5 steps to something that will sell
Posted on: Monday, Dec 3, 2007
Quite often, I see large, big titles such as: “10 Steps towards improving your blog’s design” or “5 Simple steps towards an astounding blog design”, or others alike.
I don’t really mind the title as much as I mind the simplicity tackled by some when treating this subject. I think that those who use these “best-seller like” titles should rather focus on the design of their own blog sites since, in most cases, these sites have an awful design.
Moreover, when receiving advices from such people, whose web sites have been erroneously designed, one begins to wonder if or why those precious advices have not been already implemented into the sites promoting them.
Initially being attracted by the large, “best-seller like” title, you discover at a later date that the web site’s owner, a self-proclaimed “theme guru designer”, also provides a “Premium Themes” offer, inconveniently crowded and displayed in the sidebar. Well, well. Isn’t this my lucky day? I reckon that this site has everything I need in order to start designing my blogs just like a theme guru designer.
On the same subject, I remember that once I began debating on the subject of sponsored themes, those who nowadays promote their Premium themes started pointing their finger at me, while instantly assuming the position of saints and mighty defenders of the WordPress blogging platform.
Oh, and let’s not even get into the concept of “Premium” service, product or whatever. Such a concept reminds me of the days when web hosting providers used to sort their offer into: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Premium. Now that’s boring and utterly with no personality!
So far, I had decided not to express online my opinions and approach on certain subjects. However, I’ve decided to break the silence and focus on the WordPress themes I’m designing or have designed, as well as on some general — or more detailed — subjects, such as the one displayed above.
TaTa
8 Responses to “5 steps to something that will sell”
David
December 4th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Permalink this comment
1
While I do agree that design counts, I think that great content is even more important, as design changes, content remains the same.
If you have a good post surrounded by a horrible design, people will still read the article.
If you have a bad article and a great design, people will look at the design and then leave.
Small Potato
December 4th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Permalink this comment
2
It sounds like you’re describing me and wpdesigner.com. I don’t mind it if you do and would like to response to this post if you are writing about wpdesigner.com.
—
If my blog has been erroneously designed then I’m open to whatever suggestions you might have.
FYI, I am not a self pro-claimed “theme guru designer.” Please don’t put words in my mouth. I actually call myself a Small Potato and an amateur web designer.
Are you saying I shouldn’t promote my own product on my own sidebar, which is on my own blog? I’m not a saint, but I think I deserve the opportunity to work for some returns on all the time I’ve contributed to WordPress (like everyone else).
As for my design tips, they were simply what I thought could help the bloggers separate their own blogs from the rest of the pack. Although it’s hypocritical, I chose to not follow my own design tips mainly because of laziness and it’s because not every blog can make use of the given tips.
It sounds like you have a gripe against my early position on the sponsored themes debate. Like I’ve explained time and time again, I do not have a problem with sponsored themes, but I did have a problem with theme authors abusing that business model. They were basically spamming the Theme Viewer.
In the past, I pointed out that Design Disease’s Insense theme was the right way to do sponsored themes, which was to not require the link to stay and actually tell the users the link is there.
Another FYI, I also have a problem with how weblogtoolscollection.com and themes.wordpress.net chose to define sponsored themes. Their rules fail to filter out companies that are hiring theme authors to create exclusive free themes for their companies.
About your “premium” point, premium simply means that you have to pay for it. And no, I was not the one to start the “premium” craze.
I think the term premium is misleading at the moment because it is subjective and not every author strive to make their themes “premium.”
Dem
January 11th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Permalink this comment
3
Well… Design is not everything. Content either. Both, design and content, have to complement…
Nanang
May 20th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Permalink this comment
4
I agree with you Dem. But i want to add one more thing to make this combination more powerful : nice useful programming.
Web Crawler
July 9th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Permalink this comment
5
Well, Dem and Nanang also have focused, design and content have to go side by side. But, I have to say this, if the design is not good enough then the user might not even look at the content. So, I say that design also must be on the top priority.
Web Designer Kent
July 21st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Permalink this comment
6
Ive been working on CSS based sites for sometime but still get the odd error in firefox ! wish they just played ball the same when designing, would make life a whole lot easier for everyone involved… but then that would be to simple and obvious…lol
jackie
August 4th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Permalink this comment
7
fairely good
Viet
August 4th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Permalink this comment
8
I also agree with Dem. A good design will make the visitor look at the page and want to read, but if the contents suck, they will just go elsewhere. At the same time, if the contents are great but it looks bad, people might not even give you a glance, so there needs to be some kind of balance.
Trackbacks/Pings
Leave a reply