Blogging Labs – Formulating Blogs That Make Money

As you may have already noticed, things have drastically changed around here! What used to be RobbSutton.com is now BloggingLabs.com and that comes with a new design! So let’s dive into it as I explain what we did here and why the change.

Why the domain change?

RobbSutton.com started with a single purpose, to help other bloggers make a run at making money online through blogging. After getting numerous emails from other bloggers asking how I got so much product into review on Bike198.com, I decided to start RobbSutton.com as a way to talk to those bloggers publicly and not through just email. It was the simple theory of reaching more people in a personal way which is one of the foundations of blogging.

As time progressed, the blog continued to grow and expand. Through that expansion, RobbSutton.com actually grew past what I wanted from a personal blog standpoint. When you start to move past your personal name into a site that creating its own brand identity, you really need to have a domain name that is not your own personal name. This has several key positives to it.

  • Trust is built into brand names easier than personal. How many “wannabe” probloggers are out there talking about internet marketing and making money online through their personal name all looking to be the next John Chow (who also wishes his site was not on his personal name) without any real world experience or income to back up the claims?! A lot…don’t you want to separate yourself from those other bloggers? I do…
  • Branded domains are easier to sell in the future. While I nave absolutely no intentions of ever selling this site, you have to think about how having your content cemented to your personal name can affect your business plan down the road.
  • My personal domain can now stay personal. One of the biggest driving forces behind the move was this one. I want to create a personal blog on my name in the future to keep friends and family updated on our family. My wife and I are looking to start having children and it would be cool to have all of that information in one place. Since I do not want my name to be the brand anyway, having my personal domain stay personal is the perfect avenue to accomplish that goal.

So here we are…Blogging Labs…where we formulate money making blogs through real world experience that generates real income online.

First Impressions Start With The Name: Blogging Labs

As I racked my brain to think up of a domain name for the new site, I wanted something unique that was applicable to all past content as well as where I saw the blog heading in the future. Domain names are a tough animal to tackle as you not only have to come up with something catchy and memorable, but you also have to come up with a name that is actually available!

It took me about 2 weeks to actually nail this down and Blogging Labs is where we landed. At Blogging Labs, we formulate blogs that make money through tested and proven techniques on blogs in and outside of the MMO/internet marketing niche. With solid offerings like Bike198.com to back up the claims, we are going to keep pushing forward to innovate the way content is delivered online and consistently monetize that content. That is the core to Blogging Labs.

The New Design: Pagelines Platform Pro Framework

When I went looking to hack up a new design, I wanted something that was going to offer more flexibility than I had in the past. Previously, I had been using WooThemes and while I absolutely love their design and backend management system, I needed something that was easier to integrate key elements without a lot of hand coding and hacking.

Naturally, when you start looking at theme frameworks, there are four sources you are going to turn to.

At the end of the day, I ended up going with Pageslines Platform Pro because it had a lot of the key elements I needed as I sketched out exactly how I wanted this site to lay out. Platform Pro is the new dog to the race in terms of frameworks and so far I am incredibly impressed with the back end management, drag and drop functionality and incredible support from the developers. The other frameworks are all great and have an incredible reputation, but at the end of the day…I made the right choice for my abilities and this site. As you take a look around, you will see the elements that make this framework unique.

The Future and Blogging Labs

As we move forward into the ever evolving future of blogging, Blogging Labs is going to continue to pump out content that is going to help you increase your bottom line through real tutorials, techniques and reviews. Since we solidly believe that mindset is also key to success, we will continue to publish hard hitting articles to get you off your ass and working. Thank you for the support over the years with RobbSutton.com and we are looking forward to the future with Blogging Labs.

