Entrecard is often at the top of every new bloggers list of things to try. The service is both criticized and praised by the blogosphere.
One of the most common complaints about Entrecard is bounce rate. Lets have a look at bounce rate and go a bit further and investigate what happens when the card is taken off completely.
What is Entrecard?
Entrecard is a network of bloggers that allows you to drop a card on other bloggers to show you have visited their website; in return, they may do the same. Entrecard uses a currency, credits, which allows you to buy adverts and services from others. You gain credits each time you receive a dropped card or give a dropped card and each time someone advertises on your site. Entrecard also includes a forum which allows members to communicate.
Bounce Rate
What is bounce rate?
Bounce rate is defined as the percentage of visitors who enter and exit the same page without visiting other pages on the same site.
To illustrate the complaint about Entrecard, here are impNERD’s bounce rates for July:
entrecard.com (direct from EC): 90.02%
entrecard.s3.amazonaws.com (advertisements on blogs): 89.22%
search engines: 78.70%
direct traffic: 84.14%
stumbleupon: 37.93%
other referring sites: 77.98%
Why doesn’t bounce rate matter?
Bounce rate is always going to be high for blogs. If you have a large RSS following many of the subscribers will view only one page (generally to comment or read the entire article if it isn’t a full feed or they are using live bookmarks). As well, returning visitors have a high bounce rate–they come to visit specific pages, either newly added pages or ones they bookmarked. So why is it any different for Entrecard? (Read Why Bounce Rate Sucks)
Why they think it matters
When it comes to Entrecard, blog owners begin to think bounce rate matters. This is because they believe members are visiting their website and not bothering to read any posts and visiting only to drop. Although this may be the case for some, not all Entrecarders do this. In fact, impNERD has been able to convert many ECers into commenters and others into subscribers.
When the Widget is Off
Once you run Entrecard, you will have a good feel of what sort of traffic the widget can bring. But what happens when the widget is taken off?
The amount of traffic your site will receive will ultimately go down. Entrecarders will no longer see your card within their EC inbox. They will also not have the benefit of receiving a credit when visiting your site.
The great thing however, is the visitors who found value out of your website will still return, especially if your content persuaded them to subscribe to your RSS. These visitors were most likely the highest quality (the ones who comment). So your blog won’t lose much in terms of quality. What your blog will lose is the chance of discovery within Entrecard.
Can your site live without the discovery factor?
If your blog’s main traffic source is Entrecard, proably not. However, if you were continuously promoting your blog through other means, chances are you can. Entrecard is a great service for new blogs and bloggers who want to communicate with others, but should never be seen as a long-term solution.
In Conclusion
Once a blog becomes popular where the amount of visitors Entrecard provides is a small fraction of your total visitors, you must make the decision on whether to keep the card. The decision depends on whether the space can be better utilized.
Written: Aug 18, 2008
Tags: blogging, entrecard, Web Development
Richard McLaughlin
August 18, 2008 @ 9:38 am
One thing to remember about the bounce rate - this is a blog and people are normally here to read the latest post. I have a low bounce rate, and it annoys my partner. She has 2 blogs and the bounce rate is about 75%, mine 55%. Since she has daily updates I think that it is because people come in and read the one new post and move on. She has a higher traffic than me, my blog (not the niche one linked here) has people that come to read on IT Management and IT Governance. Logic says that they read more than one post, and most of my traffic is people coming in from Google.
Me, I think that the bounce rate is not important.
Daneil
August 18, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
I’m still not sure what I think of entrecard. I mean, traffic has been increased on my blog and all, but comments have barely increased, partially becuse of my lack of commentalbe content (in my opinion). Still, its much better than not having a way to advertise or having a blog that exists jsut for the sake of existing.
Carol
August 18, 2008 @ 7:19 pm
I think Entrecard is a nice addition to the tools you can use to promote your blog, but I think people only come to my blog to read the most recent post too. I have found though, that the better my articles are, the more of them get read on any one visit. Personally, until the day that I get my blog to be high traffic all on its own, I am keeping Entrecard on it. I am very happy with the new Entrebar also. The best part for me though, has been that I have found lots of really good blogs that I might never have discovered otherwise.
Harish
August 19, 2008 @ 8:22 am
But my opinion is that entre card’s service is best.Even the best blogs in the blogosphere prefer it
Descartes
August 19, 2008 @ 9:54 am
Entrecard has increased my comments a bit, but I have never gotten a ton of comments anyway. I get most of my traffic from Google, but Entrecard has been fun to use and play around with. If your a serious card dropper you can really comment on 300 blogs as you zip by dropping cards.
Gary R. Hess
August 19, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
I guess “best” is all relative. But if you go by visitors that isn’t the case.
Christina
August 20, 2008 @ 9:46 am
If I generate a blog friend for every thousand visitors… I am happy…. I like to blog… I don’t do it to make money…. EntreCard has introduced me to many blogs, like yours, that I like to read! I probably don’t comment enough. If I feel I can add something, I do! Bounce rate ~ who cares? Have a great day! Christina
goofblogger
August 28, 2008 @ 10:47 pm
I also love it. Some visitors from entrecard do become regular visitors and some even leave comments. I found your blog through entrecard by the way