It’s been almost two years since I got the email.
It was late on a Tuesday night. I was drinking something good and wondering how the rent was going to be paid when it came through …
“Sonia and I want to hire you,” Brian Clark wrote. I was not a professional copywriter. I had not spent $100,000 on ad school tuition. I was not well known on the Internet or elsewhere.
I may tell the entire story later, but the primary reason Brian and Sonia hired me for this gig revolved around a sustained demonstration of my abilities as a writer. Specifically, I’d written and published over 300 poems to my website over a period of three years.
Now, poetry ain’t copywriting, but whether you’re a freelancer or a business owner, regularly publishing your expertise to the open web can be one of the most profitable uses of your time and resources.
The question is: how do you publish your content in a way that grabs attention and doesn’t keep you up all night hacking code?
Here are some answers …
How to (Easily) Build Your Digital Platform
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Check out these four hand-made designs (or, easily choose another WordPress theme) from the StudioPress.com workbench that’ll provide the perfect frame to showcase and demonstrate your expertise and talent:
1. More pixels, less problems
If you want to give your content some breathing room, here you go.
Named after its width in pixels, the eleven40 theme gives you a rarely seen spaciousness to show off your best work.
And when your audience wants to find you on a mobile device, it’ll instantly detect it and automatically adjust to the perfect size and layout.
Click here to stretch out a bit with the eleven40 theme.
2. All things being equal …
In the business of selling products, services, or ideas online, your design needs to be pleasing. But it also needs to work.
How readable do you want your content to be? What action do you want your audience to take? Hint: It initially involves people signing up to get email from you.
Symmetry in form and function is difficult to achieve, but if that’s what you’re after (plus outstanding email opt-in conversions and mobile ready), get into Balance …
Click here to find your footing with the Balance theme.
3. Ready for your closeup?
A photographer’s website should never get in the way of her photography.
From the first click to the last, your audience should be gasping at the beauty of your work, not the technical sophistication of your web design.
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4. Less never did so much
Maybe it’s the economy. Maybe it’s that monthly bill you’ve been paying for that storage unit across town. Or, maybe it’s just something in the water.
Whatever it is, the beauty and power of minimalism has taken root in our culture — and it’s not going anywhere. To that end, we’ve designed the elegant and supremely unfettered Minimum theme.
At a glance, you’ll see that it is utterly … uncomplicated.
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Here’s the short version …
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Click here to check out Genesis and all the turn-key designs today.






Gonna take a closer look at the balance theme, i like the look of the design with the optin at the top.
Our lead designe Rafal customized the Balance theme in no time at all for his wife Magda. Here’s a link to that site. A logo and a few color changes, and she was off to start her business.
Thanks Brian! I think that was the first time I could customize my own theme. I was surprised how easy it is. The theme works great and she got her first lead in less than 5 days
You did a good job on customizing it , it looks great. I think it’s time for me to jump into Genesis, and Balance is one of the two themes I’ve had my eye on.
Hi Robert, thanks for sharing this. I’m looking for an another theme for my wordpress site and your article is timely enough. Will take a look at these themes and see how its gonna turn out for me.
Cheers!
Dan
I love Mocha child theme more than eleven40, although I bought eleven40 (because it’s a responsive theme)
Hey Trung, we updated Mocha to be responsive – http://www.studiopress.com/releases/mocha-theme-20.htm
I know that, I’m considering to buy this one, I was impressed when Brian used this child theme
all truly great themes.
In fact, I’m using the Balance theme for a new project i’m working on.
Now, if you can make your e-news email widget out-the-box ready to use with MailChimp and Aweber, you guys would be delivering gold (a point raised a few times here and elsewhere … can’t say it isn’t a persistent one
).
I just bought the Generate theme and got my new blog up at http://freedomfromstudentloans.com/ It was easy to get it up and and running really fast. Love it.
I have not quite figured out the Generate Box just yet, but that will come in short order. Thanks for a great product at a great price.
Philip
If you have any questions on how to implement that, feel free to ask in the community forums. We’d love to lend a hand.
