This is something that doesn’t get spoken about very often.. I honestly haven’t even hinted on DESIGN in any of my posts, but I believe it’s a very important topic to cover.
You see, having good usability is critical if you want to keep readers at your site …and in this post I’m gonna give you my top 4 tips to improving your blogs usability and readability, to do just that.
The Top 4 Blog Design Tips
#1. “Whitespace” – I love white space (..as you can probably tell..) It’s a term used by designers to describe the space between 2 different elements. For example, you header & your navigation bar… or your sidebar & your blog posts. Increasing the amount of whitespace between elements (..with moderation, of course..) will make your site look cleaner and more readable.
Although “whitespace” doesn’t necessarily have to be the color WHITE – I feel WHITE makes a site much more appealing to the viewer. Take a look at these somewhat popular sites that use this concept of ‘whitespace’ very effectively:
#2. Simple & Obvious – Don’t go crazy with widgets and plugins & ads – it’ll drive your viewers CRAZY!! The best way to drive visitors away from your blog is to have a cluttered, chaotic blog with so many different things fighting for their attention.
I suggest you review your widgets and plugins every month to remove those that aren’t being used, or aren’t being effective. You might also have those cool little plugins that people might not know what to do with or how to use, so it’s best to only have the obvious ones that don’t take up to much space.
#3. Above The Fold - When designing your sidebar, you want to keep the important stuff up top. For example, your intro-video, opt-in form, & social network links. These are very important to me but, of course, it’ll vary from person to person.
It all depends what the purpose of your blog is and what you want your viewers to see first.
#4. Give Your Blog “The TEST” – Every now and then I ask one of my friends, or relatives to just poke around my blog. You’ll be surprised at the useful information you get from performing this test.
Somethings you want to look out for, while you sit right next to them with a notepad, are:
- What do they click first?
- What do they focus on the most?
- Ask them: How does the site make them feel?
This is really good insight on what a first time visitor does when they get to your blog.
Are There Any Other Design Tips You’d Like To Add?
Please, leave them in the comments below – and if you enjoyed this post please leave me your feedback, too. Remember to facebook share it, tweet it, digg it, & stumble it if you found this could help others – I’d really appreciate it.
Talk Soon,
. . . . . . . . . . . .
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71
Hey Hector,
As an organizer, one of the things I find myself worried about is “having a chaotic site”. I’m not even sure if I pass the “under-whelmed” test!!!
Thanks for the simple reminders and suggestions! I’ll be checking out my white space.
Melody
Melody Granger´s last [type] ..You Can’t Control Hurricanes or Other Emergencies, But You Can Be Prepared for Them
Melody,
Chaotic sites are prospects repellents.. so it’s best to keep it simple
I hope these tips help you out
talk soon
Hector
Hi Hector,
Thanks for sharing the helpful tips!
Whitespace is important in that it establishes contrast, making your content that much more prominent.
I’ve switched up my blog recently to hit on each one of the points that you’ve made. I aimed for more whitespace, kept it simple and moved the important links up higher, although I might tweak this in a few. So far, so good
Ryan
Ryan´s last [type] ..How Many Training Videos Does The Peoples Program Offer?
Ryan,
You’re right.. whitespace does help with with readership. & I’m glad your using these tips bro.. keep it up
talk soon
Hector
Thanks Hector,
Great ideas – especially about getting friends and relations to poke around since at an early critical stage of blog entrepreneurship, we really can’t afford the expensive experts who promise wonderful things by analysing your blog – for a handsome fee!
Lou,
I’m glad you liked the “TEST” tip.. it’s a cheap alternative ;0)
thanks for stopping by
talk soon
Hector
I really like your idea about asking people for feedback every now and again. With most things that one is heavily invested in, an outside perspective can shed new light.
Peace and Abundance,
Deborah Tutnauer
Deborah Tutnauer — ITS ALL SUCCESS TV!´s last [type] ..What’s the BIG DEAL re: MLM Launch Formula?
