10 More beautiful websites using WordPress as CMS
Loving WordPress is SO easy! You got thousands of great looking blogs, custom themes, free themes, premium themes and designers go beyond that by using WordPress as CMS for their non-blog projects. A while back I showed you 10 non-blog websites powered by WordPress, and now it’s time to take a look at 10 more!
If you have any additions to the list and wish to suggest a website for a future post, do so by adding a comment.
1. ProBar
2. Krispy Krush
3. The Salon
10 Beautiful Non-Blog Websites Powered by WordPress
The time when WordPress was used strictly as a blog platform is long gone. WordPress has evolved into a mature CMS that gives designers and developers the right tools to create amazing non-blog websites for their clients. As proof for that stand these 10 beautiful websites powered by WordPress.
FernWoodCoffee.com
Herout-Caves.com
Updates to Blogsessive’s Scripts and Design
Today I’ve done a couple of updates to the blog which include:
- Updated to WP 2.7.1 after adjusting a couple of scripts;
- Added links for “Subscribe to the comment feed” and “Jump to comment form” above the comment list;
- Separated comments from trackbacks to make it easier to follow the conversation;
- Added gravatar support and display to comments.
I would love to hear what you think about the changes and also if you have other suggestions as well.
In anticipation of a possible question, the “Respond to comment” feature has not been implemented because with the current theme, I believe that it will break the clean/clear flow of comments. Maybe at a later time.
Domain Names for Bloggers (16)
A new edition of ‘Domain names for bloggers’ is here. This edition will also be the last on Blogsessive since I’ve been working on something new the past few weeks that will replace this successful series. On average, about 50-60% of all the suggested domain names have been registered, which makes me think that this lists deserve a “space” of their own. Stay tuned and I’ll keep you updated on the progress of this new project.
Today’s list features available domain names related to WordPress, web, design and development. So, pick your favorite, go register and start blogging with a great name!
Web & Design Domain Names
TutorialLounge.comBeautifulTypography.comDesignCaseStudies.comCSSeffect.com- ByCSS.com
CSSsnippet.com- WritingCSS.com
- BetterHTML.com & BetterXHTML.com
- CodeImprove.com
WPDesignBlog.com- WPGoddess.com
For further help, please read the How to Register a Domain Name for Your Blog article on Blogsessive.
Also, if you find this post helpful and you register any of the domains above, please leave a comment with the registered domains, so that I can erase them from the list, and it would be nice to know that one of my readers registered them.
The Blog Post Footer Design Manifesto
It’s a proven fact that a blog post’s footer is a “pause zone”. That’s why, people encourage you to place ads there, because you have more chances of catching the eye of your readers.
But, if it is a good place to place ads, why not take it one step further. Sure, some bloggers placed links to social media websites or to related blog posts in that are, but not giving it its deserved design attention minimizes its impact on readers.
Why not treat that area as a separate element of your blog’s structure? Why not take advantage of any of its effects:
- Encourage further reading;
- Promote featured content;
- Traffic growth;
- Bounce rate reduction;
- Social media exposure;
- Encourage subscription and many more.
As a reader of Blogsessive you must have noticed each post’s footer, and from my experience as Blogsessive’s webmaster, I can confirm that the results are amazing.
Click here to read the full blog post!
10 RSS Subscription Box Designs Dissected
It’s a fact. Readers want RSS updates. They are easier to manage, to search and follow. And when readers wanted them, bloggers provide.
Have you ever wanted to subscribe to a blog’s feed, but no matter how much you searched, you could not find the link? It’s frustrating!
The RSS subscription box is one of the most important elements of your blog’s design. It offers a good deal of branding solutions and it can turn out to be decisive in your readers’ choice of following (or not) your updates.
Let’s observe together these 10 RSS subscription box designs and draw conclusions at the end upon the DO’s and DON’T's.
Click here to read the full blog post!
Your Blog Homepage is a Conversion Tool. Use it!
One of the most important and accessible visitor-to-reader conversion tool you have at your disposal is the blog homepage.
Having a poor homepage structure combined with the lack of relevant information or ways to find it will definitely push visitors away from your blog, while a clean, intuitive homepage will most likely become a decisive factor when it comes to turning visitors into readers.
From design aspects to coding advice, this article is dedicated to the process of improving your blog’s homepage.
Blog Homepage Design and Usability Tips
Your design is a very important factor in the visitors’ decision on continuing to browse your blog and eventually come back to read newer posts later. Don’t get me wrong here, as I said in a past post, content is king still, but for it to really make a difference there are other conditions that should be met. One of them is a good design.
By good design I mean a layout that perfectly fits your blog’s topic and target. Excessive, flashy, eye-candy graphics are not required on a financial blog, for example, but would be an added plus on a design/inspiration blog.
Click here to read the full blog post!
How To Get 1000+ Visits On Your Blog From Day One
I know I wanted those visits and I got them! Further more, I kept on getting lots of new visits for a long period of time. Even now, almost 3 months after.
For me, a blog’s design is always a key element (of course, along with content) in deciding whether to come back and read again, or not. I know, I’m a designer and I have an appetite for good looking websites. But then again, would you prefer reading the same content in a unique, beautiful layout or a poor, overused one? This is one thing I’ve already told you in my past blogging tips articles, now let me argument that!
When launching Blogsessive I had to deal with the choice of winning time buy using a free, but customized theme, or creating a new one from scratch. For 2 weeks I used a free template, until I finally managed to find time to develop the one I currently use.
Beautiful easily turns into popular
When I applied the new theme to my blog, I took the time to submit it to almost every important design gallery I’ve found on Google, and went through all of them from the first 2 results pages.
Click here to read the full blog post!