Ingredients You Need In A Blog/ Website

Logo
A Logo to represent the brand of your blog to help blog visitors identify your blog. You see how the “tick” logo of Nike or the “M” logo of McDonald promote the brandname.

Templates
Be it 2 column, 3 column or 4 column templates, it depends on the layout you want for your blog. Different colour and design schemes can bring out a different feel for your blog. The template you use for your blog should blend well with the content of your blog. Source: Free Blogger Templates

Embed music player or videos
Music and Videos help to retain blog visitors. Embed videos that are relevant to your posts. Source: Imeem.com, YouTube

A Picture speaks a thousand words
Words alone are just too dull. Source of free photos: Free Stock Photo Sites

Subcribe via e-mail widget
To keep your reader updated about new contents on our blog. By having the mailing list, you can further promote other products them. Source: FeedBurner

Creative contents
Helpful and interesting contents attract new and repeated readers to your blog.

Search form
As the content of the blog increase, a search form comes handy for the visitors to look for what they like to read. Source: Google Custom Search Engine

Social bookmarking
Buttons that let your visitors bookmark interesting post conveniently onto various major social networks such as StumbleUpon and Technorati. This creates a buzz for your blog as your posts are shared again and again. Source: AddThis.com

Chat privately with visitors live from the blog
An interactive feature that add a human element to your blog. Source: Yahoo! Messenger Pingbox, Google Talk Chatback Badge

Organize polls or give out prizes to contributors
Makes your blog more lively with polls and prizes. Polls let you understand about the opinions and preferences of blog visitors. Give out prizes to best article contributors.

About you page
Allow visitors to understand more about your background and the direction of your blog. Provide contact details of you for them.

Real- time Web traffic stats
Analyze the traffic of your blog and show to readers that your blog is popular. Everyone likes to visit a popular blog. Source: Hitstats.com

FEEDJIT provide a live view of your blog that tells you what city your visitors are in, what sites they came from and what search terms they used to find your blog. In addition, your blog is included in the Geoblogosphere that shows which blogs are popular in any city, state or country.

Offer free file downloads
E-books and useful audio files for download will attract more visitors. Source: Free-ebooks.net

Upload files facility
Offer upload files facility on the blog if you want visitors to submit files of articles. Source: Easy- share.com

Create a forum
Forum helps to gather all the questions that your visitors have and this reduce the time you need to answer each questions individually through e-mails. Questions of readers are dealt with at the forum without having to answer the same question repeatedly.

Welcome comments
This may attract readers who like to know about other various comments.

Invite guest posts
When you are lack of new contents, guest posts may inject new blood into your blog.

“Treat me a coffee” button to monetize your blog
You can gain cash incentives for the effort you made in providing useful information for visitor. This allows visitors to express their gratitude as well. Get the button at Paypal.

Policy statement/ disclaimer
To avoid unnecessary disputes, its good to make clear about your policy in the first place.

Google Adsense
Earn money from the advertisements being displayed on your blog.

AudioAds
If AudioAds fits your blog, place them on the blog to further monetize your blog. You get paid when a visitor listen to the advertisements. Source: Net Audio Ads

Animated speaking character to welcome your blog visitor
SitePal.com can be added to Facebook, e-mail and E-Bay auction as well.


Voice Your Content
The Listen Button allows Content Publishers and bloggers to provide website visitors with an easy and instant way to hear regular text articles. You can see the listen button at the top of this blog post. Get this useful widget for free at Odiogo.com

Place banners of affiliate products or useful sites
Don’t be too aggressive in your promotion by cluttering banners all around. This may cause a nuisance to readers.

Give credits by linking to other websites or blogs
You may get a link-back in return.

Translation ability to cater for various language users. Source: Google Translate

Feel free to provide more ideas on making a richer blog or website.