myspace sites are all the same!

[GREGO]

I'm not talking about any one script, I have just noticed that you can tell what script someone has in 2 seconds by viweing their site. why does everyone keep the default look on their sites? I understand some scripts are hard to make template changes too (such as mine) but with alot of Rockstar and a few hours time you can change the layout to look original. So I guess I'm just curious, also if anyone knows of some nicely designed myspace sites, I'd like to take a look, I'm always interested in having a top notch design, i mean it is a design/designers type site.

[Ajay]

I'm not talking about any one script, I have just noticed that you can tell what script someone has in 2 seconds by viweing their site. why does everyone keep the default look on their sites? I understand some scripts are hard to make template changes too (such as mine) but with alot of Rockstar and a few hours time you can change the layout to look original. So I guess I'm just curious, also if anyone knows of some nicely designed myspace sites, I'd like to take a look, I'm always interested in having a top notch design, i mean it is a design/designers type site.


boo, forget design.. nobody should be using that default myspace layout pack that everyone else uses. Including you :P

[GREGO]

i know and half of them don't even work! I need better layouts for sure. But still, why not have a myspace site that standsout instead of one that blends in?

[Connections]

I understand what you are talking about, I like to have my sites looking different aswell, I dont want something similar to others...I have a seen a few great myspace sites out their, and also some great versions of gregs script modified eg: www.munchmyspace.com

I think freeweb layouts has a great overall desing aswell imo,

[Selena]

i agree 100%
although i find myspace scripts totally overused and quite frankly dumb, it would be nice to actually see some kind of different between sites, besides a simple logo difference.
connections, although you can tell that munchmyspace has been nicely redone, its still obviously msrs.
to tell the truth, the rainbow colored text is so annoying to me now, and in the beginning i liked it.
and to be honest, everytime i even see an msrs site, i leave, simply because chances are, there is NOTHING original about it, and im sure im not the only one who has adapted to thinking this way.
the scripts get old, especially when they are everywhere, and you can hardly find anything orginal in there.

[Scilynt]

Although I agree, in the end it doesn't matter much. We are talking about myspace users and in a lot of cases, it's their first voyage into the "design" world. I've sure hundreds of thousands still find that free crappy turnkey here and there and have no idea there are thousands of sites that look just like it. And even if they know, as long as they can find what they want, they don't care. If you just want a Big Mac and you don't feel like driving far, you just go to the closest McDs. Crappy food that is on every damn corner but hugely popular.

If you can get targeted traffic to your site, even if the default crappy turnkey script with no changes but your adsesne on it, you will still do well.

Just because we hate how some of them look and like original design, doesn't mean our target audience cares. In fact, many of the bigger sites look pretty crappy compared to other industries where "design" is a factor. I would much rather have tons of traffic/revenue with a crappy looking site than the best looking site out there with no traffic.

Don't get me wrong, I love great looking sites and want my own sites to look great but I don't have the talent or cash to pay someone lol. I've seen some great looking resource sites though.

One of my favorites (non msrs) is http://new.modmyprofile.com/. Selena wouldn't like it because it's also very "rainbowy" lol. It is using a lot of the current trendy looks and you see the same elements all over the place but it still looks good. Same idea as the logo/text with reflection...soo overused now but still looks good.

[Selena]

^^lol i didnt mean that i dont like rainbow text, but seeing msrs everywhere with the same rainbow text everywhere annoys me.
dont get me wrong, i love rainbows. half my friends call me a lesbian cuz i wear rainbows so much
that site i like, because its different. whenever i see a site that isnt just another obvious script then i like it automatically more then a site that uses a script.

[Scilynt]

Thankfully it is much easier to please myspace users heheh. I would love to have a great looking unique site but I don't have the skills or the money to pay someone for it ;). To be honest, even modmyprofile looks like the one turnkey script in basic terms. Sure it is much prettier and has a lot more going on but a lot like it.

[joshspace]

Has anyone seen a rise in traffic after their design changed?

[DavidR]

To be honest, even modmyprofile looks like the one turnkey script in basic terms. Sure it is much prettier and has a lot more going on but a lot like it.

Scilynt has a point, my site looks like a turnkey too, but it isn't. Most (not all) sites have a long thin vertical menu on the left... it's pretty much the standard place for a vertical menu, so most sites will look similar in that aspect.

Most MySpace sites have realised where the optimal place to put their ads is, in the first top half of the page... so... most sites will look similar in that aspect.

Most are quite text based to help keywords and targeting... yeh you guessed it... so most sites will look similar in that aspect.

