Just like designing a logo, brochures, and websites, designing a blog requires one to look at several factors regarding design elements. Before you even start building your blog look at the following factors and make some choices so that you will know what you’re looking for. Over all, your blog should match your website and in fact, your blog should be on your website. Additionally, if you already have marketing collateral make sure that your blog matches what you already have. It is important to carry your brand through to all your marketing channels.

Color

The color of your blog matters tremendously. Color conveys emotions and an over all feeling when someone looks at your blog. If the colors do not match, or worse, burn the retinas — when a visitor looks at your blog, they will not stick around even if you manage to attract them. Choose your colors wisely. Take a look at a color chart of some kind to give you ideas of what goes together. Consider making sure it matches with your existing logo.

Fonts

On the web fonts look differently. People typically read websites and blogs on a browser and now more than ever on a mobile device. Make sure your fonts work on the web. Good fonts for web viewing are: Verdana, Helvetica, Georgia and the often used Times New Roman.  Make sure that you can comfortably read your font colors combined with your chosen background. People will leave quickly if your blog is not easily readable. Check out this funny website. (Put on your sunglasses)

Content

Your content is the most important aspect of your blog. Even if you fail on some of the other aspects, if your blog has information that people want and need they might throw on their sunglasses and read it anyway. So make sure that your content (your copy and your words) is targeted toward your ideal client or ideal visitor. Make sure that you are offering useful information that people really want to read.

Layout

The ideal layout changes from year to year so make sure that your layout is an updated, contemporary layout. For the most part the old fashioned “static” looking website is out of date and looks that way too. Take a look around at all the different types of layouts that are popular today and try to pick something that is easy to navigate and use as well as visually pleasing. Chose from some contemporary WordPress templates and you’ll be fine on this point.