Sidebar Spring Cleaning

Apr 18, 2008 by Matt | Posted in Design 2 Comments

Is your sidebar getting out of hand? It’s good idea to go through it a few times every year, and clear out the clutter.

First, rank everything in the sidebar by order of importance. See what your users need to see, and what you want them to see, the most. Cut-out anything that doesn’t

  • help your readers navigate your blog
  • subscribe to your blog
  • highlight content you want them to see
  • seriously make money (e.g. 125×125 ads)

Does MyBlogLog really need to be in your sidebar, above the fold? Do you really need that large badge showing your EatonWeb rank? Decide, carefully, what should stay and what needs to go.

  • http://www.problogdesign.com/ Michael Martin

    Good advice Matt. Sidebars always start out well, but over time, they get messier and messier. A Spring cleaning is never a bad idea.

  • http://www.techadmire.com Siddharth

    Nice post, I think mostly long long categories make your sidebar too messy. Cleaning always make your stuff clean. I am also thinking to get 125×125 ads.very soon.