You got to declutter, honey!

This is a very good blog post and advise on the blog interface- how to present your online interface to your customers.

From: http://www.prettyandunder40.com/2010/08/situation-1-ever-walked-into-retail.html

You got to declutter, honey!

Situation 1: Ever walked into a retail shop and you find racks with clothes of all kinds hung on it. Yeah, pretty typical.

Situation 2: Now try imagining one of those shops which is cluttered to the brim. It's still bearable as you know that some gems may be hidden under and you know you'll find it if you dig deeper and longer.

Situation 3: Lastly, try imagining a shop where you'd find some fancy clothes around but the biggest distraction isn't the fact that it's packed with clothes but BANNERS - 2' x 6' banners of other shops.

Now, most of us can identify with situation 1 and 2, but definitely not 3. Not in the malls that we see. But may I just point out that a blogshop is also a retail shop. And I guess we are no stranger to the fact that as blogshoppers, we are bombarded with banners (or some call it link buttons) and of other shops and review blogs.

For the past few years, I realized that there are more blogshops in the www than ever. I've heard people singing praises and amazement on how blogshop owners can manage a business using merely a blog. And as the numbers increase, blogshop owners find that they are getting lesser of the pie. To increase sales and traffic, they do what they can to shout their presence, and this includes exchanging links/buttons/banners.

Today I'm asking the blogshop owners to DECLUTTER their shops. I know I'm making an audacious statement. I'm not suggesting that you should hire a professional website designer to whip up a cleaner website.  And please, I'm not asking you to remove all the link banners/buttons. I'm saying that you may want to reconsider the placement of the banners and links you put in your blog.

I have a few personal reasons to this. And you may want to hear me out:

Reason 1: You want shoppers to spend more time looking at your products and NOT be distracted by other banners
Banners can turn out to be a distraction, especially the flashy ones. If you ever walk into a shop, your intention is to see what they have in stock, and eventually buy it. But imagine yourself walking into Topshop and find La Senza, Guess, Marc Jacobs and Vincci banners in the shop, you'd bound to be distracted. You'd probably find yourself studying the banners and spend lesser time in adoring the clothes there. The same will translate in the blogosphere. 


Reason 2: The more successful blogshops are those who are least cluttered
Off my mind, I can tell of 2 blogs who are successful and have carved a name for themselves. Moreover, they get repeated customers. At Phat Culture and Shopaholics Unite, you'd find that their sidebar is filled with stuff that matters to them - about them, contacts, labels/tags, terms and conditions, twitter, and postal rates. Keep it simple and your potential customers wouldn't get a headache.


Reason 3: Do not feel obliged to link all the reviewers in order to get a review from them
Personally, I don't believe in favors like this one. I have heard of reviewers who'd only review the blogshop IF their link button/banner is in that blogshop. Having your clothes featured in another's blog is important. But you can be clever about it too. Create a PAGE in your blog where you can list all the reviewers in it. That's the art of decluttering. 


Reason 4: A cleaner-looking blog gives you the allowance to price your products higher
The idea is not selling it cheap and sell more. Your goal is to sell it at a higher price and sell more. A simple illustration - some are willing to pay slightly more for your Char Kwey Teow at a fancy cafe though they know that the same dish will cost lesser at any kopitiam (hawker stalls). It's comfort and appeal that we want. Why do some prefer to shop at Bangsar boutiques when you can most probably get the same thing in Sungei Wang? Comfort and appeal again.


The purpose of this post is to help blogshop owners to increase traffic and sales. No ill intentions to anyone at all. After all, as humans, aesthetic appeal is important. So what should you do?


Solution: Don't stop exchanging links, find a way around it
 May I reiterate one last time, I'm not asking anyone to stop exchanging links. I know some of you are wondering what can you do? Make use of the 'Pages'. Like what I do here.

I consider myself a social entrepreneur and I have a list of banners where people can click-to-donate. So, I created a page to compile them all.

See, you can still have them all by decluttering.


I know there are some who beg to differ and we welcome your comments. Ultimately, we want to see all blogshop owners succeed and build a business that thrives. Adios.