9 Serious Blog Design Mistakes That Break Your Blog UX

Do you have value-packed content on your blog but not getting enough pageviews? Bounce rate too high? Then it’s time to look at one of the primary reasons - your blog design.

Building an engaging blog requires much more than interactive content. It also requires a user-centric design, as a study found that 94% of first impressions of a brand’s website relate to its design.

User experience plays a critical role in making or breaking your blog. However, building a perfect blog UX isn’t easy unless you know what UX design mistakes to avoid.

And, that’s what we are here for.

9 Blog Design Mistakes To Avoid

A report by Forrester says that better UX design can increase conversions by up to 400%. While a poor blog UX can increase bounce rates and reduce conversions, a delightful blog UX design can increase customer engagement, improve user satisfaction, and increase customer retention.

Let’s discuss the nine most common but serious blog UX design mistakes that could ruin your users’ reading experience.

1. Unclear Navigation

Do you think your user knows how to engage with your blog?

The belief that your user would know how to engage with your blog is a common mistake, and we are here for you to ensure you don’t make this mistake. What unclear navigation does is give your user a fair chance to leave your blog and visit another.

Putting multiple links, menu tabs, and CTAs can confuse users like this blog. Too much is happening at the same time.

When you have minimal items, your users can explore better. The clearer the navigation, the easier it is to meet your users' needs.

Like this blog here. Clean and clear.

So, how do you improve the navigation of your blog?

Limit your navigation. This will enhance the visibility of your blog page and guide your users to the action you want them to take.

Establish a consistent layout
Clearly define categories and subcategories
Make sure navigation elements are easily accessible

2. Poor Line Spacing

You are mistaken if you think line spacing is only a font thing. It’s also a UX design thing.

Too large line spacing - too much white space, and the text looks awkward
Too small line spacing - the letters appear squished together, and the text seems awkward

Good line spacing can make or break your blog's success, as line height has an enormous impact on readability. If your users cannot read your content, they’ll go back.

How do you feel when you read this text?

And what about this text?

Which do you feel is better?

There’s no magic to it. However, there are guidelines by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Line spacing - around 150 percent or 1.5 times the font size
Spacing following paragraphs - at least two times the font size
Spacing between letters - at least 0.12 times the font size
Spacing between words - at least 0.16 times the font size

3. Non-responsive Design

Tell us honestly: When you started designing your blog, did you only think of desktop computers? You are not the only one; most blogs are designed for desktops and overlook mobile devices. This is a big mistake, as mobile devices account for over 50% of web traffic.

So, you must adopt a mobile-first design approach to design your blog. Your UX design only becomes good if it is responsive, no matter the device on which it is viewed. If you are still unconvinced, here are the stats to prove it.

80% of the top-ranked websites are mobile-friendly
70% of the searches made on mobile phones lead to clicks
61% of users will never return to a website that is not mobile-friendly

Medium is the best example, as it is optimized for all screen sizes.

4. Unreadable Fonts and Colors

Bad typography is confusing. If you consider typography a minor factor, know that it greatly impacts your blog’s experience. Well, if you put content on your blog, it might as well be readable. For example, if you visit Zara's website, they have used very tiny fonts, which are hard to read even on bigger screens.

The font and colors you choose should:

Look good
Be legible
Match your brand’s personality

Remember, it impacts readability and plays a part in the design element. Strive for the optimum combination considering the size, weight, and color. Do not forget to test it on various devices and screen sizes.

5. Cluttered or Busy Layout

A crowded layout adds to a busy interface. When you overburden your design with unessential components, it can overwhelm your readers and make it difficult for them to navigate or find the information they came looking for.

Just like the design process, decluttering is iterative. Declutter your design. Prioritize clarity and simplicity.

Provide dynamic links
Use subtle visual elements
Avoid nested cards and boxes
Use familiar navigation controls
Reduce the amount of information displayed

Look at this simple and minimal blog design by Mailchimp.

A creative and simple blog layout. You can see good usage of negative space and images. Also, their content is well-formatted, accessible, and visually appealing at the same time.

6. Lack of Quality Images and Visuals

It’s a common and accepted fact that humans perceive images faster than text. And they make content more engaging.

But if the blog has shoddy graphics or low-res images, it sends negative signals about the brand's credibility. Users are more likely to trust content that is supported by high-quality visuals.

For example, take a look at this snippet of the blog of one of the websites:

Now, let’s compare it with a well-established brand, like Semrush:

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