As the year begins to come to a close, some of us will look back on 2011 and think about all that was accomplished and some will think about what they would of or could of have done.  Have you ever started something and looked back thinking, “I should have started with a different format or used a different name?” Getting it right is never easy when starting a new blog or pruning an old one, but starting all over can be a task in itself.

You might have some second thoughts on:

• Blog name
• Niche
• Twitter account
• Should you use your real name or company name
• Blog design
• Blog Format (WordPress or Blogspot)

Do you scrap the entire blog and start all over? I will admit that I had quite a few blogs in the beginning only to realize that I was completely overwhelmed, lost and had no time to work on the one that I liked the most. Scrapping a blog may or may not be the best choice, and I strongly suggest seeking help from a professional to help you with your blog if this is something you want to do. The tasks needed might be overwhelming and might make you want to pull your hair out.

So the Question of the day is: “If  YOU could start your blog all over again, what would you change and why?”

I asked a few of my blogger friends this same question and here is their response. Do you agree or can you relate?

Brad Holland:  Hollandz Blog

“I’m not sure if I would change anything per se, I think what I would do is more research on what my blog is about and should be about. To this day I struggle to really find what it’s about and what direction I’m taking it. I guess I would change, not having a goal in mind, to actually having a goal and plan laid out.”

“Funny I am starting all over and moving to johnfalchetto.com. So I am changing the name but it means a lot more to me because I am also changing my business model.”

 

“The way I applied myself to my blog and to my blog hopping when I first started. My blog started as part of an online course I was taking but due to health issues, of mine and my mother’s, I stopped working on the course work and just kept my blog updated from time to time. It was during this time that I found some bloggers extremely supportive, both for online and off line issues.

The support that I received really ignited my passion for blogging and through that I started applying myself to my blog a lot more as well as getting out there and visiting other people’s blogs. In turn through doing that I started to form good relationships with other bloggers that have really helped me and my progress online.

I’ve learnt so much from visiting other blogs that I’ve been kicking myself for not getting in the mix sooner. There’s a wealth of information available on blogs and had I got in the mix sooner I would have been able to apply all that I found sooner as well.”

Ashvini Saxena Kumar:  Thoughts on Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Motivation

“I would make sure that I have enough SEO knowledge so that my blog would get ranked faster than it did. I would have got more involved in social media much earlier and I would have taken up a better web host than I used at first.”

Ryan Critchett: IMarketinghacked

“If I could start all over, I’d begin with a better design. Design, especially in the day of Apple, is a super important thing. I’d incorporate a lot of gradients, a really attractive color scheme, and an overall blog post and sidebar structure that was nothing less than beautiful.”

Brandon: My Private Idaho

“Monetizing. I would have waited until my biog was more established before trying to make it profitable. More SEO/Page rank research. I’m fairly established now, but I could have been reaching todays milestones months ago with better preparation.”

Lisa: Two Bears Farm

“That’s a tough question!  I feel like if I had started with the knowledge I have now, I’d be further along of course.  But the thing is that the learning process itself is part of the fun of blogging.  Some people say that they wish they’d started with Word Press, but so far I’ve been happy with Blogger, so I can’t really say that.  I guess the biggest thing I question is the use of my 3 boys’ real names on the blog.

The reason I decided to do so, is because it kind of bothered me when people made up nicknames, and I wanted to be as real as possible.  But I still question that decision – although I’m not sure I’d do it any different if I had a do-over.  Indeed, I’d probably still use their names.  As they get older, though, I will try to always be sensitive of what I post – I don’t want them ending up embarrassed in front of their friends ever because of my blog! “

Ana Hoffman: Traffic Generation Cafe

“This may sound presumptuous, Sonia, but there’s really nothing I would change if I were to start over. TGC developed very quickly and if I went any faster, I would be able to handle it. LOL!”

Jens P. Berget: Sly Marketing.com

“If I could start my blog all over again, I would have changed at least two major things. First of all, I would have started focusing on relationships from day one, or even before I launched my blog. Relationships with fellow bloggers are even more important than my own blog. They are supporting me throughout my blogging, and they are the ones helping me to make tough choices. I would do my best to build a community of people, and do everything in my power to help them.

I am a strong believer in reciprocity. The second thing I would have changed is my content. I would have focused on writing about personal experiences from the beginning. I do this all the time now, and that’s what’s working for me, but when I started out I was more focused on traffic, and spending time optimizing my content for the search engines. When I write about personal experiences related to marketing, I have a lot more fun. In the end, it’s all about being happy and passionate about what I do. “

Your blog is what you make of it and I am sure the thought of creating something new seems exciting should you take that route.  Work with what you have and continue to learn from it to make it into the blog you want it to be.  Here’s to your success in 2012!

Thanks to all the bloggers that helped me with this post by graciously answering my question of the day! Your the best!

Now I open the Floor to you:

• What would you change?
• Have you done a complete over haul with your blog or website?
• Did you regret how you built your blog?

About Sonia

Sonia Winland has written 187 post in this blog.

Sonia is a Marketing Coordinator for a Leading Software Company and the founder of LogAllot where she helps new bloggers build an online presence with Blog Design, Blogging and Social Media tips. When she isn't blogging, she is an avid golfer, bass fisher and Virtual Assistant for Trade Shows.

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