Blog Layout Best Practices: 6 Top Tips to Keep in Mind

Creative Market August 20, 2024 · 9 min read

Having a blog on your site–whether it’s a page on a business site or your site is a blog–is a great way to interact with readers and drive traffic to your site. But because so many sites have blogs, it’s important that yours stand out. Excellent content is, obviously, important. Readers won’t keep coming back to a blog that’s poorly written or seldom updated. But even the best blog posts will get more attention if the blog layout design surrounding them is visually appealing, memorable and easy to navigate. Here are six tips of blog layout best practices to make that happen.

Keep the site’s brand consistent.

Whether you’re using a template or creating your own, make sure the blog’s design has a strong visual identity. Your header is a great place to do that. The header featured image should communicate exactly what the blog is about and the tone you’re after. Make sure the image is easy to read visually (not too cluttered with details or out of focus). In fact, you should always use high quality images throughout all your blog posts. Also, make sure that any typeface used on the header coordinates with those used on the site. Overall, focus on a user friendly blog layout that’s in line with your brand’s identity and messaging.

Don’t make the layout too complicated.

When it comes to how to create a good blog layout, simplicity is king. A great blog layout should never get in the way of the actual blog posts. Avoid layering too many elements into the page. If you are looking for ways to add visual interest, experiment with templates that place blog posts in two or more columns, rather than just one. This easy to digest format will enhance your blogging efforts and make it worth your while to have one in the first place!

Color is crucial for engaging blog content.

If you want to know how to design a blog layout, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of color. Writing content is important but so are the visual elements. The palette of your blog design is one of the most important design decisions you can make. It helps establish the overall vibe of the page and will allow you to better connect with your target audience. The first thing you have to consider is legibility. There are tons of blog designs out there but having blog readers be able to interact with yours easily is key. You need to have enough contrast to make the blog text easy to read on any device. Then, you need to make sure the colors you select work together. Generally, working with three or fewer colors makes for a more streamlined layout.

Clean up the sides to make your blog more visually appealing.

Sidebars on blogs, when done well, can be a useful navigational aid for readers. If not, they can be visual clutter. There needs to be a solid balance of negative space, white space, and design. Think about what absolutely has to be in a sidebar. For some blogs, a small blog sidebar with a link to archives by month is a great asset, especially if you have a lot readers catching up on posts. But, you might not need that. Just because other blogs have it doesn’t mean yours needs to. “About” pages, contact details, social links, and other necessary info can go into the navigation bar at the top of the page or in the footer. Wherever you put it, make sure the intuitive navigation menu is truly that: intuitive. And remember: the best blog designs are clean, not cluttered.

Make each blog post inviting.

If you have a blog with a lot of posts, it’s OK to put some of the copy under a cut. But make sure that what readers can see is enough to make them want to click through. Adding a subhead to the title can help clarify exactly what the post is about. This could enhance the reading experience and make it easier for your target audience to engage. This is especially useful if you have lots of long blog posts, as you can provide a small teaser of each blog entry to entice readers.

Don’t fear emptiness or negative space.

White space is a great way to draw attention to your content. A blog layout should be more spare than most web pages so the text stands out more. You can have a minimal layout with a header, single-column posts and a few sidebars, or it can be more complex. Just make sure it isn’t messy (hence the incorporation of white space). These tips can help you create a blog that’s both fun to look at and easy to read. Also, remember that many users are browsing on mobile. Check font sizes and colors to make sure everything works across platforms and allow for responsive design. — Header graphic by Lil Squid and Paperwash

What Is the Layout of a Blog?

In simple terms, the layout of a blog is the way in which the blog is organized and presented to the audience. The typical layout of a well designed blog should include key elements like titles, headers, navigation menus, sidebars, body content, footers, and social media links. You can arrange these elements in various ways to create the ideal blog layout.

Why Does Blog Layout Matter So Much?

Many blog owners underestimate the importance of their blog’s design. They assume, understandably, that blog content is all that matters. After all, it makes sense that you need good blog articles and interesting content if you hope to draw people in and build an audience.

Unfortunately, blog content is not the be-all and end-all of running a successful blog. Whether you’re running a business blog, are writing about personal development, or are sharing personal stories, you have to focus on blog layout, too. It needs to be engaging, attractive, and visually appealing to draw people in. Otherwise, you’re at risk of:

A High Bounce Rate: Bounce rate refers to the number of people who click on your blog posts (often from search engines or other links) and immediately leave the page. Often, this happens because of poor blog design. If people don’t like your blog layout, they usually won’t stick around too long to read any of your blog articles.
Few Regular, Returning Readers: Ideally, you’ll want to build up a loyal following of readers who come and check out each new blog post you share. Identifying your target audience is important to making sure they stick with you is too. However, if your blog design isn’t on point, it doesn’t matter how amazing your blog articles are, readers won’t be too likely to come back or show loyalty.
Navigation Issues: Like any website, a personal or business blog should be easy to navigate. Users should be able easily navigate where the homepage is, view lists of blog topics and categories, find a specific blog post they’re looking for, etc. The best blog layouts make this process easy, while weak blog layouts make it much more difficult to find one’s way around.

What Is a Good Blog Design?

Now we know some of the many reasons why good blog layouts are so valuable. Next, let’s see some of the most important elements of a strong and successful blog layout:

Clear Structure: Above all else, clarity is crucial for a great blog layout. There should be no obtuse, awkward, or inconvenient elements that get in the way of reading your blog post content or make it unpleasant for your target audience to browse your blog pages. Ensure that the content is the main focus of your blog’s layout, with clear buttons, titles, headers, and visuals.
Fluid Navigation: As touched on above, poor navigation can ruin an otherwise great business blog. You have to think about the end user, ensuring that they can make their way around, click from blog post to blog post, view your blog categories, see the most recent blog posts with ease, and visit your blog homepage without any hassle. Remember, an intuitive navigation menu will solve a LOT of your problems.
Consistency in Font and Design: Consistency is another of the many key elements of a good blog layout. Imagine if every blog post you made had a different font, layout, or color scheme. It would cause all sorts of confusion. That’s why there should be a consistent color scheme, font selection, font sizes, and general design across your entire blog.
Responsible Design (Works on Mobile): These days, many people read blog posts on mobile devices, like phones and tablets. That goes for your target audience, too. You need to ensure that you have a user friendly blog layout for all of your blog readers who prefer to check out blog posts on smaller screens, with a responsive design and mobile-friendly theme.

How to Create a Good Blog Layout: Bonus Tips

We’ve covered some must-know blog layout best practices. However, there are many more ways to fine-tune your blog layout, improve your blog design, and make all of your individual blog posts more visually appealing for your target audience. Here are some bonus blog layout tips for how to create a good blog layout:

Add your blog title as a banner at the top of each page to build brand identity.
Include CTAs to encourage readers to comment, like, and share each blog post
Use a featured image on each blog post to set the scene of what the content is about
Stick to a minimalist, simple blog layout and avoid unnecessary complications
Establish a blog post format and order, and stick to it
Use headers to break up the text in your blog posts, especially for long-form content
Include social sharing links at the bottom of each page to engage readers