New Changes Coming to Blogging Startup
Since the purpose of this blog is to help new bloggers, I figured I’d do a little self examination of my blog to let you inside the design process. To start with, let me say that I broke one of my own blogging rules when starting this blog. I didn’t have the final design ready before publishing on the Internet. I also have some ideas for content that should be fun and informative. So here’s a list of things you can expect in the coming weeks.
1) I need a custom logo to replace the generic template typographics. The big orange title is simply part of the original theme design (okay, I did change the color). But it is neither eye-catching or memorable. I want a logo that adds to the branding of the site. So look for new logo in the coming weeks.
2) I want the Popular Posts section in the sidebar to automatically populate with the most popular posts. This requires adding a plugin and placing the proper code in the sidebar. I recently installed the Popularity Contest plugin by Alex King, and I highly recommend this plugin to all users of WordPress. You will find it here along with several other Alex King plugins. Now I simply need to enter the correct code in the correct location (for me, this could take months).
3) I will be replacing the Adsense advertisements from the top of the sidebar. This, like the title format, is part of the original theme design. I want to replace this prime real estate with something more beneficial to my readers. I have been looking at some products and services for advertising, but I only want to promote stuff I know is good. I hope to make this change in the next few weeks.
4) I will be adding some valuable resource lists to the blog. I’ve been working on a number of exciting lists that I will be adding either as posts or as pages tabbed at the top of the blog. I want to make Blogging Startup the first place new bloggers go for resources and information, so these lists will add a lot of value to the site. Of course, it’s a lot of work to find great resources, so it has been taking me some time. I hope to have the first list published in the next two weeks.
5) Blogging Startup will have it’s first contest. Okay, this one is really exciting! I’ve been kicking around some ideas for prizes and entry points for the past week. I think I’ve decided on the coolest prize for the winner. Now to work out a few other details and then announce it to the world (or the 40+ readers who drop by that day). It’s not easy creating blogging contest buzz these days…but I’m gonna do my best.
6) Finally, I am adding a regular feature to Blogging Startup in the next week. Every week or two I will be reviewing a blog that is just getting started. Each blog will receive a review of both content and design with a list of strong points and areas for improvement. For an example of one of my reviews, see the Push Standards Review. My hope is to provide some encouragement, advice and a wee bit of traffic from my readers. I will write more about this later, but if you have a new blog (less than three months old) and would like a review, drop me a note.
Finally, I have a question. Do you like the text color for this blog’s hyperlinks? The orange text is not my favorite, but I want to know what you think? Should I change the color to a more traditional blue or another color…or just leave it orange? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think?
[UPDATE: Well, with two votes counted, it’s unanimous. I’ve changed the link color to blue. Thanks Shari!]
[PhotoCredit:Davichi]
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Jim, these all sound like positive changes and I’m looking forward to the contest!
Regarding the orange hyperlinks: They do stand out, but we’re all pretty well trained to see hyperlinks in the traditional blue. My preference would be to switch them to blue because that’s what people expect. I’m very curious about what your other readers will say about this.