Quick Reader Poll: Do You Prefer “Click To Read More” Posts (Jump Breaks)?

The Jump Break Debate: Do You Prefer "Click To Read More" Posts?
In my pursuit of assessing my blog and finding out what can be done to improve it, I’ve recently been pondering the “jump break” tool used on a lot of blogs – that is, where you see the beginning part of the post only on the home page with a link that you have to click to Read more, View more, Click through for the full post, etc. 

I basically want to know: Do you prefer these types of posts with a jump break? I’ll be honest and admit that I personally haven’t ever liked them as much, which is why I’ve never done my posts that way. However, there are so many positives to using jump breaks that I’ve wondered whether I’m missing an opportunity. The positives are (and they all make perfect sense):

  • Displaying summary posts only on your home page speed up it’s load time
  • Visitors landing on your home page see a selection of your posts without having to scroll down forever
  • As a result you can add more posts for visitors to choose to click on
  • It’s cleaner and more professional looking
  • Visitors have to click through to the full post which increases page views


So would you do me a favour please and answer me this one simple question in the poll below? I would really appreciate your help…!


Do you prefer blog posts with a jump break (where you have to click through to see the post in full)?

  
pollcode.com free polls 


Thanks so much for taking the time to answer this for me. Do leave a comment if you have something to add, won’t you 🙂


Watch this space (it may become the bit that says “Click to see more”)!

Catherine x

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23 Comments

  1. 1 December 2013 / 3:49 pm

    I hate jump breaks. The front page loading faster is of absolutely no benefit if there's no real content on the page. It actually take much longer to click through, wait for each individual page to load, click back and then click on the next one. When I'm checking out a new blog to see if I'm interested in following, I don't even bother looking at the ones where I can't just scroll through the content on the first page. Magazine style maybe makes sense for magazines, or blogs with written content where I may only want to read certain articles, but for style blogs, it isn't as logical. I follow a style blog because I like that particular person's style, so I want to see all their style posts, including all the pictures. Plus, on the slower loading point – yes, it is slow loading, but I only have to click once and then my further involvement is not required for the page to finish loading, meaning I can click on a blog, and then return to a different webpage in a different tab or window, and come back after the blog has finished loading. If I have to click on each individual blog post and wait for it to load, that is significantly more involvement on my part so I can't just read something else until the blog is loaded, because I have to keep clicking on each individual post. I've stopped following several blogs because they present their content in this way. A blog has to really be a favorite for me to keep following it when presented in this way. So that's a lot of text, but I REALLY hate viewing photo-heavy blogs that hide content away on separate pages.

  2. 19 October 2013 / 8:43 pm

    So glad you did this poll and I'm guessing from the results, overwhelmingly stating they like you just the way you are, you won't be making a change soon 🙂

  3. 15 October 2013 / 5:16 pm

    This is a pretty hard question to answer- I struggle with it myself because my own blog posts are like mini essays in themselves (so even though I prefer no jump breaks, I feel like my readers would be overwhelmed if I didn't break the posts up a little!)

  4. 15 October 2013 / 2:33 pm

    I voted yes. Although I prefer to look at an entire post without clicking "read more", it really winds me up when each post has 50,999 pics and they're all high res and I can't get to the next post to see what it was about. So that's why I voted yes 🙂

    Nice poll 🙂

    Sx

  5. 15 October 2013 / 12:27 pm

    Hi Catherine,

    I just voted for YES and was astonished to find that an overwhelming majority voted for NO…

    I use the more-tag on my blog on the home page, but I know that the majority of readers come to my blog via bloglovin or via google search. So the landing page is a specific full post in most of the cases. But if there are visitors coming to my blog home page I like to offer an overview of the most recent topics and let them chose topics they are interested in, which then they can reach within one more click. As I am offering rather long blog posts with fashion-tipps an tutorials, I think it is important, that the summary precisely formulates what the reader can expect when clicking on the more-link. So it is her/his choice to read on or leave. I don't use the more-tag on short posts though. And I always include an introduction and at least one picture before I set the more-tag.
    So a mixture of both – posts with and without more-tag – seems to be the best for me.

    Hope this helps you to make your decision!

    Stephanie

  6. 14 October 2013 / 8:38 pm

    I prefer the summery type, id do it in my blog if I knew how lol! I don't think most people do though.
    Lauren
    livinginaboxx

  7. 14 October 2013 / 6:17 pm

    If a post is a single post that I visit from some other resource (Bloglovin', Twitter), I don't even notice if a blog has the summary view on because it will just take you to the full post. But if I land on someone's homepage and it has the summary, I'm not a big fan of it. To work around it, I started posting smaller amounts of photos per post and only have 3 on my homepage at a time. My load time is okay, but I honestly think it has more to do with the JavaScript of the ads and not the blog posts themselves.

