Most bloggers use free themes because there are so many professional free themes for all niches that only some bloggers go for a custom theme (Most probably bloggers who make money online). The problem comes when you like a free theme and want to use it on your blog and still want to stand out in blogoshere but many other bloggers are using the same theme. I have also seen bloggers who do not even touch the important sections of a theme to customize it to their needs. I suggest you should make some changes in a free template that you decide to use on your blog. Here are some things you can do.
Customize blog theme
Color scheme
Think all the colors you want on your blog. Try them all to see which looks nice. I will suggest not using many different colors on same page. Keep the look of blog as professional as you can. Make sure colors are consistent. Keep matching colors for headings, normal text, logo and header etc.
Header/ Logo
Do not keep the logo or header image which came with the free theme. You should better have your own. Nice looking header or logo does not cost you much if you are not a good designer. If you do not find cheap logo/header designer, you Can find one at Digitalpoint to do this for you for low price.
Side bar customization
Most blog designs come with a sidebar or two. You need to make your mind what is important at your blog that you want to keep in front of visitors when they visit the blog. In my opinion it varies from blog to blog but there are certain things that you should consider displaying in the sidebar of the blog.
- About the Author : Some internet users like it when they know about the author who writes for a blog or site. Tell people about your self. A brief introduction with a photo of author which links to the main ABOUT page leaves good impact on readers and even companies who are interested in your blog and want to work with you. Amit Agarwal at Digital Inspiration has done exactly what I am talking about.
- Search Bar : Blogs are like a diary. You can only see the post(s) which are on main page (usually) and not what is inside different categories or inner pages. So the visitors who want to read more or want to find about other topics will defiantly do a search.
You should consider having a search bar in your side bar.
- RSS subscription and Mailing List : Consider having an RSS button and subscription by email option in side bar so that you remind people that they can subscribe for updates about new posts. Some bloggers maintain mailing list and send out mailing news letters so they may consider keeping “sign up for news letter” thing in side bar.
- Display it and promote it : If you are running a contest, design a good banner with all prizes on there and display that in side bar. It motivates people to participate in the contest. If you are offering a free e-book to your readers or any thing for promotion remember to display that in the side bar to get more promotion.
- What else : There are so many other things you can try. Display your most popular posts in sidebar for new visitors to have a look. Keep track of recent posts. Top commentators or recent comments encourage people to post comment on posts. Finally if you are monetizing your blog, display advertisements in side bar.
Blog Author Comments
Add a personal touch to the comments that you leave on your blog. Daniel Scocco at Daily blog tips has a very good step by step guide to do this.
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After a storm comes a calm
As you brew, so must you drink
Reason why is great to be a gay
Hot wax never comes near your pubic area. It was joke ^_^
Reason why is great to be a gay
Hot wax never comes near your pubic area. Its joke
Three comedians are shooting the breeze at the back of a nightclub after a late gig. They’ve heard one another’s material so much, they’ve reached the point where they don’t need to say the jokes anymore to amuse each other – they just need to refer to each joke by a number. “Number 37!” cracks the first comic, and the others break up. “”Number 53!” says the second guy, and they howl. Finally, it’s the third comic’s turn. “44!” he quips. He gets nothing. Crickets. “What?” he asks, “Isn’t 44 funny?” “Sure, it’s usually hilarious,” they answer. “But the way you tell it…”
A guy has a talking dog. He brings it to a talent scount. “This dog can speak English,” he claims to the unimpressed agent. “Okay, Sport,” the guys says to the dog, “what’s on the top of a house?” “Roof!” the dog replies. “Oh, come on…” the talent agent responds. “All dogs go ‘roof’.” “No, wait,” the guy says. He asks the dog “what does sandpaper feel like?” “Rough!” the dog answers. The talent agent gives a condescending blank stare. He is losing his patience. “No, hang on,” the guy says. “This one will amaze you. ” He turns and asks the dog: “Who, in your opinion, was the greatest baseball player of all time?” “Ruth!” goes the dog. And the talent scount, having seen enough, boots them out of his office onto the street. And the dog turns to the guy and says “Maybe I shoulda said DiMaggio?”
Great Informative post.Thanks a lot
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