Nowadays, blogs are used primarily not for the owner’s daily experience and thoughts, but to make money in it. Yet, most of those bloggers who are making money online through their blogs are no longer satisfied with the long-established blog skin, thus, using the new trend of the themes, the new hype in this era in blogosphere – the magazine-style of WordPress theme.
WHAT IS A MAGAZINE-STYLE THEME?
A lot of bloggers now are turning away their blogs from the conventional type of theme. A magazine-style theme, who is now taking the peak of the superb and smashing designs of WordPress skins, turns to be one of the in-demand templates for SEO-based websites. Thus, is said to be an SEO-friendly design. It is relatively the softcopy of newspapers, from its name itself, or columned-magazines that we are purchasing.
Magazine-style theme of WordPress shows you a variety of posts, may it be from different categories, or tags. It allows you to give a better approach and impact to your would-be readers that are not only focusing on one topic, especially, if your blog focuses on different niche (e.g. technology, fashion, health, books, etc.)
The screenshot is JohnChow‘s blog using a magazine-style template.
GENERAL CONTENT OF A MAGAZINE-STYLE THEME
Through its name, magazine, it is made up of columns, articles, and pictures. What makes magazine-style themes different and stand out from the rest of the themes is its unique way of showing the visitors its content, not focusing on the newest post that the blogger did, unlike the conventional way of WordPress theme.
- A magazine-style WordPress theme is divided into sections/columns.
Columns are also used in the old-type of themes of WordPress (two-column, three-column), yet, a magazine-style of WordPress theme takes you to the new world of layouting. Unlike the usual way of lay-outing where posts are found right after its title, and the latest article settles on the upper most part of your blog, a magazine-style theme can give you the chance to modify and tweak where you want each of your post to be positioned. Though, a lot of effort shall be exerted.
A screenshot from demo theme of a magazine-style design. - A magazine-style WordPress theme contains not only one post, but a lot of posts from different categories.
Unlike the old way of WordPress themes, the magazine-style WordPress theme gives you the privilege of showing more than one posts. You may insert posts coming from different categories of your blog, and assemble it in which your readers will be more eager of reading your articles.
A screenshot from demo theme of a magazine-style design. - A magazine-style WordPress theme contains post thumbnails.
Unlike the usual design of a blog, a magazine-style of theme gives you the privilege to insert images or thumbnails that are related to your post. Just for example, if your post deals with the new gadget that made everyone go gaga, you can easily insert its image in your post. That will make your visitor and reader more interested of reading your posts. As psychology states, most of the readers are getting engrossed of reading an article if it contains at least one picture. Just like in magazines, a magazine will not be complete without one or two pictures in each of its pages.
A screenshot from my theme in my blog. - A magazine-style WordPress theme contains snippets, summaries, and excerpts from every post that is visible in the homepage.
As what is stated, a magazine-style WordPress theme shows not only the latest post from all your posts, but a lot of posts coming from different categories. Yet, for better design and structure, magazine-style allows you to insert its snippets, summaries and excerpts, so that, your readers may be more enthused of reading the whole article. - A magazine-style WordPress contains featured article, in which, you can place the latest information about your niche, where it is clearly visible from the very beginning your visitor reaches your blog.
In replacement for your latest post on top of others, a featured article, which is more useful, can be at hand easily in a magazine-style template. That is, if you’re going to place a featured post in non-magazine-style, it will not be easily recognized as featured, because it has a high possibility of having the same style and structure with your non-featured post. But in magazine-style, featured posts occupy larger space than non-featured, making it easily identifiable by readers.
A screenshot from my theme in my blog.
A screenshot from LoveMayhem, a site of my friend.
ADVANTAGES OF USING A MAGAZINE-STYLE WordPress THEME
A lot of bloggers have tried to switch to magazine-style WordPress theme, thus giving them the following advantages at hand:
- Improved way of showing and arranging posts
Magazine-style gives you the opportunity and privilege to manage the arrangement of your posts according to your desire. You can place it in ascending order per category, or according to the number of comments. - More organized and further presentable in view
A design using this style will give you a much better way of organizing the contents of your blog, may it be your posts, categories, tags, sidebar, or even your advertisements. It is one of the superior designs wherein it caters the needs of the readers for them to easily find what they really need to find in your posts. - Accommodates better content-management
The blogger has the freedom which of the posts should settle on top, or should be placed on sides, and has the choice of what are the things should be on this, and there.
DISADVANTAGES OF USING A MAGAZINE-STYLE THEME
Although a lot of bloggers are switching to this new fashion in blogosphere, some glitches still exist when this type of magazine is used, which includes the following:
- Slow loading time especially to those who are using dial-up
Since it has numerous of contents to load, slower loading time should be expected, especially to those with slower connection speed. - Gives lesser visual impact to those with lower screen resolution
Because of its several contents which include post, images, videos and others, a higher tendency of exceeding in 800px width is expected, which is, the least screen resolution that a computer has. Thus, horizontal scrollbar will be visible to those with lower screen resolution, which is not recommended for a website to have. - Requires a lot of effort in build-up
Though it gives you fabulous outcome, the building-up of this type of style is tough, and requires much effort and patience. A designer should have wider idea in terms of coding, and blogger should always keep in mind what the theme should need to have in order to be perfectly viewed by visitors.
