Wednesday 10 August 2011

A Blog Re-Vamp (Version #2) - Comments Welcome

As I mentioned last week, I have re-vamped my blog front page after 11 months and over 100,000 pageviews after I started blogging properly last September.

Yesterday I made the initial changes by making changes to the content. I've done so by making a push on promoting local businesses and organisations in Cardigan and also more widely throughout Ceredigion in the hope that I can give them some free publicity. I have done so so by placing prominently their web links on the front page.

Today I have re-vamped in its entirety, the design of the blog to move away fromt the standard blogger template which was beginning to grate with me. I've gone with a light blue background and a chequered flag image to signify my passion and that of my father before me, to motorsport. The new template has also got clearly defined sections which better seperate the core content to the links and buttons down the right hand-side.

I've also widened the width of the blog as I was getting increasingly frustrated at what I felt was its 'clunky' nature with some posts and their photos or video clips too large for the space afforded to the core content. That has now hopefully been rectified by this change.

Finally, following on from the masthead design used by Alex Folkes which I've always liked, I have somehow by hook or by crook managed to do the same with mine with a photo of a younger me aged 3 or 4 to remind myself that life is for the living and that for as long as we are young at heart, nothing should phase us in the challenges that lie ahead. Thank you to Alex who gave me some helpful advice on doing so.

I would be interested to hear what visitors to my blog think of the changes. Is it more user friendly and is it easy to read? All constructive views will be greatly welcomed!

In the meantime, as I stated yesterday, if there are any other businesses or organisations in Cardigan or throughout the county (or indeed Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire!) that would like to add their website link to my blog, then please don't hesitate to contact me and I will add them also!

Thank you for reading.

2 comments:

  1. The chequered flag buries a lot of the content because of the light blue text. Somewhat annoying. If you had asked me, I assumed it was the tile design of your bathroom.

    TBH, I am concerned solely with the content, rather than the layout, but I do miss the Lib Dem colour.

    PS - Are you jumping ship to the Conservatives by any chance? You use the word politics in your heading and then everything is in blue...which equates to the "Conservatives". I am sure I wont be the only person to comment.

    I would also mention your mentor in your "About me" and put something else from your About Me in its place as that will mean nothing to 99.9% of your readers.

    Sorry if you dont like my constructive comments, but it was fine as it was. LOL. If it ain t broke, don't fix it is the saying....

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  2. Thanks for that Andrew. I just got bored of the old layout and wanted a change - certainly no change in political colours don't you worry!

    If you scroll down, the chequered aspect isn't an issue.

    Your point about Andrew is legitimate but then I'm not putting that there for anyone else but for myself so it's staying!

    I may see if I can bring back some different colours over time. Now that I know how to chnge the template, the world is my oyster!

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