How many columns make the best blog?
Jason, one of my Simple, Successful Blogging program students recently asked me to share “the advantages/disadvantages of one-column, two-column, and three-column set ups.” Below are my thoughts on the subject as well as a couple of links where you can read others thoughts on the matter before coming to your own conclusion.
Things to consider when choosing your blog layout (theme)
- Choose the set up that will best help you fulfill your blog’s purpose. As Orangeguru said in his comment at Weblog Tools Collection, “Form should always follow function. Unless you define the functions a layout has to fulfill there is no clear answer to your needs.”
- Select a set up that will serve your target audience. If you write primarily for super-techies, you can have lots of widgets, plugins, social media links, and various other things on your pages and everyone will be happy. Conversely, let’s say you are an ADD/ADHD coach/counselor and your blog is for folks with ADD/ADHD. If you’ve got a 3-column theme with lots going on, this is likely to be “too much” for your readers.
- Pick a blog theme that you like (unless you have absolutely no taste or style). Face it, it’s your blog and you’ll be spending more time there than most folks, so go with a blog layout that you enjoy looking at AND that you can easily work with.
Pros and cons of blog layouts
One column — Simple (somewhat) and clean. I just wonder where various navigation items go. If you decide to promote events, causes, products, or political candidates it seems that you have no logical place to put them unless it’s on a static page somewhere. To me the 1-column blog layout is the equivalent of a dress without pockets. It looks nice, yet I’m forced to carry a purse because it’s not very utilitarian.- Two columns – Still simple (most of the time) and now I have somewhere to put other items of relative importance that help people navigate my site. As long as you are thoughtful about what you place in your sidebar, I think that the two-column blog layout offers the right mix of style and practicality. In my book, the 2-column blog layout is equivalent to a wrinkle-resistant pair of slacks with 4 pockets. It wears well in many settings and it’s still practical.
- Three columns – Simple has gone by the wayside and now the blog is choc full of information everywhere I look. While this might allow you to fit in every last plugin, ad, and info nugget, I think you run a much higher risk of overwhelming people with three columns (there may be exceptions, so feel free to share them in the comments area). My call is that the 3-column blog layout is like the parachute pants of the ’80s or today’s cargo pants stuffed full-to-bursting. It’s cool that you can carry your worldly possessions with you, but that’s not truly practical or pretty, so why do it.
Other’s opinions on the best blog layouts
Now, just so you can get tons of other ideas, I invite you to read what other bloggers have to say on the subject of blog layout.
Below are selected quotes from Lorelle VanFossen. Check out the opinions of her readers too.
- “I believe that above everything else, your blog must ‘look’ like what you want it to look like. It must reflect who you are and what you blog about. The choice of how many sidebars the blog requires must service those points.”
- “The single most important feature on your blog is the navigation.”
- “As important as the blog title, post title, content, and other contextual information is, if the visitor [to your blog] cannot move where they arrive to other places on your blog, how will they ever know of all the other wonderful things you have done here?”
Mark at Weblog Tools Collection wrote, “I personally prefer one column themes with a minimal second column. Most information that is put on my sidebar(s) is extraneous and could be placed elsewhere. I have also found that some of that information deters from the original content of the blog.” Like Lorelle’s readers, Mark’s have some valuable input as well. Read their comments on choosing the right blog layout.
If you’re now either overwhelmed by the myriad of voices or feel torn between having to choose a layout for your blog, you can do what I do in similar situations — Eenie, meenie, miney, mo (or if you prefer, flip a coin) to make your choice. 
If you’d like to add your opinion to this conversation or share resources to help others make the right blog layout choice for them, please comment.
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