If you are running a business website without a blog, you are missing out on some big opportunities to engage your prospects and increase website traffic. A static website that doesn’t change or feature new content is essentially an online brochure. In today’s social media-driven world where engagement with your customers is expected online, blogs are essential to marketing your business.
Consider what happens when prospects visit your static website. They can review some information about your services and perhaps read a few yawn-inducing testimonials. There’s not much to set you apart or convince a prospect to take action.
Now consider what happens when prospects visit your site and it has a blog. All the basics are still there, but when they click over to the blog, they discover a wealth of information. They also gain a better understanding of what you’re about and who you are. They can post comments and immediately engage with you. No yawns here, just a follow-up phone call to schedule a meeting with you!
Why Blogs Rule Online
I firmly believe that every business needs a blog. Not only does blogging provide a way to engage your site visitors, it also brings more traffic to your website. Google likes blogs because content is updated frequently. While there are millions of websites that remain unchanged each day, blogs offer up fresh new information—and Google recognizes that by giving that content higher placement when users search for related topics. In fact, blogging is the most natural way to optimize your site for search engines.
Also, each new blog post you publish creates another way for prospects to find you. For example, let’s say you own an interior decorating firm and you write a post about the best places to buy art in the city where you live.
Guess what is likely to happen when someone searches for “where to buy art in ”? You guessed it—if you’re blogging on a regular basis, there’s a good chance that Google is going to serve up your post in the search results.
Getting Started with a Blog
If your site doesn’t yet have a blog, start by talking with your website designer or web hosting provider to see if there’s an easy way to install a blog on your existing site. Other options include WordPress.org, Typepad.com, or Blogger.com. Keep in mind that if you set up your blog under a different domain your main website won’t benefit from the added traffic. Ideally your blog should be hosted on your current domain.
Hosting a blog doesn’t need to be a major undertaking, but it does require some planning. You will want to offer interesting content on a consistent basis, ideally at least two to three times per week. That content should be of interest to your target audience and make them want to come back for more. Consider providing helpful tips, industry research, before and after photos, video demonstrations, client success stories, and how-to guides. Your blog should also reflect the culture of your company and should be infused with personality.
When you share great blog content, site visitors will notice. They will be able to post comments, which opens up an important two-way conversation where you have the chance to carry on dialog and even establish a rapport.
Blogging should also be at the heart of your social media strategy. Each time you publish a new post, share the title and a link to the post with your social networks. This drives traffic back to your site and creates a snowball effect as readers then share your content with their social networks. As you share more content on a regular basis, you will inevitably watch your website traffic numbers increase as a result
Alternatively speak to us and find out how we can help you with all things blogging. Email us at info@larry-lewis.com.
