Your blog’s design is what will make it stand out from the many other blogs out there. Visitors are usually attracted to blogs which have well presented content and an attractive design.
The following are some of the key qualities of a great blog design.
1. High findability
A good blog design is that which allows visitors to easily find what they are looking for. You need to have a proper navigation design which will enable users to easily and quickly reach any part of your blog. A hierarchical/tiered navigation system is usually the most effective. In addition, you could use the sidebar of your pages to display popular posts, as well as recent posts. You could also include insert links to related content within your posts to make it easier for readers to access them.
2. Good readability
When it comes to blog design, readability is very important. You need to ensure that there enough contrast between your text color and the background color. In addition, you need to break down your content using headers, bullet points and paragraphs. Make sure there is enough space in between the lines to make your content easy to read. Finally, choose an appropriate font size for your text. In most cases, a font size of 12-14px would be sufficient.
3. A good comment section
The comment section is a very important part of any blog. This is where visitors share their thoughts on the subject at hand. You can encourage discussion by responding to comments and sharing your knowledge and expertise. This will show readers that you value their input and will encourage them to keep visiting your blog.
4. Integration with social media sites
Add social media widgets to your blog so as to encourage your visitors to share your content. Some of the places where people would like to share your content include Twitter, Facebook, Digg, LinkedIn and Google+. There are several applications available which can help you easily integrate social media with your blog.
5. A catchy header
The header/banner of your blog is very important for grabbing the attention of visitors. Therefore, take time to create a catchy design for your header which will remain in the memories of your visitors. However, make sure the design matches the content and overall theme of your blog.
6. Use powerful images
Images can be very effective in enhancing the appeal of your blog. To make your images more meaningful, make sure you include appropriate captions. Even when you are sharing numerical data, you can make your posts more attractive by using charts and graphs. This makes it easier for readers to make sense out of the data being presented.
7. An attractive post title design
The headline is the first thing readers notice in a post. It is the main thing which determines whether someone will go on to read the entire post or not. However, readers are not only attracted to the wording, but also the appearance of the header. Therefore, remember to use large, bold and attractive fonts for your headings.
Guest Post by Charles Mburugu :
Charles Mburugu has a great passion for sharing blogging and web development tips. At the moment, he is writing for MotoCMS templates.