All the above (and more) limits the design for these sites, who wants to sacrifice optimal ad placement for a slightly better more user friendly layout... especially when the others still work fine and it could mean knocking 1/3 off your income? (although it's still possible to have differences).

As for design, I think modmyprofile is going to be how you see many sites looking colour wise, not just MySpace sites. It's going to be the new trend, all over the web. Ipod commercials and new ipod players are in these colours... Look how much the old white design took off in design all over the place. They seem to be setting the trend for design recently. That's what I feel will happen anyway.

Rainbow text, that changes page to page in MSRS is a very neat idea. It will lessen ad blindness when used on AdSense. Also, changing the colours of text on each page means users don't relate one colour to one section. Like Layouts in the menu maybe in red text, they would remember that and skim down with their eyes until they see red text, missing all other features. So if it is random, they might remember red... but next time when they skim their eyes down, red will be generators... and they may then see something they like and use it as well as layouts.

I never made a site like my MySpace resource site. It's totally, completely different to all my other sites I have made in the past. It far simpler, less attractive and less graphical, but it does the job in a clean, neat and simple way. I love design, so I could never put out a copy site or a default template. Mainly because I have so many "big" ideas of my own, so so much has to be changed, as opposed to just 'yourlogo.gif'.

Getting back to the similar designs discussion (I have made the following point before). I agree and and agree... with both sides! Many users can surf onto (for example) an MSRS site and think it's unique, love it and stay. On the other hand many may have surfed onto one... yesterday... found it to have no layouts (as many don't) for example, and left. Today they have surfed onto your virtually identical MSRS... not even checked if it has layouts, just remembered the basic design and thought it to be the same site and clicked 'x' and left.

Has anyone seen a rise in traffic after their design changed?

I doubt it, I'm not sure there would be a buzz (Like, 'omg check out this site it's design is amazing') around MySpace users sending thousands more people to a resource site, it isn't that kind of audience on the whole. But a new design could improve your income (click rate... ) depending on whether you improve or ruin your ad placement setup.

A catchy, decent design could also get people to stay using your site once they get to it. Especially if it's easy to navigate and clear to read. So a decent design has a bonus in that respect... I guess it might mean people are more likely to pass on your URL as a recommendation too, but you wouldn't probably notice an increase by viewing stats.

I have realised since having my site that what you need is, content content content. That will get you traffic (obviously you need to advertise in some way), that will get you word of mouth, that will get you what you want.

Hmmm, I spent too long typing this and you spent too long reading it.

Note: GREGO, I checked your site, it would look so much better with a plain background colour, rather than one that repeats your sites name.

[Sergio]

I recently changed my layout, and my traffic and earnings went up a lot. http://alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?url=divmyspacelayouts.com

[fryman]

Alexa... alexa is for newbies

[Sergio]

Ok well forget Alexa. According to my real stats/paychecks, it did go up.

[fryman]

I remember a thread at Dp where someone was building his site and installed the alexa toolbar while working on it.

He hadn't even released his site yet and he already had an alexa of like 100,000, lol

[Connections]

the only way a new layout could increase traffic would be via viral marketing about the new layout on the site, the other things it could increase are CTR and advertsiing revenue, I also guess is you added new content then this would also increase the traffic, but as for a crazy increase in traffic..no way lol

[Dean]

Design can increase traffic, if a site is easy to use and looks good people will stay on it more.

If it looks professional and trustworthy I believe you'll get more visitors.

Dean

[Ted Hat]

A MSRS that has lighter color these may get a higher response

[Rhab]

I would agree almost all myspace resource sites look the same. With what the sites are all about its kinda hard to really have a site that stands out. And quite frankly in my opinion, from a design standpoint, many of the biggest sites look like crap.

As was mentioned, it's mostly people like us concerned with design. Your average users don't have that mind set. Although that said, I do think a well organized, user friendly navigation will win over a site that may very well have more content but is just plain crappy in display and design as a whole.

As for the MSRS sites, before I got into all this which was just very recently, I never actually came across one until after finding Digital Point. For most of us, we're all quite familiar with the script, but I doubt thats the case in the mainstream.

Personally I think the MSRS script is so very well designed that it does extremely well when people do find it and the owners who have been at it and have great content are apparently doing very well.

I'm currently working on my sites design to really make it stand out from the default and so far it's going pretty well. I've spent most my time on the design elements as I put together more and more content. I haven't put much effort yet into promoting it because for now, my content can't compete. And as mentioned here, if someone does in fact find a MSRS site or two and they are from people who haven't done much with it, then they probably don't stay long at all.

So once I'm happy with my design and reach a content level that I feel confident with, only then will I start to promote it and aim to get traffic and keep them coming back.