Eye-Catching Blog Design: What Works and What Doesn't?

[Christine Amsden]

So you go to a new blog, and in less than 10 seconds, you've probably decided whether to stay and read or not. What makes you stay? What makes you go? Keep in mind, you haven't had time to read any content -- maybe titles.

[Christine Amsden]

Isn't there a balance to strike, though? I mean, there's clean, and then there's dull. I like to look at a blog and feel some connection to it. You can kill that connection by being busy or too dull -- somewhere in the middle is just plain attitude.

[ManOfLaBook.com]

I think you mean if you can personalize the look of your blog. I think that's paramount, when people are on your blog they should know it.

http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

[Maria Behar]

I'm probably in the minority here, but I like bold, colorful blog design.  I leave at once if the blog design looks too boring.  I especially dislike blogs with a lot of white.  That's just me, though. 

I have two blogs -- one for fiction reviews, the other for nonfiction reviews.  Although I use color in both, the nonfiction blog is more soberly-designed.  That's because I review a lot of YA in my fiction blog, so I think that lends itself to more colorful, bolder design.  I want the nonfiction blog to be more serious, since the books reviewed are, as well. 

Some people might say that my fiction review blog is cluttered, but I'm very happy with it!  I've always gravitated toward splashy design.  I do strive to make it easy to read, though. 

I guess that, in the end, it's just a matter of taste.

Here's my fiction review blog:  A Night's Dream of Books

Here's my nonfiction review blog: MindSpirit Book Journeys

 

 

[Christine Amsden]

I don't like white, either, but then again, I also hate the recent trend towards white Christmas lights. Blah. Boring .:)

Color is always good, IMO, and yes, I have stumbled away from sites with too much plain white.

Your blogs didn't look messy, though, just colorful.

I will say, though, that the fiction site you linked to had so many pictures that it took forever to load. That can be a problem.

[Maria Behar]

Yes, I realize that.  When I go to that blog, it does take a while to load.  I guess I have to find some way to get around this, but I'm not sure what to do about it. 

I'm glad you didn't think my blogs were cluttered.  Thanks for the feedback!  : )

[Komal Mansoor]

Would love to know how does it fare in blog design. I am always ready to improvise.

Here is my blog:http://komzreviews.blogspot.com/

Also, visit my current giveaway and Get a chance to #win paperback copy of romantic read for#Valentine's day, open till 14th Feb, enter now:http://komzreviews.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentines-special-author-i...

Thanks,

Komz

[Christine Amsden]

I think it looks sweet, especially if you review a lot of romance (which I guessed from the Sheryl Woods interview/giveaway and all the hearts). My only complaint is that in the title bar, your text does not contrast well with the background, making it difficult to read. Actually, impossible for me, since I'm visually impaired, but I always find when I point these things out that people with normal vision will agree that bad contrasts at least makes it difficult to read. I think it's particularly important for titles to pop and be very easy to read.

For the record, the easiest contrast for most people to read is a dark background with a light foreground, such as white or yellow on black. A black text on a white background is reasonably easy as well (and very common since printing costs would have been prohibitive going the other way around -- the internet makes cost a moot point, but white backgrounds are considered traditional.)

[Komal Mansoor]

Thanks so much for checking my blog and pointing it the things needing consideration. I will definitely see what I can do about the background color and title bar text u mentioned. I actually had a black background for 2011, but got bored so changed it with white now. I find it easy to read ( but again, different readers have different viewpoints). 

Thanks again for your ur suggestions!:)

Komal

[Joyce S Sherr]

I've gotten a lot of good advice from the readers on this site. I've redesigned my blog twice and am still in the process of making some changes. Someone mentioned that using too many capitals was distracting and I've completely changed the font and am now using more lower case. What a difference! Design is a big factor for me so I am constantly moving things around.. including images etc. to keep things fresh....

I am really proud that I have almost 5,000 pageviews having blogged for only 3 months!!!...Who would've thought?!!

Check my blog out at http://www.jssherr.blogspot .com

 

 

[Kelli Wheelwright]

Its a bit on the busy side, but not overdone. My preference is to keep all the ads and such on one side, but to each their own!

 

KW

http://www.ekfamilybooks.blogspot.com

 

[TheBookGazer.Blogspot.com]

can u check out my blog and give me some advice??

http://editorsarticle.blogspot.com/

[Kelli Wheelwright]

My biggest advice would be to add ways to navigate your content. Perhaps labels to allow the reader to look at just your videos, just your book content, just your reviews. Currently the only way I could get around was by clicking the older content link at the bottom.

 

Other then that, My preference is to limit down the amount of blogs that show at once on my blog roll. Shorten up the page a little.

 

Great start!

Kelli

http://www.ekfamilybooks.blogspot.com