Deborah,
It seems a lot of people found that tip interesting.. and you’re right. that’s exactly what it gives you – a new way to look at things..
talk soon
Hector
Hi Hector, Great post. I agree, that white space is much easier to read. I like the way you separate your paragraphs. I think it’s important to break up paragraphs into 3-4 sentences because otherwise you tend to scan them and may miss something that is important. I also like bullet points.
Rebecca
Rebecca Olkowski´s last [type] ..Entrepreneur or Employee? Which One Are You Really?
Rebecca,
This is the structure I follow when creating most of my articles.. I like how it looks, & my readers enjoy a quick read.. it’s WIN-WIN
thanks for sharing your thoughts
talk soon
Hector
Awesome post as usual Hector. I’m definitely feeling the “White Space”. I always believe that that white look does give you such a clean look and Apple and Google are prime examples. Simple is IN.
~BT
Brian Tomlinson´s last [type] ..Motivation: Me, Tony Robbins, Rocky & a Dog
Brian, my brother
Totally agree with Simplicity.. complexity usually turns chaotic and we don’t want that..
talk soon
Hector
Hey Hector,
Very useful tips as usual.. Every time I see your new post, I know its worth reading before I even get here
All 4 tips are absolutely great.. I would add maybe a visible subscription widget on the top of side bar might be worth to mention, so the readers stay updated with our posts.
I am sharing this, no doubt
Thanks Milena, really appreciate that
The popular post, or recent post plugin are great for doing just that..
thanks for commenting
talk soon
Hector
Hey Hector,
Good tips… especially “The Test” having friends poke around and get feed back. I always keep an eye out for your posts.
Coach Freddie
Coach Freddie´s last [type] ..Are Your Habits Serving You?
Freddie,
Yea.. everyone seems to like that idea. :0) hope it helps
talk soon
Hector
You’re right, not many people make posts about this. I just trimmed my site down because I realized I had gotten carried away. If it looks too busy no one knows where to go! And it takes forever to load. Neither are good news.
Stephanie Deneke
Stephanie Deneke´s last [type] ..Attraction Marketing Tip: How To Attract Lousy, Low Quality, Minimum To Zero Results Oriented People To Your Network Marketing Business.
Stephanie,
Yup.. totally agree with you.. Too much going on can push people away
thanks for stopping by
talk soon
Hector
As a newby to blog pages, this was VERY helpful info. Thanks! Pamela
Hey Pamela,
I’m glad you found it helpful.. thanks for stopping by
talk soon
Hector
Hello! It’s very refreshing to see more people discussing blog usability.
Jakob Nielsen has written an interesting overview on the same topic at: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/weblogs.html
On your points:
“Whitespace” – a key usability element is to create a ‘simple state space’ so that your screen doesn’t overload your users and make them think too hard. Most users when they’re having to think when using a screen give up pretty quickly – and if they don’t then their trying to work out where things are or how to work things will mean they’re not concentrating on what they want to focus on – and you want them to focus on in your blog – your posts and content. A simple state space means the user can focus on the elements which help them to achieve their goals and do what they want to do. If the whitespace helps to make those key elements more visible, reduces the ‘white noise’ where people can’t scan the screen and find the critical things they’re looking for. There are a lot of other elements which contribute to this, but consider:
- fewer user actions per task the better.
- Breadth rather than depth in menu/page hierarchy
- Manage long pages effectively – not too long – use of hypertext navigation and site/ blog structuring – links, tags, categorisation, pages.
“Simple & Obvious” – same as above. Widgets and plugins need to support users’ tasks – if that is to help them find information in your blog, or share it etc.
“Above The Fold” – visibility is a key usability factor – if your user can’t see it, they can’t find it, they can’t use it. Usability testing suggests that on the web users are now comfortable with the concept of scrolling vertically, however they will always expect if there is a fold for the most important elements to them to be visible to them first.
