Same Changes

A few of you filled out a survey that I created to give me some information on my readers and direction on what I need to do more or less of. Thank you so much for the feedback and I have taken it to heart. I’m breaking down the things I’ve learned from your answers.

How did you find Caroline in the City?

Most of you knew me in “real life” and subsequently started reading my blog. A few more found it through Facebook either linked from a friend’s profile or through Networked Blogs. I’m glad to have readers who I know in real life, but I’d like to have even more that I’ve yet to meet.

How often do you read Caroline in the City?

Once per week is the frequency that most of you read my blog, with a few who read 2-3 times per week. I’m sure it depends on who subscribes via RSS and how often I post on any given week.

How often should I post?

Everyone answered either more frequently or the same amount. I will likely continue posting three or so times per week until my work schedule balances out.

What destinations do you like reading about?

I gave the options of 1. Charleston, Atlanta and the South, 2. the United States as a whole, 3. Croatia, 4. Australia and 5. Other. You could pick multiple selections, but the highest majority was for Charleston, Atlanta and the South. I’m glad that’s the case because I’m starting a new blog soon that will focus primarily on traveling the South. The next highest was for Australia, which has my most posts to date.

What kinds of posts do you most enjoy reading about?

For this question, I wanted to know which types of posts readers really remembered. You could choose as many as you want between my travel experiences (“Why I Hated Fraser Island”), surviving the real world posts (interviews with AmeriCorps, Peace Corps volunteers, “Making Travel a Priority in College”), destination guides (“Best of Atlanta”), photo essays (“Great Ocean Road”), and reviews of hostels, books, products (“Review: Backpack Oz”).  Travel experiences got the most votes, followed by destination guides and the other choices with one vote each.

I also wanted to know the age range and gender of my readers. 

I can find most of these details out through Google Analytics or Alexa, but I was curious as to what ages and genders would respond to a survey. I had responses for age ranges 18-24, 25-40 and 41-50. And I knew that my audience was primarily female, but a few males responded.

Where do you read Caroline in the City?

I was pretty sure no one would say that they read my blog while at work (the bosses might see this!) and I was correct. Most readers view from home with a few on the go, via mobile device like a smart phone or tablet. I asked this question so that I could make sure my blog is mobile-friendly.

I also asked about occupations, where everyone lives and how often they travel.

Many responses were from those in similar fields of social media and digital research. Most were from North America, of course, and travel every year or a few times per year.

Are there any additional changes you’d like to see on the blog?

I heard from a few people who said the site is too dark and it hurts their eyes. I agree (I’m still messing around with the colors every day…) and I’m currently saving up for a total redesign now that I’ve sorted out all the WordPress business. I met a lovely designer last week and I’m coming with ideas to send her in the coming weeks. I’m looking to keep it as a blog, not creating a website format, and keeping it photo-heavy.

Any more feedback you’d like to provide? Leave it in the comment section or send me an email.

I’ll leave you with the song that inspired the post title.