Enough with the rambling. Happy time!

The Site5 Giveaway that we started last Wednesday has ended and now it’s time to announce the winners of One Year hostBasic Web Hosting Plan from Site5. So, without further ado, the winners are:

1. Jeff McClellan – @jamcclellan
2. Reza – @ghenaat
3. Eko Priambodo – @mnemonict
4. Yuni Ardita Sari Dewi – @arditasari
5. Pradeep Bhandari – @pradctgign

Congratulations to the winners! We will be in touch with you soon to fill you in on the details of collecting your prize. The winners was picked randomly with the help of Rafflecopter who integrate the power of Random.org.

To those who did not manage to win this giveaway, stay tuned as there will be next giveaway in the future and also there will be more surprises from ColorLabs. Thanks to all who participated in this giveaway.

The wave of selling online is just starting and we believe e-commerce themes have a lot of prospect. So in case you’ve been looking for a nice e-commerce theme for your website or any ongoing projects, we’ve got something coming up for you. We are going to work on yet another e-commerce WordPress theme called  ”Sneakers Addict“, designed by Andre Septian.

Sneakers Addict is very simple by using more white space and a dark theme on menu navigation. The design doesn’t highlight only the content, it also put the products in the spotlight by using subtle effect and images. Backed by a cool color scheme and beautiful typography that nicely fits the overall feel of the theme. The ribbon placed on the left upper corner of the product is a nice touch and it’s interesting how Andre also add cool effect on the product details.

Good website navigation is essential for any site, but much more so for e-commerce sites interactive. So we’re going to provide a sophisticated product filter this time where customers can filter based on price, materials, categories, brands and even colors.

Here is a first peek at Sneakers Addict’s homepage. As always, feedback is welcomed with open arms. :D

We had been testing our themes on 3.3 since the release and had found some minor problems. We have fixed the problems and everything works perfectly fine now. We’ve updated all themes to include all the fixes and all is well.

If you want to upgrade to WordPress 3.3, you have to upgrade your themes first to the latest version. NOTE: Before upgrading your existing site to WordPress 3.3, it is highly recommended that you backup your site and deactivate all plugins. We cannot promise that all of your plugins are compatible, so make sure you check those for compatibility before updating.

The latest version numbers are listed below:

• Backbone 1.0
• Vidio 1.0
• Sakura 1.0
• Wardrobe  1.1.0
• JobJockey 1.3.0
• Initiator 1.1.1
• Eureka 1.2.0
• Invitora 1.1
• Travelous 1.2
• Directory 1.2
• Minuet 1.2
• Adam & Eve 1.2
• EstateExpert 1.2
• Entreprenium 1.2
• Modernizm 1.3
• Tumblepress 1.2
• Allegro 1.2
• UnoPress 1.2
• BloggingNews 1.6
• Narcilicious 1.4
• SimpleReader 1.4
• Equilibria 2.6
• Wireline 2.5
• RPG.cod 2.2
• Wellblog 3.1
• Arthemia  3.6

The Backbone Theme Framework was officially launched last week. We also prepared 2 Backbone child themes, Vidio and Sakura—both are included in our Backbone purchase. If you purchased Backbone during the pre-order, the download link is now available on your member area. If you haven’t and wondering why you should, then read this blog post.

5 One Year Unlimited Web Hosting from Site5 is Up for Grab

With one week left in January, we thought it would be nice to team up with Site5 in order to host another give away. Just like last time, up for grabs are 5 web hosting accounts with unlimited disk space and bandwidth. You can win a Web Hosting Account for 1 Whole Year!  This is a giveaway that you simply don’t want to miss. Go here to enter.

The ‘All for One’ Deal is Making Another Come Back

Once again we bundled up 23 premium WordPress themes from our collection and present the bundle as a deal to you with a heavily discounted price. Get 23 ColorLabs premium WordPress themes for only $59. That’s $2.6 apiece! The deal stays on only until February 29, 2012 ET and was available exclusively for purchase directly through ColorLabs Deals Page. Want to have all 23 themes for even lower price of $49? Here is how.

