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Stats question

  1. sandrapawula
    Member

    When you use a theme that has excerpts on the front page like Inuit Types or the Read More tag, does this inflate your views in comparison to other themes because it's counting both the front page visit and the click on the permalink to the article?

    Thanks

    The blog I need help with is healingei.wordpress.com.

  2. timethief
    Member

    @Sandra
    WordPress metrics are "page view" metrics. If and only if people actually click through to read the full post that will cause another "page view" to be recorded. Does that inflation concern me? Heck no! It's an known quantity and I also run other stats program on my blog that provide me with unique visitor counts as well as entry and exit pages. The combination of metrics programs provides me with what I need to know about my visitors, their habits, and their preferences..

    What would concern me is people clicking into my blog finding a couple of full single posts on topics they aren't into reading about on the front page and clicking out disappointed. Why? Because that's my own experience and personal habit. I strongly prefer a magazine style smorgasbord display so I can pick and choose which posts to read in their entirety from the excerpts on a front page.

    That being said, you will find that raincoaster does not share my POV when she posts to this thread. ... lol :D

  3. taletellerin
    Member

    @timethief
    Could you maybe recommend a stats programm? I only ever worked with google analytics which, obviously, is out of the question on wordpress.com. I'm sure there are tons of other tools but I always feel safer if I can go on a rec.

  4. taletellerin
    Member

    Damn. Now I hit the submit button too soon. Sorry.

    So, about the excerpts vs full posts thing. Personally, I'm fine with short posts being on the front page in full but I'd rather long ones are only featured in teaser-form. It's just easier to browse if you don't have to scroll yourself silly to get to the next post. imho.

  5. timethief
    Member

    @taletellerin
    No problem We cannot run Google Analytics or any javasript based metrics visitor tracking programs on wordpress.com blogs. I am a bloggintips blogger. Click my username and when you arrive on my blog click the link to "Popular Posts" (static page at top of blog), then scroll down to "Visitor Tracking". There you will a find posts that review the non-javascript stats programs we can use on wordpress.com blogs.

  6. taletellerin
    Member

    Awesome, timethief! I'll try them all and then pick one. Just to have another 'opinion' beside the stats included in wordpress.com. Thanks!

  7. timethief
    Member

    You're welcome. :)

  8. sandrapawula
    Member

    Thanks TT, I am going to look at your site and see what other stat program I might use in addition to the great one from WordPress.

    I'm very curious to see what Raincoaster has to say! Since switching to Inuit Types, my sense is that people are doing exactly what you say, looking at the 8 excerpt options on the front page and clicking what resonates for them. I like this feature a lot. My feeling is that I'm getting more reader interest on this new theme due to this style. I know some of the increase in visits is due to the double clicks (home page and then perma link to article), but not all..,plus this indicates people are indeed clicking through which is a positive!

    Thanks again.

  9. timethief
    Member

    @Sanra
    LOL .. I'll satisfy your curiosity now. Raincoaster strongly believes that we ought to present full posts on the front page of our blogs and not excerpts. She thinks those who use excerpts are doing so to get extra clicks and frown on that.

    Don't forget that it's your blog and in the first year of blogging it's important to focus on content creation, promotion, and relationship building. One can become a statsaholic and waste hours of valuable time checking and fretting over stats. I don't fret over traffic I fret over backlinks. ;)

  10. sandrapawula
    Member

    Thanks for the great advice for the first year of blogging. I won't over-focus on the numbers! I can understand Raincoaster's view point, but I like the quick overview format better myself when I visit other blogs so it's not just about clicks.

  11. raincoaster
    Member

    Well, those who use excerpts also depress the number of people who read their posts. I, for instance, don't read sites that only offer excerpts except for Gawker, and I hate it.

  12. timethief
    Member

    I love you anyway! :)

  13. sandrapawula
    Member

    Raincoaster, I think you are terrific too! My husband also says he doesn't usually click through when it says 'read me.' So I have no idea what the objective truth is about this. So far, people are indeed clicking through so it looks like it's working but only time will tell.

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