It’s time to write my first blog review, and the lucky person to receive that honor is Becky from Pre Blogging, who won my $100 blog contest. Part of the deal was that I would write a full review of the winning blog, and while I’m doing so, perhaps some other people will request I write reviews for them too.

Pre Blogging began in August. It’s authored by a 21-year-old girl named Becky S, who writes on her about page:

I live near San Diego, CA. And I’ve been blogging for a number of years. Many of my friends (and my parents friends) have asked my about blogging in the past. So I’ve put this small website together to help you through the “Pre-Blogging” stages.

Throughout her posts, Becky mentions that she authors other blogs, although like most bloggers (myself included), she doesn’t reference those blogs directly. For proof of her worth though, she did receive a payment from Text Link Ads on September 1 for more than $200, so she is clearly not a blagger.

Aimed at those new to blogging, Pre Blogging sets its goals out as follows:

This site is called PreBlogging.com, a guide for people who want to know how to start blogging. I do mention here that you can make money from blogging, maybe not enough to quit the day job, but I’m sure it could be worth a few beers at the end of the month at least.

This simple ideology is reflected in the tone of the blog posts. Each is written as if it were for complete beginners. Many bloggers forget that there are still readers out there who don’t have a clue what they’re doing, so for these people, Pre Blogging would be an obvious place to start. For this reason, bloggers with a bit more experience may not find much to sink their teeth into.

The layout of Pre Blogging is clean, with two columns and no header, so all the focus is directed toward the content. The image of a number of credit cards sits at the top right of every page, and though it is connected to money, it fails to serve as a branding tool for the blog. It is, however, better than the previous image of a toilet roll that confused the hell out of me for a while.

In terms of monetization, Becky has chosen not to make it a priority with minimal ads on the homepage. Though Becky says that the focus of Pre Blogging is not on making money online, a lot of the posts recently are on that very topic. Beneficial to beginners is the simple approach Becky takes to this type of post, breaking it down for her audience.

One of the areas Becky has chosen to highlight is her five-step guide to blogging. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it would be a good reference point for anybody looking to start a blog who may not have a clue what they are doing.

Part of Becky’s blog that could be improved is the choice and size of the font used throughout, which can make the posts difficult to read and a little untidy. I’d also tweak the CSS to change the color of links to something that stands out more. The RSS button could also be given more prominence, perhaps with greater emphasis at the end of each blog post with the use of an image. Speaking of images, the ons Becky uses in her blog brighten the posts up, even if they are a little distracting.

Becky’s toast fund, a play on the “buy me a beer” widget, is an amusing touch, but I’m always skeptical of bloggers who use these widgets.

Pre Blogging is usually updated every other day, and although it is perhaps not the most insightful blog for making-money-online tips, for no-nonsense blogging tips and product reviews, it is a worthwhile read for those new to the game. Check it out and decide for yourself, or subscribe to the RSS to jump right in.

Like this review? What one of your own? Contact me.

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