New Additions to The ColorLabs Showcase Page

Here’s a list of the latest additions to the ColorLabs Showcase.

• The Wicked Noodle
• Derecho en Red
• Nokialino
• FashionablyMarketing.Me

We invite you to visit the ColorLabs Showcase page to see all of the website built with ColorLabs WordPress themes that users have submitted or found by our team. You can see screen shots, links to learn more, and sort by product and category. There are also a ‘Submit’ button at the top of the page to submit your website for consideration for the showcase.

Wow, who would have thought that it’s been 6 weeks since my last theme sneak peek post. We were so caught up working with Backbone that time just fly by. Don’t worry. We are not being lazy.

Over the past few weeks along with developing our Backbone Theme Framework we have also been hard at work developing two robust WordPress themes. I have featured the first one on my previous sneak peek post (check it out and make sure you leave a feedback or two :D).

The second theme we are working on is called Neu. Neu will be a magazine/news theme ideal for content-heavy websites. Designed by Monika Halim, Neu has excellent 3-column layout consuming a lot of information in visually appealing way. Neu will also have multiple homepage layouts so you can choose which layout work best for your content.

We will go into more details with the theme features on its release so for now here is a little sneak peek at some of its homepage layout options. As always all feedback is welcomed in the comments section. Enjoy!

Neu Homepage Screenshots

About Site5

Site5 has top-notch hosting along with even better support. Site5 was created to provide high quality web hosting services for individual blogs as well as large companies. Their servers are configured so that WordPress runs perfectly. The winner of this contest will get the hostBasic plan for 1 year which allows UNLIMITED bandwidth and disk space.

See more of details of what Site5 has to offer here.

How to Participate

This giveaway will run from today until January 29, 2012. We are using this awesome giveaway widget from Rafflecopter to host the giveaway, so to participate and win Web Hosting from Site5, all you have to do is follow the instruction on the giveaway widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We bundled up 23 premium WordPress themes from our collection and present the bundle as a deal to you with a heavily discounted price. The deal stayed on for a very limited time and was available exclusively for purchase directly through ColorLabs Deals Page. Which is why the ‘All for One’ deal is ColorLabs’ most successful (read: best-selling) deal ever.

And today, it is back!

Get 23 ColorLabs premium WordPress themes for only $59. That’s $2.6 apiece! Keep in mind that the deal will remain for until February 29, 2012 ET. Terms and Conditions apply.

Want More Discount?

Get an extra 17% OFF ($10 worths) by entering a coupon code from our Facebook page on the Coupon Code tab. Can’t find it? Here is a hint: the code is for fans only ;).

These are included in the ‘All for One’ deal:

• Access to 23 premium WordPress themes
• One-year technical support for 23 themes
• Free access to theme documentation
• One-year access to 23 themes download
• First-time installation service
• One-year access to product updates
• Free 2-month access to GoSquared Plus Plan
• Free 2-month WordPress hosting from Site5 (hostBasic Plan)

The Lunar New Year promo has ended. But you still can have ColorLabs 23 premium WordPress themes for a low price of $49. Click here to find out how.

Whether you’re Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese or any other nationality – On behalf of ColorLabs & Company, I wish you all a Happy Lunar New Year!

To welcome and celebrate the Year of the Dragon, we are giving you an awesome present. For ONE day only (January 23, 2012 ET), receive 30% off of all ColorLabs premium WordPress themes by entering a discount coupon code: LUNAR.

Wishing every single one of you and your families the best new year ahead of year filled with lots of good luck, health, prosperity and happiness!

May the Year of the Dragon be fruitful in success to all of us!

The LOOONG wait is over. The day you have all been waiting for is finally here. It is with a tremendous amount of pride and excitement that I am pleased to announce that the version 1.0 of Backbone Theme Framework is now available. A major milestone for us, having spent the past 2 months creating this framework and getting to know the awesome WordPress community that surrounds us.

