I appreciate each of you stopping by to offer your feedback. Feel free to comment on any aspect of the blog. Here are some topics that I have had questions/concerns about:
1) Layout - I like a clean look on blogs. I like to be able to see quickly what the blog is about. Am I accomplishing this?2) Linking blog to website - I am not sure that the way I have my blog redirected from my website is the best way. I am worried about ease of use for my readers who find me through the website.
4) Communication - Am I communicating my message well to a general audience? I always try to keep in mind that persons viewing the blog may not have a Christian background.
Please provide feedback on anything that may enhance my blog and do not hesitate to tell me what's not working.
Photo Courtesy - S. Fernando
Wendy and Ronnnie,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed getting to know you during the 31DBBB project. What you provide here is needed--solid Biblical content; an attitude of humility and grace; transparency in your walk with Jesus; help for Christians; and hope for those who have yet to know Him.
1. It's good to be able to evaluate another Blogger site. I am new to this and am on Blogger too. Sometimes I get frustrated with some of its limitations. But you have done well in personalizing your layout. Your page loads quickly for me and I find it very clean and readable. I would move the archives above the blog list, but that's a personal preference of mine. By the way, I really like the slanted picture of Ronnie; it makes a statement, "We're a church, but a little sideways!"
2. It's easy to get to the church website from here (The banner does that well). But if you want to direct folks from the church webiste to the blog, that's not as obvious. I might suggest you put a blurb in the news section of the website for each new blog post and highlight it there, maybe even with a picture that will draw attention to it.
3. I have watched several of your videos blogs. You have good content. I would probably like a change of scenery once in a while (I am not critizing your style of curtains). You seem well prepared and authentic in the video. I especially like the use of the music videos that go along with the written posts from time to time. I may have to try that myself.
4. Yes. I think you do a great job especially of having good titles for your blog entries. The tag line "Church on Your Time" is a good one.
Keep up the good work.
--Richard
Hi,
ReplyDeleteMy only criticisms was the double banner - maybe an image in the sidebar to speaking grace online. And some of the images in the sidebar were too wide - looks like you addressed that.
I love the photos and videos, make it much more personal and real (something I miss on my blog)
A picture of Wendy as well? you are Wendy right?
The Blog list needs to be structured a bit better, it looks like random links at the mo.
I hope it helps
Phill
Phil, I completely agree with you. I have not found a way to eliminate the double header with blogger.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am Wendy. My husband and I blog together. I just found a way that we can both blog and have seperate contributor accounts. (still learning)
I will work on the Blog list, but may be held to the limitations of Blogger. Any suggestions?
Richard,
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas too. I did not think of the "news" as a way to redirect to the blog.
I had also been thinking about the change of scenery. When the weather settles down here, we have even considered an outdoors video. Maybe even on site somewhere while talking about a relevant issue. Lots of good ideas!
1) Your layout is clean and simple and easy to read - but it's just to Blogger'y and by that I mean you don't have much choice when it comes to using Blogger as your platform. Or atleast it wasn't when I last used it (several years back now).
ReplyDeletePersonally I find bloggers templates too narrow and they look like they are all designed to fit on an 800x600 screen res - that is so old now that it's time they fattened the calf a bit.
One thing I'd change a bit that you do have control over is your about / profile page. It doesn't tellme anything and I like to know stuff about bloggers :)
2)You don't say how you are doing this? Scratch that, I see what you mean now.
That's fine as you have it unless you are wanting to present a single unified feel and look to your church site and the blog. If so, then (and I find myself repeating this a lot at the moment) consider using Wordpress to host both the church and blog as it can make use of having static pages and your blog existing on a sub-page but be reachable as blog.domain_name.whatever or as doamin_name.whatever/blog ...
3) You know what - despite being a lover of media and its usage I rarely watch others videos for a message more for ideas.. but in honour of today's review request I've watched your stress vlog.
Quick thoughts are: Do you always use a old version of the Bible? Thee's and thou's don't come across well in modern days. Second you come over as speaking a tad too fast for me - that may be my Brit head though. Finally, this specific vid doesn't fit on your blog. I know you can click through but still you need to adapt the settings to make it fit.
There, that's enough from em I hope some of this helps.
Hi Wendy, I love your posts in general btw, but don't always get a chance to comment :-(
ReplyDeleteAs for your site, I agree with Stuart that the post column is too narrow. No idea how you can fix that, but that's the number 1 thing I would suggest changing it you can. It really makes the posts look longer than they are and make it a bit more difficult or intimidating for people to get through.
As for moving from the blog to the website, I think it would be as simple as making sure there was clear button that said "SGM website" vs "SGM Blog." The banners on the top of this page are a little confusing.
Love your content!
1) Layout
ReplyDeleteSimple and clean. This template from blogger is a common one that won't make you stand out, but certainly will give you the simple layout for your readers. This might be a bit nit-picky, but one of my pet-peeves is objects of different sizes in the sidebar. some objects are more narrow and don't fill the space, and others (the last photo) looks to be too wide. I believe that filling the space consistently is easier on the eye, and less distracting to visitors. I've also seen other people provide feedback on the banners at the top, and I would recommend finding a way to make a banner that doesn't have 'createbanner.com' branding on it.
2) Linking blog to website
I would put the link to the other website in the sidebar instead, and it could easily be the top object in the sidebar.
3) Use of video
I like how you use video. The only thing that I would recommend is changing the background of the videos that you are recording. I think that the red curtain makes it look too much like you are creating a broadcast studio. Some of the best videos that I've seen of people vlogging like that had them in very natural environments... at their desk, in the car, outside with trees in the background, etc. The content is great though!
4) Communication
I don't see any issues here, but may have to spend a bit more time checking it out. But I do appreciate that you keep in mind that there may be non-Christian visiting.
Overall, good stuff! Really good content, but presentation is pretty basic.
I can understand the problems you are encountering because I have same challenges however I implement the suggestions offered here to get out of them.
ReplyDeleteThe only downside is that I forgot to replace the code for Google Analytics after changing the layout, etc. and I have lost over a week of tracking.
ReplyDelete