TGPers: did your surfers get pissed when you switched from text to thumbs?
 

I have a small but profitable niche tgp thats all bookmarkers no trades, and I just switched the format from the old text links style to thumbs. Here are some of the emails im getting from surfers:

- HOW DO i FIND THE OLD SET UP? i\'LL CHECK BACK IN A FEW DAYS, IF THIS IS STILL A MESS i\'LL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. wHAT WERE U THINK? THIS IS JUNK

- i JUST DELETED YOUR SITE FROM MY FAVORITES

- old format was much better, you can\'t tell what is a movie clip and what is a picture until you click on

- I\'m confused... where are all the moviez?

- don\'t like it much prefare the old style.
if it ain\'t broke, don\'t fix it!

- the new version is pretty good. I like it as well. Thanks so much!

- love the old format better. new one is too complicating

- I like being able to see a thumb of what a link might contain.

So its like 60% hate it, 40% like it.
Did your sites grow when you changed to thumbs? What kinds of emails did you get?
My site was getting good traffic years ago but the traffic has really slowed down so I had to do something to shake it up.

Use both thumb and text.

I did 10 rows of thumbs, then 60 text links under that

http://www.doesthecirclehold.com/wp-...uinnessB11.jpg
BRILLIANT!

Or at least sort classifications.. it's not THAT difficult.

Maybe try a few less rows of thumbs so the old familiar text is more visible. I do 5 rows.

I don't like to communicate with leechers, they are the part of the problem.

Did you add trades when you switched to thumbnails? Do you run the site like you did before?


Mike

no, it still goes 100% to the gallery, no trade, its just uncharacterized.
It was uncharaterized before but I would write movie in the description.

Give them the option to switch back to the old layout.

Has it affected traffic or are they just bitching? If it hasn't affected traffic give them a chance to get used to it. People always resist change.

good idea, I just did that

Cant tell yet, its only been 12 hours and its all bookmarkers.
Ill give them both options for a few weeks and see what the end result is.

Some people hate thumbs, give them the option for sure. No sense losing bookmarkers.

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh

Bombard the leeches with popup hell..that will teach the ungrateful bastards

They are not leechers, they are customers. ;)

Yes, since they are all boomarkers, make both a text and thumb version and give them the option.

FYI, I moved from thumbs TO text and both productivity and sales went up.

Why did you switch in the first place? Just curious as if it were popular prior to the switch over, why did you switch? To increase productivity? Increase traffic, etc?

Personally I just run two rows of thumbs on my tgp, then go right into text links..I figure the thumbs will be good enough to draw in new surfers and the text links for those bookmarked surfers that are used to that layout. Also, remember, if it ain't broke don't fix it, lol.

We don't run TGP's, but I can say that when we massively changed the design of our sites last year our traffic took a huge hit. After a few months it was back up to level. It takes surfers time to get used to the new format and accept it.

A true bookmarker may bitch and avoid the site for a week or so but they will come back. I don't care for all the latest changes on yahoo but it's still my home page. I ain't going no where.

funny you bring up this topic.,, I have a few I just changed from all thumb to 90% text

If the main complaint is that you can't tell movies from photo galleries, then make two columns, one for movie galleries, (clearly labeled, of course), and another for photo galleries.

Easy to make them happy. Offer text and thumb choice, segregate movies from pics.