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Post by wegotkidz on Nov 10, 2014 16:35:38 GMT
Morning! I'm Kesha - a graphic artist and the proud writer and editor over at WeGotKidz.com. I've been blogging for a little over three years and it's been an absolute blast. My blog has allowed me to appear on morning shows like CBS Better Mornings Atlanta and AMHQ with Sam Champion. Needless to say, it's been a pretty dope ride thus far. But enough about me. Today's about you guys! I'm one of the mentors for the Parenting Blogger board. Whoop, whoop! I'm super stoked to get to know everyone! Today is all about my favorite aspect of blogging: Blog Design. Today will give you the opportunity to really take a step back and look at ways that you can improve the aesthetics of your blog design. I don't claim to have all of the answers, but I'm happy to use my graphic design skills and help you gals out however I can. Share a link to your blog and let me know of any questions/concerns that you may have when it comes to the design of your blog. I'll try my best to go through each of the previous threads and answer the questions that haven't yet been addressed. Kuddos to you for joining in The Blog Mentoring Event! Can't wait to see your super fresh blogs!
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Post by mmousaw on Nov 10, 2014 16:41:03 GMT
Hello! My name is Meeghan and I blog at www.sightandsoundreading.com. I just did a site redesign, so hoping you like it LOL...I am definitely open to criticism -just want feedback on what I can do better. Thanks!
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Post by wegotkidz on Nov 10, 2014 16:56:52 GMT
Gah! I have twin 3-year-olds at home; so I am DEFINITELY going to be getting some use out of your blog. I think the design is great! You know exactly what you're getting into when you hit the page. The tagline pops. "Learn to Read for Free"? Yes please! lol. And the color choices are very "contrasty" and bold. The only thing that I would suggest - and this falls under UX (user experience) - is to maybe think about moving your top navigation down to the bottom. Move "Home" down to your primary navigation (with your categories) and slide everything else down to the footer. You already have a great "About" box in your sidebar. Maybe add a "Contact" link there as well. The other things like "Advertising" info and "Illustrators" is of no consequence to your readers. 98% of the people that go to your blog are wondering what it is you can do for them. (Harsh, but statistically a fact. lol) Seeing advertising info first and in the forefront may put some readers off... but this is just a guideline - Not a rule. Great blog girlie! I'll be diving into it with the kiddies soon.
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Post by jennice on Nov 10, 2014 21:59:02 GMT
Hi Kesha, I'm Jennice. I am a 25yo mom to an (almost) 7yo girl. I have had my blog, Mommy In Color, for about three years. Its a young parenting blog and I could really use an accountability partner because I have been unmotivated lately. It would really help. You can email me, hit me on Twitter (writeon5889)or hit me on FB (Jennice PlussizePrincess Powell).Thanks!
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Post by foster2forever on Nov 11, 2014 14:34:33 GMT
I'm in the middle of a long-overdo blog redesign. My current design is at foster2forever.comThis is the redesign I'm moving toward. blogtest2.creativekristi.com/Do you think there needs to be another color added? I will be changing the post titles from red because it's too much red on mobile.
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Post by danakml on Nov 11, 2014 15:46:59 GMT
Penelope - I love the redesign. I like the two colors, but you could definitely add a third - maybe instead of the gray in your tagline and the hearts?
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Post by melanies on Nov 11, 2014 17:54:16 GMT
Kesha, I just posted a thread asking for help. I love your blog!!! I would really like your input. I don't want to go off into different threads because I am trying to learn how to keep focus and I'm really bad at it Any help is appreciated! My blog is Babies Learn Through Play.
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Post by laurajbmartin on Nov 11, 2014 18:44:16 GMT
Hi all! My name is Laura Martin and I blog about our son, Joseph. Joseph is a survivor twin who was born at 24 weeks gestation and spent 228 days in the NICU before coming home. I chronicle our journey raising a child with special needs.
I am finally, after five years, making the leap from Blogger to Wordpress. Fortunately, my sister in law is a web designer so I have lots of help in this process.
I would like to hear from those of you who have done this - what are some things you wish you had differently or keyed in on when designing your blog?
Thanks!
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Post by danakml on Nov 11, 2014 19:54:05 GMT
Melanie - I responded to your questions in the other thread since I saw that one first.
Laura - I started on Wordpress, so I can't speak to making the switch. But I think you will be really happy with WP.
I designed my own blog when I started, and then had a pro do a redesign after about a year. I made a list of things that annoyed me with my current design, and noted things I liked on other blogs. Then I told her everything! I would focus on designing your site to be user friendly. Think about your menu and what you want on it, so it's easy to navigate. Make it easy to comment and to follow you.
Oh, and make your site mobile friendly! Mine wasn't at first, but the majority of your readers are probably visiting from a mobile device.
I'm excited for you, Laura - you're going to be so glad you made the leap!
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Post by nancyw on Nov 12, 2014 0:24:24 GMT
I just started my blog: www.thefamilybucketlist.com a little over a month ago. I would love to hear feedback on the design, readability, accessibility, etc.!
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Post by mmousaw on Nov 12, 2014 2:20:25 GMT
Thanks for taking a look at my blog, Keisha! I will definitely see what I can do with your suggestions! :-) Definitely feel free to let me know if you have any questions as you get your children started in learning to read for free! :0)
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Post by danakml on Nov 12, 2014 2:26:03 GMT
Hi Nancy. Just peeked at your blog. I just read a friend's blog post about Show Us Your Books! today - I may have to join that at some point.
Your blog is easy to read, translates well on mobile devices, and loads quickly. It's easy to leave a comment (which I did!), and easy to navigate. Some things to consider about your design:
Your header is clear, but I'd like to see some personality to it. A graphic would help - just a straight line of text is a bit boring. I would also play with replacing the gray background with white.
Create a menu bar - you have Meet the Family, but that's it. An About Me page would be good, so a new reader can get to know who YOU are. And then a few categories. It may be difficult to do this so early in the game, but keep it in mind. You want to encourage readers to stick around and browse your content.
When you see a blog design (or an aspect of a design) that you love, make note of it and create a wish list for your own blog. Then you can make changes as you are able. But I think you are off to a great start!
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Post by melanies on Nov 12, 2014 15:09:14 GMT
Dana, You are amazing! I replied to your suggestions on the other thread but had to let everyone know what a huge difference your suggestions made in my site. Feedback like that is what some people charge for so I really appreciate you even more!
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Post by danakml on Nov 12, 2014 15:30:04 GMT
Hmm - maybe I should be a professional blog feedbacker
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Post by wegotkidz on Nov 12, 2014 17:02:52 GMT
Hi Kesha, I'm Jennice. I am a 25yo mom to an (almost) 7yo girl. I have had my blog, Mommy In Color, for about three years. Its a young parenting blog and I could really use an accountability partner because I have been unmotivated lately. It would really help. You can email me, hit me on Twitter (writeon5889)or hit me on FB (Jennice PlussizePrincess Powell).Thanks! Hi Jennice! I've followed you on Twitter, and I'll definitely try and retweet your content when I see it come through. I get unmotivated too girl! It's a part of the process. When I do, I like to take a step back and regroup. I enjoy my family. I eat my favorite food. I call my dad. I live. Once I start enjoying the world around me again the stories start flowing and I'm able to get back into the swing of things with a clear perspective. If you're burned out on your blog entirely it may be time to sit down and reevaluate some things. Maybe a revamp and relaunch is in order. Maybe it's time to change your blog focus all together; But the motivation isn't going to come unless you take a step back and be real with yourself about what it is you want to accomplish. Hope that helps!
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