We’ve installed TripAdvisor widgets for a few clients now and the thing that always annoys me about them is how long they take to load (and how much they slow the rest of the website down at the same time).
I stubled across an article today that raises another couple of issues.
Namely:
- Are you sending people off to a resource where they easily find your competition? (Your visitors may well go there anyway, but why encourage them? So there’s a trade off to consider between your good reviews and the easy of shopping you around.)
- You might be helping TripAdvisor rank better for your establishment name that you do!
I have noticed in the past that when TripAdvisor links back to your website, they do so in such a way that Google ignores it. And yet the link from your website back to TripAdvisor is set up so that Google pays attention to it.
Hardly seems fair!
Are TripAdvisor widgets such a great idea? http://t.co/29DbBW7G Perhaps think about the "why" before just adding them.
— Almost Anything (@almostanything) July 19, 2012
I’m not saying, “Don’t do it” – but I am saying not to do it just because others are.
- Consider whether it helps or hinders your website’s conversion rate.
- Make sure your website’s statistics are tracking that outgoing traffic so you have an idea of how many people are leaving – and if they are coming back!