Update 2: We used Random.org to pick 5 lucky winners and they are:
Please email dan@dansdeals.com to claim your prize and thanks to everyone who participated!
Update: The raffle will take place and winners will be announced tonight.
Like the DansDeals Facebook page here and share this post on Facebook, and you will be automatically entered to win one of 5 $100 Amazon gift cards that we will raffle off tonight!
Originally posted 7/9.
Change isn’t easy.
It wasn’t easy in August 2007 when I switched from “ctownbochur.com” to “DansDeals.com.”
The format had been the same since 2004 and it was not pretty.
But people don’t like change.
“It’s too corporate sounding.” “We miss the blogspot format.”
But people got used to things and site traffic has grown by 10,000% in the past decade.
As the years went by the good old site became more and more outdated. The look and feel didn’t change much from when it launched in 2007. It wasn’t mobile friendly, it didn’t have working menus, and it didn’t have a memorable brand logo.
When I launched DansDeals there was no such thing as an iPhone or Android smartphone. Today, more than half of the site traffic comes from mobile devices.
It was time to get with the times.
The new DansDeals site is responsive, mobile friendly, and there are lots of bells and whistles that you can read about here.
- You can use the settings gear to switch to legacy mode reading, where you can read the full posts rather than having to click to open a post. There’s even a skip to next post button in legacy mode to make your browsing even better than before.
- The settings gear also allows you to hide expired deals in case you don’t want to see what you’ve missed out on.
- You can now reply to individual comments, making it much easier to find answers for your questions.
- The new menu system makes is easier to find posts that you are looking for. The credit cards menu will connect you with our partner at CreditCards.com and applying for credit cards via those links helps keep this site running. Your support is most appreciated!
- There is a Forum menu that will take you right to the DansDeals Forum boards you are looking for. The forums are home to everything from breaking deals to amazing trip reports from around the world. They are an incredible resource for any traveler or bargain hunter.
Many months of planning went into the creation of the new website. I think the new logo, created by Yossi Belkin, beautifully captures the essence of DansDeals.
Jack Vershubsky (DDF: Suave) of Swizu web design has done a great job putting together a fresh take on DansDeals, while adding in features like legacy mode to keep the old timers happy, hide expired deals, scroll to next post, and many more on top of the clean new layout.
Baruch Hayman (DDF: BAHayman) has been helping keep DansDeals up and running for years, especially in the face of crushing traffic when there is an amazing deal. His willingness to help out at all hours of the day and night is nothing short of astounding.
My brother JJ (DDF: jj1000) has spent countless days and nights coordinating the creation of the new site. It would have never happened without him.
Staying the course is easy, change is hard. Even if it takes time to get used to the new format, I hope you’ll stick around and learn to love it with time.
We’re making even more improvements and working out the bugs, so your feedback is always appreciated.
Of course none of this would be possible without our readers, so thanks again for being a part of the DansDeals community!
As a small token of our appreciation, if you like the DansDeals Facebook page here and share this post on Facebook, you will be automatically entered to win one of 5 $100 Amazon gift cards that we will raffle off later this week.
Good luck!
Honeslty the new site is great.. just MUCH HARDER TO READ BECAUSE THERE IS NO CONTRAST IN THE BACKROUND… now you just look like everyone else…but the content obv is the best , so even if it was yellow i would still come back to you dan – much love! im a 2013 dans deals maven !
+1 it is quite hard to read
Can there be a twitter or DDF way to signup?
Same suggestion here, please.
+1
I second this
+1
Been following you since 2009
I’ve been a fan of your site since 2013 when a co worker who us Orthodox let me know about it. I managed to get in on the Delta glitch, score lots of deals on baby items and toys for my daughter and countless cool items for the house. Keep up the good work!
Suggestion: sticky paid advertisements on top of right-side column (on top of “partner offers”). It will flow easier.
How will the winner be notified?
BTW: When mouse over forums button on top right corner, goods for sale forum is missing from the dropdown…
Thanks Dan. Helping many save money and hopefully use the savings to spread goodness or charity in the world. Thanks for helping me afford trips to Europe. Good man.
Dan, I think your replies in the Comments should have a unique background color to easily identify them. (I think that’s how it was on the old sit, wasn’t it?)
Yeah, hard to change but slowly adjusting to new site. Learning its quirks and advantages. Keep up the good work Dan, JJ and everyone else!
love the new site! only thing I enjoyed the off white backround of the old site, much easier on the eyes as opposed to this stark white.
Site looks great. Congratulations. Since you have a separate tab for airline deals, I wish you would add cruise ship deals to the site, also under a separate heading as I suspect many of your readers leisure travel is on cruise ships.
Not exactly.
Would be great to have an app also!
amazing
Apparently ppl are illiterate!
It says on facebook;
The 10 Year DansDeals Redesign:
1. Like our page here https://www.facebook.com/DansDeals/
2. Share this post.
And you will be entered to win 1 of 5 $100 Amazon Gift Cards!
But over 50 ppl at the moment feel that they have to comment as well ‘done’, ‘shared and liked’ etc.
Does it really bother you so much that people comment?
Please make a post when you pick winner cuz I never check my Facebook account. Thanks for all the great work Dan!!
Also, I think you forgot to change the Twitter profile logo
Dan, just wondering why you don’t create an app. I’m sure you thought about it and had a reason why you don’t want it.
On my mobile device the search and setting icons overlap and therefore cannot press the settings icon, it always clicks the search.
Nexus 6, I can sent screenshot if needed.
We are working on that issue. Hope to have it fixed this week. Thanks.
Any way for us to join with sms?
Send an SMS to 40404 with the text: follow @DansDeals and you’ll be the first to know of the latest deals!
That wont work to joint FaceBook raffle
Don’t usually go for FB competitions, but for Dansdeals, that’s another story!
Thanks for the laborious task of switching over to a better looking, updated version of your site. Black on white is the least stressful combination for the eyes and I love it!
It would be nice if you put back the feedback button at least for the short future, (I know it’s annoying on mobile site, but after it was put on the side it wasn’t in the way THAT much).
There are still some bugs here and there and that’s the easiest way to report.
You can always post a comment to let us know your thoughts 🙂
I suggest adding a line between after item where the date of posting changes. Since I look at the posts every day that line would indicate where my previous scan starts.
I don’t have a Facebook account. Is there another way i can enter the contest?
Can you do the raffle via Instagram too?
I love your new site. Change is good. The world wouldn’t be where we are today without changes….
I am accessing the site from a Southwest flight in midair. I didn’t pay for WiFi and can’t reach any of my favorite web sites, just this one. What is it about this site that Southwest let’s it through?
Nice! I also like and shared
@ Dan- hey since you redid the site the Have united call you back page doesn’t work- anyway to get that great tool back for us?