Companies these days spend millions on branding and packaging. Not because they like pretty things but because it directly leads to higher sales. We buy with our eyes and what’s inside the box takes the back seat. Websites are no different. Only when your blog looks good will the readers stay to see what you have to say. That is why before you get on with creating ground-breaking content for your blog, first – think design. Or have someone else do it for you, like the experts from The Print Group . But if you have time and like to things yourself, here are a few tips on creating an eye-catching website design can help generate more followers.
Less is more
Type blog widgets or blog plugins in your web search engine and you’ll end up with thousands of seemingly useful web design elements. And some are but no readers of your website will ever end up using if your page is cluttered and loads up slowly and that’s exactly what happens when you overdo it with web design elements. Limit yourself, tick to the bare minimum and get rid of everything that isn’t absolutely necessary. The result will be a better looking, faster blog and satisfied audience.
Show your strengths
Make sure that the most relevant blog posts ore the ones you’re the most proud of are visible on your website at first glance. Top five blog posts on the sidebar, a slider with the best stories, a list of most commented articles – there should be space on your blog for one or all of these elements.
Introduce yourself
Your blog is not just another website. The essence of blogging is keeping it personal. Your readers don’t want to read posts by company x or brand y but by you, a real walking, talking and breathing person. A short introduction on the front page, a personal message with your picture will convince them that this is exactly what they are getting – real stories from a real human being. Insert a link to the “about me” section in the introduction box for your readers who are a bit more interested in your personal background.
Write for web
Some people like long book, some don’t. But even the ones that do, don’t like to read them on a computer screen. Writing for web is a completely different story from writing for print and only by sticking to its rules will you keep readers coming back for more. And it’s not what you write but how it looks on your web page. Internet users don’t read, they scan. Remember that and make your texts scanable – keep them short, divide them into paragraphs, use a sub headlines, lists, drop in quotes – anything that will break the plain text and get your readers attention.
Show of your media
What’s even better than good texts on a blog, is media – both pictures and videos. Show them of, make them the central element of your blog design to get the well-earned attention of your readers. In you don’t have your own eye-catching pictures invest in a collection of good stock images and use them for every blog post you publish.
Make it shareable
One of the necessary elements of modern website design are sharing buttons. Make it smooth and easy for your readers to endorse you by sharing your content. A share button linked to major social networks will help in spreading the news about how amazing your blog is.
Content is king successful bloggers say but look at any successful blog and you’ll see that it looks awesome. People come for the looks and stay for the content.