The following peer review is for Bathila’s website “The Reading Bumblebee”. I was very happy to go through the website which was dedicated to reading and books, as these are. The blog posts of the website are not much about book reviews but more about Bathila’s journey as a reader. She shares some thoughts on bookish news, famous series and her experiences.
When I opened her website first, what I noticed was no scrolling home page which I used to see on other websites, but what I thought instead is also something common, which is a page showcasing all the latest posts. Bathila shares her own knowledge within the bookish world which is also done with the help of her own imagery. I feel like it’s a great way to show your own example and easier in terms of visuals. However, I do not see the one color scheme or design layout that she is following in order to keep posts interconnected through visual elements, but the website is very informative without it.
As a reader I would say that the intended audience for “The Reading Bumblebee” is either young adults and people in their twenties or those interested in dystopian fiction with a hinge of romance novels (as I myself am familiar with her TBR list). Despite that, hacks such as “how I annotate my books” post could be useful to anyone who is into books overall. So even though there might be a specific audience targeted, I think that the website is for everyone who is interested in reading and every person could find something for themselves, which also clarifies her main purpose with the website.
In terms of the website’s marketability, thanks to our reading from week 10 “15 reasons why your business absolutely needs a SEO” I found a couple of key points within the website. First of all, who might a person in need of SEO within a book sphere? And here is the answer, a website dedicated to reading and books that prominently features an author sharing personal hacks and knowledge, such as their TBR list or insights into how they annotate books, has a significance to book enthusiasts and aspiring writers. If we take points from the reading and apply them to “The Reading Bumblebee” then establishing the authority (Sharing personal hacks and knowledge from an author helps build their authority and credibility among the audience), understanding the audience (who can understand the reader better than a reader himself right?) and always being updated (as we can see Bathila’s being up to date with the posts like “lively bookshelves”) are the important ones here. So with this website, I believe the collaboration with an author for example could work out, which is a way of a marketability strategy. This content could include unique reading strategies, writing tips, or behind-the-scenes glimpses into their creative process. TBR lists for example, I as a reader and consumer of related content enjoy scrolling through other’s tbrs and finding something new for myself, comparing them.
By focusing on Bathila’s personal insights and hacks within the world of reading and books, this website can effectively attract and engage an audience passionate about literature, writing, and self-improvement within these domains. Even though she could make it a little more appealing in terms of design by following one theme to navigate us through her website as she wants it, and make one main aesthetic, the content of the site is very informative. My first thought was that I would see a lot of bee-themed details so maybe she can think about incorporating these. In terms of content I enjoyed looking at her personal reflection post, and comparing our tbr (was genuinely excited when I saw some familiar books) made me anticipate future posts even more. So if you are a bookworm, especially interested in YA fiction, you would enjoy her website with useful tips and shared ideas. Make sure to check out Bathila’s website!