Improving your blogs look
So some agree and some disagree with my feelings in those standard WordPress installs with the default theme.I do agree that the content is really the key but most of the responses were like me and if the look was bad the odds of reading the content were lower so why take the chance.
Changing up your header on the default theme is quite easy and adding a new theme takes no technical knowledge to speak of with the latest versions of WordPress.
First the default header. If you log in to your dashboard and click Appearance – Custom Header you will get the chance to change the color scheme.
That will bring up a screen that looks like this.
Each of the buttons below the header image allow you to change the color scheme of the header. The buttons are pretty much self explanatory – Font -Upper Color – Lower Color -Revert – Advanced – with the exception of Advanced which allows you to add the actual hexadecimal codes you want to use for the top , bottom and font or remove the text altogether.
When you pick one of the colors you will get a color picker and will see the change take effect on the header above as you make your selection.
This allows you to change the stock blue header to any combination of colors you may want to use. Here is an example.
A big difference from the original and your options are virtually limitless.
Second you could just change the theme altogether. This is just as easy to do with in the dashboard but you will need your FTP login information.
Click Appearance – Add New Theme to get started.
You can either search through the data base of themes at WordPress being very specific or if you have downloaded a theme that you like you can upload it from your computer. To do that just click the browse button and once you locate the file that you downloaded click install.
If you do not have a theme that you have downloaded you can search using the advanced features to find a theme easier.
Once you have found a theme that you think will be good you can click the preview button and see a bigger version then click install to actually load it on to your blog.
Once you click in 
Once you click install you will enter your ftp information and click proceed.
Once it finishes you can preview – activate – or go back and try a different one.
Whether you change the header or add a new theme the credibility increase is worth the 10 minutes or so of your time. Even with the best of content your appearance will cost you readers.
First impressions do matter at least in this old bald guy’s opinion and now you have a step by step plan to change that.
Mike Paetzold
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10 comments
Ron Barrett on August 9, 2009 at 10:20 am
Hey Mike..thanks for the mini tutorial. This will help people who are new to the world of blogs and want to change the default look of their page.
There will be no more ‘how do I do that’ questions with this bit of info.
Thanks!
Ron Barrett´s last blog ..Webhosting for Newbies – Basic Differences Between Hosting Plans
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Fred Lotgering
Twitter: lotcon
on August 9, 2009 at 11:11 am
Great tutorial Mike,
Sometimes it is good to start with one of the basic themes, just change the color to make it look better (and different).
Fred
Fred Lotgering´s last blog ..How Cook Book Dough Opportunity Works
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Joel Osborne
Twitter: JoelOsborne
on August 9, 2009 at 11:55 am
This post should help the non-tech savy person to change up their blog theme. It’s not hard to do, I just think in some niches it really isn’t all important to them, so they don’t bother.
Joel Osborne´s last blog ..Quality New PLR Package
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Doug Champigny
Twitter: SuperAffil
on August 9, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Once again you’ve simplified a task most blogging newbies struggle with Mike – congrats for being on top of what info they need, and especially for providing it for them for free here on your blog. There’s no doubt that every non-techie blogger should be getting your RSS feed, or at least bookmarking this blog and returning regularly!
Doug Champigny´s last blog ..Cost Per Action, CPA Affiliate Networks and Your Affiliate Marketing Efforts
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Earl Netwal
Twitter: EarlNetwal
on August 9, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Thanks Mike, pretty basic stuff that I didn’t know. Thanks for the tutorial. It’s often the simplest things that cause the most profound problems for newbies, and even a few of us who have been around a while.
Earl Netwal´s last blog ..Instant Relief: How to Make Money with Clickbank.
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Andre Arnett on August 9, 2009 at 6:58 pm
You really have simplified the process for anyone to make the changes to their theme. This step by step tutorial should show the right way to get it done. Another reason you are the Go To guy when it comes to WordPress. Thanks.
Andre Arnett´s last blog ..Create Your Own Info Product PLR Package Released
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CarltonsEnt on August 10, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Thanks Mike,
I have almost all of your “how to blog” products and am in the process of installing a blog on my site. Great stuff and you make everything very easy. Keep up the good work and I look forward to your post. The first thing I’ll be doing is changing the header using the info. in this post.
Chow,
Chad
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Lonnie Minton on August 11, 2009 at 12:06 am
Mike you have added information here that should help those that have now done much to change the appearance of their blog. Good explanation.
Lonnie Minton´s last blog ..Building Your List With Email Swaps
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Brett McEllhiney on August 13, 2009 at 7:47 am
Great tutorial there Mike!
I do agree that if your blog has the default template that it will turn off a LOT of people. I personally look for the content, but know that is not how most people function when they are browsing around on the internet.
Most people do look for the ‘pretty’ when they are browsing around, so if your blog or any site for that matter, doesn’t live up to their expectations, you will lose some readership.
Thanks again for the great information.
Brett McEllhiney´s last blog ..Affiliate Marketing with Clickbank Pirate – Case Study – Week 1
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Narek Gabrielyan on October 2, 2009 at 11:13 pm
I honestly had to learn this through trial and error. Nice blog post by the way. Sure it can save someone’s time to figure this stuff out.
Narek Gabrielyan´s last blog ..Real Time Updates:
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