As I mentioned in Sunday's post, Finance Trends is having a little contest giveaway this week. Up for grabs: two free subscriptions to The Economist.The contest rules are pretty simple; I'm looking for suggestions on how to improve the look & feel of this blog (aside from a few added features & tweaks, we've pretty much stuck with the same "Classic Blogger" design template since inception). What I'd like from you is a suggestion (or two) on how to best update this blog for the future.
Should we change our layout design to include a more readable background color? Create new template features for mobile blog readers? Add new data feeds or interactive features to our sidebar columns? We're counting on your advice; the theme here is change for the sake of improvement, rather than change for the sake of change.
Leave us a comment with your suggestions, and please include your name & email. I will make a careful note of all suggestions & announce the contest winners this Friday at noon (12 pm CST).
Thanks, and good luck!
6 comments:
You definitely need a "recent Comments" list (preferably before the recent posts). I have a blog as well and even though I don't get a lot of comments, it's nice to have a sidebar to quickly glance at what people are commenting on!
I prefer a wider reading tablet than the one you have displayed, but that's pretty minor!
Best,
Maria
www.BearMountainBooks.com
David:
I am actually about to "improve" some things on my blog as well so I'll share some things I have observed (and like):
1. Simplify! Simplicity almost always is best (and this goes beyond blog design). For some great, simple and clean designs, check out Zen Habits: http://zenhabits.net/ and Dwell Upon: http://dwellupon.net/
2. Use images. One simple and descriptive image per post can add to the value of your content and simultaneouosly increase traffic (people use search engines to find images and will stumble over your blog that way). I like how the Kirk Report uses images (and his simple design as well): http://www.thekirkreport.com/
3. Wider reading space. I'm with Maria (above). I suggest at least 500 pixels wide. It makes for a more pleasant reading experience and less scrolling down to read the content.
That's it for now! I don't want to overload your comments here!
Also, if I may be so presumptuous, if you consider me as a finalist in this contest, please do not give me the "prize."
I don't read periodicals and if I received The Economist, which is a great magazine, I would be tempted to read it!
Thanks, David. I have always enjoyed your work...
Kent @ The Financial Philosopher
My blog looks terrible, so I'm almost ashamed making any suggestions.
One is consider moving to WordPress -- I'm not there but would be if I had it to do all over again.
My second suggestion is buying your own domain name. Just placing Google ads will pay the cost several times over.
Best,
John
www.controlledgreed.com
I pretty much like the blog, layout/etc... I find it very accessible and easy to read.
One thing I thought you might be able to change, is that when you click on a link off your blog, it takes you to the link on the same browser that your blog is running on. I've noticed on other sites that when clicking on a link it opens the link on a new browser. I think it's a good idea because it keeps your blog up, and may encourage more traffic. Not sure if it's doable, but I've been meaning to mention that to you for a while....
Thanks everyone for all the great ideas & suggestions.
I see some new ideas for needed improvements, as well as some suggestions that confirm my earlier thinking on a few points. I'll consider all these points in future transitions for blog design/hosting.
Contest winners have been announced, see today's post for more info.
One of the sites that helped me find great name suggestions was http://www.squadhelp.com. I got 400+ domain name suggestions in 2 days for just $50. They engage people across the world who submit ideas - and the best idea wins the award amount. It sure beats the time and energy I would have spent myself to come up with names. You might want to check them out.
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