Written by
-
Mitch begun with this line on what it means to design.
-
“Well, the biggest thing I can say about design is don’t design just for design. Everything you do should enhance your blog. #blogchat
-
“Every doodad, widget, plugin, etc has the possibility of distracting people from your content. Good content + design go together. #blogchat
-
“That said, your blog should be about YOUR personality – think of it as your signature on the web. It should reflect YOU. #blogchat
-
Questions and answers
-
“@studionashvegas do you design and then develop it? #blogchat
-
“@ThatSocialDude As a designer/developer, my answer is custom is always better. As a user, it depends on HOW custom you want to be #blogchat
-
“@CTrappe If i’m designing for myself to develop, then yes – I know what my own strengths + weaknesses are. #blogchat
-
“@studionashvegas – Mitch, are there colors to especially avoid or choose? #blogchat
-
“@BruceSallan Purples can be hard if used in abundance, same with reds, but are beautiful as accent colors. #blogchat
-
“@studionashvegas Top 5 widgets you think every blog must have? #blogchat
-
“@T_Burrows ooo tough one. Subscription, Social Links, Archives (monthly or topically), About Me (adds personality)… those 4
#blogchat -
“@studionashvegas What’s a good font size for our blogs? 12? 14? 16? #blogchat
-
“@MackCollier – I prefer 13 because I’m difficult (LOL) but 12-16 is actually a GREAT range for body copy… #blogchat
-
“@studionashvegas So are their other sites other than what’s on Worpdress with premium themes for the WordPress hosted version. #blogchat
-
“@executiveoasis if you want REAL control, you’ll have to moved to a self hosted version… otherwise, you’re limited. #blogchat
-
“How many fonts? RT @studionashvegas: #1: Body Copy should be between 12-16 and a readable font #blogchat #blogchat
-
“@wordwhacker no more than 1 for body and 1-2 (2 is pushing it) for headlines. And they should work together. #blogchat
-
“.@studionashvegas I see most blogs once. If I like the content I subscribe. Is design REALLY that important? #blogchat
-
“@CollinKromke If you see them once, and you’re hooked on both content and design, then yes, it is. Plus not everyone is RSS savvy #blogchat
-
“@studionashvegas How much Internet stuff should you do before you pay for TypeKit? #blogchat
-
“@SaraBAllen If you like their fonts and get value, then go for it. #blogchat
-
“@SaraBAllen Its a hard line to cross #blogchat
-
“@studionashvegas Ok for the 2nd part, should bloggers hire a designer or go with a free theme or premium one? Pros and cons? #blogchat
-
“@MackCollier layout, design, font usage, content – it was a number of things. #blogchat
-
“@studionashvegas When you were just getting started did you do freebies? #blogchat
-
“@SaraBAllen No. Spec Work, as its called, is dangerous to the industry because it takes value away from something valuable #blogchat
-
On flexible design
-
“The best way to check your font size is to look at it on lots of browsers + devices. Se how it looks. #blogchat
-
“Of course, if you want a REAL flexible design, don’t use PX or PT, use EMs and get yourself a “responsive design” #blogchat
-
“A Responsive design is one that will adapt to your choice of viewing medium. WordPress’ Twenty Eleven is one such example. #blogchat
-
“@writin2insanity you can always get a “responsive design” – one theme that works by scaling to your viewing medium (phone ipad etc #blogchat
-
On hiring a designer vs picking a theme
-
“1) Are you willing to spend 1k+ on a decent design? or are you just a hobby blogger? #blogchat
-
“2) Do the premium themes do exactly what you want? Or do you want to customize them even in the slightest #blogchat
-
“@Kathrynclang I charge 1.5K to design, code, populate, and launch a blog. Anything above that costs more, depending on what it is #blogchat
-
“@Kathrynclang to put content in… basically you give me content and I’ll load it in.
-
“@CTrappe There are varying degrees, but you get what you pay for in most cases – it’s all about investment vs value.
