First Impressions:
There is a lot of stuff going on with your blog but most of it will be addressed later on in the review. However, I will address your question about whether or not you should add vlogging to you blog here. I, personally, prefer to write on my blog over vlogging. That's just me and what I feel more comfortable with. I feel like I express myself better when I blog versus vlogging. If you are comfortable with vlogging and want to incorporate that into your blog, then that is totally up to you.
Average
Design Quality:
The first thing I noticed about the design is the bright, multi-colored background you're using. Although it looks pretty, I feel like it almost draws my attention away from your blog...like a distraction. You don't want anything to distract or take away from your blog. I mostly prefer cool colors, something like blues and greens. They seem to have a more calm, relaxing feeling. With the right touch of color, it can add to your blog and not take anything away from it.
I didn't notice any spelling or grammar mistakes when browsing your blog, which is a big plus. Any grammar and/or spelling mistakes can drive away readers and throw a lot of people off. Plus, it makes it easier for people to understand you when you're writing articles for your blog when there aren't any spelling/grammar mistakes.
Average
Site Structure:
First thing I want to mention is something that I feel is missing. You have a list of "recent comments" and then you have a cloud of tags used most often in your articles. Between the two, I would have a list of "recent posts". That way, when people visit your blog, they can easily see what sort of articles you've written lately without having to scroll through your blog.
Something else that I noticed is your description, "Where Erin rambles along about stuff no one cares about..." I would change that description to something else. The reason is that the comment almost makes it sound like you don't care about your blog. I'm not saying that you don't care, it's just that comment gives off the appearance that you don't. I would either remove that completely or replace it with something that sounds inviting or welcoming.
I would also like to see you add a "categories" to make it easier for people to find a particular article they may be looking for or find articles that may interest them. I would put a list of categories in the list where you keep the "About Erin", the links to some other sites you visit, etc.
Average
Originality:
There are quite a few people out there with their own personal blog. With that said, it will be imperative that you stand out from the crowd. One thing you can do is write articles that are as unique as possible. For some people, they can just sit down and write an article about whatever comes to mind. For others, they have to do some brainstorming before they can write an article. I would take some time to think about some things you could write for your blog. Like, what activities or hobbies you like to participate in that you don't mind sharing.
Poor
Activity Level:
Your activity level could use a boost. A majority of the time, you just write one article a month. I noticed that one month you did manage to write four articles in one month and I think that is a record for you blog. If you are going to write for a blog, even if it is just your own personal blog, you need to be more consistent with your articles. When I write articles for my own blog, I try to make a goal to write a certain number of articles each month and then I try my hardest to reach that goal. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to compare my blog to yours or make it sound like my blog is better than yours. I'm just trying to use myself as an example in order to get my point across. I'm not trying to put you down in any way, shape or form.
Also, as far as comments, it would probably help you out if you'd request a package from the
Package Team here at FP. They have a couple of package options for blogs to choose from, in addition to the options for forums. I'm not just saying this just because I'm trying to drum up business for them (especially since I am a package team member myself). I'm suggesting that just to help make it appear to others that you have pretty regular followers of your blog....especially if you order more than one package.
Very Poor
The thing I liked the best: You are not afraid to discuss what is on your mind.
The thing I liked the least: The activity level could use a boost.
Overall Mark:
I like where you are going with your blog and I like the fact that you are willing to try something different by adding video blogging to it. I wish you and your blog all the best in the future.
