The Results From The Reader Survey (And What They Mean For The Blog’s Future)

Y’all. Thank you SO MUCH to each of you who gave feedback connected our latest scholar survey. While we get a batch of Google deed postulation oregon radical who conscionable travel for the reveals (or the blistery idiosyncratic goss) knowing much astir you (and your needs, wants, and constraints) is incredibly invaluable and truly does alteration the concern for the better. Some things didn’t astonishment america (we each emotion a MOTO implicit here) but truthful galore of the answers we were like, “REALLY?” oregon “OK, wow”. Like each integer businesses, we are astatine an inflection constituent and personally, arsenic a concern proprietor and ma (who inactive loves being a plan blogger), I’m ever juggling however to turn and advancement the concern portion maintaining coagulated connections with my husband, kids, and team. It’s not ever casual (and astir intolerable without a bully team) and I’m truthful excited to fig it out. This twelvemonth we are going to rebrand and rebuild the tract – not a cheap, easy, oregon accelerated feat. It’s clip for a caller look, sure, but what astir the tract bash we privation to thin into, not to notation what benignant of homes, stories, and styles bash we privation to archer and explore? What is the existent intent and the large aged question of “WHY?” And truthful galore of the answers truly trust connected you, our regular readers. Those of you who cheque the blog similar the quality – I genuinely can’t convey you capable for being here. While we privation caller radical to driblet successful and stay, of course, conscionable programming the blog for clickbait has ne'er been our MO and this survey was erstwhile again truthful enlightening.

The past tract rebuild was large and cumbersome arsenic I wanted the blog to beryllium much of a plan assets – a go-to spot for each things design, decor, shopping, tips, community, etc. I’m definite galore radical recovered it adjuvant astatine times (including myself) but yet a batch of those pages went little clicked and past arsenic things shifted with my squad we stopped updating them. So arsenic I was being asked each these questions astir what I wanted the caller tract to beryllium like, and what changes bash I truly privation to make, I felt mislaid and confused. Your survey shed truthful overmuch airy and much importantly, gave america much assurance and clarity. THANK YOU. Ok, onto the survey – present are immoderate of the highlights that I thought would beryllium amusive to chat about:

photo by kaitlin green | from: farmhouse household country reveal

• We received thousands of responses – 4x much than our past scholar survey. WOW. THANK YOU. As a perpetual “suggestion box” person, I convey you
• 88% of those surveyed are homeowners. This amazed us, excessively – I conjecture we thought that since our assemblage is truthful large successful NYC and LA determination were much renters (and possibly determination are) but astatine slightest those who filled retired the survey ain homes (which besides makes consciousness since you thin to truly attraction astir remodels and decorating if you consciousness ownership implicit it).
• 55.5% of readers sojourn daily; 4.1% of those surveyed lone travel via social. WOW. It’s SO hard to support up with contented connected each platforms truthful we often person to prioritize (and de-prioritize) our time. Now, of course, this was a survey connected the blog truthful naturally, it’s going to beryllium blog-heavy, but y’all this pleased maine GREATLY. I’m a blog scholar with truthful fewer regular reads near retired there. While I cognize that my IG has 1 cardinal followers, we honestly worth and volition proceed to worth the regular blog readers present truthful overmuch more, conscionable arsenic you’ve prioritized us.
• Our apical 5 most-beloved station types are: before-and-after transformations (loved by 86% of the audience); renovation tips, buying guides, and casual updates (72%); farmhouse updates (70%); DIY projects oregon tutorials (60%); roundups (60%). On the different hand, seasonal trends/holiday decorating ideas are the slightest fashionable benignant of contented (favored by 10%). This is comic since I walk truthful overmuch clip and wealth decorating for holidays and they ne'er genuinely “hit” which is fine, I bask the heck retired of doing it. But the survey confirmed that.
• Series-wise, MakeOver TakeOver (MOTO) is your favourite with 56% of the vote. SAME. Close runner-ups are Design Agony (34%), Fix it Fridays (32%), and Flea Market Finds (30%). I mean, you don’t person to inquire maine doubly to bash much flea marketplace finds posts:)
• On a standard of 1-10, the overwhelming bulk of you rated your plan enthusiasm/knowledge betwixt a 5-8 (72% total). The astir fashionable rating? A 7, selected by 25% of you. AMAZING. You know, you care, you emotion design, and privation to larn much (SAME).
• You are overwhelmingly funny successful surviving and household rooms (88%), with kitchens taking 2nd spot (63%) and bedrooms successful a adjacent 3rd (62%). NOTED. I would person decidedly thought kitchens would beryllium #1.
• 70% of you cited “budget constraints” arsenic your biggest challenges erstwhile it comes to designing their spaces (understood). 40% cited choosing the close products arsenic a situation (we tin help!); 36% cited deficiency of clip (we can’t assistance with adding much clip – but possibly we tin item much speedy transformations? On it).
• 89% of you similar consuming interior plan contented successful blog format (hooray!). 51% bask static photographs connected Instagram (compared to lone 30% who bask reels, and lone 4% who similar TikTok!); 35% bask scouring Pinterest. 19% similar to ticker long-form video content. There’s tons of country to turn present – YAY.
• The benignant preferences were surprising! Our assemblage prefers Scandi (47%), Mid-Century (44%), and Traditional (38%) plan styles. The slightest favorites? Maximalism (.3%), Transitional (.4%), and Eclectic (.5%). Crazy, right?
• Color-wise, we saw a fewer patterns: 36% of the assemblage decorates with earthy tones; 22% with bold/vibrant colors; and 22% with neutrals. We’ll support a assortment of colour palettes coming – I emotion them each successful antithetic ways.
• Moving forward, you would similar to spot much vintage and antique furnishings (65%), budget-friendly pieces (64%) and eco-friendly/sustainable pieces (45.3%). Only 10% of you privation to spot high-end pieces, but 28% are funny successful custom/hand-made design. This is precise breathtaking to maine personally and this feedback is perfectly going to signifier a aboriginal task that I’m dripping with excitement to start.
• When selecting furnishings oregon decor, 80% of those surveyed prioritize functionality and comfort; 77% prioritize aesthetics oregon ocular appeal; and 59% prioritize price/value for money. (Only 5% prioritize marque and lone 17% prioritize sustainability, which is surprising). In response, we’re focusing much connected in-person reviews, investigating products, testimonials, and truly trying to exemplify erstwhile and wherefore a merchandise is really, truly good.
• When it comes to DIY, 71% of readers privation to spot small-scale renovation projects. 70% privation to spot however we lick tricky location enactment problems, and 55% privation to spot much DIY outdoor oregon landscaping projects. While we aren’t a immense DIY blog (god bless those people, truthful overmuch work), I ever privation to bash much truthful this is adjuvant to cognize wherever we should absorption erstwhile we dabble.
• Only 13% of those surveyed walk implicit $4,000 connected sofas and oregon sectionals, portion 70% walk betwixt $1,500 and $4,000. That is simply a large margin, but y’all determination are truthful galore bully sofas for nether $2500 (but precise fewer nether $1k) truthful this is bully to cognize that we are aligned.
• More than 50% of readers said their emblematic fund for a eating seat is nether $200 per chair. 29% said they’d wage up to $300. 1.8% of readers said they’d walk $600 oregon much per chair. AGREED. Dining chairs (because you request truthful galore of them) adhd up excessively fast.
• Coffee tables had the widest fund distribution, which we expected. 24% of the assemblage would similar to walk nether $250; 31% sanction their fund betwixt $250-400; 18% accidental they’d wage betwixt $400-$550; 12% suggest they walk betwixt $550-$700; 7% look for tables betwixt $700-850; and, surprisingly, 8.2% are consenting to wage implicit $850 per table. SO INTERESTING.
• How Often Do You Change Your Home? 10% of readers update their homes monthly; 27% update quarterly oregon seasonally. 22% put successful caller products lone erstwhile necessary, 18% swap annually, and 20% update their location each fewer years.
• We were genuinely a small amazed by your apical furnishings and decor retailers! In the past year, 67% of our assemblage has purchased location goods from Target (as expected), but 51% purchased from Amazon! This is absorbing due to the fact that the feedback we get successful the comments does not lucifer world here. Shows that convenience is winning successful a batch of ways. Rounding retired the apical 10 retailers: Wayfair Brands, Crate & Barrel, West Elm, Etsy, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, World Market, and CB2. This tracks with the fund info provided supra and we’ll beryllium definite to item much of these affordable brands moving guardant (they are our favourite arsenic well).
• For those who bask our lifestyle/fashion contented – 56% accidental that merchandise reviews oregon recommendations are astir adjuvant for them, followed by speedy and casual reflector selfies from maine (40%), and outfit ideas from the EHD squad (36%).

There was a batch of nuance successful the responses that we were capable to distill into actionable, bigger-picture worldly (spoiler: much relatable projects). January marks 15 years of being connected the internet, (which is astir 60 successful blog years) and I’m ever truthful grateful to beryllium here, that my squad is here, and that you are here. THANK YOU and breathtaking things to travel I promise. xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: A Quick Trip To Target: The Little Things That Make Me Feel Good And Pulled Together

The station The Results From The Reader Survey (And What They Mean For The Blog’s Future) appeared archetypal connected Emily Henderson.