I have been building my first Genesis powered website over the past week or two, and I have to say – as a WordPress developer – it’s EXTREMELY annoying! Everything that I would normally develop or code has been done for me! It’s crazy!
Heh!
I’m a big fan of Geneis.
I’m not technical so I really struggled in the early days. I found the guide to using the Genesis framework very helpful.
People on the forum have been willing to answer my daft questions, too.
Good framework, nice child themes. I like the updating – making the themes mobile-friendly, for example.
A good product. ….
I’m using the Minimum Theme on my site if anyone wants another example. Genesis is perfect for me and I’m so glad that I switched.
I am so glad I discovered Studiopress and invested as a pro plus all theme owner. Definitely the best investment I ever made !
I like Landscape a lot. I’m waiting for version 2 – responsive design. Is this on the to-do?
I’m just starting on WP, actually working on transferring all my Blogger/Blogspot content over to WP. But… I’m struggling to figure out how to work WP in depth, it looks like I have to use an external web hosting service in order to access services such as plugins or html programming. Is that correct? I cannot use the free wordpress.com for detailed site modification?
Marie, that’s correct.
I know there’s a lot to think about in these migrations. Self-hosted wordpress (vs. the free wordpress.com) lifts a lot of restrictions from you, and once you have it set up, it’s done. Some people like to use wordpress.com as a “breather” in the middle, and some prefer to bite the bullet and get the site you want now, rather than later.
OK. Thanks guys. You replied quickly and I appreciate that! Definitely thinking of biting that bullet now rather than re-invent the wheel in the future!
Robert – Nothing to do with themes.
I’m glad Sonia and Brian found you and snapped you up.
Your ‘style’ epitomises everything that is good about copyblogger. You’re an individual with your own clear strengths…a great raconteur, with the ability to get the essence out of ..well.. anything!
You’re funny in a smart way. Whatever you write or present keeps me engaged and grateful that you are part of the copyblogger team.
So my W.P themes aside.. Thanks RB. for ‘mixing it up’ on Copyblogger.
Look Sonia, Robert has his own fans. Now he’s going to be three times more difficult. Sigh.
A few hours in the box usually straightens him out.
Siita – Thank you very much, those are extremely kind words.
Brian and Sonia – Have your people call my people. We’ll do lunch.
See what I mean – you bring out the best in each other!
Makes sitting under the copyblogger tree of enlightenment – the best place to be.
Hi Robert. All these details about new Genesis Themes sound good but, as one (of many) who stopped using WordPress and related Themes some time ago, the question still remains: WHEN is there going to be a Theme that not only looks as good as the samples, but can also DELIVER ultimate flexibility, including (1) easy ‘drop & drag’ features, (2) the ability to change typestyles easily (and font colours) where suitable, also (3) import separately designed Headers, and also (4) Graphics (like individually-designed boxes, banners, etc) and also – (5) easily import Pictures..? There doen’t seem to be a SINGLE Theme that does ALL those things yet. Meanwhile, until this happens, we’ll continue using our own, infinitely adaptable software from a leading DTP Software company, which is soon to launch its own ‘high-end’ Blogging Platform… But we do like WordPress ideas, designs and concepts – it just isn’t flexible enough, as yet… Also – when is WordPress going to learn that the long-winded and confusing ‘how-to’ instructions they insist on still using – are just totally unacceptable nowadays, for the ‘average’ user.
Andy,
Prose is the WordPress theme you’ve been looking for.
Thanks Robert for quick reply … I’m grateful for your advice, but the Prose Site doesn’t show up the features of the Theme at all well. For instance, I thought at least it would demonstrate – or describe – HOW you can upload your own Header, or change the type font/colour etc., and also show some EXAMPLES of Websites that used the Prose Theme… I would need to see these first, before going any further, and certainly BEFORE considering buying…
But anyhow, thanks for replying so quickly. Much appreciated.
Studiopress have built up a reputation as a company who produce quality WordPress themes, I’ve been a big fan way back when they were going by the name of Revolution2.
I’m happy to stick with Thesis at the moment but if I do decide to change the design then I’ll certainly give Genesis a try.