Unclutter your blog

Today we'll take it slower and relax, kick in with a cool ice tea and cleaning a bit our blog. Yup that's right, today we'll look into few ways of helping your blog look cleaner. Who thought relaxing and cleaning could ever be in the same sentence?!?! anyway..

1st. first thing that need to be cleaned up is the top of your blog's page.. that is the first thing your readers see. You can start up by hiding the navigation bar. It works wonders!

2nd. and the most important thing in the upper part of your blog is your blog banner. So when you're creating your banner, make sure it's coordinated with your blog first, but also know when too much is too much. Pick only one style(scrapbook-y look, picture, text or vectors look), and never mix and match as your result might be disastrous! Also Java looks more professional, I'm with you, but choosing that will make your site load slower..unless you have a host that allows you that luxury. But we're not talking Ferrari and Jaguar now, we're here with Volvo and Ford.. so take your time, drink some tea and work with what you have:)


3rd. well after the blog banner, the thing that usually drives readers away is a cluttered sidebar. If it's full of a bunch of de-centered and random buttons, you need to get on that immediately. I already told you how to center/decenter your sidebar buttons and how to size up you sidebar buttons.. so that should be of help for now!

4th. making your information available fast for your readers but don't clutter the sidebars. You can do that by tags. Yup that's right. Arrange all the posts in categories by tagging each of them accordingly. When you're done, add an HTML gadget on your sidebar and submit all posts with that tag to it.. If you don't know how to do that, let me know in the comments section and I'll get to explain that in our next tutorial:)

5th. Remove widgets showing which country your visitors are from. The internet is wide and open these days, and it's no Carrie Underwood revelation anymore if you have a visitor from north pole(love the ice there:). Plus you can use your blog's stats tool that Blogger made available now, for marketing purposes!

Picture courtesy of Carrie Underwood

6th. Remove recent comments widget. This doesn't help neither you, nor your readers, and the only thing they do, is just clutter your space. Displaying half a sentence from a comment that is already displayed in the comments section doesn't make sense; it only wastes more of your precious blog space.

7th. Remove email subscription forms from the sidebars or homepage. There's many people confused by these forms, because they look pretty similar to a searching box. So a better way to keep that option open for your readers is to dedicate a special page just for that or if it didn't prove to help your blog much, simply remove them completely.

OK people these are the first tips to fight blog clutter with the mighty force sword:) Here's the latest unclutering your blog posts! Make sure you don't miss any of these as they will keep coming.. after all why just spring and winter cleaning??? why not summer cleaning too?!?!:) I say, hello!!


39 comments:

janetfaye said...

Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog and following. I am now following you back on GFC - janetaye

http://grammyjanetsplace.blogspot.com/

Karen and Gerard said...

I don't understand why you would want to hide your navigation bar. To me that serves a purpose and I don't think it looks cluttered at all. When I'm on blogs, I always check those out to see what else they have to offer and also that HOME tab is convenient when I come from a link to a specific post but want to explore more of the blog.

Angela said...

Thanks for following! I think your blog will be very helpful to me! Mommy Time Out!

Design It Chic said...

@ Karen & Gerard Zemek: Hiding the navigation bar doesn't mean you remove it.. it means it doesn't show unless you roll over it:) Check how mine is working and you'll get what I'm saying here:) Hope it helped;) Have a nice day!

citymouse said...

I love this post because Lord knows I can use all the help I can get! I keep my blog pretty clutter free because I just think it looks more professional. I am interested in having something on my sidebar that readers can click & it will show all my music posts. (Is this the kind of thing you were referring to?)

I'm following because I want to know more! Thanks.

Made my way over here from SITS.

Megan said...

Love the tips! Still trying to figure out the whole look and feel of my blog! Over from Wordless Wednesday!

Jessica said...

I want to learn how to make cut tag buttons for my side bars!! Teach us oh wise one!!

4 kids, 3 cats, 2 dogs, and a husband. said...

Cute page! =0)

Vivianne's Vista said...

Thank you for stopping by my blog, for Welcome Wed. I already am a follower!

Meg O. said...

