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Should You Tell People Their Blog Design is Ugly?
We recently received an anonymous email that had us both cheering – and puzzled.
Readers recently inspired our regular feature of Drive-By-Shooting Sundays after we did a few fast reviews in the comment section of our post on Tips for Creating a Great Theme Design. Readers loved the quick advice and the objective view of professionals blended with the fun of a drive-by analogy.
There is solid advice behind our fun and fast tips. Many new bloggers and website owners don’t have the money or the know-how to pull off a simple, attractive design that helps their business.
We see it every day. Tons of great blogs neglect good looks in favor of great content and dress themselves with ugliness or poor layouts. Content is King, but the Emperor needs good clothes. A nice design can shoot you into better success and sometimes save you from failure.
So that’s why we cheered when we received this anonymous comment:
Wish you had a way to anonymously and gently suggest your Drive-by-Sunday-shootings for well-meaning but UGLY and improvable blogs that we come across while reading the comments of your (and other smart blogs) commentators… without offending anyone.
I mean really, telling the charming person seated next to you at the dinner party that they have BO means you’ll never feel comfortable in THAT crowd again (if you get invited back!).
But YOU GUYS have balls, and it can seem like you’re just passing through and helping… ya know, since you do that.
The author has a very good point. There are many blogs out there that could achieve better success – but their owners don’t ask for help or advice or a quick review. Also, many people have trouble accepting constructive criticism as suggestions for improvement.
Improvement is the point. As the author of the email implied, many blogs are ugly but have good content. Their image is hurting them, but they can be made better. They have a chance. They can achieve stronger readership and higher success… if only owners made the investment.
Most investment doesn’t even involve money. Dropping a widget, moving a column, changing colors… Most bloggers can make these changes. And if they can’t, the cost of hiring someone to help is often far more affordable than people realize.
What I realized is that we have our Comment Luv feature to thank for the issue at hand. This anonymous email proves that Comment Luv works. Readers are clicking through to read more from commentators. Commentators gain traffic and new subscribers or maybe even business.
But what then? How many blog designs cause missed opportunities? How many people click through and then click away? How many potential clients are lost because of an ugly design?
This leaves us in a quandary. The author suggests that, as helpful people (thank you; we do try), we should perhaps contact blog owners in private.
Should we? Is it rude to offer unsolicited advice, even if we send it gently through private email communication? Would we hurt feelings more than we helped people?
And who are we to carry out this suggestion? Is it right for us to be the White Knights of the Blogosphere, slaying ugly sites to allow growth of what we feel is beautiful? Is it right that because we’re ballsy and vocal, we should be the ones to do the dirty job?
Well, I suppose so, yes. Someone has to do it, right?
Then there is the question of our time. We like to help others – but free advice doesn’t feed our families or pay our rent. A drive-by review can take minutes or an hour to write up. That’s lost wages – and we already work many unbillable hours as is.
So what should we do? What do you feel is right and wrong? Should we be the ones to speak up because others cannot? (And we understand that; really, we do.)
If your blog were the ugly one in question, would you appreciate unsolicited and unexpected recommendations, even if they were sent in a private email? Do you feel people have the right to challenge poor designs or suggest improvements?
Let us know. Discuss.
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I like how the collective response to ‘Is it bad that I craved a beer the moment James mentioned it, inappropriate time of day aside?’ was . . .
Absolute silence.
Which I will take to mean that the community does indeed frown upon me, and I am hereby shunned. Notice how I did that in only a week or so of being a commenter?
@Kelly: I love how the whips-and-chains comment is immediately followed by your latest blog post on . . . Why Noise is Essential. Well played, there.
Tei’s last blog post..Client seeking for the rest of us.
Oh, and Brett, honey, go write more, would you? I’ve read everything in your blog and I want more, please. I’d go comment over there but you seem to live on other people’s blogs lately. Not that this is, you know, a BAD thing. Not when you leave the best comments EVER.
Tei’s last blog post..Client seeking for the rest of us.
@ Tei: very soon. I was down for the count over the weekend with a pretty killer cold, but I expect to post tomorrow morning, and probably again on Friday.
(Thank you, BTW – that was a *nice* compliment!)
Brett Legree’s last blog post..the view from the other side.
