The blog plays an important role for a website. It makes it dynamic, provided that it is regularly fed by blog posts. This way, it has a better chance of being ranked in the top search results. The advantage of having a blog is not only the improvement of the SEO of the website. Much more than that, the blog helps you build a trusting relationship with your subscribers. The problem is that you are new to Webflow. Since you haven't mastered it yet, you are wondering how to create a blog on Webflow. In this guide, I will show you all the facets you need to know about blogging on Webflow.

🌈Survey

Have you ever had the opportunity to create a blog? On Webflow or elsewhere?

No, this is the first time

Yes, but with other site creators (would you please specify?)

Yes, I did it on Webflow, but I didn't get to the end (oh really? Tell me why, maybe I can help you?)

Others ? Don't hesitate to give your opinion in comments!

Contents

Steps to create a blog on Webflow

1. CMS Model
2. Blog customization
3. Feedback system
4. Publication
5. Promotion

Importance of blogs on Webflow

Secret of a successful blog on Webflow

Conclusion

In video

Steps for creating blogs on Webflow

1. Blog template on Webflow

To facilitate the creation of blogs on Webflow, it is better to use a pre-designed template. Remember, our principle is to be able to create a professional website (possibly with a blog) without having to code. If you don't start from a template, the design will be more or less difficult.

The first thing to do is to look for the right model for your brand, for your activity. Of course, finding one that perfectly matches your expectations would be difficult. Whatever you choose, you will probably have to customize the design (more on that later).

Concerning the choice of template, you should not choose just any template! Make sure you choose a CMS (content management system) template, i.e. one adapted to a blog. This will make the rest of the work easier: adding content, comments system, etc. On the contrary, with a simple template (not adapted to the CMS), the publication of articles will be somewhat complicated.

Where exactly are the templates located? In the top bar of the screen, click on resources. A drop-down menu will appear, and you have to go to "templates". This is where you need to filter your search. To do this, type "blog" in the search bar and all the CMS templates will be displayed, and all you have to do is choose the one that suits you best.

As for the other website and blog creators, the proposed templates exist in 2 types:

• some are paying
• others are free

If you are a real beginner, I advise you to progress little by little. A free template will do very well, just to familiarize yourself with the platform.

In both cases (free and paid models), you will always have access to the details by clicking on the model you are interested in.

2. Customization of the blog on Webflow

As I just told you, you won't be completely satisfied with the design you've chosen. Which is understandable! After all, we're web designers; we're not going to easily settle for a website template designed by someone else. The urge to let our creativity speak for itself will prevail.

You would like to customize the template in question, but first you have to import it into your dashboard. This is done automatically (as soon as you click on use template for free or buy template for X USD). You will then be automatically redirected to your dashboard.

Don't forget to rename the project so you don't get lost. In free mode, you can create 2 sites (which is equivalent to 2 projects). By subscribing to Webflow, you will be able to manage more projects.

After renaming the project, let's customize the blog

Change the typography of the blog

Typography is only one element among many, and yet it plays a significant role in the design of the blog; blogs being mainly composed of text.

Now, for each model, a set of typefaces is already given. I'm not suggesting that these fonts are ugly. On the contrary, if you don't mind leaving them there, that's your choice. But if they don't match the graphic charter or if they don't manage to bring out the desired emotion, that's another matter. It is absolutely necessary to change it. It's also a way to make the blog more original.

How to choose the best typography for a website? I talk about it in my guide.

Moreover, the modification of these typographies can be done in 2 ways:

• by selector
• by tags

Let me explain. Let's say you want to start the change with the title. So you have to select the title in question ("selector"). Then a set of menus appears on the right of the screen. The one we are interested in is the "typography" part.

In this section, you can access these different options:

• police
• fat
• font size
• color
• height
• alignment
• style
• spacing
• withdrawal
• etc.

What about larger changes (more than just a title)? It is better to modify the tags. I'll use the body text of the blog to illustrate this example.

