When it comes to IQ, the higher we rank, the more proud we are. However, should we still feel the same way when it comes to our blogs’ level of English?

English is one of our least favorite subject, just a rung above mathematics. Ugh, we hate grammar rules. However, knowing the language is a necessity and we are in awe of people who can get their points across without too much fuss. That’s what we try to strive for in ReapMoneyOnline.

So here’s this online IQ tests for blogs, the Blog Readability Test. For fun, we ran 3 blogs we visit often through the test and here are the results:

It is said that our readership should determine the readability of our blogs. Thus, a PhD blogger with fellow PhD readers can be expected to have a genius reading level for his blog. But for us, the more people who can read and understand RMO, the better. So we want to attain Turnip’s level, which is actually not an easy thing to do. Our level at the moment is Junior High.

Try this online test, it’s fun, at the least.

The Color Marketing Group, who’s slogan is “color sells, and the right color sells better,” has a very interesting report called The Profit of Color. The group knows the value of mastering the psychology of color and design to establish brands and sell products online.

The meaning behind colors often determine how surfers and readers react to our websites and blogs. Website color schemes that are appropriate to our topic often enhance their “stickiness” with our readership.

What are the meaning of colors? We will cover the basic colors of yellow, blue, orange, purple, green, white, red, pink, black, silver, and grey.

Meaning of the color yellow.

Caution, brightness, intelligence, joy, organization, Spring time.

Yellow is the color most visible to the human eye. The color can be used to promote food, especially in combination with other fruit and vegetable tones or with children’s and leisure products. It is best used as a highlight or to brighten-up a drab background.

However, yellow must be used carefully in websites catering to men, as they perceive it as untrustworthy (cowardice) and childish. The color also denotes a warning, especially if used against a black background (road warning signs?), so we have to avoid large swaths of the color for sites that have something to do with safety and stability. Care is also needed with using shades of yellow as they can appear dirty or sickly.

Meaning of the color blue.

Tranquility, love, acceptance, patience, understanding, cooperation, comfort, loyalty, and security.

Blue is the universal color, found both in the sky and the sea (the sky’s blue is actually a reflection of the ocean’) It is the favorite color of half of the world’s population and is the one least disliked by most cultures.

Blue is a man’s color, although is also popular among women. It is well-suited to websites promoting technology, medical products, cleanliness, air, sky, water, and cars.

Meaning of the color orange.

Steadfastness, friendliness, cheerfulness, excitement, energy, fun, cheap.

Orange is an appetite stimulant, a reason why we often see it in fastfoods and restaurants.  It helps increases oxygen supply to the brain, stimulating mental activity. The color is popular with young people and is useful for promoting food and toys.

Orange also invokes the feeling of affordability or cheapness. It might be good for sites offering products on sale but is bad for those catering to the more sophisticated segment of web surfers.

Meaning of the color Purple.

Royalty, sophistication, spiritual.

Purple is a feminine color. It is chosen almost exclusively by women as their favorite. It is also strongly disliked by men. We understand, purple eggplants are not our favorite veggies either.

It might also work with kids as the color is often associated with Barney, the purple dinosaur. It’s best to use this color on sites that deals with women, children, and motherhood.

Meaning of the color green.

Money, health, food, nature, hope, growth, freshness, soothing, sharing, responsiveness.

Green is another popular color. It soothing, relaxing, stimulates creativity… and is an appetite suppressant. It also denotes financial stability in Western cultures.

The color is useful for marketing organic, healthy, natural, financial, and diet websites.

Meaning of the color white.

Pure, fresh, easy, cleanliness, goodness.

White is useful for a background or accent color as it highlights other colors. White is perceived by the eye as a brilliant color.

White can indicate simplicity with high-tech products and safety and cleanliness with medical products. In the East, white is often associated with mourning.

Meaning of the color red.

Energy, strength, passion, cheerfulness, career goals, vibrancy, fame, love, dynamic, good-tasting,  romance.

Red is an iconic color used to encourage people to react quickly. Excessive use of this color on a web page will do nothing to lower our bounce rate. It is also an appetite stimulant like orange and is useful for promoting products associated with energy and power such as drinks, cars, sports, and games.

In Chinese and other Eastern cultures, red is the color of money and wealth. However, in the West, it symbolizes financial instability (in the red).

Meaning of the color pink.

Romance, love, friendship, femininity, truth, emotional healing, peace, caring, nurturing, sweet tasting, sweet smelling, ethereal, delicacy.

Pink is traditionally designated as a feminine color but, surprisingly, not many women list it as their favorite. It does bring out the feminine side of everybody. Works real well for girl websites and for those promoting desserts and other sweets.

Meaning of the color black.

Sophistication, formality, elegance, classy, mystery, underground, modern music, high quality, dramatic, authority, prestige, reliability, modernism.

