Hero
A clear indicator it's a blog, whether it's for an individual, team or company
Navigation
A logo, links to visit, a CTA, and potentially a search function
⭐️ Utilise navigational links to show sub topics
Layout
How sections and blog posts are structured
⭐️ Consider what's above the fold on mobile, tablet and desktop
⭐️ Consider blog article order (newest first, trending) and what headings accompany it
⭐️ A grid layout with multiple posts on a row has more density
Blog post preview
The visuals and text of a blog post
⭐️ Typography hierarchy is important here - a user must clearly see the heading first
⭐️ A relevant, eye-catching thumbnail sets the mood of the content (and should be tied back to your brand!)
⭐️ If you include a description, it should be economical in clearly explaining the blog post
⭐️ A link to view blog post is more accessible than making the whole card clickable
Social sharing tools
Ability for the user to share or send the blog to other
⭐️ Positioning this element in a fixed position on the page allows the opportunity for the user to share the post at any point
Description
Summarise what's covered in the blog — shown in the hero
Tags and/or categories
A topic that can be attached to a blog post for convenient filtering
⭐️ Use tags considerately, otherwise they'll become less meaningful to use
⭐️ Categories should align at the same level, with subcategories being used to go a level deeper
Search function
Have lots of posts? Search makes it easier for the user to find the content they desire
Opt-in for subscription
A signup form for users to complete to make them a subscriber of the blog's content
Sidebar
This can contain additional links and resources that support the blog posts e.g. search function, popular posts, trending topics
Pagination
Break up your content into pages after 10-20 items (there are pros and cons on both sides of the pagination vs infinite scroll argument, so go with what suits your product better!)
Comments
A section for discussion that users can join and contribute to
⭐️ Including comments can depend on your audience - do they prefer to discuss on the page itself, or share it with their network and discuss on social networks?
