This last week has been a been a proper whirlwind for me and has absolutely flown by. The end of term is approaching at break neck speed and I cannot believe how quickly the last three months have disappeared. I have so many things on my “to do list” and I am trying to get through them in an orderly manner.
Over the Christmas break I was hoping to put a little time aside to update the look of my website and blog. It feels a little overwhelming to be honest as there are so many WordPress themes to consider. I have a list of things that I would like to change and several more that I would like to keep the same.
When I started out I set up my blog using a WordPress hosted site, which as you all know can be a little limiting as you can’t use many of the wonderful plugins that are available. But my site has grown over the years and the thought of moving it now makes me nervous so I will probably stick with what I know.
It would be really helpful to me if you have any tips that you have picked up over the years that you feel able to pass on, anything that may help me to improve the look and feel of my blog and bring it up to date. I have checked out some of the themes available from WordPress and I like the look of “Arcane” but I need to check out some of the others before making my final choice which is why I would appreciate your help if you’ve experienced this site or know a better fit.
Your beautiful photos would be the best start Charlotte…then some of your beautiful singing..to name a couple!
Thanks John, I have a couple of new videos that I recorded recently for my upgraded website if we can get it tweaked in time for New Year.
Best wishes
Charlotte
You can certainly try different things and then revert back to the original if you don’t like them. Other than that I think you are brave to change. I know I wouldn’t want to do it.
😳 😄 he he. The blogs nearly four years old now and I’ve made so many changes this year I thought I’d try an upgrade but not if it puts my friends off commenting because that’s what keeps my blog alive and gives me the most enjoyment.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hmm. Personally, I wouldn’t even think of using Arcane, but that’s me. I’ve tried previewing it on my blog and I thought it looked dull, and it didn’t show the images. Besides, it costs, and there are plenty of free themes that look fresher and brighter.
But ultimately, this is your blog, and it is your vehicle. It has to be an expression of your personality and your requirements, not your audience’s (which is bound to be a mish-mash, considering how many of us you’d be trying to please).
Experiment, preview, look for what attracts your eye. That’s what I’ve done when, from time to time, I want to update my look, and after a while you’ll get a clear picture in your mind of what you want representing you.
Don’t worry, I’ll still keep visiting, even if you choose (urgh!) Arcane.
That’s why I’m asking, I thought the image did show up, I’ll definitely research that over Christmas, my brothers and parents think they’re having a week off but I think we’ll play blog and website ideas instead 😆😂.
You must let me know what you think, that’s why I asked 😊.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Just spend some time on your Dashboard, go to Appearances – Themes, and keep previewing. There’s dozens and dozens of free themes, just don’t click Publish until you find the right one.
And I don’t think you have to worry about your loyal minions deserting you if you make a (cough) ‘unwise’ choice, we like you too much.
Oh and they don’t do a rainbow and sparkle theme I checked 😃
Some of the wonderful things you’ve achieved, what you’d like to achieve. Even some of the mundane things that happen in your daily life. People you meet family etc!
I hope that’s helped?
Thank you John it was very helpful 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Thanks for your news Charlotte ! 🙂
In fact, as I use very little my blog, oops …., I can not be of great help …. But thanks to you, because maybe in 2017 I will try to To have a blog living like yours 🙂
Very good week and wonderful holidays to You and your family
I always enjoyed your blog when you put new pictures on, it’s hard when you’re busy to balance everything and keep up, I try because it’s important to me.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Thanks Charlotte – I admire you to get to do every week, because you are so very busy!
Hello Charlotte, I recently after 2-1/2 years changed my Theme (change is good) on my main site. Good Luck with your decision making. Happy Holidays-Cheryl. x
Thank you Cheryl happy holidays to you too 😊🎄🎁
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hoping you are home now from London!!! Enjoy the time off and family! Hope Santa is good to you!!! x
Yes thanks Cheryl I arrived yesterday and it was lovely because just after my brothers and I got home we had an impromptu visit from our old neighbours they moved out of the area and we hadn’t seen them for a couple of years it was lovely catching up.
All my best
Charlotte
Sounds like perfect timing to visit old friends! A nice surprise. Enjoy the week together. x
I use WordPress too but don’t know about anything else. Sorry I can’t be any help. Best of luck with whatever you choose. ❤️️
Luckily my Dad likes looking things up, I just don’t want the commenting functions to change at all. Just keep it in a link with my website which Dads been upgrading.
Best wishes
Charlotte
He’s a great Dad to be so helpful to you! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, Charlotte! ❤️🎉🎊🎁🍾
Dear Charlotte, your Blog is very good. One thing you might consider is apps for it. That might be more than you want to spend on it but would give you some income potential. Good thing you are single, as those are nice pictures you are taking with the guys. I am happy you are doing so well, and may the Lord bless you to enjoy the Christmas Holidays.
I must look into apps although I don’t want any advertising on the blog. I hope you are enjoying the Christmas build up and carol services it will be a very busy time of year for you.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
One of the things that has been helpful to me from the beginning is to look at other successful blogs and try to figure out what they are doing. Also I would suggest that if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it. Sometimes we tinker with the untinkerable and it becomes a real headache.
There aren’t many changes I think, I like the blogs with a top banner, I’m not sure whether it’s better to have a scroll down of one blog post after the other as it is now or a selection with a photo and starting paragraph like other blogs I read. I know what you mean, I’ve had such a lot of changes this year and have made such a big change I just thought it would be good to have a little update.
Best wishes
Charlotte
One thing to keep in mind: your reader. I come across a lot of blogs that make me work to get to the posts. If I have to work that hard, I usually just give up.
I agree Don I’ve read a few that don’t have the most recent post at the top and that sometimes confuses me because I realise I’ve read the content before and don’t automatically realise there are newer post to search for.
I don’t always go into blogs from the reader, I think I must ask my Nan if she can navigate the changes because she’s new at this and is getting quite good now.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I’ve changed the theme for my blog a few times and it is intimidating. Just make sure you like how it looks, it’s your blog and you need to be happy with it, that’s the only tip I can give you, sorry.
It was a very quick week, hopefully the next few will go slightly slower.
I’m going to try the blog out on a few themes I think. I’m home now I absolutely love being spoilt, meals cooked, cuddles, watching good movies, catching up with everyone, I was planning a relax but I’m looking forward to meeting old friends so I’ve a nearly full diary 😀.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Enjoy your holiday. Merry Christmas
I’m currently inundated with three blogs in operation and two books to publicize, so my philosophy is keep it simple. I don’t see anything wrong with your blog as it stands, so an update is optional.
That said, it is a good idea to update the look of your blog every few years and fix anything you’re not happy with at the same time. Make sure you back everything up before making the switch.
I enjoy seeing where you’ve been and what you’re doing and hearing your vocals. Yours is one of the few blogs that I follow continuously.
Good reminder about the back up! 😳.
Thanks for keeping an eye out on my blog updates Jorge 😊 I’m hoping for an interesting year next year.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I too have changed my blog image a few times as I have evolved. Evolution is good but like most others have suggested, do what you want to do. I’d suggest sitting and thinking what is it you wish your first page to say/show and after that what content do you want where and how accessible is it for browsing…. don’t rush into it and definitely hit the preview button before publishing it!! Best wishes.
I’ve not changed it before Marie, change is exciting but it’s got to be better and easier to link old articles to new, maybe a change to re-pin popular posts or have a subsection to identify them for new visitors.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Over recent months I have used WordPress to build and maintain three websites for other organisations , and I’m thinking of rewriting two of my own.
I have found Tsohost offer very cost effective hosting packages. Their technical support is excellent. They can open an account and install WordPress for you so you can build your new site online while preserving your existing site until you are ready to switch over. They also offer a free migration service.
Wordpress Themes are non destructive so you can try a Theme and then switch back without destroying anything.
I’ve also built a site on my laptop using WordPress and a local web server. But I found the process of migrating to the web rather difficult.
Email me if you want more detail.
Thanks for all the tips Rhys I’ll go over them with Dad, free migration sounds useful. I like the trial before deciding too. Really interesting,
All my best, hope you and Geraldine have a super Christmas,
Best wishes
Charlotte
Dear Charlotte, you can preview your blog on the new themes before you actually commit to change it ‘permanently’. Try out a few and see which you like best and you can always go back.
I can see why you might want to change as you have such interesting blog content and ideas and it is hard to find a basic theme that allows you to do everything you want.
I’ve changed mine twice in 4-5 years and each one has got better and I like the freshness each change brought but have never been entirely happy with any!! I’m now thinking of getting a professional wordpress site created but that is also because I use my blog to help with my business and to a degree my books.
Any specific questions, then just ask or email!
Thanks Stephen, we’re working on the website at the same time, my Dad does most of the technical stuff and my Mum and I come up with presentation ideas. I’m grateful of your offer of help 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I use the twenty-eleven theme; I like that it has a showcase page where you can pin some featured posts. When I want a change, though, i tend to mess with fonts and colors and not too much with format, since that takes more time! So maybe if you don’t have much time you can play around with that stuff for now and do a big change later.
I like your theme and the header. I think it will be just a small change, new Year new start type thing 😀, thanks for the tip about fonts and colours.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Good tips here from your friends. I love your blog and the wonderful music that you provide. Have fun and more exciting holidays ahead.
It’s been great reading through Darlene, really useful. Happy holidays to you too.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I can’t advise, I find WordPress very limiting graphically so I stick with the twenty-eleven theme. I use iWeb (obsolete Mac software) to play with my static website elsewhere. Good luck!
Thanks Hilary I’m just looking for a little upgrade, I think I’m going to list the things I’ve seen that I’d like to be able to do and then try to find the right theme to fit.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte…. the idea is good … but please make sure that you have the like option in the site and that it fully fits you, so to speak… there are many things that are good when it comes to wordpress, I think… the system works well as a community of WP bloggers. Just study it in depth before making a move, I´d say… much love & happy holidays, my friend 😀
Thank you my friend so true, the community makes all the difference and I don’t want to deter anyone from visiting because of a change of format.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Good luck with your update. The amount of themes available was mind boggling and took quite awhile to figure out which one was the best suited. So many options and so many themes had the right look but not the features that were important. It was a lot of research so I feel for what you are going through right now.
I like your theme, it really suits your travel blog to have the main feature photograph and several posts on the opening page. It’s a shame my Dads working right up to Christmas Eve so I’ll try to do the research and note what I like.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Merry Christmas, Charlotte! I am also thinking of updating my blog – but need to get my daughter to do it for me! Have you ever recorded Oh Holy Night? I would love to hear you sing that!
Merry Christmas Noelle 😊. My Dad does a lot of the technical research and set up, I just want post writing etc. Not to change too much.
I sing O Holy Night but I’ve never recorded it, the opportunities to video my performances is more difficult now I’m not performing as often near my parents. I’ve put a sound recording of Ave Maria on the blog tonight that I recorded last April I hope you get a chance to have a listen 😊🙋🏼.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte! WordPress.com employee here (I found your site because you followed me a few months ago 🙂 ). If there’s something that you’d like to do on your site but find that you can’t, do let us know, so that we can find another solution for you, or at the very least, make note of your request! 🙂
Brilliant Richard thank you very much. I’ll be in touch if we get stuck 👍🏻🙋🏼.
Best wishes
Charlotte
After nearly three years of blogging I seem to be just as ignorant about the technical side as I was at the beginning! I daren’t update or change anything on my site so I could never advise or suggest anything to you! I love your blog and will be happy as long as I can still hear your news and some of your recordings!
Have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the time with your family xx Clare
Thanks a lot Clare, I’m home now, it was lovely getting a lift of my brother, we were singing Disney all the way home hehe. We all went shopping for food today Mum was shocked having a full trolley again 😄. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas too.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Your poor Mum! 😀 I expect she loves having you all at home again 🙂
I just started my new blog on the Wix platform and it is taking a bit of getting used to coming from WP.org – check it out and let me know http://www.delblogger.com vs http://www.dedivahdeals.com