Photo Source: Malcolm Gladwell |
Always strive to use high-quality visuals. Sure, any image will break up a page, but an unappealing image may also turn readers away. In addition, only insert images where appropriate for the content. If your image is not helping your message, it’s distracting readers from your point and will likely disengage them.
Another method for introducing visual interest into your posts is to break them up using subheads. Finding relevant, quality images can be difficult, but dividing posts into digestible chunks tends to be a lot easier and achieves a similar effect. This example from KISSmetrics doesn’t use many images, and the blog still creates visual interest by only including paragraphs with a few sentences.
Photo Source: KISSmetrics |
Write smaller paragraphs. Traditional schooling has trained many writers to embrace long paragraphs, but this strategy is ill-suited for online consumption. Attention spans are much shorter, and following a crowded paragraph on screen is difficult for many readers.
When creating digital content, try to keep paragraphs to a two- or three-sentence maximum to ensure that your content is easy to read and digest. This will also introduce even more visual interest into your posts while increasing the likelihood that your content actually gets read.
Display Additional Content Prominently Once readers are engaged with individual pieces of content, the next step is to convince them to explore your entire blog. A reader might click on a headline that appeals to them, but forget which blog it was a part of the next day.
A crucial step toward building a loyal, engaged following for your blog is to convince one-time readers that you are a destination they can return to for consistently good content. Many blogs rely on spammy pop-ups or sign-up forms to try to rope readers in, but there is a much better way.
Prominently displaying other content in multiple areas encourages a user to further explore your site. Although there is a chance that most readers won’t explore, there’s no harm in giving them the option of convenient site navigation. In this example, Simply Measured uses a clean unobtrusive display to call attention to their other content.
Photo Source: Simply Measured |
Photo Source: Simply Measured |
Make Sharing Really Easy Given how easy sharing is, it’s shocking people don’t do it more often. All it takes is a single click; newer toolbars even follow you as you read so you don’t have to move your mouse. So, what makes sharing so rare?
Technically sharing may be easy, but it’s a risk. We risk sharing something that doesn’t resonate or that’s already been said a million times. Understanding this barrier to entry can help you design compelling incentives to share.
The auto-share feature that most blogs use can result in something very impersonal and canned. When we see something shared like this, it’s often safe to assume that the person sharing didn’t even read the article.
One blog that understands this thought process—and that has designed a brilliant work around—is Mention. Instead of relying on the generic “Tweet” button, Mention intersperses content with insightful quotes and gives the option to tweet that insight directly.
Photo Source: Mention |
The common denominator of all of these best practices is that they don’t concern visuals directly. Oftentimes, using design to optimize your blog requires that you understand the way your users interact with your content in order to best cater to their needs and expectations. While following these guidelines will certainly help your blog’s engagement, the real trick will be to shift your methodology completely.
What are the best blog design elements you’ve seen to date? Share your favorite blog designs in the comments below!
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