16 Must-Have Elements To Create A Perfect Blog

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A blog is just not for fun now. Especially when you start blogging for business, you need to know what must-have elements to include to create a perfect blog!

So, a bunch of us are diving into blogging these days to get the word out about our businesses. And let me tell you, starting a blog ain’t no joke. You’ve got to juggle stuff like the layout, the theme, what the content’s gonna be like, and the biggie – how the heck you’re gonna reel in those readers. It’s a whole circus, I tell you!

And on top of that, you’ve got to figure out how to morph those readers into die-hard fans – and let’s be real, that’s no walk in the park. But the real tough part? Even after pouring your heart and soul into it, your blog might still be waving the “not enough readers” flag. Ouch, right?

Now, if you’re in it for the sheer joy of blogging or as a hobby, you might not give a hoot. Any money that comes from it is like a cherry on top. But if your blog is a business gig, having a traffic drought is like the ultimate nightmare. It’s the stuff of blogging horror stories, trust me.

But the good thing is that it’s a problem that you can easily solve once you know what elements you need to create a perfect blog, some of which will be discussed below.

Create A Perfect Blog: Set-Up

Blog Name and URL

Have you decided on your niche? What is your blog’s name?

How is the name related to your blog’s goals? Do other people find it unique or memorable? Are their associations similar to yours? Check a small sample just to be safe. A jumble of letters doesn’t mean anything to readers.

If you plan to blog for the long term, I strongly recommend getting your own domain (URL) and hosting it yourself rather than using WordPress.com or Blogger’s free options.

Down the road, when you decide to move your blog, you’ll lose Google juice and have to train readers to look elsewhere for your content. This is a blog branding choice. If you’re starting a business blog, work with your technical team to integrate it into your website.

Click here to get web hosting, a free domain, a free SSL certificate, automatic daily website backups, 5 stock photos/month + mystery goodies, and an easy WordPress install for around $11.99 a month. (use code MERRYMOA10 to get 10% off)

Branding

Having a perfect blog means you need to take a peek at how your blog is rocking its style and vibe. You know, all those design goodies like graphics, logos, icons, and a slick color palette that scream your brand. If your blog’s got a brand identity that’s kinda weak, it might just be the culprit for your blog’s lonely corner on the internet—you know, where no one’s really hanging out.

Having a logo is like slapping a name tag on your brand. It’s like giving your blog a face—something your readers can spot and remember. Oh, and by the way, I got my snazzy logo cooked up on Etsy. They’ve got some serious logo game!

Simple and Clear Navigation Bar

When it comes to the navigation bar, less is more. Your readers are all about digging into your blog’s content – they’re not signing up for a design obstacle course. Just like your content, your navigation bar should be clean and simple, with no frills attached. To create a perfect blog, keep it straight to the point, and the golden rule here is to make it user-friendly.

Responsive Web Design

One of the best reasons to use RWD is to improve your SEO efforts. How to build RWD? Here are WordPress themes that you can pick depending on your budget and I also have these feminine WordPress Themes if you prefer a more professional-looking theme.

Proper Typography

Your fonts can affect how well a reader perceives your blog posts. I know that high-quality content matters, but readers will likely agree that if the font is easy on the eyes, they will most likely read most of the material.

I recommend installing Easy Google Fonts, they have over 600+ Google Fonts to choose from as well as a list of default system fonts.

Sitemap

Your readers will not be able to see this, but search engines can and they need this to know what pages your blog has and how they will search through it so that your pages have a chance of being ranked high.

If you’re a WordPress user, you can use Google Sitemap Generator. If you’re utilizing Yoast SEO or Rank Math SEO, you have the option to configure the sitemap within Yoast or Rank Math and subsequently link it to the Google Search Console.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics gives you concrete numbers that will show you what is wrong with your blog, what is missing, how you can improve it, and later on, numbers to show to interested advertisers why they should purchase advertising in your blog.

Plugins

Have you extended your blog with related plug-ins? Have you selected your plug-ins?

Install plug-ins for SEO, social sharing, comments, backup, feed management, and, if necessary, online shop and video. Here some essentials plugins that I recommend to you to create a perfect blog.

