Creating the best blog design to engage your audience – blog page layout ideas
When you think of a blog post, the first things that come to mind are probably the keywords and the search engine optimization (SEO) measures you have to take to make your blog rank higher.
After all, most companies use blog posts to improve their site’s ranking on search engines, right?
When you create content that is relevant to your product or service, search engines are more likely to recommend you to people searching for something similar.
Instead of creating a bunch of service and product pages on your site, you could just create more blog posts instead.
However, you shouldn’t be ignoring your blog page’s design either!
Your blog design showcases who you are as a blogger, brand, or business, and influences your reader’s overall experience.
Sure, you might make it to the search results, but will people read your content if the design of your blog page looks amateur and lackluster?
I would personally just click away (sorry!).
If the design isn’t thought out, the content might not be much better.
A well-designed blog is easier to read, more engaging, and has better SEO.
As we create a bunch of blog page designs on a daily basis, we are pretty much experts at this.
Here are some tips to create a more engaging blog page.
A clean and organized blog layout
When you have so much content, it’s easy for your blog page to look cluttered and busy. Avoid that by having a clean and organized layout.
You don’t have to show EVERYTHING on one page.
Highlight your best blog posts and help readers navigate through the categories of your blog content instead. This way, visitors can immediately see if they can find the content they’re interested in without feeling overwhelmed.
Go for a simple grid structure and use plenty of white space to make your blog visually appealing.
You can design your blog with a main content area where people can read the post and a sidebar where you can recommend related posts without being too intrusive.
The sidebar can include widgets like recent posts, categories, and social media links.
Curate your blog design with high-quality images
Other than attractive headlines and titles, it’s the high-quality images that make your blog more attractive and engaging.
Seeing an interesting image in the blog thumbnail encourages people to click and read your blog post.
Having images break up the large chunks of text in your blog helps reduce fatigue and encourages readers to continue reading the rest of your blog.
Invest in high-quality stock photos or illustrations that are relevant to your content and enhance the reader’s experience.
Don’t forget to optimize these images for web use to ensure fast loading times, as too many heavy photos can slow down your site.
Other than images, you can also include infographics and screenshots in your blog posts to make them more visually appealing.
Create a beautiful blog design with your brand’s colors
Imagine if your home page and the rest of your site were colorful but when it comes to your blog page, it’s suddenly plain and white.
It doesn’t make sense, does it?
Like the rest of your website, your blog design should reflect your brand and be visually appealing.
Use a limited color palette based on your brand’s colors to create a cohesive look and avoid overwhelming your readers. If your brand colors are blue and white, use these colors consistently throughout your blog.
You can even see how we do this on our blog!
We keep the Deer Designer green for titles and highlighted links and use the rest of the brand’s colors for headlines and illustrations.
This doesn’t only help create a clean and professional look but also shows people that you pay attention to your branding instead of just using a generic blog template.
Choose readable fonts for your blog page
The main goal of your blog page is for people to read it, so you should choose fonts that are easy to read on all devices.
Use bigger font sizes for headings to show a clear order and for the body, stick to simple and clean fonts instead of fancy ones.
Use a sans-serif font like Arial or Helvetica for your body text to make it easier to read.
Oh, and make sure your body text is at least 16 pixels for better readability.
Help visitors find related posts with categories and tags
Categories and tags are a great way to organize your content and they help readers find related posts easier.
When they like the content they’re reading and want to read more, they can just click the category it was in to look for more.
Make your blog website easy to explore with clear navigation
Don’t let the user’s experience end with just one blog post!
Try and encourage visitors to navigate their way through your site with a clear navigation menu.
Always include a menu at the top of your blog with links to important pages like Home, About, Contact, and Categories.
You can check this out on the Deer Designer blog too!
When you’re done reading the blog post, you can navigate to the menu at the top to find other resources like our other works, pricing, testimonials, and more.
It helps to use breadcrumbs to help readers keep track of their location on the site. A common breadcrumb path would be “Home > Blog > Category > Blog Title”.
This lets them know how they got to this blog post and how they can go back if they need to.
Every great blog has mobile accessibility
Most users are looking at blog posts and websites on their phones now.
If you don’t have a mobile-friendly blog design, they might not bother with your content and just exit.
Luckily, creating mobile-accessible designs isn’t that hard anymore.
You can use a responsive layout that adjusts to different screen sizes on various devices. To make sure it works, test your blog on smartphones and tablets.
And don’t forget to check the design and functionality on all devices.
The best blog design is accessible to all readers
Your blog isn’t only for people who read.
Sometimes, there are people with visual impairments who read these sites using screen readers.
Make sure your blog is accessible to all readers, including those with disabilities.
Use alt text to describe images, give transcripts for videos, and ensure your site can be used with a keyboard.
Guide your visitors with clear CTAs
Let your audience know what you want them to do next with a clear CTA.
Include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout your blog to guide your readers on what to do next. Whether it’s subscribing to your newsletter, leaving a comment, or sharing a post, make your CTAs prominent and compelling.
At the end of each blog post, include a CTA like “Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to our newsletter for more design tips!” or “Have questions? Leave a comment below!”
Foster engagement with a comment section
A comment section encourages reader interaction and helps build a community around your blog, so make it easy for readers to leave comments and respond to them to foster engagement.
Include a comment section at the end of each blog post with a simple form for readers to leave their thoughts.
Respond to comments to show that you value reader feedback and encourage further discussion.
Increase your reach with social sharing buttons
Include social sharing buttons to make it easy for readers to share your content on their favorite platforms.
This can help increase your blog’s reach and attract new readers.
Add social sharing buttons for platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest at the top or bottom of each blog post.
Use recognizable icons to make sharing quick and easy.
Also, make sure that you have the right thumbnail and excerpt set up for these social sharing buttons to optimize your reach.
Keep your blog fresh and updated
Regularly update your blog with new content to keep readers engaged and attract new visitors.
Create a content calendar to plan your posts and maintain a posting schedule.
Fun fact: Did you know that most people plan to publish new blog posts weekly or biweekly, if not more often?
Creating great blog design
Don’t get too lost in all the optimization and keyword searching.
Make sure your blog design offers the best experience for your readers too!
By following these tips, you can create an engaging and visually appealing blog page that showcases your brand, attracts readers, and keeps them coming back for more.
Are you looking for some web design ideas? These guides might help!
➡️How to make your blog design appealing
➡️Accessibility in design: fun, fresh, and for everyone
➡️Everything you need to learn about SEO for web design to create a high-ranking website
Deer Designer is here to help you design a blog that not only looks great but also functions seamlessly.
Reach out to us today to start creating your perfect blog page!
