Recently, at RA Project a new brand idea was born to allow, through WordPress and in general, each and every website commentor the choice to specifically tell a website owner whether or not that specific commentor would like a comment response. I call it the RA Project Comment Response Choice Idea. I wonder about the effect of this idea on other things in the blog-reader and business-customer relationship arena and wanted to discuss that with you today.
Should all comments be answered, or only the ones asking for a reply?
So far, in the blogging world and in the online world in general, when you leave a comment on any website, you usually expect or want a response when you ask the website owner, or the article owner, a question or for some info. Unless an author of an article explicitly says that they will reply to all comments to their article, expecting a comment response is considered kind of voluntary and dependent on the tone of a comment. The actual reply depends on the philosophy and the mentality of an important question: is it an obligation to respond to all comments?
While the concept of allowing people to specifically ask for a comment response to their comment, or let a website owner know that they do not want a response to their comments, is very interesting to me, it also raises a very important question for me: can such a concept, of making people specifically ask for a comment response to their input, be manipulated or abused a bit to give more leniency to website owners and others when it comes to the idea of replying to people who comment on their websites?
How can businesses use this new response requirement model?
Let us take this concept one step further. How can companies use this concept when dealing with their customers? A company can require all customers to actually specify if they would require a response when dealing with that company. The Comment Response Choice can greatly help in allowing companies to focus more on responses that are directly asked for. This should also help customers be more satisfied as they will realize that a company may not be replying to them because the company has not been directly asked to respond.
At the same time, however, I wonder if it is a good idea to make a customer, or anyone else, go through an additional layer of customer reader action in order to actually respond to them? I see a very interesting implementation for this: by default, such comment response choices can be modified very easily to have the “I do not need a response” option chosen by default. In such cases, if a customer forgets to look at the Comment Response Choice or something similar, the default “No” will be chosen automatically. That can make it easier for people or businesses to say later on that the reason they did not reply was because the reader or the customer specified that they did not want a reply.
What do you think?
I love good ideas, and I love new ideas that are good. RA Project has many brand new ideas on their way and many good ideas already. Though as with probably anything, ideas need to be handled with common sense, including this Comment Response Choice idea. What is your view on this? Would you, as a website or a business owner, follow such a trend of making people specifically choose an extra option if they want a response from you? Would you, as a customer or a reader, want to specifically take an extra step to ask for a response?
Please let me and others know what you think in the comments below, thanks! 
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For my personal website, where I receive comments on posts that are relatively old, this concept works wonderfully.
Many times a reader is just leaving their say (at least on my site). Sometimes I wonder whether the reader needs a reply or not. Now, there is no guessing.
I’ll still reply to comments that I feel need replying to. But I’ll know a reader needs that extra attention when they “opt-in” and let me know he/she expects a response.
Hi Ronald,
Thanks for the comment. I really appreciate it. True, you have a good point. I saw some of your posts that some readers were saying “controversial!” and some of them did not want a reply back it seems, yes.
This code goes both ways now that I think of it more: allows people to know which comment to reply to, and also allows people to escape the responsibility of replying to comments [added: the responsibility idea is relative, as we have discussed before
]. My focus through my site is to build relationships and socialize more than just a reply, so for me, even when someone does not ask for a reply, I try to respond to them directly or indirectly as I want to build a base and more.
Someone choosing that “Yes!” option does result in more focus, true. I wonder what the different readers think on your site? Or my site? Or different sites? Hmmmmmm.
I don’t think everyone’s expecting a response. Some people just want to share an interesting link, others simply need a place to vent. There are also those who just want to troll the blogger. Not everyone is looking to start a conversation.
Its a personal deciscion i think, But as Gry said, everyone comments for there own reasons,
I come acros a lot of blogs and i read them all intensively before i reply, i dont expect to get a reply, but its nice to get an reply, it says a lot about the owner of the blog. I think getting involved with ur commenters is a good thing.
I agree with the personal decision. If you have someone asking a specific question then I say answer them, but as we know most people reading blogs that really read what someone says…are wanting something in return. I commented earlier on another persons blog, because the guy really knows his SEO, so I need his help. However I don’t need everyone that I write a message, respond to me. So, no need for you either.
Great post, thanks for the links.
You seem to be reading day and night looking for good stuff to post lol
I think this is kind of needless and superfluous. Either a comment is worth/in need of a reply or it isn’t – and that’s totally up to the discretion of the blog owner. If you think you absolutely need a direct response/communication from the author – well, that’s what the “contact me” is for, isnt it? I see a potenial of abuse by attention whores and drama queens, whether they be spammers or not.
