Need some input on our blog.

[Phoenyx]

I was wondering if you guys would like to review my log for me and let me know what you think. I am in the process of redoing the SEO (and other things) in the blog and I would like some input about the site in general. I have not been able to spend a lot of time on the site, as you would see from the duration between posts, but I think I will make time from now on to do that.

The blog is here: BusinessDMS

I look forward to hearing from you.

[Rivaldo]

Although your blog is good and seems to be informative but its theme is not too much attractive. Also it needs to be regularly updated. Try to change its favicon. Also blog posts must be in relevant categories.

[Phoenyx]

They are in relevant categories to a point But I have been planning a bit of a reshuffle. The favicon is a good idea as well. As for the regular updates? lol I will have to check how much time I have during the week, which there is little left of. But I will make a bigger effort.

[wink0r]

Themes are a matter of personal taste, and I kind of like something out of the ordinary. I get tired of black on white all the time. I do feel that the contrast of text vs. background is on the border. I would probably go clear to white or increase the font size a bit for those of us with older eyes.

Being it is on wp.com I doubt that you have options as far as a favicon is concerned.

[Phoenyx]

I doubt it, but there are templates that probably allow for that. I will add that into my research and see what I can do. We are thinking about exporting it and putting it on our site, but that will only come when we redo our site and start testing. (As yet, there is too little time, and my wordpress studies are taking up a lot of my free time at home as well ) NOT that I am complaining far from it. Learning about wordpress is fascinating so far. So when it "ports" over, I am seriouosly going to have loads of fun.

[wink0r]

I just took a quick peek at my one WP.com blog. Your options are very limited vs. a free standing installation. Changing font size/color is a simple css tweak, but you don't appear to have access to the stylesheet for the theme. You can buy an upgrade that allows you to do some things with the css in the form of an additional stylesheet.

The one that I have is just a site to post some articles primarily for linking to my regular sites. I don't really care if I have control on that blog but would not like it on my regular blogs. Probably a large percentage of WP or Blogger users don't know or care about css.

[Phoenyx]

True, I could spend more time and just create a new blog once site testing commences, and just have the wp blog point back to that, which is what I do anyway. I am just busy finishing a course on business growth, then I will have more time on my hands to work with my wordpress stuff as well.

Content wise though, do you think anything written in the posts are worth it? Should I work on other angles to get my point across?

To update, without taking up too much space, I have now taken the black theme and replaced it with a lighter theme and it seems to read easier.

[Phoenyx]

To update, I have changed the theme so it is no longer black. So it should be easier to read as well.

[Rivaldo]

favicons can be changed in wordpress as it requires to add a code into HTML coding. Themes must be easy to read and also eye catching for first time visitors. Your blog is much more better than before but I think that there must be at least one new blog post in a week.

[wink0r]

favicons can be changed in wordpress as it requires to add a code into HTML coding.

Can this be done with a wp.com blog? I looked through mine and saw no access to the code via an editor as in a free standing WP blog. There is an option for an auxiliary stylesheet via a paid update. It looks like most of the customization options are added with widgets. It is definitely not the WordPress environment with which I am familiar from my free standing blogs. I am glad that I didn't form my opinions about WP as a blogging platform from wp.com, but it is good for the point and click masses.

[Phoenyx]

It has its advantages. It's been a good testing ground for us so far. I am just not always able to update a new blog post every week, but I think making a greater effort towards that would be a good idea. Because of its inability to use plugins and customizing without the upgrade, I think its a good way to learn to do SEO on a basic level, because it gives you the groundwork to improve when you finally have your own WP blog on your own servers. The only HTML I can get my hands on is the coding in the visual editor, but its cool. I have more than enough in my arsenal at the moment to see what I might do when it goes over to our servers.

@ Rivaldo, Thank you. I prefer the new layout as well and it makes things a bit easier to read.

[wink0r]

The only HTML I can get my hands on is the coding in the visual editor,

Inline styles work fine there, but for things that I do repetitively I like to add a class rule to the css.

[Phoenyx]

Hmmm, that sounds interesting. Do you use that on a WP hosted blog? Or your own one?

[wink0r]

That is on my self hosted blogs where I have full access to the code. For 30 bucks a year I will write inline styles if I need them.

I have class rules for videos on the blogs where I use them. Dropping a <div class="vid480"></div> (or vid560) around a video code is a lot easier than long handing width margin and border rules for each one. Image handling is pretty good in WP if you pay attention. I end up adding some custom rules to the css of all the CMSs that I use. I usually have some rules for ad positioning as well.

[Phoenyx]

Now i can't seem to wait to get the blog ported to the server on our site.. (and I am not a really patient person either). There seems to be many loopholes when it comes to WP. I might play around further with the site I have going on XAMPP today, if I have time. Would be good to know where I can tweak and how far I can tweak it.

[Nemanja]

I would consider nice professional logo and as you already discussed moving to a private hosting is a must,
other that that it is quite OK

[Phoenyx]

We have a logo. One of which we are redesigning atm to include a mascot I created, which will be all over the site when it is redesigned. So adding him and the other logo will be important when we move it all over.

Do you think I should just use the existing wp blog and just move its domain, or just start from scratch?

[Nemanja]

You need to get new domain and hosting which is not free WP hosting or whatever...

[Phoenyx]

OK. It wouldn't be too bad having to start over again. i could have the one "feed" (link wise) the other, or would that be wrong?

[Nemanja]

OK. It wouldn't be too bad having to start over again. i could have the one "feed" (link wise) the other, or would that be wrong?

I'm sorry but I didn't understood your question.