Is Your Blog A Coloring Book?
You're probably thinking Eddy is on that stuff & of course my blog isn't a coloring book. Duh! Well I wouldn't be so sure of that. I've reviewed quite a few WA member websites and some of you are acting like toddlers at a restaurant, that just got some crayons and a paper menu used to shut them up. LOL
Because you've learned how to use the WYSIWYG editor in wordpress, now you think it's an open invitation to use every color, style and alignment option of that editor. Please stop the madness! Just because all the features are there doesn't mean you need to use them.
Why You Should Be A Content Formatting Racist!
Obviously racist tend to only like their own race or "color" and hate everyone else. You sort of need to take a similar approach with your blog. Stick with one or 3 colors at most. Use black for your content, white for your background and I tend to prefer blue for links because people are already trained to click on them. But usually they can figure out what color your links are if there are only two colors being used.
If you're not being a racist with your colors here's what is going to happen.
1. People will visit your blog and think it's unprofessional.
Check on some of the top websites on the web or your industry. Go do it now, I'll wait... Are they going all crayola in their content? Google is a billion dollar company and they tend to stay pretty subdued with their color and style usage in their actual content. It was done by design. They literally spend millions of dollars researching what we do. Shoot, they even pay you to do the research for them. (Click here to find out how.) So if they are using a white background, black text and blue links, you better believe it's because they make more loot that way! If it's good enough for Google and Wealthy Affiliate it's good enough for me. Yes, notice the wealthy affiliate uses the color conventions I stated for their content? Hmmm makes you wonder doesn't it?
2. It's just bad usability.
It makes it very difficult to read your blog if your justification are all centered, you're highlighting every other word and you're using a whole bunch of different colors. Your audience has the attention span of a roach. If they need to try to decipher how to read your content, guess what? They won't and will leave your coloring book... I mean site. Then they will head to your competitor that has a professionally looking blog that doesn't look like someone throw up on it.
Stop Acting Like Children
You're a grown ass man or woman! Now you need to present that on your blog. Show the restraint that you preach to your kids when it comes to how you use the wordpress editor. Your audience eyes will thank you for it! They may return the favor by sticking around on your site longer and actually taking the action you want!
If you are guilty of what I've written above, I'm officially putting you on a time out until you go and clean up your room aka your blog. Once you do, you're allowed to go out and play. LOL
In any event, what do you guys think? Are some of you guilty of being rainbow bright on your blogs? Do you see why that may be a bad thing now? Chime in below.
Eddy with a Y! LOL
Recent Comments
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Haha...thanks for posting this, I like this! I think some people need lessons on how to act their age too... I feel like a late bloomer lol
oh never act your age!! act the age you want to be - but your website, that's another thing lol
You're welcome Marie. Well acting your age is a whole other post. I can't really speak on that because I have the sense of humor of a 12 year old boy and have badly influenced my wife in the same way. LOL But when it comes to control over the colors, alignment and fonts, yes acting your age is appropriate. LOL
Excellent post Eddy :) It always amazes me that people can go to hundreds of professional websites and blogs and see what you are saying and yet when it comes to their own, think the rainbow unicorn approach will work :)
Thanks Michelle! I have to agree with you. You would think folks know better. But sometimes people think they're actually improving their website by doing this. I had an offline client who I had to literally fight with because she wanted to use every type of font and color. She said it was for emphasis and I said yes it would emphasize how immature your company website is. LOL
Exactly Michelle! I did stuff like that when I was building sites with AOL press or whatever it was called in the late 90s. So you're right it is a newbie thing. But hopefully this article will prevent other newbies from making the same mistakes. It's like the crazy colors and hairstyles we had in the 80s. They had their place but then your good sense has to kick in. LOL
Thanks Margaret! Apple is a great source of simplicity and exemplifies less is more. Thanks for chiming in and sharing a perfect example!
I noticed it already long time ago. First, it was annoying I avoided all those websites with tons of colorful ads. Then I noticed this. Years ago there was a major search engine and email provider - yahoo. But to log in you had to go through very colorful home page (all the news, ads, etc.) And then Google came. Just an empty home page - a logo in the middle and link to log in or search. And who is biggest? Google. Why? For different reasons. But I think that most of the people are like me - they don't like these colorful annoying windows blinking everywhere. Yet most of the marketers are like yahoo - trying to stuff their websites with ads etc, hoping to sell as much as possible. Funny, isn't it?
Great observation. Don't get me started on people that slap on every banner they find from an affiliate. That's another blog post I'm writing. It's bad enough they use every color and font size. But then slapping on the flashy banners is just an overkill. Your Google and Yahoo observation speaks volumes! Thanks for chiming in with such great insight!
I'm a naughty boy with my personal site going with a black background with white text.. but it just has a better feel for me as an artist.. but i do agree with your advice & i do apply the same on other sites I am associated with..
I think with some industries it's okay to do that. But in general I just find websites like that harder to read. But to each their own my friend. Thanks for chiming in and seeing my point!
By using their words instead of every color, font and alignment available to them. LOL Thanks for chiming in!
Hi Eddy.
I'm useless with colours - so try to avoid them for fear of scaring people away with poor colour choices!
I don't like garish sites either - they just put you off - you need to be able to clearly see the text, and be able to read it without getting a headache.
All the best, Mark
LOL, Well this is a case where you avoidance of color is a good thing. I agree the rainbow bright blogs do give me a headache too!
Thanks for chiming in!
I plead not guilty except maybe this one page: http://www.mydogmyjoy.com/dog-food/dangerous-foods/
do you think I should change it?
This is fine Lynn. It's more of an infograph so it's acceptable there and it's still easy to read. So you're good for that post in my eyes.
Hello there, I was curious and looked at your page and was pleasantly surprised at a very nice page and a good balance of color. Don't change it.
Well I am guilty of a little color in my background but nothing else thanks for writing this hopefully it will open a few eyes. Cause you are right I have seen some very scary sites lately.
You're welcome Tommy! Glad you're not going crazy with your colors and alignment! Hopefully the message is loud and clear for everyone else too!
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You are a brain,thanks.
LOL, never been called a brain before. But I think I like it. Thanks!