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.
- Genesis by Studio Press
- Thesis by DIYThemes
- Headway
- Platform Pro by Pagelines
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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