@Tei: We weren’t shunning you. I live in Vegas, drinks are poured 24/7. I got distracted by Kelly’s “ah-ha” moment that still has me confused.
@ Tei: PS – you’ve not been shunned. The absolute silence is probably acceptance by the majority here that it is okay to want a beer this early in the day…
Brett Legree’s last blog post..the view from the other side.
@ Harry: *jinx* great minds and all that…
Brett Legree’s last blog post..the view from the other side.
Heehee. I know other people were distracting, but I, like Bob, have been trying to work and looking at the new MwP emails that keep popping up hoping someone out there would answer my plaintive fishing for reassurance.
Tell you what, people. Next time I need a compliment, I’m just going to come on over here and say: “I need you to say nice things about me.”
And I will expect 20 pings to pop up in my email INSTANTLY. Or I will cry.
And nobody likes a crying rogue. We’re even worse than the sad clowns.
Tei’s last blog post..Client seeking for the rest of us.
@ Tei: if you’re not on Twitter, sign up and start tweeting… that should fulfill that need
Brett Legree’s last blog post..the view from the other side.
Uh, okay. What?
Don’t I need to get people to follow me around on Twitter? Wouldn’t it just be more shouting into the void? You know, “Please love me!” Not that I feel that way in the slightest . . .
The blog is all I can handle, people!
Tei’s last blog post..Client seeking for the rest of us.
Constructive criticism is great…. so long as it’s delivered in a positive tone.
@ Tei:
well, I got all kinds of “get well soons” over the last few days there…
Brett Legree’s last blog post..the view from the other side.
Go to one little meeting, and my email inbox blows up like a balloon. Sheesh.
Harry,
That’s not what you confirmed. Roommate. That’s what you confirmed. Sorry, James will have to explain it.
Gotta go.
Thanks, Bob, not quite as nice as what Tei said to Brett, but it’s what I’m going for here after I get past the relevant and intelligent stuff… so I takes my compliments as I gets ‘em.
Really, gotta go.
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Why Noise Is Essential
@Kelly: I told you Pete was just a roommate!
@tei
“Left in a hurry”
That’s what I’m going to tell my wife the next time she finds me dressed badly..
“Honey, I know, but I had to leave the bedroom in a hurry because you were snoring..”
Duck..
Tony Lawrence’s last blog post..iStatPro and Antec CPU Cooler by Anthony Lawrence
I have asked myself this same question, especially when I find a blog that I really enjoy but it could use a little fixing up here and there (like one I recently discovered with NO RSS link). This also applies to writing. Do you email a blogger to say there’s a typo in that last post? I know I appreciate it when people point out my typos or give me feedback on anything, as long as it’s done in private email and with tact.
I agree with Kelly though. There are enough people who will volunteer for a drive by so maybe it’s not worth it to risk offending someone who didn’t ask. Also, in some cases, I think you’ll be able to tell that a blogger would welcome feedback. I’ve even seen bloggers post the question to their readers.
Emailing about broken links and problems with functionality is something different. That’s letting the person know things aren’t working as opposed to “your design is ugly.” That’s just being considerate to a fellow blogger
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Jeff Buckley: Grace (Album)
It’s amazing how this comment thread sways WAY off topic, only to suddenly come back to the topic of the post. How do you guys make that happen
@Melissa: Missing RSS button, doh. That reminds me of a blog owner I wanted to contact about his site, because (s)he wrote something in reply to one of my posts. But the comments were closed (on every post), there was no contact form, no email address, no IM, no twitter (can you believe that?), no nothing. It was IMPOSSIBLE to reach that guy or gal and help them out. Needless to say, I never went back there.
Lodewijk van den Broek’s last blog post..7 Little Timesaving Tips for the Workplace
@Lodewijk: Being the Voice Of Reason here, every so often I have to use my powers to nudge someone’s brain. I sense the unsuspecting poster setting their fingers to the keyboard and as soon as contact is made they hear that little Voice inside their head that says, “Time to get back on track.”
Some days are harder than others. We can blame James for that. Fukko the Clown has since left the building in a huff, having been ousted by Little Pen. I can tell you, he was one unhappy clown.
