Blog design is a very important part of branding your customers and prospects for repeat visits and repeat business. Since blogs are relationship tools as well your blog can be even more effective at deliver your message as a brand simultaneously. Blogs can do excel by simply provide great content to interested audience but most bloggers who publish with regularly do give considerable thought to layout and design as element for building site popularity and stickiness.

Most blog software or subscription-based blog hosting sites like BlogHarbor offer default templates. Host services will offer a range of templates from basic to more advanced. On the other than standalone blog software like WordPress and Movable Type offer just a default template with many fan and support sites providing templates that you can easily load up by using modified Cascading Style Sheets.

But what do you do when you want an original design? You hire and blog designer that can capture your vision and brand as you would like and will put your design ideas first. How To Blog (this blog) uses a simple, clean and straight forward design. It has worked well I think and now I'm considering adding a more unique feel to it. BlogHarbor (who hosts this blog) provides some nice and clean templates. What you see here is a default template. The side bars are customized using basic BlogHarbor modules but I've had people ask me about this blog design. I believe it's because the design is clean and simple to follow and some are surprised when I say I'm just using a built it in site template. :-)

My daily success motivation and positive thinking is entitled Upgrade Your Mind and it uses a custom design that has been very effective with my readers there. The site concept all the way down to the color scheme was my idea. I wanted a brand identity to wrap my messages in. I then found a blog designer who could capture my ideas for a blog site and implement it effectively. The design isn't overwhelming and I think is it nicely subtle in communicating the purpose and intent of my blog there. You will find that good blog design doesn't overwhelm the audience and it compliments the content or concept of the blog. It's about creating the "feeling" or "atmosphere" for audience and readers when they visit.

I think another example of how blog design can enhance and take your communication to a new level of appeal is Problogger which is published by Darren Rowse. Darren recently made design changes at Problogger and the design is very effective in my opinion. By the way, Darren's blog is one blog you should subscribe to and visit regularly. He is full time blogger extraordinaire and a great example of a successful blogger.

Okay, so I've discussed blog design for a bit and how it can be important for publishing a more effective blog. I would now like to introduce you to Lisa Sabin of E.Webscapes.

Lisa is the one who was able to take my idea and implement very well. I must say that she did a fantastic job of getting my design ideas going very quickly. While this may not be the case every on every occasion - she nailed my designed the first time around. She treated me like I was her only customer and her communication was clear and frequent all the way through the process. Since then she and I have come together as friends and associates and I trust her expertise and skills entirely when it comes to blog design. I refer people to here all the time and exclusively because I know she excels at what she does and she has passion for what she does. I do not get referral bonuses for work I send her way. It is strictly out of appreciation and trust.

Lisa designs blog and non-blogs on a full time basis and also runs her own blog hosting company. So she knows her stuff. I recently asked her if she would provide us with some tips on blog design and choosing a blog designer.

If you use standalone blog software like WordPress or MovableType then you definitely can benefit from a custom design. I encourage you to contact Lisa...and tell here I referred you. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Top 6 Tips for Blog Design
by Lisa Sabin
E.Webscapes


1. Don't underestimate the power of your blog’s logo. Site branding is popular terminology that basically means just what it says - your site logo, if not your design, gets "branded" into people’s memory, which is something that keeps them coming back.

The visual identity of your blog is sometimes as important as the writer’s content. It will give your readers insight into your blog’s basic identity - and with a unique logo and design, that identity will become your brand. . If your blog is about Nashville nightlife and your blog design is centered on a graphic of Iowa’s rolling wheat fields - it’s not going to communicate the purpose or theme of your blog to your readers.

2. Does your blog design communicate the goal of your site? For instance, if I were attempting to sell my original music CD’s on my blog - I would make sure to have them showcased front and center - in an attractive way that makes it easy for the reader to understand what it is, and how to obtain more information. Every blog owner has expectations set for their site - make sure that your design follows the expectations that you've set.

