A Blog IS a Website
According to Dictionary.com, a website is “a connected group of pages on the World Wide Web…usually maintained by one person or organization and devoted to a single topic or several closely related topics.” So essentially, a blog is a website.
When visitors come to your website, they want information about you and your business—not just blogs that you’ve written. Considering that 81 percent of consumers research online before making a purchasing decision (and that stat is traditionally higher for business consumers), it’s vital to your business to have a quality online presence.
Your Audience Needs to Know You
When those consumers go online to research you and your business, they need to find a lot more than a blog. Sure, a blog is a must-have, but so is a static website with some basic information about your business. There are certain pages your website must have, and these all inform your audience about who you are, what services you provide and how to contact you. When you only have a blog, you’re missing out on an opportunity to introduce yourself to your potential customers.
A Blog Isn’t for Selling
A blog is a tool for content—providing value to your audience. Your readers go to your blog to learn something new, not to be sold to. With a blog-only website, the blog can become a place to plug services and products which can turn off your audience quickly.
[bctt tweet=”A blog is a content tool—providing your audience value. They want to learn something new, not to be sold to.”]
Though it can help you sell your product or service, that’s not the purpose. Provide value on your blog. Teach your audience something new. Show your audience you know what you’re talking about. Give them ideas they may not have considered before. Add links to promote others’ content. Use search engine optimization to encourage more traffic to your site. Promote your content on social channels.
And, yes, use your blog to promote your products or services—conservatively. Occasionally, it’s good practice to link to your services page in a “Hey, I can do that for you!” kind of way. But ultimately it’s not good practice to use your blog for selling.
As you’re establishing your online presence, I encourage you to think about what pages you must have on your website to help sell your product or service. And use your blog for generating quality content that demonstrates your expertise in your industry. Take the time and make the investment in your website from the beginning.
