How your blog looks is just as important as how it sounds. Even if your blog content is top-notch, boring blog designs will discourage visitors from reading and will leave them quickly clicking away to your competitor’s blogs. A custom designed blog increases brand equity, and exploits the power of one of your most important online marketing and public relations tools.
1. Make your purpose clear.
Your blog banner should have a title and subtitle that make it clear who you are and what your blog is all about. First-time visitors will quickly click away if they can not discover at a glance what you are trying to accomplish through blogging.
2. Keep it simple.
There are so many different options you can integrate into your company blog, from colors to widgets, that it is often tempting to pile on too many. The result is a cluttered blog that is frustrating to navigate and visually chaotic. Review your blog every few months to determine whether any of the elements have become outdated or no longer relevant, and remove them.
3. Take advantage of whitespace.
Space out the graphic elements on your blog on your banner, in your posts, in your sidebar and readers will enjoy a heightened sense of readability and lightness as they browse your blog.
4. Use complimentary colors.
Be judicious in choosing your color scheme; too many colors, or colors that are too bright, can turn off readers and cause them to click away sooner than they might otherwise.
5. Place key information “above the fold.”
Place important information such as your call to action, at the top half of your blog page, where readers will be able to see it as soon as the page loads into their browser window.
6. Choose a readable font.
Is your copy too large? Too small? Copy that is too large can immediately turn viewers off, while copy that is too small will discourage older viewers from reading your content. Choose a copy size that is easy to read.
7. Add visual interest with photos.
Humans are visually stimulated, and let’s face it: reading is much more fun when supplemented with pretty pictures. Even if you don’t fancy yourself a photographer, it is a good idea to include images now and then in your blog posts to help up the “good-looking” factor.
8. Do a usability check.
User testing allows you to see how real people navigate your site, while hearing their comments at the same time. This provides insight into how to improve your site by identifying positive and negative aspects of your site, including features on your site that may be confusing to visitors. You might be surprised what valuable information you receive when you ask for it.
9. Do cross-browser testing.
Every browser has quirks that display pages slightly differently, so it is always a good idea to look at your blog in different browsers to make sure that it looks the way you want it to.
In conclusion, an eye-catching blog design that compliments your content and showcases your company’s expertise will give your visitors a reason to come back and visit.