3. Your blog layout should be well organized and easy to navigate. Keep the posted items nicely separate from your side columns that contain your links and site information. Don't make your readers go on a treasure hunt for your blog’s content and information. Make it as easy as possible for your reader to navigate their way through your blog.

4. Utilize CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to drive the formatting and style of your blog design. This will ensure consistency in the format of fonts, colors and overall layout and positioning of your blog design. Implementing CSS into your overall blog layout and design will improve the readability and navigation - making it a better experience for your readers.

5. Cross Browser Compatibility: A good thing to keep in mind is that your blog is going to viewed in a variety of different computer platforms and browsers. To ensure readability - be sure to check your design in different browsers to make sure your blog renders correctly. Some recommended browsers would be: Internet Explorer, Mozilla FireFox, Netscape, Opera and Safari (Mac)

6. Don't be afraid to hire a professional to create the site you're looking for. Your time is valuable and you have big plans on the content development for your blog - - let a professional do the dirty work of creating the foundation of your site while you work on developing the content. An effective web site isn't one that just exists, or even looks nice. Effective web sites generate leads, sales, company and product awareness.

Tips On Hiring a Designer:

1. Review sites that were created by the designer you are considering. Almost all designers out there display a portfolio of sites they have created for their clients. I would suggest reviewing a minimum of three. While reviewing these sites - here are a few things to keep in mind:

a. Obviously, visual appeal. Do you like what you see? Keep in mind that sites are designed based on the customer’s specifications and are not always a reflection of the designer’s taste.

b. Is it readable? The site colors versus font colors and sizes are important in readability of a site. Do you need a magnifying glass to read it?

c. Load time of a site isn't necessarily the fault of the designer and could be an issue with where that site is hosted, or certain, third-party scripts and plug-ins the site owner is using. Instead, check out the size of the images being used in the basic site design. Image size is important for load time of your site.

d. The images: are they clear, with a crisp resolution? Or are they fuzzy, ‘pixilated’, and blurry? A good designer will be able to compress images for friendly site load time, while at the same time keep the resolution and display of the image clean and clear.

e. Do the sites work in different screen resolutions? Do they render correctly in different browsers?

2. Feel free to drop an e-mail to the designer’s clients to get some feedback on their experience with the designer.

3. A good designer will be able to communicate YOUR ideas in the design of your blog. Look for a designer who stresses communication and who asks you several questions on what you're looking for in terms of your layout, design and style of your site. At E.Webscapes - we have a design order form that asks some very pointed questions for the clients to answer on the particulars of what they are seeking for their site.

4. Select a designer who is experienced in the technology that you have chosen to use for your blog site. In your search - look for a designer who is well-versed and keeps themselves up-to-date on new technology. These designers can and will help you with your blog layout and functionality.

5. Decide on a budget and what you are willing to spend. An effective site and design should be treated no differently than any other type of business or personal expense. Decide on what is important to you in your blog layout and design, and how important it is to you. Then make sure you communicate your projected budget for the project. This will make easier between you and the designer in the long run, and will assist you in narrowing down your choice of designer. Cheaper is not always better - always keeping in mind that, as a consumer, you generally get what you pay for.

6. Don't let your (prospective) designer steer you into the way they think your site should look, feel and act. A good designer has already learned the lesson that it’s not about what the designer wants - it’s about what the client wants. The designer will suggest and recommend, however they should design the site according to YOUR specifications. It’s about what YOU want because, in the end, you have to live with the site once it is completed.

7. Finally, don't be afraid to ask questions. Yes, the designer is the expert in the area you need - but don't let that intimidate you, at all. If you are curious about something, speak up and ask - you are paying for the service and have the right to know every step involved in bringing your site to life. The good designer will take the time to explain the process to you, and answer your questions.

- Lisa L. Sabin is the owner and founder of E.Webscapes design services, and Blogs About blog/site hosting services

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~