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37 comments

Henri J November 8, 2010 - 1:05 pm
I'm digging this Robb. Great work, and let me know if I can help. Rock!
Robb Sutton November 8, 2010 - 1:07 pm
Thanks Henri! It has been a long time coming and I am stoked to get it off and rolling.
John Paul November 8, 2010 - 1:20 pm
Congrats Robb.. site looks great.
Anonymous November 8, 2010 - 1:25 pm
Looks great and congrats on the move.
Brandon November 8, 2010 - 1:26 pm
I like the design Robb! Hope you have a smooth transition over and look forward to seeing some fresh content. I bet this has inspired you with a lot of other great ideas too;) Brandon
Andrew Rondeau November 8, 2010 - 1:47 pm
Really like the new domain name, Robb.
Andrew Rondeau November 8, 2010 - 1:50 pm
Sorry - pressed the button too quick. Also lke the wideness of the blog - seems wider than the previous, is it? And love the amount of white space. Andrew
Robb Sutton November 8, 2010 - 1:58 pm
A little bit wider. Running at an overall of 985px now. I like the wider stance! The white space is a welcomed change for sure. I am really happy with the way this turned out over the previous RobbSutton.com design. A lot more flexible.
Ian November 8, 2010 - 1:52 pm
What do you think about the SEO and SERPs? How dies that affect your transition? Are you using any sort if plugin for those popular posts?
Robb Sutton November 8, 2010 - 1:57 pm
The SEO and SERPS plays itself out over the next 60 - 90 days. When I moved mtbtrailreview.com/blog to Bike198.com, at the end of 60 days all search engine rankings, spidered pages and PR was restored to the new domain. As long as you 301 correctly and give Google the heads up...it updates pretty quickly. That is actually part of the Pagelines Platform Pro framework.
Chris C. Ducker November 8, 2010 - 2:01 pm
Looking very good, Robb. Like the new style of the overall layout, and the logo is very 'less is more'. Love it. Keep up the killer work, I always enjoy reading your stuff. Always. Chris
Ana | Traffic Generation Cafe November 8, 2010 - 2:05 pm
Looks like a great change - look forward to great content in the future! Ana
Greg November 8, 2010 - 2:34 pm
Like I said, I love the new domain name, and definitely love the new design. Looking forward to more "hard hitting articles to get you off your ass and working" -- awesome!
Robb Sutton November 8, 2010 - 3:46 pm
Thanks Greg. I am excited about the new direction/look for sure.
Anonymous November 8, 2010 - 2:41 pm
Congrats, Rob, it looks brilliant and the direction you've chosen is smart. I wish you all the best, man. :)
Robb Sutton November 8, 2010 - 3:45 pm
I thought you might like the new direction! Of course...you would rather have me running Headway. ;) The new version looks incredible.
Devesh November 8, 2010 - 2:42 pm
Great work Rob, the new design look awesome and much better. You really did awesome work on the site man. btw great domain name !!
Robb Sutton November 8, 2010 - 3:44 pm
Thanks! It's a lot of work but really rewarding once everything gets launched.
Anonymous November 8, 2010 - 3:04 pm
Nice design and great contrast
Brandon A. Cox November 8, 2010 - 3:54 pm
Sweet! Wasn't even aware PageLines had released a platform like this. You're an empire, Robb!
Anonymous November 8, 2010 - 4:41 pm
Great work, Robb! The re-brand and new design looks fantastic! I'm glad you went with this idea - it seems to really suit you and what your blog is all about. I'm glad to have been part of your brainstorming process!
Robb Sutton November 8, 2010 - 4:49 pm
Thanks for letting bounce ideas off of you! You know how it can get when you have your own mind stirring for too long...
Money Matters November 8, 2010 - 4:53 pm
Site looks great Robb, and love the name and logo!
Debbie Ferm November 8, 2010 - 4:59 pm
I agree that the name and logo are excellent! You are always up to something interesting, Rob:)
Robb Sutton November 8, 2010 - 6:18 pm
You are either moving forward or moving backwards!
Miraclecor November 8, 2010 - 5:18 pm
Good luck with your new blog, Robb. We will continue reading and enjoying your posts.
Mario Shamir November 8, 2010 - 5:39 pm
This article makes perfect sense and is to me, an excellent move. Awesome job Robb. I'm loving this new direction.
Zaheer (zazo) November 9, 2010 - 2:29 am
Great to hear that Robb!
BeltwayBoy Sports November 9, 2010 - 3:13 pm
I like your new look Robb and you are right about the brand name being easier to build upon, good luck!
Hemant November 10, 2010 - 3:18 am
Hi Robb Congs for new domain - but it's making me confused. Confusion is I run a Blog in India on Personal Finance Name is "The Financial Literates" and domain is tflindia . in ( . com is not available - earlier I was having thefinancialliterates . com but that was too long & now I don't even own that domain :( ) It's also having a hindi(local language) version tflhindi . in (just started) Should I change my domain & brand name - Can you guide me in this.
Krizia | Blog Income for Women November 11, 2010 - 5:45 am
Congratulations Robb! This is a great move and I'm sure a lot will come out of it! Much success! Krizia
Richby2011 November 11, 2010 - 9:29 am
I'm viewing on iPhone. Naturally it's converted for the phone and great for reading the content. I just turned it off to see your theme and can't view it full screen, only zoomed which makes it difficult.to see. Just thought feedback may help.
Anonymous November 13, 2010 - 3:57 pm
Robb, thanks for the link here, this answered the mail. Solid explanation with awesome clean look. I've been planing a change in domain myself because when I first started online I look keywords overboard. I have an article saved somewhere on how to change domain names, but how easy was it to change and did it effect your traffic? My site is a website, not a blog platform. I've not been engaging there. Plan to change the domain and add a blog portion to the website and start engaging after my health blog gets up and running. Health is where my heart is - that's my attraction to bike198. I recently started mountain biking to save a bit on the knees from years of running. Well folks, if you haven't seen Robb's talk on social media check it out here - http://robbsutton.com/how-to-leverage-social-media-into-an-asset-for-blogging/ Scott
Robb Sutton November 13, 2010 - 8:29 pm
Scott, Google catches up on PR, links, etc. after about the first 60-90 days, so you might see an initial dip...but over time it all levels out. My change was pretty easy since it was from Wordpress to Wordpress. You can follow these instructions I laid out here --> http://robbsutton.com/move-blog-website-domain/
Anonymous November 13, 2010 - 10:39 pm
Robb, thanks bud. Looks like a real fun time... ahh
Edwin November 13, 2010 - 6:35 pm
Liking the new template and design. Congrats. Hopefully youll have even more success http://guidegoods.blogspot.com/2010/11/guide-goods-big-prize-contest.html
Eleazar@EntrepinoyBank November 29, 2010 - 2:30 pm
I love this new design. It's simple and without clutter. I like to try this one.
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