Strategically Plan Your Website’s Sidebar

Like an expensive tract of land, your website’s sidebar proves valuable. This section of your website is valuable real estate because it is located in a very central location. This means your website viewers see your sidebar and have an opportunity to use it. So how can you maximize the use of your website’s sidebar?

First, let me clarify what a sidebar is. This is a vertical section of your website, either on the far right or left side, that has navigational elements to help your web viewers do something. Often, sidebars have hyperlinks to certain webpages and may also have advertisements.

Sidebar Considerations

The first strategic question you may ask is, “What do you hope to accomplish from your website?” If you want people to read your blog, then make sure your sidebar has access to your blog. Perhaps you can also include your blog’s categories so people can read your posts discussing those categories.

To help people come back to your website, perhaps you can also have an email newsletter signup form. Or a Google Feedburner blog signup form. The idea is to make it easy to have your readers get notified when you publish new content.

Another strategic question to ask is what are my web viewers interested in? For this, you may reference Google Analytics to see what pages people click on the most. If they tend to read your bio, then make sure your bio is located in your sidebar. Make it easy for people to access the content they need.

If you need help with your sidebar, Tricom is happy to help. To get started, ask for your free quote today.