I've been using Steemit a lot lately when I can. I think that this is a great platform but I think there are a few simple ways in which certain things could be improved. Obviously these are based on my opinions so forgive me if there something I missed or if there is already a method for doing some of these things. I'm also thinking about maybe doing this type of a blog post maybe monthly or anytime I see fit.
Anyway, here we go!
1. CUSTOMIZATION POWER
Steemit.com is amongst the best platforms when it comes to blogging to a knowledgeable and respectable audience and having your own thoughts and ideas be heard and recognized. Not only that, but it also finds a way to reward you for contributing to the community through special digital currency called STEEM. But regardless of how well equipped and prepared any website or platform is, there is always some room for improvement. There are certain aspects of the website that I believe can be improved in order to provide a better experience to the users of Steemit, one of them being the degree of customization it gives to its users.
A. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF OUTLOOK
When it comes to blogging, you may have heard people advise you time and time again that content is the key. Without good content, you will not be able to build a proper audience who reads your writings regularly. If the readers are unable to grasp anything of substance or importance from what they have read on your blog, you have failed to fulfill your purpose. What no one tells you is that a potential reader will not bother to read in the first place if their eyes do not find the sight of the blog to be appealing or attractive.
While we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, all of us do partake in it to some degree. A dull and plain blog will serve to deter the interests of most of the readers, if not all.
B. CHOOSING A THEME
Other platforms such as WordPress and Blogger let the users choose their own theme for their blog to personalize it. Users can add their logos, their initials, or other items to the background and design of the page that makes it seem truly their own.
With Steemit.com, the users do not have the freedom to either choose from an existing bank of themes or come up with one of their own. All of the feeds, blog pages, and blog posts look very much the same, with little to no distinction between blog posts written and posted by different users on the website. As such, it becomes difficult for the user to discern whose blog post they are currently reading and often leads to confusion.
C. MODIFYING LAYOUT
An unchanging and consistent layout across all of the pages of the Steemit.com website also arouses a feeling of monotony and boredom as the user visits the similarly colored and structured pages over and over again, except that the content is a bit different each time. Hence, nothing seems to stand out or catch an eye, making exploring the platform a rather mundane task after its novelty wears off. As studies have shown, once a user begins to use or view a website and finds the layout to be unappealing or boring, over 38% of them choose to stop using that website altogether. With the popularity of visual learning and graphic information on the rise, this becomes an essential aspect of the website and should be promptly improved.
By giving users a greater degree of control over the customization of their feeds and blog posts, Steemit can produce variety in the content and the outlook of their website, making it much more appealing as a whole in the process.
2. INTRODUCING DASHBOARD ANALYTICS
There is a reason one chooses to write blogs regularly. Whether you are writing blogs about technology, job opportunities, or the rising trends in the economy of the world, you want them to be read. After you have spent a good amount of time studying up on a subject and then written a well-worded piece on it, you would want people to read it and learn something from it, maybe even leave you a message and let you know what they liked and how you could do better. But what is the use of continuing to write when you don't even know how far your reach is? This is a problem data analytics can solve.
a. DATA ANALYTICS ON THE RISE
Big data analytics is not simply a buzz word anymore- it is now a reality and a staunch and extremely prominent one at that. Most of the big organizations and businesses in the world today have already or are looking to soon adopt this technology that has revolutionized the way we look at huge chunks of data. By collecting data related to the content that you produce and purvey, it will help you to extract meaningful data and trends from seemingly useless information.
b. JUDGING YOUR SUCCESS
So how is data analytics going to help you improve your blog posting practices and make it much more productive and rewarding as compared to releasing blog posts without conducting any form of data analysis?
Using data analysis tools, you could figure out which posts of yours have performed the best in terms of views and positive interaction such as shares and upvotes. As such, you can surround more content around the topics that have generated the most traction and traffic. You can also use this data to figure out the blog posts that have not done so well and hence avoid them.
C. A BUILT-IN ANALYSIS DASHBOARD
Steemit would greatly benefit if it were to introduce its very own built-in data analysis tools and mechanisms so people do not have to download external extensions and programs in order to be able to access this feature that has become such an integral part of successful online campaigns regardless of the nature and platform of the work.
D. CONTACT FORMS
Another feature which could be added to Steemit is contact forms that would allow the readers or visitors of a particular blog to get in contact or subscribe directly to the blogger. A contact form can take several different forms including ones asking for emails, ones asking for numbers, or ones asking for subscription services to other social media accounts to encourage positive interaction between users and loyal blog-readers.
By using built-in analytics on your dashboard on Steemit, you can very easily keep up with the performance of your blog. You can judge what it is that your visitors prefer and what they do not like and tailor your content according to that, making it much more marketable, readable, and ideal for publishing as it will gain much more exposure and result in greater rewards for you as well as everyone else involved in upvoting and resteeming.
So does anyone have anything to say about the above? Are there already methods of doing the above that I have missed? Do you have any ideas for improving the platform? Please post your answers in the comments. Thanks!