If you purchased Backbone during the pre-order, the download link is now available on your member area. If you haven’t and wondering why you should, then read on.

A Powerful WordPress Theme Framework

Before theme framework, web design meant one of two things: Heavily modifying the code of existing free themes to accommodate a design OR creating a new theme from scratch—including every line of HTML—to go with a fancy, new design. By using a theme framework, you are giving yourself the ability to create a one-of-a-kind website with ease.

As a theme framework, Backbone is loaded up with unprecedented level of control and flexibility. Backbone is packed with vast array of customization possibilities, features, functionality and SEO integration. Backbone gives so much flexibility and ease in building each type of website, speeding up the process of designing and developing a theme without sacrificing the quality of the end-result.

Our aim for Backbone is to give all kind of WordPress user, the new and veteran, a solid base (Backbone) they could build on top when creating a new WordPress theme, a toolkit that allows anyone, from individuals to businesses, to achieve anything on a WordPress-powered website. In short, we want you to actually able to do whatever you like. That’s why we gave each detail extra care and attention.

Here are a few notable features of Backbone V1:

• A user-friendly theme panel interface with drag-and-drop feature.
• 14 customization options to just about anything you might want to customize on your website.
• Portfolio, photoblog, business and magazine page template, whichever you need is just one click away.
• With responsive layout that will auto-adjust itself whenever you change your layout setting or just resize the browser.

View the Backbone page to see all the powerful features packed into the theme framework.  Oh, and be sure to take a peek of Backbone theme panel.

Backbone Child Themes

Child theme is the recommended way to making modifications to a theme framework. If you haven’t heard the concept of parent and child theme before then it’s best for your to read the detail description on the WordPress Codex.

A theme framework wouldn’t be complete without child themes, so we prepared two Backbone child themes for you: Sakura, a beautiful and simple theme to give your business an instant online presence, and Vidio, a theme created with video blogger’s needs in mind. Both child themes are designed specifically for Backbone launch. We are a big fans of freebies, we are giving out both Sakura and Vidio for FREE when you purchase Backbone.

The framework function of Backbone lets you change your site’s theme with simply installing a new child theme of your choice. Once you install the Backbone theme framework (it’s the same process as installing any theme), then all you need to do is install and activate the child theme of your choice and your site is ready to go.

Credit Rolls

The ColorLabs team would like express our sincere gratitude to everybody who participated in the Backbone Private Beta. Thanks those guys, we have been able to find and resolve many issues which would be impossible to discover in a normal test environment. The feedback from the testers has also allowed us to fine-tune Backbone to bring a polished, compelling and awesome experience to its users.

Also, to say “thank you” for your valuable time, effort and feedback. We provide our beta testers with a free, fully functional copy of Backbone, including Sakura and Vidio.

Henrik Blomgren, Arun Pattnaik and Christopher Rice, once again thank you for helping us reach this point. Enjoy! :D

The Challenge Starts from Now

This is just the beginning for ColorLabs & Company. Building Backbone is not a one-time job and continuous development is needed to make it more and more powerful. More experimenting, innovating and child theming are in the future plan. We are brimming with ideas to improve, grow and evolve it over the coming months.

But most importantly we want to build a community around Backbone where people can talk about it, share their views and even make suggestions to help improving it. We need your findings and feedback. We want you to help us to make Backbone into a kick-ass theme framework. You can say anything; suggest improvement, functionality, features, even pointing out flaws. Write them all down and we’ll go through them word by word.

The Objectives of the Beta Test

A beta test is the final stage in the testing of new software before its commercial release, and is conducted by testers other than its developers.

The Backbone Theme Framework is maybe the biggest project ever in ColorLabs & Company milestone. We have very high expectation for Backbone so we set the bar higher than ever this time. We want Backbone to have features that will greatly enhance people’s experience with WordPress. We want to release a successful product and a beta test is one of the best tools to accomplish that goal. It will help us to be more prepared for Backbone release and ensure its quality.