He’ll be back though. They all come back…
Sorry, your anon comment didn’t know that your drive-by shootings were by request… that use of ’shooting’ in the header implied (or one inferred, actually) that you drop by in random shooting sprees, much to our edutainment.
The suggestion only hoped that an anonymous collection field for websites would allow “random” (and short, minutes-only but valuable and expert-establishing-worthy) attacks. Only, for the side of good, not evil.
Maybe the notes should have read:
“Wish you had a way [like a field form] [for your readers] to anonymously and gently suggest [to you, some choices for] your [if they are indeed selected by you and not requested by the site owner -- who doesn't always know they're hurting themselves] Drive-by-Sunday-shootings [that will certainly improve the stickiness] for well-meaning but UGLY and improvable blogs…”
But then it’s unreadable. Hmm… unreadable may be better than misunderstood — but the fault of both lies with the writer. Who must be mortified by now. Actually. 67 comments, jesuschrist, MORTIFIED.
I need an editor to help edit my nose out of other people’s businesses…
@ Can’t Say – Why be mortified? It was a great comment and brought up plenty of content for blog posting. If it garnered 67 comments, it also shows it had value, and it got people thinking about the right and wrong of it all. Never be mortified for suggesting ideas. There’s value in everything.
I think you brought up an important point: ugly blogs hurt readership. They hurt business. That’s the point that you made – a few simple tweaks can make the difference between a blog being passed over or standing out.
Again, lots of value. So thank you for your comment
Holy Cow…My train of thought pulled out of the station 67 comments ago.
ok, lets see..
You are more then welcome to my e-mail adress ( any of you, not just pen-men) if you want to share constructive ideas and comments on my site. I am very open-minded and LOVE feedback! I would think that anyone wanting to grow in their trade wouldn’t be pig-headed enough to think they had figured everything out on their own.
I also would love some help if anyone can help me get that stinking comment widget to work. I can’t even get it to upload. ( I am a moron with tech stuff), so anyone who stopped by and said, hey…do you need a hand with your site, it looks pretty sad, would be seen as a hero on the side of the road. And I have got to think I’m not the only one out there like that.
So if things were done in the right spirit, I bet lots of people would appreciate it.
Now, that aside, I think there have to be nicer ways to say things than “Hey, you have the ugliest site since my dog’s bottom.” And since we ARE writers here and the Pen Men are particularly GOOD writers, I would expect them to offer constructive critisicm nicely. And I’m sure they would.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..In the Silence are the Answers?
@Lodewijk, (I had to check three times to make sure I spelled your name right). Oh yes, I’ve bumped into sites like that too. Not sure if they don’t want to be reached or just forgot that readers might want to reach them. Maybe the site is under development, or personal? I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt but surely they were absent for the lecture on Blogging 101.
Here’s another thought I had about this issue:
Isn’t publishing a blog or web site on the Internet akin to putting out other types of media (books, movies, TV, music, etc.)? It’s acceptable to publish reviews on other types of published and produced materials, so why not blogs and web sites? Here in the U.S., when you put yourself or your work in the public eye, it’s a known fact that you’ve opened yourself to receive public scrutiny and criticism. I think that applies here, with some restrictions (hopefully people are tactful and ethical about it).
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Jeff Buckley: Grace (Album)
Dear Anonymous, I’m working on it and soon Harry and James will fix me up. Signed, Saddled by Ugly Blog
I think this is tricky and time consuming. James told me my blog was butt ugly and I wasn’t offended but motivated to think through a strategy so you all could help. When you’re new to blogging you may not even be aware of what’s ugly until you spend enough time on other blogs and get a feel for what works well and what does not.
If the commenter is a regular perhaps a private note would be nice, not a full on review but “hey your site is not doing you justice.” As a fellow commenter, I have seen some ugly blogs too but being a member of that club I’ll never throw stones!
Karen!! I didn’t say butt ugly, I said something to the effect like, I’d really like to see you showcase your content more effectively. Or something. It was NICE, what I said. Sheesh. It was a “hey, you’re good, so change your blog” type thing with a smile.
*mutters*
James, ROFL! Well geez you’ve been ignoring me lately, had to do something to get your attention!