On the page in question, go to the right sidebar. From there you can access the style panel. Then click on selector, then body. Finally, go back to the typography panel to choose the font you want. As you can see, the modifications by tag affect a larger area than those by selector. It's fast!

Also, the list of fonts proposed by Webflow is not sufficient. I much prefer the Google Fonts which are available further down in the site settings.

Change the texts of the blog

So far, the blog is only composed of dummy texts. We will have to modify them. How to do it? If the blog is still in draft version (not yet published), the modifications are done via the designer. On the other hand, if the blog is already published, you will work from the editor. In any case, the modifications are done in real time. You don't even need to preview the blog's appearance.

What about writing actual blog posts?

To publish a new post, go to the toolbar on the left. Click on CMS, then posts (or the name you have given to your blog), and finally, new posts.

In fact, the CMS (content management system), as its name indicates, allows you to manage everything related to content. Apart from the fact that you can create articles, it is also possible, through this functionality, to :

• change the cover image of blog posts
• change the titles of each article
• manage the contact information of your team members
• and many others... I let you discover the rest.

Each time you want to write new articles, you just have to repeat these steps (CMS > posts > new posts); nothing too complicated.

A new window will appear, and you will be asked to fill in the empty fields with the appropriate content:

• title of the article
• introduction
• category
• body content
• author
• etc.

Once you have done all this, click on publish. Your article is online (as long as the blog is online of course)!

Good to note: changing the titles of your blog posts has no impact on its URL. And if you change the URLs of your articles, the ones displayed on the home page will change automatically.

3. Feedback system

Tell me, why would you want to create a blog? Actually, a blog has several roles:

• to show your expertise on a given subject to Internet users
• to gain the trust of your potential customers
• to retain your current customers,
• but above all, to maintain a relationship with your followers

You don't have to be the only one to write your opinions. Invite them to give their opinion as well. But to do so, you will have to allow them to do so, by integrating a comment system on the blog.

4. Publication of the blog

When you register on Webflow, you are entitled to a domain of this form: domain.webflow.io. To look more professional, however, it is recommended that you have a custom domain. You will have to buy one and subscribe to a paid offer on Webflow.

I recently wrote a guide on this subject: how to choose a domain name.

In short, all you have to do is click on "publish" (top right).

Congratulations! Your blog is online!

In case you want to collaborate with other people (editors and copywriters or other web designers), you should know that Webflow also allows you to do so. Simply "Invite collaborators", via the same "share" button, on the top toolbar. A drop-down menu will appear, and there you can click on "invite collaborators".

5. Promotion of the blog on Webflow

Finally, it's time to make your blog known! As soon as you publish your blog, the chances of it being found by Internet users are lower. So I advise you to share the link with your friends, your network... Unfortunately, this is not enough. The referencing (SEO) of the site must be taken into account.

Another guide has been produced on this subject.

Sharing the link to the blog, as well as articles that are already on it, on social networks also helps. Even better, if it creates a buzz, it shows Google that the blog and its contents are relevant, and therefore, it will rank it in its search results easily.

Importance of creating a blog on Webflow

As a web designer, is blogging mandatory? Mandatory, no. But it's in your best interest to do so.

• To show your expertise

Now that you have your blog, you'll need to write at least one blog post once a week. Obviously, you're not going to talk about something that has nothing to do with your business. The best would be to write about topics related to web design. Like I do on my blog, I talk about webdesign and webflow.

I do this for a specific purpose: to demonstrate my expertise in this field. This way, I can easily gain your trust, but also that of my potential clients.

• To build a relationship of trust

Over time, you will have caught the attention of a few people so that they follow your blog regularly. It is with these people that you can build a relationship of trust. Through your blog posts, you can help them, inspire them, etc. Each of your articles should add value. For each of them, try to solve a problem, give a solution, help others... In short, you meet the needs of your target.

Not only will you build trust with others, but you will also work on your self-confidence. The more you write, the more knowledge and confidence you gain, and the more grateful you will be to yourself.

