blogging crew » themes

Intaglio: free Wordpress theme

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:36:17 +0000

I came across a free Wordpress theme today I really like the look of.

Intaglio is one of the first free premium wordpress themes from FlyThemes.

It features excellent graphics with plenty of tools and options to back it up, including integrated flickr, twitter, gravatars and feedburner.

All of these features are editable from the theme’s options page.

I really like the ‘classy’ 2-column layout and the widgetized sidebars. Itaglio definitely gets a thumbs up from me!

Intaglio Feature List:

Columns: 2

Widget Ready: Yes

XHTML Valid: Yes

CSS Valid: Yes

Browser Compatible: IE 6.0+, FF 2+, Safari 2.0+, Opera 9.0+

SEO Optimized: Yes

Gravatar ready: Yes

Flickr ready: Yes

Twitter ready: Yes

Theme Options Page: Yes

WP Version: 1.5+

You can take a look at the demo page here. The theme can be downloaded there too.

Ian Davies
Blogging Crew Editor

Drupal themes

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:31:39 +0000

OK, it’s time to ‘fess up! Since starting Blogging Crew I’ve pretty much ignored the Drupal platform and I need to put that right.

Don’t know much about Drupal? Here goes…

Drupal is a free software package that allows an individual or a community of users to easily publish, manage and organize content on a website. Drupal powers a wide variety of websites, including…

Community web portals

Discussion sites

Corporate web sites

Intranet applications

Personal web sites or blogs

Fan sites

E-commerce applications

Resource directories

Social Networking sites

Straight out of the tin

Drupal is ready to go from the moment it’s downloaded. There are dozens of freely available add-ons to privide impressive functionality, including:

Content Management

Blogs

Forums

Peer-to-peer networking

Newsletters

Podcasting

Picture galleries

File uploads and downloads

Whilst Drupal can’t challenge WordPress when it comes to the quantity of themes available, there is still plenty of choice. Take a look at drupal2u.com (over 230 FREE themes), alldrupalthemes.com, templatemonster.com (207 premium themes) and topnotchthemes.com (premium themes) to give you some idea of what is available.

Blatant plug

Although the software is free, a Drupal site requires 3rd party hosting (unlike Blogger for example). I offer a brilliant blog hosting package. For further information please take a look HERE.

Aperture theme

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:18:40 +0000

Premium WordPress themesters WooThemes have added another gem to their portfolio.

Aperture is a multi-functional photo-blogging theme with a unique home page, consisting of a latest posts slider, a visual category display, a blog module and lots of stylish widgetized spaces.

With 12 alternate styles and a very visual archive system any keen ‘photography blogger’ should be able to house their photos/portfolio in a theme that specifically caters for their needs.

UNIQUE FEATURES

These are some of the more unique features that you will find within the theme:

Home page slider displaying latest posts

Home page visual category boxes with javascript hover effects

Attractive category archive template with images with javacript hover effects

Dedicated blog category template and home page module

6 widgetized areas (4 footer modules and 2 sidebar modules)

7 custom Woo widgets

12 great colour schemes

STANDARD FEATURES

These features are probably just as special as the one’s above, but you’ll find these standard features within most of Woo’s range:

Integrated Theme Options (for WordPress) to tweak the layout, colour scheme etc

Automatic Image Resizer, used to dynamically create the thumbnails on the home page

Threaded Comments for WP 2.7

Trendy drop-down menu’s for your main navigation

Custom Page Templates for Archives

Built-in Gravatar Support for Comments

The price of this outstanding theme is only $70 (for a single user licence). That’s approximately £46.50 at the time of writing this post. However, WooThemes have an excellent “themes club” with substantial savings for members.

For non-members, Woo offer a 2-for-1 deal. That’s a real bargain for two professional themes.

Changing your theme

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:02:25 +0000

When you’re new to blogging it tends to take some time before settling on a theme. It’s been a problem for me every time I’ve started a new blog.

So how often should you change your theme?

My answer is never… well, very, very rarely.

Whenever you change your blog’s theme you will weaken your brand. The design of a website or blog is a major factor contributing to the brand around it. A consistent theme sticks in people’s heads and changing it regularly causes confusion.

