Chicklets: How Many Should You Have on Your Blog?

Patsi and I had a debate yesterday about some feedback she received from Seth Godin about our blog last week.

Godin contends that we're wasting valuable blog real estate above the fold, by having so many chicklets (feed subscriptions) in the upper right sidebar.  Instead, we should have a valuable offer front and center.

I know the chicket issue has been debated by bloggers:  how many feed subscription options are necessary to have?  I've gone back and forth from just having a couple, to adding more, to removing them, to adding them again.

Please take our poll and add your comments about why you believe as you do.  We really want to know.

Technorati Tags: chicklets, blog, poll, email

Comments

[Bruce Bair]

Everything else can be subscribed through rss I believe so why be redundant.

[Denise aka The Blog Squad]

While I agree with Bruce's comment that it's all RSS, I think the point is that most people, at this time, don't know what RSS is. However, they may understand MyYahoo, MyMSN and use these as their home pages. Therefore, offering the choice in the language that your readers understand, you have more of a chance to get new subscribers.

[Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D.]

Yes it's all RSS, but until they find a better name (Automatic Updates?) people are going to be slow to understand, slow to get news aggregators and get the feed reader habit. Right now I think the stats are up to 12%, but maybe it's a little bigger, of Internet users of RSS feeds and aggregators. But see, there I go, using these words that most people don't understand. For me, I think the easiest way to get updates is either through the Feedblitz emails (an impeccable free service), or add a blog blurb to your My Yahoo or My MSN or Google page. That way when you pull up your default Internet access page, all your favorite blog updates are right there for you. No need to search your bookmarks or surf the web. I'm going into a little detail here, because I think the majority of people haven't understood yet how easy and simple it is. It is the same way you get news updates from your favorite newspapers on your default page.