Is it really necessary to learn how to start a website for your business?
With over 150 million blogs in Cyberspace and thousands more being created every minute, having a blog is no longer an option for business owners; it’s a must-have. Regardless of your industry, one of the first places your customers and potential clients are going to go is your website, and if all you have is a basic page with contact information, they’re going to be pretty disappointed.
This next series we will cover the basics of setting up and launching your own blog. I’ll also include some tips for choosing topics and promoting your content. By the end of this series, you’ll be primed to join the ranks of millions of people who’ve successfully added a blog to their business website for greater visibility and stronger customer relationships!
Today’s customers want interaction, frequently updated content, and on-demand information, 24/7. Using a blog is an ideal way of delivering this info.
How to Start a Website Successfully
Starting a website is fairly easy, but to do it right you need to plan and prepare all the parts that go into a successful website.
So with this in mind this series will be very comprehensive and we’ll be covering:
Mindset: Purpose and what to expect from you blogging efforts
3 Musts When Starting a Small Business Website
What’s YOUR Unique Selling Point?
Getting Started Components: Items needed to prepare and have lined up
Content Preparation: Information to include
Website Design: Options and how to
Website Plugins: Must-have and nice-to-have
Resources & Other Information: Information about services and misc information
What’s the Big Deal about Blogs?
If you’ve turned on the computer in the last three to five years, you know that blogs are online journals on topics from taxidermy to debt eradication, hosted by everyone from Fortune-500 CEOs to the ten-year-old next door. But how this can impact your business may not be completely clear to you.
In sum, your blog may very well be the most powerful marketing tool you can use for branding your company, attracting targeted visitors, educating prospects on your products and services and much more.
First, they are quick to start. The current hosting platforms allow you to get up and running in a matter of minutes. The software itself is easy to learn, easy to customize and a great way to create a dynamic online presence without a lot of technical knowledge.
They are also an inexpensive way to get your business online. You can integrate your blog into your website if you choose, or use one of the many templates available and just link your blog to your website and host it elsewhere. Either way, it won’t break the business bank to set up a company blog, and the benefits will be well worth any cost or effort involved.
A blog gives your targeted audience, customers, potential partners, and even employees, easy access to news and information about your company, products and services. You can share policy changes, product information, new releases, online coupons, behind the scenes insider info, and more.
You can add video, audio, and other custom elements to make your site truly reflect your business’s brand. A blog can do what a newsletter or ezine has done in the past, only better.
One of the biggest benefits of blogging is that Google and other search engines love blogs; the frequently updated content, the links in and out, and the repeat visits make for high search engine rankings. Google will index your posts almost immediately, which isn’t necessarily the case with a traditional, static website. That means you can post sales and ads that you might not be able to promote with another online format.
Regular updates will keep your website visitors returning more frequently and staying longer once they find your site.
Your blog can also help you build a relationship, or strengthen a relationship with your customers, prospects and website visitors through greater interactivity and two-way communication. Visitors will be able to quickly and easily share their comments and suggestions with you, which will help you better understand your customers and respond to their comments.
Let’s Connect!