how-to-start-a-blog

More on themes(blog’s design and layout)The first thing your blog’s front end needs is a face (design andlayout). You need to create an environment that is both eye-catching,and practical. In the long run, you want your visitors to easily findinformation on your blog. You don’t want visitors to be discouragedby the colors you choose or the non-intuitive and unpractical way inwhich information is displayed. Your design can cause instant distrustof your blog or instant acceptance.You should start your theme hunt as soon as your WordPress platformis installed. The look and feel of your blog relies on the themeyou choose. Your readers will first notice the overall appearance ofthe blog, before even taking a look at the content. You should choosea theme that looks great, but also works for your unique contentneeds. The default theme that comes with your WordPress blog installedis Twenty Fourteen - while it’s a good starter theme, you willwant to choose something to make it more unique.Here’s a quick checklist for choosing your theme by searchingwithin blog dashboard:Read the description - Each theme usually comes with the shortdescription of the features and functionalities. By reading ityou should have a rough idea if it matches your needs and howcustomizable it is.Check the ratings - Popular themes will have star ratings that arevisible in the preview and under theme details. They should give youa clear idea how good the theme is.Preview the theme - preview the theme to get an idea of theoverall look and layout.Check for responsiveness - Aim for a responsive design thatwill work on desktop browsers and mobile devices. This isrecommended by Google.If you find a theme that takes your breath away, cool down. Onceyou install the theme you like, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t lookquite right. Your theme is just a skeleton of your blog - to make itappealing you will have to fill in content (text, photos, videos, etc.).Earlier, we showed you how to add content to your blog.29