Happy Blog-iversary!

One year ago I started out on a new adventure.  One where I stepped out of my comfort zone and shared a bit about my life in a very public world.  I announced an inaugural post starting this little blog.

What started this adventure?  I bought a little house that needed some love.  At least that was my initial inspiration. 

I've actually shared a lot more than just home improvement...

A whole bunch of fun DIY and craft projects, tips on selling/buying on Craigslist, a little about decor trends.  My New Year resolution, and my favorite recipes, (like here, here and here).  I took a week to share about cleaning and organizing (one of my favorite things to do).  And even shared how I like to make homemade gifts and cards for the guy who stole my heart (isn't he lucky). 

I invited you to follow me through my basement renovation, from why it started to the end product. 

I love sharing ideas - and I hope to share more (more about this later)!  When readers contact me to tell me that they're going to try a project for themselves it keeps me motivated.  Several readers and friends contacted me to tell me that they made the homemade laundry detergent recipe.  You all make me so proud!

Now here's a little look back at the last 12 months.  (and a there's even stats for the nerdy types)...

I've actually written over a hundred blog posts - but couldn't find the courage to actually publish all of them.  Some of them were small projects that I didn't think people would want to read about, some were a bit too personal and others were, well, unfinished.

This is craziness!  I can't believe my little part-time blog has been clicked on over 82,745 times.  This is over 200 page views on average per day.   Wow!  You guys rock.  (And my mom still doesn't read my blog)

82,745 page views.  79 comments.  You guys are a bunch of creepers.  Just kidding.  But really - I love comments!  So please give feedback... say hi once in a while.

I rarely share my blog anywhere other than facebook.  So I would figure most of you would be from the United States.  Turns out that there are readers from all over!  The chart below shows where readers are logging in from.

Apparently I have a little fan club in Canada.  Thanks for visiting foreign friends!  Not surprisingly, most of my readers are from right here in the US.  But 7% are from Canada, and the remainder 11% visit from China, UK, Ukraine, Australia, Germany, France and Switzerland.

I thought this was pretty interesting.  The chart below shows which browers my readers are connecting with:

I had no idea so many people use Google Chrome (43%).  I'm an IE user myself.  I must be missing something!  I actually thought more people would be using their mobile phones. 

My #1 referring site is Google (Thanks Google!)  

What does this mean?  It means that most of the traffic on my site (about 40%) comes from keyword searches that visitors type into Google.  Top keyword searches for BuildingSimple are Bottle Cap Coasters (or other variations of the wording), Painting Basement Ceiling, and Mason Jar Chandelier. 

Other traffic sources
25%  Pinterest
15%  Link Parties (where I share my projects with other bloggers - I don't do this often but it generates a lot of traffic when I do)
10%  Facebook  (thank you friends!)
10%  From a variety of other sources I can't seem to track...


MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS

 #1 - Basement Remodel: Painting the exposed ceiling white (12,340 page views)

#2 - Bottle Cap Coasters (6,501 page views)



#3 - Mason Jar Chandelier (3,078 page views)

LEAST POPULAR BLOG POST

Vacation (59 page views)

It's clear that my readers are more interested in crafts and DIY projects rather than vacation!

And finally...

I'm very proud of the fact that my little old blog has been featured three times on other sites!  Here are the posts featured and where...

1) Mason Jar Chandelier - was featured on another bloggers site as a favorite project of the week
2) A Place To Hang Your Hat...Or Coat - was featured on DAP's Twitter page (they make caulk, sealant and adhesives)
3) West Elm Veneer Spheres - was featured on a different bloggers site as a favorite project

I've had three companies contact me regarding advertising.  But right now, that's not really where I'm trying to go.  I won't rule this out in the future, but I like offering my readers a page free of advertising.  And it's good for you all to know that I don't have any sponsors (so all opinions and content are my own).  Even if I comment on a favorite product...just know that no one is paying me to say that it's my favorite!

I have learned about what my readers prefer to see.  So, for the future, I will focus on sharing more of the home improvement projects, recipes (which means way more Meatless Mondays), crafts, healthy living tips, and only a bit about our personal lives.


I have been very slow with posting progress on projects over the past 6 months.  The projects never quit, but I haven't prioritized blogging lately. I really enjoy writing this blog so I am making a commitment to blog more and sleep less.

In the next year there are a few things I would like to acheive:

• Organize archived posts (it's currently hard to find a specific blog post unless the month is known)
• Create a project page with linked pictures (right now I just have this)
• Build pages dedicated to specific topics (recipes, home improvement, DIY, crafts, etc)
• Post on a regular basis
• Keep up with House Tour page (my home is always changing!)
• Rename the blog!

Thank you to everyone for your support the last year!  Putting myself out there isn't always easy.  But it's a lot easier when I see all the comments, notes and feedback.

You guys rock!

xoxo, Mary