In my opinion the minimum time you should stick with a design is six months. If you chop and change you are sending a message to your readers that you have no real idea about what you are trying to achieve with your blog. I would advise you to wait at least a year before any major re-design work.

You don’t have to stick with the theme forever. Sometimes a new design can be used to add a bit of ‘zing’ to your blog and will often generate comments in itself.

So redesigning or changing a theme is fine, just don’t do it very often!

Blogger templates

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:30:05 +0000

One major advantage of using Wordpress as your blogging platform is the huge choice of themes available. There are literally thousands.

In contrast, Google’s Blogger platform has always had a very limited choice of templates. I mentioned on previous posts that my blogging career started by using Blogger, and the lack of templates really frustrated me. That was one of the main reasons I moved over to wordpress.com (the ‘lite’ version of the platform) before settling on the full fat version of Wordpress, complete with all the whistles and bells.

However, an ever-increasing band of enthusiastic designers are shamelessly modifying some of the very best Wordpress themes and modifying them to use on Blogger.

If you are a Blogger format user and would like to move away from one of the ’standard’ themes take a look at the choice of templates at eblogtemplates.com. You might just find the ideal theme for your blog.

Premium WordPress themes

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:51:52 +0000

In a previous post I stressed the importance of getting the right theme for your blog. It really can take ages! I know… I’ve been there!

One of the major benefits of using WordPress is the HUGE choice of themes available from a wide variety of sources. However, it can also be a big hindrance. Can’t see the wood for the trees, too much choice, etc.

I am deliberately using an “off-the-shelf” theme for Blogging Crew to illustate how you don’t need to spend ANY money to get your blog looking slick right from the start. However, if this blog was intended to be my main source of income I would without doubt invest a little bit of cash in a “premium” theme to give the site real balls!

If you are really serious about earning money directly from your blog, or perhaps using it as a corporate website in its own right, I would strongly advise you to consider using a premium theme.

As the name implies, premium themes aren’t free. They are available from just a few pounds to several hundred pounds for a 100% custom-made job.

One of my favourite sources for premium themes is Woo Themes. Woo have designed some of the most cutting-edge WordPress templates you can find anywhere. They are beautifully presented with clean layouts, great colour schemes and excellent typography.

The themes can be purchased individually or, by joining Woo’s Theme Club, you can download multiple themes depending on your subscription level.

If you like the sound of what Woo has to offer, you can take a look at their portfolio by clicking on the banner below.

New to Blogging? A few tips and pitfalls!

admin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:06:08 +0000

When I took the decision to start blogging three years ago (with a now defunct blog) I jumped in with both feet and made a lot of mistakes. No wonder I hardly got any readers.

Here are a few tips and pitfalls to help you.

Don’t waste money on design.

Getting the right theme for your blog is important and I would strongly suggest you spend time getting it right. However, I firmly believe you don’t need to spend a fortune on the design. There are plenty of excellent free themes out there, though you can buy a “premium” theme for just a few pounds if you want something a little slicker. I’ve heard several horror stories about people spending thousands on their blog. It really isn’t necessary. Content and traffic is the key, both of which are achievable without expensive design. I am deliberately using a free theme on Blogging Crew, called I-Nove in this instance (one of the most popular themes available). I have made a few minor tweaks, such as adding a logo, but this is a good example of how your blog could look with NO money spent on design.

Don’t write about news.

There are so many great news blogs out there you will be wasting you time. Let’s face it, your potential readers will already be looking elsewhere for news. Forget it.

Pick the right niche.

It’s very easy to fall into the trap of blogging about ‘hot’ topics or even blogging about blogging (like me!) but you are far more likely to have a successful blog if you chose a niche subject. If you are an ‘expert’ on the subect and really passionate about it even better.

Make it a big niche!

You may be a World authority on Victorian thimbles manufactured between 1888 and 1891, and you are so passionate about the subject you can’t wait to start writing. If that’s the case you won’t get too many readers. Your niche needs to be a BIG niche!

Write with passion.

I’ve mentioned passion a few times now. It really is important. Your editorial will be far more compelling if you’re passionate. The oooommmph factor jumping off the page will smack your readers between the eyes and they are far more likely to stick with your blog as it develops.

Don’t force yourself to write.

Once your blog is up and running don’t force yourself to write every day. If content spills out of you that’s great, but it’s OK if you can’t write for a few days. Blogging should be a pleasure, not a burden.

