Datasheet

Part I: Getting Started with Blogs

If you’re blogging for business reasons, either on behalf of a company or to

promote yourself, make sure that both the writing and design demonstrate

the proper tone. Seek advice from bloggers like you and find out from friends

and family just how they think your blog should look. Check out other blogs,

especially blogs that reflect the same goals or tone you want to create. What

does the design of those blogs say about the blogger and the blog content?

Whether you hire a designer for your blog, use a blog template, or try to

make the design yourself, seek ways to make your blog stand out from the

rest. If you’re a business, make sure that your logo appears on your blog.

If you’re creating a personal blog, add your own photos. Even if you use a

default template, you can often add an identifying graphic or element on the

site that differentiates your blog from others.

Don’t be afraid to start small and plan to redesign later. You can grow into

your big ideas when you’re sure that you know what you want, so take the

time to look at what other blogs are doing while you make your plans.

Let your readers be your guide: If your mom visits your site and says that

she can’t read it, find out why. If your friends start talking more about the

annoying background color than your latest blog post, you have a problem.

Just like you do with your content, keep the design focused on the readers to

keep them coming back for more.

The average blog has four very distinct areas in which to place and customize

content: logos, headers, sidebars, and footers. In a blog, each of these areas

has a specific purpose. As more blogs have come into existence, these areas

have developed in specific ways that can help you organize your content.

Here’s some detail about each of these customizable areas:

✓ Logos: Getting a visitor’s attention on the Internet is a science in itself,

and clean, crisp logos can hold a visitor’s interest long enough to get

him or her to read some of your blog. Typically, a logo appears near the

top of each blog page. Many logos include an illustrated element and a

special font treatment of the blog name.

✓ Headers: The header of any blog contains a few elements. The first

element should be, of course, the name of your blog. The title should

explain what your blog talks about or who you are as the main writer.

You can also throw into the header some form of navigation that can help

your visitors find their way around and provide them with quick links to

special areas that you want highlighted on your site. On many blogs, the

logo also appears in the header. Like the name suggests, headers appear

at the top of blog pages.

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