Have you ever seen a website poll like this one? I can’t remember where I found it, but it’s a little embarrassing don’t you think?
Online polls are often sold as one of the “whiz bang” reasons that you need a content management system. The sales person will say something like, ”An online poll helps build a sense of community.”
Intangible concepts like “community” are often peddled in the web world to avoid accountability.
Whilst it’s nice, there are no real measurable business outcomes for “community.”
If you’re marketing your small to medium business with a lead generation or an eCommerce website, then a website poll is probably not going to add much to the real performance of your website.
There is an appropriate context for website polls. On news websites and popular forums they can be interesting to participate in, and are therefore engaging. Website polls work when:
- Your site already has massive amounts of traffic (hopefully it will get more than 7 votes)
- The question matters to the audience (The outcome of the poll might actually be interesting)
- Your poll fits into the context and content of your website.
If you disagree with me, then you can go and have your say on ABC’s The Chaser’s War on Everything website poll (above) here: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/chaser/war/vote/default.htm ;-).
About Brett Gilbertson