I’m finally doing it!
I’m finally launching a Beautify Your Blog Design Guide!
But first, I need your help.
I want the guide to answer all your heart’s desires about blog design.
I want it to guide you step-by-step until you FINALLY have the blog of your dreams!
And guess what? You get to choose what’s going in it! So, if you’ve got a minute…
Will you help me with a quick survey?
Please tell me what you want to learn about blog design and what your biggest struggles are.
Tell me what should be in the guide here »
Your answers will be confidential and will earn you a spot on the Insider’s list to hear more about the guide before everyone else + you’ll get a sample chapter and a discounted price at launch.
Thanks so much. Watch for the official launch this fall!
Love,
Marianne
HI I am desperate, I recently activated the counter pin it button on a clients blog and must have triggered something as now on my blogger blog I have pinit on every sidebar button and on my google+ page (my photo is blurry too) since activating this pint counter button, I can’t figure out how to remove it as I didn’t touch my html, I must have activated something externally when I uploaded my clients button. You can see it on my blog. Im desperate as usually I can fix these issues if you have any advice I would greatly appreciate it as it is annoying that all my sidebar pins have a pinit on them and my picture is blurry. please help. Kate
Hi Kate, I am not familiar with the counter pin it button. How did you activate it? Is her blog a Blogger blog too or is it a WordPress plugin? I’m not sure how doing something on her site would affect yours though, that sounds very strange.
As for your image being blurry, I don’t think that would be related, but it looks like the image you are using is only 70px by 70px and the profile image width is set to 250px so it’s stretching the image out:
.profile-img {
display: block;
float: left;
height: auto !important;
margin-left: 0;
padding-bottom: 7px;
width: 250px; <---------------- } Are you able to upload a larger image?
Hi Marianne.I enjoy your blog so much! Thank you for taking time for our questions too!
I would just like your honest opinion about my blog. I want to know if you find it user-friendly. I want to move to WP as soon as I can..but for now…this is it. Thanks again, Vickie
Hi Vickie,
Overall I think the design is nice, there are 3 things though that stand out to me in particular: the header is much too tall. On small screens, it’s all you see and you don’t see any of the content at first glance. Try making it shorter. Perhaps move the logo to the left and smaller and align the images to the right of it.
Also the black text is a little harsh. Try #555555 instead. It’s a dark gray but a little more soothing to the eyes and would go better with your soft background. Black is quite popular in blog design right now, but in more minimal designs and with thinner fonts (see http://www.blogmilkshop.com/ for examples).
The last thing I would say is that the top of your sidebar should have a good photo of you (this is really important!) with a small description that tells newcomers why they should stay and read your blog. Tell them what you offer there and what’s different about your blog and how it would benefit them.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for stopping by my blog Marianne! I really do appreciate your honest feedback. I’ll make those changes you mentioned as soon as I get the chance. Have yourself a great day!
Sure thing! Looking better already!
Thank you Marianne! With Blogger you are very limited. Lol! I tried downloading a different template but it was a crazy mess! On a different note: I read somewhere that if any of my posts would happen to ever go viral, that my site could possibly crash. Its something to do with Blogger…? Do you have any advice about that?
Hi Vickie,
I think that could be possible but I don’t know how sure that is. I unfortunately don’t know anything about it though. I wouldn’t worry about it for now. If you get to the point where your blog gets pretty big, you’ll probably want to move to a self-hosted WordPress site by then.
I came across this blog today and just want to applaud you for all the work you’re doing! What a great resource for bloggers — this is coming from a fellow web/blog designer 🙂
Keep up the good work!
Hi Cristina, thanks so much! I really do appreciate that coming from a talented designer like yourself!
An ultimate guide on how to make your WordPress blog feminine and pretty. I’ve been trying to make my wedding blog look pretty and unique and it as been a challenge. And also how to add gold metallics to your blog. I see alot of girly blogs with gold shimmer. I would love to know how to incorporate it into parts of my blog.
Thanks for your suggestions Mel! I am working on a guide right now and plan to have it finished this fall. I hope it’s what you’re looking for!
And ooh good suggestion on the gold! I’ve been meaning to write a post about the gold trend so now I’ll try and get on that sooner than later!
Thanks!!
He Marianne,
Do you do blog designs? I want to change my websites feel and the way it looks, and the person I currently have is not helping me at all. please let me know, I’m desperate!
Hi Monique, I’m so sorry you are having problems with your designer. Unfortunately I do not have time to do custom designs at all these days, but I do have a few wonderful designers I can recommend! Please have a look at these 3 talented ladies: http://designyourownblog.com/blog-design/meet-blog-designers/
If neither of them work, I do know a few others I can send over. Just let me know!
Good luck!
Hi Marianne,
I love the design tips on your blog and have lost count as to how many I’ve implemented!
One question how you add text above your default naked ConvertKit forms (below posts) – I’ve only been able to use a naked form with name and email but no text, or a simple inline form with text but no name field!
How do you combine name, email address and text above form?
Thanks, Nisha
Hi Nisha, I modify the HTML that you cut and paste from ConvertKit. Are you able to do that or are you using the plugin to add your forms?