When I first introduced the Fastway theme(which got a lot of great attention), I had several really nice compliments about my current design, and questions as to whether I would make it available. Well, the time has come.

When I started the layout of this theme, I wanted something that had a very professional look to it, and also a memorable color scheme. I think I succeeded in both ways. You’re probably wondering why I’ve included a screenshot of this design in the post………when all you gotta do is look at the site you’re reading. Well that’s because I want readers to see the design I’m talking about once I roll out my new design.

For the most part, nothing about this theme will change. It will be available as you see it here. Of course, the logo and banner will not be in the header……..that will be up to you to add whatever you want up there. The default header will have the blog title and tagline.

Links, Anyone?

Something I’m going to do a little different with this release, is offer you the opportunity to enjoy the incoming links that a theme can bring you. Would you like a boost for your Technorati rank? If so, this will be a cool opportunity………more on that later.

After doing some research, I will not be offering links afterall. It’s not an excuse, but I had no idea that their was an issue surrounding it. So I will be putting this design up for download, but no sponsored links.

With blogging’s rise in popularity, the sidebar has become a place for much more.

The far majority of websites and blogs have at least one sidebar. The primary purpose being to provide deeper navigation into the website. With blogging’s rise in popularity, the sidebar has become a place for much more. The sidebar is a great place to put information and links that will benefit readers by providing them quick access to useful info. I got the idea from a post on bill2me.com to make a list of what I think are the essentials.

First, I want to list a few things that are found in many sidebars, but are wasted space in my opinion.

• Calendar
• Archives(by date)
• meta(site admin links)

Having said that, yes, I do include those things in the default sidebars in my themes. Why? I guess because that’s the normal thing to do, and that is what people expect to find in a theme. I haven’t really considered doing any different, since most WordPress users use sidebar widgets anyway. All three of these elements can be useful in certain types of sites, but in general they don’t really add value.

So, what are the more important things to include? Well this really comes down to opinion and personal preference. What I find to be crucial, you may think otherwise. Here, I’ve made a list of what I think are the 5 most essential items to include in a sidebar, and why.

1. Pages / Navigation – Some sites, such as this one, have a horizontal navigation menu right under the header. All sites don’t. It’s frustrating for me to visit a site, and the only means of navigation is either going to the bottom of the page and following the “previous entries” link, or by searching the Archives(by date). The truth is, I probably won’t take the time to do either. So I think providing easy navigation is the most essential. Preferably with a nice sitemap.
2. Recent Posts – I like to display recent posts, because this is obviously the first place a visitor will look when visiting a site for the first time, to try getting an overall feel for the content.
3. Recent Comments – This is important, in my opinion, because it makes it easy for the reader to follow any conversations that are happening on the site. And hey, isn’t conversation what blogging is all about?
4. Categories – This one goes right along with navigation. If a reader is looking for specific information, this makes it easy for them to see if you have anything to offer about that subject.
5. Subscription Options – If you want to build a community of regular readers, it’s much more likely to happen by RSS.

That’s my list. What would you consider the most important elements of a sidebar? What am I leaving out?