I just spent the last few days revising our Team Blog for TAFA members who sell on Etsy. On the old one, we had all of the members broken down into categories with tabs at the top where their Etsy minis were visible. But, it didn't seem like people were exploring the shops, so I felt like the blog needed a new look.
As I was working on it, I tested out Blogger's dynamic view. It gives you several image rich ways to look at the posts. I had thought of using it before, but it does not support widgets, like the etsy mini, which is so important to drive people to the shops. Here is our mini for our TAFA Team:
The mini can be controlled to feature different members and when you click on an image, it takes you right to that listing on Etsy, an excellent tool!
There are other disadvantages to this template, too. You can't personalize it with a banner and although it does support a few sidebar links, you can't install all of the other tools many blogs use today (mail list form, widgets for facebook, any videos, etc.).
Mosaic view of the Dynamic Template
In weighing the pros and cons, I went with the dynamic template because it seems like most social media platforms are going for the wow factor with images. Pinterest's success points in that direction. So, maybe having minimal information with the link to the member profile will be the way to go. Members who want to promote themselves further on the blog are welcome to submit posts which means more of their images would be there.
So, what do you think of the new look? I am very interested in feedback on this. If any of you have experience with using the the dynamic template, I would like to know if there is a way to enable codes so that they show up on the posts.
And, feel free to leave comments over there, ask the members questions, and read their member profiles. Of course, shopping from TAFA members is proven to make your day a better one. You will feel good doing it!
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“Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like it's heaven on earth.”
“Whatever you say, say it with conviction.”
(Both by the master, Mark Twain)
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