Creating A Blog To Enhance Your Online Business

Blogging was once thought of as an outlet for people to talk about their hobbies and lives online. However, this is no longer the case. Business people now use blogs to showcase their goods and services in a new way. Not only does this method allow the consumer to feel more connected to your business, blogs are highly favored by the search engines and when done correctly can lead to free targeted traffic that would otherwise be missed.

What should you write about?

The content of your blog is extremely important. In each post, try to give your customers something they can use that will make their life better in some small way. By giving them something of value, you give them a reason to come back to your blog. Understand who your customers are and target your articles towards them. Avoid marketing hype and blatant advertising. A business blog is an opportunity for you to have a dialog with your customers allowing you to improve your brand and get feedback from them that you can use to improve your business.

One of the biggest problems with blogs is when you first start them, you are enthusiastic and have plenty of content to post. As time goes by though, it becomes more difficult to create and publish content. To address this problem, create a list of topics you would like to write about over the coming months. If after reviewing your list you find that there is no way you will have the time to write and post all the content that you want, it might be a good idea to consider outsourcing some of it to a professional writer. Finding a writer is not that difficult and can be quite affordable. Be sure to checkout the “How To Hire Writers” section of our earlier post “Become an authority by publishing articles online” .

What A Business Blog Looks Like

The key to blogging is content. Great content that is updated on a regular basis. This is what sets a blog apart from a static website. A blog needs to be current and needs to be updated regularly to be considered effective.

Blogs are typically broken down into categories. For instance, if you own a landscaping business your categories could include “how to tips,” “plant knowledge,” “seasonal information,” etc. Your blog would also include static pages regarding your contact information, pricing and anything else that potential customers would like to know about you.

The key with your content is you want readers to return on a regular basis to see what you have to say and offer. This way, when they are ready for your service or product, you are the first place they think of.

Some Examples Of Great Blogs

A few blogs to check out would be:

• http://todaysgardenideas.com - following our landscaping example, here is a gardening blog that does many things right. Yes, they have some pictures that don’t load, but their content is new every day and it is always useful. If this were a landscaping company, all they would need to do is change a few things to make it obvious that they DID landscaping, and they would be all set. Use this blog as an example of excellent content and what you should aim for in your own writing endeavors.
• http://www.earnersblog.com/ - while you may have no idea what some of these articles are about, don’t worry about it. Look at the layout of the page. See how you can quickly determine the best posts to read (top posts), how to subscribe to the blog for updates (RSS up on the top right), and even how many readers this blog has (2585)?

Combine this type of layout with outstanding content and THAT is the type of blog you are looking to create. Don’t worry, though. This doesn’t take any type of special knowledge. You don’t need to know how to program or how to do anything other than fill in the blanks. If you can fill out a basic form, you can have a blog as good as these.

Some Examples Of NOT So Great Blogs

Before we move on to creating a blog, let’s take a quick moment on what NOT to do with your blog.

• http://www.problogger.net/ - While this is considered one of the top blogs in it’s genre, Problogger is just a busy site. Your eye is drawn in too many directions at once and you’re not sure what to settle on. Further, content is spread throughout the page, so you may feel like you’re missing something. A good site is well organized and categorized with trails to lead you to your destination (like Earner’s Blog).
• http://arborscapeservices.com/blog - Again, sticking with our landscaping example, here is a site that is on the right path, but could use some improvement. There is no clear delineation where the first article ends and the next one begins. Also, having the word “BLOG” isn’t the most search engine or reader friendly way to introduce your site. Finally, it’s clear that this is an addition that was an afterthought. Content here is not updated regularly, nor are there categories for future content to make articles easy to find. Readers really have no reason to return after the first visit.

How To Set Up Your First Blog

Now that you’ve had some examples of good and not so good blogs, it’s time to create your own site. Luckily, this is very simple to do. You have three options available to you:

1. Use a hosted blog such as Blogger.com or Wordpress.com.

2. Install a free blog via your web host through a service called Fantastico.

3. Install a blog from scratch.

How To Set Up A Hosted Blog

This will be your easiest method to get started. The two most popular choices are Blogger.com and Wordpress.com. Google owns Blogger, so if you have a Gmail account, you can actually create your blog directly under the same account.

