Sabahan.com v2.0 Is Now Online

First off, welcome to Sabahan.com version 2.0!

For me changing my blog template isn’t as easy as changing clothes. OK, technically it is that easy but if you change your blog template that often, you risk disorientating your regular readers and your effort, whether intentional or not, in trying to establish a brand for your readers to associate with will be wasted.

That said, change can be good as long as you don’t over do it.

Now, this is actually the first time I’ve changed Sabahan.com template since it came online in February 2006.

My main motivation for selecting this particular template isn’t because it allows me to allocate more space for advertising like what Rice Bloggers has commented in my previous post. No my friend It just happens that I’ll be able to set aside specific section in the sidebar for that purpose.

As blogging continue to mature, a trend is emerging where established blogs have started to use templates with width 900 pixel and wider. In addition to the usual content, the sidebar is often used to serve several 125×125 banner ads.

Many of those blogs boast Web 2.0 design styles, although these styles are often only loosely implemented as to accommodate the bloggers own unique needs. Some of those design elements include simplicity, fewer columns, separate top section, solid areas of screen real estate, gradients, rounded corners, reflections and so on.

As much as I love Sabahan.com previous template, its simplicity and functionality, in this day and age, it’s obviously outdated. So here I am, using a brand new template to keep up with the current trend.

As you notice, Sabahan.com is now selling banner ads on the sidebar. In addition, interested advertisers could place their ads inline where the rectangle 300×250 AdSense ads is located. The banner ad space at the top of every page is also available for purchase.

I’ll write more about this in my future posts as I continue to tweak and enhance the advertising system. I plan to share my experience in finding advertisers and actually closing the deals, of which I am aware that it’s not as straight forward as it sounds.

If you are curious as to whether this arrangement will make me more money than what I’ve been making from AdSense here, I suggest your subscribe to my feed to stay up to date with the development

One ad unit that I’m itching to get rid of is the Nuffnag ad, if only I could get in touch with the advertisers directly and struck some deal with them ehem..

I’ve also disabled the WP Super Cache plugin temporarily as it’s not counting the page view properly. It has also messed up the posts view count where most of them have been reduced after the upgrade.

I have several posts to write and ideas to implement. But I would probably have to put them on hold as I’ll be leaving for Bali this Sunday for a long overdue vacation. You might see me blogging from Bali if I could locate a wireless connection somewhere there, who knows.

On the 2nd August 2008, the Sabahan bloggers will hold their second gathering at the Imperial Hotel in KK. I would have to book a room for the night in KK one day before my flight if I were to attend this which I might but I can’t confirm at the moment.

Interestingly, the event is listed on the official SabahTourism.com website.

Anyone reading this coming to the gathering?