The Importance of Blog Design...
Blogs have increased in popularity over these past months. Many people have started to create their personal blogs to express their thoughts and feelings. Internet companies have also started their blogs to inform consumers of the latest product news and reviews.
Because of this, blogs are also being used as internet marketing media. Before, internet marketing is placed banners and links on popular websites, such as news and information sites. Links were also included in newsletters and marketing letters sent to the members of their mailing lists.
Many people spend time reading blogs. People read their friend's blogs, their favorite author's blogs, blogs on topics they are interested in, and blogs on product reviews. With the increasing popularity of blogging, it is even feared that people rely on blogs to get the latest news.
While getting news reports from blogs isn't reliable, some people look for product reviews through blogs. In some cases, this is more dependable. While it is true that some media persons are being paid to write good reviews about a certain product, blog writers write about their actual experiences with products and services from a company.
Since many people read and start their own blogs, blogs are a good medium to market a product. Increasing blog traffic means an increase in product sales.
Blog traffic can be increased by joining affiliate programs and sites, which will list your blog under a certain search category or name. You can also have your blog advertised on popular websites. This, however, will cost some money and is not advisable if you have just started blogging.
A writer who has just launched his/her blog will want as much traffic as possible to increase advertisements on the site. Also, some advertisers pay every time their link is clicked, or the page that has their link is viewed.
When you have increased traffic on your blog, you should try to keep your visitors coming back and recommending your blog to friends and colleagues.
This can be done by having informative or amusing content and a good blog layout and design. You may develop your blog's content, or you can also acquire the services of a web content writer to provide you with the blog articles.
The blog's layout and design also play a big role. While most of the companies offering free blog hosting offer pre-selected templates, some allow customization that can increase your blog's traffic if you utilize this feature correctly.
Here are a few tips to make your blog stand out from the millions of blogs out there that have standard designs.
* Customize the banner...
The banner usually has the most generic designs that are common to the blogs from a blogging company or service.
You can personalize this banner by having a graphic with the dimensions of the banner. You can also edit the graphic so that it will also include the title of your blog.
In this case, you can create your own graphic or purchase professional-looking graphics online for less than $10.
* Personalizing photos...
Of course, most of the photos that you will be posting will be your own. However, if you don't customize the photos before posting them, you may miss maximizing the benefits graphics can add to the page. Adding photo borders can help the photo stand out from the page.
It can also add to the design of your blog. You can choose a standard border or create your own border, which can be associated with your blog's templates.
* Add a favicon...
Don't you think sites with icons on the address bar before the website's URL are cool? Many people do. These favicons add a professional look to the URL. These are easy to do using a photo or graphic editing software.
* Check out blog templates, layouts, backgrounds, textures and skins from sites...
Some sites offer free blog templates, layouts, backgrounds, textures, and skins. You can use these so your blog will not look generic like most of the blogs hosted by the service provider. However, another alternative is having a beautiful and powerful blog designed for you by a group of professionals who actually specialize in blogging.
* Include RSS feeds...
This is a cool way to inform people about newsreaders about your blog headlines. Tutorials on RSS feeds are available on the internet.
* Audio makes your blog more personal...
Not only does audio personalizes the blog, but it can also keep your visitors coming back. You can try having streaming radio stations, mp3 files, or playlists loading with your blog. (in case you missed it we have an amazing other article that you should read: Why Having a Website is So Necessary!)
* Advertisements...
If you have signed up with Google Ad-Sense, which I am sure you would like to do, make sure that the ads are conveniently placed that these will not hinder your readers' ease in accessing the information on your blog. Try using these tips, and you can definitely increase and retain traffic on your blog.
Hopefully, you found this article helpful, and as always, our wer8 family is always available to help you on your branding journey. If you haven't already, and you want to get a step-by-step guide, then please also check out this professional blogging course to help you improve as a blogger and build your online presence.
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