UPDATED – Here We Go! Theme Customization Part 1 – Your Participation Is Wanted-Needed!
UPDATE - A couple of my commenters made reference to the fact that the pages seemed somewhat difficult to differentiate from the “boxes” (test1 test2, etc) below them. I have now added TEST PAGES all the way across and would like everyone’s opinion.
If this is your first visit, please read the entire article and give me your thoughts as the others have. 
=============================
The day has come, the time has arrived. Here and now is where we (you and me) begin to put the theme together, together. Not a typo but a tongue twister for sure.
Confused? Check back to my tell all post and it clearly states, one of the main reasons I am putting the theme together “live” is so I can get participation from those that matter most; you the reader. The theme you see before you is one definite possibility.
When I gave my friend Sire a sneak peak about a week ago he said, “Layout is going to have to be up to you Dennis as it’s a personal thing. Just play around with the options until you find something that you are happy with.”
While that is quite true, the owner must be happy with it, I responded with…”Sure the layout is a personal preference and “I” must be happy with it, but we’ve all read the same posts 100 times about how design plays a big role in whether the visitors/readers/advertisers say bye bye or not. This is really why I’m doing the whole theme setup and whatnot, “Live”; to get feedback as I go.”
Makes sense don’t it? For better or worse design plays a big role in whether people stick around or not; content be damned. So why not get feedback right from the get-go? To steal a phrase from my friend Barbara who blogs without a blog, I want full class participation!
OK then enough babble, let’s get to the good stuff. You’ll need two windows open to follow along with me, this one and DSWM. Ready? Let’s rock! (ode to Mr. Al Bundy)
===============================================
The theme you see on DSWM was custom made to my specific specifications. The theme you see before you here is custom as well; a total upgrade of that theme originally to be unveiled on DSWM.
With me so far?
Now, my main specification was/is, I need plenty of space or “boxes” to showcase important stuff…..Subscriptions, Most Popular Articles, Must Read Articles, and so on; plus any static pages I want…..About, Contact, and 6-7 others of my choosing. As you see on DSWM, I have my pages on top, 3 boxes below them, plus 3 boxes in the footer.
Now I want more boxes for more stuff! However I need the theme to be as clean and user-friendly (navigation) as possible. You may be curious why I want to showcase so much stuff, well not only is it useful to you as a reader, but also…
====================================================
…DE.com will be my flagship blog/hub site. Meaning, I will also talk about/link to everything else I do, from here first. It’s this reason, among others, that I want as much space for “permanent stuff” as possible.
====================================================
Now lets compare the theme differences, this is where the two windows come in handy; look at DSWM, then here, from top to bottom including sidebars…
1. I now have my Logo in the header next to my name for easy recognition.
2. I now have my subscription box in the header for easy subscriptions. Possibly one more in the sidebar somewhere and below each post.
3. Pages as normal, right below…only Home & About for now.
4. This is where it gets cool. I now have room for up to EIGHT “boxes”. You already see three, test 1 test 2 test 3; very neat and clean.
5. Two right sidebars are cooler now too…
5a. Search Box (soon to be switched to Google Custom Search, thanks to Mr. Extreme).
5b. 125×125 Banner placements (I am planning the unusual for them thanks to another of Rob’s Web Tips).
5c. Accordion Widget. Very cool, handy and clean for more “stuff”.
5d. Two new BIGGER advertising placements. Both of which are able to take either 250×250 or 300×250 banners. One of which is already slated for my two lady affiliate marketing friends. They helped me in a crisis situation last year. The other might go to my friend Shirley who won a contest; she has a choice.
5e. Room for other stuff obviously.
6. Bottom Sidebar – Four more boxes! I believe they were created to stretch downward while adding things…how cool is that?!
6a. I suppose I have room under the four boxes for some sort of links.
=====================================================
That seems to be about it. Like I said, this is but one possibility. A very definite possibility; I did pay to have it created after all. My other choice is to custom make a whole new one through the AWESOME FlexSqueeze theme package I purchased.
