What Type of Template Should I Choose?
As I consider my move over to Wordpress the hard part is deciding on a template design. So I was hoping you could help me out.
Should the Bloke go:
1. Clean? (i.e. a boring minimal design)
2. Professional? (similar to clean but with some community features and ads)
3. Or make something similar to the original template as it already is? (And should I keep the top banner or chuck it for something else)
What do you think? Your opinions will be greatly appreciated.
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“Yes, I can keep my custom domain and redirect Blogger to the new host. Whether or not I can make a new template exactly like this one is hard to say. Do you like this one or should I go for a cleaner look? “
I think you should stay with this look. Or you could try creating a new professional design but don’t go overboard with the ads. Make sure to make it look like an integral part of your content. I like this template for its simplicity and little or no ads. I hope you can keep it up like this.
And speaking of ads, don’t mind me asking, but where does most of your revenue come from? You have scarcely an ad!
Mushfiqur Rahman
www.gamersworldbd.com
A clean or minimalistic template would look nice, but get very boring very fast. I do like what you have here, and as you switch it’s probably best to keep what you got and then start playing around with the features. I hate when websites I visit frequently undergo a radical design transformation overnight.
Thanks Kirsten. That’s why I’m in no hurry as I mull this over.
I have to admit that sometimes I salivate over some of the more slick looking sites. But then I look at the boring design of TechCrunch and how successful they are.
It makes you wonder how much design really translates into success.
I really like some sites that put sidebars into the top of the post area with summaries of posts or other information. That makes sense to me and I’ve often thought of doing something like that.
So much to consider.
Hi Mushfiqur.
“speaking of ads, don’t mind me asking, but where does most of your revenue come from? You have scarcely an ad!”
There’s your answer
Hey, I’m still waiting for opinions on my top banner. Does anybody like it or hate it?
I’m kinda indifferent.
Which in my mind means time for a change . . .
Liz
Heh, a change is as good as a vacation they say.
I don’t like the top banner. Never have. I don’t think it suggests the professionalism and expertise that it should. A first time viewer may well look at it and then move on without reading because it doesn’t say the right things about the site.
My vote if for number 2.
Hi Mike. I have something in the works regarding #2 as we speak.
The reason why I chose this is because (like I explain in my faq) I wanted something funky. I spent the better part of my adulthood living in courtrooms and three piece suits and wasn’t looking for the stiff look.
Thanks for input.
So I’m thinking of keeping Blog Bloke as my personal blog and I’m cooking up something more “professional” befitting of my “expertise”.
Hi Mike again.
Don’t get me wrong, because I really appreciate your comments but I was just wondering what exactly doesn’t look professional about the top banner? Do you have any idea how much work and expertise it takes to make a banner like that? I know because I made it, and I can assure you that it takes one hell of a lot of photoshop knowledge and time to make.
Just the animated (blogger) man in the moon was a lot of work. Then there is the unknown hooded blogger on the right, and of course there’s the Blog Bloke logo…
Or is it just not boring enough?
Just wondering
I like the hooded dude but apart from that…ermm…well…y’know…
Here’s an idea. RT recently did this over at Untwisted Vortex. How about a competition from your readers to come up with a new logo for the revamped site?
Set down some ground rules about what you’d like to encompass and then let folks loose with their creativity…
Well that helps narrow things down. So you don’t like my Twitter/Googlish logo?
Well for starters the site is called Blog Bloke but you’re known as Blog Bloke so it gets a wee bit confusing for people. Also your favicon is BB. Personally I’d go with one or the other but not bother. It’s all about the brand.
Secondly the current text on the logo is way too pixellated.
I’d put it out there to the readers and see what they think and see if they have any suggestions.
Odd, but there is no pixalation on my screen. Is it just the text or the surrounding white space? What resolution are you using?
Yes, Blog Bloke is the brand name and I already have a blog for blogbloke.com.
This blog is intended as my personal blog and I put the insta-prefix in front as a play-on the term instant publishing.
i.e. Instant Blog Bloke…
1024×768. It’s the white space around the text itself.
I always thought it was related to InstaPundit…
The confusion continues when you go to blogbloke.com because you’re welcomed to TECHBloke….
I thought so.
I stayed up to 6am fiddling with it and that’s the best I can make it. If you look closely at Twitter’s logo you will see that it’s not without imperfections either.
To make the white space I used Photoshop’s stroke technique and I can’t find any way to make it look smoother. It must be the nature of the beast.
As far as BlogBloke.com is concerned I’ve been experimenting with the term TECHBloke. I haven’t made up my mind yet which way to go.
As far as branding is concerned, you can call me the BLOKE
Maybe that’s the brand.
The easiest way to do it is create the text logo as a separate image on a transparent background and then copy it across onto the main banner as a new layer.
Adding an outer glow with minimal blurring should do the job on the text to give it that feel.
If I did that the logo would no longer be a separate image or clickable. As far as the outer glow is concerned what tool are you referring to? Can you email me?