign.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      God list Srini, thnx. Btw..I wasnt blowing virtual smoke up your ass when I said I’d send you a suit. Email me if you need it.

      • http://www.theskooloflife.com Srinivas Rao

        Thanks. I think the pants might not fit. The jacket would fit
        perfectly since we’re about the same size.

        • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

          Lets start “things that shouldnt be discussed in public” discussion lol what size pants do you wear? I have smaller pants. Like 32 and 34. Kinda sad really…Im starting to notice which direction my gut is going lol

    • http://hustlersnotebook.com Jk Allen

      Thanks Srini! It’s a mutual affair! And it wasn’t even scripted.

  • http://live-your-love.com/ Brankica U

    me me me, can I answer this one, teacher. THE blog that I have been reading the longest most religiously is blog.2createawebsite.com, the design, have no clue, can’t think of one that I really love now and new blogs, this one is a tough one, cause there are so many good ones, so I will say mine :P

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      oooh…you’re right. @2createawebsite:twitter does have good content. A+ student. And thnx for the apple :-)

  • http://markharai.com Mark Harai

    Best New Blogs: Toss up between this house and @hustlersnotebook:disqus One kicks ass on the status quo, the other is really about hustling. These are two things I subscribe to in life.

    I’ve been reading @Danny Brown’s blog since the beginning of my social media journey and thankful to call him a good friend and in my opinion, one of the best blogs in the blogosphere.

    I like @Chris Brogan’s blog – it’s clean and crisp.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      haha..you walk the line, Mark. Dont you? One one hand you have edgy, new lions like myself and JK, on the other hand you have kings of the jungle like @dannybrown:twitter and @chrisbrogan:twitter . I think that sez more about you than about the 4 of us lol

      Btw…we need to podcast. Add me to skype. dino.dogan

      • http://markharai.com Mark Harai

        Haha! I look forward to chatting : )

    • http://hustlersnotebook.com Jk Allen

      Thanks Mark – Your support is incredible!
      Dino – this house is off the hook!

      • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

        dude…Im finishing a post that only you might have the balls to publish. I’ll email you.

  • http://smartboydesigns.com Christian Hollingsworth

    Sliding down a tunnel; further into a blog. I love those thoughts Dino. Awesome. You know, the blogs that I’ve stayed on the longest; are often the ones that seem genuine. I don’t even read some of the world’s “top” blogs because often they seem contrived to me. Maybe it’s wrong; but it’s true.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      You cant beat the genuine raw emotion. The most difficult market to penetrate by those who would.

  • http://www.thejackb.com/ The JackB

    I have been reading @treppenwitz:disqus
    a href=”http://www.treppenwitz.com”>Treppenwitz since I started blogging. There is a mix of material there that has managed to keep my attention.
    As for new blogs, well I can’t tell you exactly who is new that I am reading. But as @smartboydesigns:disqus mentioned genuine and honest go a long way for me.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      Nice list Jack. I couldn’t agree more regarding @smartboydesign:twitter of course. Im not familiar with @treppenwitz:twitter so on the list it goes :-)

  • http://www.expatlifecoach.com/blog John Falchetto

    Favorite new @hustlersnotebook:disqus
    Consistently since day 1 @markharai:disqus
    Favorite design @redheadwriting because of awesome use of colors, tabs and her copy.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      Awesome choices John.

    • jkallen3

      Thanks John! And you know I loooove your site!

      • http://hustlersnotebook.com Jk Allen

        I wasn’t logged in correctly!

    • http://markharai.com Mark Harai

      John, I’m not sure why that is, but your support and friendship have been incredible : )

  • Pingback: Blogging Tips- Build Your Community Around You | The JackB

  • http://www.mylifestylemax.com Stacey Herbert

    There all kind of new to me, but I enjoy Sandi’s blog
    devacoaching
    .com
    and DIYBlogger for the clean, lean layout. Derek Potocki over at
    http://www.goalsblogger.com/
    writing always speak to me. Finally I would have to say Bernardo over at
    http://www.yourgreatlifetv.com/
    , he’s working the video medium in a really special way.
    Interesting idea Dino, and I’ve also found some great new blogs to check out. @redheadwriting is pretty awesome

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      Not familiar with devacoaching that much…on the list she goes :-)

  • http://twitter.com/skypulsemedia Howie at Sky Pulse Media

    This is tough because there are so many blogs I love. Normally for me content is king. Longest are the Ad Contrarian and the Escape Pod. Not sure about most recent blog. But have been very impressed with every in and around the Spin Sucks Community. Some I have been reading longer than others.

    I am clueless to respond for best designed. Let me just say I have found livefyre based commenting system the best so far. But it seems Disqus has added features so the jury is out for now.

    But I must say Dino point 1 is a huge challenge for bloggers because we only have time for so many blogs to read and there is a lot of great content!

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      Its quite a conundrum, isnt it?

      Im dying to discover then next great new blog. Great content. Great blogger. There are many of course but the noise id deafening.

