How to Create a Blog Home Page

Your blog's home page is an essential part of your blog's success. The home page (also called a landing page) is in essence the welcome page for your blog. It should include all the information and tools a reader needs to be drawn in and feel compelled to stay. A confusing or incomplete home page can have a negative effect and drive readers away from your blog. Take the time to create an inviting home page that's easy to navigate and understand by following these steps.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Variable

Here's How:

1. Consider the image you want your blog to portray.
   Before you can begin a blog, it's important to identify the image and message you want to convey to readers. Just like a business defines the image and message for a new brand or product it rolls out, you must do the same for your blog. Do you want your blog to be family-oriented or targeted to adults? Do you want your blog to be fun or business-oriented? How do you want your readers to feel when they visit your blog? These are the types of questions you can ask yourself to help determine the overall image you want your blog to portray in the blogosphere.
2. Create a blog design that reflects your blog's image.
   Once you've defined the image you want your blog to portray, you need to create a blog design that consistently communicates that image. From your font choices to your color choices, make sure each element of your blog's overall design is consistent with your blog's image. For example, a financial blog's image would be confusing in readers' minds if the blog design included cute clipart, balloon fonts and glitter effects. Conversely, a baby blog's image would be confusing if the blog design included a lot of black where readers would expect to see pastels.
3. Add elements to enhance your users' experiences.
   A blog's home page should include those elements that are most useful to your readers. When you select the elements to include on your home page, prioritize the items your readers would expect to see. You can always modify your home page later, but here is a list of some of the most important elements that every blog's home page should include:
   
   • Posts
   • About page
   • Contact page or information
   • Categories
   • Blogroll
   • Subscription options
   As your blog grows, you can add elements such as archives, recent and popular post lists, ads, a donation button and more.

Tips:

1. Creating a logo to use on your blog can further enhance your blog's image. You can use that image as your avatar (picture) when you post comments on other blogs or in online forums. A logo can also help your marketing efforts as your blog grows by giving you a tangible icon to print on business cards, t-shirts and more.