Looking to start your own blog but don’t know where to start? Your layout design can be boosted in five easy tips! Learn how to take advantage of your niche and social reach to make stunning blogs that are sure to attract advertisers and readers.
Creating a blog is about amplifying your voice. Having the chance to put your thoughts out there for the world to see can be a thrilling experience. However, getting views on your blog is not up to chance like an automatenspiele. You could have the most eloquent words and a witty personality; there’s one thing that might hold you back: your graphic design.
A simple graphic design definition is just the skill of combining pictures and texts in a medium. Your medium, in this case, will be your blog. Having an eye-catching yet strategic blog design is vital for a successful blog. It may seem intimidating at first, especially if you’re just starting off.
Don’t worry, as there are five ways to make sure you choose the right layout and interface as you learn how to design a blog.
1. Consider Your Niche
Your web design for the blog is going to depend on what exactly you’ll be talking about. After all, a blog about business strategies would look ridiculous if it focused on elegant artwork. For visual arts, graphic design, and photography, it would be counterintuitive to insert too much text, as visitors are interested in visuals. Keep a minimum of data in the page layout design, and let the interface speak for itself.
The opposite is true for websites that are primarily about text and information. Your visuals should not overwhelm the content to the point that the reader loses track of what they are reading. That’s not to say that images should not be used; in fact, they can provide a good reference point for your audience. The key here is to find a balance.
2. Amplify Your Social Media Reach
Your blog might be posted on a website, but there’s a good chance it’ll also be shared across social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. That can be as simple as having the link inserted directly into the post or Tweet, but that can be made easier with social buttons.
Where you place these buttons on your graphic design layout is just as important as their presence in general. Positioning them at the bottom of the page can act as a call-to-action after just the blog post. Having the social buttons follow the reader down the page makes it almost irresistible to share, especially when they reach their favorite part. The placement could very well determine your blog’s social media reach.
3. Optimize Your Layout Design for Mobile Devices
When overviewing website layout ideas, you need to think about how it will look on two platforms: desktop and mobile. Desktop layouts work well with horizontal features like headers and widgets on the side, but pulling it up on a gadget may compress everything on top of each other. Worse yet, your catchy headline that takes up one line on a desktop may crunch into two or three lines, disrupting the flow you intended.
To increase the scroll rate of your blog for mobile use, you can rely on a small menu and a hero header, which will reduce the drop-off rate associated with mobile users. One thing not to add to your mobile design is sliders, as these can also deter viewers. These are more for aesthetics rather than functionality.
4. Strategically Place Your Ads
At some point, you will want to monetize your blog, and unless your content is winning awards, you probably should not put it behind a paywall. That being said, you can earn money by having ads on your blogs. That will, however, affect your blog layout, given that you are now taking up more space.
You do not want to overwhelm your interface with ad placements, just like you wouldn’t do the same with images. Ads placed on the sides of the page work well on desktop, but may not translate as great to mobile. One of the solutions for your creative designs here is to have your ads and sponsored links spaced out enough in your content to flow along with the post. To get to the next part of the reading, your viewer will have to continue scrolling, so it will increase the scroll rate as they move on.
5. Experiment With Different Layouts Before Publishing
After you’ve established your social buttons, ad content, and other additional features, you might be tempted to click “publish” right away. Before you do so, preview the post with different templates and layout design. Not only will you get to see how your blog will look in action, but it can also let you play around with other possible blog designs and get your creativity flowing.
Switching between one- and two-column templates can open up more space for widgets and an archive feature on the side. On the other hand, a magazine template could work wonders if you’re more visually inclined. The important lesson here is not to fill pigeon-holed into having just one-page layout design when many others can accomplish the same goal.
At the end of the day, the interface will greatly impact your success as a blogger. Knowing your niche, social reach, mobile optimization, and ad placement will do magic as you try out new styles and approaches. Who knows, maybe you’ll even consider making your own web design blog.
Have any tips of your own for designing blogs? Leave a comment below and let us know your advice for creative bloggers!
Author’s Bio
Thomas is a high-tech entrepreneur and an online business coach for everyone who wants to accomplish their goals. He is writing for the most credible sources and keeps a blog touching upon the acutest topics in business and finance. Thomas truly believes that any business needs constant development — and that, first of all, implies management. His main focus is developing a design for online slots.