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Power Up Your Home Page or Blog:
5 Attention-grabbing Sidebars
 I love my subscribers. They are scary smart, curious and willing to try new things. I had an online chat with one of them this week. We were talking about how the number one goal of web design should be to pull your readers into your copy, your content, your call to action.
It's true. Good website (or blog) design seeks out and showcases your most engaging content. It takes your readers on a scenic tour of your home page and stops at the best places so they can have a look around. It takes them by the hand and points, "Look, over here is our value-packed newsletter. Click here to read a sample issue. Go here to sign up."
And over here? Some clients who have worked with us and have some things to say about that.
Oh, and here's my recent blog post on 10 easy marketing ideas to launch in 2010. You might find this helpful.
How exactly do you point readers to your best content? One way is to use sidebars. You know, those little snippets that magazine and newspaper editors use to pull readers into their content? A sidebar is really just a bite-sized piece of content that whets the appetite, turning scanners and skimmers into readers-and responders.
5 attention-grabbing sidebars
Fresh content in carefully constructed sidebars-normally on the right-hand side of your home page-will both help your Google rank and keep your readers on your site. To create your own sidebar plan, think about your most useful, value-packed content. The stuff that builds your credibility, builds trust with your customers and is, well, helpful. Sidebars that work well:
1. Your most recent e-letter issue. If you have a newsletter, you are probably working very hard to put quality content out each week. Use your home page to grow your subscriber list with an e-letter sidebar. And be sure that you have a prominent sign-up box. 2. Customer testimonials and client success stories. The good things your customers say about you can have a profound effect on your readers. Consider pulling some of your quotes out and highlighting them in a sidebar as my friend, consultant, speaker and publisher Kare Anderson, did on her site. 3. Your most recent blog post. Some people create a sidebar on their website's home page with links to their most popular posts. Others include the first two paragraphs or so of their most recent post with a "read more" hyperlink. Just remember to use the text that will make your readers curious enough to click through. 4. Your twitter updates. If you are on twitter, consider having a sidebar on your blog with your 3 most recent tweets. Because they are constantly changing, you are giving your readers fresh content all the time. They will see that you are involved in interesting conversations with interesting people. And they will get a better sense of who you are. Of course, include a large "Follow Me on Twitter" button, too. 5. A "See Me At" Calendar. Let your visitors know what you are up to with a calendar of events sidebar. Even if they are not anywhere near your whereabouts, they will see that you must be good at what you do because you are speaking at conferences, giving workshops and hosting other events. And it's more fresh content that is constantly rotating in and out.
Visit the blog for more helpful tips. This week's post: 10 for 2010: Flab-busting marketing for busy people.
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