A business without a blog means they’re sleeping like a log!

Having a website is the absolute must-have for a business. You can have a blog instead of a website to command an online presence – but you, as a business person, need both!

Blog is a shortened version of ‘weblog’. People have been blogging since the Internet was still without its graphic interface – the World Wide Web – when there were bulletin boards and file-sharing services, which allowed the distribution of text files. The term, ‘weblog’, started with commenting on a kept log of items of interest found, when surfing the net.

It is no longer unusual to have a blog. Perception of your company may be affected and visitors will wonder why you don’t have one! Simply stated – you are missing out on an expected and understood site visitor /customer method of engaging with your brand, product or service.

If your website is at the centre of a matrix of potential customer communication, then your blog is the interactive doorway!

Once arriving at your site, your company should be seen as being up to date, computer literate, possessing technology savvy, thorough, transparent and communicative. This immediately impresses and encourages confidence. Your visitor will make that split-second decision to stay and look further.

A blog has most of the vital business benefits of contact immediacy, information delivery and feedback of a good website. It can carry text, display images, stream media and link to other destinations – but is easier to manage and update. You can make changes at any time without calling IT for help.

It is another key location for search engines to visit and index in special blog directories. It can become an important stepping stone to your main website, or a completely separate site altogether. Traffic wise, the network of vital links, in both directions, will both differ and grow independently from your business site’s links, too. Your ‘extended reach’ means you’re capturing increased and more varied visitors. A blog lends a close, ‘personal touch’, making your message that much friendlier and accessible, with the message being more easily absorbed than a business site.

The less formal look, feel and operation of a blog, means you have greater opportunity to try out content ideas you might not take with regular online marketing of your business and/or e-commerce site, e.g. targeted promotions, new marketing strategies and advertisements, etc.

Writing online content that makes a grammatically correct, readable and compelling read in just a few hundred words takes high skill, experience and practice, so for immediate purposes, engaging the services of a professional is a good investment!

Remember- regular, consistent and consistently high-quality blogs will attract a readership that will learn to trust you. They will engage with you, not just with feedback, but in discussion and referral that ultimately leads to increased traffic and sales conversions.