Those who’ve already started blogging probably chose a WordPress theme<\/a> at the beginning and allowed the general format of that theme to determine your blog\u2019s 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\u2019t be the only factor in determining your blog layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you\u2019re just starting a blog\u2014or thinking about redesigning your site, I\u2019m 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. Be sure to check out these blog examples<\/a> for even more inspiration, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Disclosure:<\/strong> Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I\u2019ll earn a commission. Know that I only recommend products and services I\u2019ve 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why do so many stress about their blog layout and design? Why does it really<\/em> matter what your blog looks like\u2014or how it’s designed?<\/p>\n\n\n Well, for one, people are very visual. Without giving it much thought, the vast majority of your readers will instantly judge your blog the second they land on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your blog layout looks unprofessional, outdated, confusing, or unappealing\u2014there\u2019s a good chance they\u2019re going to question your credibility (or simply leave).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are three crucial reasons why you should care<\/em> about your blog layout and overall site design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we\u2019ve 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<\/em> important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though you’ll want your own blog to have a unique look within your niche<\/a>, there are definitely some common best practices that all great blog layouts and designs share in common.<\/p>\n\n\n Here are ten best practices you can use in creating a winning blog layout today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choosing the right fonts for your blog sounds relatively simple, but it’s very important to the overall layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your font choices shouldn’t detract from your content\u2014they should be easy for your viewers to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally, you want to have your body text font size set at a minimum of 16px.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You may be using a font that’s naturally a little bit bigger, and therefore, you don\u2019t 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 feedback from real people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I recommend sticking to relatively basic fonts, at least for the body text (which people will be reading most). Simple fonts aren\u2019t as visually exciting as some, but utilizing a simple font will be infinitely better for your readers\u2014and will encourage them to keep progressing through your content, rather than turn around and run for the hills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arial<\/em> is a very dependable font that won’t steer you wrong. It has nothing that really stands out about it, but that can be an advantage when it comes to legibility in your blog layout.<\/p>\n\n\n EB Garamond<\/em> is another simple and easy-to-read font that I’ve used many times.<\/p>\n\n\n Josefin Slab<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n Georgia<\/em> is one of the most widely used fonts for bloggers.<\/p>\n\n\n Helvetica Neue<\/em> has been around since the early 1980s and comes in almost 100 different styles.<\/p>\n\n\n 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, to make sure you don’t choose a font that’ll scare your readers, let\u2019s look at a few examples of fonts you should not<\/strong> use in your blog layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zapfino<\/em> might look cool, but it would be very difficult to read as a primary font.<\/p>\n\n\n At one time, Comic Sans MS<\/em> was a very popular font. In the 1990s, this font was everywhere. If you were to use this font today as your blog\u2019s text you would definitely risk losing credibility<\/a>. The hatred for Comic Sans is so real that people have written entire blog posts specifically talking about why people hate it so much<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n Papyrus<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n While you don\u2019t 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\u2019s legible both for desktop readers and mobile device users\u2014because if readers can’t actually read<\/em> your blog posts, they’ll be gone in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve already spent some time writing useful blog content<\/a>, then you may have realized it can be hard to keep everything organized within an individual article (which is why I always start with a blog post outline<\/a>), let alone from the macro perspective of your blog as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the broader organizational standpoint, you may have written blog posts in various categories\u2014and you need a way to separate them. Another issue is that if you\u2019ve written some really great posts in the past, they’re now naturally sitting at the bottom of your blog feed, where nobody will ever find them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Someone visiting your blog for the first time today, may not know the easiest way to navigate through your posts. And that\u2019s a shame because you don\u2019t want readers to miss out on finding your best content<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a lot<\/em> of different ways to organize your blog content, but I\u2019m going to give you a few ideas to help you start the process now. You can mix and match to find the best solution for your blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the first things I recommend to new and experienced bloggers alike is to try and follow a somewhat narrow niche for your blog<\/a>. That doesn\u2019t mean that you have to write about the same thing every day, but there should be an overarching theme that you\u2019re covering on your blog\u2014an umbrella under which everything nicely sits within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes bloggers want to write about what’s on their minds that day. This can work in small doses\u2014or if you\u2019re running a more personal story that you don\u2019t intend on ever monetizing. But for those who are hoping to make money blogging consistently<\/a>, it\u2019s a good idea to pick a clear focus that your blog can eventually become known for. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your site tries to cover too many blog topics<\/a> at once, it’s difficult to create a blog layout that cohesively connects all the main themes of your content. Your visitors won\u2019t know what to expect, and you’ll struggle to come up with a feasible way to direct them where they want to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an example of a blogger who’s chosen a very clear niche for her content. Strength and Sunshine<\/a> is a blog that shares recipes and information about vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-free foods (her description sits right underneath the logo).<\/p>\n\n\n Every link in the top menu of her blog layout is related to this specific diet\u2014and her readers can expect that every recipe shared (and every blog post written) will have something to do with gluten-free and allergy-friendly cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many bloggers like to use a link in their main navigation menu titled something like \u201cStart Here<\/em>.\u201d It\u2019s often similar to writing an About Me page<\/a>, but it goes into greater detail and usually offers clear instructions about what readers should do next. It\u2019s a good way to introduce new visitors to your blog and share what your content is all about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a list of a few things you should consider adding to your \u201cStart Here<\/em>\u201d page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let’s look at a great example of this in action. Clean Mama<\/a> is a blogger who teaches people how to keep their homes clean (and is a very clever blog name idea<\/a>, too).<\/p>\n\n\n She has a \u201cStart Here<\/em>\u201d section on her blog that does a good job of identifying some of her blog\u2019s most central ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n First, she welcomes her readers and explains three ways her blog is going to help them right off the bat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s expanded upon in a little mini-manifesto right here:<\/p>\n\n\n The next section she includes elaborates on the idea of feeling overwhelmed\u2014and affirms that she has solutions to help. Anyone reading this far will likely be pretty hooked on her methodologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She then goes on to explain some of her strategies for keeping your house clean without spending hours doing it (offering up tons of free value to new readers).<\/p>\n\n\n Finally, she includes some helpful links (and clear next steps for visitors), like a shopping link and a round-up of her best cleaning tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using a \u201cStart Here<\/em>\u201d page can be a very useful tool for organizing your content and easily directing your readers where you want them to go<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve already created a decent amount of content, a learning center\u2014or detailed resource page like my “Everything about blogging<\/a>” page\u2014is another way to organize it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A learning center is a collection of categories arranged in one section (or drop-down menu). The idea is for readers to quickly find answers to common questions on your blog. Learning centers are often arranged by media types like videos, blog posts, and podcasts, as well as by general topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smart Passive Income<\/a> is a blog run by personal finance blogger Pat Flynn for aspiring online entrepreneurs. They use a very well-designed drop-down menu featuring a learning center for easier access to common topics they cover on the blog. Some of the topics they list include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of these topics fit under the umbrella of online entrepreneurship, but each one is a bit more specific. You may have landed on their blog to learn more about affiliate marketing<\/a>, and they\u2019ve made it easier for you to access that information.<\/p>\n\n\n If you click on the affiliate marketing menu item, it navigates you to a curated landing page<\/a> that breaks down all of their top resources on the subject:<\/p>\n\n\n Here, you can find a variety of helpful information about affiliate marketing<\/a>, including how to find and join the best affiliate programs for bloggers. They link to their best guides to affiliate marketing, courses they\u2019ve created, additional articles, tools, and podcast episodes related to the subject. All of this is put on one single page for easy access to readers.<\/p>\n\n\n A learning center is best suited for a blog that already offers a lot<\/em> of information but wants to provide quick, easy access to specific categories that readers are already coming to your site for. In that context, it really adds a lot of value to your blog layout in terms of creating a more reader-friendly experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like it or not, writing on the Internet is very different from most other writing styles.<\/p>\n\n\n It\u2019s very different from verbose academic writing or published books. When people read on the Internet, they (most often) want blog posts that are easy to scan and quickly digest the key points they’re searching for answers about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s not to say people are unwilling to read long blog posts. Most people will<\/em> read long-form articles from start to finish if they’re highly engaged in the subject matter. However, many people want to scan blog headlines<\/a> to first determine if they want to read the article (or think they’ll be able to find answers to specific questions they have)\u2014and often extend that scanning practice into how they read the content too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try my free<\/em> AI-Powered Blog Title Generator Tool<\/a> to get dozens of SEO-friendly headline ideas to make your blog posts stand out today.<\/p>\n\n\n I go into this in much greater depth in my guide about how to write a blog post outline<\/a>, but here are some quick tips for formatting your blog posts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s use this blog post as an example. Suppose I have a reader who came to my blog looking for a very specific answer. Maybe they wanted to know what size font I would recommend for their blog layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My headers should make it very easy for the reader to scan the blog post and find the answer quickly. Plus, there’s a navigational table of contents running along the right side of this article (when viewing on a desktop).