A Blogger account is created in 4 steps:

Go to http://blogger.com

1. Create an account – (email address, password, username and acceptance of terms)
2. Name your blog – This will be how people will find you and part of your web address. So in our landscaping example, you could name your blog mikes-landscaping. This would give you a web address of mikes-landscaping.blogger.com
3. Choose a Template – Once you’ve named your blog, you can choose a layout that you think will best suit your business. Don’t worry, you can change it at any time.

A Wordpress.com account is also setup in just a few steps:

Go to http://wordpress.com

1. Register for an account (username, password, email address, legal terms)

That’s it! Everything else will be run through your administrative dashboard. A point to remember is whatever username you choose with wordpress.com is also going to be part of your web address, so choose wisely!

The Benefits Of Hosted Blogs

The biggest benefit of having your blog hosted with Blogger and Wordpress is that you have everything done for you. These systems are set up to be as user friendly as possible. For someone that is totally new to the Internet and wants to try blogging, this is probably the best way to start out. That being said, Blogger is probably a little more user friendly than Wordpress in the beginning for someone that is totally new to the Internet and not comfortable playing around with an administrative dashboard, (even a very friendly one).

The Drawbacks to Hosted Blogs

The biggest drawback is that you don’t own it. Your content, your links, your entire site ultimately belongs to whomever hosts it. If you decided to sell your site down the road, you can’t sell a hosted site, because it doesn’t belong to you in the first place. As you get more advanced in your Internet marketing skills, you may find that you want to try new marketing methods. Most hosted blogs aren’t going to allow you to sell your products or run your email marketing list through their site which can be a bit of a hindrance.

Using Fantastico

Many web hosts offer a number of free scripts as part of their service. One such service is called Fantastico. Fantastico is a collection of popular scripts that can improve your existing website. One set of scripts offered is blogging software.

While Fantastico offers a few different blogging platforms, for the beginner, Wordpress should be the only one considered. This is because Wordpress is the easiest to administer and the most popular in terms of free upgrades available on the Internet. It is practically unlimited what you can do with Wordpress and free add-ons.

The easiest way to have wordpress installed via Fantastico is to ask your host to do it for you. This is offered for free by many web hosts.

Setting up Wordpress On Your Own

The great thing about Wordpress is that it is famous for it’s 5-minute installation. Don’t worry; if you can fill out a form, you can do this yourself! Here are some resources to help you:

• http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress - Scroll down to the “Famous 5 Minute Install and follow the 6 steps outlined. This will install Wordpress on your webhost.

• http://www.esnips.com/web/cre8d-tutorials - Here is a visual guide to installing Wordpress. It’s a quick movie that shows you everything you just read.
• http://www.blogadr.com/tutorials/free-wordpress-blogging-tutorial/ - for a series of tutorials on how to use Wordpress now that it’s installed, check out this site. These tutorials are video, so give them a moment to load. This site will teach you the basics of how to get around and become more comfortable with your Wordpress blog.

While this may seem overwhelming, you will find that the freedom you get from having your own Wordpress installation versus being on a hosted blog is a huge difference. Here, you will own your content, your links and all the hard work you put into your site. Also, you will be able to customize your site any way you like.

No matter which path you choose, blogging can make a huge difference in your income, your customer list and your authority as an online business. All it takes is a little time to set up and then a whole new world of opportunity will be opened to you.

Questions? Comment? Need advice? Post a comment here or drop me an email at Phil@Bigews.biz

Publishing Articles- A Winning Way To Help Your Web Site Succeed!

One of the primary ways to draw traffic to your website is to indicate you are an expert in your field. The best way to do this is to write articles related to your field of business and provide pertinent information. For example, if your are an electrician then writing an article regarding the proper installation of a ceiling fan would increase your expertise and credibility amongst those searching out a good electrical contractor.

