weblog usability design errors

[iamom]

My favourite website usability guru Jakob Nielsen (handsome guy, ain't he?) just published a good article about usability design errors in weblogs. Obviously these guidelines aren't pertinent to people whose blogs are mainly for personal consumption, but I found them to be helpful tips when considering how to lay out more promotional-style weblogs. From his article, his list of Top 10 Design Mistakes in Weblog Usability is as follows:

1. No Author Biographies
2. No Author Photo
3. Nondescript Posting Titles
4. Links Don't Say Where They Go
5. Classic Hits Are Buried
6. The Calendar Is The Only Navigation
7. Irregular Publishing Frequency
8. Mixing Topics
9. Forgetting That You Write For Your Future Boss (ooh, that's a good one)
10. Having A Domain Name Owned By A Weblog Service

It's funny, because last week I updated the front page of my LJ with some of these ideas unwittingly in mind. Increasingly, I find myself aware of how I present myself through my blog. It's so easy to find it on Google that I find myself thinking of it as a personal greeting card or something.