Create A Perfect Blog: Basic Pages

About page (Blog and Author/Creator)

Your ‘About Me‘ page holds significant importance to create a perfect blog. It provides visitors with a glimpse of both you and the essence of your blog. I understand that writing about yourself can be quite challenging – trust me, I’ve been there too.

Your ‘About Me’ page often becomes the most frequented page on your blog. It serves as a vital connection point with your readers. Building this connection is a fundamental goal in blogging. It’s how you establish rapport, demonstrate your relatability to your audience, and potentially gain not only email subscribers but also loyal, regular visitors.

Sometimes, even if you have nothing to sell, they will still stick around on your blog, looking for solution, drop a comment, share them on social media and try or even buy affiliate products you recommend.

How To Create About Me Page?

1. Start with introduction: Perhaps, 2-4 sentences – no longer than that. You need to connect with your audience. Start with who you are and why you started your blog. What do you want to achieve. Try to make it interesting, no boring, and don’t do that by listing your achievements.
2. A picture of yourself: But not a formal photo with formal clothes and photographer’s studio, tho. The audience wants to connect with you. Your picture needs to reflect a real person of you.
3. Don’t make it all about you: I’ve done some research, and it seems that many bloggers tend to share their basic information like their name, birthplace, daily routines, and such. While there’s nothing wrong with that approach, I’ve come to understand that not everyone is deeply interested in these details. Instead, what really resonates with readers is when you share personal anecdotes related to the issues your blog addresses and the solutions you’ve found. Being authentic and showing empathy, by sharing your own struggles, why they matter, and how you’ve overcome them, creates a deeper connection with your audience

You can share your personal story. How you have a problem, tries and fail, struggle with a solution, and finally, save the day. You need to make your story relatable, but real. Show your audience that you are one of them. And when someone feels relate to someone’s experience, it creates a connection. Then you can change the one-time visitor into a loyal visitor.

4. Think about what you can do for them: Your audience needs you to solve their problem. So, let them know clearly how you can help them to achieve their goal. You can link to your best blog here and show them that you’re the right person to help them.

5. Call-an-action: You need to end it with a call to action. Don’t waste their time. Most bloggers will advise you to end the About me page with an action. Such as, follow me on 1, 2, 3. Shop on my page. Bookmark my site. So on.

Legal Pages

It’s so important to legally protect your blog, especially when you run an online business. Having the right legal pages for your blog is one vital step to protecting yourself from potential risks. Plus, if you plan to sign up for advertising programs like Google Adsense, you definitely need these.

I have said that you need a small investment to start blogging, and when you want to make money from it. By purchasing the legal bundle, it can save you thousands down the line, in case you get sued!

So, to create a perfect blog, please take the right steps to protect your blog from the very beginning. Don’t just use the free templates because they know when you could end up in legal trouble. It will cost you THOUSANDS of dollars to hire a lawyer.

Contact

How can brands, customers and the public contact you? You can either put your email or social media options.

Create A Perfect Blog: Sidebar

Visible Search Bar

This might be one of the first things your readers will look for especially your new visitors, so don’t make it hard for them to find your search box. I recommend you to add it above the fold, it can be on your header or on the top sidebar.

Archive

Let readers search for older posts by date, category, tag, or author.

Newsletter Opt-in Form

Newsletters build brand awareness, consumer trust, and loyalty. Make use of it. Yes, it requires sacrifice, but in the long run, it will benefit your business. I recommend Convertkit. I’ve been using them for three years and it’s really easy to use.

Follow Buttons or Social Media Widgets

This is the best way to save and increase loyal followers by making them follow you on other social networking sites. Make sure you’re on the most popular social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Popular or Recent Posts

If you design your homepage without showing your popular or recent posts, it’s important to install popular or recent posts widget on your sidebar. This widget will navigate your readers to click, read, or comment on your recent or well-performed posts easily!

Use this checklist to see if you have the elements to create a perfect blog. Be sure to focus not only on driving traffic but also on keeping the quality of your content and blog as high as possible so that readers will keep on coming back and those new to the site have a reason to stay.