Coding is among the hottest in-demand technical skill today. Demonstrate some mad coding skills, and you’ll be the new top dog in town, earning over $120 grand!

Since organizations and individuals are looking for the next revolutionary app, you bet your skills can earn you a pretty penny.

As a coder, you can also blog to share your knowledge and skills – guides, tips, projects, tutorials, and case studies – with the world. 

Code blogging is exciting and profitable. But, let’s face it; it's easy to slip up and commit some hilarious yet cringe-worthy blunders. Even minor mistakes can lead to:

• Negative user experience.
• A damaged relationship with your readers.
• Negative feedback, criticism, and diminished engagement with your blog.
• Stagnant and limited growth and reach.
• Reduced credibility and authority in your niche.
• Failure to create a sense of inclusivity, respect, and belonging with your readers. 
• Missed growth and collaboration opportunities with other bloggers and affiliates.
• Missed opportunities to improve and create relevant and valuable content that resonates with your readers.

These mistakes could sabotage even the mightiest of coding bloggers. 

So, grab your favorite coding snack and drink. It’s time to unearth some sneaky code blogging mistakes you might not even know yet could cost you. 

1. Failing to Make Everyone Feel the Love

Coding is exciting and should be enjoyed by everyone, including coding enthusiasts living with disabilities. The WHO reports that 1.3 billion of the world's population – 16% – lives with some form of disability. 

So, why ignore this aspect, boost accessibility, and let these folks access your content? 

And you don’t even have to put your back on the grindstone; it's as simple as:

• Using clear and concise language
• Avoiding jargon
• Using high contrast
• Using alternative text for images
• Proper headings and structure
• Using friendly color schemes
• Installing assistive technologies 

Besides, people with disabilities have over $ 500 billion in annual disposable income.

Think of how much your content can earn you, whether in ads, affiliate marketing, selling content, coaching, and subscriptions, just by making your content accessible.  

You’ll also comply with various accessibility statutes, such as the ADA, WCAG 2, and EU’s Web Accessibility Directive.  

2. Being Sherlock Holmes; Failing to Break It Down

Now, let's talk about jargon. 

Oh, those perplexing terms and acronyms that make our heads spin! 

While it can be helpful when communicating or reaching out to other developers, it can be a bitter pill for people new to coding. 

It's tempting to use technical jargon without providing adequate explanations, understandable even. Where do you even start to simplify terms like ‘dependency injection,’ lambda expression,’ or ‘garbage collection?’ 

And these are the easier ones!

Not all readers are familiar with coding jargon; strike a balance. 

Sprinkle in some jargon when necessary, but always provide clear explanations or links to more detailed resources. This way, you can engage the seasoned experts and the curious beginners who stumble upon your blog.

Besides, even scientific studies confirm that jargon negatively affects engagement with science topics. 

Don’t be like Holmes; break down the language. Leverage editors like Hemingway Editor, ProWritingAid, Yoast SEO, and Readable to gauge your content’s readability and adjust accordingly.

3. Missing Out on the Eye Candy

They say – whoever ‘they’ are – a picture is worth a thousand words. That couldn’t be particularly true for code blogs!

While those walls of text might be informative, they’re as uninteresting as watching grass grow! Avoid them at any cost. 

Visuals, such as images, videos, memes, GIFs, screenshots, code snippets with syntax highlighting, infographics, and illustrations, can: 

• Capture the reader’s attention, enhancing their engagement. 
• Make the content more visually appealing. 
• Break up those boring large text blocks, making the reading experience more enjoyable.
• Boost the reader’s comprehension and reading experience.
• Establish brand identity with logos, color schemes, and typography, making it recognizable and memorable to visitors.
• Increase social sharing and virality.

Besides, your readers’ brains absorb visuals a colossal 60,000 times faster than text. Moreover, 90% of the information transmitted to their brains is visual. 

And with 65% of the population being visual learners, it’s time to embrace the power of visuals and make your code blogs eye candy! 

4. Ignoring User Feedback

“Why not use feedback as an opportunity to improve? Often customers see the forest we missed by looking too closely at the trees.”

Sabina Muminovic – Content marketing manager at GenePlanet

Code blogging is brilliant, but a colossal mistake you might make is thinking you have all the answers.

The truth is, your readers are a treasure trove of knowledge too! 

They can provide valuable insights, catch errors, and suggest improvements. 

Failing to acknowledge their feedback results makes it look like you don’t respect their input in your content. Failing to read their comments, emails, posts, reviews, or surveys proves to them that they’re not as valuable. 

Sure, there are a tonne of metrics to measure your audience’s engagement.

But what better way to know than with feedback directly from the horse's mouth? 

