Blogs have been popular with internet users for a number of years, but recently businesses have also realized the importance of having a blog as part of their website. But why has it become so popular for online businesses, both small and large, to include blogs as part of their business model? Here are four top reasons.
1 – Blogs are Informal
The main reason is that blog posts add another dimension to an online business, that of informality. You want to attract customers to your website and at the same time you want to befriend them and make them feel valued. A loyal customer base loves to know what you, the website owner, are up to. A website which only focuses on the hard sell and only has pages and pages of product lists turns off many visitors, so if you can catch a reader’s eye with something humorous and off-the-wall, this will endear you to them much more.
2 – Blogs are Great for Writing Useful Articles
Another great use of a blog is to write interesting articles related to your business niche, such as “How To” or “Top Tips” posts. Millions of people every day search for tips and advice about every topic under the sun, so you can add to the discussion by giving your unique take on various topics. Again, keep your posts informal and only advertize your own products or services at the end of the article. It may be useful to add hyperlinks in the text of your posts, which directs a customer to a relevant page if they decide to click through.
3 – Blogs are Great for Promotions
You want to make money from your website and you want to grow your business, so of course a blog can be a fantastic way of quickly bringing people’s attention to something new. You can write a “hot off the press” style post about your newest promotion, complete with calls to action and lists of benefits. A word of warning: you must not do this too often, otherwise you will look desperate and tacky. Only write these posts after a good few weeks of building up your readership. You have to judge when the time is right to start promoting products and services – reading the comments can help you gauge the mood of your audience.
4 – Blogs are Easy
A final thing to mention is that blog posts are simple, easy and quick. Although modern website-builder programs are becoming easier to use, it still takes much more work to design a new webpage than to set up a blog and start posting. You can write a few hundred words to a targeted audience and you can see an immediate response. It won’t happen every time you blog, but sometimes a reader will forward your post around the internet, which can lead to an increase in website visits and sales. It could happen when you least expect it.
These are the four best reasons to start a blog on your business website. As you can see, there are many advantages and you are likely to get many more website visits if you work hard to produce the best blog posts you can.