Write solid content.

It’s better to write great editorial every few days than write drivel every day just for the sake of it. When you do feel inspired to write, make sure your readers will want to come back and read more.

Be open about making money.

If you’re looking to earn from your blog don’t be ashamed! There’s nothing wrong in blogging for profit, though don’t expect to earn an instant fortune. It’s not going to happen!

Choose the right blogging platform.

There are several different blogging platforms and my personal preference is WordPress. Why? Simply because I feel comfortable with WordPress and I find I can make the necessary tweaks needed from time to time myself. Adding plug-ins and widgets is very easy. There are plenty of options for you to consider and you may wish to take a look at Blogspot, Movable Type, TypePad or B2Evolution, though there are a whole lot more!

Tell your story.

Your readers will want to know something about you. Sure, they’ll run a mile if your blog is all me, me, me, me, but make sure you have an “about me” page for them to refer to. The human element of your blog (you!) is important.

Write for your readers.

Your content should be written for the benefit of your readers not for yourself. You need to give readers a reason to keep coming back to your blog.

Get to know other bloggers.

Building relationships with other bloggers will help you increase your traffic. If you produce great editorial share it with other bloggers. They are likely to write about you, you’re likely to write about them and so on. It doesn’t need to be a mutual back-slapping society, it’s a great form of networking. You can never have too many contacts.

Reply to every comment.

If you want to build a loyal following it is absolutely essential to respond to every comment. If the reader has taken the time and trouble to comment on your blog it’s courteous to acknowledge it. If you comment on this article (or any other on Blogging Crew) I will reply 100% of the time.

Selecting a theme for your Blog

admin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:04:11 +0000

Selecting the right theme for your blog can be very time-consuming (it certainly has been for me on occasions!) but it is vital you choose the right one if you want to make your blog fly!

So where do you start?

Here’s a few things for you to consider before making your decision:

Do you want to make money from the blog? If so, you may want to go with a ‘premium’ (paid for) theme or a custom (even more paid for!!) theme in order to make yours look as professional as possible. A quick Google search for “premium blog themes” will result in thousands to choose from. If you’re not particularly interested in making money from your blog, a free theme should do. You can always upgrade later.

Do you want your blog to look unique? Some of the more popular free themes are literally used by thousands of blogs, so clearly you won’t stand out from the crowd. However, many people believe ’safety in numbers’ is a wise option, and if you don’t particularly want a unique look, there are plenty of excellent free themes available for download. Many popular themes are supported well (such as I-Nove, the theme I am using here), and it can be relatively easy to find help if you have a problem or want to do a little tweaking.

How will the blog’s design affect your success? If you have a personal blog, having an original look is probably not that important, and free themes will be fine. For businesses attempting to portray a polished, professional image, spending the money on a theme design is definitely justified. There are many excellent ‘premium’ themes available for a few pounds. Obviously, as a general rule, the more you pay the better the theme, in terms of design, flexibility, functionality and customisation.

Will the theme match your logo (if you have one)? If you plan to use a specific logo or header image, take care in choosing the right theme, or look into getting a new logo to match it.

Will the theme help you make money? If you have any plans to earn from your blog you should take this into consideration when choosing a theme. If you are going to be placing text link ads, banner ads or AdSense ads, the theme should have a good, logical place for them. It’s not a good idea to cram ads into any old theme as the result is likely to look very messy and you’re unlikely to earn anything from it.

Is the theme search engine-friendly? If you hope to attract a flood of traffic (and who doesn’t?) with free themes search engine success can be a little hit and miss. However, if you opt for a free Wordpres theme an SEO (search engine optimization) plug-in is now available.

Is there any support available for the theme? Most premium themes include support from the designer. This can be a real advantage, particularly if you want to tweak the design. Some free theme designers will provide limited support and many will provide none at all. Take this into consideration if you feel you may need a guiding hand. If you have experience of playing around with themes and feel confident about solving any problems yourself, there’s no need to worry about support.

Is the theme widget-ready? Is it important to you? If you want a variety of gizmos added to the sidebar and you don’t want to mess around with the code, choose a widget-ready theme.

Will the theme grow with you? As your blog grows you may want to add features and functionality. Some themes don’t allow for growth. Choose wisely!