Watch out Thesis lovers, THIS is your competition! I was so impressed, I purchased the developer license right off the bat. 
OK let’s not get off course here, it’s time for you to give it to me straight. I want your comments below; ALL your thoughts on the general layout itself.
Please read that again. I want your thoughts on the theme itself, the layout of it all. In an upcoming post, possibly next, I will ask for opinions on what should be WITHIN the theme.
Thanks y’all!
D.
Please remember the way I need you to write your name in the name field. <—- also see the cool perk to subscribing via email.
Related posts:
- Theme Customization Part 2 – What Should Go WITHIN The Blog? This Is The FUN Part! At 80 comments and counting I got a lot of...
- UPDATED – THREE Plugins Needed – What Do You Recommend? Just a quickie for now as part of my theme...
- WANTED – Keyword Research Expert(s) I’m having a real dog of a time here figuring...
- Welcome Aboard Part 2! All The Info You’ve Been Waiting For… If this is your very first visit and/or your looking...
- UPDATED – $100 – 10 Winners – Comment Contest! ‘Till Months End… Updated - I’m still promoting this post through my blog...
Onibalusi Bamidele
Tom@Market Samurai Promo Code
JR @ Internet Marketing
CJ@KeywordLuv
Matt Chatterley
Holly Jahangiri
Selurus
Alan Mater
Brian D. Hawkins
Mike @ Saving Money Today
Twitter: shirleyszone
Says:
February 7th, 2010 at 11:04 am
Aww, thanks so much, Dennis. I really appreciate it
.
Shirley´s last blog ..Shirley Featured On GH Tech
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 7th, 2010 at 11:06 am
@Shirley, Bet you thought I forgot.
Now, your thoughts; any?
[Reply]
Shirley
Twitter: shirleyszone
Reply:
February 7th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
@Dennis, Oh, no, I didn’t think you had forgotten. I knew you had it in mind
.
Well I think that the concept for your theme is a very good one especially with the boxes you want to have on the sidebar, I think that’s very good
.
Shirley´s last blog ..Shirley Featured On GH Tech
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
@Shirley, Thanks!
[Reply]
Twitter: kbloemendaal
Says:
February 7th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Looking good so far D, I once had a site that I didn’t put any ads on (because I only wanted my products there) and my theme came with four 125×125 ad spots in the upper right sidebar, I place 4 of my own products in there with internal links to those pages, Ioved it, and it really looked good when it was done.
My opinion (for what it is worth), just be careful not to take away too much from the great content you have with distractions….
Keith´s last blog ..Add Feeds To Your Facebook Fan Page
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 7th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
@Keith, Exactly, that’s what Rob’s tip was about; point to your own instead of others.
As I commented on his post though, I’d definitely suggest some sort of title above them to tell visitors it is my stuff and not just other paid sites.
You’re right again, no matter who’s it is; not too much of it.
So you like the theme itself? Clean, friendly, easy to navigate from what you can tell so far?
[Reply]
Keith
Twitter: kbloemendaal
Reply:
February 7th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
@Dennis, I like the color scheme, I found that keeping the colors more monotone helps other sidebar and images in posts really stand out. That is why I tried to keep my new site more black/white except the logo and links and I am realy liking it. Hopefully my readers do too though LOL
Keith´s last blog ..SEO Factors To Consider
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
@Keith, So far so good for HBT my man, very easy to read and distinguish.
[Reply]
February 7th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Looks like a good time. So much to do!
Gabe | freebloghelp.com´s last blog ..All-in-one SEO is mandatory for 99% of all bloggers
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
@Gabe | freebloghelp.com, Yes indeed, any thoughts/suggestions?
[Reply]
Gabe | freebloghelp.com Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
@Dennis, I’d love to see how you implement the 3 column approach. I just switched back to 2 column because I wanted a less cluttered look.
Also, your top nav could be used for your categories.
Gabe | freebloghelp.com´s last blog ..Even I get ‘free blog help’ on freebloghelp.com
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
@Gabe | freebloghelp.com, What did you think of it on DSWM?
