Feb 12 2009
Blogger Templates: Why Choosing a Good Template is so Important
Choosing a good template can be a make-or-break factor in drawing readers to your blog.
I’ve touched on templates in previous lessons but today, before you go any further with your Blogger blog, I want to stress why you should choose a good template right out of the starting gate. Choosing a template early on can save so much in terms of headaches and work.
It is best to choose a template before you have a number of widgets, blidgets, links, etc. installed on your blog. While in most cases, when you install a template, your blog posts aren’t lost, choosing a template later is like trying to close the barn door after the horses have escaped. In this case, I’m referring to all the widgets and gadgets installed on your blog. Why play catch up, chasing after those “horses” and having to reinstall them all over again?
Lesson 16: Choosing a Good Template
While admittedly, it’s just so much easier to choose one of the templates Blogger provides, in short order, you will find that these templates do not fill all your blogging needs. I’m going to offer advice based on my experiences with blogging and working with different blogging platforms.
There are certain features that really make a difference to a good blog–and it starts with a good template! Good templates allow for multiple columns in the sidebar and tabs up top. Why?
Your blog readers usually look towards the top part of your blog. If you have more than one column in the sidebar, you can organize information you want to draw attention to in an easy-to-see format. (Notice the columns on either side of this blog?) The same goes for tabs along the top of your blog. Tabs can point to stand-alone pages, information you may want to include, but not in the sidebar. (Notice the tabs at the top of this blog.)
A blog offering information that is seen at a glance/accessed easily is a blog that is returned to, over a blog where someone has to continually scroll down to access features the blog offers.
Today, I’m tossing a wonderful resource your way: A site that offers 3-column and WordPress-themed templates for Blogger: Blogger Templates. I’m so impressed with the quality templates offered. Make sure to scrutinize the 3-column templates with tabs.
Choosing a good template lays the foundation for a blog you can be proud of, a blog you can build over time into a content-rich site, a blog that offers value to readers and that ultimately earns you money.
Hi Fairyhedgehog,
There are other reasons for choosing a good template: even if people subscribe in a reader, what usually attracts them in the first place is the look and feel of a particular blog.
If you want your readers to visit your blog more, you can adjust the settings in your feed so that they only receive a portion of your post in their e-mail.
The problem with people reading posts in a reader is that your monetization efforts and comments can be impacted.
One good strategy is to do something in the first paragraph or two that encourages people to actually visit the blog.