Design blogs are the new in, everybody who is interested in making money online and knows any amount about web design is starting their own blog. Granted only a few have made it and gained star-status in the blogosphere, but there are thousands of others who struggle to build their way to the top.
I’m turning to one of my favorite web/graphic design blogs for inspiration: Web Designer Depot. The blog was launched at the end of 2008, and since then has grown into a thriving success (boasting a solid 124,000 Twitter followers).
I’ll be analyzing just what Web Designer Depot has done right when building their blog. There are so many different things to do and work on when first launching, it can seem a bit overbearing and stressful. However looking at famous blogs and matching their techniques is what makes a truly successful blogger.
Leave your Visitors Speechless with an Impeccable Design
Blog designs are constantly over-looked these days. You see articles about starting a blog with WordPress and most will suggesting grabbing a free theme, or even just using customizing WP out-of-the-box!
Clearly these are not good options, for many reasons. Your visitors don’t want to see a blog they’ve seen a million and one times already. They want fresh, unique content… and that includes your blog’s design! This rings especially true if you’re running a design blog. You should probably look good when you’re discussing how good at design you are.
Web Designer Depot hit this nail on the head. Most notably, their beautiful and luscious header is what makes WDD stand out from the crowd. I remember my first time visiting the site, I was amazed at how beautiful the site looked. That is the feeling you want to give visitors who reach your blog!
It’s not just pleasant on the eyes, either. A good design improves reader interactivity. This could be leaving a comment on an article, sharing on social news/media websites, or even subscribing to your feed! Readers certainly like to engage an active blog, but it doesn’t hurt to look nice while you’re at it.
Post Every Day, and Post Good Content
Most bloggers think they can just write crap into their website and it’ll somehow manifest new traffic and interested readers. This theory couldn’t be more wrong.
Web Designer Depot runs a tight ship with their blog – updating the site every day with a unique article. The content on WDD can vary from tutorials, inspirational galleries, and even some interviews. It’s truly a variety-inspired web blog, which ultimately lead to it’s success.
Follow like all the great giants of blogging and make sure your content is worth reading! I try and read over my posts at least 2 or 3 times before publishing them. This helps to not only correct spelling errors, but change spots that may have been worded strangely or sound awkward to your readers.
Market your Blog all over the Internet
The last and biggest piece lesson I’ve observed from Web Desginer Depot is to know your market. When you launch a blog, typically you have a goal or ideal visitor in mind. For web design blogs, ultimately you want to attract web designers or people interested in web design.
Knowing where to get your link to is a whole different ball game. Social media and sharing sites are the best places to start, especially with all of the latest sites like Design Float and DesignBump. Gather your links where you think your visitors hang out, and your blog will slowly but surely be found.
Any other tips for starting a web design blog? I’ve only covered a few here, but these are just 3 essentials I learned by studying Web Designer Depot’s routine.