Admittedly this is automatically different with the extra stuff I put in there, so it should be as much of a surprise for me as you. lol
[Reply]
Twitter: BuildThatListCo
Says:
February 7th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
I really like the layout, but the one thing that I am still not sure about is the colours. It may just be that maroon is not that popular a colour on blogs – so I don’t see it a lot. But it just looks a little strange.
Tom@Free Squeeze Pages´s last blog ..Do I Need My Own Product Before I Start List Building?
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
@Tom@Free Squeeze Pages, Different is good, it’ll grow on ya.
Actually we were looking for something that would also go well with my logo thingy; I think we nailed that nicely.
[Reply]
Twitter: LandauDesign
Says:
February 7th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Hi Dennis,
Interesting way of building a site! As a web designer, I’d be nervous asking for input along the way. But I like your courage!
I have to say I disagree with your friend Sire and agree with your comment — layout is not a personal preference. It should follow trends of good usability (a subject I take very much to heart). So I think you’re doing the right thing asking what your actual users thinks!
My design input:
1) Not thrilled with the colors, but then I’m into intense, deep colors (what I call edible colors – so rich you want to eat them). But I see where you’re going about having the content pop out if the background is more monotone. Maybe it will look different when you have the sidebar finished up.
2) I love the tab box at the top! What a great way to add more content without more clutter. Where can I get one of those?
3) The right sidebar I think you’re going in the right direction, and maybe when the ads get in there it will look different, but right now nothing in that area draws my eye. I like the alternating 1-column, 2-column sections. Nice way to break things up. But it seems like a lot going on, and I don’t know where to focus. Perhaps you could use some color to differentiate. Or maybe use some icons next to the headings so I don’t have to read to know what those sections are. I’m all about drawing the eye.
4) I’m having a hard time with the arched type over your feed links in the top right. Now sure if it’s because it’s white on a light background, or because it’s too long of a curve which makes it harder to read.
I hope you don’t mind all the opinions. You asked, and man I’m always ready to respond if I can offer design help. But to each his own! If you don’t like what I said, I won’t be hurt. Design is very subjective… as my clients are always reminding me!
Have a fun week!
Bonnie
Bonnie Landau´s last blog ..Cute Characters to Make Twitter Fun!
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
@Bonnie Landau, Now that’s what I’m lookin’ for!
I understand your position, but being so not a designer myself, I figured this was the best way to go. lol
1. I think they’re kinda cool, easy on the eyes. Plus as I replied to Tom above you, we were looking for a way to blend the DE logo colors.
2. No idea. lol. Seriously though, aren’t they cool! That was suggested by a friend when I was desperately searching for more space and less clutter; we kinda stole the concept from a lot of “magazine themes” you might see.
I honestly don’t know what she did or used, but I could ask her or hook you uop with her if you wish.
3. They should hopefully be “clearer” once filled with what will actually be there..I already know it won’t look like that.
Different colors and/or icons; interesting indeed although I’m not sure I know how to do the icon thing, or change colors like that for that matter. lol
4. OK this one hurts. LOL! Seriously, we spent more time making that “just right”, then almost anything else.
Is it the words ‘never miss an update” that’s hard to read? Because that’s not really the important part…
[Reply]
Bonnie Landau
Twitter: LandauDesign
Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 1:22 am
@Dennis, looks like you got some fabulous feedback here! On the “Never Miss an Update” part, I think it’s the white type on the light background that I’m having a hard time with. I like the idea of the circle encapsulating everything, but there’s something in that contrast that isn’t working for me.
As for putting color in the right sidebar, here are a few examples of what I was envisioning where they’ve used colored backgrounds on the headers in the sidebar:
http://www.blogdesignblog.com/
http://www.kulturbanause.de/ (wacky design, but nice headers!)
http://blog.theoleg.com/ (colored bars + icons)
http://www.productivedreams.com/ (not thrilled with the background, but like how they’ve organized full-width and half-width in the sidebar.
http://psd.tutsplus.com/ (nice job of using monotone colors + icons to differentiate)
Okay, well more than a few examples. I love surfing the web looking for design inspiration…
Keep up the great work!
