Whether you are a business owner or a blogger, however big or small your company or reach is, and whatever your niche or line of work, it is imperative in today’s world-wide-web times to have a strong online presence. Without a website, blog, or a functional account on social media, you are limiting the growth of your business and losing out on thousands of potential clients and customers.
But just having a website or blog or an account on Facebook or Instagram is not enough – it has to stand out from the crowd. Because let’s face it, there is no dearth of them today. So what would it take to make someone scrolling the Internet want to click on YOUR site and GET HOOKED? And return, again and again. Even visit your social media platforms and keep checking back for updates?
Well, there are a number of factors but among the important ones are the theme and design of both, your blog/ website and social media. Let’s delve deeper into why theme and design can either make or break your business’s online presence.
Looks Don’t Lie...
There are numerous websites/ blogs in every niche, that in order for yours to stand out from the crowd, it must have something different, or unique, or just look really, really amazing! First impressions are often lasting impressions, and with so many websites/ blogs at one’s fingertips, it’s easy to move on to the next one.
Your theme – whether it is for your website, blog, or social media – should reflect your niche, the services you offer, and above all, it should reflect your personality. An effective theme should translate your brand’s core values and message to your audience at first glance.
So if you have a Lifestyle blog, let your theme reflect that. Likewise, if you are a Parenting blogger, include a header, images, and fonts that are in tune with children and mums. A fashion blog’s theme should ooze style and chutzpah while a technology blog website can be a bit more straightforward. Getting the gist? Your theme and design should do both – reflect as well as carry forward your niche and style.
Theme and Functionality
How to Choose the Right Template for Your Blog
– The first point to consider is how many columns you would like your page divided into – most templates have the option of one, two, or three-column layouts. The number of columns has an impact on the overall look of your blog: does the text look too cramped up? Is the page too crowded and thus overwhelming? Or is there enough white space?
– The sidebar/s are part of your columns, so keep that in mind. A two-column layout (having one sidebar) is generally a good choice for most blogs as it provides a good middle ground. It allows you to showcase your site’s most popular features on your homepage (such as popular posts or your Instagram feed), yet doesn’t feel too content-heavy.
Blogs have a lot more repeat traffic than traditional websites, as followers keep returning to keep abreast, so play around with your theme and design every once in a while to keep things fresh and topical for your viewers. That doesn’t mean you should change your theme every few weeks or months, but if you feel your current theme is getting stale or doesn’t match with your content or current vision, then by all means go ahead and change it! After all, your blog is a content marketing tool and its design is crucial to marketing your content in the best and most effective way possible.
Colour, Font and other design Elements of Your Theme
Colour is the primary underlying factor of your blog and/or social media’s look and feel, and sets the tone for your content and feed. The color scheme you choose sheds light on your niche or subject matter and is a great introductory point for a new viewer. Colors give your feed consistency and brand direction.
You might not give your blog or website’s font a second thought, but choosing the appropriate font can add great value to your site’s overall design and viewer experience. The typography should fit with the rest of the page’s design and relate to your brand. If your website deals with the very technical or serious subject matter, a comic font or neon color scheme won’t fit in.
Again, keep your font uniform throughout your site for brand recognition and consistency.
Theme and Design for your Social Media
Having a consistent theme running through your website/blog and social media helps users make an immediate connection with your brand on all your platforms. Keep these pointers in mind when it comes to your social media theme:
– Keep the profile picture of all your social media accounts the same, so there are an instant connection and brand recall.
– Keep the color palette consistent as well for the same reason. A good tip is to use the same filter for all your images so that the overall look of your feed remains consistent.
– Platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest that are primarily visual need to be aesthetically pleasing as well. Content is still king and does play an important role, but if your feed is not visually appealing or in line with your business or website’s theme, chances are users might not even read the content!
