Today we started experimenting with the "Top Blogs" module on Xanga's frontpage to see if we can drive more traffic to your Xanga sites with it.
First, we moved the module higher on the page - this move doesn't really require formal experimentation... the new placement should drive more clicks - woohoo!
Now, we're experimenting with four different versions of that module:- Top 10 "Top Blogs", in order - this is the version of the module we've been using for a while
- Top 50 "Top Blogs", randomized - greater variety of posts, gives more people a chance to make it to the frontpage
- Top 10 "Most Rec'd", in order - there's a lot of overlap between "Top Blogs" and "Most Rec'd", but there seem to be some breakout (and interesting) posts in Most Rec'd that don't always make it to Top Blogs
- Top 50 "Most Rec'd", randomized - just like #2, above - offers greater variety and gives more people a chance
This one is a more formal experiment: we are randomly choosing one of the four to show each visitor (for the next week,
you should be seeing only one of these four) and we are collecting careful click-through data.
We're going to run the experiment for about a week, crunch the data and then
share the results with all of you to help us all make a decision on how best to use that module to drive traffic.
In the meantime, we'd love to hear from people seeing each of the four different versions - do you like the version you're seeing or do you think you'd prefer a different one? Again, we're agnostic on the four versions... we just want to find the most effective way to drive traffic. The data will help inform the ultimate decisions here, but your comments are definitely helpful as well.
Thanks!
Comments (116)
Comment .
Hm. Interesting experiment.
Sounds good. I think perhaps the best way might be a split "5-5" where the top 5 blogs always make it, but the other 5 are randomized "editor's pick" type things? I notice that at times there isn't that much change in top 10 bloggers.
Top Ten Most Rec'd is the way to go.
I think I'm going to like this.
Thanks for doing this, Xanga Team. You really do try to give Xangans what they want. It's great.
Well, of course, all of these blogs would be rated B or less, so... Sucks for me! But no different than before, lol.
If you really want to drive traffic back to individual sites - quite promoting the -ish sites on the xanga frontpage and start featuring posts on the -ish sites the same way you do on featured weblogs (where the link and comments goes back to the author, not the -ish site). Also, as I pointed out the other day, bring back the subscription browser. It really does increase surfing, you know. And start featuring individuals, instead of -ish sites, on Xanga. Right now, you have a featured xanga team post and a featured -ish site post. I thought you told us months ago you were going to quit doing that.
i'm definitely seeing the randomized top 10..
@radicalramblings - exactly what i was going to say.
@radicalramblings - But arn't the ish sites helping Xanga get money? That's why those are being featured.
What about a "10 most recent" blogs list and a "50 most recent" pulse list (that would help you compete with T*****r.
If you don't mind an opinion, I think Top Ten, like it was, (or even Top Fifteen) Top Blogs on the front page would drive more traffic, except randomize it where a different top fifteen of the total top fifty would show up each time you visit/refresh the front page, similiar to plugz, the way they change every time, with rarely the same plug showing up twice in a row. This way, people may not complain as much, because it's cycled to put them on the front page module at some point, so they don't have to make # 10 of above before their post gets more publicity. This would slow traffic to people who frequently make the top three, like myself, wherethefishlives and thetheologianscafe, but it'd give everyone an equal chance.
If that made any sense. Thanks guys!
Sounds like an interesting approach. BTW...
Where is my TRUE badge that I've been waiting for? It's been months...
I reserve judgment and really hope it words well
I am not on Xanga to have hundreds of followers so it isn't an issue for me.
I would choose option # 4 to give more people a chance.
cool :)
I like 2 and 4. My problem with 1 is it's always the same people, and my problem with 3 is based on what I've seen on my personal inbox, people rec posts for all kinds of reasons and often not because they are well-written or interesting. A lot of people rec for political or ideological reasons, or for internal Xanga-drama reasons. Great experiment!
I think it would be fun to have a little spot that you could feature a relatively unknown blogger on... someone who might get very few hits, is new to xanga or is just under the radar for whatever reason.... sort of like a meet a new blogger thing.... recent is where I go to find them now... but there are a lot of ads on there....
*thumbs up* systematic!
will be interesting to see what the results are... not sure any of them will be that effective....
Nice
you know what xanga should implement? A "similar posts you might like" module that goes at the end of every post. This would recommend other posts by the same user or different users that are a) popular b) relevant (through tagging, title, and keywords) c) has been featured, or recced a lot. This would keep people browsing around to different users as well as keeping them within content they like.
You can pay me later for the suggestion ;)
I'm always in to experiments. As indicated in recent posts.......
cool beans :)