Why You're Not Gettin' Any: Comments & Replies

So you’re finally to the point with your website where you’re getting a frequent and steady flow of visitors. But despite the number of people viewing your site and the amount of quality content that you have, you just aren’t seeing high numbers of comments or replies to your content. Without this type of activity, your site is likely to look like there’s little action and that you do not have a wide viewer base. So what do you do to encourage your viewers to participate more in your site?

First, you have to consider that one of the great things about the Internet is that it’s a two-way street. Unlike traditional media such as newspaper, magazines, and even television, the Internet allows for viewers to be a lot more interactive with the sites that they frequent. And because everyone seems to have an opinion on just about every topic or issue, there shouldn’t be any shortage of people willing to put in their two cents.

To start getting comments (or video replies on sites such as YouTube), one of the first things you need to do is simply ask. When you tell your audience that you want their comments and replies, you open the door to letting them know that their thoughts and opinions are important to you. The fact of the matter is that even on the Internet, there are some people who are simply too shy to respond without being invited to.

Try and mix things up a bit too. Don’t always simply ask for comments, but rather ask your audience what their thoughts, opinions, and experiences are. This type of wording makes the reader feel that their voice matters, and that you want them to be part of the fun. Also try to invite your users to take part in polls or contests that expand outside of traditional comments and replies.

Ultimately, building a community around your site or blog is a great way to increase the level of interaction that people have with your site, and transforms simple viewers into participants. This can be done by implementing a chat room or forum system that not only allows your end-users to discuss previous posts and subjects, but also discuss other topics that can later be grounds for new articles and posts.

At the end of the day, the fact remains that there is no way to force people to participate in your site. However, with interesting content and a well-built community, encouraging it can definitely be successful.