Today I wanted to write about something else other than finance and debt related stuff – my new passion: blogging! As you probably know, I’ve been really getting into blogging lately. I just love it!
When I first started my blog, I customised a free WordPress template for my blog design and I kind of like it in a minimalistic sort of way. But in all honesty, it was only supposed to be a temporary design whilst I got my blog up and running. I think my blog design might need a little shake up and a splash of… well something.
I’ve read that an appealing blog design can mean the difference from someone staying on your blog to take a look around and someone clicking away at first glance.
I have my eye on a nice little theme I’ve found, but I wanted to do a little research before I go ahead with something new to make sure that a: I get a design that works, b: I get a design that looks good to the reader and c: I get a design that I’m happy with too.
There are loads of fabulously designed sites out there in the PF community so I thought I would ask you – the experts – what makes a well designed blog! So, if you have a couple of minutes, I wondered if you could help me out by answering some of these questions in the comments sections below.
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What is one key element that all well designed blogs should have?
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Which style and size of fonts look best to the reader?
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Which colours stand out the most in blog design?
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Which type of design is better – simple and uncluttered or interesting and creative?
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What’s the best kind of layout to use e.g. one column, two column or three column?
I’d really appreciate your feedback! Thanking you in advance! 🙂
*Photo credit – The Author 5 – Stock Xchng
31 Comments
Personally, I think that any blog will look a bit fancier with a custom header (it can be a photo that is relevant to what you are writing about along with the name of your blog and your menu tabs). This is something that I am currently working on.
I am not looking to invest in a fancy WordPress theme, at least not at the moment as the reason I am here is to spend less, not the other way around 😛 Perhaps, when (and if) the day comes and I will make a bit of money from my blog, I will give it another thought.
In reply to some of your questions, I personally like a clean uncluttered design that is easy to navigate through. I am not a big fan of bright colours in the body of the text, but I like colourful photos (as you can probably tell by looking at my blog, lol).
Good luck with designing your blog, I can’t wait to see what you decide to do with it! 😛
Eva @ Girl Counting Pennies recently posted…Sunday Special: My Week in Review #5
Thanks so much Eva for taking the time to answer! A custom header is a great idea and a free way to spruce up the site. 🙂 Free is good! I’m not sure whether to invest in a premium theme yet or not – but I definitely want to at some point. I like clean uncluttered design too, it’ll be interesting to see what other folks come back with!
Like Eve (above) I like clean designs the best. It’s hard to know what to recommend as I often hear that unattractive designs can work the best. I will say that I find the font size of your articles a little small – I wonder if other readers have any trouble with it?
Anyway, switching themes is easy enough with WordPress: why not try a few out and see how your readers react? You could even have a vote! : )
Thanks Philip! I appreciate you stopping by and taking time to comment. Yes, I also have been wondering if the font is too small. Luckily I should be able to rectify that, if I can understand the code! (Not so good at that side of things!)
You don’t need the code to shange the size of your font. On your Dashboard simply go to Settings –> Customize –> Typography and play around with different options and choose the one you like best. Hope this helps 😛
Sorry, I meant “change”.
Eva @ Girl Counting Pennies recently posted…Sunday Special: My Week in Review #5
Lol! No worries. 🙂
Thanks Eva! I’ll have a play around! When I set up this theme, I had to use the custom CSS section to make it look the way it does (not sure if that was a good or a bad thing!). But I’ll check out what seems like the easy way of doing it! 🙂
I’ve played around with the font! Hope it’s looking better! I had to go through the custom CSS section in the end as I don’t seem to have a ‘Typography’ option in my settings – might be something to do with my theme. Thanks for your help! 🙂
I would personally prefer a very simple design which appeals with good UI. The cluttering must be avoided to give a decent look to the website. I had used one of the free themes of WP initially then switched to Themejunkie which I liked. Blog design depends on what customers you are targeting through your website
Thanks Rita. I’ll definitely have a look at Themejunkie and that’s so true about targeting your audience with your design.
I like simple and clean where it’s not overcrowded with popups and other junk. I do agree your current font is a bit small. I have a HUGE monitor and find myself leaning in to read. I don’t have a preference over two or three columns.
Budget and the Beach recently posted…Saving for a Big Goal
Thank you very much for the feedback, I really appreciate it! I will definitely be changing my font size shortly!
