[photopress:Seattle_Real_Estate_Guide_3_20_2005_11_44_34_AM.jpg,thumb,alignright]Merv makes some great points about the importance of style in blogging. (He hits the nail on the head when he says Curbed “makes me dizzy…”).

Here are some tips I would add to the discussion:

1. KISS: Keep it simple, …
2. Graphics/photos are great, but don’t let them overpower the conversation.
3. Don’t start from scratch. Evey blogging platform has themes you can download and install for free. Here’s a great theme browser for wordpress with hundreds of (free) downloadable themes. Start with one of these themes and edit it until it matches your personality.
4. All blogging platforms separate “style” from “content”. In practice this means that all of the posts and comments are stored in a database, while the way the posts “look” is stored in a simple text file (In WordPress this file is called “style.css”). An amazing amount of personalization can be done by editing this one file. If you get to this level, you might be surprised how quickly you can “own” the look of your blog!

However, at the end of the day, don’t lose sight of the fact that substance is what keeps readers coming back for more! In other words, I continue to visit the Property Grunt on a daily basis despite the fact that he has never modified his theme. Content counts more than style!