A Blogging Fallacy

When I first started blogging I was elated at the ease of which I could set up and design blogs using basic templates.  At some point I started tweaking basic templates and I still do.  I don't use custom made templates for a couple of reasons.  First even though I could sit down and design a custom made template myself why reinvent the wheel?  Designing a custom made template is time consuming taking away from what I felt was more important, blogging.  Custom made templates are available free of charge with a link back but you are restricted to their design and colours as well as their image hosting site.  The down side to this is if their image hosting site becomes too popular your background may easily become a series of bandwidth exceeded graphics which is rather ugly to say the least.  The next alternative is to buy a custom made template design.  This is quite feasible but for many bloggers it just ads an additional cost not only for the first design but each time you decide to change your design. 

Blog design in many ways becomes a blogging fallacy.  Some bloggers are so intent on having the best design without realizing the design is just window dressing.  Search engines do not see the pretty graphics you so lovingly designed, tweaking the colours to perfection.  Search engines see your blog as text which is one reason every single picture appearing on your blog needs the alt="" tag.  Without search engine traffic you can have the prettiest blog design out there but what does it matter if no one sees it?

I don't think there is anything wrong with using a basic, generic blogging template at all.  Sure it may have the same layout as other blogs that's as far as it needs to go.  You can tweak to your heart's content to get your own unique look and feel then move on to what is really important, content.  Too many bloggers spend way too much time making their blogs look gorgeous but their content is nothing but fluff if even that.  Readers aren't looking for pretty they are looking for information and content.  As a blogger, I try to focus on content first and design second.  I realized a long time ago that content is king!

Garden Gnome
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