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Hello my dear 1stwebdesigner loyal readers, new visitors, all who enjoy whatever a hell I am trying to do here!! I’ve been promising for a long time, I will create such posts in newsletter format and I definitely will, but now 1stwebdesigner also got into big storm of changes.
So what has been changing? Maybe you noticed I haven’t posted anything for 2 weeks and there are many new and promising guest writers in our blog? To be exact now we are trying to manage like 20–30 guest authors, teach them, discuss details and finally create some kind of automated way how to submit, review and publish articles in meantime not loosing article quality.
Why we are trying so hard to deliver 1 article/day, not to stick with old good high quality post every 3–4 days? Because of you, guys! We want to stand out, we need something unique, something different from thousands of design blogs. It’s been a while since you cannot stand out just by writing good stuff or giving away freebies, tutorials – now you need to get strong attention using social network in smart way and I consider it to be my strongest side – definitely not an easy task. Only I am worried now, it will be much harder to keep high and even grow higher article quality, but we all are working very hard, it cannot hurt!
Also we want to change 1stwebdesigner site article structure – we don’t want them to be just neverending lists, everybody is capable of writing without little knowledge. We want to bring value – teach you how to do things, give away freebies, not include top 100 but just top 10 and explaind why we included each of those picks and how you could choose which to use by yourself. We have vision we are trying to make and for now it repaid us as 20% traffic and income growth in January.
Why I am not writing to 1stwebdesigner for some time – just guest authors?
Oh, you cannot imagine how much time it takes to talk with every guest author, manage articles daily in the meantime not forgeting about monetizing, marketing and social networking to keep finding new traffic sources. It has been hard time, but soon we will be able to manage and find good system how to review and schedule articles.
And also there are several huge pros with guest writers – I have been writing here alone for a long time, I am learning together with you guys, but I think it’s not enough. Each guest writer has his own unique experience, opinion, way of thinking and interesting idea what to teach you – you cannot miss this important aspect!
Oh, yes – running, running, managing, asking for new articles all the time, but really nothing of this would be possible without you guys!
…and many more smart and promising guest writers coming up! Thank to you all for spending time and your knowledge to make 1stwebdesigner better source for all designers! All I want to ask is – don’t lose trust in us, keep working, keep coming back – for me it’s a great feeling to stick in community, feel appreciated,
Why I am saying all the time we, not just me anymore?
For two months already we are working from office, 1stwebdesigner is not some underground blog now – it’s been growing up. I am working there with Maris Dagis, founder of Rotorblog.com and Photoble.com, he has already 3–4 years experience in this field and we are brainstorming new ideas, great solutions and ways how to create our blogs better daily.
Also we have Ligita Klūga, invisible, but very necessary and helpful face in our blog – she is working on article promotion and some automatized ways how to evolve our social networking.
And Finally I need to inform you about biggest changes we’ve got!
We have new co-editor, great guy Saad Bassi from Crispytech.com, I don’t know what could I do without him by now. We are now both officially managing guest author e-mails, do article reviewing and now we are working on new Guest Writers Guide to teach how to write good posts for 1stwebdesigner.
In future I hope he will be able to manage it alone and I will focus more then to social networking, marketing where I feel the most confident. It will give you back many more giveaways, interesting contests, hopefully some weekly events as well and much much more!
By the way soon I will announce our Deviantart group too, we try there to build community, get friendly designer from Deviantart to get some interviews, tutorials, great – neverending inspiration and maybe even some freebies!
Now we are just started, categorizing everything, submitting, searching for group editors – if you are good designer and you have good taste, I would suggest for you to leave comment here and start to join into community by editing, accepting,declining and searching for fresh, new and unique designs all over Deviantart world!
This is just short intro, don’t worry when we will go live with it, I will inform you in details, why I think we need this group, what good it will do for our community and actually where it will lead 1stwebdesigner site.
If you have any suggestions how to improve our group, I would be glad to hear from you!
Oh well, there are several new projects coming up collaborating with Maris Dagis, but those I will keep in secret for now until release date!
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Dainis Graveris is 23 years old blogger and designer, founder of 1stWebDesigner, now more silently managing everything behind the scenes. He usually hangs out in Twitter tweeting design related links and chatting with people. If you have any questions or feedback that's the best place to start! Cheers!