<\/p>\n\n\n\n For long blog posts, you can make it even easier by making a WordPress table of contents<\/a> at the beginning of your blog post layouts\u2014as I’ve done at the top here (and have a more stylized version for my guide about starting a blog<\/a> too).<\/p>\n\n\n Navigation is more important, the longer your blog content gets\u2014so if you’re creating long-form content (like I do here on my blog), then you’ll want to go out of your way to make sure readers can quickly jump around throughout an article to more easily find what they’re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another mark of a great blog layout and design is high-quality images and graphics.<\/p>\n\n\n If you\u2019ve visited a site that has low-resolution images, or poorly made graphics, you know this can be a turn-off (or can lead you not to trust the site).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not already convinced of the benefit of using quality images on your blog, here are some blogging statistics<\/a> that might persuade you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t to say that high-quality text (written content) is meaningless\u2014that\u2019s far<\/em> from true. Blogging is still largely about what it\u2019s always been\u2014and that’s still primarily the written word because search engines like Google still “read” content through text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What these statistics do mean, however, is that your images matter as well\u2014and high-quality images & graphics will make your blog layout that much more appealing, more shareable, and more memorable to your readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s look at the famous blog Humans of New York<\/a><\/em>. HONY’s stories are compelling because of the written text and the visual images. One without the other would not have the same lasting impact.<\/p>\n\n\n12 Blog Layout Examples (and Best Practices to Follow) in 202<\/strong>6<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWhy Does Your Blog Layout Matter?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Ryan](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-12.10.51-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n10 Blog Layout Best Practices (to Retain More Readers) in 202<\/strong>6<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"10](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/10-Blog-Layout-Best-Practices-to-Follow-Stock-Image-of-a-Blog.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a>1. Fonts You Can Read<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Font Size Should You Use?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Which Fonts Should You Use?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Arial](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-01-at-2.31.40-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"EB](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-01-at-2.48.30-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Josefin](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-01-at-2.49.19-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Georgia](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-01-at-2.51.01-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Helvetica](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-01-at-2.53.33-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhich Fonts Should You Avoid? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Zapfino](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-03-31-at-5.05.20-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Comic](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-03-31-at-5.07.19-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Papyrus](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-03-31-at-5.19.42-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a>2. Organize Your Blog Layout for Easier Access<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
![\"Organize](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Organize-Your-Blog-Content-for-Easier-Accessibility-Image-of-Design-Layout.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nTip #1: Pick a Defined Niche For Your Blog<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Strength](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-08-at-12.51.39-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nTip #2: Use a \u201cStart Here\u201d Link <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Clean](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-08-at-1.16.22-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Clean](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-08-at-1.26.57-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"Clean](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-08-at-1.28.47-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Clean](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-08-at-1.30.28-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nTip #3: Create a Learning Center<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"Smart](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.37.11-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Smart](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.51.18-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"SPI](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.59.56-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a>3. Design Your Blog Posts to be Easily Scannable<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Design](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Design-Your-Blog-Posts-to-Be-Easily-Scannable-Computer-Image.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nNeed Catchy Blog Title Ideas?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
![\"Blog](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Blog-Title-Generator-Tool-AI-Powered-SEO-Blog-Titles-Tool-Screenshot.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n
![\"Using](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-03-31-at-5.40.45-PM.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a>4. Utilize High-Quality Images (or Graphics)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Use](\"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Use-High-Quality-Images-and-Graphics-to-Enhance-Your-Blog-Design-Screenshot-of-Computer-with-Design-Elements.jpg\")
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