Bloggers are wrong if they think all they have to do is add a link to an affiliate product or their own product from a standard post on their blog!
Now that’s a bold statement that will have some bloggers jumping up and down, crushing their trilby hats beneath 
their feet as they curse “that Wizzer doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
So before those money wizard guys who are doing well shout at me I need to explain a little.
It’s all about choice.
And it’s all about confusion & distraction.
Or rather it shouldn’t be!
If you give people too much choice they simply don’t make decisions.
Ever been to a restaurant with a really long menu?
There’ll be 3 or 4 items you’d really like – how difficult is it to make up your mind?
And what about kids in a sweet shop?
Or visitors to a blog that has adverts and links and other distractions all over the sidebars – take a look at my sidebar to see exactly what I mean.
It’s all very well providing a blog full of useful information BUT if your objective is to lead your visitors somewhere in particular, say an affiliate link, you need to resist the temptation to bury that link amongst the other distractions.
I’ve written about this subject before and I was reminded to do something for our Blogging Beginner members by a video I watched earlier made by Jack Humphrey.
Some while back I produced a template for the Mandigo Theme that enables pages to be created without sidebars – you simple select the template from the drop down list of options as you write your page. I forgot to upload the template and then watching Jack’s video that talks about this issue and explains it extremely well, I remembered I needed to do so.
Such a page should be used if you have a strong message you want to get across with a specific call to action – perhaps a follow this affiliate link or sign up for a newsletter.
Minimising the other distractions on the page is essential and studies show a substantial increase in success rates when a clean page with just one option is prevented.
I’ll let you watch the video – Jack explains it so well there’s little point me doing so again.
Click the highlighted text here to take a look at the video Jack created, my page without sidebars and download your NoSidebar template for the Mandigo theme
Wizzer
Another excellent post. And it makes sense!!!!
Can I look forward to seeing your no sidebar page soon then?
Yes, I already have a plan in mind. The more I think about it the more I like the idea.
You’re just trying to keep me out of trouble with all these pages and gadgets aren’t you?
But of course! Never stay still too long or someone will use you as a hatstand
I have so many hats…I can’t “stand” it!
Great information on mandigo no sidebar template. Is this quite different from a static page and the “How to create a static page” video just recently produced and included in the Blogging beginners Members only Videos?
You say you produced a template for the Mandigo Theme for B.B. that enables pages to be created without sidebars – you simple select the template from the drop down list of options as you write your page? This is the template download you created?
Solar Pond Fountain – Floating Lily
Hi David – let me clarify. The “static front page” is about making one of your site / blog pages the one to show up when anyone finds your site, rather than the latest post. That page will normally be based on the standard template which will include sidebars and usual “distractions”
The no sidebar template is the one to use as a “sales” page / “squeeze” page and can, of course always be made the static front page if desired.
Actually, I probably made my work sound more extensive than it really was – the normal template just needed a few lines of code removing – but yes, I was soooo busy with videos I forgot.