Usability testing – there’s nothing like getting users who represent your target intended readers to use your blog and without any interference or help from you – just watch them trying to use your blog – and you’ll soon find where they get frustrated and where you can make improvements. It’s important to distinguish between what they say and what they actually do, as users will often not consciously perceive something which you can only pick up from observing them.
I am writing a postgraduate thesis on blogging and blog usability and have my own research plus a lot of links to existing material like Jakob’s article. You can see my blog at http://tvustudent.wordpress.com
Best wishes,
Kathy
Hey Kathy..
thanks for your in depth comment on usability – you made really good point
glad you stopped by
talk soon
Hector
Nice Hector! Thanks for those helpful hints! It’s true that whenever I go to a blog that is just all over the place and crazy, it makes me want to run away. And yes you LOVE your white space
Erin Smith´s last [type] ..Accomplish Twice The Work In Half The Time
Erin,
Thanks.. white space is the BEST!!
talk soon
Hector
Hey Hector,
Nice putting this together! I’m a big fan of white space. It makes it a lot of easier to navigate and read.
Chat with you later…
Josh
Josh Garcia´s last [type] ..What Everyone Ought to Know About Writing Articles
Josh,
Totally agree man.. it’s a lot easier on the eyes..
talk soon
Hector
Hi Hector,
It’s really cool you brought this topic up because, like you said, no one seems to talk about the design aspect.
I think a well-designed blog adds a lot more credibility and authority than a poorly-designed site.
Derek Alvarez´s last [type] ..Jim Yaghi reveals his Coffee Shop Marketing Secret!
Derek,
I couldn’t agree more – well designed sites look like the owner has actually spent time making it look nice for the viewer.
There are a lot more subtle things that I didn’t get into, but design is an important aspect to all this
thanks for sharing
talk soon
Hector
Hector,
Thanks for sharing Tips of Blog Design, Its all about capturing attention from the content to the way the blog looks visually as well
Chris Bernardo´s last [type] ..How to Take Benefit from a Big Launch
Totally right Chris..
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Hi hector, I couldn’t agree with you more about white space. It helps keeps your blog a lot cleaner, less cluttered, and easier to read. Personally, I do not like a blog with a bunch of things going on inside it or a sign up form that appears out of no where. Thanks for the post
Sherman
Sherman Smith´s last [type] ..TRIGGERING THE MINDS OF YOUR PROSPECTS
Sherman,
Clean.. less cluttered, and easy to read – that’s what we’re going for..
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Another great post Hector. I totally agree about white space. If I’m met with a mass of solid text I simply move on.
(
Thanks Anne..
Appreciate you stopping by
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Really great tips you’ve got here Hector! I completely agree with you on the use of Whitespace. I fell in love with graphic design when I was in high school on the yearbook staff, and my teacher would always hammer away at making sure we were using whitespace correctly.
I also love the idea of “The Test”. I haven’t really done this but I think that I’ll try it out.
Always enjoy coming back for more great stuff. Thanks
~Angel
Angel Taylor´s last [type] ..Social Media Mania 2010
Angel,
Whitespace is very important in design.. I see you’ve gotten your practice.. lol
Everyone seems to like the test – hope it helps
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Hey Hector,
great tips! I love my white space to and I totally agree, if I go to someones site that has ads and flashing stuff all over it Im outta there!
Keep up the great posts
cheers
Nat
Nat,
I’m totally with you with the flashing things.. not cool at all..
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Stickiness on sites that have a big-time social media presence often have a lot of white space.
I have always followed Dan Zarella and his tips like this:
http://danzarrella.com/10-symptoms-of-highly-viral-wordpress-themes.html
Check it my friends, and thank you Hector for your expertise.
Zack
Zack Covell´s last [type] ..The 3 Biggest Things To Find, Hold, and Grow Yourself and Your Success Online from Mike Dillard and Jimmy Davis…
Zack,
Thanks for your comment bro & check Dan stuff out..
talk soon
Hector
Great Tips Hector,
I totally agree with the whitespace. It does give a cleaner appearance. There is nothing more annoying than a crowded website. I would recommend choosing a blog theme with 2 columns and using a white or light background. It’s easy on the eyes. I find that blogs with black or dark backgrounds are harder to read.
