Is a Blog Right For Your Business?
First, what is a blog? The term originated as a shortening of the term weblog.
Here’s the Wikipedia definition:
A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological order and displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
The dictionary on my Mac says:
a Web site on which an individual or group of users produces an ongoing narrative
So how might this be used in your business? A blog can be used as a means of keeping your customers informed about your business. You can tell them about sales, new products, new services, etc. It can do many of the same functions as a mailing list, and a bit more. To me, a blog is a more informal means of communication than your newsletter. It also allows for interaction - between you and your customers and amongst your customers. A blog can also help to bring new visitors to your website.
You can also use your blog to advertise your website. Do you read other blogs? Do you comment on these blogs? When you comment, most of them ask for your website. You can put your blog there to drive traffic to your blog and website.
In addition, you can use your blog to keep your home page continuously fresh and updated. As an example, take a look at the sidebar on the home page of bwh Web Designs. I’ll wait.
Back already? Did you see the “Recent Blog Entries” on the sidebar? That section updates each time a new blog entry is made. It always shows my 5 most recent posts. You could also show recent comments on your blog.
What could you put into your blog? Everything related to your business that you want your customers to know about. New products. New services. Sales. Shows. New features on your site. Changes to existing service. You could also use it to poll your customers about items they might be interested. The possibilities are endless.
Do you need another domain for a blog? I don’t think so. I’ve done some reading on this and the opinions are split pretty much down the middle. I chose to have separate domains for my website & blog. Doing so has created some challenges regarding linking the two. Having one domain for both is a simpler solution.
Contact bwh Web Designs today to get your own blog!
