As many of you know I’ve been working on a blog redesign for sometime now. I don’t mind change, but I also like routine and when I’m used to a website being a certain way I don’t like it when they suddenly change things. With the redesign I tried to keep most of the things in the same place and just simplify the design a bit. I also had two issues I wanted to improve with the redesign:
1- I wanted the images and videos to be displayed larger on the blog
2- I wanted a mobile friendly version of the blog
I got the first issue sorted, with the redesign both the images and videos would now be embedded in a larger size. I did that by basically killing the middle column of the blog and integrating it into the sidebar.
What I haven’t been able to sort out is the mobile friendly version of the blog. My current theme can be adapted to become mobile friendly with a click of a button, and so can the new theme. But my issue isn’t with that, the problem I have is the fact there doesn’t seem to be a way to have the advertisement banners show while in the mobile friendly version of the blog. The banners are my only source of revenue for the blog and so have to be on the blog at all times. Right now if I turn on the mobile version of the blog, the banners get shoved down to the bottom of the page and that’s not good.
If anyone has any idea how to sort this out let me know, or if anyone has an idea on a different income model for the blog that doesn’t rely on banners also let me know. I’m open to suggestions.
If you want to give me your opinion on the new redesign, check out a live preview of the new design [Here]
47 replies on “Give me your opinion!”
Can’t you have the adds popping up between stories on the mobile version. Kind of like reddit ‘promoted’ or twitters ads.
Thats what I was hoping to do but don’t think its technically possible
Personally, I would get rid of ‘classifieds’ and ‘more from 248am’ from the side banner.
Also, where are the comments changes you promised?
Well once I move to the new theme I’ll be able to add new features to the comments. The backend of the current theme here is like 10 years old i think maybe more so none of the comment plugins work.
I like the new layout! and I totally agree with the classified section and more of 248am.
I don’t you need a new layout,as it is only a zoomed in version of the current layout.-
Definitely banner-like pop ups, either at the bottom of the page or in the middle.
The new font is a little disturbing on the eyes. I prefer the existing one…
can u try it now, i made it slightly bolder
Yeah i think now it looks much better.
Looks better now. Very legible.
Just a thought…try exploring other font options. The new bolder one tbh looks regular (I think it looks a little out of place when viewed as a whole with the image/s). Maybe a font that is not used or explored until now is hiding only to be discovered here!
I think the new layout looks good, with the header parallax effect and also the font looks better.
I tried viewing the blog on my cellphone but I’m not sure if the mobile engine is working already
well mark i can view your blog on my phone with the advertisement banners too and the same i sent a screenshot to you just now. im happy it works on my phone
Don’t like the font on the new one. Prefer the existing one.
I was hoping for a change in the shade of the main theme color, but oh well.
Just a minor point – its not responsive, so if resize the browser you don’t get the all-too-familiar hamburger menu.
Yeah it’s not responsive, if i have it responsive (basically mobile friendly) the banners get pushed to the very bottom of the site and can no longer be seen. So I have the responsive layout turned off right now until I figure things out.
+1 for the font, the current one is better.
What operating system/browser are you using? I’m curious because I haven’t tried the site out on Windows yet so it might look different.
The font is a bit uneasy on the eye. The previous font was much darker, whereas this one is much lighter.
Currently reviewing it on Google Chrome on Mac 21″ screen.
I was hoping you would increase the content/page width and make it screen-friendly.
Whilst I understand you might be restricted to keeping it vertically long, using the horizontal space would have been so much nicer.
That way you could let users enjoy larger HD pics and written content is well spaced and fits on one page without scrolling or clicking [more].
It would also give you more space to add another advertisement!
Also, all this time you’ve been adding written content below the pictures. Why not post crisp HD pics only as a post. So when a user hovers on the picture the Title appears (title place at centre). On clicking the title, takes the user to the post with written content.
This adds a click to the user experience, but at the same time gives the user to enjoy HD pictures which are more attractive.
Well the problem with going wide is that the text doesn’t work well in that size. I mean it would if my articles were super long but most of my stuff is just a paragraph long. On a super wide layout that would make my paragraph turn into two awkward lines. Mainly though the reason I’ve limited the width of the site and not taken it edge to edge is because I generate substantial income with takeover campaigns. Those campaigns usually takeover the blogs background and so i need the background to show.
Windows 10/Chrome
Have you considered a progressive web app for the blog? I’m not sure if that’s what you’re using now for mobile users, but if not, you might want to consider it. Your ads will still be visible and you’ll have the option of where they appear.
Hey whats a progressive web app? The current theme has an option where I could make the site mobile friendly, it just does that though by moving the second column which has the banners to the bottom of the left column that has the text.
Instead of relying on the same theme for the mobile version, why don’t you dedicate a subdomain with a progressive web app?
What a progressive web app?
Yeah, I know, I totally failed to answer your question. Sorry about that. I was asking T for the answer and he might as well have been speaking Russian (he’s the tech person… I’m not). Therefore, I typed his possible solution and not the answer.
This site can answer your question better than me trying to explain what Talal is explaining to me.
https://medium.com/@LaunchPartner/what-is-a-progressive-web-app-pwa-founders-guide-43bbc37aacc7
thanks!
New site looks awesome! thanks for all the hard work you put into this for us.
on a side note, i found your site blocked on verizon’s network a few times, i had to call them about 4 times? for them to unblock it so i could view it without a vpn turned on.
Weird!
Ads could be between posts
For those of you who complained about the font being too thin can you check that site out now and let me know if this is better.
Try putting banner ads on top of the page, just above the main blog header and put another banner ad at the very bottom of the page, right after the page navigator. Get rid of More from 248am, have the search bar right between “Kuwestions” and “Contact” (There’s a big space there, Idk why you never used it before) and remove the Contribue box because it’s exactly the same as Contact.
i think you have no issue of creating a new responsive website with ads!
you can just use “responsive ads method” so the ad can optimize itself according to screen!
you will need to get additional size of the advertisement material in order to get the different view!
hope it helps,
cheers!
bring back 248am forums, reddit sucks.
I just opened it (5:55pm) on my mobile (90% of the times I visit is on my iPhone) No difference as mentioned.
What I do is that I just double tap on the articles and it zooms in just right, same thing for the comments. So I’m not complaining with the mobile.
It’s gonna be hard to implement the mobile-friendly version while using the current desktop theme layout that has a banner for ads. You either need to do a complete redesign to support both pc and mobile screens (which will take weeks) or just stick to what you’ve done here https://248am.com/ and not make it mobile friendly.
The new design so far looks good, I think 12px font will look better instead of 14px for post content.
Here’s the post with font size 13px and line spacing/height of 1.9
it easy on the eyes
https://imgur.com/a/YREsahb
This is what it looks like with a transparent nav bar, gives it a modern look in my opinion
https://imgur.com/a/PJT9fFS
interesting
Approved
Have your ads appear individually throughout the post, between paragraphs, as the person scrolls through. Exactly how they do with news article ads at bbc and guardian mobile versions.
You can also create a mobile webpage with thumbnails for articles, and once you click an ad opens first that you have to close, before you can read the full article.
I’m not a big fan of pop-ups myself so wouldn’t want you guys have to deal with that either
It’s okay, most of us run adblock anyway.
I just activated the mobile version for you guys to check out, you can check it by visiting https://248am.com/ from your phone
Looks great! Thank you Mark!
Btw I think you should also create a mobile app for your blog or the Kuwestions/Classifieds section
👍🏻
I actually love the new site! Its a really great subtle uplift