Follow my renovations on Instagram.

I’m trialling a new blog layout

Things may look a little different over here. Not too different, but a little tidier I think.

I have been looking at my google analytics to work out where all you lovely readers come from every day. The majority seem to come from ‘referring sites’. These are like a direct link to the post for that day. So, when I write a blog post, you are coming to that exact post from twitter, facebook, readers… etc.

This means not many were coming directly to the home page. To see the new home page (because I know you came here directly to this post!) click www.katrinaleechambers.com.

So, I thought that seeing as my home page is under-used, I should  trial snippets from my blog posts and see what happens. The best thing about google analytics is you can see your bounce rate (time people spend on pages, and how many pages they view at a time).

If you all bounce of it quickly, then I’ll trial something else! 🙂

I’ve also really tidied up my comments section. It flows better. I’ve also removed any junk in the sidebar.

…. and I’ve taken Google Friend Connect off. This widget is becoming absolute in March this year for WordPress blogs. I’ve added lots of areas around my blog for readers to still be able to subscribe (a floating bar at the top, the RSS button floating on the left, and 2 options in the top sidebar for you to be able to subscribe via a reader or email).

I’ll let you know how it goes!

Hope you like it.

Have a great day. I’m resting after my massive garage sale yesterday. Blog post to come about that! Boy, was that hilarious 😉

15 comments

  • A-M

    Oh you’re so organised and on top of things. It’s looking so clean and fresh. You are the bomb when it comes to blogging and blogs… just sayin’
    A-M xx

  • Rah

    Looking good!!
    (what’s the name of the “you may also like” plugin that pops in a related post when you scroll down the post’s page? I like!!)

    • Katrina (author)

      Ta! It’s nrelate flyout 🙂

  • Robert

    It all looks good Katrina. You too organized.

  • Penny

    Love the home page look. That’s what I want you to do with mine when we do the WP migration. Should be ready to roll in feb depending on your workload of course. Xxx

  • julienne

    I’m sorry google is removing their widget for non blogger blogs as I don’t like subscribing and getting emails (I have enough of those now and I don’t like reading on the RSS feed (just old fashioned I guess!!) I like blogs to turn up on my dashboard so I can just sit and read the ones that catch my fancy on that day! I think it is all getting too complicated for me and I don’t understand it all. Apart from that you are looking very smart and sophisticated!

    • Katrina (author)

      Yes, unfortunately the internet changes all the time and things come and go. I’m exhausted trying to keep up too! 🙂

  • B

    Looks great. Well done!

    B

  • Judie

    I’m going to be the lone dissenter – I don’t like it. I like to see the post in whole rather than having to click through to see it. Other than that, I like the redesign.

  • Amanda

    Love the new look blog Katrina, simple, clean and uncluttered as I like it 🙂

  • Pennyb

    i love the new look. but i have just got my head around blogging so not sure how to change mine. maybe one day i will get you to do it. how much?
    Pen x

  • Jo

    I was always a blogspot or blogger blog person. I started in 2006. But this time I have gone to wordpress and I am really liking it. It has taken me ages to get my head around it, but I’m finding new things with it all the time. And then I feel like a goose for not seeing them earlier. I really like your new comments section. It is great. I do like seeing your latest post in full though. Can you have your latest post in full and then the rest like you have them now underneath? Just a thought. Probably a crap one. lol. Can’t wait to hear about the garage sale.

    • Katrina (author)

      Hi Jo, not a bad idea – I will keep that in mind – thank you! x

  • David Chola

    I’m sorry google is removing their widget for non blogger blogs as I don’t like subscribing and getting emails (I have enough of those now and I don’t like reading on the RSS feed (just old fashioned I guess!!) I like blogs to turn up on my dashboard so I can just sit and read the ones that catch my fancy on that day! I think it is all getting too complicated for me and I don’t understand it all. Apart from that you are looking very smart and sophisticated!

  • le@third

    looks fab – I love it – if you don’t mind me saying the text colour in the about me sidebar on the rhs is too light to read easily – might just be my screen 🙂 le xox

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