One sure fire way to increase your blog conversions is by improving your blog layout.
Most bloggers have a tough time presenting a clear, simple design that turns visitors into subscribers. Even more bloggers struggle to turn subscribers into customers and clients.
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If readers can easily navigate through your blog you can expect:
● More list subscribers
● More traffic
● More sales
● More blog comments
Readers want a pleasant, seamless experience on each visit to your blog.
Follow these tips to design a dazzling blog layout.
1: Align Your Blog Top Down
Align your blog top down to build a powerful brand and to improve your blog layout.
Get rid of anything that does not fully align with your core message. Do your Adsense ads align with the message of your blog? If not, trash Adsense, because nothing is worth diluting your brand message and cluttering your blog layout.
All pages, posts, sidebar ads, widgets, header and footer sections need to align fully with your blog topic. Do not confuse readers. Do not give people a reason to bounce from your blog quickly. Say 1 thing to 1 specific person. Align and shine.
Start at your domain name. Slowly analyze your blog header, brand logo and tagline. Peruse your latest posts. Scan your sidebar.
Head from north to south.
Does everything on your blog align? Good.If something seems out of place simply remove the element.
Streamlining is more about making your blog lean and mean and less about throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Unless you blog needs a complete overhaul just prune the blogging hedges to craft an eye-popping, mouth-watering blog design.
Every 3-6 months I go over my blog with a fine-toothed comb for in-depth streamlining sessions. I toss out rubbish like old, dated blog posts and ditch any backoffice crud/unused pages, plugins and widgets. Unused tools weigh down your blog. Trash the trash to speed up your blog and to create a more appealing appearance.
2: Pictures Please
People love eye candy.
I publish 1-3 pictures from tropical paradises on every one of my blog posts. You can simply use free photo sites to stock your posts with attractive, related images.
Pictures give your blog layout an extra kick. Think of images as a turbo boost for your blog and brand.
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Post images of yourself on at least your about me page. Go from words on a screen to a living, breathing human being your readers can connect with.
I greet my readers with my smiling grin. Anybody who visits sees I lay out a pleasant, cordial welcome mat to folks who stop by my blog.
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Consider using Canva to spruce up images or perhaps to craft compelling artwork which complements your blog posts.
3: Put Yourself in Your Reader's Shoes
Sometimes we lie to ourselves.
We may be attached to a particular design or specific layout but our readers have a different opinion.
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I recall one trusted friend who said my the blog design on my old blog "looked like crap". Actually, he said something worse. I felt hurt. I became defensive. Which meant I believed what he said was true.
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I licked my wounds and opened up to feedback. After asking more readers of their opinion I needed to upgrade. A few days after this revelation one dear friend completely overhauled my design and I drove more traffic and profits by feeling clearer and more confident with my blog design.
Put yourself in your reader's shoes. Ask them for their feedback. See yourself visiting your blog as a third party. Be honest in your assessment. Make necessary changes.
4: Pay to Play
Pay to play.
Hire a web designer to create a sleek, professional-looking design.
Nothing looks worse than an amateur design. In today's age of improved graphics and skilled designers you better pay someone to create your theme, at best. At worst, pay for a premium theme.
Invest in your blog. Dig into your pockets to brand your blog and yourself effectively. Few bloggers regret paying for a professionally-branded, eye-popping theme.
If you are blogging on a shoestring and cannot afford to have a developer craft a bespoke theme simply drop $50 or less on a solid premium theme for your Wordpress blog. Premium themes are cheaper than ever these days since so many bloggers - and premium themes - exist.
5: Study Clean Blogs
Study a blog like Blogging Tips Dot Com.
Zac Johnson's authority blog is clean, clear and I dare say, crisp in its delivery.
See the lack of fat or filler? Zac and his designer got together to publish only what's necessary.
Study clean-looking blogs from your niche. Take cues from successful bloggers to improve your blog layout.
Your Turn
What tips can you add to this list?
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