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3) Use Gravatar to encourage participation
By using Gravatar you are helping yourself and encouraging user participation. If posters will have a distinct photo it makes them look more like individuals, and their posts will be easily recognized, and they'll get due credit on their insight. It will also help you discover the usage statistics visually.
4) Display your categories like a website
Websites display their pages and categories in a horizontal line. There isn't any excuse to not doing this. It will give your blog a much more professional and orderly look, and it will allow you to vacate the already cluttered side bar for more important links.
5) Venture outside of Wordpress for themes
Everyone and their mother uses the same themes that Wordpress offers. It gives a slapdhash and unprofessional feeling to your website. You need to venture to website where wordpress themes are offered for free or for a small sum. If you opt to use the regular ones, at least change the colors – personalize it.
6) Use an anti-virus plugin
By placing an anti-virus plugin you are ensuring that your posts and files won't get infected with a virus. If you get infected with a virus and people download it, you will receive a bad reputation and be flagged as a harmful website by various programs and search engines.
7) Keep your readers informed on your future plans
By keeping your readers informed you are asking them to give you advice and to be part of the website. They will be able to dictate – to a certain extant – the direction of the website. They will be able to ask for posts on certain days, or for certain posts.
8) Host a month long posting marathon
You can increase user participation by stating that you are going to hold a month long writing marathon. Make sure to start during the first day of a month, rather than just choosing 30/31 days. Your users will expect those posts and will participate more – you can also take suggestions of posts.