The design and overall attractiveness of your blog could have a major impact on its success. When a blog looks sleek and professional, people will be far more likely to stick around and read what you have to say. If it’s messy or difficult to read, there’s no way you’ll be able to build a substantial audience, regardless of how great your content may be. Follow these tips to ensure your blog looks its best.
- Consult the experts. Many people start a blog because they love to write, but don’t necessarily have the necessary skills required to build and design their own website. This is where professional support can come in handy, particularly if you’re planning to monetise your blog in the future. An experienced Web Development Company will be able to ensure that your blog is functional, professional, and easy on the eye.
- Get rid of unnecessary widgets. Social media widgets are a great tool for expanding your audience and building a following across various platforms, but they can cause unnecessary mess if you’re allowing them to clutter up your website. Get rid of any widgets that link to platforms you don’t actually use, and stick with links that serve a purpose.
- Be careful with colours. Colours can draw the eye to important areas of your blog and create a fun, creative appearance. They can also make your blog look unprofessional if used incorrectly. Avoid garish shades and clashing colours, and remember to leave a decent amount of white space on your page. White space draws attention to your content and will make your blog appear more sophisticated and less cluttered.
- Use ads wisely. Successful bloggers often end up incorporating ads into their website in order to monetise the page. Be careful with the design of the ads themselves – they should fit in with the rest of your website and provide a seamless viewing experience, rather than sticking out like a sore thumb. Make sure your percentage of content balances out the number of ads on the page, and that the ads are not overly distracting or obnoxious.
- Make navigation simple. An attractive navigation bar at the top of your blog will make the reader’s overall user experience far more positive. The navigation features should be simple, easy to use, and should take the reader to anywhere they want to go. A carefully placed search bar can also be very useful if you have plenty of content.
- Choose uniform images. The images you incorporate into your blog content could make or break a post. Each image should be selected and sized carefully to ensure that they’re uniform – otherwise they’re bound to look out of place. If you struggle to edit images yourself, get a designer to help you out or play around with Photoshop until you feel comfortable.
- Prioritise mobile. Mobile functionality is absolutely essential for any blog owner in 2017. Most of your readers will be viewing your website from their phone, so it’s important that your site looks just as great from a small screen as it does on a large one. Make sure your hosting allows for proper mobile functionality, and check your site from your phone on a regular basis to assess its appearance.
