Here’s the scoop. Andy Bailey has just launched his “Last Chance Sale” of the CommentLuv Premium WordPress plugin for self-hosted blogs. This is a 5-day half-price sale including life-time updates, the unlimited sites option, GASP Pro, TwitterLink Pro, ReplyMe Pro and bonus plugins. I’m sure many bloggers here already own a license of this premium plugin and I sincerely hope that those of you who are still reading this recognize that I don’t normally pitch products but this particular plugin was instrumental in executing my commenting strategy to drive traffic to my website when I was a newbie blogger.
Why Use CommentLuv Premium?
If you’re still trying to make up your mind whether or not CLP (CommentLuv Premium) is for you, here are 3 articles that I’ve written about CommentLuv. (Each of these also has a lively discussion in the comment sections with more tips and ideas from myself and other readers.) These are older posts but since I wrote them, this plugin has become even more robust. For example, the ReplyMe plugin that is now included was not part of the package when Andy ran his “75% off anniversary sale” and the self-pinging option was added later too.
- Will CommentLuv Premium Make Your Blogging Life Easier?
- Does CommentLuv Leak Link Juice? – Guest Post by Randy Pickard
- Top 5 Reasons to Buy the CommentLuv Premium This Week
FYI – Your WordPress blog has to be self-hosted to install this plugin.
The Buzz about the Google+ Commenting System
You’ve probably read/heard that several well-known bloggers have been moving to the Google+ Commenting System lately. Some bloggers are running both CommentLuv Premium and the Google Plus system. Others are continuing to keep the CLP plugin installed (to continue utilizing the features of GASP Pro, ReplyMe Pro and TwitterLink Pro).
Worthy to note is that the majority of these bloggers already have established readerships. They are not new bloggers trying to drive traffic and get eyes on their blog. To read my take on this (and Suresh Khanal’s post listing 7 reasons why the Google+ System Can’t Replace CommentLuv), check out my last Friday Finds article.
Why Buy Now?
The short list is:
- It’s half-price for the unlimited version which entitles you to install it on every site you own or manage for clients.
- This will be the VERY LAST chance to get the lifetime updates license with no recurring payments.
- This sale ends in 5 days and it will not be offered again.
I sincerely hope that this post doesn’t come across as a sales pitch (although that is my affiliate link and I appreciate it when readers show their support by purchasing through me). I sincerely believe that this plugin helped me to grow my readership (especially in those early days). The biggest drawbacks that I’ve found to CLP is that because the default is that the links are do-follow, you will see an increase in spam and people will leave links to sites that you may not want to be associated with for SEO reasons. This is manageable but it will take more effort on your part. Bottom-line is whether or not having more traffic and readers is worth it to you.
As always, feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions in the comments below.
About Sherryl PerryWelcome! If you're looking for help building an Internet presence that fits your needs and works for you, you're in the right place. I blog common sense articles about WordPress, social media and SEO. My goal is to help small business owners and entrepreneurs understand their core business. Together, we can develop and implement business strategies that make sense to you.
Thank you for sharing this information.I love using the free version of CommentLuv and have often thought about upgrading.It is very useful & helpful.I have collected many information form here.I have also collected many information form here
Thanks Sherryl for the heads up… I’ve been hearing about Commentluv and perhaps it’s about time to try it out in my sites. 🙂
Who doesn’t like a good deal. I have been contemplating changing but have not taken the steps to do so. I’ll be talking to my web-guy about this today. Thanks for the heads up.
You’re welcome Susan. I seem to always be kicking myself for taking too long to decide to purchase software for my blog. The temptation is to make due with free versions. Sometimes though, the differences between the free and premium versions is substantial.
When you talk to your web-guy, you could suggest that he invest in the plugin. That way, he could install it on all his client sites. (You could send him my link. 🙂 )
I’ll do that. 🙂
At $43.50, you won’t see this sale again. After this sale ends, Andy is moving to a pricing model that includes paying for updates. Plus, this license includes unlimited sites (that you own or manage). That’s a huge benefit to me.
Thanks for the info. I love using the free version of CommentLuv and have often thought about upgrading. I too have heard people voice concerns about the links being left by it not being good with Google’s new updates, but I think people worry too much 😉
Jeri recently posted..Doctor Zhivago: To Love a Good Book (Guest Post)
I think it’s a matter of policing the CommentLuv links. To me, one of the best features of the premium version is the ability to strip out the do-follow tag from individual links. (I believe that in the free version, you either enable the do-follow tag for all CL links or none.) That way, if the comment is legit yet you don’t want your site associated with theirs, you can leave the link and remove the do-follow.
