Today I finally made some changes to my blog layout. I've been wanting to do this for ages, and it's just the start of the blog makeover I'm planning. Now that I have my new computer, I could finally adjust the width of the whole blog, and add a second column so that not everything needs to be crammed into one long column anymore.
I also chose another template, although I'm not 100% happy with this one. I would have liked the background to be much more white. Plain white. And I had made all the changes for that, and liked the result a lot. For one small detail. I just couldn't get rid of that fine frame around the images, even though I had set everything on transparent. Which had worked perfectly with my old template. But with the new one, it just didn't. And I really don't know why. But I really really don't like that frame. So I just had to start all over again, and try out a different template. I'm going with this one for the moment, until I can make it work the way I really want it to be.
Changing the template/layout, although time consuming, is the easy part, though. The part that is giving me much more headache is the url thing. I don't know what I was thinking when I chose the "nordljusfollowyourstar" url name. Not much, I guess. Well, I didn't know then how this whole blog thing was going to develop, so that's an excuse. But it doesn't make the whole thing any better, really.
I know that you can change the url in Blogger easily enough. Basically, you just go to Settings > Basic, and type in your new blog address. In order to make it easier for people to find you again, you can then create a new blog with your old blog address, and use that to redirect to your new address. So far so good. But. What I haven't found out yet is how it will affect the Followers option. I know that wherever my old blog address is saved/bookmarked etc. it will not be automatically adjusted, but has to be changed manually (hence the handy option of reclaiming your old blog address as redirection). But does that also apply to the Followers option? Because that would be quite a pity, really, now that I finally managed to get above the 100 followers mark. It would mean to start all over again. But I fear that that is what it means...
Then there's also the question of what address to use. Just changing that ridiculous "nordljusfollowyourstar" to a shorter version and keep the .blogspot addition, or create a custom domain name, without the .blogspot? That of course would look very neat. But would that mean that I would have to buy a domain? And where would I do that? I really have no idea. Not to mention the option of choosing a different platform altogether, such as Wordpress, which, as I understand, gives a whole lot more options of customising your blog, and even integrate both a website and a blog, should I ever wish to have a website. (Which I'm not sure of). I once had a library-related Wordpress blog, and somehow, I just didn't really like its designs so much. It seems so much more technical, and not enough creative. Typepad, I think, would be the third possible option.
So many questions to consider to get it right, as I don't want to keep changing my url again and again.
Have you ever changed your url, or thought about doing so? I'd be very grateful for your tips, recommendations, thoughts, experiences, opinions, advice, suggestions....
Was confused for a bit because viewing on the phone you don't see the two side columns at all, but it makes more sense on the web view. Nice on white - clean. Can you only have the images centrally? Ihave some ideas on url address but I'm not sharing them here;-)
ReplyDeleteI think the new design looks great, but can't answer most of your questions. If you change your url it might be wise to post that the change is coming so your followers will be aware -- I get mine through email, which is the easiest way for me to keep up with anyone's blog, so I hope you always have "follow by email" as an option.
ReplyDeleteI had my first blog with wordpress. Two years ago, I had to give up my personal internet connection and start using a free community based one. My wordpress blog became inaccessible -- the graphic format would not load up and many times I can't get into wordpress sites at all. I have an older computer, too. I've never had trouble with the most graphically rich blogger sites.
As for nordljusfollowyourstar -- well, it who we were that makes who we are. At least it wasn't some gloomy thing like nordljusdeathstar.
Good luck in all your pursuits!
Recently I have decided to change my blog's face to new dynamic views of Blogger and they turned out to be so raw, half cooked. This guys' blog http://www.southernspeakers.net/search/label/Tutorial helped me a lot and maybe you find answers there too.
ReplyDeleteI like "followyourstar" so very much. And I follow your posts in Feedly, reader. And Google stopped supporting "followers' option and advertise g+ following. And offered blogname.com address not for free.
Most of people come to my blog pushing the link button, paying no attention to the blog name in its address.
Just my thoughts. And good luck in your research.
Hi I like your new look ! I have you on my blog list on my side bar so I am not worried what you are called ! I just enjoy looking at what you choose to share ! So don't go & do anything too radical & disappear will you now !! Ali x
ReplyDeleteThe new wider layout looks great!
ReplyDeleteI went from Blogger to Typepad to self hosted Wordpress. I found Typepad very restrictive after coming from Blogger. And bear in mind that you have to go for one of the paid versions just to be able to change your header or do any tweaking. A lot of people have problems accessing and commenting on free Wordpress. I love being on self hosted.
I couldn't bring my following over, but I made sure to write a post saying I'd moved and spread the news on various social media outlets at various times of the day, hoping to catch the European, American and Australian readers of my blog as they were reading. I don't have many reading anyway, but I don't think I lost any readers.
Good luck in whatever you choose to do.
The blog looks great. I keep wanting to do a blog redo but definitely lack the technical skills.
ReplyDeleteThis week I'm hoping to get back to blog reading and commenting. An injured leg and stomach virus sidelined me a bit I'm afraid! I enjoyed catching up today, especially love the travel journal pages (and applaud your other painting).
Rinda
I like the new look, the polka dots look great!! I recently changed my url and for the most part it went ok but there are a couple of people who just can't seem to get back to me blog (they email me to tell me and I've tried all sorts of things to see what could be wrong at my end but it baffles me). I originally had pointypix.com. I had bought the domain and so redirected my blogspot to that. I bought the domain from Fasthosts and blogger gives you the codes to put in so that the domain name links to your blog. Fasthosts will help you if you aren't sure as I wasn't - not being very good with the I.T stuff. Then when I changed my name to nicsearth.com I bought a new domain name and went through the redirection thing again with Fasthosts. I never even thought about setting up a 'holding site' to redirect people who use the old name - that's a good idea. I think though that there is supposed to be a way to have a message come up when you redirect it using a domain name so that they know where to go or so that it automatically redirects. I'm not sure if I've done it right. Then there was the complication of google+. I think I still had my old url of pointypix.com on that until recently which was maybe why one of the people couldn't get on my blog as she told me after I changed it that she was able to access it again. It's all very confusing. I don't think I lost any followers though when I changed my url. Perhaps if you mention this again when you link to Paint Party Friday and ask folk to take a note of whatever your new url is going to be then they'll know in advance before it actually changes? Hope some of this makes sense!!
ReplyDeleteugh - I know what you mean! I also hate my URL address - sketch-mad.com! I wasn't thinking at the time! But I'm scared to change it in case it goes wrong!
ReplyDeleteI love the new look! Much brighter and fresher! Lovely! :0)