See Ya!

Here are some pictures from our first trip down, 3 years ago:

It’s tough to stay motivated knowing there’s a vacation around the corner…

When I design free themes, I often ask myself “Could someone take this design, make some minor changes, and have a unique look different than the next guy?” If the answer is yes, then I consider the theme a success.

If your goal is to create truly successful themes, keep the user in mind and design something that is both robust and customizable.

Here is a list of what I consider to be truly successful themes:

Cutline by Chris Pearson
Vertigo by Brian Gardner

There are more, but I cannot think of them at the moment. I will revise this list at later date.

Check out the Slick Shoes Theme or download it directly from the Wordpress Theme Site and take her for a spin.

Here are the current stats:

4 Posts.
1 Reader.
1 hit per day (me!).

I know many other sites chronicle their trip to nothingness to fame. My goal of the “Building A Blog” series is to showcase how I grow DanEngler.com from a brand spanking new site to an “Internet Powerhouse” in less than 6 months.

Let’s keep this in perspective - My definition of an “Internet Powerhouse” is to be a “Technorati Top 100 Blog” with a PR rank of at least 4 and a few thousand readers a day.

Hopefully you will be able to take away some techniques and strategies to help grow your own website.

So check in often to see updated stats as gems of information I add to the site.

Cheers!

I wanted something that could handle internet browsing and email with a nice sized screen, but wasn’t too bulky and clunky. The Dash is a perfect fit - only little bit bigger than a credit card.

If you are thinking about upgrading from a traditional cell phone to a PDA, but don’t want to make the jump right away, then check out the T-mobile Dash. It is a great phone to get your feet wet.

So what do I do when I hit that wall?

I walk it out.

My dog, Roxy, is always looking for a trip around the block, so I am able to work on two problems at the same time. The trick is to not think about what you were working on, but to focus on the stuff around you - or not think at all!

I often envy Roxy. She doesn’t have a care in the world except on which front yard is she going to do her business on next. If only life was that simple for all of us.

So focus on the simple things and let your mind wander a bit. It will help you find clarity and work through those tough moments.

Hope this helps.

This entry was somewhat inspired by CPA-Affiliates

Here is my process:

1. “Form Follows Function” - First, I look at the content of the site I am designing. This will generally dictate the colors I will use. For example, if I am creating a professional site for a company, I usually stick to the colors of their logo (if applicable) and use no more than 2 or 3 colors. If I am designing a personal page, or one that is more creative, I will use a few more colors and depend less on the “whitespace”.

2. Whitespace - One of the most underrated pieces of web design is the amount of whitespace a layout has. It has to be just right. Too much whitespace makes the website look sparce and too little makes it look crammed. One I decide how much whitespace I want, I start to look at the actual colors.

3. The User - This part is very similar to number 1. I look at the users who will be using my site. Generally speaking, if it is a younger audience, I will use more color and graphics. If it is an older audience, I will use less colors and keep it simple.

4. Experiment - Once I have an idea of what colors I want to use, I start to experiment. I usually go through at least 4 or 5 revisions before I settle on a color. Once I have a few colors down on a page, I will tweak them to fit together.

That’s about it. It is a simple process for the most part.

If you are having trouble finding color inspiration, check out the color scheme gallery.

Stay tuned to a quick guide to choosing a layout.

I am sure many of you have heard this before. My first encounter with this idea was when I read “How To Win Friends And Influence People” by Dale Carnegie (a great read by the way). As I meet more and more clients each day I am finding this idea to be so true.

People absolutely love to hear their name, especially if you can remember it for your second encounter. Think about it. If I person remembers my name after only meeting me once, I think “Hey, that person must think I’m important. They remembered my name.”

There is a hoagie shop down the street from where I work. Whenever I stop in there, whoever is working the register greets me with “Hey Dan, how’s you doing?”. Every time it blows my mind that they remember my name. Especially, since I don’t stop in that often.

So how can you apply this to your website or the online world? Email.

Send personal email (time permitting) to your users thanking them for their support and readership.

Try it out and see how people react. You will be surprised with the results.

I am 24 years old living just outside of Philadelphia, PA. I went to the University Of Pittsburgh and received my bachelors in Information Systems. I worked for Deloitte Consulting as an IT consultant for 2 years. At Deloitte I worked on projects in many sectors such as: Public Sector (Austin, Texas), Energy (Bryn Mawr, PA), Health Care (Red Bank, NJ), and Non-Profit (New York, NY). I left Deloitte to open a Philly Soft Pretzel Factory, which is where I am at now.

While I consider myself a Jack of all trades, my main passion is in running websites, web design and a small amount of programming. Until I can afford to do these things full time, they will just be a part time hobby of mine.