• To show what you can do (Experience & Portfolio)

At first, I was like you. I knew nothing about the web. I was just an eager enthusiast, and yet, look where I got. I created this blog myself. By seeing it, my potential clients and students get a glimpse of what I can do.

I even think that by following my advice on creating Webflow blogs to the letter, beginners will have EVERYTHING to gain. They have little (if any) experience in web design, so creating their own blog is very interesting. They will use it as a portfolio, not to mention the experience they gained while creating the blog.

• To get more customers

I told you earlier that creating a successful blog on Webflow can inspire confidence in potential customers. But then again, a successful and well referenced blog will bring in customers. Your site will be effectively visible on search engines, and it will be easier for you to attract customers.

Other: how to find customers

• To stimulate your creativity

To be creative, you need to work on your creativity regularly. Writing blog posts can help you do that. Indeed, the regularity that blogging requires forces you to renew your inspiration (especially on the topics of blogging).

Also, when you write, you have the opportunity to explain what you can do. As they say, "it's one thing to know, it's another to explain".

• To get better organized

More than just writing, blogging requires certain technical and organizational skills. In addition to writing, you'll need to find time to write, know how to network, etc.

But it's not easy to do all these things at once. If you can't do it, you risk neglecting the others (a poor quality article, for example).

As time goes on, you will get better at it.

• To earn money

Did you know that you can earn extra income by blogging? There are several ways to do so, namely: advertisements, affiliate links or selling products/services. But it's not something that can be easily obtained. Behind monetized blogs is a lot of hard work (if only to work on the design of the site, its SEO, the study of the target, the products that could interest him, etc.).

For the affiliate links for example, you should be able to write memorable and enjoyable content. Enough to make people click on your article and the different affiliate links.

Let's go back to the method of monetizing a blog by selling services. Here are some examples: ebook, coaching, consulting, training on Webflow...

🔮The secrets of a successful blog

There is no secret. Everyone knows that content is king. Once you've created your blog, you need to focus on its content.

• Regular publication

To start, you need to post content regularly. Preferably, do it weekly: at least once, but if you have enough time and resources to do more, it will be even better.

• Attractive design

I'm not going to give you a long lecture on website design. Instead, I'll focus on the visual aspect of a blog post. To make it attractive, you need to structure the text in a way that it is well ventilated. A long block of text will never make you want to read.

Although structured and well-spaced out, if your article is not adorned with images, videos or gifs to illustrate your words, it will not appeal to Internet users. That's why it's important to choose the right media to insert. For the images for example, make sure they are free of rights.

• Responsive

More than half of all internet users browse the internet via their mobile. It is therefore crucial to ensure that your blog is both mobile and computer friendly. This check is done before anything else, that is to say as soon as you choose the CMS model that we saw at the top of the list. A blog that is not mobile-friendly is difficult to use, which will simply make users stop coming back. On Webflow, the sites are automatically responsive.

• Optimization of the article

Putting images in your blog post is good. But it's even better if you optimize them. Indeed, high resolution images have an impact on the speed of the site. And a slow loading site will drive visitors away. One thing leads to another, and then Google detects that users do not like your site. It automatically downgrades it from its position.

I suggest you remove all the images that slow down the site, or at least optimize them.

• SEO : blacklinks

I haven't had the time to talk about it much yet. Blacklinks are links coming from other sites and pointing to your site (whether via comments, reviews, or blog posts...). These blacklinks will be analyzed by Google. With quality links, the referencing of your site can only improve.

Now, there are 2 types of blacklinks:

• those obtained naturally
• those we buy

There is nothing better than natural blacklinks. The only thing left to do is to know how to earn them. From experience, I know that if you produce a quality and complete article, obtaining quality blacklinks becomes easier. Hence the importance of dealing with subjects that you master, with enough information, on your blog.

Conclusion

Creating a blog on Webflow is finally not as complicated as you thought. If you start on the right basis, your blog will be quite successful, that is to say: visited by many people, because it is visible on the Internet, but it will certainly convert your prospects into customers, you will create a community, etc.

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