WordPress Themes - How many sidebars?

[Rick Olsen]

I'm revamping a blog and I've decided to change the Theme. I'm wondering what the most popular layout for a wordpress blog is.

How many sidebars should a blog have? Should sidebars be on the left, right, or both? The Theme I'm replacing has two sidebars on the right. I thought this gives room for more stuff without extending six pages below the fold.

I've read that one sidebar is best, but which side should it be on? I think that I prefer it on the right side.

So, what do you think?

[Lynn Terry]

There is no standard, really but the general preference (including mine) is a 2-column layout with the sidebar on the right. The focus should be on your content, and a 3-column really takes away from that and makes things cluttered.

[TraciKnoppe]

I have a two column split theme on mine. The core layout is actually 2 columns (sidebar on the right), but the right sidebar is actually split on the lower half making it 3 columns, yet without taking away from my 'content real estate'. You can see it here: http://genesisblogging.com

[RichAvery]

I have a two column split theme on mine. The core layout is actually 2 columns (sidebar on the right), but the right sidebar is actually split on the lower half making it 3 columns, yet without taking away from my 'content real estate'. You can see it here: http://genesisblogging.com
Traci,

Did you go with a specific Theme in order to get your sidebar to split into two columns? I noticed that on Lynn's site and was wondering if there's a way for me to do it with the Thesis Theme, or if I had to use a separate theme. Thanks!

Rich

[Lynn Terry]

We'll have to wait for Traci to answer. I had my theme custom designed, so I don't know the "how to" (except the "how to pay somebody else to do it" lol).

:)

[TraciKnoppe]

Traci,

Did you go with a specific Theme in order to get your sidebar to split into two columns? I noticed that on Lynn's site and was wondering if there's a way for me to do it with the Thesis Theme, or if I had to use a separate theme. Thanks!

Rich

Hi Rich - yes, the column split was how that theme was designed. There are a few themes that do this; but of course, you could have someone custom design a theme for you.

This is not necessarily something 'easy' to do, unless you're a designer. It's possible that some highly customizable themes may have the 2nd column split option. I'm betting there are probably some out there that would do this, just don't know of any right off hand.

[wade_watson]

This thread stimulated my curiosity about which column layout is truly the most successful. I looked at blog listed on Technorati's Top 100 List (http://technorati.com/pop/blogs/). The 2 column w/ right sidebar layout was the most common. All of the top 10 were 2-col. except for 2 that had 3-col. themes. Of the second 10 on the top 10 list, half had the 2-col/right sidebar layout. Most of the others had 3-column, usually with double sidebars on the right.

"The Daily Beast" had an interesting 3-col layout. The left column contained only the post title. Going against the grain, Seth Godin's blog is 2-column, left sidebar. I'm surprised more bloggers don't use left sidebars. Awhile back I saw the results of a page clicking survey that showed the upper upper-left page area to be a much hotter click area then the upper right.

Of course, the most important factor in those or any blog's success is content, not design.

[TraciKnoppe]

Yep, the right sidebar(s)" is common because the site content is the focus for the reader, and the search engines.

[paulshort]

We'll have to wait for Traci to answer. I had my theme custom designed, so I don't know the "how to" (except the "how to pay somebody else to do it" lol).

:)

LOL @ Lynn

Hi Rick,

Lynn's theme is two columns with the wide content column on the left and narrower one on the right. Within the right column, there are two narrower columns - one floats left and one floats right.

I've seen quite a few Thesis modifications and I'm pretty sure you can get the same effect as with Lynn's Clicknewz site. I'm not familiar with the Thesis theme myself, though. I roll-my-own themes and have never actually used the Thesis back-end.

Not much help, I know. But almost anything is possible with a little CSS :)

Paul