Fontella Williams´s last [type] ..Are You Still Struggling To Find Content For Your Blog?
Fontella,
Totally agree with you about the light backgrounds.. the point is to get our content red, and if we make that difficult – we’re defeating the purpose
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Hi Hector!
Thanks for pointing out some great tips! I always leave in a hurry when I get to an overwhelmingly cluttered blog, my mind is cluttered enough!
Regularly considering the usefulness of sidebar items is a great idea, I recently did this and feel a bit better about mine, however I can see reviewing from time to time and continually improving! Naturally I will double check your list here to be sure I don’t miss something to consider!
Thanks again for awesome content!
Vicki
Vicki Berry´s last [type] ..Using Google Friend Connect to Serve Your Followers
Vicki,
You’re very welcome.. Cluttered blogs repel people, I’m glad you’re reviewing your blog, that’s a great habit to start to keep it’s effectiveness UP..
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Hi Hector,
Thanks for your blog post. I have made all of these mistakes and learnt the hard way that they don’t work!
Tania.
Tania,
Mistakes are lessons in disguise.. glad you stuck with it
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Hector great value as usual. I really agree with your suggestions I recently did some overhaul on my blog with increasing the white space as well as eliminating and adding some plug ins. One thing I would ask I can’t get the facebook social plug in to work on my blog any suggestions?
Steve Shoemaker
Steve Shoemaker´s last [type] ..Home Business Leads A Conversation
Hey Steve..
Sorry for getting back to you so late, but I’ve been preparing for this launch and it’s a lot of work..
Anyhow, I’m glad to hear you increased your white space – good stuff.. as far as the FB plugin – I’m not too sure what’s causing that.. maybe the theme.. IDK
Good luck & thanks for stopping by
talk soon
Hector
Thanks Hector, I had to make some adjustments after reading this incredible post! As usual you deliver great and very helpful content. The world is blessed to have you!!!
Frank,
Thanks for your comment bro, truly appreciate it.. and I’m glad to help
talk soon
Hector
This is a great article Hector. I found myself having to do the same thing to my blog. I had more plugins than were necessary and it had me confused when I looked at my own blog. Thanks for sharing great value. Have a great day!
Keysha´s last [type] ..If you died today what would die with you?
Keysha,
The last thing we want to do is confuse our visitors..
glad I could help
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Hi Hector,
Great tips here, I like white spaces as well. I believe it is easy to read and put less strain on the eyes.
What a great idea to get the others opinion on the blog? I will definitely do that.
Damayanthi
Damayanthi´s last [type] ..Lead Generation System for Your Home Business – Do You Need One?
Damayanthi,
Yea.. that’s something everyone should try out to get a different perspective on thigns..
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Hi Hector, thanks for the great tips. I know when I go to a blog thats really cluttered up with ads and stuff I don’t tend to stick around long. I love the tip about watching a family member or friend poke around, will have to try that one.
Another thing I find helpful is search and menu, when I visit blogs that don’t have these items I find it really frustrating if I do want to find out more.
Rowena Coshan´s last [type] ..The Biggest Goal-Setting Mistakes and How to Overcome Them.
Rowena,
Oh yes.. great point – some themes have the search bar ready for you, other don’t – but the menu/catergories are a great way to let your visitors navigate
thanks for sharing
talk soon
Hector
Hector,
I love… DON’T Go CRAZY… with ads, and widgets and such…
I remember someone once told me my blog looked like a billboard. I immediately took down every single banner I had on the side-bar. The funny thing is I noticed an increase in affiliate sales after I took them down. You don’t need to have a billboard collage of banners to make affiliate sales.
Jordan Schultz
~Social-Media Specialist~
Jordan Schultz´s last [type] ..How to Generate Free Leads Using Attraction Marketing
Jordan..
