she may not know it, but i am so jealous of victoria klein! victoria writes for all sorts of great print publications, including boho, yogo journal, and craft. her blog is a clean, happy place where she leaves small snippets of information & beauty.

i like

as i just said, i love the clean layout of victoria’s blog. lots of white space puts a major emphasis on content. and content is what will sell your service or product or, well, you!

when you’re first getting started with wordpress or blogger or [other blog platform], it’s so easy to choose a busy theme that makes it look like you’re a web designer. trust me, the less noise around the edges, the more it will look like you know what you’re doing. clean white layout, minimal banner image, readable colors.

speaking of layout, i think victoria’s site is a good example of a 2-column layout too. with room for a few notable exceptions, unless you’re selling something and selling something for someone else (i.e. affiliate marketing or advertising), a two column format is my preference. if you find 2 columns makes your sidebar too long, consider what is really necessary. what can you edit to get more bang for your link buck?

earlier, i discussed how i like to see a small “about” section at the top of your sidebar. in victoria’s case, this isn’t necessary because her blog is incorporated into her website, all that information and much more is available just a click away. victoria instead leads with her feed information – perfect! – and then a number of ways to connect with her further: twitter, linkedin, and formspring. are links that allow your readers to connect with you more casually or quickly prominently display on your blog?

things to improve

i love victoria’s content. vivid images, short but descriptive writing. it’s the kind of blog you can stop by daily and get a piece of inspiration.

but victoria doesn’t have many comments. and i know comments are all something we like to get. my suggestion: ask for them! ask a question, and let your readers know you’d love to read their answers in your comments.

right now, victoria is working her way through the 365 project – taking an image every day for a year. as you can imagine, many of these images are intimate little windows into her life. my advice to would be to use these to connect with readers through asking them to reveal a tiny window into their life.

for example, victoria recently wrote a post featuring the above image. it’s a toy from her childhood. i had the same toy! so i left a comment. but what if victoria had simply asked: what’s a toy from your childhood that meant something to you?

getting comments doesn’t just help your self-esteem. engaging readers and asking questions help your readers to feel involved in your blog, to feel invested in you and your work. when others feel invested in you, they are much more likely to help you to promote yourself and return more often to make purchases.

overall, i adore victoria’s blog, her photography, and her writing. if you’re looking for a personal spot to get a bit of inspiration to start your day, i highly recommend get to know her through her blog!