      Which is why Im taking a deliberate step to turn this blog into a showcase for exactly those kinds of bloggers. So, if you find any…

  • http://www.marianneworley.com Marianne Worley

    Hi Dino, Since I am a new blogger myself, all of the blogs I read are new to me. But the first one I check out when I open Google Reader is Brankica’s Live Your Love. As far as design goes, my favorite is Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation. It’s unique and elegant.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      ooh..both great choices. You’ve done your homework :-)

  • Hajra

    I have a personal blog, although I have loads of favorite personal blogs; blogs about blogging that remains my fav are Tristan’s and Kiesha’s. I am new at Brankicas blog and am totally in love with her work!

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      All great choice Hajra. Nice picks :-)

  • http://www.lsgeekster.blogspot.com Kira Permunian

    I personally would love to visit a clean user friendly blog. Those blogs that have a sense of usability standards in blogging. Thanks for bringing this up Dino. I am your slave. lol

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      Thnx Kira. And thnx for a great explanation of your blog. Very interesting stuff :-)

      • http://www.lsgeekster.blogspot.com Kira Permunian

        Very much welcome. I always feel being honored. Thank you.

  • http://twitter.com/GuideGoodsBlog Edwin

    Fav new blog: New Super Affiliate Blog by Adrienne Smith

    What blog have you been reading consistently the longest?: My blog and Probloger, and ViperChill

    Best Designed Blog: Mashable

  • http://www.hollandz.com Brad Holland

    I’m diggin’ this little blog called DIY Bogger Net. Some of you may have heard of it. It’s pretty cool and the author is a freak of nature, In a good way of course. I also dig this one, it’s not really a blog, but it really gets my atention:

    http://www.angelfire.com/super/badwebs/

    If I have to pick one though, it would be http://www.ZenHabits.com – Clean, minimalistic, to the point and about the content.

  • http://www.thenerdynurse.com The Nerdy Nurse

    Design- Im constantly changing mine. I can never find something that just keeps my attention. I need to STOP doing this but its just never good enough for me. The pursuit of an attractive layout eludes me. It’s not god-awful or anything, but it doesn’t keep my attention like I want it to, so why on earth would I expect it to keep someone else’s?

    @dinodogan:disqus I love the way you present this information. with such.. what the word: Enthusiasm, oh and wit, you are very witty.

    You could have been a character on the Gilmore Girls, and from me, that’s the highest complement!

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      awh..thnx Nurse… can I be the daughter Gilmorer plz?

  • http://www.ricardobueno.com Ricardo Bueno

    Re: “People WILL turn around and leave if your design sucks. I’ve done it” Me too!

    I’ve heard people debate what’s more important – Content or Design? Personally, I think finding a good balance of both is key. You can have the best content in the world, but if you’re design looks haphazard, I’m outta there. And I’m willing to bet so is everyone else.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      I know I am. I cant stand poorly designed websites. Dont tell blogpost people, but I kinda hate the way blogpost.com sets up their bloggers. I know its a free platform but cmon….why does it have to suck?

      • http://www.ricardobueno.com Ricardo Bueno

        That’s another thing that gets me… Blogging on a platform you don’t own and control. So things like:

        - yourname.wordpress.com

        - yourname.blogspot.com

        Granted, sure, I think it’s a good starting point. But if you have a blog for business purposes, get serious and own your assets (cuz that’s what it is).

        Sorry, now I’m ranting… heh.

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      Content vs design debate is the debate of when will the user leave the site. If design sucks, the user leaves immediately.  If design is great, but content sucks, the user will leave about 40 seconds later.

      Thats how I see it anyways :-)

  • http://www.slymarketing.com Jens P. Berget

    Hey Dino,

    There are so many blogs and so little time. When it comes to favorite blogs, I’m not really sure. Yours is among the top, that’s for sure, and so is TheSalesLion, BloggingBookshelf, TrafficGenerationCafe and many others. I can’t pick just one, at least not right now. I probably could if I spent a lot time thinking about it though. 

    The blog I have been reading the longest is probably problogger, although I haven’t been reading it as much lately as I used to. I started out reading everything, now, I just read it once in a while. It’s been too many guest posts, and I don’t care that much for guest posts :)

    When it comes to blog design, I love clean and simple design that focuses on the content. So to me, zenhabits has the best design. But that’s just because I am only looking for the content, and not advertisements and optin forms etc.. 

    Jens

    • http://diyblogger.net/about Dino Dogan

      So I think what you’re saying is that when choosing a design one MUST consider who the ideal audience is and design for that person.

      That is sage advice my friend…well done :-)

      • http://www.slymarketing.com Jens P. Berget

         Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying… I just didn’t know how to say in so few words :)

  • http://twitter.com/DawgBlogger jana rade

    My answers will probably have little relevance to your survey here. I read MAINLY veterinary blogs. I read them because of the content. Some are designed better, some worse, but for my purpose that is irrelevant. The blog I read the longest is probably Lorie’s. The newest blog I started reading is Toronto Vets. Same reason as above – content.

    Sorry, I know I”m a designer, but unless the design is so bad that the content becomes unreadable, for my purpose I don’t care about design for my blog reading.

    Good food for thought though.