Spring is traditionally a time for spring cleaning – a time of letting go of clutter,  reorganising cupboards and drawers, painting, dusting and polishing…

We spring clean our homes, but what about our blogs?

How can you spring clean your blog and make it shine? I will share a few tips:

Imagine Yourself a First Time Visitor to Your Blog

Imagine you are a first time visitor to your blog:

• How does it look?
• Is it inviting?
• Can visitors tell you are an author, a poet, an artist, a gardener?
• Is your blog easy to navigate?

Letting Go of Clutter

If you were clearing clutter in your wardrobe, you would normally divide clothes into bundles of Keep, Update, or Donate to Charity… 

If you have been blogging for a few years, it might be time to revisit old posts and divide them into:

• Posts that are popular and keepers,
• Posts that could be given a makeover, then re-posted,
• Posts that no longer resonate with your blog, and could be deleted.

WordPress Insights will show you which posts are getting most views, if you need a little push.

If you have a lot of posts to go through, take your time, and divide this task into small chunks. It will be well worth the effort, and your blog will then showcase the best of your writing talents.

Top Tip

Perhaps your blog post Titles could be better. Have you tried using CoSchedule as a tool? It is fun to use, and incredibly helpful for SEO.

When I planned this post, I tried out six different Titles on CoSchedule.

“How to Spring Clean your Blog and Make it Shine” was the winner.

Reorganising Cupboards and Drawers

Reorganising cupboards and drawers has become an art form. Marie Kondo and many others have written at length on this topic, and sold millions of books in the process.

If you have hundreds of posts under your belt, and you want to preserve all of them, it is possible to maximise ease of access.

Categories and Tags

Take time to look at your blog Categories. How many blog posts do you have in each one?

Imagine how a visitor would feel if they have lots of posts to wade through in one category.

Perhaps a little overwhelmed?

Could you make it easier for them?

Adding Drop Down Menus

One possible solution is to divide your Categories into smaller chunks and add drop down menus.

Go to  Add Menu Items  and Reorder Menu Items and Add Drop-Down Menus for instructions.

I did this recently, as some of my Categories were getting rather busy. With more than 50 posts on Gardening, it was time for a bit of reorganisation!

It took a good chunk of time, but if you click on Gardens you will now get a drop down menu that includes:

• The Healing Power of Gardening,
• My Donegal Garden,
• Donegal Garden Trail,
• More Irish Gardens,
• Scottish Gardens,
• International Gardens.

I have also added a separate Category for Gardening Tips. I plan to add more posts on this topic.

Painting

Changing your blog Theme can make a HUGE difference. There are LOTS to choose from on WordPress.

When you find a theme(s) you like, simply Click on your Customizer then on Themes.

When you find your favourite click on “Update” to save.

I like to give my blog an update once or twice a year.

Fonts and Colors

If you are fearful of changing Themes, why not try a new Font or Colors and Backgrounds?

Have a little fun with this, and remember you can try these on your Customizer before deciding to press UPDATE.

Polishing and Dusting

If you have followed some of my suggestions, your blog will look quite different. It is now time to do a little polishing and dusting.

Here are some further suggestions you might like to consider:

• Is it time to update your Header Image? A good quality image creates a positive first impression,
• Do you have an About page on your blog? It is the first page I look at when considering new blogs to follow.
• Do you have a Contact page?
• Are your Categories displayed prominently? If not, include them in your main menu or in a Widget near the top of your sidebar.
• Do you have too many  unnecessary Widgets? Could you let some of them go?
• Have you included a “Follow Blog” Widget? “Top Posts and Pages”, “Archives“…
• Do you include Tags in your posts? If so, a “Tag Cloud” Widget will aid visitors in locating posts,
• Are your Social Media links displayed on your blog/ posts? Are your posts shared on your social media sites?

Step Back and Look Again

Step back from your blog, and look again.

Does it look more inviting, and easier to navigate?

Does it make your heart sing?

Congratulations.

Long may your blog sparkle and shine!

Your Feedback Matters

Have you spring cleaned your blog? If so, do you have any tips to share?

Brigid P. Gallagher is a retired natural medicines therapist, passionate organic gardener and author of “Watching the Daisies- Life lessons on the Importance of Slow,” a holistic memoir dedicated to the art of mindfulness and healing from debilitating illness.