Although it may seem trivial, there are many aspects of your blog design that can significantly affect readership.
An Overview
With more than 70% of all searches now done on the Internet, you need to be sure that your blog gets easy access to this audience.
There are many ways to do this – from producing quality content, keyword optimization, image spamming, and catchy titles, we’ll discuss what makes it easier for readers to find you.
As we all know that gaining readership is one of the most crucial aspects of blogging success. However, it’s not like we can always start from zero when it comes to getting views and followers on our blogs.
Your blog design style is everything! It’s the way you present your content that makes all the difference.
Good design can help readers digest and understand your content easily, while the bad design will make it hard for them to focus on what you want them to learn.
Today, let’s discuss some of the most crucial aspects of gaining readership by enhancing your blog design style so you widen your online business.
Understanding a Blog
The word “blog” is a combination of the two words “web” and “log.” A blog is derived from the term “weblog” and refers to a specific kind of website or to a part of a larger website.
The general content of a blog site varies, but many include product reviews and discussions on a wide range of topics including current affairs, media, health, parenting, and any other conceivable subject.
Typically, blogs provide reviews of products, give out information, supply opinions, and discuss media content. Some are merely family or individual journals.
The creativity and forethought that goes into the design of a blog can mean the difference between people viewing it with boredom and indifference or interest and enthusiasm.
Blogs are a social media phenomenon. The younger generation has embraced news and information sharing through blogs, making readership on blogs part of the daily routine.
When you want to increase readership, there are certain steps you can take that will greatly help your blog’s visibility on the web.
It is important to understand how you can design an appealing blog for better presentational value and better readability.
A successful Blog Design
To guarantee a wide readership and an enthusiastic response from the public, a blog must be creative in its design and concept.
The competition for readers and subscribers is intense in the blogging world. Blogs are almost omnipresent these days which makes gaining readership within a short span of time a very competitive pursuit.
In other words, the blogosphere competition is fierce. But, to be successful, your blog needs to offer something unique to set you apart from the rest.
Blog has become a good way to communicate with other people. You can interact with readers through your blogs.
Many bloggers use their sites as a way to connect with other fellow bloggers of the same niche.
The person or company in charge of the blog will establish its design and content based on its purpose.
Blogs became a new communication model
Even though all blogs are different, they all aimed at one objective which is to reach wider engaged readers and get their responses on the topic being published.
This probably suggests that all bloggers follow the same principles in setup and design to attract more visitors.
As you see, the popularity of the Internet has grown so much and many people started to post weblogs on numerous topics.
Shortly after the global acceptance of the web, people began posting weblogs that focused on topics ranging from personal opinions to reviews of popular events.
This was the start of blogs, one of the world’s most productive ways to communicate. This trend led to the formation of a new communication model, thus launching the journey of blogs.
It might not have been planned, but it led to the development of one of the most effective communication mediums on the Internet today, the world of blogging.
The main focus of blogs is quality content
There are currently blogs on almost any topic imaginable. In fact, there is hardly a niche that does not have its share of blogs.
Thus, any intending or serious bloggers have to work much harder if they want to get their blogs noticed by people or even by search engines. They have to put in extra effort to attract people to their blogs.
So, your primary focus to get noticed by search engines will be publishing quality content.
Imaginative blog design is also very important, playing a crucial supporting role as it highlights the content. Quality articles should also be complemented by a pleasing and appealing design.
Most people blog with the aim of attracting a larger audience with the hope of generating some income. Of course, this is also the primary objective of the majority of bloggers.
But these objectives can’t be achieved without strategically designing your blog. The saying “Do not judge a book by its cover” offers a very real truth about human perception.
Judging a book by its cover, or a blog by its look, is, unfortunately, common among the human population. Human nature is very inclined to judge a book by its cover, or a blog’s content by its look, in this case.
While people generally visit a blog because of its layout and design, it is the brilliant and engaging content that keeps them on the page.
Thus, it is also necessary to improve the overall design and functionality of your blog if you wish to attract more visitors and increase its popularity.
At the same time, a blog with the absence of quality content serves no purpose as it must be the most important aspect of any blog.
A Simple Blog Design
If you’re intent on attracting visitors and keeping the attention of those who visit for the first time, engaging, informative and interesting content is crucial.
