Annoying (?) Trends on Crochet Blogs

[Amy]

We're having a good discussion about this topic on our Facebook page, so I thought I'd bring up the subject over here for those of you who don't do Facebook.

QUESTION: I have recently noticed a couple of trends on a lot of crochet blog websites and I'd like to get your opinion. Question is at the very end of post, so keep reading.

TREND 1: They are using Infolinks, which causes certain words on the page will appear with a double underline. If you happen to drag your mouse across that word, an ad box pops up. These boxes can sometimes be difficult to get rid of. The purpose of this is to create ad revenue for the site.

TREND 2: Some words appear with a single underline, thanks to the Search by Tags Wordpress plugin, in which case a box pops up giving you the option to perform a Google search for that word, view all posts on the site tagged with the word, or find info related to that word in WikiPedia. The supposed purpose of this is to create links from the blog to reputable sites (Google and Wikipedia) to help increase the site's ranking in search engine results.

Personally, I find the underlining of so many words on the page a big distraction, which is annoying. I absolutely detest pop-up boxes of any kind on a website. I tend to click away immediately from sites with any of this. I can't think offhand of any site that has such valuable information that I was willing to put up with these things.

What do you think? Do these things make you leave a crochet site? Or do they possibly not bother you at all? If they do bother you, how likely are you to immediately leave a site using these features? What of value would the site need to offer to make you willing to stay and click through more of their pages?

Inquiring minds want to know!

FOLLOW-ON QUESTION: For those of you who leave sites with Infolinks and other annoying underlined ads or pop-up ads, do you:

1. Just leave the site quietly without comment

2. Leave a comment or otherwise contact the site owner before leaving to let them know about your displeasure

 

[Amy]

QUESTIONS for crochet website owners that use Infolinks and/or the Search by Tags plugin:

1. How did you learn about these products?

2. Why did you start using them?

3. Do you think they are really being effective for you? Are you willing to share how much revenue Infolinks brings you a month? Yes, I realize that's a really nosy question, so please feel free to decline to provide an answer.

4. Read how our fans feel about them in the post below this one. Do you now think you could possibly be losing site traffic as a result of these products? Do you plan to continue using them anyway despite the feedback you've seen below?

 

Link to question on Facebook page

[RoseRed]

I find it annoying.  I just close out of the tab and go on my merry way.  I have better things to do than to write every blog owner or sift through annoying pop ups. 

[Avon Lady]

We're having a good discussion about this topic on our Facebook page, so I thought I'd bring up the subject over here for those of you who don't do Facebook.

 

QUESTION: I have recently noticed a couple of trends on a lot of crochet blog websites and I'd like to get your opinion. Question is at the very end of post, so keep reading.

 

TREND 1: They are using Infolinks, which causes certain words on the page will appear with a double underline. If you happen to drag your mouse across that word, an ad box pops up. These boxes can sometimes be difficult to get rid of. The purpose of this is to create ad revenue for the site.

 

TREND 2: Some words appear with a single underline, thanks to the Search by Tags Wordpress plugin, in which case a box pops up giving you the option to perform a Google search for that word, view all posts on the site tagged with the word, or find info related to that word in WikiPedia. The supposed purpose of this is to create links from the blog to reputable sites (Google and Wikipedia) to help increase the site's ranking in search engine results.

 

Personally, I find the underlining of so many words on the page a big distraction, which is annoying. I absolutely detest pop-up boxes of any kind on a website. I tend to click away immediately from sites with any of this. I can't think offhand of any site that has such valuable information that I was willing to put up with these things.

 

What do you think? Do these things make you leave a crochet site? Or do they possibly not bother you at all? If they do bother you, how likely are you to immediately leave a site using these features? What of value would the site need to offer to make you willing to stay and click through more of their pages?

 

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

FOLLOW-ON QUESTION: For those of you who leave sites with Infolinks and other annoying underlined ads or pop-up ads, do you:

 

1. Just leave the site quietly without comment

 

2. Leave a comment or otherwise contact the site owner before leaving to let them know about your displeasure

 

 

YES!!!  Too many links!!  Too many ads!!  Unfortunately, I just leave the site quietly without comment--but--now, after reading this, I believe I'll leave comments!!  You've given me courage, Amy!!

[Real Deal]

I hate them too. The double underlines never go to anything remotely related to crochet. The single underlines are under words like yarn or dc. Really! If you don't know what they mean, why are you reading a pattern? I also discovered the pop-ups can interfere with copying a pattern to Word.

[katyallen815]

I noticed and actually ignore them, or leave if I have read what i came to read. Doesn't effect me from staying or leaving if I am interested in what I am reading, ignorance is bliss, truely!!