Take care,
Bonnie
Bonnie Landau´s last blog ..11 Ways to Start Conversations on Twitter
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
@Bonnie Landau,
The only white on light I see are the actually words “Never Miss an Update” and I’m not convinced that’s worth worrying about. As long as the eyes are drawn to the subscription area, I’m OK. IF I can be shown an EASY fix, I may pop it in there.
Very cool examples; perfect in fact, thanks for that. I still don’t know how, but I do know what. lol.
I see what you meant. A couple of those backgrounds did hit me smack between the eyes. LOL
[Reply]
CJ
Twitter: creative_ace
Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 9:33 am
@Bonnie Landau, WOW! Those are some awesome sites. Wish my businesses allowed for such creativity.
CJ´s last blog ..Page Landing – Cleared for Landing Page Design
[Reply]
February 7th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
To tell you the truth Dennis those boxes on the top still look like pages and I think it may confuse some people until they get used to it, especially since your actual pages don’t really stand out. Could they be highlighted or something?
Sire@WassupBlog´s last blog ..How Twitter Can Actually Earn You Some Cash
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
@Sire@WassupBlog, I see what you mean. I’m hoping the pages will differentiate themselves once they are filled in and that line stretches across some.
If not, I’ll look into that highlighting idea; good one.
[Reply]
Sire from WassupBlog Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
@Dennis, That looks a whole lot better now.
Sire@WassupBlog´s last blog ..How Twitter Can Actually Earn You Some Cash
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
@Sire@WassupBlog, What’s that? I didn’t do anything since the last comment. lol
[Reply]
Sire from WassupBlog Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
@Dennis, Maybe it didn’t load properly the last time I was here but now it’s sitting there all bold a pretty. Man, and I haven’t even had a drink yet.
Still, at least it looks OK now.
Sire@WassupBlog´s last blog ..How Twitter Can Actually Earn You Some Cash
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
@Sire@WassupBlog, LOL OK then thanks for the update…good to know actually, I have no idea how to do things like highlighting pages.
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
@Sire@WassupBlog, Mock up test pages done
[Reply]
Twitter: ExtremeEzine
Says:
February 8th, 2010 at 8:16 am
It’s looking good Dennis. I love the header, the logo with text title and slogan (great for SEO) but I especially like the feed options there. It’s clean and that’s the perfect spot. Some bloggers might prefer a full sized banner there but I think you can get more from your subscribers than an advertiser.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on the load times. Mine is running at a terrible NINE seconds. I absolutely have to fix that.
Brian D. Hawkins´s last blog ..What Does It Take To Get A Million Twitter Followers?
[Reply]
Brian D. Hawkins
Twitter: ExtremeEzine
Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 8:18 am
@Brian D. Hawkins, I just noticed something. Gravatars only seem to show on comment replies.
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
@Brian D. Hawkins, Hmm, I too just noticed that; not sure how to look into that, or if it really matters?
Thanks for the kudos on the header and slogan, although I am still deciding on that. I’d like it shorter and catchier; something I can use, and ask for as anchor text without ticking off fellow bloggers.
Not many, including myself, appreciate it if you ask for anchor text that so many words long.
[Reply]
February 8th, 2010 at 8:45 am
Hi Dennis,
it looks great so far to me. Nice clean easy to navigate layout, logo images etc look good too.
Look forward to seeing it all come together and reading all that content (I missed out on your old blog).
Des@AffiliateProgress.com´s last blog ..Free Affiliate Tools – Part 1 – Keyword Research
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
@Des@AffiliateProgress.com, Thanks Des, much appreciated! Happy to see you’re gonna stick around some.
[Reply]
February 8th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Wow, Brian’s right… hadn’t noticed the gravatar thing before now.
Anyway, what I wanted to say was that you’re definitely on the right track with your theme; seems like a decent layout from here, the colours are a step up (in my opinion), and overall it looks good.
However.