Excessive insertion of graphical image on your content can distract the readers than from attracting them. They could also cause the readers to miss what you are trying to convey.
Do not put a lot of pictures and content that is completely off-topic on your blog or your readers won’t stick around. Images should be used to enhance the content, not detract visitors from reading the content.
If you look at most of the popular and successful bloggers, you’ll notice how much they place their emphasis on the content.
Here, we never meant to discourage you from creating a beautiful design at all. By the way, you’ll also see more about the importance of design as you read.
Blogs that have attained a high level of success use a format that does not distract the readers with a lot of extra features unrelated to the content.
Less is more. Sometimes a simple blog design proves to be more effective than a cluttered look.
Create a great comment area
You’ll know you’ve done everything well when your readers leave their comments, hopefully, positive ones.
One way to know your blog is achieving its goal is when your readers start leaving positive comments. Positive and appreciative comments on your post are strong indicators of the quality of your content.
For that reason, create a great comment area where your readers can express their points of view.
Establish a visible comment area after each post to encourage reader interaction. Thus, it is vital that your blog is designed with a clear comment area.
Test your comment section to ensure that it is as user-friendly as possible since an overly complex comment process discourages readers from joining in the dialogue.
Your comment area needs to be easy to use because if it requires jumping through hoops, readers will not participate.
Make sure that posting comments is as user-friendly as possible, as a complex process will turn visitors off.
Your content should be absorbing and compelling enough to make visitors read more, post comments, come back to your page, or follow your blog.
Your goal is to get readers to repeatedly return to your site, participate in discussions, and recommend your blog to other people.
Offering interesting articles to your visitors makes them want to follow your blog.
Content plays a key role
As we mentioned, content plays a key role in blogs which is also the most important thing that you need to pay attention to apart from the overall blog design.
Blogs with nice designs may bring in visitors, but they will quickly lose them if they have poor content.
A review of successful blogs reveals that the secret lies in winning people over with quality content. So, these two need to go hand in hand. Let’s see further…
Quality Content With Blog Design
The two major components of a blog are content and design. Nevertheless, regardless of how pretty you make the design, if you don’t have the “juice” to entice the readers, the blog will fall flat.
A blog with uninteresting posts will not secure a lasting readership, no matter how great the design.
Ensure that your blog is filled with strong content, including well-written and interesting articles, relevant links as well as relevant media files that truly complement the site.
The design should not steal the attention of the readers from the actual posts but should serve instead to highlight them.
One of the most important things you can do to make sure your blog is read and enjoyed by your target demographic is to make sure your content is engaging.
This means that you should focus on writing quality content, which will allow readers to express their viewpoints and get feedback from others who view your blog.
Allowing readers to express their viewpoints will help ensure that people feel like they’re part of the community and are making an impact on the site.
Having an attractive blog design helps draw interest from surfers (people who are roaming around looking for interesting things on the Internet), which means that more people will become familiar with it and decide to visit again.
On the other hand, you also need to make sure that your content is actually attractive and appealing. People may also be attracted by the aesthetic appeal of your content, which will help them decide whether or not to keep reading.
So, having a great blog design may draw people simply because they like the way it looks. However, you need to add quality content not only to drive traffic but also to constantly quench the thirst of your readers.
Create Attractive Titles
Make your headlines stand out with attractive titles as they are the first thing visitors will see and also catch a reader’s eye.
Many don’t even read beyond the title if they feel like it doesn’t sound interesting or engaging.
Some will assume the content is also dull if they feel the title is boring and will not bother proceeding further.
That means chances are you will lose potential readers before you have a chance to catch them with your witty article.
An intriguing title would definitely draw your visitors to the site and make them want to read more.
You also want all your titles to stand out and look attractive and inviting besides visually appealing. As such, titles are vital to a successful blog.
So, give yourself enough time to think about not only the actual wording of your titles, but also the fonts, colors, and how they should be designed.
Remember, these are all part of your blog design.
Small tips about headlines/titles
The headlines/titles on your blog are part of its design, and as such, they can be extremely important. Make sure that your titles are easy to read, both when viewed visually and when read aloud.
