If there is just one thing every blog, new and old, needs, it’s a ‘Contact Me’ page. I’ve seen blogs operate without them for a long time and absolutely no good can come out of not having one. They are incredibly easy to set up, regardless of blogging experience.

What bad could really happen without one?

For one, you alienate your readers by not providing the means to get in contact with you. You are essentially placing an invisible barrier between you and your reader. Your blog can lose its personal touch. Contact outside of comments will allow your readers to express more intimate or private matters that the commentator probably doesn’t feel comfortable about discussing in public view. When I say private or intimate, I don’t mean uncomfortable matters, but rather potential ad deals, link sharing, or anything of that nature. It’s unlikely that these matters will be relevant in the comments section of your blog.

Create a page already.

If you don’t already have a contact page, add one immediately. It could be as simple as a text page with your name and email address, instant messenger handle, or even your phone number and home address. If you want to go for a little more unique style, I highly suggest using cforms II. There are a lot of customization options that will encompass your every form need. I use it on every blog I own and it’s generally the first plug-in I install and configure.

So what bad could really happen? Loss of readers, separation of blogger and commentator, and even the loss of potential revenue. Don’t be the jerk without a contact page.