Blogs. Most businesses and individuals have them, and yet very few of them spend the money or time to get the design customized just for them. They stick with generic themes, maybe add in some sidebar buttons and start writing. Whenever I work with a client, I tend to get the same question in the initial meeting: What should be in a blog design? My answer? Here are the 5 things every blog design needs, and why:
- An easy way to subscribe to the blog: Just using the rss button in the navbar is not okay. You need a large button that people notice immediately. If you want readers to come back, you need to give them an easy way to have your content delivered to them. It is also important to have a call to action – tell them to subscribe! Examples of good subscription buttons:
- A custom header: The first thing that anyone will see when they hit your site is the header, it should stand out, fit your business and be specifically designed for you. Generic headers with the blog title and tagline in a simple font are not only boring, but make your blog look less professional. Getting a custom header made is like having your hair and makeup done (or hair done and shaving for the men). You need to put your best face forward at all times. Examples of good headers:
- Navigation bar: While this is a simple one, it is also very important. Your site navigation needs to be easy to find, easy to read and most importantly, exist. There are many sites I have visited that have no navigation, no about the site, no contact page, nothing other than the content. This makes it hard to move around and can confuse your reader. Of course, it should also be formatted beautifully and fit in the site.
- Design of the background and content area: This is all based on personal preference, but the site needs to have pop, it needs to make people want to come back and read it again on the site, not just in rss. If you want both sections white, make sure there are dividing lines, something that gives it depth. If you use a dark background, with a light content area, give it flow by creating a border in a mid-line color. If you want dark for both areas, make sure that you use a font that is very easy to read in a light color. The point is to make something that fits your site, and your personality or business. You want people to feel welcome and understand your brand from your design.
- Custom sidebar buttons: You have a facebook, a twitter account, a mailing list, a gallery for your photos, etc. Show them off with buttons that make people want to click on them. If it is just text, people will scan over it and pass it by. It is important to make sure that visitors know where to go, and that you direct them to the pages and posts that you want them to see first. Examples of good sidebar buttons:
Do you agree or disagree? What other pieces do you think a blog design must have?
Related posts:
- How to get a (cheap) blog makeover
- Contemplating a site re-design
- 8 quick ways to improve your blog management system
Kirsten