Hi all!
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@Gry, Hi Gry, thanks for the comment. You may be right: not everyone is expecting a response.
I wonder though if people should be given a choice so we can know what they want, instead of assuming what they want? Not everyone is looking to start a conversation, true. Hmmm, how can one be sure of what is needed with as much accuracy as possible?
@willem, Hi Willem! Thanks for the comment too. In your view, if you get a reply from a blog owner all the time, are there times when you feel that a response from the blog owner creates more headache for you? Like, for example, you left a comment, and I came and asked you this question, and in response, you feel “Lord! Now I have to reply to him!! ><"
@viprealitydfw, hi there! Thanks for the comment and your input. I am going to respond to you if that's ok [please don't hate/kill me!]. Hmmm, in your view, like I asked @willem above, can a response from a blog author be actually more negative for you than not getting a response at all?
@propertyinvestmentwise, hello! [wow such a long username!!]. Thanks for the comment too, I'm glad you like the links and the post.
@DTs Flash Drive Blog, hi there! [and welcome!]. Thanks for your comment too. Very good point about the abuse of the whole thing, hmmm.
In your view, do you think an actual policy, of responding to all comments, or only responding to comments which ask a question, without an answer, would be better than this system? How would you deal with comment responses on your blog?
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Thanks all! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Great post, thanks for this links.
There are also those who just want to troll the blogger. Not everyone is looking to start a conversation.
I’ll still reply to comments that I feel need replying to. But I’ll know a reader needs that extra attention when they “opt-in” and let me know he/she expects a response.
I come acros a lot of blogs and i read them all intensively before i reply, i dont expect to get a reply, but its nice to get an reply, it says a lot about the owner of the blog.
If you have someone asking a specific question then I say answer them, but as we know most people reading blogs that really read what someone says…are wanting something in return. I commented earlier on another persons blog, because the guy really knows his SEO, so I need his help.
Many times a reader is just leaving their say (at least on my site). Sometimes I wonder whether the reader needs a reply or not. Now, there is no guessing.
Someone choosing that “Yes!” option does result in more focus, true. I wonder what the different readers think on your site? Or my site? Or different sites? Hmmmmmm.
If you think you absolutely need a direct response/communication from the author – well, that’s what the “contact me” is for, isnt it? I see a potenial of abuse by attention whores and drama queens, whether they be spammers or not.
Interesting idea. I must say that I rarely answer my readers comments. I did have one site that had a forum attached to a few years ago and that was more natural for me to interact with the readers.
This might help bridge that gap too.
@Michelle221: I don’t think spammers would really abuse it, why would they want to draw attention
it is really an excellent resources, thanks mate
I think it’s a great idea. Let’s people decide if they want to hear your opinion or is it only their chance to post their thougths.
I use the plugin and have styled the “response” question to make it more noticeable to commenters, decreasing the likelihood that it would be overlooked, and I find it very useful!
I think some blogs are geared more for ‘questions’ (such as developers who use their comments as a support mechanism), where some people leave a “thanks for a great plugin” and others need help (and a response)………whereas other blogs draw mostly just comments, and few if any questions……so I can see where it would be critical for some sites and not matter at all for others.
Personally I like it, and even though I respond to all comments (even if only to say “thanks for commenting”), it’s nice to know when someone is expecting more….
I guess it would a decent idea to have a blog plug in that lets commentors to signal the webmaster that they are expecting a response. That might make it easier for blog authors to quickly see what comments need attention first.
it is not necessary to answer all the comments
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
It is true that somewhere it is not that much necessary to reply the comments but from business prospective it is very important to reply for such coomments.
Thanks
If the comment deems some reply there is nothing wrong in replying either by the way of agreeing or clarifying his viewpoints. But it would be an utter mess to respond to all comments. Even the commentator would be happy to see his comments eliciting response from the author. As email id is a mandatory field it woudnt be a bad idea to reply him through a mail.
In fact not all the comment questions require answers except that it is offered by the article.It will be a waste of time if all the comments are answered.
that’s really smart way but what made me headache is writers often delected my comments as spam. I do not know why.
Comments are valuable both parties. So, it would not be a bad idea to respond to the commenting guy through mail.
I won’t reply to every single comment somebody makes on my blog. Blogs are made for commenting and people usually leave their thougths on them. I only reply to those comments that ask for further information.
Many times a reader is just leaving their say (at least on my site). Sometimes I wonder whether the reader needs a reply or not. Now, there is no guessing.
nice blog post.
