Where Is Your Entrecard Widget?
Did you quit on Entrecard just like the others? Or are you hiding it down under, afraid of the higher bounce rates?
No Widget
Some quit Entrecard and blamed it on the ad pricing, the drop in drops, and the high bounce rates. As to the ad pricing changes three weeks ago, we were told to hold on for a while and let time pass by for the ad prices to settle down. But the others were not so patient. They sold their ec points and deleted their widgets. Some even went on to shamelessly advertise their sites in the widgets of others, despite the fact that they had deleted theirs. Some business sites were advertising too (without widgets). Entrecard is supposed to be a free system, if it’s not a blog they’re advertising, then they should pay ad spaces with real money. I know that some entrecarders were disappointed at this.
As to the bounce rates, I’ll just refer you to Turnip’s post. He has got an excellent post about it.
Widget location
When I was just a day old using Entrecard, a blogger friend advised me not to put my widget above the fold. He said that entrecarders are just in for the drops and won’t bother to read the entries. I insisted that it’s better that way for the visitors to easily locate my widget and make a drop. A drop earns me a point, right? And since my site easily loads, my post will not escape their eyes.
If you have money-earning ad spaces all over your blog, it would be understandable that you place your widget at a not-so-high-value location. But if you are a new blogger with no ads and/or blank PWs blocks, it would be nice to put that Entrecard widget at some better location. Even John Chow and Darren Rowse place their widgets at the middle of their right side bar. It is just disappointing to know that some are hiding theirs at the footer or among the other ads somewhere at the bottom. It is not really advertiser (and dropper)-friendly. At the current price of $5/1000ec, an ec is equivalent to $.005. Four drops to your widget is equivalent to the $.02 price of your unutilized PW adspace above your post.
For those reading this post who is not an entrecarder, join Entrecard now and see how it will increase your blog traffic (and Alexa too). You’ll also get to know some great blogs in the blogosphere. And don’t forget to choose a nice location for your widget. You earn points on drops and getting drops, and you earn on ads. Some serious blog readers are guised as droppers.
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Ceblogger is a CPA trapped in his cubicle while his mind wanders outside watching the world, and exploring possibilities his mind conceived.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Good post. I only drop on sites that keep their widget high on the page. I’m not there to play “where’s waldo” with the stupid thing. If someone puts the widget in their footer, then they are doing a disservice to their readers and their advertisers.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Some people are not going to read the posts no matter if you had the widget right in the middle of it. So, I think as long as it’s in an easily found spot then it’s good for everyone. I’ve found some great new sites through EC, so I think it’s a great idea.
Good post!
May 4th, 2008 at 2:14 am
I agree.
If I find something interesting, might as well read it. Blogs that I visit usually are not filled with ads to confuse me. I drop ecs, but not so much anymore with my busy schedule as of late. I still have more to learn with dropping Entrecards and from when we met, I think you know enough to give up some more knowledge about it.
May 4th, 2008 at 5:06 am
I actually want to make a post about bloggers who “buried” their widget down deep in their blogs, they are such a headache. The problem with some of them is you can’t find both a good read and their widget.
I owe my PR and Alexa Rank sa widget este sa Entrecard :), pinoy ka pala. Ayun napansin ko sa comment
May 4th, 2008 at 5:07 am
ngeks!! ceblogger kaw pala yan lol…inaantok na yata ako
ayan una kasi sa post ako lagi nakatingin e di ko tinitignan ang header lol!
May 4th, 2008 at 8:36 am
turnip, i certainly agree with you.
crazy working mom, if they’re not reading, at least they’re dropping.
wilhelmina, 30-40 drops a day ain’t bad. use firefox and bookmark your fave sites for a more efficient dropping and reading.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:41 am
melai, true true. can’t find both widget and a good content. what more can i add to that? ha ha. the entrecard is really a boost to our alexa rankings.
May 4th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
additional tip:
put an ad below your ec widget. they may not read your post, the ad may catch their interest and click it.
May 4th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Thanks for the tip Sonnie
May 4th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
thanks for the tip sir sonnie. i got some ads below my widget. i’ll do that in my other blogs too!
May 5th, 2008 at 12:02 am
I am still using EC and my widget has always been above the fold. I really dislike the blogs who hide their EC and make you hunt for it….and I just end up avoiding them.
I do not worry about the bounce rate (although I should) because I know that while there are people who drop and run there will always be someone who will stop and read something sometime.
I have found great new blogs to read from dropping and have even gotten some links back from places where I left comments and then the blogger came to check out my blog.
I do not hold my breath waiting for some EC miracle…but so far it has worked okay for me.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:32 am
yuh! i used to put my entrecards to lowest portion of my blog. and notice wala jud mudrop kay wa man na ‘thank you’. hehehehe. Ako na cyang gbalhin sa taas nya ako gtangtang ako tagboard para magamit ang comments. nice post ceb.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:11 am
lulugal11, i totally agree with you on this. entrecard is one of the good things that happened in the world wide web.
keith, thanks! putting the widget above the fold is one way of encouraging others to advertise on your site.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
hmmm…i like the way you write. very honest and informative. nice post!!
as for me, i put my widget above-fold. it would make it better for everybody. and some droppers, do read posts.
mommy blogging from bacolod
May 16th, 2008 at 7:58 am
you’re right on! some blogs maybe likes playing hide and seek with their droppers. at times I reload the page just to be sure if the widget is in place only to find it at the bottom part..
in the first place, i wont drop and run if the content is good..