E.Webscapes Blog Design Studio » Blogger Design

Add a blog to your existing website

Lisa Sabin-Wilson — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 23:59:19 +0000

Frequently, I get requests to add a blog to an existing website. The popular request is to use the websites existing design and layout and built a blog with it. These blog design projects don’t make it into my portfolio of work because they are not designs I have completed – but I have done countless numbers… of these types of projects. I’ve taken the existing HTML websites and built a blog into it using Movable Type, WordPress, Blogger and Typepad – to name a few.

Typically the website owner will either create a new directory on their server so that their blog points to it – for example, something like this: http://thedomain.com/blog. Or, they will create a subdomain so that their new blog will point to that – for example: http://blog.thedomain.com. Either way works out nicely. My clients have hired me to perform the blog installation and design – adding in many nice features and existing plugins so they, and their readers, can get the most out of the blogging experience.

Sometimes, these types of projects can be a challenge because of the coding, style and format of the existing website. It’s much easier for me, the designer, to work with my own code, formatting techniques and structure – but I can’t be a design control freak all the time!

Many times, our clients will ask us to keep the coding elements the very same, where at all possible. At times, this forces me to … yes… build a blog with a tables based design.. eek! Trying to remember how to work with tables is a big challenge for me! However, at the end of the day – it is my client who has to maintain the blog, the design and format… and whatever format they are used to, whatever format makes it easiest for them to control and maintain is what will work the best for them. I do usually recommend a different structure and layout if it will be advantageous for them to change, and if they are willing to change.

Here are some good resources for web site building with WordPress:

WordPress Themes

WordPress Hosting

Adding a blog to an existing website is a great way to extend the features on your website, particularly if you are running a business. It gives you an excellent opportunity to interact with your clients, potential clients and industry peers, not too mention that blogs are great for SEO (search engine optimization) due to the dynamic nature of blogs, and the ability to keep updated content flowing on your site. Having a blog also allows your business to provide a built-in RSS feed so your clients, readers and peers can keep up-to-date about your company news through your RSS feed.

Here are a couple examples of websites I’ve added a blog to recently:

Hansen Homes Miami Real Estate Blog
Blog Platform: Movable Type
Details: Add Movable Type blog using existing website design and code structure.

Read clients testimonial here.

Maine Associates Business Blog
Blog Platform: Blogspot
Details: Add a blog, powered by Blogspot, using existing website design.

Incredible Gifts Blog
Blog Platform: WordPress
Details: Use existing website design and structure to build the WordPress blog layout, provide hosting for the blog through our hosting division at Blogs About Hosting.

Adding a blog to your existing website usually goes pretty quickly. In no time at all, your website can have the dynamic and interactive features the blogging provides – all integrated to coordinate and look just like your existing website.

Permalink | 11 comments |

Post tags: add blog to website, Blog Design, blog designer, blog designs, Blogger, Blogger Design, Blogspot, Business Blog, Movable Type, movable type design, RSS, Wordpress, WordPress Design

Follow E.Webscapes:

Blogspot Design: Sedge Court Journal

Lisa Sabin-Wilson — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 13:10:53 +0000

We launched the new design for Sedge Court Journal this week, and had an absolute blast with it! A three column template created with lots of custom graphics and icons – Powered by Blogspot, Sedge Court is a sports blog on steroids run by a group of middle-aged guys whose wives are pretty positive that they hold an unhealthy obsession for football, sports betting and Monday-morning quarterbacking! … From football picks, betting, daily babe reports and multimedia sports files, these guys have got it covered.

Tags: E.Webscapes, Blog Design, Blogger, Blogspot, Blogger Design, Blogspot Template

Permalink | No comments |

Post tags: 3 column Blogspot Design, Blog Design, blog designer, blog designs, Blogger Design, Blogger Template, Blogspot Design, Blogspot Template, Sedge Court Journal

Follow E.Webscapes:

Image and Photo Hosting

Lisa Sabin-Wilson — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:39:57 +0000

We’re happy to annouce the launch of our newest venture: Blog Image Host. Simply, it is a image and photo hosting service that was born from requests from many of our clients looking to a.) save space on their current hosting account by having a free image resource available and b.) provide space to our Blogspot users to host… their template image files, as well as photo and image hosting as well. The free package includes:

Webspace: 2 Gigabytes
Bandwidth: 10 Gigabytes
Max. file size for one file: 2 Megabytes
Allowed file types: .gif .jpeg .jpg .png .bmp .tif
Ability to create Flash gallery with images

We also have a premium offering there starting at $4/month that ups the webspace to 10Gigabytes and bandwidth to 50 Gigabytes. Not bad!

It’s a pretty new service so far – but it provides and excellent solution for example:

Blogs – if your blog provider doesn?t give you space for image/photo hosting OR if you want to preserve your own webspace for other things.
MySpace
eBay
Message Boards

Tags: Image Host, Photo Hosting, Blog Image Host, Blogger, Blogspot, Photography, Design

Permalink | No comments |

Post tags:

Follow E.Webscapes:

Someone In A Tree – Blogspot Blog Design

Lisa Sabin-Wilson — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 19:47:37 +0000

I launched the new custom design for Someone in a Tree – a custom designed Blogspot template.

Permalink | No comments |

Post tags: blog designer, Blogger, Blogger Design, Blogspot, Blogspot Template Design, CSS, E.Webscapes, EWebscapes Design Portfolio, Lisa Sabin-Wilson

E.Webscapes Blog Design Studio » Blogger Design

Add a blog to your existing website

Here are some good resources for web site building with WordPress:

Blogspot Design: Sedge Court Journal

Image and Photo Hosting

Someone In A Tree – Blogspot Blog Design

CatholicNews.org Blogger Header Design