Since you took the time to answer my questions, I’m going to take the time to respond to your concerns and talk about how I’ll incorporate your feedback into the website.
First, I want to discuss the most common critique: that this site has become too commercialized. I have to say, I agree with you.
As I mentioned Monday, this year has seen me a little lost. Professionally, it’s been the best year yet, but personally I’ve felt kind of…stuck. Sure, I drove across the United States, but it was at a breakneck speed for my book tour, I spent my summer in NYC, and I haven’t done much traveling that wasn’t work related. I haven’t really done a lot of things that are exciting to write about. I haven’t been able to share any stories of local life, culture, and off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Being home has allowed me to clear the queue of projects I’ve been wanting to work on: a site redesign, new electronic city guides, a new edition of my book, and a blogging course, as well as starting a hostel and an educational charity.
It’s been a busy, busy year, and it feels like every month something new came along. Every time I finished a project, I couldn’t wait to share it but was worried that people would feel like it would just be something else I wanted them to buy. Every email I sent seemed to include another launch announcement or a reminder about a recent product. I’m proud of everything I’ve done, but I can see how from your point of view, it can seem too commercialized and just a money grab. So I understand your feedback. This has been a very full year, but the announcements will be few and far between as my “cool project ideas” list has been checked off!
Here are some other points you brought up that I want to talk about:
1. “You need more personal tips.”
Many of you commented on the fact that this site feels less personal and too general now. There’s not enough of a personal touch, not only for blog posts but also the destination guides. You want more information on and more personal descriptions of restaurants, hostels, and attractions.
I agree. I’m in the process of starting the guide updates again and, as I go through them, I’ll include restaurant and hostel suggestions as well as a more personal description of each place. I keep lists of where I stay and eat, so it won’t be hard for me to make sure I add it in!
Also, my heading back on the road will bring back some of that mojo that you’re used to seeing here on the blog. And, as I said Monday, I could use some of that mojo.
2. “Have more reader and traveler interviews.”
I love these as much as you do! I’ve been meaning to offer more reader interviews to add fresh perspective, and I do plan to post more of those. I’ll have an update on the case studies in the next few weeks and will be sharing monthly interviews from now on!
3. “Improve the navigation to find older content.”
Many of you complemented the new site design (thank you!) and remarked on how much easier it has been to navigate. However, with so much information available, it can still be hard to get around the website. But I have some ideas that will make it easier to find relevant content, and I’ll work to improve it even more the next few months. I’ll be including more options to search posts by date and topic and will try to further improve on ways you can navigate to the content you’re looking for.
4. “The guest writers are great! Please have more.”
You really love the guest writers and the series on health tips and photography. You want more of that — and you’ll get more! I’m not sure what topics they’ll cover, as I’m very picky about what’s included on this website, but I’ll have some more series starting in the coming months. I’m currently searching for a new family travel writer and gear reviewer, so look for those posts to come.
Additionally, these writers (and our interviewees, too) will be more geographically and racially diverse to better provide a range of viewpoints on this site. I’m fully conscious that I’m a middle-class white guy from America and as such, my traveling experience is not the same as everyone else’s! I want to show that travel is accessible to all, and showcasing a broader range of opinions will help.
5. “There’s not enough information for older travelers.”
This comes up year after year, and each year I think I’m doing better at this, but I guess not! I get that most older travelers probably don’t want to stay in hostels, but the destination, banking, and other general tips are applicable to any traveler. I’m not really sure how to address this concern other than continuing to interview older couples for the site, but I’ll continue to think about it.
6. “This site is too US focused. It’s not applicable to me.”
I hear this a lot too, and in a way, it’s true. I put prices in USD a lot (though I have been trying to keep it in the local currency more and more), and I talk about the US-centric points-and-miles game. But while a lot of the banking and credit card information is also US only, the destination information and tips on finding deals are universal. We all save money in London the same way. I include plenty of non-US-based search sites in my tips, but if you have suggestions on specific things you would like to see, I’d love to hear them.
There was a lot of content suggestions too – from suggested itineraries to more on responsible travel to scams to look out for. All good ideas that I’ll start working on!
Thank you for taking the time out to fill out the survey. It’s really helpful to see where you feel things have fallen off so I can improve them.
I want to make this a travel blog I’d want to follow, and I can see where it’s lost that personal touch. I don’t want that. I don’t want it to become some impersonal, corporate Lonely Planet. No, I want to “tell the story no one else can tell” (hat tip to Jodi for the quote) and get you excited about travel.
Until next week (when regular blog posts return), travel safe!
— Matt
P.S. – If you’re in NYC next week, I’ll be having a Halloween themed meet-up on October 29th. Click here for all the details.
The post This Site is Too Commercial (And More Great Feedback From Last Week’s Survey) appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.
October 22, 2015 at 04:15PM
fom http://ift.tt/1Xmdvqw
by IHholiday Travel trip
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario