How To Make Your Blog Layout Easy To Navigate

Posted July 16th, 2012 / By Jessica Sanders in Appearance

Having a business blog is a great addition to your usual online marketing efforts. However, when creating a successful blog, it’s important that you make it easy to use for your readers. It shouldn’t be work to find your blog posts, social media buttons or contact information – if it is, they won’t stay, interact or share. A good blog layout will combat these issues, and ensure that you and your readers are getting the most out of your hard work.

“Navigation is the measure of how easy it is for your users to find their way around your site and how easy it is for them to journey their way into engaging with your content.” – SiteSketch101.com

Header

The header is your reader’s first glimpse of the site. It’s important that this part of your blog accurately depicts your theme and overarching message. If readers are immediately bombarded with advertisements, not only will it turn them away but distract them from what your site is really about.

• Express Your Style: Make sure the colors, font, and overall style are telling of your blog. As the first impression, it’s important that you use this spot to attract readers.
• Keep it simple: Your visitors should be able to clearly see and read the title. Don’t crowd it with advertisements.
• Get The Most: Allow readers to click on it to return to your home page, or place social media buttons nearby.

Content

Readers come for the content. A great layout is important, but messy content will be the end-all, be-all of your site. It’s important that your text layout is clear, easy to read, and even easier to find. According to Beblogging.com, “When the layout is not user-friendly, it gets even worse. Even the most dedicated of readers might not stick around for more content if navigation is an arduous task.”

• Express Your Style: While you can utilize a number of fonts, stay away from script. If your blog style is bold and bright, maintain that theme with audacious writing or a dominant font.
• Keep it simple: There is no other part of your layout where simplicity is more important. If a reader can’t read the text, they’ll leave. Simple as that.
• Get The Most: Make sure that your posts are on the home page, or in a clearly defined page labeled, “blog” “posts” or “articles.”

Widget Area

Most blog templates utilize the two or more column layout. This provides you with a widget area – a great place to put social sharing options, links to other posts, etc. However, it’s also a part of your blog that can quickly become cluttered.

• Express Your Style: This is a great place to utilize custom social media buttons that match the theme of your blog, and include other badges that represent you and your theme.
• Keep it simple: Most widgets that come with a WordPress platform, for example, do much of the same things. Be sure to use only one widget per need.
• Get The Most: Place your social media icons, search bar, and subscribe widget at the top of this block. It is the second place your readers’ eyes will gaze over, making it prime positioning for important items.

Keep your blog layout easy to navigate and be sure to gain loyal readers, much needed social promotion and better engagement.

Photo credit: blog.equinix.com

Jessica Sanders is an avid small business writer touching on topics from social media to payroll services. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including medical billing software for b2b lead generation resource, Resource Nation.