Design, Develop, and Grow
Matt Brett has released the May 1st Reboot a day early. The new design sports the clean white, while keeping to the traditional Matt Brett Grunge style. The design features a lot of dynamic features, including last.fm recent tracks, Xbox Live Gamer Tag information, and currently playing games, as well as tidbits of the most recent comments.
We fixed the bug with next and previous links not working. This should cause no problem to you or your bookmarks. At the very least you may have to update your bookmarks if you experience any problems, but otherwise, everything should be all set.
While Devlounge isn’t associated with 9Rules, we’d sure like to be apart of it (along with every other blog site around), and to do that, you have to prove your blog’s worth in a few key areas. While 9Rules is giving their own tips on making it into the network, we decided, why not?
We’ve had the pleasure to interview and have content contributed by some of 9Rule’s premier members, and we’ve learned from them how to survive in the ever-growing blogging world.
Focusing on a few key points (from what we’ve seen), there are four major areas to keep in mind when submitting your blog to 9rules.
While 9Rules says that the design of your site / blog does not hinder you ability to be accepted, design always play a big role for anyone looking at a site for the first time, so much so, that users can make up their mind within a few seconds of the homepage loading.
If you’re publishing a blog with entries a few times a day or week, you want to create an enviornment for the visitors that interests them and keeps them coming back. You also want to make content available to them once they get to your site. For example, if you’re running a custom (static) frontpage, you may find visitors leaving, simply because clicking “blog” or “journal” doesn’t appeal to them. You need content that grabs the reader in, and keeps them there.
If you’re x most recent posts aren’t on the frontpage of your blog, you can still keep visitors in the loop by offering options for them to browse around find out just what’s going on. Try adding “Recent Posts” and “Recent Comments” to a static front page, making the content that might be deeper in your site easily available from the time they arrive at your domain.
Another important factor is color. A warm, inviting color scheme seems to draw reader in, and don’t focus too heavily on graphics, because it begins to take away from the content of the site.
Next, you need to make sure you’re blog is being updated as frequently as possible, and the content you’re filling it with is meaningful. 9Rules seems to love people who are capable of posting on many subjects, while at the same time, convincing you with their views on whatever the subject may be that they’re talking about.
Stagnent blogs will find it impossible to be accepted in 9Rules, because content is so important.
9Ruler’ Matt Brett is known for covering many different topics on his blog (mattbrett.com), from game reviews to web topics, he always seems to have something to say. During the recent downtime in his postings, he took the time to inform readers that thing’s we’re slowing down because of the May Reboot, and his dedication to working on and completing new designs for both Mattbrett.com & Feedicons.
By providing visitors with a heads up on what’s going on even when content is low, it assures them that all is well, and they tend to understand why the lack of content is there.
With a good blog, comes good community, and great responses to even the most meaningless of posts. It may take visitors a little while at first to leave replies to posts, but when they do, the blogger earns the benefits. Most 9Ruler’ blogs have active discussions revolving around their posts no matter what the topic is. Having active use is a great plus for any blog.
Another thing that seems to make 9Ruler’s bloggers successful are follow-up posts. You may say something, and in a few weeks, having a different opinion. By reposting with your new thoughts, it creates a connection, and shows that the first post wasn’t just for content. Take Matt Brett’s review of EA’s Black. In his first review (before completting the game), he praised EA for their work. Once he had finished Black, he responded with both the goods and bads of the game, and it turned out, the game was slightly less attracting then he originally thought. Follow-ups help provide closure for unfinished posts, and a place for you to answer any questions cropped up by visitors.
By following this guide, along with 9Rule’s own tips, hopefully you’ll have a slight edge over the thousands upon thousands of entries. Best of luck.
Devlounge is not affilated with 9Rules, this list was merely complied using what we’ve seen from various 9Rule’s members sites.
9Rules recently announced it’s fourth round of submissions to the prominent 9Rules Network. The 24-Hour submission period will take place on May 17th, 2006. 9Rules staff have begun posting tips to being accepted in 9Rules, based on what they look for when searching through the thousands upon thousands of entries. In our own article, we discuss what key things to focus on based on our own evalutation of 9rules members and their designs & content.
Finally, Devlounge presents the first contest of many. To kick things off, we’re giving away two killer hosting prizes plus advertising on an internet radio site. What a way to drive your mint stats crazy. Interested? Of course you are. Get started. Prizes provided by Developmenthost & Teksterradio.
