Doing the MWF Read posts has helped me learn a few things by watching the traffic going out of my site from them. What I have learned is that sometimes a blurb is much better than a review.
Have you ever had a friend say something like, “Oh, by the way, I’m pregnant” or “Actually, she’s my sister” and then walk off and not explain? Remember how you ran after them to start asking questions because now your curiosity was on full force? That’s what a good blurb does.
When you write a review for a web site, it tends to tell the reader so much information that they make a decision based on the review as to whether or not to visit the site or not. However, a review can be biased, be missing information, etc. You might leave out some feature or item that would have gotten your reader to immediately visit the site. Or you might have added something that turned them off to it, but they would have liked it if they’d actually gone to see it. There are so many things that can go wrong in a review. The more words there are, the more of a chance you can make a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, reviews have their place and are quite important, but when you want as many people to click as possible, the blurb is the way to go.
Now, when I talk about this, I’m not talking about paid reviews and such. I’ll reserve my opinion on those for another post. I mean when you really want someone to visit a site of a friend or a post that you’d really like to share like I do with the MWF Read posts. This is where blurbs come in handy. For example:
“This site is really great. You should visit it.”
Does that one really get you? I think it’s something like “Absolutely marvelous!” or other such blurbs found on the back of novels that tell you absolutely nothing about the book and sound mostly like hot air. But, what about this one:
“The things that man can do with a can opener. I just can’t stop watching.”
Aren’t you wondering what “things” I’m talking about? Aren’t you curious enough that if there was a link there you’d click to at least see what “things” I’m talking about? Isn’t that something like how “By the way, I’m pregnant” sounds? So, in my opinion, a good blurb is one that gives a few details about the site but leaves you wanting more. Almost like a mixture of poetry and those parts of a television show right before a commercial: Say as much as you can in as few words as possible but make them want to find out the rest.
So tonight’s assignment is this: Write a blurb about the last site linked above you in the comments (usually found by clicking the name of the commenter). For the first person, that would be this site since no one else has commented yet. Be creative. Leave us wanting more. Make us want to click.
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By Debt Free Revolution on Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
Where does he get these ideas? And why couldn’t *I* think of that?
Hi Saph
Debt Free Revolution’s last blog post..A Gallon of Milk Costs More Than a Gallon of Gas
By Deimos Tel`Arin on Mar 26, 2008 | Reply
I am so in debt at the moment, company debts, credit card debts etc. I should probably check out http://www.debtfree-revolution.com/ and revolt, and be debt free! RWAR!
-_-
Sounds pretty lame. T_T
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By Margaret on Mar 26, 2008 | Reply
Despite his purple and pink face surmounted by red hair, there’s nothing demonic about Deimos.
ê¿ê
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By LeisaWatkins on Mar 26, 2008 | Reply
Who knows Margaret might just be spying on you. You’d better check it out cause I found…
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By StanHayes on Mar 26, 2008 | Reply
If you can dream it, you can visit this site.
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By Patsy (Patricia Sawyer) on Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
From the first crack of the bat to the last home run. Visit here for fantasy and fun!
Patsy!
Patsy (Patricia Sawyer)’s last blog post..Daddy’s Dating Rules.
By krreyboo17 on Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
Need some inspiring words to make your day more meaningful and enthusiastic? Take a bite off Patsy’s words of wisdom and be filled to the brim…;)
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By Karen on Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
Eclectic, enthusiastic, unexpected and a serious slice of life baby! Krreyboo17 brings on the best.
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By Sue on Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
I dunno.
I saw klonopin, realized that this chickadee loves recreational narcotics almost as much as I do and I decided to sit down with a glass of wine and read the whole friggin thing later.
Maybe there’ll be some parentings tips. Getting loaded is always a good start.
Sue’s last blog post..I Blame My Mother
By Scott | AndroidGuys on Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
Jeeze, the mouth on this lady sometimes…
Scott | AndroidGuys’s last blog post..Sprint Call Quality Poor According to JD Power
By Sue on Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
really Scott?
That’s all you’ve got?
I’d totally check put yer blog if I was in a coma and cared about sprint c.s. And all things bland and vanila
xoxo
foul mouthed Sue
By Saphrym on Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
@Sue - I believe that was his blurb… I actually thought it rather clever because it WOULD cause someone to go visit your site.
By Scott on Mar 28, 2008 | Reply
It was my blurb, just as directed in the post. I was trying to think of something that would get people to read your site without giving anything away.
Besides that, AndroidGuys is not for everyone. It’s a news site for cellular industry. I don’t consider it bland or vanilla, but that’s merely an opinion.
Scott’s last blog post..Sprint Call Quality Poor According to JD Power
By Teasas Tips on Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
should I review Scott’s site? seems like it’s been done already.
Teasas Tips’s last blog post..Domain Name Happy Hour
By Saphrym on Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
@Teasas - Yes. Do Scott’s. I’d love to see what you come up with.