4 ms·

Unrelated but I have to point it out since it happens constantly... If you're a start-up and you're directing people to your blog, please, please, please make

by brm 15y ago

Unrelated but I have to point it out since it happens constantly... If you're a start-up and you're directing people to your blog, please, please, please make an obvious and easy link from the blog to your startup's homepage. Don't hide it in the sidebar, don't make the 'home' link on the blog go to the blog's homepage, don't waste the damn traffic. Make it brainless for me to get from your blog to your startup's homepage.

bxr 15y ago
>Don't hide it in the sidebar get over yourself
frankdenbow 15y ago
I see this a lot as well. I dont understand it either!
- trustfundbaby 15y ago
  Usually they set up a wordpress install for the blog and out-of-the-box the home button links to the blog itself. Changing it usually takes a little bit of tinkering and folks just never get around to it. Annoys me too.
yarone 15y ago
Isn't the top-right of the sidebar an "obvious and easy link"? Lots of folks put it there. I bet that's where you looked first.
- brm 15y ago
  I looked to the Hipmunk logo, and then I looked to the 'home' link... then I found it in the sidebar. Its nitpick I'll admit but it seems odd to see so many startups use their blog to direct users to their site and then not optimize a way to get them in.
  - brm 15y ago
    Look at Mint (who used their blog to great effect as a startup). All it takes is a simple link at the top of the blog. http://www.mint.com/blog/ http://www.mint.com/blog/
    - yarone 15y ago
      Yes, mint is better for sure (and they're known to run an effective blog). Good example.
      - kn0thing 15y ago
        Interesting. That's what I modeled it off of (and have been consulting Mint folks about it). The previous (posterous) blog had a banner at the top that was identical to mint's, but the ctr was abysmal. I've been moving around the giant button on the right sidebar to test placements and recently added the 'search for flights' and 'search for hotels' in the footer of each post that have been doing quite well lately. I do appreciate the feedback!
  - kn0thing 15y ago
    Interesting. I used the exact top header from the mint blog on our posterous blog for the last 10mos or so with little CTR success, even as I tweaked fonts/color/size, etc. To the immediate right of "home," the links "flights" and "hotels" link to their respective searches, but thanks for the anecdotal evidence. I'll give it a tweak right now.
patio11 15y ago
Quick advice from your friendly neighborhood SEO: putting your blog on a domain that is different from your website is an acceptable business decision if Google rankings for your website do not matter.
- tikhon 15y ago
  so would you say hipmunk.com/blog/bleh is better than blog.hipmunk.com/bleh ? I've seen this debate before with googlers debating it.
kn0thing 15y ago
My ver 0 of the blog had a nearly identical top banner to the mintlife blog, but the ctr was atrocious. I've been experimenting with placements and sizes since day 1. The buttons on the footer of each post are doing pretty well so far (but they're still a new edition). date update: Turns out the referrals to hipmunk from the blog were practically tied for second highest ever, so perhaps we should just keep drawing attention to our funnel methods ;) Realizing you totally missed the next 2 links beside home (flights / hotels) was a good prompt to update that section. Thanks for that.

by brm 15y ago

bxr 15y ago

>Don't hide it in the sidebar get over yourself

frankdenbow 15y ago

I see this a lot as well. I dont understand it either!

trustfundbaby 15y ago
Usually they set up a wordpress install for the blog and out-of-the-box the home button links to the blog itself. Changing it usually takes a little bit of tinkering and folks just never get around to it. Annoys me too.

yarone 15y ago

Isn't the top-right of the sidebar an "obvious and easy link"? Lots of folks put it there. I bet that's where you looked first.

brm 15y ago
I looked to the Hipmunk logo, and then I looked to the 'home' link... then I found it in the sidebar. Its nitpick I'll admit but it seems odd to see so many startups use their blog to direct users to their site and then not optimize a way to get them in.
- brm 15y ago
  Look at Mint (who used their blog to great effect as a startup). All it takes is a simple link at the top of the blog. http://www.mint.com/blog/ http://www.mint.com/blog/
  - yarone 15y ago
    Yes, mint is better for sure (and they're known to run an effective blog). Good example.
    - kn0thing 15y ago
      Interesting. That's what I modeled it off of (and have been consulting Mint folks about it). The previous (posterous) blog had a banner at the top that was identical to mint's, but the ctr was abysmal. I've been moving around the giant button on the right sidebar to test placements and recently added the 'search for flights' and 'search for hotels' in the footer of each post that have been doing quite well lately. I do appreciate the feedback!
- kn0thing 15y ago
  Interesting. I used the exact top header from the mint blog on our posterous blog for the last 10mos or so with little CTR success, even as I tweaked fonts/color/size, etc. To the immediate right of "home," the links "flights" and "hotels" link to their respective searches, but thanks for the anecdotal evidence. I'll give it a tweak right now.

patio11 15y ago

Quick advice from your friendly neighborhood SEO: putting your blog on a domain that is different from your website is an acceptable business decision if Google rankings for your website do not matter.

tikhon 15y ago
so would you say hipmunk.com/blog/bleh is better than blog.hipmunk.com/bleh ? I've seen this debate before with googlers debating it.

kn0thing 15y ago

My ver 0 of the blog had a nearly identical top banner to the mintlife blog, but the ctr was atrocious. I've been experimenting with placements and sizes since day 1. The buttons on the footer of each post are doing pretty well so far (but they're still a new edition). date update: Turns out the referrals to hipmunk from the blog were practically tied for second highest ever, so perhaps we should just keep drawing attention to our funnel methods ;) Realizing you totally missed the next 2 links beside home (flights / hotels) was a good prompt to update that section. Thanks for that.