A Monetized Blog Starts With A Good Design.
Following these four simple rules when selecting a look and layout for your monetized blog will improve readership, traffic, and earnings.
When blogging for money a good blogging platform and a simple, but eye pleasing layout is needed to maximize profits. Four simple rules govern the platform and layout decisions of how to make money blogging for free. First, avoid glitz, glam, bling, flashing ads, or rotating script. Second, simple black font on a white background with three advertisements maximum is a good start. Third, an attractive header and logo image will make your blog memorable. Fourth, the blogging platform you use needs to fit your needs when you start blogging for money.
First – Avoid Glitz, Glam, Bling, Flashing Ads, or Rotating Script
We are all familiar with the flashing sparkly pages found on Myspace and other social media sites. Not only do these detract from the blog and its message, they take too long for many computers to download. If people have to wait to see what the blog is about, they are going to close out of it and never return. This will cost you traffic and income at a fast rate.
Instead, opt for minimal graphics and a few well-chosen bold colors. Open-air Google Adsense designs work the best and bring in the most clicks. A simple, eye pleasing, and quick to load layout on a blog will improve the chances your new readers will return and improve the chances of them being enticed to click on your ads.
Second – Simple Black Font and Three Ads
Simple black font on a white background with three advertisements maximum is a good start. The background behind the text area can match the header or logo, however, you want your readers to read your blog so make it easy for them to do so. Anywhere there is text make it large font with black letters on a white background. Colored text or backgrounds will turn off most readers, especially if it’s hard on the eyes or the reader has to strain to see it.
Further, colored text is often hard to read, sometimes even invisible. Avoid allowing the posts to be any color but black font on a white background,. If you are really itching for some color, make the side bar headers a dark, primary color or outline those modules with a bold splash of color.
Third – An Attractive Header and Logo
An attractive header and logo image will make your monetized blog memorable. The header and logo is as important as a profile image. You want something memorable and eye pleasing. Many skins come preloaded with a header image, but why not come up with your own. The header can be a photograph you take with your own camera or something found on a free image site. Avoid stealing pictures off the internet, this leads to legal trouble and ruins your sites credibility.
Better yet, maximize profits on your blog by being unique. Have a friend who is a photographer or artist come up with some images you can scan in and edit with photo software. A simple, unique logo and header image that’s one of a kind can make your blog rock the profits.
Fourth – Your Profit Blogging Platform
The blogging platform you use needs to fit your needs when you start blogging for money. There are many blogging platforms on today’s free and not so free market. The current top five are wordpress.org, blogger.com, wordpress.com, drupal.com, and typepad.com. Look for on that is easy to use, allows for easy template changes, and comes with a few plug-ins such as auto-posting to search engines and widgets. When first starting out, free is good. Many sites charge to place your own advertising on them or modify them differently than their cookie cutter designs allow.
Research and find the features you need at the price that seems reasonable to your present budget. Remember, a blog domain can easily be moved, so opt to purchase a domain name and webhosting, which usually costs about $10 per year and you can move your money-making blog when and if you need to without losing your readership.
Remembering these four simple rules when it comes to designing and hosting your money-making blog and you can start blogging for money sooner than your competitors. Just keep the design simple without bling, flashing script, rotating headlines, or flashy ads. Then keep the type and font easy to read and in black and white. Also, make your blog memorable by designing your own header and logo image. For best results, choose hosting and a platform that works for your current budget. And remember than a domain name that is hosted to a third party can be moved to any blogging platform when the time is right.
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