It’s often written, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.”.

Just like in real life, how our blog is dressed, designed or decorated will tell a newcomer a little about us as well as what they can expect from our blog.

First impressions can be lasting. First impressions can also determine if a reader will explore our site further than just looking at our header and the title to our current article. A first impression can make some readers click off of our blog and never return.

Today’s Lesson

When I first started this blog, I repeatedly changed the theme.

Part of the reason was I hadn’t found my blogging voice, and secondly, I wasn’t sure what I wanted this blog to become.

By testing and studying a variety of themes, as well as growing as a blogger, I settled on the theme you currently see. I think it depicts not only what this blog is about, but mirrors how I want to be perceived by my visitors.

Viewing the notebook is similar to showing you what my journal would look like; my thoughts expressed on “paper”. I share what I would write if I prepared blogging lessons in real life, as well as show others “your answers”, all of which receive an A+.

For some, my theme might appear too cutesy. For others, it could be a turn-off.

The first impression I project won’t please everyone, but that’s okay. No blog does.

Thinking about how I came to settle on this theme leads me to ask, “How did other bloggers pick their theme or decide how they wanted to be perceived online?”.

Today’s Assignment

When a new visitor lands on your blog, what message do you hope your blog depicts?

Or are you still searching? Experimenting?

Care to share?

Many people go under the knife to take years off of their face. Nips and tucks are made, injections are administered and when the bandages come off and the bruising goes down, years have been taken off of their looks and they appear to have gone back in time.

That’s kind of what has happened with my theme.

Today’s Lesson

As mentioned in the “Inquiring Minds Want To Know” post, when I started blogging, the birth of this blog’s name first appeared in written form, in my notebook.

Over the past three years, I’ve tried to replicate that “feeling” with a theme for this blog, however no theme I found suited me, so I stuck with a more generic look.

When I recently spotted this theme,  I knew this was “it”.

Hence, the process began, and after weeks of tweaking,  it’s time to unveil my new look.

Although many bloggers use premium themes, I’ve stuck with free ones I find online. Granted, links are often required to be left in the footer, but for the work the theme author has put into creating these works of art, I feel it’s a small price for their contribution to blogosphere.

As I was working behind the scenes on my new look, I wondered why bloggers choose the themes they do.

So, now it’s your turn,

Today’s Assigment

Why did you choose the theme you use for your blog?

Is it a free theme? Or did you buy it?

Either way, did you also customize it to fit your needs?

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P.S. I still have a few more tweaks to make to this theme, however in the meantime, if you find any links that aren’t working or spot other problems, please let me know.