15 Key Tips for a Better Blog Design

Many people are still confused as to what a blog actually is. A large percentage of people who use the internet use it mostly for sending and receiving emails, surfing the various web sites, or talking to friends on the social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter. There is much more to the web however, and one of these other things you can do is to blog. The word ‘blog’ originated from the word weblog, or web log, meaning a log stored on a website giving advice, opinions or even discussing experiences, on a frequent basis.

These log posts are updated by yourself (the blogger) as further information on the subject becomes available. The blog website, once created, is used to link to your primary website and to other blogs with a similar interest. For instance, if your interests were in life insurance, your blog would be about life insurance matters. It would contain interesting articles on life insurance and have a link to your website that sells life insurance policies. It would probably also have links to other blogs that discuss life insurance matters or how to save money or look after your family.

After you have set up your blog you should always be looking for ways to improve it. This is because it is important to be spending a lot of time keeping your blog up to date so that it has a real meaning to those who follow it. If you don’t do this your blog will fade away and finally die as people lose interest in it and find something more interesting and relevant to read.

Here are 15 steps you can take to make your blog more interesting and sought after:

• Design. After a time your original blog design can become a little dated. It could have had a free WordPress platform originally. You can upgrade it now by buying a more professional platform and optimising it for search engine sensitivity and use clean code to allow it to load quickly for an interested but busy web surfer. If you design your own blog it will give it a more unique appearance.
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Your website is linked to your blog so make sure your keywords are appropriately used. Use your meta tag description for this purpose as this is what appears under the search engine title.
• Create an Attractive Blog Header. Make your blog stand out by using the header to hit your visitor in the eye, in a good way, depending what your subject is. Make it memorable to your visitor and give it a similar look to that of your website.
• Linking. You will get a higher search engine ranking if you link to related blogs as well as your own website. You will also need back links from other sites to your blog. Try to make it interesting enough for visitors to bookmark it.
• Share Content. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are extremely strong ways to entice people to your blog and to build followers. Display these links with their logos as well as RSS feed icons such as ‘Google Reader,’ ‘Like’ and ‘Tweet.’ Encourage bookmarking of your content. Comment on other blogs with a similar interest and have them linked back to yours.
• Sidebar Content. Proper use of your sidebar will enhance your blog content if you purposely make it so. Use it to promote your own product and to enable interested people to subscribe to your future blogs and newsletter, if you have one. It is also a good place to highlight your links to Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.
• Column Numbers. Your main blog text will be your widest and foremost column. Your next most important column will be your sidebar and you can choose two sidebar columns if you wish, to separate your links from your widgets. Don’t allow your sidebar to scroll down too far or it will detract from your main article.
• Fonts. Fonts are important and the type of content you are posting can help you determine the most suitable. Times New Roman is best for newsworthy type content. Arial or Georgia for other types of content. Whatever you use make it consistent throughout your blog. Mixing of fonts looks shabby. Use bold for headings and sparsely otherwise.
• Background Colour. If you keep your background colour to that of your primary website it will give your visitor a feeling of knowing you. Do the same with your business cards, Twitter pages and anything else you have connected to your message.
• Photos and Graphics. Use photographs and videos to entice visitors to remain on your blog longer. Search engines note the amount of time people stay on your site and it helps to lift your ranking. Some people prefer to listen and watch than read.
• Start a List. Most of the people who visit your blog will never return. It takes a while to get someone interested therefore you must try to entice them to return. One way of doing this is by creating a list. Place an opt-in form in your sidebar to capture your visitors’ names and email addresses. Try to get them to subscribe. Offer them more information for no cost if they contact you.
• Generate Traffic. For your blog to live it will need traffic. There are many ways advertised online that you can try. Only do one at a time and make sure you master it before you move on to another. Always make sure your blog is keyword optimised itself as this also improves its search engine rankings.
• Make a Calendar for Your Blog. You will have to update your blog regularly otherwise your readers will not return if the same post remains there too long and there’s nothing new to see. If you organise a calendar telling you when your blog needs updating and what the subject will be it will help you to get your research finished on time. Many bloggers blog up to three times a week. This could be carry-ons from the previous blog to make it easier for you. If you break it down in this way you will only have to research for one, three blog article a week.
• Use Your Statistics. Use the web hosting statistics that show how many visitors you have to your advantage. Find out where these hits are coming from and what keywords people use to find you. Use your positive keywords more often in your text and meta tags and drop the non-producing ones.
• Promote your Products. This is what it is all about. Your blog posts will be written and designed to primarily promote the products that you will have available on you primary web site which your blog is linked to. If you use these tips you will find your blog will be better designed and therefore attract more traffic to your website.

This article was written by Will from Life Insurance Finder.