Three Column Design
I don't know about you but I like a 3-column design better than the 2-column. It fits today's monitors better and gives you more room for promotion or just to create more of an open feel. Thankfully, SiteSell is moving to CSS based templates that allow a 3-column (or a 2-column) layout. You'll be able to choose these new designs from the L&F section.
Of course if you upload your own HTML you've had access to 3-column designs for a while. When you upload your own HTML you can choose whatever template you like or have one custom designed for you.
I've developed a 3-column, table-less, source ordered template. If you'd like to take a look and decide if it's right for you take a look at this page to learn more.
When Will SBI!'s New Templates Be Available?
There is a contest that just finished where designers submitted designs to eventually be used with Blockbuilder and the SBI! Look and Feel Selector. This contest ended in October and the first round of winners were chosen. I'm happy to say that of the 8 designs I submitted 6 made the final cut for the grand prizes and will be available in Blockbuilder when the new one is released.
Here's the designs I submitted and the winning ones are noted. Take a look at the contest thread in the SBI Forums if you'd like to see my designs "up close".
» On The Beach (iDesign Contest Winner)
» Simply Business (iDesign Contest Winner)
» Sports Fan-atic (iDesign Contest Winner)
» For The Love of Great Food 
(iDesign Contest Winner)
» Your Virtual Tutor 
(iDesign Contest Winner)
» My Photography Secrets (iDesign Contest Winner)
If you'd like a custom design done for you, using the new SBI! template let me know. I'll be glad to create one that will match your niche and your value proposition. In fact, my losing templates are available for sale if anyone is interested in buying them.
» Here's some other sample designs I've done for SBIers
Advantages of A Custom Design
When you choose one of the new designs from the SBI! Look and Feel section you'll be able to work within Blockbuilder. That's great if you don't want to learn HTML.
But if you want a design that is specific to your site and your niche these designs may be too generic for you. Plus they may be used by other folks in your niche. You won't be standing out from the crowd that way.
Advantages of a Custom Designed Template
- It will be unique to your site and niche
- It can use your logo (or a custom logo can be designed for you)
- You'll have complete control over things like Navigation, width of columns, fonts, hover effects, etc.
- If you know some CSS the design can be edited by you
- You won't be limited to the choices in the Look and Feel Section (my guess is there will only be about 100 designs to choose from, roughly 20 per category).
- YOU have total control of your site
So What Are The Benefits Of Using A CSS Based Template?
- The HTML code is leaner meaning a faster load time.
- An entire site's Look and Feel can be changed by editing the external CSS file.
In fact you can change the entire look of a site within seconds by changing just the CSS file. Take a look at www.csszengarden.com to see what I mean. This site demonstrates how the exact same HTML code can be made to look many different ways by changing the CSS.
Images can replace things like heads and background colors opening up a much wider range of design possibilities. Now you won't be stuck with the limited set of fonts that most Internet browsers offers.
So moving to a 3-column format should also mean moving to a CSS implementation at the same time. It just makes sense to move your sitebuilding into the current and best way of building a site... all at once.
Now switching to CSS and a 3-column design may not be for everyone. It will require some knowledge of HTML and certainly learning CSS. But this is a learning curve that is clearly worth it.
How to Make The Switch To 3 Column CSS
- Get your HTML chops up to speed.
You don't have to be an HTML expert but you certainly have to fall in the category of an intermediate HTML coder.
You should know all the basic text formating codes like <p>, <h1>, <ul>, and also understand the <div> tag. - Study how to create and edit Cascading Style Sheets
The code is really very intuitive. Once you know a little HTML it will make a lot of sense.
A great place to learn both is through the World Wide Web Consortium... the W3C. It's "schools" site has some great training tools. Click here to go check out their site.
And it's all FREE.
The World Wide Web Consortium establishes the standards for website design and HTML. They offer many services that help the web reach it's full potential. In fact you'll see that their main site uses a 3-column design.
So if you're ready to bring your site up-to-date this is the path to take. If you need some help along the way I'd be glad to help. Just contact me here.
