Once you’ve started to blog on a budget which we discussed in last week’s post, it’s time for the fun part: design. Design is the first thing people recognize when they come to your site and in most cases will make or break their opinion of you. Even more interesting… in the first 5 seconds of being on your blog, a person decides whether to stay or leave, 5 seconds! In my eguide, Build Your Own Style Blog, I really dig deep for how to design a killer blog and give you access to tricks of the pros, but for now we’ll cover the basics.
As I mentioned in last week’s post about blogging on a budget, there are so many free things you can utilize for your blog to be successful, like an awesome design that really conveys your brand, message, mission statement, etc.
Questions to ask yourself when designing a blog
♡ What is the voice/brand of my blog?
If you’re like ManRepeller, then you’re going to have a lot of sartorial satire, {say that 10 times fast}. Leandra runs a business so her blog is like a magazine with different categories, a header image slider, popular posts, floating menu, etc. The Blonde Salad is similar. There’s no mistaking the brand that these blogs portray.
♡ What type of blog or website design am I really drawn to?
I personally like a simple, minimalistic personal style blog like Take Aim or The August Diaries. They’re simple, easy to navigate and image heavy so you don’t need a whole lot of color, if any, or an overpowering design.
Don’t be afraid to copy the design of your favorite blog. For example, I incorporate a lot of hearts and text overlay on my images just like my girl Lauryn at The Skinny Confidential. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
♡ What is the purpose of my blog?
Are you a photographer, writer, chef, fitness guru? Whatever your niche is, is going to determine the design of your blog. If your purpose is to provide healthy lifestyle options to readers you might want to consider having a cute little healthy logo and an organized area where people can browse different recipes you have. You might also want to invest in a widget where it allows you to create printable recipes.
Fashion blogs tend to be plain, black and white whereas food blogs and wedding blogs can be a little more creative with more pizzazz, if you will.
Free blog designing tools
♡ WordPress has thousands of free widgets you can use that will give your blog the design it’s been waiting for, the catch is you have to know how to use/customize them, but if you do your research you’ll be a pro in no time. It does take time though, it took me 5 years to learn everything, {and I’m still learning!}, and about 7 months to design a blog I love.
Low-cost blog design options
♡ Hire a web designer. I highly, highly suggest doing your research for this one, you don’t want to make the same mistakes that I talk about in my eguide.
♡ Buy a pre-made template. If you find one you like this is the biggest blessing you’ll come across in the blogging world. I did it, but it took me months of searching the web. I make it so easy in my eguide by laying out a list of reputable sites you can buy templates from.
Please feel free to email me {brittany@notanotherblonde.com} with ANY, and I mean any blog questions and I’ll answer them the best I can!
xx
more from the blogging 101 series
HOW TO START A BLOG ON A BUDGET
HOW TO CREATE GREAT BLOG CONTENT
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