How to Create a Great Blog Homepage

What to Know

  • Use your home page to identify your blog. Choose an image and overall message to convey to readers.
  • Design your home page accordingly. From font to color choices, make sure each element is consistent with your blog's image.
  • Make your home page interactive. Include posts, links to an About or Contact page, a sidebar, subscription tools, and social media links.

Your blog's home page should include all the information and tools a reader needs to be drawn in and remain on the site. After planning how you'll make your blog successful, create an inviting home page that's easy to navigate.

Consider the Image You Want Your Blog to Portray

Before you can begin a blog, it's important to identify the image and message you want to convey to readers. Just like a business defines the image and message for a new brand or product it rolls out, you must do the same for your blog. Do you want your blog to be family-oriented or targeted to adults? Do you want your blog to be fun or business-oriented? How do you want your readers to feel when they visit your blog? These are the types of questions you can ask yourself to help determine the overall image you want your blog to portray in the blogosphere.

Create a Blog Design That Reflects Your Blog's Image

Once you've defined the image you want your blog to portray, you need to create a blog design that consistently communicates that image. From your font choices to your color choices, make sure each element of your blog's overall design is consistent with your blog's image. For example, a financial blog's image would be confusing in readers' minds if the blog design included cute clipart, balloon fonts, and glitter effects. Conversely, a baby blog's image would be confusing if the blog design included a lot of dark colors where readers would expect to see pastels.

Add Elements to Enhance Your Users' Experiences

A blog's home page should include those elements that are most useful to your readers. When you select the elements to include on your homepage, prioritize the items your readers would expect to see. You can always modify your homepage later, but here is a list of some of the most important elements that every blog's home page should include:

  • Posts
  • Link to an about page
  • Link to a contact page or contact information
  • Categories
  • Sidebar
  • Subscription options
  • Social media icons
  • As your blog grows, you can add elements such as archives, recent and popular post lists, ads, and more.

Tips

Creating a logo to use on your blog can further enhance your blog's image. You can use that image as your avatar (picture) when you post comments on other blogs or in online forums. A logo can also help your marketing efforts as your blog grows by giving you a tangible icon to print on business cards, t-shirts, and more.

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Your Citation
Gunelius, Susan. "How to Create a Great Blog Homepage." ThoughtCo, Nov. 18, 2021, thoughtco.com/create-blog-home-page-3476562. Gunelius, Susan. (2021, November 18). How to Create a Great Blog Homepage. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/create-blog-home-page-3476562 Gunelius, Susan. "How to Create a Great Blog Homepage." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/create-blog-home-page-3476562 (accessed March 19, 2024).