You’re not going to see the finer points and problems with it until you have more of the content set up; you’ll probably find you need to tweak it a bit more once it’s ‘done’.
Looking good though
Heather´s last blog ..The New Direction: Mission Plan
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
@Heather, Oh I’m a tweaking machine…I really know how to piss off a designer. LOL
Trust me, I always put “done” and “finished” in quotes also.
[Reply]
Heather Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
@Dennis, Hehe, nice to meet a kindred spirit… I’m not sure why my web designer (more of a coder) friend puts up with me really; we tend to work together a little and at the moment he’s helping me redesign my main site.
Trouble with that is, I’m a graphics person that can’t make up her mind for toffee.
Still, you have a good base there!
Heather´s last blog ..The New Direction: Mission Plan
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
@Heather, Graphics are my arch nemesis for sure. I have NO talent for it myself, plus a very hard time making up my mind when others show me things. lol
[Reply]
Heather Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
@Dennis, Ahh, you see, coding is mine lol. I can design relatively well, and my graphics will be pretty decent lol but coding?
Not been able to do that properly for a good few years now
(yet I’m so picky *cough*)
Heather´s last blog ..Daydreams; Responsible for paint-covered Tai Chi practitioners in ninja suits
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
@Heather, Ahh coding is my #2 for sure, but slowly learning it’s not as difficult as I thought.
My main concern is doing anything like that “within” and really screwing things up. lol
[Reply]
Heather Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
@Dennis, My problem with coding stems from learning how to code in programming languages as opposed to web coding… I knew html first (little outdated now though
) but then I had to learn Java, C++, etc as part of my course.
Different animal entirely
Heather´s last blog ..Daydreams; Responsible for paint-covered Tai Chi practitioners in ninja suits
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
@Heather, Oh good god woman, just when I had blocked all that from my mind, THANKS FOR THAT! LOL
DOS, Basic, Machine Language, Java, C+, C++……….
AAACCKKKK!!!!
[Reply]
Heather Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
@Dennis, I didn’t know! lol, though I feel your pain… had just forgotten some then I had to write an essay on it
DOS though? ouch!
Heather´s last blog ..Daydreams; Responsible for paint-covered Tai Chi practitioners in ninja suits
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
@Heather, Yea, seriously don’t go there.
[Reply]
Heather Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
@Dennis, Lips are now sealed
Heather´s last blog ..Daydreams; Responsible for paint-covered Tai Chi practitioners in ninja suits
[Reply]
Twitter: webcareergirl
Says:
February 8th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
First thing I noticed was the RSS at the top – I think it’s in a perfect position. But one thing I would say is that I didn’t notice the pages right away. They are a little hidden away to the right, but I also think that will be helped when you add more pages to the site (which I assume you are going to do).
Ruth – Web Career Girl´s last blog ..4 Ways to Win the Battle Against Procrastination
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
@Ruth – Web Career Girl, Sire said the same kinda thing, I too am hoping once it is stretched across they will distinguish themselves.
If not, he mentioned something about highlighting them.
[Reply]
Twitter: creative_ace
Says:
February 8th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Hi Dennis — just had to come check this out. I really love the commentluv plugin. I find so many cool blogs this way.
So, I’m not seeing the maroon that Tom is talking about. Though maybe he’s referring to the color in your logo, which is more red than maroon. The varients of purple don’t bother me. Though the “Never Miss An Update” area is extremely hard to read in IE. It looks like it came in twice, but in FF it looks fine. I am viewing this on a laptop and that whole section in IE is off. The “reader” counter bleeds over in the purple bar below. Again on FF it looks fine.
I built a site: http://www.computerfinancingtoday.com and we used Maroon and gray. I think it works well. I agree with Bonnie, I like deep dark rich colors that bring the reader in. Too many colors or too much on the page tends to overwhelm the reader and I think you’ll end up losing them, and I prefer dark colors versus the monotone, but then again it does depend on your target audience. That’s the hardest thing to teach my clients, it’s not all about them, it is in big part about your target audience.
