Too Many Widgets on your Blog?

[ffnstuff]

I still see some people with Mybloglog, Blog Catalog, as well as tons of other widgets, some pointless. Slow loading pages is only one of the symptoms of too many widgets on your blog.

Are you addicted to widgets?

Why Widgets Scare Me

[[Parent Life]]

I hate pages over-loaded with widgets also.

[tomabbs]

I agree its tough to find a good compromise. The widgets can bring valuable traffic to your site, but I agree, it is at a cost of load times and design aesthetics.

[Bloggeries]

I'd say if it starts to interfere with load time and or navigation / readability of content then it's an issue. I do agree though many have gone a little widget crazy!

[BookCalendar]

I rather like my widgets. I have a bunch of them. I just got rid of a bunch of them too.

[QuirkyJessi]

I don't think most people even look through people's widgets, so there really 'isn't' a need to have quite so many. Less really is more sometimes and if it's interfering with things like load time or just makes the page look cluttered, then something needs to go.

[juliemo]

But does widgets draw traffic to a site?

[bobbytoat]

some widgets do, some don't... for example entrecard widget bring quite some traffic, I think mybloglog helps too (but less traffic, more chance to make friends with other bloggers) ... other widgets like weather, visitor locations doesn't really bring traffic but depending on the theme of your blog, it could be a good thing. for example, for book review site, there is a widget to show people what you have read or are reading...

[BookCalendar]

I think most of my widgets serve a purpose.
Blogcatalog increases traffic.
Entrecard increases traffic
Bookaholic Blogring-- shows similar blogs
RSS Button-- Subscribe to blog
EFF-- I just like the EFF
Project Wonderful-- Advertising
Adsense-- Advertising

[WhoJayBe]

Well, I think I still have my mybloglog widget there because I want people to join my community. But I thought about taking it down... maybe when I get my readership a little bigger?