Have you ever read Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog ebook? If not you have to it is amazing. Today I’m going to share my incites on Day 14 of the book. I will be sharing this with other’s who have read the book with me, but you can follow along even if you haven’t had a chance to read the book.

Day 14 of the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog you are asked to update a key page. Darren gives you multiple  pages that you can update: front page, about page, contact page, or a high traffic page. Let’s focus in on your about page.

How important is your about page? You’ve got your readers attention, where will they go next? Of course they will click your “about” link in your menu. They want to learn more about your blog and about you but really they want to know what they will get from reading your blog.

I will give you an easy formula on how to build an awesome about page that will encourage your new readers to stay longer and subscribe.

5 Elements of an Awesome About Page

I will be using some of the great tools that you have already developed as you have made it through the previous 13 days of the 31DBBB. Plus we will throw in a couple extras.

1. Updated Photo
2. Tagline & Elevator Speech
3. A list of What’s In It For Me (your reader)
4. List of Top Posts
5. Call to Action

Let’s Get Started

I’m going to walk you through how I updated my very boring about page:

The Original Page

A very typical about page, even I have to admit it was boring. I talked about me, how I met my husband, about my boys, and other things. The page was all about me but basically it was a life story. I wasn’t really sharing very much about what my blog was about. Now it’s time to update it.

Step 1: I Updated my Photo

Use a recent photo that is high quality. If you don’t have a current photo or a photo that is high quality then find someone who can take one for you (if you are not good at self portraits). Find a professional to take a few head shots for you or ask your friends and see if any of them can take a high quality photo with a good camera.

Make sure your photo matches the feel of your blog. If your blog is funny and happy share a picture that is bright and full of joy. If you are writing on a very serious topic make sure your photo has a somber and quiet feel.

Step 2: I Started with my Tagline and Elevator Speech

On Day 1 of 31DBBB you wrote a tagline and elevator speech for your blog. You can now describe your blog with a few short words (tagline) and with a short paragraph (elevator speech). This is great for when you are meeting people and trying to describe your blog but this is also great for your about page.

Even though you have already gotten your readers attention you want to keep it. One of the best ways to start out your about page is to recapture your reader in a few seconds and make them want to read more. You have created a quick and interesting description of your blog, use it!

Step 3: I Created a List of WIIFM

Now that you have described your blog to your reader you need to tell them what they gain from reading and/or subscribing to your blog. On Day 2 of 31DBBB you learned why to use lists; they are easy to scan, succinct, look neat, and are persuasive.

You are going to create a list that explains what your reader gets from your blog in an easy to read format. A list is going to catch your readers eye and you are going to use it to persuade them to subscribe to your blog. You can use anywhere from 5 to 10 points explaining to them what you are offering them.

Step 4: I Gave my Readers a List of Top Posts

At this point your reader should be ready for some more content. They have learned why they should read your blog now prove it to them by sharing a list of your top favorite posts. Make a list of your top favorite posts or if you have the stats on your posts the top most popular posts.

On Day 8 of 31DBBB you learned about the importance of interlinking your posts. Not only will this help your reader find your best content, but it will also help with SEO and page views!

Step 5: Lastly I Called my Readers to Action!

Further along 31DBBB you are going to learn more about call to action or you can learn right now at Smashing Magazine. Basically you are prompting your reader to take action!

Your reader has read through your whole introduction, now is the time to tell them what to do next!

This would be a great place for you to ask them to subscribe to you, subscribe to your newsletter, to follow you on twitter, or to like you on facebook. Choose only one to three of these, don’t overwhelm them with too many options. Make it quick and easy.

Your Turn

Now that I have walked you through updating my page I hope you will now feel like you have the tools to update yours. When you use these steps please share your about page in the comments, I would love to see your outcome!

How often do you visit the about page on a blog you are visiting? Do you always read the whole page? Do you have an example of a great about page?

Have you seen the new #commenthour website yet?! I’m very excited as #commenthour is moving to a new level. This was a quick change and with a few challenges along the way. But what have I learned from this experience? The support of other bloggers is amazing!

Post Were Written

Two lovely ladies quickly wrote up articles on the new #commenthour:

• Commenthour from Twitter Hashtag-to Social Phenomenon – Queen J wrote about 3 reasons she loves #commenthour and talks about her experience at the parties.
• My commenthour Cherry is Popped – TheMaven wrote a recap of her first experience at last nights #commenthour.

I can’t tell you how much it meant to see this kind of support. How sweet of them to take the time to do this!

Tweets Were Sent Out

Everyone has been amazing with there supportive tweets and RTs.

• @PhotoLynda
• @MadHatterMom
• @litinspired
• @_themaven
• @n0ellee
• @trininista
• @BeautifulSpitUp

And this is just a few of the ladies who helped me make it through the day and helped put out the word about the new #commenthour.

