How important is my blog’s design?

by Marian Schembari on March 4, 2010

About a month ago I considered paying someone to do my blog redesign because I felt it wasn’t snazzy or professional enough to do the job. Now that I’m 100% self employed I figured my website was THE most important thing I’ve got going for me.

Well, life happened, and I can no longer afford to hire a web designer, but I still stress that my site isn’t awesome enough to impress anyone.

I know my About page could use some work, my blog isn’t the prettiest thing on the planet and I keep reading that I need a mailing list/newsletter. You know, for the 12 people who would sign up. I also think I need some form of logo.

But am I obsessing for no reason? It’s not like people stumble upon my blog and decide it’s so cool they need to hire me. Most of my business comes from referrals via connections I’ve made on Twitter or through blog comments. Actually, hold on, scratch that. I’ve received two emails from random people who’ve stumbled on my stuff but they’ve either wanted me to work for free or join them in a sketchy business venture. No thanks.

Anyhoozey, the reason I started thinking about this post is because I generally Google people before I have meetings with them and the past two or three times I haven’t really found anything. No website or Twitter account. Which usually blows my mind – how can you freelance without this stuff? But they apparently do it successfully and are full of awesome and aren’t slaves to social media networking.

Yesterday I signed up for AWeber to start a mailing list (I actually have a cool idea for a promotion thingy – I know, super technical) but I can’t figure out how to put it on my site. Is it that hard? Apparently since I can’t figure it out or work HTML for shit. I feel like I should get Thesis but am nervous about losing everything in the process since I have no idea how to back my site up. I finally got Disqus to do my comments (which I think looks and works much better) but so far that’s the limit.

I heart technology so I feel like it’s  bit of a disgrace that I don’t know how to build a decent website. Like I said in my last post, I’m not sure asking questions will result in the most comments, but I would really like your opinion. What would you add to my site? Take away? Blunt honesty always appreciated.

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  • I've been thinking about this, too -- for my next Web site. I want to do it myself, but I also don't know enough about code to make it unique. Here's another idea: How 'bout hiring someone who knows Thesis to help you? I found a few people like this simply by asking on Twitter -- there's a hashtag for Thesis and WordPress, but I can't remember it off the top of my head. That way you wouldn't be paying for someone to create a fancy logo or a fancy site, simply make some tweaks to what you have, customize it the way you want to.

    For what it's worth though, I think it looks pretty good! Could use a colorful header and photo of you in the sidebar.
  • Thanks for stopping by Alexis! I was actually just reading YOUR blog... God, I love the internet ;-)

    Your advice about the header and photo are also exactly what I was thinking as an easy/cheap way to make my site a little more personal. I can't afford to hire a designer for the whole site but did just hire someone to design an awesome header. A photo is a great idea too... I just did a photo shoot with Real Simple magazine and I'm hoping to get some portraits out of it!
  • I don't have any particular advice but I enjoy being your cheerleader so I'll just let you know that your brilliance inspired the creation of my own website (lowly as it may be right now).

    Personally, I feel like your site should showcase what you ARE good at and what services you sell. Just because we live in a digital age doesn't mean we have to be good at everything digital. That's why people specialize. Your writing is what conveys your intelligence, personality, & spunk. The witty titles speak much more than some snazzy site and expensive logo. You're rad.

    Your adoring fan,
    GK :)
  • You're fabulous and give excellent advice, my dear. Obviously I played around with a new design but you're right - the whole point of this blog is to present myself in a smart, honest and somewhat flattering light. I do think, however, that an unprofessional looking website can seem, well, unprofessional. Then again, I liberally fling curse words and complain about The Man, so my options are already limited. Still... Your advice is sound and wise.

    And go you for creating a site! It looks great!

    xoxo
  • DanHolmes2010
    My reactions:

    + You don't need a fancy logo. Look at Google, they basically have their name spelled in funny colored letters. Logo is less important than having your name clearly visible and your site saying what it is you do and can do for your clients. Being a web developer, I like seeing your NAME in text rather than in an image. Google likey.

    + Oh, but add a picture of yourself to the home page or your masthead.

    + An email newsletter is a good idea. I personally think that tools like Twitter are chipping away at the importance of newsletters, but still a good idea, especially if you publish good content regularly (which you do). I don't have an email newsletter for either my consulting business or my personal blog site because I don't have the time to effectively write a good newsletter each week.

    + I really like the Most Commented section of your Site, but it seems like they are always the same articles. Maybe a most "retweeted" section can supplement it or replace it?

    + Speaking of that, seems like you Tweet a lot, how about a Twitter Feed on your Site?

    + The layout looks fine, I see you're using WordPress, which should allow you to slide widgets around and see how successful they are in different spots.

    + A strategy to get people to bookmark you and take you seriously is to create what I call "anchor content." Anchor content would be a series on one subject, or a tutorial, or an evergreen type of "toolkit" article. "The Social Media Toolkit for College Grads" for example. This content should be evergreen, should be pertinent and bookmarkable. (Thus retweetable). Once you create it, promote the heck out of it in your enewsletter, twitter, and post prominently on your sidebar.