POPULAR MAGAZINE-STYLE THEMES
Since this is already a “hit” in blogosphere, a lot of designers have contributed so many designs already that are ready-to-use, both free and premium. Here are some lists of examples:
Mimbo
Branford Magazine
Comfy Magazine Style
Magasin Uno
TO WRAP-UP THESE INFORMATION:
Using this style is not a must in order for you to produce greater impact for readers. Some of its features can be placed as well in the typical layout that WordPress has to offer for every blogger. It is still up on the user, and in his/her creativity, skills and capabilities, to imbibe the tweaks to the standard WordPress design.
If you are trying to establish a more-professional site, then the use of this is efficient. Yet, for personal blogs whose contents are of the same niche or category, then the usual design may do, just tweak it into your own liking.
USEFUL LINKS:
The following are some useful links for you to have free and premium magazine style of WordPress theme:
27 Stunning Yet Free Premium WordPress Magazine & News Themes
20 of the Best Free Magazine Theme
Tutorial of making your design in Photoshop
really really nice article Jogz !
a clear reading for those who have doubts around this trend…
“hough it gives you fabulous outcome, the building-up of this type of style is tough, and requires much effort and patience”
yes jaja, I remember I spent a lot of days debugging and styling the Magazeen Theme (first picture in this post) for DemianVillanueva.com/blog
keep this kind of articles, I really like them
adeux! from Argentina
This is a shallow treatment of a very important topic. Those looking for a serious discussion on this topic will find that this Smashing Magazine link is better http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/08/28/magazine-themes-usage-and-considerations/
Jogz must have seen it but one should wonder why he did not include this link in discussion! It is inspired from there!
Jogz, your posts are full of grammatical errors; sorry to say that (“these information, one of my hobby”)
I must admit that this is truly useful. I’ve been thinking to change my current theme that I use at http://www.smartmosch.com into something more professional and engaging. I got a lot of positive feedback so far regarding the looks of my site, but I’m not satisfied yet. What do you think? Is my site engaging enough? Or should I take the step towards a more magazine like look?
Thank you for the smashing magazine link, Hong Wang! I’ll take a look and get more deep into the subject.
This is a clear case of plagiarism, this article was obviously taken from the link above then. It follows exactly the same structure and he even uses the same example themes!
I’m all for people earning some money if they create original material, but this is not acceptable! Makes me question his other article on Monetising your Blog as well.
This article doesn’t even expand or improve on the original, in fact he’s omitted a lot of the useful information! Go to:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/08/28/magazine-themes-usage-and-considerations/
For the original and better version of this. I hope WPWebHost do the right thing and remove this tutorial from their site.
It was just now that I have seen the site, honestly.
Q: Jogz must have seen it but one should wonder why he did not include this link in discussion! It is inspired from there!
A: It was my first time to see the link, and thank you for sharing it. But, the post WAS NOT INSPIRED from there.
Q: Jogz, your posts are full of grammatical errors; sorry to say that (”these information, one of my hobby”)
A: These information is correct, there’s no such thing as informations. Browse the dictionary. As for “one of my hobby,” I admit I got an error with that, so my apologies.
Q: This is a clear case of plagiarism, this article was obviously taken from the link above then. It follows exactly the same structure and he even uses the same example themes!
A: See my screenshots in my main post, are there any similarities? I didn’t even get a little information with that site since it is my first time to browse it. As for the examples, that’s the reason why I placed “USEFUL LINKS:
The following are some useful links for you to have free and premium magazine style of WordPress theme:
27 Stunning Yet Free Premium WordPress Magazine & News Themes” at the end of my post (to credit the site where I have seen awesome wordpress magazine themes.
Q: I’m all for people earning some money if they create original material, but this is not acceptable! Makes me question his other article on Monetising your Blog as well.
A: Mind you, nothing in this world is very unique in a sense that it doesn’t have any relevance with other posts, especially if it’s under a general topic. With regards to my article on monetizing blogs, a lot of sites have inspired me, that’s why I have linked a lot of blog sites (where I got inspiration on writing my post).
I don’t mean anything on this post especially to create flame wars. It’s just that, I just want to let everyone know that this article is not a mere replica of the link mentioned above.
Thank you very much for your comments, though.
waw very nice article.. magazine style is fit to the need of online publishing with some section
Jogz, if you are saying you have not seen that hugely popular SM link, it means that you write your articles without doing any research or consultation! Funny, surely! Usually people see articles in that niche.
“These information” cannot be correct. See this discussion for more http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheseInformation/zvzdw/post.htm
Will get back to you with more details on this.
i think wpwebhost not even care about pilg..
it totally taken from smashingmag.. and yet it still here.
@Jogz You said:
A: See my screenshots in my main post, are there any similarities? I didn’t even get a little information with that site since it is my first time to browse it.
YES, there are similarities, you’ve used EXACTLY the same screenshots for your popular themes section!
It looks to me as if you read the original article and then went away and wrote this. It’s far too close to be anything but! You can protest all you like, but I don’t believe you. Other people can make up their own minds, but the evidence is there for all to see.
WPWebHost ignoring this issue is a cause for concern frankly. It’s understandable that they published this to begin with, but now it’s been bought to their attention something should have been done about it!
are you guys seriously attacking jogz?
this was a very informative blog, thank you for writing it. it is a bit plagiarism if theres no noted source but none the less it’s a pretty damn good article for someone still in high school.
going back and forth with a 16year old, no offense jogz, but guys seriously?
Psychology is one of the most interesting branches of science because there are so many unknowns…-
This is really useful for article blog writers it makes their blog more appealing thus making it more popular to visitors. I really appreciate this post Thanks.
I don’t accept as true with this article. However, I had searched with Bing and I have found out you are right and I seemed to be thinking in the wrong way. Carry on writing quality material similar to this.