I want to share simple suggestions which can help you in order to make your site more attractive.
Simplicity is better
Be simple. Don't use complex site structure for your informative blog (like my site for example). A vertical orientation with two main columns is the better solutions, linear and simple to manage. If you need for help to design the page layout take a look at this post: Conceptual design for site's layout
Background and text color for content
Use a white background (#FFFFFF) with black/gray scale text for the content. You can use black color (#000000) in order to emphasize title of posts and gray scale color (#444444, #555555...) for text (but don't use a gray too bright!). Other color combinations, such as background black and text white, are more indicated for design-oriented sites such as on-line portfolio or similar. Get an idea from this cool color examples colourlovers.com
Use nice colors
Colors are nice but if poorly used they make a webpage very unsightly. If you have some doubts about colors you used on your site, take a look at Adobe Kuler and colourlovers.com an useful web application to create harmonious color themes online for your blog/site.
Don't add & Remove
Remove all things are not really useful to attract traffic or earn money. Don't amuse your readers from content and don't fill your page with advertisements. Two ads block (below post title and on sidebar) are a good solution to perform good incomes.
Widget invasion
Widgets like MyBlogLog Recent Readers are funny but don't use them only because give "color" to the page. They can help you to attract more visitors if used in a good way.
Explore "who you are"
Tell your visitors "who you are" in a section on top of the page. Add links to your identity on social network sites like digg, delicious, technorati. Use a small section on right side of your template, below who you are, with icons and a short description. If this can help you, take ispiration from my social network section.
Giant feed icon. Why?
Ok, feed subscribers are important. But is not necessary use giant icon to say "subscribe my feed!". Your readers are not blind and if the content of your site is good you will find new subscribers also using a small icon.
Social Networks buttons
Trying a lot of social buttons combinations is a good move. Now I found a good compromise, using only digg and delicious buttons. Designers use digg to promote posts immediately after published them so, in general, your post receive a lot of traffic in the first two hour after submission. At the same time, all readers who find the post interesting add it to delicious and when the post become popular you receive a lot of traffic for many days after.
I hope you can find this informations more useful. Share your thoughts and ideas to comment this post.
Tips to design clean blog layout