    + another very positive thing about your Site: your Search is at the top and very visible.

    + Overall, your Site is very good. A few minor tweaks, that's all.
  • You are my new favorite person, Dan. Thanks a billiontrillioninfinity for the helpful comments. Am working on my shit right now...

    ...And fucking around with Thesis. Which I suck at. Obviously.
  • DanHolmes2010
    Your new favorite person? Wow, thanks. :-)
    I like your enthusiasm and your generous use of the word "fuck" - it's like I'm corresponding with Hemingway or Mailer.

    Dan
  • As a reader I see no need to change in your overall design. I don't think I am the only one. I feel a mint-coolness and professional attitude. Well, if you think it does not represent who you are, it's another story...

    The two-tier headlers are sometimes confusing. At a glance, I am not sure of the difference between Press (top) and Interview (bottom), About (top) and Contact (top), so on. Then I realize the bottom shows blog topics. Come to think of it, the second header is in one of the most prominent places in your website. Maybe that place should be spared for your potential clients?
    I would like "subscribe by email" option.
    I see many items on the sidebar and although they are informative I see the distinctions among them are blurry. In short, I would like to see them a bit more organized.

    Contents are what matter, and yours are always informative, personal, controversial, and hilarious. All without pretending. Keep on rocking, we're looking forward for your next actions.
  • Isao, you are always too nice to me. But your advice has been duly noted. I think one of the MOST important things about a website is accessibility. Not flash or pretty colors or a fancy header. If a site is difficult to use I could care less if your traffic is awesome and you spent $1,000 on a logo. I don't have time in my day to figure your shit out.

    Anyhoozey, you make some excellent points. I now have a subscriber button so yay! Let me know if it doesn't work.

    Question: How did you decide on your blog's organization and layout? Is always nice to hear another perspective. Especially since mine is 100% learn-as-you-go.

    And as always, thanks for visiting!
  • Hi Marian

    Talk about coincidence - in the recent months I have also rebuild my blog's theme in a bottom-up approach. That is, only add or tweak stuff that matters. To the readers.

    Currently my blog is visually bare-bone (when you hear "minimalistic," that's what people actually mean). If content is the king, accessibility is the queen. I think you are spot-on.

    The left column contains the "dailies" - Tumblr photohaiku, quote, and Twitter. The center colum contains the meatier blog posts. The right column contains other info: subscription, history, search. I tucked most "look at me" stuff (banners and profiles) into the top menu and made sure whatever appears on the page adds some value to the visitors. Oh yes, no ads. Please oh please.

    I decided to just give what I can offer to others without expecting returns. I feel better that way.
  • Hi Marian,

    (Laura Belgray sent me. She thinks I know stuff.)

    1. Your site looks fine. Since you're a writer-type person the visual stuff just needs to be Good Enough to get people to read the words. It is.
    2. A logo is nice, but not necessary.
    3. A newsletter is definitely a good idea. Now that you have AWeber, what you need to do is:
    Step 1: Create a list - name it "blognewsletter" or something actually clever.
    Step 2: Do you want the newsletter to just send out your articles? If so, you want to follow the steps for a Blog Broadcast. If you want to write newsletters yourself, then look at the Autoresponder sequence.
    Step 3: Then you need one of those "Sign Up Here" boxes to put on your website... there's some pre-made ones that work really well and are simple to set up. Then you just copy the resulting HTML code and pop it into a Text Widget on your sidebar.
    Step 4: No, you don't need Thesis.
    Step 5: I would add a photo of yourself on the front page. And a text block about what you do.

    Hope this helps! I have some more advice on my website, too. :)

    Cheers,
    Catherine
  • Wow, thank you so much! Seriously, this is fab advice. Will try and fiddle around and see what I can do....

    And if Laura says you know stuff, well, then you do ;-)
  • I like the design. It's simple and it leaves anyone visiting able to focus on the content - and that's what you want them to do. At the moment, your logo is your name, and that's pretty strong. I'm not sure you need a newsletter unless the content you provide is different from what's already here (more than happy to help with that if you do decide to go down that route by the way). You only need to worry about your design if it's shit. Yours isn't.

    The only thing I don't like? The bit on the homepage that tells me how long a blog post is, I'm not sure it's necessary. I would like it if it told me how many comments there were instead :-)
  • I really agree about the length thing, but I can't figure out how to get rid of it! AND I tried for about 2 days to make it so it showed how many comments a post has but I failed miserably at that. See? Technology fail.
  • I think it's important, but I don't think you really need to change anything about your page. It's clean and accessible.

    I mean, for me - I'm just a lowly Ed Ass, so I'm not looking at your blog to hire you or anything, but I was brought to your site through HarperStudio and your *awesome* rant on digital thievery. I didn't decide to add you to my Reader because your site looked good, but because you write about the industry and you write well.
  • Why thank you Nicole!
    *blush*
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