Refined, Not Reduced – Navigation Series, Part 4
There was a time when every website had a sidebar. Then came the trend to kill them. But the truth is when used well sidebars are incredibly useful. They just got lazy.
A good sidebar acts like a station attendant: always off to the side, rarely flashy, but right there when you need directions, help, or a map you didn’t realize you needed.
What a Sidebar Is For
- Highlighting next steps for readers who finish the post
- Offering a CTA that doesn’t interrupt the main content
- Surface content or tools without overwhelming the layout
Sidebars aren’t for decoration. They’re for relevance in the moment.
Common Sidebar Mistakes
- Too much noise – Ads, widgets, social feeds, calendars, rotating banners… stop.
- Irrelevant to the page – Showing the same sidebar on every page is convenient, but lazy.
- No visual contrast – If it blends into the background, it gets ignored. If it screams for attention, it gets closed.
- Used as a junk drawer – If you don’t know where to put something, don’t stick it in the sidebar by default.
Smart Ways to Use One
- Contextual CTAs: different offers on different service or blog pages
- Download links or signup prompts related to the content
- Mini-table of contents for long pages
- Client testimonials or relevant endorsements
The Real Rule
If someone never uses your sidebar, that’s a design problem not a user flaw.
What You Can Do Today
Take a look at your sidebar and ask:
- Is anything there actually helping someone decide, understand, or act?
- Would this sidebar make sense if I didn’t already know what the site was about?
- Do different pages on my site use different sidebars or is it one-size-fits-all?
Let’s refine your layout together.
I offer practical reviews and strategy sessions to help you rethink the layout elements most people forget sidebars included.
Recommended Reading
The Design of Everyday Things – Don Norman
A foundational book for understanding how people interact with objects, tools, and yes interfaces like websites. Readable and endlessly useful.
Closing Thought
Sidebars aren’t dead. They’re just misunderstood.
When done right, they make your site feel like it was built with attention rather than leftovers.
Coming Next:
Footers, Not Dumpsters
(Where we learn how to end a page without hiding a landfill.)