The hard truth is that your blog’s appearance has a lot to do with its success. You can post the most riveting content out there, but if your first impression tanks, your visitors may not get far enough to appreciate your posts. Here are some key elements to remember as you curate your blog, to ensure a professional and user-friendly look.
Spell check
Proper spelling and grammar cannot be emphasized enough. It shows that at a very basic level, you have put some care into maintaining your blog. Simply re-reading content before you click “Publish” will weed out any obvious mistakes that your spell-checker may have missed. And spell-checker really should be involved as a frontline of spelling error defense.
Brand cohesively
When visitors arrive at your site, you want to make sure they know that your company and blog are part of the same system. This is where consistent branding comes in handy, especially if your brand has garnered some respect and recognition over the years. Make it clear that your blog is an extension of this other entity, and link it to your personal or company page to get some cross traffic flowing. If you’re looking to up your branding game, have a look at Lifehack’s solid blog branding advice.
Post regularly
Make sure you are posting new content on a regular basis. Don’t let your blog idle very long between posts. A month might be the max, if you aren’t engaging your audience in other ways, like a heated discussion in the comments or forums. Your visitors pay attention to the dates of your posts, and can easily assume the blog has been abandoned if you don’t keep up on it. Or if they do read it, the past dates might deter engagement or return visits.
Advertise strategically
Plastering your blog with outside advertising can really take a toll on your readership. Ads that are irrelevant, annoying, or that detract from the reader’s experience will send your visitors running. And if your ads are the bulk of the content on any given page, your readers might think that your site looks suspicious and cautiously exit altogether. For bloggers new to the world of advertising, Google’s Adsense is a good introduction. You can have some control over the ad styles, and earn on a pay-per-click basis. But keep in mind that your blog doesn’t need to have ads at all.
Invest in quality web design
Nothing is a bigger website deterrent than poor web design. Not only does it look unprofessional, it can also negatively impact your site’s functionality. For example, green text on a yellow background. No one will be able to or want to read that. Remember, contrast is key. And if you’ve got pop-ups or auto-play videos, it’s time to rethink those as well. Looking for some concrete examples of bad design? Look no further than Web Pages That Suck.
Ask for help
Maintaining a blog can take a lot of time, between writing content and working on the behind-the-scenes code. Consider hiring some outside help to manage the workload. You can find plenty of qualified applicants through social media recruiting, or quickly on Gumtree’s job seeker board.
With all the help and advice out there, there really isn’t any reason why you should settle for an unprofessional looking blog. Keeping up the appearance and quality of your site will not only drive more readers to your blog, it will also boost your credibility. Done well, a blog is a great outlet to engage your audience and offer genuinely helpful content to your readers. And that’s what will keep them coming back for more.
