Last week, after writing an article about 8 Web Design Mistakes That Developers Make, I took inventory of the old design, and decided it was time for a redesign (despite the fact that the old design o...

Last week, after writing an article about 8 Web Design Mistakes That Developers Make, I took inventory of the old design, and decided it was time for a redesign (despite the fact that the old design only lasted two months). So this article not only ushers in the new design, but also answers the question: Why even redesign a blog in the first place? So here are 8 good reasons for anyone to redesign their blog.



1. Things Have Gotten Messy
Blogs evolve over time and although your layout and navigation seem intuitive to you, you've also been looking at it every day. Furthermore, you've probably added new sections and ideas along the way, finding ways to fit the content in a design that might not support it. Since a blog's core is its content, sometimes you need to clean up your existing design to make access to this content easier.

2. Your Brand Needs Refocusing
As noted, blogs tend to evolve with new ideas all the time. Furthermore, the goals you originally had for your site have either been reached or have drastically changed. Consider what your new goals are and change your site accordingly. Just make sure you plan for the next year, not just the next month.

3. The Community Needs Improving
Although the camaraderie among bloggers is strong, blogs in and of themselves aren't really "communities" since only a tiny percentage of visitors ever participate in the comments. However, there is still great value amongst those who do choose to participate, so it's always good to promote that. One method of promoting community started here are group advice posts. Another is adding robustness to your comment section, using features like avatars (we're now using gravatars), comment threading, and email notification.

4. You've Ignored Your Own Advice
We bloggers can be quite didactic at times, listing out rules and reasons for various activities, including blogging. So depending on your topic, just make sure your blog is in line with the advice you dispense. If you're a blogger who covers websites, you should probably have decent standards of XHTML and CSS. (Yes, that means we finally replaced the tables in the sidebar with CSS [although there are still other tasks that need attention]).

5. It Makes Business Sense
No need to beat around the bush...if you need a better layout for advertising or sales, then do it. Blogging can be quite the timely exercise, so if you can cover some time and expense, you should plan for it. Just do it in a tasteful way, remembering that you always need content and visitors first. There's nothing shameful with making money (says this author who's currently reading Atlas Shrugged).

6. The People Demand It
You should always file away suggestions the you've received from others. Chances are, your visitors are a bit more objective about your site than you are. So if people say that your navigation is confusing, then that means that your navigation is confusing. Your blog's success is directly proportional to your visitors' perception of it. Take their advice.

7. The Analytics Demand It
I would also suggest that occasionally, you check your visitor analytics and have a pretty good idea of where your traffic comes from, what they click on, and what pages they leave from. Although such data can be misinterpreted a hundred different ways, if there are obvious flags (like a high bounce rate or a low average visit time), you should try to address them with a new design.

8. You Really, Really Want To
It's your blog, and if you really want to redesign it, then go for it. Although the objective reasons above should play a part in the decision, if you're passionate about a redesign (or anything else for that matter), excellence often follows. Just don't get carried away to the point that your content creation becomes secondary to your design creation.

And one last thing: it is inevitable that after any redesign, people will disagree with some of your design decisions. Listen well, but also remember that (hopefully) you've already spent many hours considering and testing many options. Don't immediately start reverting changes unless you're convinced by multiple voices or obvious analytics. Stay positive, enjoy any good or helpful feedback, listen to everyone, and then get back to creating content.

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Does anyone else cringe when they hear the term "networking"? The term, when defined as "making social connections in the interest of your career," is about as cold as you can get. And yet, we all fee...

Does anyone else cringe when they hear the term "networking"? The term, when defined as "making social connections in the interest of your career," is about as cold as you can get. And yet, we all feel like this is something we're supposed to be doing. "Never eat alone," the business pundits tell us. It's even worse when such networking is scheduled. You go to a conference and scheduled between the keynote lecture and lunch are 45 minutes marked "Networking Time" (of course, you assume that the conference coordinators just wanted one less speaker to pay). And all the while, you feel as if it's all pretense, with everyone simply looking for more business (after all, they didn't order a thousand business cards last week for nothing).

Are you a cynic? Sure. But can anyone blame you? Probably not.

The mindset of my generation (18-34) is a cynical one -- a mindset that desires authenticity and is skeptical of randomly nice people (after all, how many times has a "nice person" turned out to be selling insurance, CUTCO knives, or a spot in their MLM downline?). So the idea of people befriending you with an agenda other than friendship is a bit disconcerting. So what's a potential entrepreneur to do? Obviously, you need the connections, but at the same time, you can't stand the "game." Well, here are five mindsets to take with you next time you shudder at the thought of networking.

You're Making Friends
I once read about a woman who was asked, "Do you have a network?" to which she replied, "I have friends." Don't see other people as utilties -- see them (and treat them) as friends. Don't make it your goal to find out their skillset and positioning in your industry. Instead, find out who they are, what you have in common, and all the other normal things that make a person a "someone." Although discussing one's work is often an intricate part of any conversation, if you can't talk as casual friends first, you may be coming across as just a marketer.

Help Their Goal, Not Yours
Too many people look at skilled workers as simply assets to accomplish their own thing. They see an accountant and think, "He can help with my taxes." They see a web designer and think, "He can help my personal website." Never do they think that these people have greater goals themselves. Perhaps the accountant is trying to finance a charity for third-world countries or the web designer is organizing some grand web community. But instead, they're recruited to help with taxes and personal websites. Instead of fitting people into your goals, find out what their big dreams are, and try helping them out.

Expect Nothing
Don't treat relationships as a zero-sum game, expecting an equal return for any help you give out. Workers-for-hire do this, not friends. When you enter into a continuing dialogue with another person, be willing to help them out even if there's nothing in it for you. Helping others grow their business is not easily forgotten and helpfulness doesn't often go unrewarded. Plus, if you expect nothing (and keep a good attitude), you'll never be disappointed or unnecessarily upset.

Follow the Flow
Get the word "networking" out of your head -- it's far too mechanical and impersonal for real-world scenarios. You shouldn't become "not you" just to get your elevator pitch in or to get your business card in their pocket. You may never talk business your first meeting. Or they may have no interest in what you do at first. Don't try to steer the conversation to where you want it to be. Just relax, hold a normal conversation, and do what fits. Any pretense or forced conversation will be very obvious to your new acquaintance.

Nice Guys Finish First
You don't need lofty position or a rapier wit to impress strangers. In fact, I think the best "networking" method is simply being sincerely nice to everyone you meet. At the end of the day, people will remember who just told jokes, who just talked about their company, and who was actually positive and sincere about what they do. Try to be in this last category and people will respect you.


So the next time you find yourself among business card-toting strangers, there's no reason to go into cynic mode (at least, not until they try to sell you health supplements). Just be real, be yourself, and try to keep these few points in mind...

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