Private Beta Test and Why

For the first beta test ever in ColorLabs & Company history, we decided to conduct a private one. The reason behind it is simply because it is the most cost effective and efficient way to incorporate customer input into Backbone. So we invited only a small number of testers whom we know have a passion for WordPress and also match our target market to ensure that the data provided is truly relevant.

How the Test Goes So Far

The beta testers are very active. They provide us with a wealth of valuable feedback and bug reports, some even highlight possible solutions. Tons of bugs were fixed and some new functionality was added. It wasn’t an overnight change, but we’re listening and we’re committed to reacting to all feedback.

A special ‘thank-you’ goes out to our beta testers, who not only gave us constructive feedback but also freely shared their enthusiasm for Backbone. Your spirit is infectious. :D

Below are some quotes we received from beta testers.

Christopher Rice, one of the testers, wanted to share his Backbone Beta experience on Fuel Your Blogging where he works as the editor. An offer we gladly accepted. So if you are interested in seeing what Backbone has to offer, especially if you are a blogger or an online publisher, or you’d like to learn more about what a theme framework does in general, then you should watch Fuel Your Blogging.

Here is what he has written so far:

• Does your blog have Backbone?
• Six powerful page layouts from the Backbone Framework
• 14 awesome drag-n-drop customization options with Backbone

While you are there, you should also check out their helpful tips on blogging and you can also ask them to review your blog and they’ll give feedback on how to improve it.

Our Baby is About to be Born

In a few days we are going to release the very first version of Backbone. We are so excited to launch it for public and can’t wait for all of you to experience Backbone yourself. When the time comes, we want you guys to share your ideas and opinions with us because your voice is the one that matters to us.

If you haven’t, pre-order Backbone now to get 38% off the launch price.

We have a great news for everyone!

We are very pleased to announce that from now on, each time you purchase a premium ColorLabs theme (including the Backbone theme framework) you will get not only future updates and tremendous support, but also 2-month web hosting service from Site5 (the hostBasic Plan).

Here are what you’ll get for every premium WordPress theme purchase:

1. Lifetime support for one website (Standard Pack)
2. Lifetime support for an unlimited number of websites (Developer Pack)
3. Lifetime access to product download
4. Free access to theme documentation
5. Free access to product updates
6. First-time installation service
7. Free 2-month access to GoSquared real-time analytics: Plus Plan
8. Free 2-month web hosting service from Site5: hostBasic Plan

That’s quite a long list, isn’t it? :D

Have any idea on what we can add more to the list? Share them on comment below.

Awesome! Now, how do I get it?

After you complete your payment, you will receive an email from us containing a unique coupon code. Go to Site5, order the hostBasic Plan, enter the coupon code and enjoy 2-month of unlimited disk space and bandwidth free of charge!

About Site5

Site5 provides you with unlimited disk space for your website hosting needs and unlimited bandwidth allowing you to never worry about exceeding your bandwidth limitations. Site5 has a hosting plan for any sized WordPress powered website and any budget. From shared hosting plans to powerful VPS hosting, Site5 is a terrific WordPress hosting provider.

They aim to please with our uptime guarantee, areal-time status of all our servers, public stats on each server’s uptime, and a 30 day free trial! They now offer servers in various cities around the world for shared, reseller, and VPS hosting! Their web hosting is designed for WordPress.

No More Hesitating

We have wide range of WordPress themes selection, including a powerful theme framework. Chances are one of them is just what you need now or might need in the future. Browse them now and make your purchase.

Getting the right hosting for your blog is of vital importance because this is your foundation.Having a web presence is very popular and can be powerful as well, but  it all starts with a really good WordPress host.

We are planning to run more batches of contests and sweepstakes in 2012, but before that we would like to know what you want. Most people like free stuff, but it would be great if we offer you, our audience,  something you actually want and will use.

