Top 6 Tips for Blog Design

While waiting to unveil my blog’s new look and feel, I can’t help but think there’s no better time than now to talk about good blog design. But, of course, that’s more Lisa Sabin’s bailiwick than mine. Owner and founder of E.Webscapes, Lisa’s services include blog and Web site design, maintenance and hosting. I’m glad to comment on blog strategies and content development, but when it comes to the layout, functionality and actual installation of such a newfangled, Web-based, self-publishing platform, I defer to Lisa. So without further ado, here’s what she has to say:

Top 6 Tips for Blog Design
by Lisa L. Sabin
Owner/Founder of E.Webscapes

1. Don’t underestimate the power of your blog’s logo. Site branding is popular terminology that basically means just what it says — your site logo, if not your design, gets “branded” into people’s memory, which is something that keeps them coming back.

The visual identity of your blog is sometimes as important as the writer’s content. It will give your readers insight into your blog’s basic identity — and with a unique logo and design, that identity will become your brand. If your blog is about Nashville nightlife and your blog design is centered on a graphic of Iowa’s rolling wheat fields — it’s not going to communicate the purpose or theme of your blog to your readers.

2. Does your blog design communicate the goal of your site? For instance, if I were attempting to sell my original music CD’s on my blog — I would make sure to have them showcased front and center — in an attractive way that makes it easy for the reader to understand what it is, and how to obtain more information. Every blog owner has expectations set for their site — make sure that your design follows the expectations that you’ve set.

3. Your blog layout should be well organized and easy to navigate. Keep the posted items nicely separate from your side columns that contain your links and site information. Don’t make your readers go on a treasure hunt for your blog’s content and information. Make it as easy as possible for your reader to navigate their way through your blog.

4. Utilize CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to drive the formatting and style of your blog design. This will ensure consistency in the format of fonts, colors and overall layout and positioning of your blog design. Implementing CSS into your overall blog layout and design will improve the readability and navigation — making it a better experience for your readers.

5. Cross Browser Compatibility: A good thing to keep in mind is that your blog is going to be viewed in a variety of different computer platforms and browsers. To ensure readability — be sure to check your design in different browsers to make sure your blog renders correctly. Some recommended browsers would be: Internet Explorer, Mozilla FireFox, Netscape, Opera and Safari (Mac).

6. Don’t be afraid to hire a professional to create the site you’re looking for. Your time is valuable and you have big plans on the content development for your blog — let a professional do the dirty work of creating the foundation of your site while you work on developing the content. An effective website isn’t one that just exists, or even looks nice. Effective websites generate leads, sales, company and product awareness.

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