When it comes to choosing a font for your titles, choose something that is easily readable by everyone—not just the person who is reading it out loud.
If you’re not sure what font is easiest on the eyes, try using an eye-catching font like Georgia or Arial in size 14pts or smaller.
If you’re unsure of how to choose colors for your titles, use colors that are easy on the eyes and won’t interfere with reading.
You can also consider using shades of blue or red instead of nothing at all in case you’re looking for something more vibrant than black or white.
Always maintain simplicity as it’s the key to keeping readers focused on the content. Too much use of color and funky fonts will let the blog lose its credibility.
Not only that, but it will also detract visitors from the content and make the blog too pretentious.
Ads on Your Blog
Your blog is probably the most important investment you’ll make in your business, so it’s important to make sure that it gets the attention it deserves.
One of the best ways to do this is through carefully-placed ads on your site. But before you start placing ads, it’s important to understand how they work and what they can do for your business.
There are no limits on how much money a blogger can make from ads as it depends on the kind of site you run. Generally, pro-bloggers charge between one and ten dollars per click.
While this may seem like a good deal, it’s important that any ads placed on your blog are fairly discrete and not over-powering the visual aspect of the site.
You want your readers not to think the site is simply meant to sell them a product.
None of your readers should ever feel like they are walking into a giant sales pitch, but rather feel that your blog is meant purely for their benefit the moment they get inside the content.
If the ads occupy too much space, it could probably distract the reader from the articles. This would not only affect their attention negatively but also led to losing readership as well.
So, make sure the ads are proportionately sized and tastefully displayed at the right locations. Limiting the number of ads on the site is also a good strategy to keep things in control.
There are many professionals who make a living out of their blogs via Google ads, affiliate sales, direct advertising, and other means. Look at the recommended ad sizes on Google.
Importance of page speed
Page speed optimization is also among the top crucial factors when it comes to driving visitors to your blog.
You need to make sure that your pages load as fast as possible so that you can get more people to view them and therefore increase your blog traffic.
You know most humans have a relatively short attention span. Users want to see the information they want without unnecessary delay.
Getting them to your blog alone is a milestone success, but losing them again as soon as they land on your site is another milestone failure.
If you want your blog to be viewed by a large number of people, it’s important not to ignore the page speed of your site.
How long does your blog take to load?
You might need to restructure the layout if the answer is between five and ten seconds. However, if it takes more than 10 seconds, it is time for you to redesign your blog.
Most people don’t like waiting for a sluggish web page regardless of how appealing the content is.
They do not have the patience to wait for slow-loading pages, despite the quality of their content. If you don’t want this thing to happen, you need to go and check out the technical aspects of your website.
One effective solution is to get rid of all redundant data and applications as they can also lead to a cluttered and unprofessional look. Hopefully, the loading time of your web page will significantly improve.
In order to make sure that this doesn’t happen, here are some tips on how to improve page speed and ensure fast downloads:
Some useful tips
A study suggests that people spend no more than 30 seconds if the website doesn’t provide relevant information that they search for.
They often complain of not having enough time even though they waste a lot of time online.
- Avoid too many widgets and applications. Keeping your page as clean as possible will significantly increase your page’s loading time.
- Using too many graphics and advanced technology may affect the download time negatively.
- Avoid content and perks that do not add any value to you and your audience so you can ensure that your pages load as smoothly as possible.
- To ensure quick and trouble-free downloads, eliminate unnecessary additions to your page as well.
Pick a responsive theme:
Pick a theme that makes your blog look more professional. The design should be simple and must be easy on the eyes.
You can get a free theme from your WordPress dashboard or you can go and purchase a premium theme, like the Themify Ultra, or Kadence WP which are included amongst the lightest themes ever.
However, it all depends on your budget. You also need to make sure that your theme fits on all devices. The above themes are all mobile responsive.
Pick a Reliable Web Hosting Service
Pick a reliable blog hosting provider such as Bluehost to get your site loaded fast. It’s also an officially recommended hosting provider by WordPress.org.
Installing WordPress can be a little complicated for beginners, but if you choose Bluehost as your web host, you can install it with a single click.
Make sure that you’re using an up-to-date version of WordPress or another CMS so that you can use the latest features and updates available. This will make sure that your site is optimized for speed and stability.
