The availability of templates of all kinds for blogging, the value of a custom template is lost on many people. And while it is true that you can find a reasonably good template with a good mood for your site, there is nothing quite like a unique graphic and color scheme to send a message about your blog.

A good custom template can do what a publicly usable template cannot - it can present the perfect message about your site, and it can do it in a totally individual way. It can be as different as your blog content, and as much you as your blog content.

If you’ve found a template you really like, it can be enhanced and modified to make it unique, in many cases (check the individual terms of use or copyrights to make sure).  This is a quick way to get a special look without the expense of constructing from scratch.

The three most visible factors in a custom template are:

  1. The header graphic. Photo, line drawing, or painting, this part is your mood setter.
  2. The color scheme. A tightly coordinated color scheme makes a site look professional.
  3. The font. A header font, whether or not it is echoed elsewhere in the blog, gives the site a distinctive personality. Funky, fun, bold, soft, elegant, professional, whatever. Getting the right header font enhances the whole design.

Create it yourself, or hire someone to make a template - either way, it can give your blog a boost.