So here is the big question: What prize do you want to win from us next?

We’ve set up a poll on our Facebook with some options we think you might like, so please answer there. Since the purpose is to find out what you really want and need we left the poll open-ended, so you can offer your own suggestions and add new options to the poll.

Don’t hesitate to tell us on the poll, because you know we’ll do our best to make it happen!

Can’t wait to get your hands on ColorLabs’ upcoming theme framework? Good news! Backbone is going to enter a beta testing phase in 4 days and a launch date has been set: January 21, 2012. Backbone will be launched with the price of $79 for Standard Pack and $159 for Developer Pack.

More good news! We’ve opened up pre-orders for Backbone beginning today, January 10 until January 20, 2012 (ET). Customers purchasing the Backbone pre-order will gain access to a limited-time special price of $59 for Standard Pack and $119 for Developer Pack. Backbone Pre-Order is available now on ColorLabs Deals page.

All purchase of Backbone, both pre-order and after-launch purchase, will include:

1. 2 Backbone Child Themes: Vidio and Sakura
2. Lifetime support for one web site (Standard Pack)
3. Lifetime support for an unlimited number of websites (Developer Pack)
4. Lifetime access to product download
5. Free access to product updates
6. First-time installation service
7. Free 2-month access to GoSquared real-time analytics: Plus Plan
8. Free 2-month web hosting service from Site5: hostBasic Plan

Psst! Here is a Trick to Save More

You “Like” us, we love you back.

We are dropping the pre-order price even more exclusively for all of you who have liked us on Facebook. By using a pre-order coupon code, you can get Backbone for only $49 for Standard Pack and $99 for Developer Pack.

You can find the pre-order coupon code on ColorLabs Facebook Page on the “Coupon Code” tab and it’s only visible to those who have liked the page. “Like” us here if you haven’t already.

Backbone the Theme Framework

Backbone is developed with the new and veteran WordPress users in mind and we packed this framework with vast array of customization possibilities, layout, features and first rate SEO optimization for ease of use and expandability. We believe Backbone will be a valuable asset to theme developers and WordPress users. That’s why we are giving each detail extra care and attention. In short, we want you to actually able to do whatever you like. It has been in development for quite a while and we’re closing in on a first version, something that we are very excited about!

Some Backbone features include:

1. Shortcodes in single and page post
2. SEO settings in single post and general
3. Custom image and video embed in single post
4. Change layout in single/page and general
5. Enable/disable breadcrumbs display on control panel
6. Pagination style on control panel
7. Post Content on control panel
8. Custom CSS
9. Footer widget layout settings
10. Sidebar widget layout settings
11. General styling
12. General typography
13. Header, post, widget, footer, navigation styling
14. Page templates (Portfolio, Photoblog, Sitemap, Contact, Business, Magazine)
15. Open Graph Setting
16. Subscribe Setting
17. Thumbnail Setting
18. Analytics and Feed setting
19. Import/Export Settings
20. Banner Ad integration and management in single/page post
21. Child Themes support
22. Custom File Editor
23. Framework update
24. Footer Credit Settings
25. Responsive design

See Backbone in action and, for the first time ever at ColorLabs, its WordPress admin panel live demo!

Online shopping figures indicate a steady increase in shoppers who want to purchase via the Internet. It is hard to ignore the huge increase in Internet shopping which led TV reviews as important business news over the holiday season. Based on the highly competitive business environment that is now the Internet, it is more important than ever to have a user-friendly site that presents a professional image to prospective customers. With the competition just one click away, it makes good business sense to utilize ColorLabs to purchase the perfect, affordable online presence.

ColorLabs provides themes compatible with WordPress. This is good news for WordPress clients who desire the many positive benefits of using WordPress, but who still want a site tailored to a specific business enterprise. Image is crucial for competing in a crowded marketplace. If the only contact a customer has with your business is via the Internet, the site that you use will determine whether that customer seriously considers doing business with you, or clicks away to a competitors site.