I also used the split sidebar that you have on the computer site. Still need to add more affiliate products, but you can see the gist of what it will look like when finished.
As for the boxes at the top, I also thought they were going to take me to pages. This is not intuitive at all. Why don’t you create some mock up pages and see if that distiquishes the tabs from the pages or if you need to add some content to make it less confusing for the reader.
The boxes in the sidebar I’m just not sure about. Do you have images you can stick in so we can get a better feel for the look of it? In FF the sample images come in as “sample images” text not as a broken graphic.
I can’t wait to see how this comes along and the end result.
Oh, and don’t forget to test the layout on different monitor sizes and browsers. Since you have a audience already, I’d just tack that on as a question.
Sorry for the long comment, but, well, like Bonnie said, you asked.
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
@CJ@Page Landing, LOL no apologies please, this is so much better then, “looks awesome dude!” or “eh, it’s nice”; I need MEAT!
Just to get it out of the way, Commentluv is the best plugin ever created!
OK then lol, you’re right, the logo is red/blue (She’s a Mets fan). I may be wrong, but I think Tom’s Maroon is your Purple…(that strip the pages are on, right?).
IE issues – I see what you mean with the banners, the 125’s anyway, not the two larger ones. I do not however see anything wrong with the subscription thing in the header…this is a 21-22″ monitor though, perhaps that’s why?
While “mock-ups” are a good idea for some, I have no patience for it. I just like to do it for real, if it needs tweaking, then I do it. My luck track-record says the mock will be fine, but the real will go screwy…there’s wasted time. LOL
You’re right in it being about the readers and not the owner, which is the main reason I’m doing it this way. I will test different sizes/browsers when/where I can, but considering the tweak monster I am, I would be driven to the Tequila pretty quick.
Thanks! Feel free to add as things progress. Considering the comments, I’m tempted to do a post on colors alone…
[Reply]
CJ
Twitter: creative_ace
Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
@Dennis, I agree, I hate mock-ups too, however, since you said you were adding pages, I’d just add page 1 -4 or whatever then rename them when you get to that stage, but at least you know now if that makes it clearer for your target audience.
I thought Tom was referring to the strips on the page (yes there “on), but there is such a wide range from Maroon to Purple I thought I was missing something.
And since you’re not into mock-ups, I’d say wait til towards the end then ask people to send in monitor size/browser and whether it looks correct or not then tweak only what you find is necessary. I learned a long time ago 90-95% perfect is as perfect as you are going to get.
Such is life.
I’m going to say: COLOR, but I think we’ve covered that already
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
@CJ, I was going to ask for testers; I’ll wait a little bit though.
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
@CJ, Mock up test pages done.
[Reply]
CJ
Twitter: creative_ace
Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 9:39 am
@Dennis, The test pages do help the tabs stand out. Not totally convince it is enough for the end user to tell the difference between pages and tabs, but I’m willing to bet once you have real content there it should be enough.
I see what Bonnie is saying about the Never Miss an Update. The white part of the page makes the lettering a little difficult to read because of the white on white. And in IE it still (on my laptop) shows Never Miss an Update twice layered over each other. Not sure what type of graphic you’re using or why I see it twice in IE, but wonder if that is causing the FF difficulty in reading it.
Oh, I forgot to mention. I don’t see a check box next to Notify me of followup comments via email.
CJ´s last blog ..A Blog is NOT A Website
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
@CJ, I don’t know how to help with that, it all looks fine on mine.
If you subscribed once, that’s all you need. You should then see a line that reads… You are the author of this entry. Manage subscriptions. (linked)
[Reply]
Twitter: ralphcarlson
Says:
February 8th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Let me first say that I like this a lot better than phase 1. It is just that I don’t have a clue what you are doing or why it is important. I like the fact that you seem to know what you want and why. It seems like a good way to start. I don’t have any idea why I should change my layout/theme/colors etc or a good way to find out. I take it that you have learned from experience. What I would like to learn as you roll this out it what you learned, how you learned it and why it matters.
Ralph´s last blog ..Up with Failure
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
@Ralph, Hi Ralph, all valid points.
