We know that business blogging has a different set of goals than recreational blogs. The type of business blogging that we promote for our clients is to use blogging as a tool for SEO. In other words, to create lots of content through the blog that will help you get found in search, and sell your product or service.
While it is easy to get caught up with the analytics, and the numbers, and the keywords, I feel it is my duty to encourage business bloggers especially to realize the power of a good looking blog design. This goes from the general layout to the Call to action buttons, or points of conversion. Once you get your readers to your blog, you want them to do something after they read your post. Actually, you want them to do something even if they dont get past the first sentence. This is where good design should come into your blogging goals.
Doug Karr and Chantelle Flannery on our Compendium Team have put together some really good webinars on specifics behind what makes a good Call to Action button, and if you have a chance, check a few out here.
If you doubt the power of great aesthetics, check out this article at A List Apart, by Stephen P. Anderson, "In Defense of Eye Candy." I know the web 2.0 look is finally seeing lots of resistance in the design community as the shiny gradient vectorized look has been used and abused, butsurely every good design trend sees resistance eventually simply due to its popularity (see Helvetica). There is something to say about the look and feel of this 2.0 design trend that made it so popular. It is clean, somewhat friendly, and as Anderson points out, it provides certain functionality just with its aesthetics. You know a good button when you see it, because it might actually resemble a real button with the highlighting and the bevel, etc. I'm not making a case for the design trend, just for the idea that good design can do more than just look nice, it can help the user ultimately.
This idea of good design shouldn't be limited to the design blogs and websites, but should extend to business blogging. I'm not saying our corporate blog design is a beacon of great design, I'm just saying we've made a continued attempt to incorporate good blog design and aesthetics into our blogging goals, in hopes of better conversion.
While it is easy to get caught up with the analytics, and the numbers, and the keywords, I feel it is my duty to encourage business bloggers especially to realize the power of a good looking blog design. This goes from the general layout to the Call to action buttons, or points of conversion. Once you get your readers to your blog, you want them to do something after they read your post. Actually, you want them to do something even if they dont get past the first sentence. This is where good design should come into your blogging goals.
Doug Karr and Chantelle Flannery on our Compendium Team have put together some really good webinars on specifics behind what makes a good Call to Action button, and if you have a chance, check a few out here.
If you doubt the power of great aesthetics, check out this article at A List Apart, by Stephen P. Anderson, "In Defense of Eye Candy." I know the web 2.0 look is finally seeing lots of resistance in the design community as the shiny gradient vectorized look has been used and abused, butsurely every good design trend sees resistance eventually simply due to its popularity (see Helvetica). There is something to say about the look and feel of this 2.0 design trend that made it so popular. It is clean, somewhat friendly, and as Anderson points out, it provides certain functionality just with its aesthetics. You know a good button when you see it, because it might actually resemble a real button with the highlighting and the bevel, etc. I'm not making a case for the design trend, just for the idea that good design can do more than just look nice, it can help the user ultimately.
This idea of good design shouldn't be limited to the design blogs and websites, but should extend to business blogging. I'm not saying our corporate blog design is a beacon of great design, I'm just saying we've made a continued attempt to incorporate good blog design and aesthetics into our blogging goals, in hopes of better conversion.
Comments for Integrating good design into your Blogging Goals
Leave a comment