12 Blog Layout Examples (and Best Practices) In 2022: Blog Designs
To help you land on the right blog layout (that’ll attract and retain more readers), we’re going to break down the most crucial blog layout best practices and highlight 12 of the most impressive blog layout examples from real-life websites, blogs and publications—so that you can take inspiration from the best when designing your own blog layout.
By now, you’ve probably already started a blog of your own. You’re here for some inspiration (and advice) on coming up with the best possible blog layout that’ll create a great experience for your readers. And while writing great content and driving in traffic are two of the top considerations for bloggers, one aspect you may not have put as much thought into (yet) is the overall design and layout of your blog.
Those who’ve already started blogging probably chose a WordPress theme at the beginning and allowed the general format of that theme determine your blog’s layout… which is understandable (and what I did for several years here on my blog). Choosing a great theme is one way to make sure that your blog looks great, but it shouldn’t be the only factor in determining your blog layout.
Whether you’re just starting a blog—or thinking about redesigning your site, I’m going to show you several of the best blog layout examples, in addition to essential blog layout best practices you should follow in designing your blog.12 Blog Layout Examples (and Best Practices to Follow) in 2022
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I’ll earn a commission. Know that I only recommend products and services I’ve personally used and stand behind. When you use one of my affiliate links, the company compensates me, which helps me run this blog and keep all of my in-depth content free of charge for readers (like you).Why Does Your Blog Layout Matter?
Why do so many tertekan about their blog layout and design? Why does it really matter what your blog looks like—or how it’s designed?
Well for one, people are very visual in nature. Without giving it much thought, the vast majority of your readers are going to instantly make judgements about your blog the second they land on it.
If your blog layout looks unprofessional, outdated, confusing, or unappealing—there’s a good chance they’re going to question your credibility (or simply leave).
Here are three crucial reasons why you should care about your blog layout and overall site design.
- High Bounce Rate: A high bounce rate is when readers come to your blog and leave very quickly. They don’t spend any real time on your blog, and they don’t click any of your internal links. While a high bounce rate is not solely dependent on your blog layout, it’s definitely a factor. Have you ever come across a blog post that looked like it was from the early 90s? Did you trust the content? Have you opened a blog post only to discover the text was almost impossible to read and there was an overwhelming amount of ads and popups? What do you do with these sites? Chances are, you press the back button and try to find a better source. You may even wonder why Google ranked that site well in the first place. This is why your blog layout matters. You want your blog to be welcoming to your visitors.
- Low Rate of Return Readers: Let’s say someone clicks a link to your blog post. Your article has good content and answers their questions. However, they felt that your blog was poorly designed and difficult to actually consume information on. They probably won’t be returning to your blog in the future. That’s a problem, because you want returning visitors. People who come back to your blog will begin to feel a loyalty to you and your content. This loyal class of followers is more likely to promote your blog content to their networks—and sign up for your email newsletter. This is the most engaged class of people that you can hope to have as a blogger.
- Trouble Navigating Your Blog: Your blog layout should be easy to navigate. Your visitors won’t spend a lot of time decoding your website, just to find out who you are or what your site is all about. They should be able to easily locate important links and develop a basic understanding of what your blog has to offer with very little effort.
Now that we’ve defined three compelling reasons why you should create a very thoughtful blog layout, let’s dive in and break down which blog layout elements are most important.10 Blog Layout Best Practices (to Retain More Readers) in 2022
Though you’ll want your own blog to have a unique look within your niche, there are definitely some common best practices that all great blog layouts and designs share in common.
Here are ten best practices you can use in creating a winning blog layout today.1. Fonts You Can Read
Choosing the right fonts to use across your blog sounds relatively simple, but it’s very important to your overall blog layout.
Your font choices shouldn’t detract from your content—and needs to be easy to read for your viewers.What Font Size Should You Use?
- Font sizes that are too small will be difficult to read
- Medium to larger font sizes are preferable for online reading
- This is even more important for people who have a hard time seeing smaller fonts
Generally, you want to have your body text font size set at a minimum of 16px.
You may be using a font that’s naturally a little bit bigger, and therefore you don’t need to go larger than 16px. Use your best judgment on this decision (based on who your readers are), but don’t be afraid to solicit some feedback from real people in making this decision.Which Fonts Should You Use?
I recommend sticking to relatively basic fonts, at least for the body text (which people will be reading most). Simple fonts aren’t as visually exciting as some, but utilizing a simple font will be infinitely better for your readers—and will encourage them to keep progressing through your content, rather than turn around and run for the hills.
A good rule of thumb, is to avoid any font that feels like a novelty. Try to choose fonts that are easy to read and will age well. Clean, simple and legible is the goal. Here are some examples of fonts that’d work well for just about any smart blog layout.
Arial is a very dependable font that won’t steer you wrong. There’s nothing that really stands out about this font, but that can be an advantage when it comes to legibility in your blog layout.
EB Garamond is another simple and easy to read font that I’ve used many times.
Josefin Slab is a slightly more stylized alternative to Arial, but still retains an easy-to-read touch. My blog’s body text now uses a custom font these days, but it’s most similar to Josefin Slab.
Georgia is one of the most widely used fonts for bloggers.
Helvetica Neue has been around since the early 1980s and comes in almost 100 different styles.
If you go with one of these five font types for your body text, you’ll be in great shape (and your readers will thank you for it).Which Fonts Should You Avoid?
Now, to make sure you don’t choose a font that’ll scare your readers, let’s look at a few examples of fonts you should not use in your blog layout.
Zapfino might look cool, but it would be very difficult to read as a primary font.
At one time, Comic Sans MS was a very popular font. In the 1990s this font was everywhere. If you were to use this font today as your blog’s text you would definitely risk losing credibility. The hatred for Comic Sans is so real that people have written entire blog posts specifically talking about why people hate it so much.
Papyrus is another font that gets a bad rep. Like Comic Sans, this font was a shooting star. It was popular for a time, but would not be considered a credible blog font today.
While you don’t need to choose one of the three fonts I recommended above for use in your blog layout, I highly recommend trying to pick a font that’s legible both for desktop readers and mobile device users—because if readers can’t actually read your blog posts, they’ll be gone in no time.dua. Organize Your Blog Layout for Easier Access
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