If you really love the free version, you may want to seriously consider grabbing the premium license now. Andy is moving to a new pricing structure and this really is the last chance to get free upgrades. Plus, this is the unlimited site license.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds – Facebook Hashtags, Google and CommentLuv do-follow Links
I have read all the three posts Sherryl, and I know commenting systems is doing the rounds now. Whichever blog I turn to, it is this what I see. However, thanks for reminding us about the lifetime updates, would try it get one soon.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us Harry. There certainly is a buzz about commenting systems lately, especially with the introduction of the Google+ commenting system for WordPress blogs. (It was initially designed for Blogger.com).
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds – Google Plus Commenting System
Hi Sherryl.
Finally been over and purchased the premium version 🙂
I will be using it on my new blog when I’m up and running but I still have a long way to go. Nice to see your blog doing so well and I hope you are well too.
It’s great to see you Steve. I’ve been meaning to check in with you and see how you’re doing but it’s been a little nuts around here lately. 🙂
Congratulations on purchasing it! Personally, I think you got a great deal. The license you just bought covers unlimited sites (that you own or manage) plus free lifetime updates. Andy is always trying to improve CLP and he takes our input seriously. Make sure you sign up for his updates so that you’ll stay in the loop.
Sherryl,
We wanted to put Comment LUV on two sites. We sent an email to Andy@comluv.com asking how to do it. It was not available on his site. He has updated and it is an additional $20.00. I am not trying to sell the product either but Andy is very responsive if anyone has any questions.
Arleen Harry recently posted..How to Travel With Your Dog in the Car, at the Airport and in Hotels
Arleen,
Thanks for letting us know how responsive Andy is. He is really supportive and values input from the ComLuv community. Actually, the ReplyMe plugin that he incorporated into the CommentLuv premium version was in response to members requests. Also, earlier today, after reading Suzanne’s comment, I asked Andy if he would be willing to reply. In less than an hour, he commented here.
One of the best things about this Last Chance Sale is that the license covers unlimited sites (that you own or manage) plus free lifetime updates. That’s why I’m excited to share this with everyone. It’s a great value for $43.50 but the sale is ending soon and he will not be offering it again.
I just read in a LinkedIn Bloggers Helping Bloggers discussion that as Google will now be penalizing sites that have do follow links in their comments. Have you heard about this and, if so, what is your opinion?
Suzanne Fluhr (Just One Boomer) recently posted..Canadians — or at Least, Ontarioians? Ontariesquers? Ontarianites? People from Ontario
hi Suzanne,
Sherryl asked me to come along and address your concerns
google does not penalize sites for dofollow comments but your reputation will suffer if you let anyone like spam or porn sites to have the links
that’s why it’s important to always require some sort of action from the user and you can decided yourself if you want to allow the link. If it looks like a bad site then you should not allow it or remove the dofollow with the link that commentluv premium gives you in the admin page under the comment
here is the video by Matt Cutts from google about this exact thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQfOhncTXRU
Andrew Bailey recently posted..Can you make your post go viral and win $1000? New Contest
Suzanne,
I asked Andy to weigh in on this (and as you can see, he’s very responsive). I have not seen this issue on the BHB group discussion but I have received emails from individual members expressing concerns. The video that Andy linked to is from 2010 but I haven’t been able to find anything official from Google on penalizing/not penalizing do-follow links other than this. (If there is something else out there, I would appreciate being alerted to it.)
There are some well-known bloggers who have expressed concerns and some have removed the plugin or disabled the “luv” part of it. As of today, I have no plans to discontinue using CommentLuv Premium. I get a substantial amount of comments daily but it’s still manageable for me. Other than bloggers who I trust completely and sites that I highly respect, I follow each backlinks that is left. Sure, after a while, someone who I trusted may leave a link to a site that I don’t want to be associated with. It happens. About once a month, I’ll do a more thorough review to follow the links and I get more aggressive about it. One of the features that I value the most in the premium version of CL is the ability to strip out either the CL link itself or leave the link and remove the do-follow tag. (In the free version, you can’t do this on an individual post level.)
I’m grateful to you that you asked this question. I’ve referenced it in the Friday Finds article that I published today and I’ll look for the BHB discussion. Also, I’ll do my best to stay up to date on this and I may blog about it in the future.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds – Facebook Hashtags, Google and CommentLuv do-follow Links
Commentluv Premium is beneficial for inside and outside of the blog . The feature of Commentluv to track clicks on the links sounds very interesting . It does add exposure to the blog . It is of benefit to blog owners as well as readers . Liked your share.
Katherine,
I’m glad you mentioned the feature that tracks the clicks on the links. I don’t know if everyone is aware that by hovering your mouse over the CommentLuv heart icon (next to the link someone has left) lets you know the both the number of times that link has been clicked on and how many approved comments that person has left. Thanks for the comment.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds – Facebook Hashtags, Google and CommentLuv do-follow Links