That’s a great case study.. you should definitely write about that experience bro (if you haven’t already)..
thanks for sharing that
talk soon
Hector
Hey Hector,
These are great tips. These really are critical if you want to continue to maintain and acquire new readers.
The one I find useful is getting someone elses perspective. Just because you think it looks good, doesn’t always mean that it is good.
Have a great day,
Jerome Ratliff
Jerome Ratliff´s last [type] ..What’s the One Thing You Can Do to Move Your Network Marketing Business Forward
Jerome,
Great point.. everyone seems to like that TEST, I just hope people actually use the advice given..
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Hi Hector;
Great tips you shared!
White space is always good
When I first started I didn’t know any better and I thought that adding banners was cool looking, silly me lol
A cleaner looking blog helps readers to learn more about you, so they don’t get that bad impression that you are blogging to sell but to give out value in your specific niche.
Katherine
Katherine Droguett´s last [type] ..If you register your site for free at
Katherine..
Yup.. you’re totally right.. the blog is not your selling platform, it’s a branding platform..
we all make newbie mistakes – thanks for sharing that with us
talk soon
Hector
Great design tips here! As a designer, I notice that some people are uncomfortable with white space and don’t really know how to use it effectively.
Valuable points here!
Cara and Jennifer Oberfoell´s last [type] ..Gratitude Walk; Developing An Attitude of Gratitude
Cara,
Thanks for stopping by
talk soon
Hector
Hey Hector,
Great post and great advice man. That is a topic that nobody really talks about. I appreciate you sharing.
J
The Cartoon Coach
Carstarphen´s last [type] ..The Difference Between “Looking” and “Being”
Carstarphen,
No problemo bro.. I’m glad to help
talk soon
Hector
Thank you Hector for your great post . I like the point number four about testing , but i’m doing it also by Google Analytics . It makes me know what is the best content i wrote .
Mohamed fawzy
Mohamed´s last [type] ..5 Killer Tactics To Build A Relationship With Your Friends On Facebook
Hey Mohamed,
That’s everyone’s favorite tip, since you get a person’s perspective LIVE – Google is great to get hard facts..
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Thanks the tips are helpful.
Hi Hector,
Too much stuff on any blog can slow it down which is frustrating for the reader.
I loved tip 4, well worth getting someone to check over your blog, good tip.
Thanks for sharing.
Tristram Lodge
Tristram Lodge´s last [type] ..Day 2: What My Son Has Taught Me About MLM – Routine
So true Tristram,
Slow blogs are THE best prospect repellents ;0)
That’s why we gotta keep it simple, using the most effective plugins and widgets
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
Hey Hector! These are some incredible tips my friend! Very good points that alot of people don’t think about often enough. Keep sharing the value!
Amanda´s last [type] ..Pavement, Business, And The MLM Launch Formula…
Hey Amanda,
Thanks for stopping by.. yea, design is not a frequent topic so I’ll try to make it frequent here..
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
I love the clean look of your blog Hector with al the important stuff above the fold.
What about those floating opt-in boxes that pop up? What do you think about those.
I have read that they increase subscribers but the are annoying, especially on sites that keep displaying the box as you go through their site. I would think once is enough.
Peter Fuller MBA´s last [type] ..Secrets of greatness: Practice and hard work bring success
Peter,
Floating optin boxes.. I don’t like them – so I don’t use them
I would say, if you can get a plugin that pops up once every 7 days, then that’s good – but other than that.. NOPE!
Thanks for your comment
talk soon
Hector
What up Hector!
I love White Space too brotha! Another great post as always. Keep the eduction coming, great content here.
Ryan Yokome´s last [type] ..How To Generate Upwards Of 10-40+ Facebook Leads Everyday
Ryan,
I will bro.. thanks for stopping by
talk soon
Hector
Very helpful suggestions Hector. Thanks for sharing!
Pamela
Pamela,
You’re welcome.. thanks for stopping by
talk soon
Hector
Hi
from a usability study I have just completed of 5 personal blogs, the following were ‘basics’ which blog designs are generally doing well, and are expected by users:
- info to help readers to gauge readership (comment counters, retweet counters, Facebook ‘like’ counters).