It was NICE but you’re always nice, maybe the “butt ugly” was what I said! Hmmm…
Constructive criticism should always be welcomed but in my experience, not everyone can handle brutal honesty, especially when it was something they created. If it’s an unexpected review then many times the website owner will take it a bit personally or be in a state of denial (kind of like when a person is going into foreclosure on their house but they just can’t accept it).
I think what you guys do with Sunday Drive-Bys are great. I’ve socialized in many forums over the years and probably by far one of the most posted-in forum or category are those requesting people to review their website.
People want a review and as far as I’ve seen, you guys only review people’s sites who requested it. Like mentioned above, you’re not going to their site and providing the review in their comment section for their customers to see, that would be bad.
For you guys, I think it makes perfect sense to do Drive-By shootings. It goes with your theme, showcases your writing skills, and is catering to a topic VERY popular online.
As for giving away the reviews for free and the time it takes . . . through the years I’ve found one of the best marketing strategies around is giving things away for free.
I mean, if what you say makes sense to a few website owners, they will probably ask you to do the work.
As for the anonymous email, did the person realize that your drive-by shootings are all requested?
(sorry if this was all said above already – I read through the comments but didn’t have time to read every one).
John Hoff’s last blog post..The Best Rule To Follow: Keep It Simple
What about websites that are solely for the purpose of selling a product? Someone emailed me wanting me to sample their product and review it on Sushi Day, and I hop on over to their website and… it’s a disaster. Misspellings, doesn’t look professional, obviously a free template from somewhere… pretty much looks horrible. I think they are trying to be cool and *hip*, but it’s really not working for them. If the person had not contacted me (their email was also full of misspellings, grammar mistakes, run-on sentences) I would never even consider their product just because the website doesn’t look at all professional.
So… do you think it is alright to tell people (in a nice way, of course) that maybe they should hire a professional designer to design their website if it is a website that is for the purpose of making money, as opposed to a more personal website? And if so, would it be alright for me to recommend your web design services to him?
Allison’s last blog post..It’s Your Time To Shine!
@ Allison – You can always recommend us. Word of mouth referrals are the best kind you can get (and thank you for thinking of us!)
See, this is the exact kind of case that niggles my mind. People, you’re in business. You *need* to look sharp. If you’re hurting your own business, wouldn’t you want to know it?
That said, it’s a tough call. In this case, I think that if it were me, I’d probably say that you’d love to recommend them but that you’re afraid that they may lose the benefit of that referral because the site design detracts from their awesome rockin’ product.
I’d wrap a whole lot of compliments around a small “dude, your site is f-ugly.”
Awesome. I know you guys would do his site justice.
He did start out the email saying something like, he wishes his site were half as good as mine, so maybe that’s a good starting point. Yeah, I’m definitely going to wrap a whole heck of a lot of complements around it… I wouldn’t want to insult him!
Allison’s last blog post..It’s Your Time To Shine!
Me — no spine. Whenever I mention something negative about a Web site, I usually don’t name the site. What can I say? I don’t want to get a reputation for being negative. What if that Web site decides to use my services?
One thing I do speak out on repeatedly… STOP with the gray text on white. Please. This is a bad trend that needs to end. It resembles reading in a fog.
Meryl’s last blog post..Links: 2008-04-11
@Meryl: Personally I like a little ‘off-black’ text. It softens the look of the page. But overdoing it is foggy indeed.
Lodewijk van den Broek’s last blog post..Birth of a Blogger
I’m always afraid someone is going to tell me my blog’s ugly.
Forget the blog, what if there’s someone who’s very unphotogenic yet posts heaps of flickr pictures of themselves on their blog.
Someone who wears super tight clothing to look sexy (more girls tend to do this) but are really ugly and have wrinkles… and act like they are the hottest thing ever.
Oh and they post pictures of themselves with their equally unphotogenic male sidekick. And their blog content is self-centered like all blog content but utterly boring and banal but with the added woe of begging (in the form of wishlists).
In perpective a ugly blog is better then a ugly blog owner.
I found your blog from a link on someone else’s blog (Poewar) and was inspired to click on the link that brought me to this post.) Good article! And I loved reading all the comments – I had to laugh at the “butt ugly” conversation! I’ll be reading more of your blog for sure! Thanks for making my day!
Paige´s last blog post…Rather sad
Hey, I just came across your blog and wanted to tell you that you have great articles. All the best. Cheers, George