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Saturday Rant: Make it Easier!

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Services for Real Estate Pros with Marte Cliff Copywriting

Perhaps this just annoys me because I have satellite service and don't instantly zoom from one page to another on the Internet. 

Maybe I'm just being a cranky old woman today, but all the steps it sometimes takes to read an article really annoy me. thumbs down

Just now I got an email from the Active Rainers group on LinkedIn. One of the articles looked interesting, so I clicked. Of course it led me to a LinkedIn entry with a link to click. OK - click again.

THAT click led me to yet another page with another list of articles - and finally that 4th click led to the article. The only reason I clicked that last time was curiositiy. I wondered if it would lead the the whole article or be like so many that have just a couple of paragraphs and then a "more" link. 

By that time I didn't care about reading the article, so I left. 

I think... if we're going to offer a link to something we want to share - that link should lead directly to the article.

What do you think? 

Comments(66)

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Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

I'm with you Marte! If they want us to see/read something there's not reason to have to through a serious of clicks to get to it. I hate it when I don't have a direct link to whatever is being offered.

Aug 24, 2013 11:34 PM
Rob Arnold
Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. - Altamonte Springs, FL
Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F

Pretty annoying when making you do all that digging just to not get to the article.

Aug 24, 2013 11:51 PM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Marte, I totally agree. Having to go through gyrations definitely makes the article less appealing on every click.

Aug 24, 2013 11:55 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Kate - I think so too.

Jane - Seems like the more clicks it takes, the less it's worth reading. 

Barbara - I've never met anyone who likes pop ups - so why do they work? 

Gita - Then its time to leave. 

Marco - Maybe it's just that I don't want someone else wasting my time. I know how to do that all by myself. 

Andrew - Yes, there's a difference between what you read for entertainment and what you read becasue you need to learn something. 

Fernando - I think you hit on why that's so annoying. It's rude.

Jared - On satellite, one click takes maybe 10 seconds - unless it's those pages with too many photos, etc. Those can take a minute or two - or more.

Carol - Yep!

Matt - Hmmm... maybe that's part of the "grand plan." Make us click so many times that we lose interest in reading the article - and thus will click on one of the many ads on those pages. 

Nina - Too bad we can't know which links are direct before we start following! 

Aug 25, 2013 12:03 AM
Sharon Miller
RE/MAX Platinum - Crane Hill, AL

Marti

If after pulling up a website I am requested to click a link, I simply hit the backspace button on my computer and continue to search for another site... end of story.

Aug 25, 2013 12:09 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Rob - Yes it is. 

Michael - Interest wanes with each click.

Sharon - That's a good plan. 

Aug 25, 2013 12:14 AM
Bryan Robertson
Los Altos, CA

I rarely go beyond 2 clicks.  If the article isn't in the first place I look, then it's not worth pursuing most times.

Aug 25, 2013 12:20 AM
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

if things dont go as presented or expected...I am the one that goes.....after that

Aug 25, 2013 12:21 AM
Chris and Dick Dovorany
Homes for Sale in Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida - Naples, FL
Broker/Associate at Premiere Plus Realty

I absolutely agree.  If it doesn't I'm gone immediately.

Aug 25, 2013 12:23 AM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

You bet. You clicked ahead more than I would have but would have mentally said the same thing. Link directly to what you want to share or don't bother.

Aug 25, 2013 12:35 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Marte- I only do one click and if that takes me to a page with a lot of links, or a requirement to click elsewhere, I just go back.  I can't be bothered!

Aug 25, 2013 12:36 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Bryan - That's so often true. The longer it takes to get there, the less valuable the material. 

Richie - Yep - me too.

Chris and Dick - No time to play games.

Lyn - I'm thinking they don't care if you read the article - they want to expose you to more ads.

Kat - It's really annoying to think you're going to an article and instead land in a link farm. 

 

Aug 25, 2013 12:40 AM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

This is a solid rant! lol....and I would like to add that I hate it when the link takes you away from the original page instead of opening a new page. Just a little pet peeve of my own. 

Aug 25, 2013 01:40 AM
Raymond Denton
Homesmart / Evergreen Realty - Irvine, CA
Irvine Realtor®

Yeah, that's one of the things I don't like either.

Aug 25, 2013 01:45 AM
Mike McCann Nebraska Land Broker
Mike McCann - Broker, Mach1 Realty Farm & Commercial Land Broker-Auctioneer Serving Nebraska - Kearney, NE
Farm & Commercial Property For Sale 308-627-3700

I agree wholeheartedly...usually any more than 2 or 3 clicks and I am gone...even if it is from family. And I have fast service...I am just scared as to what I am really downloading.  The internet as we know it will change a lot in the next few years in my opinion...and not for the better...

Aug 25, 2013 01:48 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Karen and Richard  - I agree - I don't want to have to back up through a bunch of pages to get back to where I started. 

Mike - That's always a concern. It's probably how I got the bug in Firefox that made me quit using it. 

My In Box Leads - Show us your photo and your name! Meanwhile - I agree. A mess. 

Aug 25, 2013 02:31 AM
Chris Miller Nevada Land with Water Rights
Vegas Grand Realty and Property Management - Mesquite, NV
Land with Water Rights For Sale

More time wasters and garbage. I agree with you. My biggest pet peeve is the articles that require you to sign up to read it, why bother?

Aug 25, 2013 04:08 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Chris - I don't know - I sure don't bother! 

Aug 25, 2013 04:27 AM
Brian Sharkey
SharkeyRE LLC - Singer Island, FL
SharkeyRE

Marte, I couldn't agree with you more, people have easy access to anything you are sharing with them.  Why not just give us the final link!

Aug 25, 2013 04:41 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Brian - That would make sense to me. 

However... Earlier today I read an article that I wanted to share on Google+ - so I clicked the G+ button. What popped up for me to share was a whole page of articles, and I couldn't even spot the one I wanted to share.

So - forget that idea! 

Aug 25, 2013 05:31 AM
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