If you want to start a blog and want to use a simple template to get going, you have more options than you think. Sometimes templates get a bad reputation for their designs and poor structure. However, there are a lot of outstanding ones out there if you put in the time to do your research. Thankfully, we’ve done some of the research for you and we think that these are some of the best templates 2018 has to offer so far.
1. Bona
Bona is a free HTML based template that can be used for any vertical. The layout of the template is clean and simple which gives you a great starting point for any kind of blog project. All you have to do is spend some time developing a strong logo and header to get your blog going with Bona.
2. Suppablog
While the layout for Suppablog is far from normal, the UI and UX designs are still strong. Suppablog sets your navigation menu on the left hand side via icons and allows you to incorporate a drop down menu for the user’s navigation needs. The result is a website design that allows you to take full advantage of the space. The split screen layout setup lets you put an image on one side and content on the other for a visual driven presentation.
3. Trendy
Trendy lets you take full advantage of the hero image. The template starts out with an oversized visual slider. It’s a great design that can be used for magazine style websites whether it’s food, fashion or pop culture. The blog post layout is clean and the typography is attractive. The only thing you need to make this template work is a set of high quality images you can use for the hero image.
4. Hola
Are you a business professional or a freelancer looking for a simple one-page site? Then using Hola will be a great way to start a blog. Hola is a stylish one-page template that fits to every device. The code is simple and easy to customize. The template has all the pages you need from the portfolio, contact form, and about page so that you can build your online presence without the fuss.
5. BizPro
Business sites usually require a more professional look. BizPro is a one-page template that’s specifically designed for business owners that want a formal presentation but don’t want to appear boring. It uses a big full-page slider for an atmospheric feel. The navigation, logo placement, spacing and font are all well balanced, making it your message clear and ensuring that it is not lost in the design.
6. Abstract
We’re seeing more website owners use a masonry layout to make their content feel dynamic and help different aspects of their designs stand out. Abstract is a simple masonry template that focuses on a clean and minimal design. It’s a great template for image driven sites and works well with all devices unlike some of the other masonry template you find online.
7. Style
Looking for a more comprehensive blog template that allows you to integrate all kinds of content? Style blog is a great responsive template that comes with a good list of features. It uses the standard two-column setup with large hero sliders. IT comes with mouseover animations, widgets for various social media content, and customizable footers that help you extend your blog with more content.
8. Blogger
If you’re looking for something more classic, Blogger is a great choice. Not to be confused with Google’s blogging platform, Blogger is a three column responsive template that designed for content driven blogs. It uses a minimal flat design and comes with all the pages you’d expect from a normal blog (about us, contact, categories, etc.). Because this is a more bare bones template, you’ll need to put in a decent amount of work to make the blog template your own.
9. Newspaper
If you’re looking to follow in the footsteps of the biggest online blog sites, then consider Newspaper. Newspaper is a WordPress theme that focuses on content driven websites. It integrates with many popular themes like BuddyPress, bbPress and Woocommerce. It is very fast, responsive and allows for a wide variety of layouts. The layout diversity and options is what will help your content stand out instead of looking like one monotone block of content.
10. Typology
Big type design got some traction in 2017 and will undoubtedly continue to be used in 2018. That’s why we found a WordPress theme that focuses strictly on typography. It makes your content look amazing even without images. This theme is perfect for those that want to maintain a personal blog but don’t really want to deal with the poor typography and layouts that come with free blogging platforms.
These are some of the templates and themes we like so far in 2018. But keep your eyes peeled. Designers will keep pushing the boundaries with their templates and themes. You’ll continue to come across outstanding template regardless of whether they’re free and premium.
