When you hear the word ‘blog,’ what comes to mind?
Long, boring articles? A bunch of keywords stuffed together in hopes Google might notice?
You’re not alone—SEO experts have gotten this bad rep for years, accused of gaming the system rather than engaging readers.
But the reputation is wrong. Boring blogs, keyword stuffing, spammy links, and similar content with no real value are officially a thing of the past.
Believe it or not, lengthy blogs can be wildly creative, captivating, and yes, designed for people like you and me.
We dedicated a lot of effort to the design aspect of blogs, in order to generate the best results for our clients.
And here are the best blog page design examples along with lessons that can provide your website visitors with the best blog possible.
From the blog archive page to the blog post itself, learn from these best blog design examples to add to your success and content marketing results in 2023 and beyond.
Jump here:
#1 Mastering Sticky Offers and Navigable Content
#2 Prioritizing CTA Graphics Over Feature Images
#3 Respecting the Reader’s Time
#4 Packing in More Blogs without the Clutter
#5 Smart Loading and Single Choices Tactics
#6 Visual Hacks for Easier Reading – The Use of White Space, Header Size, and Paragraph Width
#7 Collapsible Table of Content
#8 Racing to the Finish Using a Progress Bar
#9 “Balancing Design and Load Time
#10 Simple Fonts and Dark Backgrounds Keep Readers Focused
#1 Mastering Sticky Offers and Navigable Content
Kinsta has set a gold standard for blog design, and there’s a lot we all can learn from them.
What makes them stand out?
Their use of sticky offers and an intuitive table of contents.
Before you plot designing your blog, consider the template. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about functionality.
Ask yourself:
- Can readers easily reach out or find what they’re looking for?
- Are your add-on elements more of a distraction or a convenience?
Image source: https://kinsta.com/blog/
Let’s see how Kinsta nails this:
- Table of Content: It’s always there, to your left, like a trusty guidebook. It lets you easily navigate to the section you’re interested in. No more endless scrolling.
- Sticky Top Offer: This little notification only appears as you scroll down to continue reading.
Scroll up to navigate away? The top bar smartly switches back to the website menu. How cool is that? - The Additional Offer Reminder: Once you’re 30% into the content, another offer pops up, but this time, it’s glued to your right. Plus, it even animates to grab your attention without being intrusive.
Kinsta’s blog design is all about being smart, not flashy.
It’s the little things that make a big difference in user experience.
#2 Prioritizing CTA Graphics Over Feature Images
Let’s talk images.
We’ve all seen it—those feature images slapped atop a post, often a generic stock photo that’s vaguely related to the content.
But Culture Amp does things differently, and we think it’s brilliant.
Instead of settling for any image, they’re picky. They save the visual spotlight for the bottom call-to-action (CTA) where it’s crucial to catch your eye.
Image source: https://www.cultureamp.com/blog
Take a stroll on their archive page, and you’ll notice not every blog has an image.
And that’s okay.
When a suitable image is hard to find, they opt for color blocks with eye-catching text. One word even gets highlighted to grab your attention, making it blend seamlessly with the other images.
Image source: https://www.cultureamp.com/blog
And here’s where they go the extra mile: the bottom CTAs.
They’re not just slapped together; they’ve got different versions, each with its own custom graphic. This isn’t just design; it’s strategic crafting.
The lesson?
Know where to invest your time and effort when it comes to blog design. Culture Amp gets it, and now you can too.
#3 Respecting the Reader’s Time
Ever wonder how much time you’ll spend reading a blog? Loomly takes the guesswork out.
At the start of each blog, they tell you the estimated read time.
Image source: https://blog.loomly.com/
Why is this good? According to the internet, this helps increase the time readers spend on your blog and the rest of your website.
Their blogs are long, sure.
But with a clear time indicator and their engaging, easy-to-digest copy, you’re more likely to finish it.
It’s like being handed a menu with calorie counts. You appreciate the transparency and can make an informed choice.
Add a Reading Time Estimate on Your WordPress Blog
So, you’re interested in adding a time-indicator feature like Loomly’s to your WordPress blog?
Here’s a brief rundown to get you started.
For a more detailed guide, check out this informative blog by WPBeginner.
- Install the Reading Time WP Plugin: Go to Plugins > Add New and search for “Reading Time WP”. Install and activate.
- Customize Settings: Navigate to Settings > Reading Time WP to personalize text, color, and placement.
- Insert Shortcode or PHP: Use [rt_reading_time] where you want the reading time to appear, or <?php rt_reading_time( $post->ID ); ?> in your theme’s template files.
Voila! Now your blog posts will display an estimated reading time!
#4 Packing in More Blogs without the Clutter
Most websites stick to showing no more than 10 blogs per page, thinking they’re doing us a favor by not overwhelming us.
But let’s flip the script.
This approach can make it hard for companies with a huge library to showcase their content, especially if they’re publishing daily.
There is a way to add more blogs without causing reader fatigue.
Samsara is using it.
Image source: https://www.samsara.com/blog
Their archive page features over 20 blogs, but guess what? You don’t feel overwhelmed.
That’s because they’ve sorted them meticulously into categories, making it super easy to find what interests you.
What really sets them apart is their layout.
The alternating designs break any potential monotony, so you’re not feeling fatigued scrolling through a sea of posts.