Hey! Thanks for the follow! I'm definitely following you back - super cute blog and looking forward to reading more of your tips! -Meg @ oisme.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

thanks for visiting my blog and all your great tips!

Plantress said...

Thank you for this helpful information. Honestly, I just want someone to come over to my house and help me gut the whole thing. By help me, I mean they do most of the work and I approve or disapprove of the changes. I say vague things and they just know what I mean and do it! I want my blog to look like Laura's Bold Bright and Beautiful. I think her blog is very clean and professional looking.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the tips. I hope to be a good student.

Lisa

Cooking Up Faith said...

These are great tips. I don't understand how to tag posts on the side bar. Thanks for the blog hop suggestions too!

Nesty Girl said...

Hi! I'm visiting you from New Friend Fridays; I am a little late!!! Your blog looks great, and I love the tips! Have a great day!!!

CinnyBBS said...

Hi,

Thanks for dropping by and following. I'm now your newest follower!

http://whirlwindofsurprises.blogspot.com

Scuba Wife Life said...

Thanks for stopping by and for following my blog. I love the tips that you have on your blog! So helpful! :) I am following you back! :)

Anonymous said...

Hey! Thanks for following. Great tips here!

maisondemarrakech said...

hiya! I used to live in Germany, Berlin too!
I'm your newest follower.
Would love if you follow me back at
www.maisonmarrakech2010.blogspot.com

Thankx

Reina

Unknown said...

I'm your newest Thursday follower!

Following from http://www.onelittlemister.com/

Nicole

I LOVE your blog and would really like to see your post on resizing sidebar items!!!

momondealz said...

Love the tips! I definitely could use help with this!Thanks for following momondealz on Traveling Through Thursday! I am following you back!

Anna Blanch said...

Thanks for this list. I have a search box on the top of the left panel. On the right panel i have left the email subscription. I've had people asking em whether i do a newsletter by email lately. It's confirmed for me that i need to leave email subscription per post as an option.

Great post and i think i will deactivate the navigation bar - i really only use it as a short hand to get to my dashboard and that's lazy.

A.

Alison Agnew said...

Stopping by from SITS. Thanks for the helpful info...go to go delete my subscription gadget immediately!

scrappinmammaw said...

Hi, thanks for the follow!!! Following you back! I am going to have a great time reading your blog! You have some wonderful ideas....hmmmmm Im thinking a sit down over a virtual cup of coffee may be in order soon :D

Megan said...

hi design it! newest follower- thanks for swinging by my blog! im excited to see what all you have to share! :)

Mrs. Tasha said...

New Follower from Traveling through Thursday! Love your blog. Follow back at mrstashalynn.blogspot.com

Lizzie said...

Thanks for the great tips, I'll be following for more.

Mama Up! said...

I'm feeling pretty good about my blog after reading this!

Tanyia said...

Thanks for the tips! I had no idea I could even hide the top nav bar for blogger! :) yay!

thanks for the follow I am following you back!

Anonymous said...

Guess I'm your second North Pole visitor:~) Love your blog.

Marjory Skousen said...

Thanks for following me. Man I'm glad you did! Your blog is full of good info.

Emily said...

Love the tips! I am your newest follower!

sheila said...

great tips! I think I may be too cluttered. *sigh*

Hazel said...

New follower! Would love for you to visit me on my blog, Critique of the Unique!

http://www.critiqueoftheunique.blogspot.com

Hazel

Emma B. said...

How do I use the tags to put posts in a gadget on my sidebar (what you mentioned in #4)? I want to do that for my giveaway posts

http://cheapskate4life.blogspot.com

Tonia Lee Smith said...

I think these are some great tips, a couple I may consider. Thanks for stopping by today. I'm a new follower.

Shruti said...

Thanks... this was really helpful...

Tanya said...

Great Advice! Now I am off to working on ALL that. I am over her from Mingle Mondays! Love your blog I think it will help me as a new blogger so I am excited to follow!

Scented Leaf said...

I will think more about to use a HTML gadget to sort posts by tags on my sidebar. Thanks for tips.