NEW DESIGN TO MARK 1,500TH POST
The Bangkok Bugle celebrates its 1,500th post today with a new design that, hopefully, will give this blog a more newsy feel whilst being easy on the eyes of its readers.
Content is, and will always be, king and you can expect to read more exclusive stories and interviews over the coming days and weeks.
I will continue to make small design tweaks over the coming days, however I would really like feedback - good and bad - from my readers.
6 comments:
The new website looks great (I notice you have graduated to your own dot-com, too).
I would try to keep all the sidebar stuff on the left rather than sticking it on the right, or on both sides, as some bloggetrs do...it's easier on the eye, and the reader's eye hits the left side of the page first.
Thanks for your kind comments BkkDreamer.
The dot-com has been around a while but I know some readers will used the blogspot address.
I found the previous one column template a bit restricting. It also means 10 days of posts could disappear way down the page. Two columns means I can keep the home page shorter in length.
There are still a few more links tabs I need to add, but I think this template gives a cleaner, more newsier feel.
What you said about columns is very interesting. In print media people pay extra for right positions, not left. That sounds like a topic for a future blog positing.
Thanks again ...
Other bloggers may want to have their say on whether the sidebar should be kept to the left. But on blogs with a sidebar on both sides, my mind is confused.
After my first visit, I go for those parts of both sidebars which I find useful and ignore the rest, as my eye, quite frankly, doesn't know where to look.
Because the readers' eye hits left first (according to what I read on the net), I would also stick my ads in the top left corner. Your journalism ads and tweeter box are occupying precious space.
I find blogs which keep all their informaton in a right-hand sidebar annoying to read. Thankfully, I don't encounter many of them, so maybe other readers feel the same way.
This is really interesting .. and I wonder if there is any published data on which areas are 'most viewed' on websites/blogs?
In terms of print, when you flick through a magazine, it's the right hand pages which get the most 'eyes' and attract the highest prices. Many advertisers specifically request an 'early right' position.
I'll swap my info. around and see how it looks ...
I am aware that top right on a printed page is preferred by advertisers. But for some reason, top right on a competer screen feels awkward and too remote.
Google (owners of Adsense) suggest that we play around with the design, to see which lay-outs pay off better in terms of ads.
A web designer I know urged me to place my sidebar to the left. His blog is highly successful; I have never had reason to doubt his advice on web design.
But yes, I think we need something more reliable than my anecdotal tales. Google search might help.
From KC: via email
Just to let you know I have been trying to post a comment on your blog but keep getting an error message and my comment is not being published. It was the http://www.bangkokbugle.com/2009/07/newsdesign-to-mark-1500th-post.html I just wanted to say how much I like the new design. I use OpenID.
My blog is going well and I have managed to attract a small, but loyal readership. I really enjoy writing it and I am constantly trying to think of ways to improve the site.
Best,
KC
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