Change the theme on Blogspot since change is the spice of life. Hahaha.
Frankly speaking, I was feeling bored looking at a few of my blog sites. Just for your information, I have made around 11 blog sites on Blogspot and a few on WordPress. Apart from these, I owned a site.
For a long time, I tried to customize my blogs but I was never satisfied. When I was not convinced with the design of a few of my blog sites how could I expect my viewers to like my blogs.
I'm writing this blog page for bloggers on Blogspot and I assume you are one of them. If not, don't worry, you can make your own blog free of cost. Click here to know the way. Actually, Blogspot is a free blogging platform owned by Google.
Before knowing how to change the theme on Blogspot let's know a few reasons for changing the theme. Although there are many other reasons for changing the theme on Blogspot.
Why change the theme on Blogspot
There are several reasons why you might want to change the theme of your Blogspot blog:
a) Improve the visual appeal:
Visual appeal increases retention on your blog and it also increases repeat visits of your readers. Thus it also improves ranking.
Freshen things up: A new theme can breathe new life into your blog and make it more visually appealing to your readers.
Match your brand or content: Different themes offer different aesthetics and functionalities. A new theme can better align with your overall brand identity or the specific content you're creating.
Enhance readability and user experience: A well-designed theme can improve the layout and readability of your content, making it easier for visitors to navigate and engage with your blog.
b) Boost engagement and traffic:
Engagement increases your blog ranking hence increasing organic traffic. Thus it also affects the revenue you are generating from your blog.
Attract new readers: A visually appealing and modern theme can help attract new readers and make your blog stand out from the competition.
Improve user experience: A theme that is optimized for mobile devices and offers features like fast loading times and clear navigation can improve user experience and keep visitors engaged.
Enhance SEO: While the theme itself doesn't directly impact SEO, a mobile-friendly, fast-loading theme can contribute to positive user experience signals, which Google considers in its ranking algorithms.
c) Boost your own motivation:
Boosting your own motivation is essential as it increases your confidence. Thus you can promote your blog and suggest others.
Personal satisfaction: Working with a new theme can be a fun and creative process, helping you feel more invested in your blog and motivated to create new content.
Experimentation and discovery: Exploring different themes allows you to experiment with different styles and find what resonates best with you and your audience.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to change your theme is up to you. But hopefully, these reasons have given you something to think about and helped you decide if a new theme might be the right move for your Blogspot blog.
How to change the theme on Blogspot
There are two main ways to change the theme on Blogspot. The method is either using a pre-made theme or customizing the existing theme with HTML and CSS.
Recently, I changed the theme of two blog sites on Blogspot. Hence I'm confident to guide you step by step.
Here's a breakdown of both methods:
i) Using built-in themes:
Built-in themes are readymade themes and you don't need coding knowledge to apply and create a blog. You can change the theme on Blogspot by using built-in themes. There are two ways to change built-in themes on Blogspot.
a) Blogger Theme Gallery:
1) This is the easiest way to change your theme. Sign in to Blogger, select your blog, and click on "Theme" in the left-hand menu.
2) Under "My theme," you'll see a variety of themes available from Blogger. Contempo, Soho, Emporio, Notable, Simple and Awesome are some of the themes available on Blogspot.
3) You can browse by category, color, or popularity, and preview each theme before applying it.
4) Once you find a theme you like, click on it and then click "Apply to blog."
b) Uploading a theme:
If you don't find a theme you like in the Blogger Theme Gallery, you can upload a third-party theme. Follow these steps for uploading a theme to change the theme on Blogspot.
1 Search for a built-in theme:
You can search for built-in themes on search engines. You can opt for a free version or a paid version.
2 Select the theme:
When you enter the site of any of the theme providers you will get a lot of options.
You can choose themes by styles, features, topics or sidebars. You can check the live previews and descriptions of the themes by clicking on them. I will be writing about how to choose the best theme in my next blog. Make sure the theme is compatible with Blogger and in a .zip file.
3) Download Theme:
After selecting a theme as per your requirements, click on the download button to download a theme. You may also purchase a theme. This will provide you with some extra features and support from the developers.
4) Unzip the theme:
When you download a theme it will be a zip file. You can unzip it online. Search "unzip online" and you will find a lot of sites where you can unzip. Save this unzip file document on your computer. You may also save it in Dropbox.
5 Backup Current Theme:
If you are already using a theme it is better to backup your current theme. In case of any problem with the changed theme, you can restore back your old theme.
If you are a new user and still have not applied any theme you may quit this step.
6) Upload Theme
To upload a theme, click on "Theme" in the left-hand menu, then click on the three dots next to "My theme" and select "Restore."
Click on "Restore" and then choose the unzip file containing your theme.
6)Blogger's built-in customization:
Once you've chosen a theme or uploaded it, you can customize it further using the "Customize" option. This allows you to change the background image, font colours and sizes, layout, and more.
You can preview your changes as you make them and click "Save" when you're happy.
Read more: How can you customize your blog on Blogspot
ii) Customizing with HTML and CSS:
If you want more control over the look and feel of your blog, you can customize your theme using HTML and CSS.
This requires some coding knowledge, but many resources are available online to help you get started.
I warn you that if you are not confident about HTML and CSS code please don't adopt this method.
Here are the basic steps:
Backup your theme:
Before you make any changes to your theme, as I have said above it's important to back it up. Click on "Theme" in the left-hand menu, then click on the three dots next to "My theme" and select "Backup."
Click on "Download theme" to save a copy of your current theme.
Edit the HTML or CSS:
To edit the HTML or CSS, click on "Theme" in the left-hand menu, then click on the three dots next to "My theme" and select "Edit HTML" or "Customize."
Edit HTML:
Navigate to your Blogger dashboard and select the blog you want to edit.
Click on "Theme" from the left-hand menu.
Under "My theme", click on the down arrow and select "Edit HTML".
This will open the code editor for your theme. Be cautious when editing the HTML, as mistakes can break your theme's functionality. Edit the HTML code and save your theme.
Edit CSS:
Navigate to your Blogger dashboard and select the blog you want to edit.
Click on "Theme" from the left-hand menu.
Under "My theme", click on the down arrow and select "Customize".
Click on "Advanced" in the left-hand menu.
Click on "Add CSS" and enter your custom CSS code.
You can make changes to the code directly in the editor, or you can copy and paste code from another source.
Preview your changes:
After you've made your changes, you can preview them by clicking on the "Preview" button. This will show you how your blog will look with the new theme.
Save your changes:
Once you're happy with your changes, click on the "Save theme" button.
Additional tips:
Backup your theme:
Before making any changes to your theme, it's a good practice to download a backup of the existing theme files. This way, you can easily revert to the original theme if something goes wrong.
Preview your changes:
Most theme marketplaces and the Blogger Theme Gallery allow you to preview the theme before applying it to your blog.
This is a great way to see how the theme will look with your content.
Ask for help:
If you're not comfortable editing HTML and CSS, you can always reach out to the theme developer for support or hire a freelance web developer to help you customize your theme.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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