-
“@ST_Designs If you want to hire someone, get with them and let them ask you lots of questions. Get them sites you like, etc #blogchat
-
“@Kathrynclang Yes – 100% of the work I do personally is on WordPress, it’s my personal preference because I specialize in it #blogchat
-
“@patricksplace It’s all about personal preference – there are people for every budget. #blogchat
-
“@patricksplace there are lots of great premium themes, but they will always look like others of the same theme… 1/2 #blogchat
-
“@patricksplace it’s the people that REALLY want to differentiate that I recommend spending the proper $$ for it. #blogchat
-
Advice from others
-
“@thefarmerslife I think using my own photos makes my professional blog more personal. #blogchat
-
“Funny thing about popups. I get better response if I delay showing them for at least a minute. Not as rude. Still testing #blogchat
-
“I see focus on having the design look good on all formats especially mobile, as so many only look at it via mobile #blogchat
-
“Always give credit 4 other people’s images. If you sell anything on your site, it’s commercial, dif rules apply #blogchat
-
“@wordwhacker keeping it simple and easy to navigate #blogchat
-
“@GettysburgGerry Instagram is also great for iPhone/iPad users. Photoshop can do many of the same filters as well #blogchat
-
“#blogchat If usibg your own pics for header. Picnik is a great free photo manipulater
-
“I use WordPress themes where I can customize the sidebars, so I don’t need to have the same sidebar throughout my site #blogchat
-
“@MackCollier There are plenty of GOOD designers who are also affordable. It’s silly to assume you MUST spend a fortune. #blogchat
-
“Horizontal images work best in most WordPress themes so when you take photos, try to take horizontal shots #blogchat
-
“@sharongreenthal – IMO you can be much more creative with a personal blog/site #blogchat
-
“@ThatSocialDude @studionashvegas Best place to put opt in box is Above-the-Flow. Also have contextually relevant CTA #blogchat
-
“@cartooninperson I think a kickass header can totally make the look of the blog, @studionashvegas do you agree? #blogchat
-
“Not just font size but also use readable typeface like Arial or Times New Roman @MackCollier: @studionashvegas #blogchat
-
“@bobWP @studionashvegas Experiment with the mainstream browsers to be sure your blog looks good no matter what is being used. #blogchat
-
“@littlemissmocha Having an image with each post helps with click through rates when linking to the post in Facebook, G+, etc. #blogchat
-
“@cartooninperson Look at other blogs & website to see what gets your attention.Look through magazines. You can select colors #blogchat
-
“Again, I say if ur site/blog is not optimized for #mobile you better get back to that drawing board, right quick. It’s 2012, ppl #blogchat
-
“Thesis is a great theme for user friendliness. No need to stress out when trying to maintain your blog. #blogchat
-
“I stumble through the design stuff on my own on purpose. Sure, I want to throw my computer, but I can’t teach what I don’t know. #blogchat
-
“@MackCollier My op: Go to one 400px sidebar, search in header, link to archives as their own page, categories on bottom of column #blogchat
-
“@juliacantor I think we are our own worst critic when it comes to blogging, our design, our writing, everything #blogchat
-
Important thoughts to consider:
-
“@ThatSocialDude .com – it’s yours, don’t brand it with someone else’s stuff #blogchat
-
“@ShawnteleLouise True – and that’s what happens with non-customized themes: you run the risk of familiarity #blogchat
-
“@audaciouslady India (and other countries over across the pond) can actually be a few years behind in style + trends so be wary. #blogchat
-
“I like anything above 20pt for headlines, and even go up to 60 or 100 to really make them stand out. #blogchat
-
“#1: Body Copy should be between 12-16 and a readable font: Headlines can be larger (20+) and have any stylistic font within reason #blogchat
-
“@pamelamaeross social connections, ways to navigate through old content are a must; otherwise it’s as needed #blogchat
-
“@BruceSallan Ads have their place – but it’s your content that people are here to see, don’t forget. #blogchat
-
“@ShawnteleLouise If you don’t have design software you may be at a disadvantage… pick a software, learn it, then just practice #blogchat
-
“That said, your blog should be about YOUR personality – think of it as your signature on the web. It should reflect YOU. #blogchat
-
“@ThatSocialDude my site is built entirely on WordPress – I’ve built magazines, business sites, even a dating site on WordPress #blogchat
-
“@GreenDolphin_ if you’re hosted on .com, then you’ll always be limited. Self hosted is the way to go for full customization #blogchat
-
“Funny story: my old site design had white text on black and got me several design awards. #blogchat
-
Funny thoughts
-
“@streetforce1 I love Pinterest I can finally stop cutting up magazines and create various vision boards #Blogchat
-
“@littlemissmocha Tried to find a theme called “Is anyone reading this but my wife?” #blogchat
-
“I’m honored to be the first guest to celebrate the end of the world
#blogchat -
Concluding thoughts
-
“1) Use good fonts and colors, but don’t overuse; they accent your content and nothing more. #blogchat
-
“2) There are tons of options for you to choose from, from premium templates to full blown redeigns #blogchat
-
“3) Plugins and functionality should add overall value; otherwise they detract from the content #blogchat
-
About Mitch Cantor and Studio Nash Vegas
-
“If you have questions, please contact me via here, or the form on my site. I’m more than happy to answer them #blogchat
-
About
This site serves a two fold purpose. On the one hand, it’s Mitch Canter’s web portfolio for the client’s he has taken on through studiona… -
About #Blogchat
-
What is #Blogchat? | MackCollier.com – Social Media Training and Consulting
blogchat is a weekly conversation that takes place every Sunday nite starting at 8pm Central, on Twitter. Each week we discuss a differen…
- Share this:
- StumbleUpon
Thanks for including me James! It's always great to see you around the web.
I'm curious as to what your relationship with Mitch is. It might be nice to mention in the post as you obviously have given him a nice feature. I was a bit surprised not to see @RayJGordon included as I thought he gave some great tips but I can understand needing to cut a lot out of an explosive chat like @MackCollier's #blogchat.
Blog feedback - Are you using the default permalink setting for your blog for reason? Notice you haven't put this post in a category so it may be difficult to find later. You may wish to add a G+ button to your bookmarking share options.
- spam
- offensive
- disagree
- off topic
Like