Lee McIntyre went from overworked high school teacher to full time marketer in just 56 days. He is the founder of Aim Higher Marketing where he shows others how to use honest marketing to build profitable Internet businesses in record time.
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Why I Changed My Marketing Blog Theme
By Lee McIntyre | September 14, 2008
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If you’re a regular reader you might have noticed that I’ve just updated the theme of this blog.
And you might be wondering ‘why’.
Well the main reason is that I wanted to run a simple test. I’ve been monitoring this blog for a long time using Google Analytics and I have a wealth of data relating to how users interact with this site.
Now that I’ve changed the theme I’m going to monitor my data for the next month and I’ll be paying close attention to any changes in the information.
In particular I’ll be looking for changes in the bounce rate, the length of time visitors stay on the site, the number of clicks through to my premium products, and so on.
While I like the old custom theme that I used, I’d begun to feel that the navigation was a bit cluttered and confusing and I’m hoping that the new ‘cleaner’ layout will lead to people consuming more content when they visit.
Only time will tell if my hunch is correct but rest assured I’ll keep you updated every step of the way!
Another reason is that I increasingly felt the old theme was too ‘in your face’ and didn’t quite fit with the direction in which I was taking my online business.
So what do you think? Do you like the new theme and do you think it will lead to longer visits, more clicks, and more sales? Let me know your comments below…
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Topics: News |
September 14th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Hi Lee
Thanks for answering my question RE: Blog Layout, with this new post.
I totally understand where you are coming from here, and hope you find the info you are looking for to improve the business.
I have made 3 changes to my Blog layout since it has gone live, I have found audio retains MY visitors better, and a comments table gives readers a reason to keep visiting the blog to contribute and hit top spot in the table - thus creating more exposure to my products, services and mailing list.
Let me know the results Lee!
Ray
September 14th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Hi Lee,
Must admit the first time I saw the new format I thought I had gone to the wrong website!
First reaction was I didn’t like it. Seemed a bit cold and impersonal. As you say, building a relationship with your readers is vital and, strangely, having your picture at the top makes the site human.
Having said that, you are absolutely right in what you are trying to achieve. I always thought the page was way too cluttered below the banner. Believe it or not I have actually clicked on all the links in the banner of this new look page,which is exactly what you wanted to achieve. That was before reading this post, so well done.
To sum up, I personally think you will have more success with this new format, but maybe you should reinstate your picture in the banner.
By the way, are you still using wordpress for this blog and what hosting package do you recommend to host wordpress?
Cheers,
Sam
September 14th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I must admit Lee, the first time I spotted the change of them, I too wondered if this was the right place or not!
Saying that though, there is nothing wrong with the actual layout of the theme. I recon that 2-column themes could become more popular again, for the simple reason that most people just want to read the content, and not everything you want to put into the sidebar! (I might be wrong, and probably am, but it would be interesting to find out!)
And as you asked if I liked the theme, the only 2 parts that put me off is the header and navigation! I’m not sure exactly why, I just dont!
For a while now, I’ve been wanting to conduct a little experiment with my blog, and actually make use of WordPress and the power that it has. However I am a little worried that it could do more harm than good, so I’m not going to try it out!
I look forward top your results too Lee, it’ll be interesting I think!
Thanks
Mark
September 14th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Like the others, it hit me wrong and a bit “cool”. I agree that you need your face in the header with your sig nearby. The bold LEE MCINTRYE seems a bit in your face. Maybe a softer font or just your sig enlarged next to your face. ??
The less cluttered look works. but it’s just not as “approachable” as it was before. Not sure why…
I know you’re still tweaking and it will be interesting to note the reactions of your new visitors - how long they stay, what they go after, etc.
Will you put togehter a report? That would be great.
Good Job -
Cheryl
September 14th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
@Ray - not a problem. Where possible I always trying to answer the questions raised on this blog.
@Sam - thanks for the comments. Yes this is still Wordpress, and I use servint.com for hosting.
I have a VPS with Servint which would be too much for most people. I know the owners of D9 Hosting and can recommend their services
(no affiliate link…must be losing my touch!)
@Mark - thanks for the feedback. I might have a play and see if I can make some changes to the header.
I agree it’s a bit bold and impersonal so I’ll have a think what changes I can make.
@Cheryl - great idea on a report! I’ll certainly do this once the data is in and thanks for a great tip.
Lee McIntyre
September 15th, 2008 at 2:08 am
Hi Lee,
I find that the header is a bit straight in the face thought.
To me it does not look coporate enough and since that your business is producing more physical products, maybe you can have a blog that look more professional.
Just my opinion.
John Tan
September 15th, 2008 at 9:03 am
[…] Why I Changed My Marketing Blog Theme […]
September 15th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Hi all
I’ve now added my picture to the right sidebar.
What do you think? Does it make the place look a tad friendlier?
Cheers
Lee McIntyre
September 15th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Hey Lee, I think this layout is much better. Cleaner and easier to manage. I’ve used this theme for a few months now and have been very happy with the results.
September 15th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Hi Lee
The layout is definitely an improvement - it seems much less cluttered than before. But as other’s have said I don’t think it seems quite as ‘personal’ as before. Soften the font on the header and put your picture back up at the top and I think it will be great!
Dan