    But I can see the advantages too. It's a tough decision! 🙂

    toni

    • 14 October 2013 / 8:16 pm

      Oooh that's an interesting point about the ads' JavaScript, Toni… hadn't thought of that. Don't know why, it's kinda obvious!! Thanks hun x

  8. 14 October 2013 / 5:46 pm

    I have just voted and it's funny because I actually struggle with this question every now and then for my blog too! Personally, I like to see a full post, sometimes I get a bit lazy at reading posts so I prefer to have it all on the front page than having to click to read more!

    • 14 October 2013 / 8:15 pm

      I think you've summed up my feelings exactly, Ester!! So hard to know, isn't it? x

  9. 14 October 2013 / 5:35 pm

    I like there to be more than one picture before the jump. It lets me decide if I really want to see more. The Sartorialist does this on posts that have a lot of pictures, but he doesn't use a jump break if there are only a couple photos. Kinda best of both worlds. :o)

    http://www.dressupnotdown.blogspot.com

    • 14 October 2013 / 6:19 pm

      I think I like the sound of this the most, sweetie – I think I may be heading towards only using jump breaks if the post is a long one, e.g. my Photo Tips posts (which would take an age to load). Thanks for your input!

  10. 14 October 2013 / 4:25 pm

    I follow several (okay, hundreds) of blogs on Bloglovin', so when I click on a blog, I land on the post and don't want to have to click again to find it. If I feel like I'm jumping through too many hoops, I'm finished reading a blog.

    Thanks for explaining the reasons behind 'jump breaks', I just assumed it had to do with page views or something.

    • 14 October 2013 / 6:14 pm

      I was wondering: if you've already landed on the post, why would you have to click again to "find" it? You're already there so you don't need to "Click to read more"… Jump breaks only appear if you're on the home page, or have I got that wrong? I'm getting confused!

  11. 14 October 2013 / 3:03 pm

    I am not a fan of jump breaks either. Like the comment above from Lady Of Style, I also like "personal" blogs. I like the blogger/wordpress standard format, it is like we're all part of the same community. If a blog looks too much like a fancy website, it makes me feel disconnected to them as a blogger.

    • 14 October 2013 / 6:17 pm

      I do agree with you, Sarah! But why are we always then being told to host our own blog if we can for more control…? I guess it then depends how much engagement you have with your readers if you've designed your own blog.

  12. 14 October 2013 / 2:53 pm

    I follow my favourite blogs via bloglovin and automatically see the full current post and that's what I prefer. "Professional" can easily turn into distant/anonymous/not connecting to the readers any longer.
    I am not a fan of the clean magazine style but prefer individual, unique posts with heart and character.
    I am very curious about other readers' opinions and the final result of your poll!

    Annette | Lady of Style

    • 14 October 2013 / 3:00 pm

      My version of "professional" is what looks cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing, Annette… I often wish my homepage looked cleaner because the posts look a bit of a mess. I do like the look of posts with jump breaks, I have to say – and personally I always follow blogs that are pleasing to the eye! So hard to please everyone, isn't it! Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate them x

    • 14 October 2013 / 6:12 pm

      One other thought, Annette: if you follow via Bloglovin the jump breaks won't make any difference to you as you're always clicking straight through to the post…? If someone is new to my blog and they go to the homepage, a selection of posts with a summary for each will give them a taster of what they could find on my blog. Plus it would load quicker for them and not put them off from the start. So much to think about…!

    • 15 October 2013 / 12:55 am

      This was what I was about to suggest Catherine – I wouldn't want to have to "jump" all the time as a regular blog follower, but if the homepage has a selection of posts while Bloglovin gives me the whole post straight away that would be a good option 🙂

    • 16 October 2013 / 3:27 pm

      You are right, Catherine, I haven't thought about that (bloglovin) and understand what you mean by "pleasing for the eye". A blog with jumps naturally shows less photos and text and therefore might look more structured. However, when I now look at the results, obviously nobody found your blog messy anyway but is very happy with the current look. Keep up your good work!

      Annette | Lady of Style

  13. 14 October 2013 / 2:40 pm

    I am glad to see that most people agree. when you have to see many blogs you cannot be jumping about.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    • 14 October 2013 / 2:55 pm

      Hmmm I'm surprised you thought that, Sacramento – you were the one saying my blog was taking a long time to load (hence me considering the jump breaks)!

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