If you have a counter on your blog, you will be able to track many things about the people who come to visit you. On Statcounter, the one I use, I have the option of viewing visit lengths, which is, how long each person stayed on my blog. I'm sure this option is available on many other counters as well. One thing I notice as I view my statistics is the tendency for guests to stay for less than five seconds on the days I neglect to post a new blog. This makes sense -- they came to see me yesterday, and today they're checking to see if there's something new. When they discover the same blog at the top of the list, they move on.
You can increase the length of your guests' visits by posting a new blog every day. It doesn't have to be something horrendously profound or life-changing, just something new and interesting to put a smile on their faces and make them glad they came by to see you. And you'll find your stats improve quite a bit.
8 comments:
Can you explain this? I use StatCounter as well. Sometimes it will have visit lengths as long as 13 hours! Now, I like to fancy myself a gifted and entertaining writer (choke, choke), but I know I'm not that good!
Karlene, perhaps they start reading, and the kiddos freak out or something, and then forget to come back?
Tristi-Interesting. I don't have a stat counter at all, but I assume there are thousands & thousands of people reading who are just too shy to post a comment. :D It's easier to feed my vanity that way I guess.
Hmmmmm...I'll have to ponder this--things to put on my blog that will make them stay a little longer. At the moment, the only thing that comes to mind is a picture of George Clooney. :)
Hi Tristi,
Thanks for taking your own advice and leaving a comment at my site!
Blessings to you,
Lisa
Yeah, I subscribe to Jen's theory on this one. They get sidetracked and leave their computer up. I know a lot of people who leave their computers on all day, online. (I guess they don't have dial-up :)
Either that, or they're completely mesmerized by you. Take your pick -- but I'd vote for B, personally.
Huh. I just added a regular visitors counter - but I like the idea of being able to see if they're sticking around long enough to read.
Guess I'll be checkin' out StatCounter!
Thanks Tristi!
You're so techno savy. I'll have to figure out how to do that sometime. (Right now I still can't get my book covers on the side--I may email you about that.)
Ali, I like Statcounter a lot. They not only show you how long your visitors are staying, but you can click on a map and it will show you red arrows all over the place, wherever you've had a visitor, and you can also look and see what link referred them to you. Then you know which of your promotional efforts have paid off the most. It's great.
Janette, I'm going to e-mail *you* -- the thought of you wandering around without book covers is just too sad!
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