It’s important for me to do things this way because my personal design skills, in all aspects, are non-existent. That coupled with the fact that design plays a huge roll in whether visitors stick around or not, means I want to get said visitors opinions right from the jump.
What I would like to learn as you roll this out it what you learned, how you learned it and why it matters.
Are you referring to the theme build or the articles in general?
[Reply]
February 8th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
I’m not much of a designer… I am more into functionality. If you love the Flex theme, it has more features, and it looks better, in the long run, you’ll be better off going with that. A great looking theme goes a long way with impressing visitors, and you sound excited with what Flex has to offer. I would say that you shouldn’t let the fact that you paid for the customization on this theme hold you back from going with the other one. A better looking site will ultimately generate more income which will balance out what you paid with this one.
BTW, I hope I answer some things with my latest post on social bookmarking vs. social networking.
Kristi @ Social Media Strategy´s last blog ..Social Networking, Bookmarking, and Sharing
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
@Kristi @ Social Media Strategy,
The thing is, I haven’t played a whole lot with flex yet, and this one is right here with basically all I currently need, functionality wise. In fact, I already know I can only get a maximum of 6 spaces up top, where I now have a mx of 8 (the boxes).
Do you not like what you see before you? I can’t really get a read on that…you’re free to be honest. lol
You did quite well with that article, thanks!
[Reply]
Twitter: blogviet
Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 4:52 am
I am not good at designing so I am afraid of not helping you now. However, I am happy as you can do it yourself and I need to see an elegant layout sooner
Tinh´s last blog ..Facebook Reaches 400 Million Users On 6th Birthday
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
@Tinh, I can’t do much myself, most suggestions I get will go straight to a designer. lol
[Reply]
Tinh
Twitter: blogviet
Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 9:24 am
@Dennis, I see, hope to see the final one soon
Tinh´s last blog ..AnyBizSoft PDF to Word Converter with Full License for FREE
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 10:06 am
@Tinh, We all know there’s no such thing as final. LOL. I will start filling in soon.
BTW, you’re STILL going to spam with almost every comment; just thought you should know…
[Reply]
Twitter: freemanlegacy
Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
ooo! I like. I like it a lot.
I not ssre if this is the post you want this suggestion or the next one. But here’s mine:
I like the color slate, and being a girl I like color too, bright colors. Do you perhaps have plans to add any contrasting colors to your theme?
Ms. Freeman@Baby Steps of an Internet Entrepreneur´s last blog ..Protect Your Reputation-Practice Truth in Advertising
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
@Ms. Freeman@Baby Steps of an Internet Entrepreneur, I suck at color design as well. Do you have a ’such as”? What/Where?
[Reply]
February 10th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
I think you should give the site a cleaner, more minimalist look as it’s a bit crowded right now at the top, and you might also want to use a better font for the titles.
Melinda@How to Lose Weight´s last blog ..Win $100 in Cold Hard Cash (PayPal) – Mini Contest
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
@Melinda@How to Lose Weight,
Welcome aboard Melinda! Can you tell me what you mean, or a few examples of a minimalistic look?
As for the better font for the titles – do you mean the page titles above (the ones in caps) or the box titles below that…or both?
Either way, that’s another thing I’ll have to be shown how to do…I’ll start making a list. lol
[Reply]
Melinda from How to Lose Weight Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 12:20 am
@Dennis, I forgot to mention, if you need any help with your theme just shoot me an email
Melinda@How to Lose Weight´s last blog ..Win $100 in Cold Hard Cash (PayPal) – Mini Contest
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
@Melinda@How to Lose Weight, In the interest of helping, I’ll post your contest on my cash contest blog.
[Reply]
Melinda from How to Lose Weight Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
@Dennis, thanks, I really appreciate that
Melinda@How to Lose Weight´s last blog ..How to Lose Weight in 10 Days
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
@Melinda@How to Lose Weight, Actually, if you could do me a favor – send me an email with a link to the contest to remind me…I can’t get to it until at least later tonight, and might forget.