If you’re constantly updating content and want to keep it all accessible, this is an approach worth considering.
Sometimes, more is more—as long as it’s well-organized.
#5 Smart Loading and Single Choices Tactics
Another great example that nails the blog design game is Clover.
They also manage to pack numerous blog entries on their archive page without overwhelming you, using a clever trick: slow loading.
When you land on their page, not everything hits you at once. As blogs gently appear before your eyes, you feel like there’s less to digest.
The pacing is on point, making you more likely to stay and explore.
But what’s more intriguing is their single blog page design.
While most sites cram in ‘related blog’ sections with miniature images and titles, Clover takes a different route.
It elegantly presents the next blog, almost in its entirety. A striking full-size image, an engaging summary, and a snippet with a ‘read more’ button.
Image source: https://blog.clover.com/
The brilliance of this approach lies in its simplicity.
By showcasing only one subsequent article, they significantly boost the chances of readers engaging with it.
If you’re considering adopting this method, remember: the key lies in ensuring that each following blog post is incredibly relevant. Otherwise, you may lose them right away.
#6 Visual Hacks for Easier Reading – The Use of White Space, Header Size, and Paragraph Width
White space isn’t just empty space; it’s a powerful design tool.
Let’s take a simple experiment with two blogs – both proclaim a 4-minute read time (and yes, they also use the read-time estimate on blogs) and are roughly the same length.
Image source: https://www.typeform.com/ & https://clearbit.com/
Yet, the Typeform blog feels breezier. Why?
White space and header size.
These design elements give the eyes a ‘resting space,’ making the reading experience feel less dense.
Beyond this, think about how you feel when reading a chunky paragraph versus one interspersed with images or graphics.
Breaking up text visually isn’t just aesthetic; it’s a reader’s reprieve. This strategy makes content more digestible and engaging.
Now, let’s touch on another subtle design choice – the width of the blog post.
Typeform’s blog is narrower compared to Clearbit’s.
It might seem like a minor detail, but long lines do indeed seem, well, longer.
We’re psychological creatures, after all. A shorter line length not only looks more appealing but tricks our brains into thinking, “I can finish this quickly!”
In the world of blog design, perception is reality.
The easier and quicker a blog appears, the more likely people are to dive in.
#7 Collapsible Table of Content
Another noteworthy example comes from Oberlo.
We’ve all been there—faced with a long blog article and an equally long table of content that makes us dizzy just looking at it.
Oberlo offers a neat solution.
Instead of overwhelming the reader with a long, static table of contents on the side, Oberlo uses a collapsible side menu.
Image source: https://www.oberlo.com/blog/c-corp-vs-s-corp
This side menu is sticky. So, you get to decide when to open it and when to tuck it away.
It’s the little design choices like these that contribute to a reader-friendly experience.
#8 Racing to the Finish Using a Progress Bar
Another great example we’ve come across is Wave.
Anyone visiting their archive page will instantly note how meticulously organized it is.
Image source: https://www.waveapps.com/blog
With an archive that neatly fits 30+ articles and categories, they’ve clearly got a handle on content organization.
But there’s more.
Wave also displays reading time estimates for their articles. We’ve got a hunch they’ve seen benefits from this, but we’ll be testing this feature ourselves soon to get some hard data.
But what really grabs our attention? The progress bar at the top of each article, when you scroll.
The bright blue, eye-catching graphic turns reading into a mini-game.
It’s not just a functional feature; it’s a playful challenge, urging readers to keep going.
#9 “Balancing Design and Load Time
Hello Sign (now known as Dropbox Sign) offers another great example in blog design.
They’ve found a balance between eye-catching graphics and webpage speed, an issue many overlook.
Instead of full-width images that take forever to load, they’ve minimized the sizes.
The top image is only less than half-width of your screen but packs a visual punch, and importantly, loads quickly.
Image source: https://www.dropbox.com/
Moreover, they’ve kept their blogs concise.
Recognizing this, they’ve positioned their table of contents conveniently in the article, near the top. If you’re impatient like me and want to jump to specific sections, you can.
#10 Simple Fonts and Dark Backgrounds Keep Readers Focused
Another factor to consider is the text font.
Keep it simple when it comes to fonts.
The real eye-catchers should be the interactive elements like answer boxes or unique HTML features.
These components will do the heavy lifting in keeping your readers engaged, so your body text should be easy on the eyes.
Ever thought about flipping the switch and going dark?
It’s not just a “cool” factor. Dark backgrounds, like the ones Pipe uses, can give your readers’ eyes a much-needed break.
Image source: https://pipe.com/
This modern aesthetic isn’t just edgy; it’s also easier on the eyes for extended reading sessions.
So, if you’re looking to blend modern design trends with user comfort, going dark might just be a refreshing twist to add to your blog’s design.
Next Steps in Your Blog Design Journey
So, are you sold yet?
Blogs don’t have to be boring, regardless of how “boring” your company is.
Today, we’ve looked at some game-changing blog designs from companies that don’t always instantly call for creativity— from B2B to SaaS to finance. And guess what? They’re rocking it.
By implementing these best practices, you can also see your pageviews and SEO traffic go through the roof.
Ready to give your blog the facelift it deserves but not sure where to start?
No worries, get in touch. We’re here to help guide you through your own blog design journey.
