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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.

Without comments, your blog is dead. After all, it’s the interaction that makes blogging such a popular tool for communicating. Everyone gets their opinion heard, and the contributions of the readers are just as important as those of the author.

So, if your posts aren’t getting comments, you need to change things up pretty quickly before your blog fades into oblivion. Here are a few tips that will help you get the conversation going.

• Interact with those who comment—What reason does somebody have to comment on your blog if you’re just going to ignore them? Commenting is about engaging in a conversation, so it’s your duty as a blogger to take the time to interact with those who do comment on your post. Not only does this show the readers that you respect their opinions, but it also keeps the conversation going, opening up new topics for even more comments.
• Ask for comments—You can’t expect your readers to take action (comment) if you don’t ask them to. Asking your readers to leave a comment is like a call to action in traditional copywriting. It’s simple, but you’d be surprised at just how effective it is. (more…)