How to Add & Remove the Sidebar on Your WordPress Blog

How to Add & Remove the Sidebar on Your WordPress Blog

A well-designed sidebar is an essential part of an effective WordPress blog. Sidebars provide a dedicated space to highlight important links, content, and calls-to-action to your readers as they browse your posts. When used strategically, sidebars can help increase email signups, promote your products and services, boost pageviews, and drive conversions.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive into everything you need to know about WordPress blog sidebars. We‘ll cover what to include in your sidebar, provide step-by-step instructions for adding and removing sidebars in WordPress, as well as share tips and best practices for optimizing your sidebar for maximum impact.

What Is a WordPress Blog Sidebar?

A blog sidebar is a vertical column that appears adjacent to your main blog content. Its purpose is to display supplementary content and links without distracting from your blog posts.

In WordPress, sidebars are made up of widgets – small blocks of content with a specific purpose that you can add, remove, and rearrange. Your WordPress theme may come with one or more sidebars that you can customize to fit your needs.

Some common places you‘ll find sidebars on blogs are:

• To the left or right of the main content area
• Below the main content area
• In a slide-out or sticky panel

What to Include in Your WordPress Sidebar

The specific widgets you place in your sidebar will depend on your blog‘s niche and goals. However, here are some key elements to consider adding to your WordPress blog sidebar:

1. Email Opt-In Form
   Growing an engaged email list should be a top priority for any blogger. Make it easy for readers to subscribe by placing an email opt-in form at the top of your sidebar. Use an attention-grabbing headline and clearly state the benefits of signing up.

2. About Section
   Help first-time visitors put a face to your blog by including a brief "About Me" widget in the sidebar. Include a friendly headshot and a short bio that captures your blog‘s mission and personality. You can also link to your full About page for readers who want to learn more.

3. Popular and Recent Posts
   Highlighting your most popular or recent content in the sidebar is a great way to boost pageviews and engagement. This is especially helpful for first-time readers who may not know where to start. Consider using thumbnails to make these links more visually appealing.

4. Category and Navigation Menus
   Make it easy for readers to find content on specific topics by adding a category menu to your sidebar. If your blog has key pages beyond the blog (like an About or Contact page), consider adding a navigation menu as well.

5. Search Bar
   A search bar widget allows readers to quickly find relevant content if they have something specific in mind. This is a must-have for blogs with an extensive archive of posts.

6. Social Media Buttons
   Promote your social media presence and make it easy for readers to follow you on their preferred platforms by including social media buttons in your sidebar. You can also add click-to-tweet boxes or Pinterest widgets to encourage readers to share your content.

7. Relevant Calls-to-Action
   The sidebar is the perfect place to feature calls-to-action for your most important goals. This could include buttons to download an ebook, register for a webinar, or sign up for a free trial of your product. Just be sure that the CTA is relevant to your blog content and provides value to your readers.

8. Ads and Affiliate Links
   If you monetize your blog through advertising or affiliate marketing, the sidebar is a common place to include these links. Just be sure not to overdo it – too many ads can clutter your sidebar and turn off readers. Focus on promoting highly relevant products and services that align with your blog‘s niche.

How to Add a Sidebar in WordPress

WordPress makes it incredibly easy to add a sidebar (or multiple sidebars) to your blog. You can do this using either the WordPress Customizer or the Widgets menu in your WordPress dashboard. Here are step-by-step instructions for both methods:

Using the WordPress Customizer:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Customize
2. Click on Widgets in the Customizer menu
3. Click on Add a Widget to open the widget menu
4. Find the widget you want to add and click on it to add it to the sidebar
5. Use the widget‘s settings to customize its content and appearance
6. Click on Publish to make your new sidebar widget live

Using the Widgets Menu:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Widgets
2. Choose the sidebar where you want to add a widget
3. Find the widget you want to add in the Available Widgets section
4. Click on the widget and drag it into your desired sidebar
5. Use the widget‘s settings to customize its content and appearance
6. Click Save to apply your changes

How to Remove a Sidebar in WordPress

If you decide a sidebar doesn‘t fit with your blog‘s design or goals, removing it is just as easy as adding it. Here‘s how to remove a sidebar using the WordPress Customizer or Widgets menu:

Using the WordPress Customizer:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Customize
2. Click on Widgets in the Customizer menu
3. Find the sidebar you want to remove
4. Click on the sidebar to expand it
5. Click on Remove to delete the sidebar and all of its widgets

Using the Widgets Menu:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Widgets
2. Find the sidebar you want to remove in the Active Widgets section
3. Click on each widget in the sidebar and drag it back to the Available Widgets section
4. Once all widgets have been removed, the empty sidebar will disappear from your blog

Tips for Optimizing Your WordPress Blog Sidebar

Simply adding widgets to your sidebar is not enough – you need to be strategic about your sidebar design and content. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you customize your WordPress blog sidebar:

1. Keep priority elements above-the-fold
   Place your most important sidebar elements, like an email opt-in form or key navigation links, at the top of the sidebar where they are most likely to be seen.

2. Use images strategically
   Incorporating visuals into your sidebar, like thumbnails for popular posts or a headshot for your bio, can make it more engaging. Just be sure to optimize image sizes for fast loading times.

3. Don‘t overdo it with ads
   Too many ads or affiliate links in your sidebar can make your blog feel spammy and hurt the user experience. Be selective and only promote highly relevant products and services.

4. Customize your sidebar by category
   Consider creating different sidebar layouts for different categories of posts. For example, you could highlight category-specific opt-in freebies or featured products.

5. A/B test your sidebar elements
   Use a WordPress split testing plugin to experiment with different sidebar designs, widgets, and content to see what resonates best with your audience. Specifically track how sidebar changes impact key metrics like email signups and pageviews.

6. Make your sidebar responsive
   With the majority of web traffic coming from mobile devices, it‘s crucial that your blog sidebar looks great and functions well on smaller screens. Be sure to test and optimize your sidebar content for mobile visitors.

Putting It All Together

A well-crafted sidebar can elevate your WordPress blog and help turn one-time readers into loyal subscribers and customers. By following the tips and best practices outlined in this guide, you‘ll be well on your way to creating a high-converting sidebar that complements your content and supports your blogging goals.

The key is to be intentional about every element you include and closely monitor your analytics to see what resonates with your unique audience. Don‘t be afraid to experiment and think outside the box! With a little creativity and strategic thinking, your WordPress blog sidebar can become a powerful tool for engaging readers and growing your business.