Static Sidebar Sucks
- Filed under: Tips
If every page has unique content or purpose, then why does your sidebar look the same on every page? Your static sidebar sucks that’s why. Notice, currently, Wpdesigner.com’s sidebar also sucks; it’s static or displays the same content on every page.
Example
While reviewing DavidAirey.com, I realized that his blog’s right sidebar (made up of a search form, feedburner subscribe link, list of popular articles, and list of recent articles) displayed the same sub-content on every page, even on the portfolio page.
(I’m not trying to nit-pick David’s blog, but his portfolio page is the best example of a problem that most of us are facing.)
Typically, portfolio pages are created for potential clients. I don’t know about you, but if I’m thinking about hiring someone by checking out his or her portfolio page, I’m not thinking about subscribing to that person’s blog at the same time. So the question is, why do I need to see the feedburner subscribe link on the portfolio page?
Solution
In DavidAirey.com’s case, the feedburner subscribe link serves no relative purpose. It’s unintentional distraction. To solve this problem, I suggested that David should display client testimonials in the right sidebar for the portfolio page instead of displaying the regular right-sidebar content.
To take it a step further, David or you (for your own blog) should reconsider everything else on the portfolio page or any page for that matter. What is the purpose of that page? What you are trying to accomplish? What are you trying to get the user to do?
Static Sidebar = Clutter = Sidebar Blindness = Waste of Space
The typical blog layout consists of a Main Column + Sidebar(s) with a bunch of stuff. The Bunch of Stuff is what you should sort out (I’m doing it). Cluttered sidebars get ignored anyway so instead of cramming every bit of sub-content into one or two sidebars for every page, start thinking about what makes sense for each page.
To stop wasting about 1/3 of EVERY SINGLE PAGE and start customizing your sidebar, turn off your sidebar widgets and learn how to use conditional tags for the sidebar. And here’s a conditional-tags tutorial by Wpdesigner.com.
Or edit single page or post to drop right side bars
like I do here http://www.wtjr.org
Wow as a total noobie I have often thought the same thing about static sidebars myself.
Not knowing how to change (before, but will study tutorial) this I often disregard any templates that use them automatically
Good catch, SP,
you may use also various page templates and/or different sidebar calls for each template.
Wow!What i coincidence…i am about to ask you how to avoid the static side bar…you’re genius…i just insert the the page of my gallery photo.But,i was wondering how to make it without the static side bar..hehehe..i will study your tutorial this weekeedn..thanks SP
I’m wondering, -is there any possible way to make the sidebar’s in you Theme “Neo-Sapien” wider? If you take a look at my blog, you’ll see that the fourth column with “siste kommentarer” (last comments) is kinda too thin.. it’s not that YOU made it too thin, it’s just that for what I’m useing it to, it’s too thin.. hehe..
So is there a place in my dashboard that I can make it wider?
I am guilty on so many levels but I am trying to fix that.
Snupijenta – There’s no easy to do it without touching the actual codes.
Duh, You are going to have to code to have the sidebar change or not display …whatever.
All things are possible with PHP and a good programmer.
Small Potato, which themes of yours do you allow others to create additional skins for? I’m not talking redistribution but just css makeovers.
Most themes usually come with everything we need and there happens to be a little redundancy here when just a new skin would help.
Could you create a section on your blog for user submitted skin variations? That could add a lot more value to your themes as then there would be many more “colors” to choose from.
It’s just like buying a new car. The functionality is great but does it come in red?
J.R. – All of them. Once you’ve downloaded it, you can modify it.
I’ll write more guides to make theme tweaking an easier process.
Thanks again for reviewing my website. You gave plenty of food for thought and I’ve already removed ‘related articles’ off the homepage to reduce clutter.
I’ll work on some other aspects as soon as I get a chance.
All the best.
Interesting reading what you say SP
The way I see it sidebars are created to further the experience of the user and to help them stay on the website.
The problem then arises that we clutter the sidebar trying to do too much of that!
OK now SP you need to do a good post on how to revolutionize sidebars…
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Widget Logic is a great plugin that means you can still use the widget interface with conditional tags. It adds a field in the admin interface for each widget in a sidebar that allows you to insert php code/conditional tags. The widget willl only be shown when these return true. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/widget-logic/
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Me too. http://carhire.travelmechta.com/
Static Sidebar Sucks is a great work
great work!
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ya really!!
Changing the sidebar on every page/category is very easy.