I’m a huge fan of clean design as well. The less clutter the better and normally love 2 column over 3. White space is the best thing you can give your readers.
Marissa @ Thirtysixmonths recently posted…4 Things You’re Overpaying For
Thanks Marissa! I really appreciate your opinion on what works best! 🙂
I like simple and uncluttered the best. If it takes me forever to find something, I go nuts!
Michelle recently posted…Is Cable/Satellite Worth It? Costs and Other Alternatives
Yeah, me too! 🙂 Thanks Michelle!
This is a tough one because you may find yourself trying to please many people and then find yourself creatively paralyzed. Personally, I would just go with a theme or redesign that you like and then tweak it if need be based on what feedback you receive from our readers. Although I do agree on the header idea 🙂
As long as your site is easy to navigate through and the content is good and relatively on-point, then I think you’re good to go. Personally, I like the look of your site and to think that if it is not broke, don’t fix it. But that’s just me 🙂 I have no doubt that whatever you come up with will be wonderful.
Take care and all the best.
Lyle
lyle @ the Joy of Simple recently posted…There May Be No i In Team, But There Is A Me
Thanks Lyle. 🙂 I’ve just changed the font size (finally figured it out) so hopefully, it’s a bit clearer than before! I think I’ll wait to see what other feedback I get and then decide what to do!
I’m probably in the minority in that I think so little about design, and really just like good content. I suppose I like the “less is more” approach, with a clean look and not so many distracting bits.
Agreed with those who say a larger font might be of help.
Done by Forty recently posted…Is it Moral to Let a Sucker Keep His Money?
Thanks Done by Forty! I’ve just changed the size of the font so hopefully this is a bit better now!
For me, the less cluttered the design, the better. I like the two column layout, but of course, to each his/her own!
Lisa E. @ Lisa Vs. The Loans recently posted…Links Lisa Likes – 9/15/13
Me too Lisa! Thanks for feeding back, I really appreciate it!
Well, I’m a little biased when it comes to design so take this with a grain of salt. I think design is a super important function of a blog. Your design should be reflective of the tone you want to set for your readers. For example, if you’re going for a peaceful, minimalist feel than you’ll want warm, calming colors and a super simple layout. You don’t have to spend big bucks to get a good design. There a loads of free themes but like a thrift shop it takes time to weed through the clutter to find the jewel. If you have a little wiggle room in your budget, a custom header will go a long way!
Taynia | The Fiscal Flamingo recently posted…How Delicious Is Your Net Worth (And Why The Heck You Should Care)
Thanks Taynia. 🙂 This makes sense to me, to really think about the tone I want to set for my readers and allow the design to reflect that. I’m sure I can sort out a custom header at some point too. Thanks for your helpful advice!
Can I just stalk this post? LOL! I just started my blog, with a free template, just so I could go ahead and get started. I do need to spruce it up a bit.
FWIW, I like the calm and clear vibe I get from your blog.
Rebecca @ Stapler Confessions recently posted…STAPLES September 15 Preview
Of course – welcome aboard! Thanks so much for your comment about my blog! 🙂
What is one key element that all well designed blogs should have?
Should be clean, uncluttered and easy to navigate as well as to find/contact you.
Which style and size of fonts look best to the reader?
Something simple, 12 pt.
Which colours stand out the most in blog design?
Bold ones, but they’re the most jarring on the eyes. Blues are calming.
Which type of design is better – simple and uncluttered or interesting and creative?
Simple and Uncluttered.
What’s the best kind of layout to use e.g. one column, two column or three column?
I like two, myself, so I have a sidebar, but 3 is fine as well as long as it stays uncluttered.
mochimac @ save. spend. splurge. recently posted…Are American tourists really all that rude?
Thanks Mochimac for taking the time to answer my questions, this is really helpful. 🙂 Most comments I’ve had back so far have agreed that simple and uncluttered works better. That’s interesting about ‘blues’ being calming. What do you think about ‘purples’ and ‘greys’?
I agree with most – the header is the #1 most important thing to consider when designing a blog. After that comes the clutter – less is more here imho!
Derek @ MoneyAhoy.com recently posted…Life Insurance and Short Term Disability Insurance – Recap
Thanks Derek! Hopefully I’ve gone some way to addressing those points. Asking for feedback on my design was really useful for me!