Problogger asked the question today, Blog Design - Does it Matter? Short answer yes. But, we need to take this further.

Darren provides two sides of this.

1. On the one side are some blogger who argue that design is secondary and not that important as that it’s content that is what draws people to a blog and keeps them there. This camp often argues that with a lot of people reading blogs these days through RSS that design is less important as people rarely see it.
2. On the flip side we have the argument that design is very important because it creates a first impression in the mind of potential readers and that it’s around this first impression that many readers base their decision about whether they will subscribe.

Darren says he is of the second side. However, he does add

“There are some fairly standard (and even ugly) looking blogs (and many with default/free templates) going around that have big readership so it is possible to ‘make it’ without a custom design.”

Kevin O’Keefe at LexBlog agrees and says this:

I’m in the second camp as well. I don’t buy the concept of proving to folks that I can practice law by spending less than anyone. Looks matter.

I too am of the second camp. What actually blows me away are those who think a well designed blog does not make or break a blog or your marketing effort.

Take for example this statement from The Inspired Solo:

For one, I no longer think design is the critical hallmark of success many make it out to be –it’s certainly not in the top three “Most Important Things About Your Blog That Make Me Read It Again and Again.”

Granted she is making that statement while talking about RSS and RSS readers. However, there is only a small number of blog readers who use RSS. And in fact, there are not that many who actually know they are reading a blog versus a “standard” Web site.

For many businesses, whether that be a home based business, home based professional service firm, downtown firm or downtown business, the first impression we make is extremely important. And for some of us, our blog is that first impression. You “dress for success” when you are out meeting clients or in the downtown office. Isn’t it just as important for your marketing efforts to be well dressed too?

Think of it from a reader’s perspective. If I click on your blog and am put off by the overall look and feel of your site, I won’t return or subscribe. Content rules, yes, especially for your RSS readers, but design is like the PR guy who’s trying to get you to visit.

It’s like judging a book by its cover. It could be either crap or a wonderful story inside, but if the cover doesn’t catch my attention, I’m not going to pick it up in the first place. When I’m flipping through random sites or clicking through links of links of links…..I skim right by those that don’t look great. I have to actually force myself to skim through text on blogs, for example, that are hosted on Blogger and use one of the default templates…and still have the random default spots unfilled like ‘put links here’ and ‘This is your about me section,’ etc

I don’t understand those individuals and businesses who don’t believe this. Who don’t believe that first impression is not important. And what is worse, having a well designed, professionally designed blog is not that expensive. I challenge anyone to find a blog design firm who charges as much as or more than what some will pay for a large yellow page ad in a major market. You can’t do it.

I wrote a post sometime back called, Blog Design Matters. This is a topic we revisit often. In that previous post, I included the results of a study done where readers were asked if blog design matter.

The responses from readers were striking. Professional blog design was viewed as a necessity, especially when blogging as a professional.

Design is not important because readers use RSS to read my blog. Bull!!

Since the reader needs to be convinced to subscribe to your blog, design is a very important matter. Looking at it from the readers point of view, ‘If you had to choose between two mobile phones with exactly the same features with one being stylish and the other looking like the work of an amateur - which would you choose?’ Design is added value with the result being more than the sum of its parts - design supports content and the other way round.

And other RSS users:

Though I may read blog posts in a newsreader, I need to come to the blog to subscribe, where if it looks good, I subscribe.

Design matters to me when I read blogs. I generally read posts in my feed reader, but for two exceptions, one being to click through and read the posts directly on sites with great designs.

When I first started my practice, I fell into the trap of doing all those yellow page ads. Did they pay off, only to the Yellow Pages. I spent less and spend less to maintain well designed blogs and get much better results. But, I do not believe my results would have been as good if the blogs were not well designed. I know first hand, and I know others will echo this, once I changed my designs to be more professional and in fact done professionally, my traffic increased. And my subscribers increased.

It is our subscribers which are important, not just the fact someone is reading our post in their RSS feeder. Many of my subscribers come from email subscribers. And all of my subscribes had to visit my blog first. Would they have subscribed without the good design? I do not believe so. You have to make that good first impression to make them a reader in my view.

Marketing is a cost of doing business. Good marketing will get you business and keep it coming back time and time again. Make sure you are leaving a good first impression in your marketing efforts so you do get the maximum return on your marketing investment.

I have always been on the position that it is important for a business, any business to have a blog that is professionally designed. Your web presence is important to you and you should look your best when visitors come to your blog. First impressions are important. You don’t want your readers questioning your professionalism due to an design that does not present well.