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Disabling the Comments section of a blog post - a sign of low credibility?

by bsummers
16 replies
Our business blog does not offer a commenting functionality regularly seen in most blogs, and I fear that other people (especially business prospects) might associate it with lack of authority or credibility.

Should I be worried and re-install the comments section?
#blog #comments #credibility #disabling #low #post #section #sign
  • Profile picture of the author illiptic
    I would definitely have them on, especially if you have engaging content that you would expect people to interact with.

    But if its just boring business writing though it may not matter so much.
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  • Profile picture of the author Moneymaker2012
    Comments should be always on enabled, It is definitely a plus point for readers, you can also enable comment approve option to manually approve and disapprove comments.
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  • Profile picture of the author TryBPO
    Not so fast there, comment-lovers!

    While I think it's better to have your blog posts or articles be engaging and allow others to comment and get involved, that's not the only approach.

    If your blog is white-paper or biz article focused and there's not much engagement, closing off comments that you're probably not getting anyway will hide the fact that there doesn't seem to be much going on there. It can show authority and hide the fact that your readers aren't as engaged.

    Seth Godin is a ridiculously well-known thought leader and he blocks comments.
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    • Profile picture of the author bsummers
      Originally Posted by TryBPO View Post


      If your blog is white-paper or biz article focused and there's not much engagement, closing off comments that you're probably not getting anyway will hide the fact that there doesn't seem to be much going on there. It can show authority and hide the fact that your readers aren't as engaged.
      I think you have a point, and to be honest, that was our initial reason for taking it down (after being up for just a few days). Our blog was just new then and our posts were mostly curated, so we felt that we won't be getting any comments anyway, especially that early in the game. We didn't want each post to show "0 Comments" every time.

      But now we're on the fence as to whether it's high time to bring it back.
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  • Profile picture of the author EllenMoore
    Originally Posted by bsummers View Post

    Our business blog does not offer a commenting functionality regularly seen in most blogs, and I fear that other people (especially business prospects) might associate it with lack of authority or credibility.

    Should I be worried and re-install the comments section?
    Why didn't you take care of it from the beginning? It could raise some doubts.
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    • Profile picture of the author profitsforall
      For me, having comments turned on or off wouldn't alter my perception of your authority whatsoever.

      The quality of your content would be what I used to determine that.
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      • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
        Originally Posted by profitsforall View Post

        For me, having comments turned on or off wouldn't alter my perception of your authority whatsoever.

        The quality of your content would be what I used to determine that.
        ^^^This. Exactly.
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      • Profile picture of the author bsummers
        Originally Posted by profitsforall View Post

        For me, having comments turned on or off wouldn't alter my perception of your authority whatsoever.

        The quality of your content would be what I used to determine that.
        That's great, but do you think buyers/prospects think the same way? Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    Q: Who says that you must have comments on your web pages to have credibility?

    A: People who don't know any better.


    Let me ask you something... Do you consider WebMD.com to be a reliable and credible source of information?

    I think so, and if you agree, you should know that they don't allow comments on their website either.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Shook
      I think perhaps the bog blogs have their comments turned off because they don't need them to be authoritative. They are already famous and everyone in those markets knows this.

      Its also a big PIA to moderate as many comments as they might get, especially if they allow links. Blog commenting is a big part of many people's strategy to get their name known in the world, so people hunt down blogs that allow comments that thy think will make them look good if they comment there.

      Turn yours on and see what happens. In general, I would suspect that you will get one comment for every hundred or more readers. So you might not wind up with much work to do in moderating.

      Other big time-ish blogs have their comments enabled, for instance CopyBlogger and Social Triggers, not as big as Seth Godin, but not tiny either.
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  • Profile picture of the author RanD
    I have never considered comments a sign of credibility. Most businesses don't have comments turned on. In my opinion, it actually seems less professional if they are turned on. Comments are for being more social and interactive.

    Besides, it is hardly a sign of credibility when you can moderate the comments however you see fit. Plus, it would look far worse to have comments open and nobody commenting.

    Go with whatever feel you want for the site. Social and interactive, or something more professional.
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  • Profile picture of the author EFFOR
    For me it comes down to "information" vs. "editorial". If your piece is just used to distribute factual information comments aren't going to do much in my opinion. If you posting in a editorial format, inciting opinion, stating opinion, then comments help build attachment to the reader.

    Just my .02
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    I actually have my blog comments off. I get so many spam comments that i got tired of moderating them. No big deal though... bulk of my blog traffic comes from my opt-in email list.
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  • Profile picture of the author tyronne78
    I have my comments turned on because they're a good feedback mechanism. Having your comments turned off is like not having share buttons on your blog.
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  • Profile picture of the author Danielle Murphyx
    Banned
    I'm not sure about the credibility, but isn't the whole point of creating a blog/webpage to have reactions from your readers? As far as I know, it is an important criteria into evaluating your blog...
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