How to Structure An Article

One of the primary features of credibility is writing an article that is articulate and easy to understand. If you are directing your article towards an English speaking audience and English is not your primary language then find someone who speaks English very well to proof read your article. In addition, you want your article to be grammatically correct. Once again it is vital your article be properly written with the correct tense, spelling and use of words. For example, using the word “ain’t” instead of “is not” will surely classify you as an illiterate. Keep in mind the following lessons when writing an article:

• Plan your article. Decide before writing the article what you want to say and how you want to say it.
• Develop an outline of your article. Consider how you are going to discuss the pertinent points in your article and in what order you want them to appear.
• Use short sentences and short explanations. The longer a sentence is, the more confusing it is.
• Include real life examples in your article. Readers prefer to read about the real world and not theories.
• Do not use contractions. Use “is not” instead of “isn’t”.
• Do not use the same word repeatedly in an article. For example, if you are a landscaper and have several flowers that are pretty, do not use the word “pretty” over and over to describe your flowers. Check out the thesaurus online to find different words with the same meaning. For example, alternate uses of the word pretty could include, lovely or beautiful.
• Write in the same tense. Do not begin an article in the present tense and end the article in the past or future tense.

Good vs. Bad Content

We all remember our grammar classes from the 6^th grade. One of the concepts that was instilled in us is the proper way to write a paper. The following items must be included when writing your article:

• The first paragraph should include a sentence stating the purpose of the article and what the article will accomplish. For example, when writing an article on how to decorate a cake your first paragraph should include your purpose, “This article will teach you to decorate a cake” as well as how this will be accomplished, “The following steps will walk you through the process of how to decorate a cake”.
• The next few paragraphs should outline how to accomplish the task set forth in the first paragraph. For example, when learning how to decorate a cake the first article will speak of tools needed to complete the decorations. The second paragraph will talk about preparing the cake for decorating. The next paragraph(s) will go through the step-by-step process of decorating the cake.
• The last paragraph is a summation and validation of the previous paragraphs. The last paragraph should emphasize the purpose of the article and how the article satisfactorily completed that purpose.
• Keep in mind that throughout your article, you should include no more than 2 keywords. This keeps your article focused and easier for the search engines to “read” and index.
• Ideally, your keyword should be in the first sentence and the last paragraph, then sprinkled loosely throughout. Don’t go overboard here. Put the keywords in where it looks natural. Forcing it will not only make your content look bad, but can actually hurt your ranking in the search engines.

A bad article on the other hand fails to fully explain the statements made in the supporting introductory paragraph. For example, if the first paragraph states the purpose of the article is to teach the reader “how to decorate a cake” and the following paragraphs discuss the best flavors of the cake and the different colors the frosting or fondant can be, that is no help to the reader. The author has failed to complete the primary purpose stated in the first paragraph; how to decorate a cake.

Where To Publish Articles

There are two mindsets that go with article publishing. One is to get your article read and have you established as an expert in your particular field. This builds credibility not only for you, but for your website that should be referenced in each article that is published. Another mindset is to publish articles so that links to your website are created, thus giving you better standings in the search engines.

To establish yourself as an expert, get your articles seen in the search engines and build the most PageRank for your website – there are 2 places that you should have publish your articles:

1. Ezinearticles.com

2. Goarticles.com

Short of a public relations campaign where you are targeting newspapers and offline media, Ezinearticles.com is the most important site you can have your articles published online. While it can take up to a week for new articles to be approved, once done, your article will have higher placement on Google that other article directories and will receive better PageRanking by Google.

Of course, this assumes you followed the steps to creating a good article with great content and keywords that targeted your audience. After Ezinearticles.com, you will want to submit to Goarticles.com. This is another large article directory that receives a decent amount of respect currently from Google and the other search engines.

Other Directories You Can Submit Your Articles To

There are many more directories that you can submit your articles to. These directories are good for generating backlinks to your website, which over time will give you higher rankings in the various search engines. What this means for you is more free traffic, as people will find you either through your articles or directly though your website as it is listed in the search engines. A few directories you can submit to are:

1. Articledashboard.com

2. Articlepros.com

3. Articlebase.com

4. Articleset.com

5. Articlealley.com

Article publishing can make a huge difference in traffic to your website over time. It takes patience and persistence to keep submitting new articles that have great content and are relevant to your audience or niche. However, that patience can payoff in the form of free traffic that continues to come in month after month once you’ve done the footwork.