Top 5 Blogger Design Mistakes That Make Your Blog Look Amateur

Top 5 Blogger Design Mistakes That Make Your Blog Look Amateur (And How to Fix Them)

Let’s keep it real — you could be writing gold, but if your blog looks like it’s stuck in 2012, nobody’s sticking around to read it.

I’ve been blogging on Blogger for a while now, and one thing I’ve noticed is this: most new bloggers ruin their first impression because of simple design mistakes. Nothing major, just small things that instantly make your blog look… off.

So in this post, I want to walk you through the top 5 design mistakes I see on Blogger — and more importantly, show you how to fix them. Whether you're running a blog about tech, cars (like I do at Code & Clutch), or anything else — this advice will clean up your design and help your site look legit.

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🚫 Mistake #1: Using Outdated or Cluttered Themes

This one’s a classic.

You install a free Blogger theme — probably something like “Awesome Inc.” or “Simple” — and leave it as-is. But here’s the problem: many of these default themes were designed over a decade ago.

Outdated layouts, poor mobile responsiveness, clunky sidebars — all of it screams old school, and not in a good way.

❗ Why it matters:

• Visitors think your site is abandoned or untrustworthy.

• It feels harder to navigate.

• Your blog doesn’t look like a “brand,” it looks like a school project.

✅ Fix:

• Switch to a modern responsive theme (like Contempo or Notable).

• Or use a free third-party theme from SoraTemplates, Way2Themes, or Gooyaabi — just make sure it’s mobile-friendly.

• Customize it. Don’t settle for the default colors and fonts.

Your design should be clean, organized, and match your niche.

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🚫 Mistake #2: Crazy Fonts and Color Combos

Let’s be honest — sometimes we get too excited.

You pick a bold header font, neon green links, a pink background, and maybe even Comic Sans just for “fun.” But the result? Chaos.

❗ Why it matters:

Bad typography and color usage instantly turn readers off. It makes your blog look unprofessional and harder to read.

✅ Fix:

• Stick to 2–3 fonts only. Use one for headers, one for body text.

• Choose Google Fonts like:

  • Poppins (modern)

  • Roboto (clean)

  • Merriweather (classy)

• For colors, use a simple palette:

  • One main color (e.g. red)

  • One background color (usually white or off-white)

  • One accent (gray or black)

👉 Tools to help:

• Google Fonts

• Coolors.co or ColorHunt.co for palettes

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🚫 Mistake #3: Cluttered Sidebars and Gadgets Everywhere

One of the fastest ways to ruin your layout is filling your sidebar with every possible gadget:

• Blog archive

• Visitor counter

• Calendar

• Fish tank

• “Followers” box from 2010

It makes your blog look more like MySpace than a clean website.

❗ Why it matters:

• It distracts readers from your content.

• Slows down your page.

• Hurts your chances of looking trustworthy or professional.

✅ Fix:

Keep only what’s useful in your sidebar:

• About Me (short text or image)

• Categories (Labels)

• Recent Posts

• Search bar

• Social links (icons, not big boxes)

Everything else? Remove it.

In Blogger > Layout, you can easily click “Edit” or “Remove” on each gadget.

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🚫 Mistake #4: No Mobile Optimization

In 2025, mobile is king. If your site looks fine on desktop but terrible on a phone, you’re in trouble.

Many Blogger themes don’t automatically optimize for mobile unless you check the right settings.

❗ Why it matters:

• More than 70% of blog traffic is from mobile.

• Google ranks mobile-friendly sites higher.

• Readers will bounce if the layout breaks or loads weird.

✅ Fix:

• Go to Theme > Customize > Mobile

• Enable mobile version (or choose a responsive theme)

• Test on your own phone — not just in the preview

• Avoid wide images, long menus, or overlapping elements

👉 Bonus tip: Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test

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🚫 Mistake #5: No Branding or Visual Identity

Many new bloggers don’t treat their site like a brand. They don’t have a logo, a consistent layout, or even a color theme.

It’s just content dropped on a page.

❗ Why it matters:

If your blog doesn’t look like you, it doesn’t stand out.

No one remembers “another tech blog” — they remember Code & Clutch because of its name, layout, color theme, and overall vibe.

✅ Fix:

• Add a custom logo (you can make one free with Canva)

• Choose a consistent font and color scheme

• Use branded headers and section dividers

• Write an “About” page that tells your story and shows your tone

Branding isn’t just for companies — it’s how you tell readers:
“This is my corner of the internet.”

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⚡ Bonus: Other Small Mistakes That Add Up

These aren’t deal-breakers alone, but they make a difference:

• No favicon (tiny icon in browser tab)

• Too many ads too early (wait until your layout is clean)

• No clear navigation (missing menu or confusing structure)

• Broken links or unfinished pages

• Inconsistent post formatting (fonts, spacing, alignment)

Fixing these shows that you care — and your audience will feel it.

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✅ Final Thoughts

Making a blog on Blogger can still be worth it in 2025 — but only if you design it with intention.

The fastest way to scare off readers (and Google) is to let your site look outdated, cluttered, or broken. The good news? Every single one of these mistakes is fixable without needing to be a developer.

Clean layout = More trust
Good fonts = Better reading
Simple design = Faster growth

So take a few minutes this week to audit your blog.

Cut the noise. Keep it sharp.
And remember: your content deserves a layout that matches its value.

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Want help fixing any of these on your blog? I’ve been tweaking Blogger for years. Just message me here at Code & Clutch, and I’ll show you how to style it up — slider, banner, sticky nav and all.