Comments Overflowing

I think one of the most heartwarming thing has been seeing how many of you have visited the new site and have commented on the announcement of the new #commenthour. To see the well wishes from so many people has encouraged me and brightened my day. These comments really just made me smile and know that the community we are building at #commenthour is going to be like nothing else!

Thank You

I can’t say thank you enough to everyone. This shows you that the community that is surrounding #commenthour is wonderful, supportive, and loving! I hope that this will encourage you to join this wonderful circle of women!

Today (well actually yesterday) is all about creating an elevator pitch for your blog. The definition of an elevator pitch is:

“An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (for example, thirty seconds or 100–150 words).” —Wikipedia

After thinking about my blog and thinking about what the main focus was I realized that I really needed to split Pepper Scraps into two blogs. I had one side of this blog that was informational and about blogging and design. Then the other side of Pepper Scraps was all personal and fun, about my boys, me, and some fun memes tossed in. I decided that both of these focuses needed their own blog.

Now I will have Pepper Scraps and a blog on my design site. I decided to revive the name of my old blog, UnicornBeauty for my new design blog. I thought it was fitting as this blog will be all about making your blog or site beautiful.

I created three elevator pitches. One for Uniquehorn Designs (because I thought this was such a great exercise), one for Pepper Scraps, and one for my new blog UnicornBeauty.

THE PITCHES:

Uniquehorn Designs:

a UNIQUE experience. a UNIQUE design.

Every sunday I share with you some of my favorite posts from my week of surfing.

If you would like to join in it’s not that hard at all:

1. Pick anywhere from 3-10 of your favorite posts that you read this week. Link them up in your post.

2. Link to Pepper Scraps with this button:

<a href=”http://pepperscraps.com/category/meme/sss/” mce_href=”http://pepperscraps.com/category/meme/sss/”><img title=”Super Surfing Sunday” src=”http://PepperScraps.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SSS_125.jpg” mce_src=”http://PepperScraps.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SSS_125.jpg” alt=”Super Surfing Sunday” width=”125″ height=”125″ /></a>

3. Leave the link to your post in the comments. (If I get enough people involved I will add a Linky Tool.)

And here is my list this week:

• How to Create a Facebook Landing Page – Great article to  get you all your basics on a FB landing page!
• Make Reading Your Blog Easier: 3 Tips – Some great tips. Yep definitely need to clean up my sidebars!
• Join the Problogger challenge with the SITs girls on BlogFrog – If you are one of my readers you know I have been promoting this great event, if you haven’t checked it out yet there is still time!
• 10 Mostly True Reasons to Take the ProBlogger Challenge with the SITSGirls – more about the problogger challenge.
• Give me 31 Days and I’ll Give You a Dramatically Better Blog… Guaranteed – Learn more about the e-book!
• Use a Blog Editorial Calendar to Beat Writer’s Block – Get a head start on your 31DBBB challenges!

And the winner is:

Author: Elly @ The OCD Chronicles
Website: http://ocdjourney.wordpress.com

CONGRATS!!!

I’ve decided that I’m so excited about starting the Problogger challenge with SITS girls that I have decided to run a contest. I want to give one lucky winner a chance at winning the eBook, Build a Better Blog in 31 Days.

If you want to learn more about the challenge you need to read my previous post! This is a great opportunity to work on your blog and have a great group backing you up.

If buying the eBook is holding you back then I want to try to help you out. Uniquehorn Designs (aka me! LOL) will offer to buy one eBook for one lucky winner. The contest will be now till Midnight Saturday.

MAIN ENTRY: To get your main entry please comment here in regards of why you want to join in.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

• Subscribe to my RSS feed
• Follow my blog via Google Friends
• Follow me on Twitter: @unicornbeauty
• Like PepperScraps on Facebook
• Like Uniquehorn Designs on Facebook
• Tweet about this contest: Enter to WIN the #31DBBB ebook from Uniquehorn Designs: http://tinyurl.com/28f5e8e @unicornbeauty

Make sure and comment for each entry, so it gets counted when I use random.org! The winner will be announced Sunday. I will email the winner and they will have 24 hours to contact me to receive their book.

An awesome project is starting up over at theBlogFrog and the SITS Girls Community. Nirvana Mamma is inviting everyone to group up and do ProBlogger’s Build a Better Blog in 31 together!

If you are like me you may have considered doing Problogger’s Build a Better Blog program, but felt like you would lose your motivation. To do it with a group has to be the best way to go (even Darren says so). We will be accountable to each other. We will be there for each other when we run into a road block or have a question.

Another great thing is that if you buy the book through the link at the SITS girls post you get a discount on the eBook! I didn’t even notice that until I was checking out! Or you can try to win the book too!

If you need some more motivation to join you have to read NirvanaMamma’s great post: 10 Mostly True Reasons to Take the ProBlogger Challenge with the SITSGirls.

Don’t worry you still have time join!! The project doesn’t start until the 19th, that’s next Monday.