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15 Rules to Bring Feng Shui to Your Blog

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Feng Shui [fuhng shwey] - rules in Chinese philosophy that govern spatial arrangement in relation to the positive or negative flow of energy.

It’s time to fix your spatial arrangement (design) in relation to the positive or negative flow of energy (reader experience). It’s time to bring a little zen to your blog.

The theme, as you’ll find below, is simplicity for the sake of highlighting your content. Here are 15 rules that should govern every blog’s design.

1. Clever blog title. This is a no-brainer, but you’d be amazed at how many blogs I land on that don’t have a title. All they have is a tagline. Some have even neglected that and opted for a generic and impersonal welcome. Gag me.
2. Visible tagline. I posted about this last week, but a tagline is so important. For most blogs, your tagline will be the one thing that will describe your blog’s purpose most clearly. Obviously, you’d want that kind of information to be visible.
3. Simple header. I’m glad you’re a really good graphic designer. However, please don’t try to force all of your design tricks into one header. It not only hurts my eyes, but distracts me from the important part: the content.
4. Clear navigation. You do want to make it as easy for your readers to navigate your site to get to other pages, right? After all, that means they’re spending more time on your blog. Then please make sure your navigation is simple, clear, and visible. If possible, don’t hide it in the sidebar. But, if it does have to go in the sidebar, put it at the top and close to the main content.
5. Engaging imagery. This a personal preference, but try to supplement each post with imagery of some type. Whether it’s an image from Flickr (Creative Commons Only!) or one of your own, try to make it logical, artistic, or otherwise engaging. Steer clear of Google images since you don’t know what kind of copyright is attached to those images.
6. Centered layout. When I get to a blog that has a left-aligned layout, it’s just a turnoff. There’s nothing special about having your whole page left-aligned. If anything, it just means your reader will have to adjust their expectations when they hit your blog. That’s not good. You want their expectations exceeded, not forced to change.
7. Tasteful subscription button. There’s really no need for a Cloverfield-sized RSS button. It’s not going to persuade anyone to subscribe. The only possible perk might be that its visibility will remind your visitors that subscribing is an option. However, are you willing to sacrifice taste for that? That’s up to you.
8. Obvious search field. Your search field shouldn’t be hidden in your sidebar with camouflage. It should stand out, encouraging visitors to check out what they want to find. If for no other reason, make it visible so your visitors don’t have to search to search.
9. Recent posts. This widget/plugin is the most useful space in my sidebar. Most of my blog’s secondary clicks come through the recent posts section. I only show three posts in full on the front page, so seeing recent posts drives a good amount of traffic.
10. Popular posts. Also super-valuable, it runs on the Popularity Content plugin and keeps a list of the five most-hit posts. It’s useful for visitors to know what I write about, what my other readers enjoy most, and to get a glimpse of my best work.
11. Categories or Archives (not both). Choose one. The two tools are both versions of the same thing. Most people could care less about searching for posts that you published last May, but they may want to see what you have to say about “Disney Land,” which is why I recommend that you show categories and not archives.
12. No disclaimer. The front page is no place for your disclaimer. If folks are worried about your opinions, your front page disclaimer isn’t going to make them change their mind. If it’s necessary, put it on your “About” page and keep it under two lines.
13. No bookmarking. A simple bookmarking option in the footer of each post is enough. Drop the sidebar bookmarking links. They’re clutter and don’t add any usability to your blog. Especially don’t run both options (footer and sidebar bookmarking links).
14. No photo. Unless your face is incredibly recognizable (like Seth Godin), keep your photo on your “About” page. After all, that’s why you have an “About” page. Your front page should be all about the content.
15. No blogroll. Whether you’re an avid blogger or a casual one, move your blogroll to a secondary page. It doesn’t supplement your content, which means it’s just more clutter.

Do you have any other suggestions to simplify your blog’s design?

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