Two opinions from a WordPress user and occasional Blogger dabbler:
- Allow anyone to comment: I understand that turning off anonymous comments looks attractive when you first install Blogger, but what it really means is ‘Don’t allow comments from anyone who isn’t registered with Blogger‘. That’s right, selecting this option means people can’t comment on your blog without signing up for a Blogger or Gmail account, and even if they have one of them they can’t leave their non-blogger URL in your comment. I have two main blogs, that I like to leave in comments, and I like to choose between them depending on the subject of the blog I’m commenting on. If this option is turned on, I don’t leave a comment at all.
- Turn off the verification codes. Have you ever run your blog without it? Did you get much spam anyway? Is your traffic really that high? If you answered no to all 3, turn it off right away. I have had 3000 visitors to my Thermal blog in the last 2 weeks, and 3 spam comments – you really don’t need it unless you have a massive problem. People (including myself) hate word verification – it’s often very hard to decipher, and it has put me off leaving comments before, especially if I keep getting it wrong. Unless you’re getting several hundred spam a day you don’t need it – and if you are, may I suggest switching to WordPress?
OK, those are my opinions, I’d love to hear yours. If you have any level of traffic to your site at all, I guarantee that the above 2 tips will increase the number of comments. Try it, make the changes and then make some posts asking for opinions on it, and/or other topics and see if your level of comments goes up. If you get a couple of spams, just delete them.
6 users commented in " Use Blogger? Want More Comments? "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackJust visiting for Click and Comment Monday.
Anyone may comment on my blogs, but I have the verification and moderation on. There are programs that send out blog spam and it was a problem.
Something I learned the hard way: take the email this post off your blogs. It allows people to send spam and it appears to be coming from your blog.
To increase comments, you may want to offer an incentive for people to comment (contest), visit other blogs and comment makes them beholden to you (LOL), ask a question at the end of your post.
Just my ideas and I am no expert. Have a great week.
Hey Cybercelt, thanks for visiting.
Comment moderation is a must, and spambots are an evil problem. Still, I’d like to see the word verification off on brand new blogs, or those with few comments-until you have a problem, all it does is restrict the number of people willing to comment.
Good points on encouraging comments, thanks. You don’t need to be an expert here, just willing to pass on experiences.
Amen to that! Many times I have tried to comment on different blogs, type the verification, type it again, sign into blogger, only to find I lost my comment!
It’s very frustrating.
Great tip!
It’s horrible when you type a long witty (to you!) comment only to lose it because the verification/sign-in goes wrong isn’t it.
A guaranteed way to lose comments & readers!
I must agree with this; it puts me off when I have to do verification etc and so I know it must put off others. I’ve only had 2 spam comments and it’s easy enough to delete them. Really interesting blog this!!!
Thanks Ruth, hope you find it useful.
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