Skip links

Performancing

Main navigation

blog design

WordPress Plugins to Make Your Blog Look Better

by

WordPress plugins
WordPress is the father of all blogging platforms, at least in terms of usability, functionality, and customization. Of course, there will be some points of contention, but the chances are that the platform will be the one recommended if you ask the question, “Which blogging platform should I use?”

The default templates and settings of WordPress are normally more than good enough. If you have an eye for detail and pay attention to design more than the average person does, you might want to do some tweaking using WordPress plugins, of which there is no lack.

Here are some WordPress plugins that will help you prettify your blog, one way or another.

Vimeography

Arguable one of the best WordPress plugins for video, Vimeography allows bloggers to display video content that will fit the rest of the design without having to deal with workarounds. The result are beautiful posts with elements that blend excellently. The downside is that this obviously works with Vimeo only.

Galleriffic

WordPress plugins
Via http://zoerooney.com/blog/

If you work more with photos as opposed to videos, then the chances are that you want a plugin that will make displaying photos – lots of them – without giving you a headache. For this purpose, Galleriffic is an excellent choice. It’s a jQuery plugin that gives you the power to deal with lots of photos without having to worry too much about bandwidth, and it does look good!

SlideDeck 2

Truth be told, slideshows have received their fair share of flak – and for good reason. Then again, there are sites which continue to use slideshows without suffering for it. If you absolutely must use slideshows on your WordPress site, then you might as well go for a plugin that will not only make it easy on you, but also add to the visual experience of the reader: SlideDeck 2. The plugin has a free version and a premium version. The advantage of the latter is that you get more “lenses” or templates which you can choose from. The free version does give you the option of developing your own to suit your site’s design to a T. The plugin supports a wide variety of content: text, images, video, social media feeds, and even syndicated content.

WPtouch

Mobile is a niche that no blogger can ignore. With more and more users relying on their mobile devices to access information, blogs have to offer a comparable – maybe even better – viewing experience on mobile. You don’t have to be super techie to make this a reality with WPtouch, which basically does the job for you. All you need to do is install it and the plugin will make sure that your site displays properly on mobile browsers.

Slick Social Share Buttons

Social sharing is a must. We all know that, but how many sites have you seen that have horrible social sharing buttons that you just get turned off? It’s a pity if the buttons are what make readers NOT share your awesome content, so it’s best to pay attention to this not-so-little detail. Slick Social Share Buttons is one plugin that looks really clean and simple. I understand that the concept of beauty will differ from one person to another, but it’s difficult to find fault in these buttons.

About the Author
Timothy is a web writer by profession, and he has a strong interest in design. He highly recommends designer mag for those who want to improve their knowledge base on the topic.

Lead image via Softstribe

How Color Meanings Can Affect Your Blog

by

Last week, I published a post about applying color marketing research to blog design strategy where I provided a number of statistics that demonstrate how color can help your blog’s success.  The next question bloggers are likely to have once they realize the significant impact adding color to a blog can make is what colors they should use on their blogs.

In a recent study published on Colourlovers.com, it was reported that the online world is dominated by the color blue followed closely by red.  Should you also use blue and red in your blog’s design?  Keep reading to learn what color psychology tells us that different colors mean.

Blue
Cool blues create perceptions of trust, dependability, fiscal responsibility and security.  Blue elicits calm and peaceful feelings and is liked by a wide audience.  In fact, it’s arguably one of the most popular colors.  It’s not surprising so many brands use blue in their logos!

Red
Red has been shown to cause a physical response in people, including increases in heart rate.  Therefore, red is perceived as being aggressive, energetic, provocative and attention-grabbing. It’s not surprising that red is used on stop signs.  It is the go-to color when a reaction is desired (which could be positive or negative).

Green
As you might expect from its connection to nature, green creates a perception of health, freshness and serenity. On the flip side, darker greens are often connotations of money and wealth.

Orange
Orange creates perceptions of fun and excitement.

Yellow
It’s fairly universal that yellow is representative of light and the sun. People relate yellow to warmth and positive feelings.  Studies show that people see bright yellow before any other color.  Ever wonder why yellow is used for road signs that warn you about dangerous curves and road conditions?  Yellow stands out!

Purple
Purple is associated with creativity, royalty, sophistication, and spirituality.

Pink
Pink is typically associated with femininity.  Bright pinks create perceptions of energy, fun and youthfulness, while paler pinks are viewed as being more romantic.

Brown
If you want a color that creates perceptions of stability and durability, then brown is your go-to color.  Just make sure the brown you use doesn’t fall into the trap of appearing dirty.

Black
Black elicits perceptions of power.  It’s bold and sophisticated and is often linked to high-end, expensive, classy brands and products.

White
White is the go-to color to elicit thoughts of simplicity, cleanliness and purity.  Studies have shown that people’s eyes are strongly drawn to white.

Keep in mind as you choose colors for your blog’s design that colors can have different meanings in different parts of the world.  For example, black is considered a color of mourning in the United States, but in Japan white is the color of mourning.  In Brazil, the color of mourning is purple.  If your blog is targeted at an audience in different areas of the world, take a few minutes to research color meanings in those countries to ensure your choices are appropriate.

