New templates for our Blog: Which do you like?

[Winston]

I've been looking for a new template for our blog, because the ones you have to choose from on Blogger suck. They show the full articles on the home page, rather than the latest posts as snippets with links to the full article, which is the best format that all the best blogs follow. So I'm looking on third party sites for better Blogger templates. Here are some I've found that have the posts on the home page as snippets. What do you think? Which one do you like?

From Btemplates.com

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-template-helix/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... uity/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... line/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-template-super/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... ne-2/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... tyle/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... sten/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-template-table/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-template-busby/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... cacy/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... time/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... tral/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... ress/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... na-2/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... mple/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2010/blogger-temp ... isto/demo/

From Mybloggerthemes.com

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/03/ ... imple.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/04/ ... nsive.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/04/ ... nsive.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/04/ ... nsive.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/04/ ... nsive.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/04/ ... nsive.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/04/ ... nsive.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/04/ ... z-new.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/04/ ... azine.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/02/timepress.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/02/ ... azine.html

http://www.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/02/ ... nsive.html

[Winston]

Ok after looking over all of them and testing them out, I think I've narrowed it down to 5 choices that I like. What do you think? Which one do you prefer?

http://demo.mybloggerthemes.com/2014/03 ... lates.html

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... uity/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... na-2/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... mple/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2010/blogger-temp ... isto/demo/

[jamesbond]

I like this one the best:

http://btemplates.com/2010/blogger-temp ... isto/demo/

It's the easiest to read and navigate through. You can archive the blogs very easily with this template. It also looks the most professional.

[Winston]

I like this one the best:

http://btemplates.com/2010/blogger-temp ... isto/demo/

It's the easiest to read and navigate through. You can archive the blogs very easily with this template. It also looks the most professional.

Yeah but it's so red. I prefer blue or orange. I hope that graphic of the robot can be removed too. lol

[jamesbond]

I like this one the best:

http://btemplates.com/2010/blogger-temp ... isto/demo/

It's the easiest to read and navigate through. You can archive the blogs very easily with this template. It also looks the most professional.

Yeah but it's so red. I prefer blue or orange.

Winston, the red makes it the easiest to see. Blue or orange is harder to make out, the red is not that prominent anyway. I think that template is easiest to read and navigate through, it also looks the most professional.

[Winston]

You're right Jamesbond. It does look organized and easy on the eyes. Ok I will try to install that template. Maybe it will let me customize the colors. I hope the rotating images can be removed too. Or at least I can insert my own into them.

[Winston]

Jamesbond,
I implemented that template, but it didn't look good. The top part was kind of dark and gray. It looked like it was designed for a video game or sci fi/fantasy site.

We need something with more white in it. Kind of like these:

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... mple/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-template-table/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-template-super/demo/

What do you think?

Deluxetemplates has some nice ones too.

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/tag/pers ... -templates

[jamesbond]

Jamesbond,
I implemented that template, but it didn't look good. The top part was kind of dark and gray. It looked like it was designed for a video game or sci fi/fantasy site.

We need something with more white in it. Kind of like these:

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-temp ... mple/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-template-table/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2013/blogger-template-super/demo/

What do you think?

Deluxetemplates has some nice ones too.

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/tag/pers ... -templates

They all look pretty good actually. It's hard to make a final decision as to which one is the best.

[Winston]

Jamesbond,
Check this out. On the Deluxe Templates site, I found some red themes that look similar to the one you liked, that look far more professional and modern. Check them out. What do you think?

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/04/ ... html/demo/

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/04/ ... html/demo/

Here are some blue versions of those themes.

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/03/ ... html/demo/

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/03/ ... html/demo/

[jamesbond]

Jamesbond,
Check this out. On the Deluxe Templates site, I found some red themes that look similar to the one you liked, that look far more professional and modern. Check them out. What do you think?

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/04/ ... html/demo/

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/04/ ... html/demo/

Here are some blue versions of those themes.

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/03/ ... html/demo/

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/03/ ... html/demo/

I checked them all out and the blue ones actually look nicer than the red ones. The blue color schemes looked more pleasing on the eyes.

[Winston]

Ok I guess we will go with this blog template then:

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/03/ ... html/demo/

[Winston]

Ok I guess we will go with this blog template then:

http://www.deluxetemplates.net/2013/03/ ... html/demo/

Well that didn't work out. These third party templates have many problems. They are not customizable and have many fixed elements that cannot be removed. I tried playing with it but could not make many things work nor could I remove unwanted elements and widgets. So I put back the former template.

I fixed up and re-organized our blog. They layout looks better now and I put a header graphic at the top. The home page of the blog now features snippets from the latest 12 posts. What do you think of it?

http://blog.happierabroad.com/

I also put a better blog description at the top:

"Escape the Toxicity and Cold Isolation of America for a Better, Freer, Wilder, Healthier and Saner Life Overseas. Discover Foreign Women, Global Dating, Social Connection, Authentic People, Freedom to be Yourself, Lower Cost of Living, Healthier Food and Saner Cultures Beyond America."

What do you think? Doesn't that sound great?

To the other writers in our blog:

Once I put widgets showing our latest blog posts in the forum index page and main home page, your posts will start getting more traffic. When users see the latest blog posts featured on the home page and in the forum automatically, there will be more visitors and clicks for sure. So your articles will start getting more hits.