Image Optimization:
In short, you need Imagify for optimizing all your images. It will compress all your large-size images up to 100 times smaller.
This will significantly lighten the weight of your web pages and ultimately increase the loading speed of your site.
*Add an SEO Plugin
For the overall optimization of your blog for SEO, the Rank Math SEO plugin can’t be ignored. You can check out yourself what it’s all about through the link provided.
There is a lot to learn more, but since we focus primarily on blog design, let’s not dive deeper.
Compatibility with all the major browsers
Making your blog compatible with all the major browsers such google chrome, firefox, internet explorer, etc. may help you gain valuable readers.
You also need to pay attention to the technical aspects of blogging so you can convey your message efficiently. Pay attention on the behind-the-scenes components of the blog as well.
In order to verify whether the appearance and performance are strong on multiple browsers, you require testing and improving your blog design’s compatibility with different web browsers.
Effective navigation is crucial when designing a blog
The majority of users are going to come across your blog through a search engine, see it on a social media site, or follow an article long from another site about a similar topic.
Very likely, surfers are going to visit your blog through popular search engines, social networking sites, or links on related sites. This often means that only a small percentage of your readers will access your blog via its front page.
As such, most of your users are not going to get to your blog from your home page. Therefore, the percentage of people that enter your blog from its main page is relatively small.
This places a great deal of importance on the need for effective navigation. This means you have to make sure your readers can navigate easily when you set up your blog.
Thus, effective navigation is crucial when designing a blog. The sidebar should contain most of the relevant links to recent or popular posts and categories to help a surfer navigate your site as easily as possible.
You can also use the footers of your blog to enhance the ease of navigation. Footers are also helpful when it comes to helping your readers get around.
Link to other relevant posts in your blog
When you write your posts, be sure to link to other relevant posts in your blog so readers will continue to read and stay on your site for a longer amount of time.
Another trick is to interlink the post with other related posts in the blog. This will hold the readers’ interest and will encourage them to spend more time on your site.
Another important thing to consider about catching (and keeping) the reader’s attention is the navigation. Readers should be able to get around on your site easily.
Work on the navigation of your site to make it user-friendly to the readers. If readers cannot quickly and easily access the various posts and pages on your site, they will quickly grow frustrated and leave.
If they are unable to locate the information they want quickly, they will not stick around. Readers are likely to leave the site if they are not able to quickly locate the relevant information that they are searching for.
Final Thought on Blog design
A blog represents an effective means of generating income, sharing thoughts and ideas, and communicating various events and topical issues.
We all know Blogs not only helps bloggers make money, but also provide readers with their viewpoints on hot topics at the same time.
Taking the time to design your blog for maximum visual impact and functionality will make it more effective at holding the interest of your readers and visitors.
It is, therefore, worthwhile to create an attractive and efficient blog design that captivates the minds of your readers.
Consider the content and design of your site – your blog’s design and content are critical. Pay enough attention to the design and content of your blog.
Depending on the focus of your blog, your readers should feel like they just stepped into a cozy coffee house, a sports bar, a friendly motorcycle shop, or their best friend’s kitchen.
The best blogs transport readers to another world as they read about their passion. The ultimate goal is to give readers a comfortable platform to discuss their favourite topics within the niche that you are focusing on.
By providing an inviting atmosphere, you will be sure to get repeat readers that keep coming back for more. Readers who enjoy a sense of fulfilment in your site while receiving fresh and applicable content will keep knocking at your door for more.
Your blog design must expedite communication, which is the entire point of blogging. Both its content and design should appeal to visitors and offer them value.
If your visitors receive what they came for, they will return, and you will have succeeded as a blogger.
Efficient blog design offers many advantages. With the right blog design, you’ll find it a lot easier to attract an audience, generate income, and make yourself more relevant in your chosen field.
To do this, you’ll need to design a blog that is not only creatively appealing, but also functional and easy to use.
Through a blog it is possible for you to air your opinions and thoughts, offer advice, and discuss recent events, all while earning an income.
Spend a few extra hours going over the visual, rhetorical, and technical aspect of the content of your blog to ensure a great final blog design. The effort is worth it.