People usually leave comments on blogs when they are interested in the topic or have a different opinion or feel that they’ve got something new to add to the conversation. In all those cases, I just let them talk. When they just write nonsense or it is obvious that they are selling something, then I cut them off.
I didn’t edit comments at the beginning, but after finding some spammy replies I’ve decided to put some kind of control. I like seeing the different points of view around the same topic.
Seems to be and interesting idea making possible telling author that someone would like a comment response. For anzone this could be useful as long as no one will try to make some strange benefits from it…
Personally, i reply to the comments being posted in my blog. This is to give courtesy and appreciation for the people who took time to read and leave a comment to my post. This is more than a business. It is interactive. A relationship.
Hi! I usually reply to all comments on my blog. I consider it rude not to show my appreciation to somebody who dropped by and expressed his or her views on my post.
Great post thanks it adds more again knowledge and tops.
Usually I comment to blogs and ask if I need to and I don’t mind if he/she reply or not but if they do the better and also I reply whoever comment on my personal blogs even they don’t ask me as a way of say ty for drop by at my page.
Hi,
nice post. i like this post.doing comment is my hobby and my comment is always according to the post.
thanks for the information
nice post
i reply to the comments being posted in my blog. This is to give courtesy and appreciation for the people who took time to read and leave a comment to my post. This is more than a business.
There are also those who just want to troll the blogger. Not everyone is looking to start a conversation.
Many times a reader is just leaving their say (at least on my site). Sometimes I wonder whether the reader needs a reply or not. Now, there is no guessing.
deems some reply there is nothing wrong in replying either by the way of agreeing or clarifying his viewpoints. But it would be an utter mess to respond to all comments. Even the commentator would be happy to see his comments eliciting response from the autho
ode goes both ways now that I think of it more: allows people to know which comment to reply to, and also allows people to escape the responsibility of replying to comments [added: the responsibility idea is relative, as we have discussed before
usually leave comments on blogs when they are interested in the topic or have a different opinion or feel that they’ve got something new to add to the conversation. In all those cases, I just let them talk. When they just write nonsense or it is obvious that they are selling somethin
I received comments on my personal website from my friends and my readers, If they asked questions, I simply answered them back especially if it is relevant to the topic or article that I have wrote, it is important the you answered back for them to know that you are efficient and concerned blogger.
i agree with willem, this is a personal deciscion.
but if i write some comment on any blog, i’d love to if my comment is reply by the blog owner.
I don’t think there is a specific need for a comment reply option, if they ask a question you feel like answering that’s enough. My 2 cents.
If the comment is the question, maybe you should answer or the comment have the opposite idea that your article, maybe you also need to reply. However if the comment just to notice an agreement. Maybe you don’t need to reply.
Responding to a comment is always necessary. It is a way of saying your appreciation. It is like an auto rsponder to an email. A comment deserves an equal attention. Thanks for asking for a response.
I have three blogs where i religiously respond to every comment put on my blog.But not for the spam one.A person might just give you a link or a suggestion, then i try to go to that link and reply back about my thinking.If somebody posts something against my blog i want to make clear what exactly is the cause.I try to respond each comment.
Travel Insure
Thanks for information
Thanks
I think the idea is good but I think its still the discretion of the site owner if he or she will respond or not.
I think in any “business” where customer service is important you should know exactly if a response is wanted not necessarily needed. I think something like this could definitely open the eyes to those who think a comment is a comment.
Great concept about asking for a reply. I think in most cases the commenter doesn’t come back to the post and will not read the reply.
That’s really interesting post, I just get over and what? Such a usefull post. Thns for sharing!
No business will ever like a comment response. But if you are on Twitter all the time, maybe this suits your personality.
Comments are one of the most valuable assets a blogger can have. When a comment is sincere in asking for a reply, I think it’s generally in the best interest of the author – though not his or her obligation – to reply.
A generally accepted and easy to use system for notifying the author would seem to help both parties. But it would have to have guards against abuse.
I’m in the marketing research business and this issue is akin to asking for feedback with a satisfaction questionnaire. If you keep the survey simple and easy to answer it will provide useful information on how to improve the blog. But if it’s overly complicated and long, you’re likely to run into problems with incomplete or garbage responses.
In both cases, it’s disrespect and a general lack of regard for the reader/subscriber that’s the root cause.
Andy Perkins
TheCustomer Satisfaction Questionnaire Blog
No business no money, we are always respon that
The default should be to “not respond” to a comment. Webmasters are busy and many comments don’t deserve a response.
I think that the “no response” option is built-in or implied. There is no need to create a software function for this.
For some business models, this may be a valued feature however.