invest

When you are start considering designing or redesigning of your blog you can be faced with a lot of questions. One of the first questions you should ask is how much should you invest in the blog design.

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You have four main options for choosing your design a free WordPress theme, a premium WordPress theme, a customized premium WordPress theme, or a customized WordPress design. We will be exploring the pros and cons of each of these to help you decide how much your site is worth to you and how your investment will benefit you.

By mccheek

Free WordPress Themes

Just like a mobile home a free theme will have predesigned colors and style and it may not match you and your style. Plus hundreds of the exact same blogs are out there due to the theme being pre-constructed. But just like a mobile home you can live in it for a time until you run out of room and you are tired of that one cupboard that just won’t stay closed. Especially since it was offered to you free from a relative.

Pros:

Free
A free theme is better than a default theme
You can find lots of free themes to choose from
Even my favorite theme provider offers free themes. (MyThemeShop (Affiliate Link))

Cons:

Doesn’t really represent you and your brand
You will not have as many options for customization
Attempting to customize the theme yourself it may just not turn out right
Your images and style may end up feeling mismatched and disjointed
You may see other bloggers using the same theme
The theme may not fit your needs exactly (ei. menus don’t fit, colors don’t match, etc)
You can feel overwhelmed sifting through all the themes out there

Conclusion: A Free Theme doesn’t represent you and your brand but you can live with it.

ByMartin Pettitt

Premium WordPress Themes

Just like a manufactured home you can find a premium theme that is very inexpensive and you can choose the siding, the carpet and counter tops, but once you get it into the mobile home court you realize your home looks just like some of the neighbors homes. But you at least you have a home that has new appliances and keeps you dry. This may work for a time until you realize that you are tired of your friends getting lost every time they try and find your house and it becomes time to upgrade your fridge.

Pros:

Very Low Cost
You will find more features than a free theme
Premium themes tend to have a more professional look
You will have more options for customization

Cons:

Doesn’t represent you and your brand
You still may have troubles with customizing the theme beyond the basics
Attempting to customize the theme yourself may make it lose it’s professionalism
You may still run into other’s using the same theme
You can still feel limited by the options

Conclusion: A Premium Theme doesn’t represent you and your brand but it functions.

My favorite company to purchase themes from is MyThemeShop (Affiliate Link). I am affiliated with them, but that is only because I love them. There themes are amazing and the control panels for their themes are easy to work with and well made.

By LancerE

Customized Premium Wordpress Theme

Just like a modern stick built home you can have a customized theme built for you. A builder will give you multiple floor plans to choose from to create your new home. Then you get to pick the flooring, the wall color, the counter tops and the appliances. You get to have a home that really showcases your style and gives you some special functions you have been really wanting.

Even though you live in a house that may be the same floor plan as your neighbors your friends will still know which house is your house. Plus now you will not be embarrassed to invite your boss over for dinner.

Pros:

Low Cost
No one else will have the exact same design
Represents you and your brand
Professional customization makes your brand more recognizable
A Professional does the customization so your under less stress
Brands and readers can see that you have invested in your blog or site
Professional help cleaning up your layout and making it easier for your readers to navigate
You will have more options and functions that a professional can install
Sponsors will see you have invested in your blog and they will want to invest in you

Cons:

More of an investment
You may have to wait on a waiting list for your design
Still may feel cookie cutter as you see the same layouts at other sites
May take some time to find a professional that you feel matches you and your style

Conclusion: A Customized Theme starts building brand recognition and makes your site more professional.

By Omaha Homes For Sale

Custom WordPress Design

Just like a custom built home you can invest in a Custom Design. Your imagination is the limit. You can have any flooring, walling, appliance, and more that you could possibly want. You can change the floor plan to fit better with your needs and wants. You could even have a swimming pool built into your dinning room for swim-dining!

You can create a place that is all about you and your style. Your friends will know your home instantly even on the first visit and you will be inviting you boss over for monthly dinners just so you can show off your beautiful home and brag.

Pros:

The Design is all yours, you will not see anyone with the same design or layout
It is obvious you are invested in your blog or site, so users and brands will invest in you
You will find you will have unlimited customization and options
Everything coordinates and functions just as you wish

Cons:

Large investment
Have to do some homework to find the right designer that fits your style
Takes some time to create

Conclusion: A Complete Custom Design represents you with a unique layout and images and functioning.

I hope this gave you some things to consider as you are choosing the level of investment you want to make into your blog.

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Investing in your website can be costly. But if you want your readers and advertisers to invest in you, you need to make an investment.

After making the decision to start redesigning you may find that the cost is outside of your current budget. This may make you feel that you need to put off your redesign or not do it at all. But before you put off your new look consider this:

Consider slowly investing in your design. When you look into breaking the design down piece by piece you will find that you can slowly afford an amazing design.

Before you Start

Just as Leo Babauta talks about branding your blog’s personality as a whole in Branding 101, you need to think about how your new look represents you also. Really draw a picture in your head of what you want and what really represents you and your blog.

You want to look at your design from the start as a whole, not as each element as you invest, because in the end you want it all to fit together seemlessly. You will also want to make sure you use the same designer throughout your design.

Picking your Designer

That brings us to our next step which is to find a designer that fits you and your style. You can do this by interviewing them, checking out their previous work and asking for a mock up.

One of things to ask while interviewing them is if they would be willing to spread your project out and how they would recommend going about this.

Don’t skimp on your choice of designer just because of their prices. A true professional designer is going to have a high prices due to their skill level, their education, their investment in computers and programs, and their demand. But you will see something different in a designer that is charging a premium price. They are going to spend the time to get to know you and your product and your vision. They are going to give you a premium product that will amaze you and your readers.

Breaking up the Cost

So how do you break up a new design?

You can break each element out and spread them apart to help you make your slow invest. You can get the prices for each element from your designer and how they would prefer to break it up.

A good example of how you can break up your design is to first invest in a professional logo, then a blog header, maybe a twitter background and a facebook page, and then finally a customized theme.

Logo Design – Your logo is going to be used on everything from your site to your business cards and it will nail down the feel of the rest of your design.

Header Design – You may actually find that you don’t need a header design when you are planning your overall design. Some magazine themes and professional sites are now mainly using their logos as a header and leaving more room for content on their site. This is one reason it is a good idea to have a plan before you start.

Twitter Background and/or Facebook Page – When planning out your overall look think about the different elements you will need for your site and each piece that you will need. I highly recommend you have all your social media match the design and feel of your site.

A Customized Theme – You have lots of different options when it comes to your theme for you blog. Learn about the different levels of investment you can make in your theme design in my previous article, Beauty vs Budget.

As you purchase each piece of the design make sure you are saving up for the theme design, because this will be the largest investment. But this way you will be able to slowly make the changes to your site, your readers will see your investment and start recognizing your new brand!

Payment Plans

Another option to consider is payment plans. Ask the designer that you are interested in if they would be willing to take your project on with a payment plan.

They may do this in a few different ways. They may wait to start the design until you have paid in full or half down. They may be willing to design while you make your payments but will not release the files until everything has been paid.

Make the Plunge

When you are ready to take your site to the next level make sure that you choose a professional designer and don’t be afraid of their prices. Because you will be surprised at your return on your investment if you make the plunge. A truly well designed site will drive in the readers and investors as you would never have imagined.

If you feel that a professional designer that you love is out of reach think again and consider your options and consider slowly investing into you new design.

Beauty vs Budget: How to Invest in Your Blog Design

Free WordPress Themes

Premium WordPress Themes

Customized Premium Wordpress Theme

Custom WordPress Design

How to Slowly Invest in your Website

Before you Start

Picking your Designer

Breaking up the Cost

Payment Plans

Make the Plunge

More Questions?