Pay Super Close Attention to Your Blog Sidebar

How many things do you tell readers to do on your blog sidebar? 

Do you instill analysis paralysis?

Or do you give readers clarity?

Technically, getting clear on asking readers to do a bunch of things leads to success, collectively.

But most bloggers are not transparent in adding a bunch of sidebar options.

Fear of Losing Money

Most bloggers fear losing out on money, promoting a high volume of similar opportunities, and posting similar opportunities on their sidebar. 

If fear drives you, how far do your blog’s sidebar and its many options take you? Not far at all.

Imagine if someone finds your blog and scans the five different work at home opportunities you advertise via the sidebar.

What does a person choose? Typically, nothing, because visitors feel confused about seeing five similar work at home opportunities. But visitors only feel confusion in reaction to the fear you felt in advertising five prospects on the same blog’s sidebar.

As within, so without, is the blogging sidebar mantra. Fearing the loss of opportunity within clutters your blog sidebar with too many options.

Overcompensation ensues. Bloggers fear readers missing out on all opportunities bloggers have to offer.

Don’t Put So Many Ads on Your Blog Sidebar

Sidebar stuffing follows. But posting a high volume of ads embeds and other content only serves to confuse readers because your fear of loss – manifest as a cluttered sidebar – scares off readers.

Pay super close attention to how you use your sidebar. What message do you send to visitors?

Do you goad them to do ten things?

Why?

What motivates you to add so many options to your blog sidebar?

In most cases, fear drives bloggers to add ample options for buying stuff or hiring people or signing up for online business opportunities because fear manifests as overdoing it. 

I am all for adopting an abundant mindset. Give readers multiple options to buy stuff or to hire you.

But doing so via separate pages designated for specific business channels is the smart move because no clutter and confusion arise in such a scenario.

You also increase calls to action taken because offering a few sidebar options focuses readers on these few options. Readers tend to act positively on lesser, clearer options.

Have a clear Blog Sidebar

Design a clear, easy-to-digest sidebar with few options available. Tell people to do a few things, so more folks do those few things.

Imagine looking at a restaurant menu. How long does it take to place your order if you have 15 pages and 300 dishes to choose from?

Guaranteed, it takes most people quite a while to pick one meal from 300 options. But picture walking into a specialty restaurant with 20 options. You choose 1 option quickly.

Why?

Reducing options gives readers focus, clarity, and conviction. But do expound business products and services via dedicated pages.

Add income streams through pages but keep sidebar options tight, neat, tidy, and few in number.

I post a picture linked to my eBooks via my blog sidebar, plus two disclosures.

But I post 100 plus eBooks on an eBook page; I publish an audiobook page and a course page too for opening blogging income channels.

No clutter. All dedicated pages. This is how to build a business through the power of clarity. 

Maintain A Clear Bare-Bones Design

Maintain a clear, simple, bare-bones design heavy on white space and light on ads. Create a laser-clear, simple sidebar with a few calls to action.

Publish individual, dedicated pages to handle blogging products and services. Link to these dedicated pages via header menus.

At the end of the day, your clarity makes the difference.

Adding a high volume of sidebar elements leads to success if you feel clear, confident, and comfortable doing so.

However, few bloggers maintain this crystal clear level of confidence and comfort. Most add many options for fear of missing out on business.

Face Your Fears

Honestly, face your fears. Observe your intent. Tidying up your blog sidebar can lead to greater blogging profits.

Get clear within, add a few options to your sidebar, and observe as your blogging business grows through the power of clarity.

eBook

Tidying up your blog sidebar by trimming the hedges saves your blogging time.

Why?

Focusing readers on a few options tends to grow your blogging business more quickly as readers take more calls to action. 

But you may need more time-saving tips if you maintain a busy schedule. Good news. I wrote an eBook for you.

10 Time-Saving Tips for Busy Bloggers