2009 was a great year for both Hanapin Marketing and PPC Hero. We’ve more than doubled our staff this year, our subscriber numbers are looking better than ever, and we have some really exciting things planned for 2010. The first of those is a PPC Hero face-lift!

It is always exciting when a company is able to go through a blog redesign. Not only does it mean that you have enough readers to validate the use of resources, but it also means that there is something instigating the need for a redesign, and that something is usually forward thinking. Whether it is recognition that there is room for improvement or perhaps a new idea that requires an expansion of sorts, a redesign (if done properly) is a progressive, collaborative effort.

The idea to redesign PPC Hero came from a combination of needed improvement and new ideas. Not only will the site look different, but we’ll also have some brand new features that we wanted to share with you – along with a sneak peak of the new site.

But, before we get to the design, let’s start with the wireframes.

PPC Hero Homepage Wireframe

Our wireframes were created with the help of some talented students at Indiana University’s School of Informatics. The double footer was something a little different that we wanted to try and I think we are all glad that we went with it! It gave us space for a traditional footer as well as extra space to give a little shout out to Hanapin Marketing. You might also notice on the wireframes that we changed our advertising a little bit. We’re also adding more options to our advertising program,

Once we finalized the wireframes, we brought on a talented designer, Dan Patton from Dog Dive Creative. Dan was an ideal designer to work with. He graciously took our opinions and suggestions during the process but pushed back when necessary to make sure we had the best design possible. After all of the tiny tweaks and color options we came to the design you see below.

PPC Hero Redesign

One of the new features you might notice is the live Twitter feed. We also have a new section where you can easily scan the most popular blog posts. Via the footer, you’ll find a Connect With Us page that will allow you to reach us via Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, all in one handy little area. Oh, and you can also sign up for our Newsletter or RSS feed here too.

She’s a beauty, don’t you think?