Create Photo Index – Make Browsing Easier: Blogging Tip # 6

99% of you may not even have noticed - but last year I created a recipe index on a page.  What's the big deal, you ask?  The thing is, the index was not a huge LIST of boring, overflowing TEXT - it was PICTURES AND TEXT.  

how to create visual index on your blog

The recipe index was the result of a reader’s suggestion.  In fact, a lot of changes on Spusht have been results of reader’s suggestions.

And the feedback that I received regarding my recipe index, or recipe photo archive as I named it:

Sayantani said: “so well executed recipe index. love it. did you use any special s/w?”

Jyoti said: “That's really nice.. Would like to know ow you did it.. I have an index on my blog but really want a photo index..”

Shumaila said: “I wanted to make a photo index as well but couldn't figure out how. This looks good!”

Seeing the comments above on the simple photo index, I thought of sharing how I made the index – so that fellow bloggers can help their readers browse and enjoy their blog better.

I see longgggg recipe indexes on numerous blogs, divided well into categories and cuisines.  But it annoys me to right click and open each page in a new tab to see what the dish looks like.  It might earn a blogger several pageviews, but it might lose a reader, especially the kinds with short attention span like mine.  Being Spusht, I wanted the index on my blog with a picture to give a picture of what to expect – simple and clear.

I am no HTML expert (took me a year to figure out how to add social media buttons on this blog, so you can imagine) and I did not use any software.  I am a Microsoft Office expert and this recipe photo archive was made on Microsoft Word.  It is SO super simple to make a photo index on blog with the help of MS Word.

This easy method to create a visual index can be used for your crafts blog, cosmetics or fashion blog, an index page for your gadget or restaurant review blog, or ANY kind of blog that you have.

Here's what you have to do - you just have to create a table in Microsoft Word and copy-paste it to your blog page.  That's it.  A detailed explanation for the visual learners:

1.  Insert > Table > Choose the number columns based on the width of the body of your blog.  I chose to have 3 columns because that looks decent enough - not too big images to scroll, not too small to see.

create table in MS Word

2.  Once your table appears, you can add more rows below using the TAB button on your keyboard or the Table options in Menu bar.  Press ENTER button on each column then TAB button, let your fingers do the tap dance until you have enough rows.

copy table from MS Word to blog page

3.  Create a new PAGE on your blog and name it Recipe Index ... Recipe Photo Archive ... Visual Recipe Index ... Recipe Photo Index ... or whatever you wish.  COPY the table from MS Word and PASTE it on your blog.  We are done with MS Word here on - over to the blog.

With your mouse cursor in each column, INSERT IMAGE of your recipe - upload from your computer, or insert from online album.  Click on the image - position it in the Center/Left/Right and select the Small/Medium size.  Then LINK the image to its blog post using Add/Remove Link button.  Select to have each link open in a new window, and then ADD CAPTION as the name of the recipe.  (If you add caption first then link it up, even the caption gets hyperlinked and I do not like that, just my preference - feel free to do it either way.)

add images and link to blog posts in your photo index archive

4.  Once you finish adding all the images, the blog post links, and the captions - adjust the font and size of the text, check your alignment, PREVIEW the page to see if everything fits well and looks good.  PUBLISH your page, and test if each photo is linked to its blog post.  If you roll your mouse over the image, you should see a hand instead of a cursor and the blog post address link at the bottom left corner of your browser.

how to make a photo index on your blog - simple and easy

And that's it.  No special software, no complicated coding, no advanced skills required to make a simple and easy visual index on your blog.

Make things easier for your readers - because that's what will keep them coming back to your blog.

Previously...                                                                                                               

Blogging Tip # 5: Tips for bloggers to save time

Blogging Tip # 4: Adding social network icons on blog

Blogging Tip # 3: How to set your RSS feed

Blogging Tip # 2: Creating Facebook page and NetworkedBlogs

Blogging Tip # 1: Adding contact form to your blog

                                                                                                                                         

If this post helped you and if you will apply this blogging tip on your blog - leave me a comment to tell me about it (it will make me feel proud to know this post was worth my time).  If you find this tip and this blog useful - share the link with people in your network to let them know too (it will make me happy).
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