Do You Require Commentators to Login?
Comments are an important part of blogging. In fact, the comments are what make blogging different from other information sharing. The readers have a chance to voice their opinions and to start a conversation with the author. It’s this interaction that has made the blogging community so popular.
Unfortunately, a lot of bloggers are making their readers jump through hoops before they can leave a comment. One of the worst things they do is requiring commentators to register and login before they can leave a comment.
Big mistake.
Why? The problem is online users have very little patience. They’re pressed for time, and they have no tolerance for anything that slows them down or causes the slightest inconvenience. I don’t know about you, but as soon as I see that “Register” or “Login” button for leaving a comment, I back out immediately. Simply put, leaving a comment just isn’t that important to me.
Not only does registering to leave a comment take time, but it’s also just another login and password your readers have to remember. Inevitably, many readers will lose and forget their login information, and the hassle of retrieving it is also more trouble than it’s worth. Again, leaving a comment just isn’t that important for the average person.
CAPTCHA isn’t much better
Other bloggers force their readers to jump through hoops by having them enter a CAPTCHA code with their comment to verify they aren’t a spammer. The problem with CAPTCHA is that the codes are often difficult to read, and completing the form correctly can take several tries and extra time that the reader just doesn’t want to devote to leaving a comment.
In short, it’s another roadblock for commenting. And the more roadblocks you put up, the fewer comments you’ll get. The fewer comments you get, the less interactive and successful your blog will be.
For more information on why CAPTCHA isn’t ideal, I highly recommend checking out this post from SEM Group.
The point is that you should make it as easy as possible for your readers to participate on your blog. The easier it is for them to comment, the more comments you’ll receive. It’s that simple.
June 28th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Eric, I agree with your post. Requiring me to register to comment is a sure-fire way to guarantee that I won't be commenting!
The key is to make it EASY for anyone to comment, and then review your comments and delete the junk. But don't punish the good commenters! ~ Charles
PS. I'll fill out a captcha if it isn't too hard, so it's usually not a deal breaker… but registration sure is!