Blog Design Strategy + 5 Free Design Tips

It all starts with STRATEGY... whether you are looking at starting a blog, thinking about content creation, planning promotions to run or preparing for your very first blog design, I always recommend beginning in the same place and asking yourself:

Don't get too hung up though on getting it right the first time, because my next recommendation is to test and iterate.  No matter how much thought you give it or planning you do, it is difficult to impossible to get it right the first time.  When you are ready to iterate, pick an area and make small but noticeable changes to see how performance improves.

This leads me to my next recommendation, know your readers and ensure you have analytics implemented.  But don't just implement them, watch them regularly.  Data will tell you if your design is helping you reach and hopefully exceed your goals.  It will tell you when and where to make adjustments.

As you are thinking about your blog design, here are some helpful questions to consider before moving forward:

1. Layout - Frame your content - Obviously, you will want your content area larger than any sidebar navigation.  But the header, menu, sidebar elements should also highlight the focal point of your page.
2. Page Length - think about the posts you have written or will write.  Will they be long or short?  Make certain there is enough content on the page to driver interest, but not so much that it will overwhelm the reader.  Consider modifying the # of posts per page or truncating your posts with a read more link.
3. Readability - ensure you have a simple font for readability.  Light backgrounds with dark fonts typically perform better and are easier to read.  But in navigation areas, consider adding elements of contrast now with darker background and lighter font.
4. CTAs - Make certain you are using compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) to entice your reader to convert.  While content is king, you still want to ensure that you are moving your readers through to a conversion.  I recommend have multiple CTAs that will correspond with the buying process and help move your readers through the funnel.
5. Social integration - are you allowing your readers to spread your information for you?  Set-up a ShareThis or AddThis account to have it implemented on your page with each post

Whether in your initial set-up or during a redesign, or even just doing some quick updates don't let your blog design become overwhelming.  Keep it simple by sticking with the basics of your overall web presence and add areas to help emphasize the content to ultimately drive readers to conversion.