The Wealthy Freelancer is the newest successful client project of mine. Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage, and Ed Gandia are all successful freelance copywriters in their own right. Each one has a thriving business. Steve and Pete are published authors. The three combine forces in a team blog that features other contributors, as well. They hired me to design the blog, advise them on strategy, and walk them through the functions of WordPress.
A completely custom theme creates a unique visual brand for The Wealthy Freelancer. Having your own visual identity online that doesn’t look like anyone else is one trait you will find in the most successful blogs, so it’s a long-range rewarding step for you to take with your own blog.
I’ve recently written about conversion-oriented design, and the Gateway Blogging course will feature the subject of conversion (and client success stories such as this one). Head on over to the site or even just look at the thumbnail image above. What are the points that draw your eye? Go look for a moment and then continue reading at the next paragraph.
Was your eye is drawn to the orange RSS icon and email envelope icon in subscribe area? My guess is that it was, even on the thumbnail image above. That’s an example of conversion-oriented design.
For content-based conversion, the quality of the writing and the articles speak for themselves. These guys are all top-notch copywriters, and their contributors are well-known and respected, too, such as Peter Bowerman (also a client of mine), who wrote the launch day post: What Makes a $125-an-Hour Writer?
I’d like to point out something in the "details matter" department. You see that pen stroke under the word Your in the tagline? We went back and forth on that several times, with slight changes to its thickness, arc, and angle, until it was perfect.
Are the guys happy with their design? The word they used to describe it was "FANTASTIC".
If you’re ready to get a blog or have your existing blog redesigned according to conversion principles taught in Gateway Blogging, please take a look at my blog consulting services or contact me. If you’re not ready but want to learn more and get to know me better over time, subscribe to Remarkablogger to see more great client success stories as they’re published.
Breathtaking!
Dang, I wish I had them design skills. Very clean and just the perfect amount of “stuff” on the page. Nice.
The upper right area of that site is beautifully done. Draws you right to the clickables.
Good job!
Michael,
Confession? My eye was drawn to and had a hard time leaving the freelancer in his victory pose.
When I saw the subscription area, I did think it was very well done. I like how it catches my eye without needing the big buttons becoming so prevalent now. (Should I say that? I have one that I’m pleased as punch with.) The orange breaking the grey wall is very sleek indeed.
The whole design is easy to use and restrained without being stark. Very nice.
Regards,
Kelly
@Kelly – Correct! We Westerners tend to look from left to right, but also jump around. The three main points of interest on the screen are: header image, headline, and the right sidebar. This triangle means that people will inevitably land on the subscription area or the headline. And either one of those is a highly desirable action. I’ve seen many blog designs in which the headline of the first post is practically invisible on the page.
I’m very glad you were drawn to “wealthy freelance man” because that image sets up associations of triumph in the mind of the viewer he or she may not even be aware of but is nevertheless influenced by.
Beautiful exciting design, MIcheal, Beautiful. Kudos. I like this term “conversion design”.
(And I like their writing.
Thanks for bringing them to my attention.)
That is a really nice logo. It kind of reminds me that it would be on 2 types of blogs, either a health or a making money type site. But once again, it looks nice and clean.
When I look for a theme, I am always drawn to the themes that have headers that are short, page tabs on the right. I like my readers to see the title of the blog and title of the current post in the first two seconds of landing at my index.
Headers that are short? In width or in heighth?