– Clear Time and date info on when a post was posted.
– Enable users to easily View comments and Leave comments.
– Provide profile info about who you are and why you’re blogging – with a photo
The following would resolve the main issues users are having using blogs:
1) Make subscribing easy: offer Email subscription as well as RSS, provide self-explanatory text and instructions, and make it really visible in the first part of your blog screen above the page fold.
2) Make it clear what your blog is about. A blog shouldn’t be a puzzle. Self-explanatory descriptive titles, headings, introductory text and welcome messages will all help to resolve the mystery of what a blog is about and why you’re blogging.
3) Keep the main stuff above the first page fold – long pages make users work too hard. Good content architecture and structure in blog content categorisation, tagging and pages all reduce the effort needed by users to scroll.
4) Give users a search facility to find information. Make the search visible at the top of the first page and give it labelling to show it is to search the blog. If you have search function don’t bury it down several page folds – put it where users need it – at the top.
5) Get organised down there! Linking to related articles or posts, tagging, and content categorisation, consolidate the number of tags so there are not hundreds, and use a tag cloud or category cloud or some kind of navigation menu so users can see the content options at the top of the first screen. Pages also help to organise content.
6) Give them clear navigation on every page/ screen with a persistent link to your main page as the Home Page.
7) Help your readers to share the love. Twitter Retweet, Facebook ‘like it’ and email sharing are all essential.
I have published my usability study at my blog http://tvustudent.wordpress.com
Kathy
Kathy Cook´s last [type] ..Usability Study of Five Personal Blogs
This is valuable information , thanks I will try it out!
Hey Hector,
Another great post. Maintaining a clean, user friendly website is definitely vital.
We are visual beings. If a site doesnt look appealing to the eye, there is a high chance viewers will not stick around.
Thank you for sharing.
Alicia
alicia´s last [type] ..How Andy got his Entrepreneurial groove back- The Power of Your Inner Voice
Hey Hector
Great content again.
I will be using your tips to improve my blog!
Antonio Licchelli
Antonio Licchelli´s last [type] ..“How Much Money Have You Made”
Hector,
Thank you for the reminder regarding the white space. Sometimes when we are so excited to get a bunch of information to our readers, we forget to keep the clutter out. Since reading this, I have once again, gone through my blog and “cleaned” it up.
I love the idea of having someone go through and actually watch them as they are on your site. I get my son’s friends to take a peek on occasion and it’s amazing to see where they click when they enter my site.
Keep up with the great tips, they are truly beneficial!
But too much of Whitespace is a big problem with majority of blogs.
Oh, what a phantastic blog! I wish, I’ve found it earlier. Really, keep up the good work.
I have always heard “whitespace” is gold to have on your site. Does it make your content more noticeable and invite interaction?
An alternative to asking friends/family to browse around and take notes on what they click is to use Clicktale. It records screen shot videos of where your visitors are browsing. I only tried out the free version and it was ok…but I’m assuming the paid version has a lot more features and options.
I believe Silverback is another remote usability application, although nothing replaces actually watching real people really using the screens, usability software like this helps to do quick light usability and is better than nothing. What other usability software do people recommend?
These are the greatest design tips than can be applied to any blog.
Recipes with Twist´s last [type] ..Pasta with Red bean .
above the fold is such an important part factor for landing pages!
keeping your most relevant info there is a must…always is important to remember that most users wont look over the whole page thats why the most important message needs to be above the fold i.e call to action!
Thanks for the article
Adz @ Superquickweightloss
Super quick weight loss´s last [type] ..Super Quick Weight Loss Podcast Series (Ep 1)
Actually the whitespace tip is really good. I’ve noticed on themes I use that have more space, and less clutter tend to convert better. Don’t overwhelm people with too much information and make it relevant. Thanks for the other tips, they are useful.
Steve@Free Online Coupons´s last [type] ..Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Cheap