January 25, 2009
Case Study: Mahogany Books Blog
Derrick Young, owner of the MahoganyBooks online bookstore, used to have a blog using WordPress. Unfortunately, while trying to transfer the blog from one hosting service to another, he lost all of his data.
Because he was in the process of setting up his online store, Derrick decided this was as good a time as any to start from scratch and make the blog do what he needed it to do. He approached The Web Chic about designing his new blog and I took him up on the challenge.
“The blog needs to bring awareness to MahoganyBooks and help make our brand be a relevant, trusted source for information on the African-American book community,” said Derrick. “I see the blog as the PR arm of my business.”
The MahoganyBooks blog, known as “WritersBloc,” is also part of the store’s social network. There’s also a Ning-based site called “The Lit Lounge” where members can interact with one another. The blog links to the Ning site and vice versa. Derrick’s social media strategy is very intentional since each component helps drive traffic to the other.
After consulting with Derrick, I came up with a schematic for his site. I decided to use the Thesis theme as the site’s framework. I made adjustments to the code and stylesheet to fit Derrick’s vision for his blog. Derrick wanted visitors to feel as if they were in a soothing bookstore/lounge environment. I found nice shot of a bookstore from Flickr’s Creative Commons which I was able to use as the blog’s header. If you go to the Thesis site and compare it with WritersBlock, you’ll see how I massaged the theme to give it a unique look.
“You got the idea right away and were able to run with it,” said Derrick. “You got the feeling and the energy I wanted to evoke.”
In addition to a new design, Derrick wanted more functionality in the sidebar. I added text widgets and incorporated editable HTML to set up his book recommendations, reviews and promotions. I found the Video Widget WordPress plug-in so he can insert whatever video he wants. Derrick himself added Google ads which is a testament to how simple it is to update his site.
WritersBloc also has contributors so I added bio pages for them. Just for fun, I also used a book image as the background for his post dates.
“This site gives us the ability to be high tech and high touch,” Derrick said. “People stay on the site longer, they forward it to others who might enjoy it and they come back.”
The ultimate goal for MahoganyBooks is to be the go-to spot for African-American book enthusiasts. In the meantime, Derrick continues to work his all of his sites and find new ways to present and link content. He’s off to a great start.