Blog Rolls - What ‘not’ to show on your Sidebar or Homepage

I could make this a unending list, but for clarity I will concentrate on just one item. Please bear in mind, this is only my opinion that I am expressing. I’m a minimalist at heart, so anything I express about design and aesthetics will be under that sparse entity.

Blog Rolls. It really is not a good idea to have these taking up valuable space on your front page, home page or side menu. I’m not saying ‘don’t have them at all’ just that there are other places where they can go without polluting your home page or filling up your side bar.

A Blog List with enticing links, presumably from sites you really like, situated ‘front page center’ will only help your new found visitor’s leave your blog to visit another blog you recommended before they have even looked at yours.

You ought to think about yourself here firstly. Then ensure you participate in the spirit of Linking in a manner that does not filter people away from your site before they have even seen it. This has happened to me when I have visited sites. I barely get to the home page, see the expanded version of the Blog List, and before I know it, I am utterly distracted and off on search for yet more blogs before I have even had chance to soak up the one I just came to. A few links down the line and you are lost and no idea how to get back to that first Blog.

Blog Rolls are primarily to help support other Blogs and to recommend possible ‘of interest sites’ to other users. It is interesting to see who links to who, I myself have found some excellent blogs through the Blog Rolls, but I usually search these out if the Blog I am visiting is interesting.

When I have landed on a Blog that maybe is bursting with chicklets and buttons, and I happen to see some interesting links on their prominent Blog Roll, usually on the side menu somewhere (where else!), good chance I will be of clicking a few links before taking in the site I initially came to see. It does happen.

Keep new visitors with you, try not to unwittingly encourage them to leave with uber visible Blog links. You are likely to be doing your a disservice.

Maybe just a link to a separate page maybe, listing your favorite links. All I am trying to do is reduce clutter on the front page or sidebars, and not give potential interested people an opportunity to escape your blog before they have even read it.
Something to think about anyway.