I realize "underwear" is a very general term.  Most often referred to as panties, boxers, briefs, G-strings and if you’re like me, the occasional jock strap.  They are an item of clothing that receives many jokes, laughs and warnings. 

Many of us have been told, “Wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.”  Who wants to be embarrassed at hospital when it’s discovered your underwear are slightly soiled, dingy and dirty? 

And we’ve all heard of the guy who turns his inside out so they last longer!!  

So, except for the occasional person who goes commando, it would be safe to say that we enjoy wearing a pair that’s crispy clean – we never know who’s going to see them!

Now let’s relate that analogy to about our blogs and websites.  Are they crispy clean and staying somewhat fresh? 

Earlier today, my friend and fellow blogger Sally with "Burn Brightly Without Burning Out" responded to my post Choosing a Template.  In it she writes:

“I am not settled on my theme yet, I am waiting until I find my feet then I shall choose the one that suits me best, don’t want one of the internet marketing clone blogs!” 

In the dark corner of my mind, I immediately thought of underwear…

Hopefully, most of us change our underwear daily, go without or at least wear them inside out.  But what about our website themes…  Are they fresh? 

A few weeks ago, Jean, the "Virgin Blogger" writes, “The True Story behind Virgin Blogger Note’s New Look”.  In her post she states the reasons for updating and redesigning her blog.  How it’s a big decision and one that may require some assistance, creativity and an eye for design.

Recently Alex, the Keyword & Niche Site Marketing Blogger made changes where he discusses “Landing my blog on the Moon”.  The very last line of his post he writes, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change”.  I could not have said that better.

Now it’s time for my confession and why I relate changing themes to changing underwear.  I would love to change my theme everyday!  I will not allow myself to look at new themes online.  I know that I would fall in love with many new designs, layouts and colors. 

How fresh is fresh?  There are many problems associated with changing a website template.  Usually a redesign will change the location and tabs a reader uses to navigate their way through a website.  Since the reader is our main focus, it’s important to make our designs easy and simple to use.  

For example, I recently wrote about housekeeping and changing my comment template and design.  I experimented with 3 different options.  After two days of testing, losing 48 hours of comments I went with the current commenting boxes you now use.  Honestly, I’m not 100% happy with the results, but I wasn’t 100% happy with any of my commenting options! 

I will admit that my Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) keeps my mind pretty active; constant change keeps me curious thereby helping me focus. 

I’ve discovered that it’s beneficial to have fresh underwear and equally important to keep a fresh and crispy website design – while keeping all changes to a minimum – with little reader interruption or distraction. 

All of our websites have evolved from their original form.  We either have changed or will change our website structure and theme in the future.  I believe it’s key to stay fresh in the world, whether is your blog or underwear.

Now, where did I put that G-string? 

How do you determine what changes might improve your website?

What is your implementation process for website changes so a reader will be less impacted?

Is there a best time of day to make changes since our readers are worldwide? 

Image: "Washer" courtesy of Scott Barron.

Image: "Bumper Sticker" courtesy of Scott Barron.   

Image: "No Underwear" courtesy of Scott Barron.