Can content overcome style on a blog?

[Jon]

Been thinking about this quite a bit recently

If you have a blog with good content that both Google and your readers like it will it overcome a theme or style that doesn't make the site look so hot.

I have often thought that content rules all but I find I am totally put off blogs or sites with constant sidebar ads or worse, the popup ones. Mix that with a bright pink theme or something I just lose interest in the content which is a shame.

What makes you choose the style or theme that you do on a blog? Is style as important as the content on the blogs that you read?

 

[FreeSwagSites]

Been thinking about this quite a bit recently

If you have a blog with good content that both Google and your readers like it will it overcome a theme or style that doesn't make the site look so hot.

I have often thought that content rules all but I find I am totally put off blogs or sites with constant sidebar ads or worse, the popup ones. Mix that with a bright pink theme or something I just lose interest in the content which is a shame.

What makes you choose the style or theme that you do on a blog? Is style as important as the content on the blogs that you read?

I think that content is still king - especially since it will be hard to rank well with awful content in the first place. I will leave a site if the spelling and grammar is consistently awful too. The odd typo here and there can be forgiven, but if someone can't be bothered to use a speller/grammar checking software if they know that it's a problem for them I tend to doubt the quality of their research also.

Having said that, visual appeal is very important - we are all very visual creatures and I agree that pop ups and themes that are hard on the eyes often lead me to press the back button. I suppose that the extent to which it is important very much depends upon the niche. Cutting-edge funky niches require a more impressive look to please the visitor, whereas a site that is just giving out information needn't be so concerned. Wikipedia isn't exactly visually appealing, but people love to use it for some strange reason.

 

[Jon]

aye, all valid points

I feel writing style can also have an impact on if I connect with a blog.

I think wordpress and the like can just DO so much in terms of what they offer the user in terms of creativity that people tend to go ALL OUT.

I am very much minimalist in terms of how I want my sites to look because for me, functionality (especially on tablets) is KEY!. I have had blogs that don't scroll properly or run some kind of ad that auto kicks me to the App Store to download something that I just don't bother with anymore

 

[Blackpepper1]

Content is good and plenty of it preferably broken up with some pics or images to keep it interesting. I like Blogs with variety content wise with a nice theme and without too many ads.
If there are popups or redirects that puts me off a Blog.
If there are lots of mistakes grammar wise then that puts me off.
I don't mind Adsense since their ads are generally of good quality and aren't too disruptive and fit in with the content that is on the Blog anyway. I completely understand that people want to monetize their Blog in some way and earn some money from it and I don't mind that. Often I have seen something interesting ad wise that is worth me checking out.
A nice theme that is easy on the eyes and not garish or difficult to read is a must. I checked out loads of themes before I was finally found one that I liked.