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Home » The Famous Blog » 3 Stupid Simple Tips to Quickly Increase Conversions Using Your Blog Sidebar

3 Stupid Simple Tips to Quickly Increase Conversions Using Your Blog Sidebar

February 19, 2013 - Last Modified: February 19, 2013 by Ryan Biddulph

Are you using or abusing your blog sidebar? This little old piece of blog real estate can be a boon or spell doom for your online business. Really, because people often jump over to the sidebar area after reading your value-packed content.

Well, I at least HOPE your content is value-packed.

You see all types of approaches to using the sidebar. Some use few widgets with no real purpose in mind. Other people litter their sidebar with ad after ad, opportunity after opportunity. Even if your opportunities are awesome, your free giveaways are unreal and your ads are eye-catching, too many options spoil the conversion pot.

What Are Conversions?

For the purpose of this post I am defining conversions as people who opt-in to your list, click on your ads or buy your products.

Really, it is the whole purpose behind your blog, at least if you run an online business, and that is simply influencing your readers to take the next step. Increase your conversions and you can make a ton of money online. But if you never convert, look out. You will struggle to make a dime, because people are not taking that next step that eventually puts money in your pocket.

As for the stupid simple tips, well, they are actually quite easy to follow, so, stupid simple they are. Just read the post and follow this advice to boost your conversions quickly.

Tip – Define the Purpose of Your Blog

My blog teaches people how to generate cash online.

So each widget on my sidebar should focus on helping people generate cash online. If a widget does not help people generate cash online, it confuses my readers, and my conversions suffer. So, use niche specific keywords in each post, to ensure that your AdSense ads are relevant, and are in alignment with your purpose.

Make sure other ads are in alignment with the purpose of your blog too, and oh yeah, make sure your About Me text and image are related to generating cash online. I know, I seem like a stickler, but it really is all about the details. When I posted a new image of myself sitting in front of my lap top, my brand grew some legs, and I fully aligned my sidebar with generating cash online.

Tip 2 – Not Too Busy OK Dude or Dudette!

Some sidebars make me so dizzy, I feel like hurling. An onslaught of blinking ads, pictures galore, AdSense, opt-in forms. Too busy, too much at once, and when your readers are presented with too many choices, they become confused, and yep, no clicks, no conversions.

Limit the number of widgets you use on your sidebar, especially if you are in the process of building up to 100 visitors a day. Too many options sends your readers to the hills, without clicking anything, or opting-in to your list.

Post 1 clear cut call to action, and maybe 1 or 2 secondary calls, if you want to increase conversions quickly as a growing blogger. Now, if you have a massive readership, feel free to post more calls to action, or ads, because you are dealing with a wider, more diverse audience, who might appreciate more options.

Tip 3 – And WHY Should I Do It?

Ouch. This one is the kiss of conversion death!

If readers are not clear on your call to action, and it is not painfully obvious, your conversions suffer. Again, if you check my sidebar I posted 2 ridiculously obvious banners directing my readers to sign up for 21 simple tips to mesmerize prospects and a few benefits of my gifting club.

Yep, blatant, I know, and the reason why? Well, you want to mesmerize prospects, and receive free training, and heck, who wouldn’t like cash gifts being sent to them? Bingo. My conversions increased steadily after posting these prominent banners in my sidebar.

Are you struggling to increase conversions?

If you are converting at a high clip what tips can you add?

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Filed Under: Blogging

About Ryan Biddulph

Follow @RyanBiddulph

Ryan Biddulph is a blogger, author and world traveler who's been featured on Richard Branson's Virgin Blog, Forbes and Neil Patel Dot Com. He has written and published 126 bite-sized eBooks on Amazon. Ryan can help you retire to a life of island hopping through smart blogging at Blogging From Paradise.

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{ 20 Responses }

  1. Sudipto says:
    Hey Ryan, Awesome post with great information and I really enjoyed this post while reading and I think this post gonna help all the newbies and Yes, blog side bar helps to increase conversation with the readers and also helps to make good relations with them. Thanks for sharing this post.
  2. Gajendran Megajolla says:
    it is an important post, i have learned more from this post, it is mostly useful for beginners in blogging. keep sharing.
  3. Rinkesh says:
    I've used my sidebars extensive;ly on my blog to increase my adsense revenue. With a little bit of tweak, I've achieved 20% increase in income.
  4. Lindsey Rainwater says:
    These were some great pointers. I go crazy when I see a sidebar that is overfilled with obnoxious advertising. Closing the page and vowing to never return is generally my initial reaction. But doing SOMETHING with it is very important. While I recently redesigned my blog and no longer have a sidebar (for specific reasons) for a long time I didn't do enough with mine. Basically anything I had would cause visitors to click OFF my site - which was silly. Making sure there's a call to action is so important, but I think a lot of people "miss it." Thanks for your post. :)
  5. Tayyab says:
    When a visitor lands on a blog or site he first see the side bar either it is on left or right that is the reason the ads there got more exposure .
  6. Dipra Sen says:
    I think "about us" or "about me" page is right to clear the goal of a site. Obviously it should be something personal.
  7. Mitz Pantic says:
    Yes I agree that you need to be clear about what your site is about firstly...Then they will know what they are there for..The next thing is to not over do your ads.. I hate that! :)
  8. Atul Kumar says:
    I am really thankful for that you have shared great information open for bloggers. I will sure try every one of them and adopt one for lifetime...
  9. Nishadha says:
    Ad blindness is becoming a big issue for Internet marketers and been simple will make you stand out. But I think the most important thing is to have a clear call to action. One obvious things all your visitors should do.
  10. Naser says:
    Hi Ryan, What do you think about purchasing email lists from reputed members? Will that help to increase conversions? Actually, I got that idea from my friend and he asks me to invest in that method.
  11. Bob says:
    Sidebars often get forgotten, but they are really valuable website real estate!
  12. Carl says:
    And I don't even use a sidebar... Well, I guess I'll have to now! Thanks for the tips.
  13. tonygreene113 says:
    I tend to scale back the sidebars and make my entire content area rich. Most folks read left to right and skip over all of the blinding widgets and do-hickeys on the side. Which is better left or right or both?
    • Ryan Biddulph says:
      I would test this 1 Tony, although I prefer the right hand side.
      • Dima says:
        I think that depends on the language. For english I prefer right sidebar, while for languages that read from right to left, left sidebar would be better. What do you think?
  14. Servando Silva says:
    I like to follow the rule of: No more than 3 banners on the sidebar. Then put the opt in form at the top of the bottom of it and 1-2 extra widgets with nothing but content.
  15. babanature says:
    Hello Ryan, great article and well informed. you're absolutely right, if unrelated stuffs filled your sidebar, it will be dificult to get conversions. Me! i also put subscribe button below my post and also put on my sidebar. thanks
  16. mohd akbar says:
    Hi Ryan, I agree with your all three points here and you have given nice info for every bloggers.
  17. Ram Shengale says:
    Hey Ryan, you're right stuffed sidebars don't make any sense as people get distracted by too much information and decide not to do anything. Ram

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