ColorLabs Themes

Available ColorLabs themes include Wardrobe, which is designed for a fashion business. This template makes it easy to establish an online store presence. Products for sale take center stage using this clean graphics program that directs the customers attention to the fashion items listed. The smart use of white space produces an uncluttered design that displays the items for greatest visual impact. Another benefit of using ColorLabs Wardrobe theme page is that it is compatible with three of the most attractive e-commerce plugins, WP e-Commerce, Jigoshop and WooCommerce.

Another ColorLabs theme worthy of business attention is the restaurant theme, Indulgence. This page utilizes beautiful photography to display mouthwatering dishes that bring customers in the door. Employing the same techniques as food chain advertisers that led TV reviews for advertising during primetime sports events this past fall, ColorLabs colorful layouts and exquisite imagery is designed to attract new customers. By capturing them visually with delectable food images, ColorLabs knows how to make your restaurant hard to resist.

JobJockey is a job board solution for any business interested in entering this moneymaking field. Easy enough for Internet amateurs, JobJockey can be installed with a few startup clicks. This page can be integrated into a site or used as a primary site by itself. Job posting, resume posting and search activities are made possible on this user friendly page. Employers and job seekers each have a dashboard that they can use to edit or add information for their own purposes.

With the increase in Internet shopping for books in particular, ColorLabs designed Eureka. This themed page is designed for companies that sell books online as an e-book or hard copy. With the closing of major chain bookstores as stories that led TV reviews and news in the past year, opening up a bookstore online is sure to be the best way to enter this profitable marketplace. As a versatile page, Eureka also provides a user-friendly format for selling electronics, cosmetics, music, and just about any other item.

ColorLabs Benefits

ColorLabs understands that business owners have more to do than worry about technical issues. For this reason, ColorLabs customers enjoy excellent customer support. Full-time agents are available to answer customer questions to make the installation of theme pages easy and fast. To prove that they mean business and take customers needs seriously, ColorLabs guarantees a 24-hour turnaround on new installations by providing a free installation service for customers who desire the help.

Affiliate Program

ColorLabs wants to share the profits with loyal customers who refer new clients to them. Loyal customers can earn extra cash by simply placing an ad or link on the company site for those interested in getting more information about ColorLabs. Happy customers are the best way to get new business. ColorLabs wants to make it worth a business owners time to spread the word about ColorLabs.

About the Author: Kathleen Hubert is a blogger who writes on a variety of different sites. Check out more of her work at Car Loans.

The New Year Boom Sale has ended but it is not the case for the “All for One” deal! We believe $49 for 23 WordPress themes is still one heck of a bargain. Grab your copy fast, because the deal will only last until January 8, 2012 (ET).

If having a blog or an online enterprise is one of your resolutions for the new year, then you can start your preparation early and get your WordPress themes at ColorLabs New Year Boom Sale!

On January 1, 2012, the “All for One” deal price will be dropped down to mere $20.12! Which means you can get not one, not two, but 23 WordPress themes for only $0.87 each (See the list of themes included here)! This is another reason to celebrate the New Year for WordPress users worldwide.

You can get the new price by using a special coupon code and you can find it on our Facebook Page. But you need to “Like” the page first before you can get access to the coupon. Let’s face it, with a price as mind-blowing as $0.87/theme you must have loved us so much by now that liking our Facebook fan page is one thing that you can not resist.

After you’ve received the coupon code from our Facebook Page, here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to the “All for One” Deal page (don’t forget to read the Terms and Conditions) and click “Buy” button.
2. On the next page, fill in your details and enter the coupon code on the bottom-most box. Click “Continue”, then you will be forwarded to a secure PayPal payment page where you can complete your transaction.

Happy New Year 2012!

As the year draws to an end, we’d like to take this chance to wish you all a Happy New Year! Thank you for your trust & support throughout the entire year.

Have a safe and happy Holiday!