soapdirt.com
Soap Dirt is a website that covers entertainment and pop culture in relation to soap operas and reality television. They have a wide range of content, from news to possible spoilers. The site often interviews soap stars and takes photos with the staff.
The website was launched in 2018 and it has a lot of content for reality tv and soap opera fans. Each day, the website posts news and spoilers so readers can satisfy their craving.
Website Design
The website design is unremarkable. It's not very eye-catching, but there's nothing wrong with it. The color scheme is white on a black background with blue accents. There are a few pops of color here and there.
The logo wasn't executed very well. The text Soap Dirt is in a stylized manner surrounded by bubbles. The idea behind the logo is a pretty good one, but the logo turned out looking more like clip art than anything else. I would definitely recommend having it redone, as it is one of the first things readers notice when visiting the website.
The overall layout is great. The main menu is clear and concise. The organization is straightforward and well executed. Categories are helpful, but sometimes they could be simplified. Sidebars are used effectively.
There are relatively few ads on the homepage. Most of them are well-placed, and they don't draw much attention away from the main content. However, when readers open up articles, there are many more ads. There is a video pop-up in the right corner that covers some text, but it's easy to remove. There's also a moderately sized ad in the middle of the text that breaks up the flow.
Content
The content on Soap Dirt is a very niche topic. At first, I thought since the website was relatively new and the topics were limited, that there wouldnât be that much to read. Fortunately, I was wrong! There is a surprising amount of content to choose from in their archives.
The name Soap Dirt was inspired by soap opera gossip. The menu has titles mainly from soap operas like General Hospital, Young and the Restless, Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives.
The reality television section has a variety of shows in different categories. 90 Day Fiance is by far the most popular. There is always drama involved with the reality stars in this title, so it's no surprise that it's on the front page of this section. Other titles covered are The Biggest Loser, Sisterwives, Outdaughtered, Survivor, Seeking Sister Wife, Life After Lockup, Married At First Sight, and more.
Desktop & Mobile Accessibility
The desktop version of Soap Dirt is good. Everything appears to work as it should. The layout looks good, for the most part. The text size is easily readable. One of the most important things - the search bar works well. It is easy to find and scans through the website's archives.
The mobile browser version of the website is good. It is formatted properly for mobile viewing, and the layout is changed slightly to accommodate it. Instead of multiple articles in double columns, there is only one. Mobile browsing feels very streamlined. The main menu is hidden but is not hard to find. The search bar is also in a good place. There is a directional arrow to take readers to the top of the page if needed. The mobile browser version might actually be the best way to view this website. Unfortunately, there is no app version for Soap Dirt.
Positives
There are many positives about Soap Dirt. The website exceeded my expectations in terms of content and the niche topics it covers. It's rare to find a website that is solely dedicated to soap operas and reality television, so this is a major plus.
I think the website is made up of a team of super sleuths. There are a lot of spoilers in articles. It's easy to speculate based on rumors, but Soap Dirt goes the extra mile and really investigates. A particular article I read was questioning whether or not a couple from 90 Day Fiance was still together. The article confirmed that they got married and provided a copy of their marriage certificate as proof.
A great part of reality TV is that the people are real, constantly stirring up something on social media, so Soap Dirt takes advantage of that and utilizes social media embeds from the stars' Instagrams and Twitter to use as content. They write articles based on controversial things that have been said.
I like the search bar on Soap Dirt. It's easy to use and looks recognizable. Another thing I like about the website is that it links related articles well. I don't like websites that don't link related articles, it makes it harder to find what you're looking for.
Negatives
Overall, Soap Dirt seems to be a good website.
There aren't very many negatives about Soap Dirt. They started their website only a few years ago, and seem to be doing a good job catering to a specific audience. Their content does get repetitive at times, but the advertisements on their home page are not bad and pretty tolerable. However, when readers open articles, the advertisements get a lot worse- there is one large video ad that pops up and a few moderately sized ones that break the flow of the text. It's not ideal, but it's not a deal breaker. Overall, Soap Dirt seems to be a good website
I noticed something weird on the website: they put a watermark on all of their photos. I think it's just so other content creators can't use the same image, but it feels kind of pointless. The photos aren't actually owned by the website, so I don't get why they mark them up like that. It's an eyesore and doesn't look very professional.
I dislike the website's logo because it looks like a clip-art image.
Improvements Needed
There are only a few suggestions I have for the Soap Dirt logo. The number one fix should be a better logo. The idea is really clever, but the final outcome of it looks unprofessional. If they could hire an artist to design a proper logo it would look much better.
Soap Dirt could next improve its website by developing an app. This would not be a necessary improvement, but it would help traffic. However, the mobile browsing version is very good.
Finally, could you please Soap Dirt stop slapping watermarks on photos? If you have to, maybe consider making a smaller one. The current one is quite blatant and takes away from the article. I find it much more readable to have a nicely polished and clean looking image as the header.
Summary
There is no better website for reality television and soap opera news than Soap Dirt. The writers are quick and update frequently, providing endless content. The search bar provides a vast sea of articles in most popular shows. The desktop and mobile browsing versions are both good, with mobile browsing being probably the best viewing option.
While there are a few negative aspects to Soap Dirt, the website as a whole is largely positive. One unfortunate aspect is the logo - it's somewhat unattractive and detracts from the content. However, there are many more positives about Soap Dirt than negatives. For example, the website provides excellent news about reality television and soap operas, both of which are popular enthusiast interests. Overall, Soap Dirt is an excellent source of information for those interested in these genres of television programming.
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