Comment conversion: 0.25%?

Don´t get me wrong: this is not my personal frustration about the number of comments on this weblog:-) I am honestly having the idea and wondering why in general the number of comments on popular weblogs worldwide is so low. And then especially on knowledge platforms (news sites is a different story).

To stay close to home: if I look for example at the number of reactions to posts at Molblog , probably the Netherlands´most visited and high level marketing weblog, I think it´s pretty stunning how low the number of comments actually is compared to the number of visitors.

A quick hypothetical sum up:

• say you have 100,000 unique visitors per month, which is about 25,000 a week;
• then assume the weblog publishes 30 posts in that week, that means on average you have 800 unique visitors per posting (allow me this unique but relevant unity:-);
• I think that by far most of the posts at a weblog get 3 comments per post. Of course there are posts that have 30 comments or so, but these are exceptions. I feel that 3 is already a high estimate, because you see a lot 1´s and 2´s, but ok;
• that means ´comment conversion´, as I call it, is 3 on 800 = just above 0.25%.

Please prove I´m wrong, but my feeling is that this figure is pretty close. And low! I mean, even spontaneous response to a direct mailing is higher and in that case you have to take specific action! ok, you probably get an incentive, but still, the sender wants something from you.

This is strange when you think that commenting to a weblog is good for four reasons, in my opinion:

1. it´s an interactive and open discussion platform, so the purpose of a weblog actually IS commenting;
2. it´s free, easy to comment and most of the times low entry (therefore I´m not a big fan of registering before commenting);
3. it´s a good way to share your ideas and opinions with other visitors and that way increase the quality of global knowledge on a topic;
4. it´s a unique way to position yourself -if you want- as a knowledgeable and capable specialist on a specific topic.

Do people need more push to take action, is that it? Do people tend not to take action when they are not directly asked to do so ? Is it because they think there is ´nothing in for them´?

When you think so, I think you better read the four reasons above one more time.

And please, leave a comment when you have something to add to this posting or don´t agree with me:-)