Image: stock.xchng

Applying Color Marketing Research to Blog Design Strategy

by

I’m a marketer by profession, and one of the areas of marketing that I find very interesting is color marketing, which focuses on how color affects consumer brand perceptions and purchase behavior.

Did you know that you can apply color marketing theory to your blog’s design?  It’s true.  Your blog is a product, and you should market it as such even in its design.

Following are some statistics culled from marketing research over the years that shows how color can affect consumers, just as color can affect your blog’s audience and their willingness to keep reading your blog after they find it.  If you have any doubt that color can affect your blog’s success, keep reading!

Color increases brand recognition by up to 80%. That means color could have a significant affect on how well visitors to your blog remember and recognize your blog on future visits.  Recognition is the first step to building a brand, so it should be an important part of your blog’ design, too.

Ads in color are read up to 42% more often than the same ads in black and white. This statistic can apply to online content, too.  In other words, if your blog is devoid of color, it could miss out on a significant amount of visits and page views.

Color can improve readership by 40%. If you want to keep visitors on your blog longer and make sure they read your blog posts from start to finish, use color strategically both in your blog’s overall design and within the formatting of your individual blog posts.

Color can improve learning from 55% to 78% and comprehension by 73%. That means if you’re trying to teach your audience something, color can help significantly.  Certainly, highly technical blogs would benefits considerably from the strategic use of color.

Tests indicate that a black and white image may keep a person’s interest for less than two-thirds a second, whereas a color image may hold a person’s attention for two seconds or more. If you want to get your audience’s attention and hold it, use color images on your blog.

So what do you think?  Are you using color in the most appropriate and effective ways on your blog?  It can make a big difference in terms of readability, shareworthiness, and loyalty.  Stay tuned to Performancing for more color marketing theory.  I’ll follow up on this post next week with information about color meanings, so you can evaluate your blog to ensure you’re using the best colors to attract the right audience and meet your goals.

Image: stock.xchng

5 Cool Retail and Ecommerce Premium WordPress Themes

by

Do you sell products online and need a cool WordPress theme to make your online store easy-to-use, easy-to-manage, and visually appealing?

Fortunately, there are many free and premium WordPress themes that can help you create a great online storefront, complete with a shopping cart and all the features you and your customers need!

Below are five well-coded premium WordPress ecommerce-related themes from Templatic that might work for you!  One of the things I like about Templatic themes is when you buy one, you purchase a lifetime subscription for a price that is competitive with many other popular premium themes.  However, many other premium theme pricetags only include 1-year of upgrades and support. You can also create a free demo account to test drive Templatic accounts before you purchase one.

1. Store Front

Five color choices and a clean look.

Get the details or View the demo

2. Productz

Six color choices and a less “ecommercey” design for the home page.

Get the details or View the demo

3. Emporium

Four color choices and a design that’s perfect for fashion, jewelry, fragrances, and more.

Get the details or View the demo

4. e-Commerce

Five colors and a very simple look.

Get the details or View the demo

5. Store

Four color choice and a very unique design for an online store!

Get the details or View the demo

Do you use WordPress to power your online store?  What theme do you use?  Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

5 Easy Ways to Give Your Blog an Overhaul

by

It’s summer where I live, and summer is a great time to give your blog an overhaul.  That doesn’t mean you need to invest hundreds of dollars or more on a new design, but it doesn’t mean you need to invest hours upon hours either.

There are a number of things you can do that can freshen up your blog that take very little time and no money at all.

Five easy suggestions for a blog overhaul are listed below:

1. Clean up your sidebar.

Are there old ads or images in your sidebar?  Are you showing a list of links that no longer add value to your blog?  Can you rotate ads or try something new to make your sidebar more useful to you and your readers?  Your answers to these questions can give you a list of easy ways to freshen up your blog.

2. Check links.

Do links in your static pages and navigation bar work?  Do you have a blogroll in your sidebar?  Are the links in your blogroll valid or do they need to be edited or replaced entirely?  Broken links can be very annoying and damage the user experience on your blog.  Now is the time to fix them.

3. Add plugins or add-ons.

Could you boost the performance or appearance of your blog by adding some simple WordPress plugins or add-ons for other blogging applications?  Many plugins take minutes to install but can have a significant impact on your blog.

4. Invite a guest blogger.

Add a new perspective to your blog by inviting a guest blogger to publish a post.  It’s an easy way to add some interest to your blog content, save you from writing a post for a day, and help you build a relationship with another respected blogger.

5. Get more social.

Are there links to your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn (or other social media) profiles in your blog’s sidebar to help you build relationships with your readers across the social web?  In addition to including links, you can also use widgets from sites like Twitter, Facebook and Twitter to further promote your activities across the social web.

What’s the first thing you do when it’s time to give your blog a boost?  Share your tricks for cheap and easy blog overhauls by leaving a comment below.

Image: stock.xchng