5. Failing to Inject Some Fun Into Your Code Blog

They also said to find something you love, and you won't ever have to work a day! 

Code blogging allows you to share your passion, showcase your creativity, and connect with a vibrant community. 

Why not have fun doing it? 

Why project gloom in your content? 

Ever heard the phrase, you only get what you give? 

Giving your readers dull and gloomy code blogs will create a cycle that’ll project boring and gloom. 

Time to shed some light on your code blogs. Infuse your writing with enthusiasm, personality, and a touch of humor. 

Experiment with different formats, gamify the learning experience, include interactive code examples, try out new ideas, and let your unique voice shine through. 

After all, having fun is contagious; spread it to your readers!

6. Failing to Test the Code You Share

The exhilarating feeling bubbling up inside when sharing your awesome code snippets with the world is unmatched. 

But hold the phone! 

In the heat of the moment, you might fail to ensure that your code works! Can you imagine your reader – a student somewhere – spending hours and snacks running your code only to discover it's erroneous and doesn’t work?

The hair-pulling! 

Before hitting that publish button, take a moment to ensure your code works as intended, or else you risk, among other repercussions, wasting your readers’ valuable time and causing bucketloads of frustration.

Testing is key; put on your testing hats, squash those bugs, and proudly share your battle-tested code.

7. Hiding Your Content’s Navigational Map

Not everybody is fond of asking for directions, and not everybody has the guts to. 

It's every reader’s worst nightmare to stumble upon a code blog and feel like they’re in a labyrinth with no clear paths to follow. 

Not the best user experience, right? 

Hiding your blog’s navigation can make it difficult for readers to find the information they want.

Complex navigation can include overloading your navigation, non-standard navigation, using drop-down menus – annoying according to NN’s usability studies – and employing generic labels. 

Simple blog navigation best practices, such as links to your most important content, search bars, a user-friendly menu, and vertical and horizontal navigation, make it a breeze for readers to find content. 

8. Inconsistent Content Updates

How often do you give what the masses demand? 

Life can get hectic. 

You may be caught up in a whirlwind of coding projects and other commitments. 

However, when your blog sits stagnant for ages without fresh content, it can give the impression that you've vanished into thin air. 

While no single time frame is standard for uploading fresh content, regular updates depend on:

• What’s best for your brand
• Niche market
• Competition level
• Your audience size
• Your goals
• Your posts’ length

However, some industry experts recommend you publish new content three times per week on average (2 - 4 times weekly).

Failure to post new content or update your existing content often leads to declined traffic and engagement and increases the chances of your readers coming after you with pitchforks! 

9. Not Catering to All Skill Levels

Now, let's talk about your audience and not catering to all skill levels. 

As code bloggers, your readers vary in backgrounds and skill levels. 

Some are coding newbies, while others are seasoned wizards. It's not enough to stress the importance of creating content that's accessible to everyone, regardless of their skill level. 

There’s a common misconception that simple language insults readers, especially seasoned coders. 

That couldn’t be further from the truth; plain language is for everyone, even experts. It doesn’t dumbs down content or insult intelligent readers; it accommodates all readers; seasoned, intermediate, and beginners.

Your blog may target seasoned coders. 

But won’t accommodating all levels of coders and readers attract more traffic to your site and, with it, more opportunities? 

10. Missing the Secret Sauce to Code Blogging Awesomeness: Documentation

Documentation is the unsung hero of code blogging! 

It's like the icing on a delicious cake. 

Documentation makes it easier for your readers to understand and use your code.

Unfortunately, code bloggers fail to explain their code's purpose, usage, and potential limitations. They don’t share installation instructions, dependencies, and any troubleshooting tips. 

They fail to understand that documentation empowers readers to make the most of our code and ensure they enjoy a smooth coding experience. 

A simple README file to provide an overview of your code and how to use it can go a long way to creating a fantastic reading experience. 

Failure to document your code blogs causes various challenges, such as:

• Failing to replicate your code and achieve the desired results.
• Lack of clarity.
• Reduced code reusability.
• Inefficient troubleshooting.
• Missed crucial learning opportunities.

Don’t be like other code bloggers. Sprinkle that secret sauce of documentation goodness all over your blog posts!

Looking For Mistake-Free Code Blogs?

There you have code blogging ninjas, ten damaging yet avoidable code blogging mistakes that can cost you.

Worry not if you’re guilty of any of them; you aren’t alone. The good thing is now that you know them, you can avoid or eliminate them from your existing blogs altogether.

And if you need help with your code blogging, Zoey Writers can help you craft informative, quality, and mistake-free code blogs.

Our SEO experts will ensure your technical content is audience-centric to maximize reach and growth.

Contact us; we are ready to level up your code blogging game.