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Better or worse? What would you prefer (consumer opinions welcome)?

By
Real Estate Agent with Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME

RErockstar.com - existing format with full blog entry on first page. You know I like to write more than the average blogger.

Not that I enjoy writing more, but that I enjoy writing more words than the average blogger.  It's an affliction that I was born with and it hasn't gone away.  I like to be as in depth as possible and in some cases it may scare away some readers at www.rerockstar.com, but for those that are willing to stick around and bear with me (and there seems to be plenty), I think I often provide a pretty complete picture of the issue at hand.  Some call it over-doing it, I call it more interesting.

In my never-ending quest to bring my readers the best blog I possibly can, I have been wondering if my current set up is what readers want.  I know there are a lot of theories out there in real estate about how one should set up their blog (just look at the opinions on whether you should force registration on your search) and what is best for the consumer, but I'm not 100% sure what I think on this issue.

The issue at hand.

To the left, you can see a screen capture from my blog with a recent article on it.  This article appears on the front page of my blog (as do all recent articles) and the post is actually quite a bit longer than what you see in the image.  Just look at the topic and you can imagine why it's so lengthy.  Quite a hefty topic.

Because of the length of the post, it winds up taking a majority of room on the front page of my blog (or second or third or...).  I like the idea that a user can scroll through the front page, picking and choosing what they'd like to read when they land on the first page or they can read from most recent to oldest all in one go.  I know when I read blogs, I often start at the top and scroll my way through them (I have a tendency to read most of the first page at least, just to get an idea of who I am reading and what their thoughts are).  I also recognize that I am a little different than many people who use the internet on a regular basis.  I'm not much of a scanner and prefer to find what I need and read the whole thing.  I don't bounce around from point to point searching for the nuggets I want and need.  I read the whole thing before realizing that Google lead me to the right or wrong place.

RErockstar.com - existing format with shorter blog entry on first page.So I started toying with the idea of making things a little shorter and more to the point and allowing the reader to decide if they want to investigate further and read the whole story.  Enter the more tag in Wordpress.  By using this easily inserted tag, I can decide how much of a post I'd like to show the public on the main page of my blog (and the archives as well).

As you can see from the image on the right, the blog now only shows the title, first headline and first paragraph (there are actually six paragraphs and two headlines in the full blown post).  It's a condensed version of the post allowing just enough so you know where I'm heading with the post, but not giving you everything.  The "Read the rest of this entry" link at the bottom of the post allows a reader to click to learn more.  They have the ability to choose whether they want more, need more, or even care about the topic at hand.

Of course, the danger is that when given the power, some people won't use it at all.  Will they click the link?  Or will they just see it as a nuisance barrier that they have to pass before reading and deciding if the article is worth it or not.  In a world where we're competing for time and attention span, I wonder if it's a helpful or hurtful addition to my blog.

I'd love to hear from some consumers as well as agents who have employed this tag (or similar) on their blogs before.  Did traffic go up?  Did you receive more comments?  Did your overall visits plummet?  What happened that you feel may have been caused by your addition of a gateway to the post?  Any suggestions, thoughts, ideas, or solutions would be appreciated.  In the meantime, I'll just keep writing my posts the way I always have.  Thanks everyone!

Comments (10)

Craig Rutman
Helping people in transition - Cary, NC
Raleigh, Cary, Apex area Realtor

My thought is that if folks are interested in the topic, they'll click the link to read the rest of the story.

I don't see you losing readership. If they didn't like the first few paragraphs, they would click away anyway.

Personally, I like the "read more" link. Not only do you know you've engaged them, you can place other links on the new page for them to get lost in your web site.

Sep 02, 2009 09:58 AM
Sherry Siegel, Managing Broker, EcoBroker, ABR
BrokersGroup, serving Sequim and Port Angeles - Sequim, WA

Matt, were you an English major in your previous life? Words, lots of 'em, the more the better, IF the words take the reader through the question, the pros/cons, and into a well-reasoned argument or discussion. I like your style. I subscribe to your blog. And, I agree with Craig about the "read more" link.

Sep 02, 2009 10:59 AM
Richard Weisser
Richard Weisser Realty - Newnan, GA
Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional

Brother Matt...

As you might have guessed, I prefer presenting information is a succinct and concise post that takes a minute or less to read. I like the idea of offering a link to more detailed information.

As a matter of fact, I like that a lot!

Sep 02, 2009 12:30 PM
Richard Weisser
Richard Weisser Realty - Newnan, GA
Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional

Featured in the Group "Whacked!!!

Sep 02, 2009 01:15 PM
Matt Stigliano
Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME - San Antonio, TX

Craig - Get out of my blog with your "read more" opinions (do you know how much work I'll have to do if I take your advice?)!  Just kidding.  I feel the same, but I'm just not 100% convinced yet.  I'm not sure I like the aesthetics of it either.  So I figured I'd throw it up here and see what came out of it.

Sherry - Nope.  I hated English class, although I did have several very excellent English teachers that I enjoyed learning from.  I was a German Secondary Education major with a Russian minor for a little while, but I never finished school.  I do like to write though.  I find it's a good way to clear my head, fill it with new stuff, and find out what I don't know or understand.  Of course, I also love to debate the issue a bit, so it helps that I'm able to have a platform to debate it and rethink it.  P.S. Thanks for the compliment.

Brother Richard - Your blog is (in my opinion) a perfect blend between my lengthy style and some people's much shorter style.  You seem to get it right there in the middle.  You give lots of info in one post, but it doesn't seem to drag on (like some of mine).  I've tried several times to shorten posts, but wound up feeling like they were incomplete.

Oh, and thanks for the "Whacked!!!" Feature!

Sep 02, 2009 01:30 PM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Hi Matt, I guess I'm the different one here. I rarely click to read more. I feel like it's making me do one more little step and then it reminds me that I should be doing other things.

Sep 02, 2009 01:46 PM
Sheila Moran
RE/MAX Access (Garden Ridge, San Antonio, New Braunfels) - New Braunfels, TX
SanAntonioSheila.com, RE/MAX Access, 210-32

Matt,

Being a high D personality to me it's all about the scrolling through till I find what I want and how fast can I get it. 

However, once I have been hooked on a title and a good read I WILL clink on the link to read more.

Just my little two cents :)

Sep 02, 2009 02:08 PM
Matt Stigliano
Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME - San Antonio, TX

Jen - There have been studies that suggest that just one click might be too many for some people on a website.  That's why I kept it that way, but I start to wonder sometimes.

Sheila - You better click every single one of my links!  I expect you to read every word as well!

Liz - It's interesting how clicking a link (which takes little effort) can make people lose interest.  I agree, I've thought...oh I could click that, but...nah, I have other things to do.  I unfortunately am not a big scroller.

Sep 03, 2009 02:32 PM
The Somers Team
The Somers Team at KW Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
Delivering Real Estate Happiness

Matt - Interesting little test.  I would also think that the reader will click on the link if he/she wants to read more.  At the same time, it is shorter and you can capture more folks attention just in case they are not interested in the topic and they will have more white space and other options to look at on your page 1.  Let us know what you decide to do !

 

Sep 09, 2009 12:45 AM
Sean Ilan
wpReality : Eating WordPress for Breakfast - Delray Beach, FL

Matt, the text seems to be ok, and I would recommend using a smaller image, since the test and title are the main items that you want your visitor to focus on, and image is jusy fluff, a nive to have addition, but an important one. I see that you have choosen a ithemes real estate theme... much bette than the above.

Sep 24, 2009 09:10 AM