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 19:19
All this sounds very exciting! Keep up the great posts, I’m always checking for new ones!
Thanks.
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 21:34
Congratulations! Awesome work and it pays off. You guys are one of my favorite design blogs. Keep up the good work!
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 04:17
Wow! Sounds great, I can hardly wait to see what you’re talking about :)
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 16:26
so, you’ll be like collis from tuts+. stay away from public face and sometimes wrote promotional articles.
nice to hear it. i know this will be a great site from the first time i saw it.
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 12:35
No, I will be like Dainis Graveris from 1stwebdesigner :) I will not stay away from public, just won’t be around so much as I was – little bit invisible to make big things happen :) But plans are great and I hope at least 10% we will be able to make to reality!
Thank you, I am hoping about the same :)
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 16:07
I am glad to hear these great news, keep up the good work!
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 19:30
Thanks – you have great new designs, people check it out too! :) And you too – don’t fall too deep into work and remember about community! :)
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 20:12
Good point! Sometimes you just get overloaded with work and that decreases activities in the community. And it shouldn’t be the case :)
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 13:54
Guys,
All news look very exciting and waiting for your new-great articles.
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 17:52
Exciting, Dainis!
Thanks for posting my name here. :)
Hopefully with your help, the rest of the team, and the other authors we ‘ll make this community a better place.
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 17:07
Thank you Mahmoud for sticking with us :)
Yes, I hope together we will make it, definitely going for it! :)
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 16:57
Cool – I love this site and am very much looking forward to seeing it get even better. Congratulations on your success!
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 15:16
Awesome work Dainis, looking forward to all the changes.
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 14:19
I found you just like few weeks ago, but you’re doing a great job, keep on doing that ;).
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 14:14
Happy for you that your site is growing and growing. im using it every day and checking for new posts. Its very helpfull and insipring.
Peace & Love
All the way from Poland, Europe.
Luke
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Luke
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 14:14
Happy for you that your site is growing and growing. im using it every day and checking for new posts. Its very helpfull and insipring.
Peace & Love
All the way from Poland, Europe.
Luke
Umut Muhaddisoglu
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 13:54
Guys,
All news look very exciting and waiting for your new-great articles.
Mahmoud
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 17:52
Exciting, Dainis!
Thanks for posting my name here. :)
Hopefully with your help, the rest of the team, and the other authors we ‘ll make this community a better place.
Dainis Graveris
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 17:07
Thank you Mahmoud for sticking with us :)
Yes, I hope together we will make it, definitely going for it! :)
Nick Parsons
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 16:57
Cool – I love this site and am very much looking forward to seeing it get even better. Congratulations on your success!
Michal Kozak
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 14:19
I found you just like few weeks ago, but you’re doing a great job, keep on doing that ;).
Thomas Craig Consulting
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 15:16
Awesome work Dainis, looking forward to all the changes.
Janko
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 16:07
I am glad to hear these great news, keep up the good work!
Dainis Graveris
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 19:30
Thanks – you have great new designs, people check it out too! :) And you too – don’t fall too deep into work and remember about community! :)
Janko
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 20:12
Good point! Sometimes you just get overloaded with work and that decreases activities in the community. And it shouldn’t be the case :)
jeprie
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 16:26
so, you’ll be like collis from tuts+. stay away from public face and sometimes wrote promotional articles.
nice to hear it. i know this will be a great site from the first time i saw it.
Dainis Graveris
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 12:35
No, I will be like Dainis Graveris from 1stwebdesigner :) I will not stay away from public, just won’t be around so much as I was – little bit invisible to make big things happen :) But plans are great and I hope at least 10% we will be able to make to reality!
Thank you, I am hoping about the same :)
SJL Web Design
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 19:19
All this sounds very exciting! Keep up the great posts, I’m always checking for new ones!
Thanks.
Laurent JOUVIN
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 21:34
Congratulations! Awesome work and it pays off. You guys are one of my favorite design blogs. Keep up the good work!
sazuwi
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 01:57
Cant wait your next articles..
keep up the great job…
Mihai O.
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 04:17
Wow! Sounds great, I can hardly wait to see what you’re talking about :)