Black is an excellent color  for websites and blogs with topics related to technology. It helps target a sophisticated high-end or a youthful market. Websites with black backgrounds should pay extra attention to typography as it reduces readability of the text. It can be used as a background to show-off the colors of art or photography.

Meaning of the color silver and gray.

Security, reliability, intelligence, dignity, maturity, solid, practical, professional, sophisticated, durability, quality, glamorous, high tech, industrial, clairvoyance, dreams, sleekness, modernity.

Silver goes well with other colors to create a hi-tech look or one of peace and tranquility. Used on text, the lesser contrast is also easier on the eyes. Many personal blogs of web developers often combine white with accents of grey and black to convey a professional and no-nonsense air.

As professional web designers have long known, color usage in web design is a determining factor in a website’s success in its chosen market. It is best to give the color wheel a spin before deciding on our final design.

Looking for the best free professional Joomla 1.5 templates? We have compiled a list of 10 high quality free Joomla themes to help those searching for the perfect one.

1. Five Point Unity by ToolboxCreations.com.

Five Point/Unity, a.k.a 5 pt, got it’s name from the 5 custom styles we can configure via the dashboard. Very professional 3 column joomla template that we can use for eCommerce or a personal site.

Preview 5 Point Unity here.

Download 5 Point Unity here.

2. OfficeStyle lite by ToolboxCreations.com.

OfficeStyle lite was based on the colors of the Microsoft Office website. It’s blue and orange theme will impart a fresh look to any Joomla website or blog. It is a 2 column theme with sidebar to the left with 3 blocks available for featured contents, links, or advertisements right below the menu bar.

Preview OfficeStyle lite here.

Download OfficeStyle lite here.

3. Crimson Tide by RedEvo.

Crimson Tide is one of our favorite tech thriller. RedEvo has captured the essence of that Tom Clancy novel with their namesake free Joomla 1.5 template. Striking colors, eye-grabbing 3 column design. Two (2)  sidebars to the left and lots of blocks for content and links.

Preview Crimson Tide here.

Download Crimson Tide here.

4. Aphelion by RedEvo.

Aphelion is one of the finalist in the Joomla 1.5 template competition. It has 3 columns with a lot of features. Blocks are found in the header and footer regions.

Preview Red Evo Aphelion here.

Download Red Evo Aphelion here.

5. Frilly by RedEvo.

Frilly, fun, and carefree, that is what this 3 column pretty Joomla theme is about. It boasts a javascript-powered suckerfish drop-down menu. There are 2 sidebars to the right of the main content area and 2 blocks at the footer region.

Preview Frilly here.

Download Frilly here.

6. Allium by RedEvo.

Can’t decide on the primary color of a website? Try Allium, it comes in a combination of 4 major colors: red, yellow, blue, and green. It has 3 columns with sidebars on both side of the content. There are 2 module positions or block above the main content area and the menu is suckerfish drop-down.

Preview Allium here.

Download Allium here.

7. Blue Flex by RedEvo.

The first version was blue and the name stuck but it’s no longer just blue, Blue Flex now comes in red, green, and orange. The original template was 3 column but 2 column fixed and fluid variants have been made available. Truly, a versatile Joomla theme. Layout is traditional portal design with left and right sidebars. Two blocks or module positions are available at the footer region.

Preview Blue Flex here.

Download Blue Flex here.

8. Javanya by Firstya Judith.

Javanya is our favorite template at the Joomla 1.5 competition. It doesn’t use a lot of graphics but is very pretty nonetheless. With 9 color variants selectable through the template admin panel, there is always one that will fit our moods. We wish Firstya Judith would make more Joomla themes.

Preview Javanya here.

Download Javanya here.

9. LightFrame by CMSlounge.com.

LightFrame is a beautiful, clean, and minimalist Joomla theme that is perfect for blogs. It relies fully on CSS magic to attain its unique level of beauty. It is 2 column with the sidebar to the right.

Preview LigthFrame here.

Download LightFrame here.

10. Jamba by JoomlaShack.com.

Jamba is a beautiful green template from JoomlaShack, maker of quality premium templates. It has 3 columns with sidebars on both sides of the main content area.  It is perfect for an environment or organic blog or website. What is available for download at the moment is a template for for Joomla 1.0 but JS says they are working on the Joomla 1.5 version. This template is worth watching for.

Update: The wait is over, a version for Joomla 1.5 is now ready for download. There are also 4 other theme styles available: green/black, red, blue, and brown. The styles and features of Jamba makes it another versatile theme.

Preview Jamba here.

Download Jamba  here.

BONUS template:

RocketTheme seldom releases free Joomla templates but when they do, they sure are of high quality. Check out their latest offering called Novus. Once we are ready to move beyond free themes, their premium template club will provide better options.