Today Blogstorm is moving over from my custom php/mysql/apache solution to Wordpress. All is running quite smoothly and I’ve written some nice php code to import all the posts and comments to the new system.
Here are the main benefits and improvements:
- Threaded comments
- Avatars provided by Blogicon.org (more about that next week)
- A cool new homepage with feature articles & pictures
- Subscribe to comments by email option
The main drawback is that within 30 seconds of making the new blog live it started getting spam comments
Some of you have been requesting these features for months so hopefully they will improve the blog quite a lot, especially the comments (please leave some test ones).
The design is pretty basic at the moment but I focussed on making the site ultra user friendly before I did the finishing touches. What do you think?
Patrick Altoft is Director of Search at Leeds based digital & SEO agency Branded3. Patrick also runs Blogstorm.You can get our blog posts delivered for free by email every day - simply add your email address to the box below or alternatively grab the RSS feed.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I prefer the old look for the posts, although the homepage looks nice
Looking good, Patrick. The whole site just looks and feels a lot cleaner.
Nice work.
Christian.
Still nice and clean, I like it!
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Anything in particular you liked about the old look? I’m going to be making some tweaks so this isn’t the finished product.
The main priority was to get switched over to WP without any hitches.
More comments from Patrick Altoft1. The new design looks a lil better than the older one but I recommend to use a new color theme for your blog.
2. The search box is lost between other things in the sidebar.
3. The navigation on the top looks plain and very simple. You may at least want to highlight them with an underline or some background color.
Looks great and was a surprise when it first loaded up in the browser just now.
Personally I feel the header needs a little more “bang”, but overal it’s a good redesign.
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The header will change a bit once the RSS buttons are added in so that will help.
More comments from Patrick AltoftNice redesign! The reading is much easier, thumbs up!
Agreed with Damien, the logo needs a remake aswel. Good luck with your blog.
Looks great to me and is that a subscribe to comments I can see, about bloody time
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Yes you were one of the more vocal supporters of the subscribe to comments feature. I’m pleased I made the change even though it was tricky.
More comments from Patrick AltoftI must say it looks fabulous! Well-done Patrick, a very sexy theme!
I have requested the search function and finally it came;) Thanks Patrick
It’s all well and good having the checkbox but I never received an email, sorry
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Yes me neither…..
More comments from Patrick AltoftHi Patrick,
Love the new design and the blog posts. I have your blog in a tab automatically everytime I run FireFox.
I didn’t realise that the ‘old’ style was not implemented using WP. I too have a site which is blog style format but not using WP, and I am thinking about doing this. I suspect its not an easy job?
Oz.
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It is a heck of a job if you don’t use something that Wordpress has an importer for. There are scripts for importing from sites like Blogger and Movable Type but mine was custom so it was much harder.
More comments from Patrick AltoftWorking now, well played Patrick.
Hey patrick! Good job on changing to WP. And i personally say that you made an excelent choice on choosing the structure theme. I use it on my blog and i love it! I just think that you could change the colors..
Looks sweet but not working so well in IE6
I’ve always been pro Wordpress so I think it was a great move. Only thing I have always wanted was for you to get a new logo
Congratulations on the move.
Awesome Patrick. Really looks a lot cleaner. (not that the last one was dirty).
Great job.
I see there’s a new Javascript tabbed posts section (top right corner) like Marketing Hub has (and ProBlogger).
I hope not too many people start adding those or it will be less out of the ordinary.
I like it, only thing I would improve is adding bullet points to the “Latest” box on the right, oh, and on the homepage, the tab “search” doesn’t have a search box?!
I really like the new site design, but it is pretty basic still. Are you looking for a customized wordpress theme? I would be happy to design one for you in return for a blog post about my new online marketing agency: Banner Blindness.
I came directly from my own site, and at first I thought my monitor had broken – I couldn’t see anything. Then I realised it was the online form of walking from a Hong Kong street market into a minimalist art gallery. My migraine cleared instantly. Well done!
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