Late last year I placed a poll on my blog and website, asking people to tick whichever of these categories applied to them. Most of the answers are encouraging. The only seriously bad news, is the low number of people who check out books and products for sale. I would like to see sidebars and Author information read more often. Bios may need to be placed in a sidebar to overcome reluctance to click on links.
As the poll was multiple choice, the results don’t add up to 100%. I decided on the choices based on the pet peeves I have heard from bloggers and blog readers.
What do you read in a blog results:
- Only the linked post that interests me – 6%
- I will look at recent posts – 23%
- I will not click on teaser links to read more, I want the full post straight up – 4%
- I rarely go through archives and calendars of posts – 8%
- I check the sidebars for more information – 18%
- I like to read about the author if I don’t know them – 18%
- I will check out people’s books and products for sale – 9%
- I bookmark to come back later, but rarely do – 5%
So what do you think of these results? I am interested in your interpretation and reaction. The sample was fairly modest.
If you have any ideas on how to improve the way we present books for sale on blogs, please place them in the comments below. It would be good to brainstorm new ideas.
The best comment on this post was left on Google Plus by Tosca Johnson: “People want reviews of books not links to books. I don’t click on blogs to buy other things. I click on a blog because I like the title of the post. If the post encourages me to want a product that is different. If on the off day a link on the blog entices me that is bonus and very rare…“ Thanks Tosca!
Hi Cate,
What a great idea – and many thanks for sharing the results. I was wondering though, how to interpret them.
For example how to read: “I will not click on teaser links to read more, I want the full post straight up – 4%”
Does it mean that 96% of those who participated in the poll would prefer a teaser link?
I put that question in as I had heard bloggers complain about how teaser links annoy them and they will NOT click on them. The stats show how many people hold that attitude – very few.
If someone tries to sell me anything, it is an instant turn off. Sorry, just my honest opinion.
I see your point but sounds not too fair. Everyone on the net is trying to “sell” something – if nothing else one’s opinion, world-view or ‘meme’. On the social media everyone is “selling themselves”. On a CV/Resume we sell our talents. That’s the kind of world we live in.
That is very true. The issue is, how do we do it without saturating everyone, so that people don’t simply switch off.
Is it really the kind of world we live in? Or is it just the kind of world we’ve allowed ourselves to be satisfied with? The world we put up with because we’re so busy trying toget by that we don’t spend the effort to change it to something we like better?
Truth is, no matter how much you sell yourself, you always come out in the negatives somehow. That is, as long as you see it as a value/cost-rated system…
You’re spot on Eden.
No idea if this will be helpful or whether I’m the only one with this opinion, but anymore I tend to skim over the posts with anything like, “book tour” or “blog tour” or “book blast” in the title. I suppose I’m jaded because I see so many of them, but I guess that’s the point: there are SO many of them. I feel like those types of posts are all so similar that I bypass them, even if the individual blogger may have brought something unique to the party. Anyone else agree or am I wallowing in a sea of cynicism?
I agree Alan, I hate heavy marketing and refuse to use it. It becomes blog spam.
Very informative! Thank you so much for doing this poll!
Cate, I recently stumbled upon the webpage of K.D. Berry, whose books I’ve read. I think the front page showcases their books really nicely. I remember thinking at the time that it was a great example of how an author’s front page should look. The webpage is http://www.kdberry.com/ .
Thanks Lauralynn, I will check that out.
P.S. What fun to see Rosie on an Aussie blog. So cool. See. You have something vivid and different, and I NOTICED! I noticed so much I commented.
LOL. I don’t know if Rosie was used in Australia, but she quite possibly was… and is now!
How about a small horizontal item embedded to run between posts so it appears at the end of each one. I don’t know if you can do this, but I’ll bet somebody could figure it out with existing standard templates. It’s an idea … I can’t say too much about people being in a hurry and blowing site material off. I do it all the time! “I’ve met the enemy and she is me.”
You could code it in yourself Sharon. That’s not a bad idea. Thank you.
I fear this just means that more book info is going to have to be included in periodic posts to get readers to engage with it.
I do that in a subtle way, but like Alan, I’ve become immune to blog hops and saturation marketing. I don’t like bombardment, it encroaches on my mental space.