[Reply]
Melinda from How to Lose Weight Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 12:18 am
@Melinda,
I meant the post title, for the minimalist look, you could decrease the width of the page, remove the “Test 1″ box, and decrease the overall space between things but increase the white space. Just my two cents.
Melinda@How to Lose Weight´s last blog ..Win $100 in Cold Hard Cash (PayPal) – Mini Contest
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
@Melinda@How to Lose Weight,
Actually the “test” boxes are a key component. More stuff in less space; there will be up to 8 across when I’m finished filling them in…I do appreciate the input though.
[Reply]
Melinda from How to Lose Weight Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
@Dennis, sounds good, looking forward to seeing how the theme turns up!
Melinda@How to Lose Weight´s last blog ..7 Tips on How to Lose Weight for Kids
[Reply]
Twitter: AMater
Says:
February 10th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Hey Dennis,
Better late than never.
Overall, I like the design. The colors aren’t too flashy, but yet they ad a nice personal element to the blog (from being unique, I suppose). The layout is very nice, and you obviously have a lot of room for everything you want/need.
I haven’t seen the Flex theme yet, so I’m not sure how it differs from this one. Just go with what you’re happy with.
Alan Mater´s last blog ..Affiliate Marketing is the New Job on the Market
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@Alan Mater, Late is great if you were busy making money.
As I kinda referenced in other comments, most of the color scheme was done around my logo…it ain’t easy to blend red/blue. lol I think we did OK.
I’m thinking I wasn’t too clear. FlexxTheme is not “A” single theme. It’s a whole DIY package similar too, yet better then, Thesis. Hehe.
[Reply]
Alan Mater
Twitter: AMater
Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
@Dennis,
Ahh… gotcha. Well that’s cool if you don’t mind doing it yourself.
Alan Mater´s last blog ..Affiliate Marketing is the New Job on the Market
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
@Alan Mater, That’s why I bought it…easier then Thesis is supposed to be…much.
[Reply]
Alan Mater
Twitter: AMater
Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
@Dennis,
Cool… look forward to seeing what you decide to go with.
Alan Mater´s last blog ..Affiliate Marketing is the New Job on the Market
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
@Alan Mater, I think I’ve talked myself into this one. One reason; it’s already “done”, reason #2 will come out in the next post.
[Reply]
February 10th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Say Dennis, I’m just wondering how come the pages don’t go from left to right?
Sire@WassupBlog´s last blog ..How The People Search Craze Could Put Money In Your Pocket
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
@Sire@WassupBlog, I’ve never thought about it, are they supposed too?
[Reply]
Sire from WassupBlog Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
@Dennis, Usually yes, just like your boxes. It’s like when you read a book your eyes automatically start, unless your Chinese, from the left.
Sire@WassupBlog´s last blog ..How The People Search Craze Could Put Money In Your Pocket
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
@Sire@WassupBlog, Interesting, now that ou mention it, that’s true…I didn’t even notice; maybe the theme?
Does it matter much you think? I know I have lots of work to do, but am seriously trying to get away from the nit-picky that has held me back in the past. lol
[Reply]
Sire from WassupBlog Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
@Dennis, Not all that much now that you have more pages, but it was pretty shocking before.
Maybe you should shoot the guy who designed it a quick email to see if there’s a quick fix.
Sire@WassupBlog´s last blog ..How The People Search Craze Could Put Money In Your Pocket
[Reply]
Dennis Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
@Sire@WassupBlog, I may, although it should get filled in quick enough.
I was wondering why they were “hidden’ as someone commented.
[Reply]
February 12th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
[...] 80 comments and counting I got a lot of EXCELLENT feedback which I plan to implement over time, in my last post regarding the theme itself, design/layout/ease, and so forth. There’s always room for more if you would like to leave [...]
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:24 am
[...] boys and girls we’re going to take a short break from theme customization in order for you to read something that’s ultimately important for EVERY ONE OF [...]
February 28th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
[...] Beginning to fill-in-the-blanks, regarding my theme customizations. I’ve only just begun. Adjourning [...]