Why the Visual Appearance of Your Blog is More Important Than Ever

I've just received an email from James Maduke about a new Visual Search Engine, Search Me, and I felt it was absolutely necessary to tell you about it … it might make you think twice about putting up some ugly template blog with splog content thinking that "if you build it, they will come …"

I'm going to give you the link to watch the video he created at the end of this post so ensure you read it to the end.

You see, the Internet is on the change … again, and this time it isn't about algorithms or keywords, it's about the way people search the Internet for information …

Welcome Visual Search Engines

Now, rather than just bringing up text each time you search for information online, "Search Me" will actually show up text, images and video in their search results.

Now, this may not seem that important, but according to Person Education Inc, 65% of the population are visual learners meaning that they are more comfortable with either being shown or seeing pictures to help them learn and for you the blogger or website author, it means that 65% of the population when given a choice, will "check you out" (or your site :-)), based on looks.

Whilst I maintain that you can still make good money with an ugly blog, you really have to consider that given a choice many people will choose to visit your blog to get to the important information in it, based on "what catches their eye."

My husband is always laughing at me because I rarely watch the news or read the newspaper … I'm happy with the headlines and, I certainly don't want my mind and my day to be filled with the prevailing bad news transmitted by the media.

Anyway, after we take our daughter to School, we sometimes go for coffee at our local supermarket coffee shop and, they have a newspaper stand with all of the days newspapers and, as I go by I skim the newspapers front page.  And guess which ones always get my attention … yep, the ones with the picture that tells the story with a clear headline telling me what the story is about.

This is why my husband laughs because even before I read the first two lines or the story, from the picture alone, I'll ask him "is this the story about xyz?"  

Now I'm not suggesting that your blog is covered with pictures but there are elements of the design that you need to consider including:

• the professional look of the header and other graphics
• the layout of your blog
• the navigation of your blog which should be clear and make your blog easy to navigate
• some indication, above the fold that will tell the reader what the blog is about

In addtion to all of this, the reader can now see a snippet of the content on your site and if it's filled with links, and looks like you're desperate to sell them something, you'll more than likely "turn them off."

I think you'll understand more about why these are important when you watch the video on Visual Search Engines at http://www.mysmallbizu.com/content/view/1554/328/

And, if you're looking for a professionally designed blog, take a look at some of the client blogs I've built which, always get big compliments from their readers.  You may find fancier looking blogs elsewhere, but these are professional looking, they are easy to navigate and, I encourage my clients to focus on giving the BEST information in their blogs!

Best,

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