About a month ago, we fully revamped our company blog for the first time in about five years. Looking at our blog now versus its former design is like a night and day transition - while there was nothing "wrong" with the way it used to look and function, it was definitely time to hit refresh and bring our blog into the present.
Are you thinking about redesigning your brand's blog, but not sure if it's really worth the time and effort?
Here's a look at some of the benefits we saw from restructuring our company blog, and how these benefits can universally work towards upping the value of any brand's blog.
1. A stylish blog draws attention (and clicks)
We're kicking this post off on a superficial note - kind of.
According to Adobe, if people are given 15 minutes to consume content, two-thirds prefer reading content that has been beautifully designed instead of something plain or outdated. And if a site's layout or content isn't attractive, 38% of people won't engage with it.
For our blog redesign, we knew we wanted a minimalist appearance - sleek with strong imagery and no text outside of the blog post titles. For inspiration, we drew upon other company blogs in our industry that our team liked and visited often.
You can follow the same process for your brand's blog - if you're unsure what your style is, visit blogs run by entrepreneurs or creatives in your field that you admire.
What are they doing to draw in their audience? Are their blogs easy to navigate and aesthetically pleasing to look at?
Make notes about design elements that you like and how you can potentially embrace similar fundamentals on your blog.
2. A new look can reinvigorate your content
Think about how you feel when you first move to a new office. Sure, it's a little unsettling at first because you're not in the same building you've always known, but it's also exciting because it's so new and unfamiliar. You can sit in another area, add new decorations to your space, and enjoy a fresh view. It can inspire you in a way your previous dwellings could not. Granted, that former building might have inspired you once before, but years later you might have found yourself becoming too comfortable and in need of a change.
You may find that redesigning your company blog impacts your mindset. I know it changed mine.
Shortly after the revamp, we began an interview series for entrepreneurs - it was something we'd always wanted to do before, but knew it would look and feel more at home on a redesigned platform.
Restructuring your blog is a little like practicing digital feng shui. When you switch up the look of your blog, you're impacting more than just your audience. You're impacting the blogger (or bloggers) behind the scenes. A different feel might inspire you to think outside of the box with your content and consider fresh takes on familiar topics.
3. Redesigning your blog shows that your brand is active, not stagnant
What's the number one factor for deciding how credible a business is? According to 48% of people, it all comes down to a website's design.
If you're giving your website a facelift, you should also extend the courtesy to your blog.
Redesigning your blog means a lot more than simply 'keeping up with the blogging Joneses' or wanting your brand to be perceived as buzzworthy. It shows your readers that you're not stagnating - if anything, you're more active and engaged with your audience and their needs than ever before.
ne of the biggest changes in our blog revamp was the decision not to include text from posts on the home page. Previously, there was simply too much text which left our readers scrolling... and scrolling... and scrolling. In keeping with the style principle, we cleaned up our text and focused on hooking in readers with post titles and strong images instead. Less is always more, and when your blog is more user friendly, it's always better.
These are just three key notes we can attest to from re-designing our blog, but there may be more. Maybe it's worth taking a moment to consider your blog presentation and whether it can be improved.
Main image via FirmBee/Pixabay