From motivational and inspirational quotes to pithy put-downs and one-liners, quotes are everywhere in the online world.
Researchers examining the science of inspirational sayings find people are drawn to the feeling of being coached by a powerful speaker.
Using quotes is a natural way to bring other voices into your web copy. But you might not want to embed an Instagram-worthy quote image. The aesthetic might not match your website’s branding.
So how do you use web design quotes without them looking cheesy? Read on to learn more.
Why adding quotes is important
Every time you watch or read the news, you come across quotes. They add an eyewitness flavor to a report. Or they let us peek behind closed doors to understand the world better.
In academia, quotes are everyday currency. They show that you know where to find the right information. And they support what you’re saying.
Using quotes on your website achieves the same aim. It lends authority to what you say and shows you know your field inside out.
Plus, sometimes a quote phrases something so perfectly there’s no way you can improve it.
Adding quotes in WordPress using the Blockquote function
You might be tempted to just drop the quote into a sentence. That’s how the newspapers do it, right?
Yes…and no. If you’re going to use a quote, why not make a bigger deal out of it?
WordPress makes it easy to include a quote on your website. It’s called the blockquote function and it beautifully indents the quote. Surrounding it with some blank space makes it easier to spot on the page.
Access the HTML view of the post. Before the quote, write
. Then add
after the quote.
WordPress will also add quote marks to show it’s a quote. It looks elegant and doesn’t disrupt the visuals of your brand with images.
But you also need to add an attribution. On the line below the blockquote, write the name of the person. Add the name of their website and hyperlink to the source.
This is a great way to build quality outbound links to help your SEO efforts.
Find Inspiration
Still not sure how to use quotes on your website? Check out other websites to see how they do it.
Read books on your subject too. You might find awesome quotes that sum up what you’re trying to say.
Let’s say you’re trying to write a blog post about why a client needs a good website design. You might quote Jaron Lanier, and add:
“Create a website that expresses something about who you are that won’t fit into the template available to you on a social networking site.”
Here, you’d add Jaron Lanier, You Are Not A Gadget: A Manifesto underneath.
Of course, you can always use a quote generator if you can’t find just the right quote on your website.
Wrapping Up
Web design quotes are a great source of inspiration for accurately coding a quote. And using quotes themselves is a fantastic way to borrow the wisdom of others. Or you can use them to support your point.
And we’re used to image-based quotes in our Instagram feeds. But a tiny snippet of code in a website makes your quotes look elegant and part of the design.
Check out our blog for more design tips and awesome tricks for getting the most out of WordPress.