Business Buzz: Blogging me bonkers with business

PHUKET: A blog in its simplest form is a website that gets updated regularly. The only real difference to a ‘normal’ website is the frequency with which it is updated or changed. My preferred working blog is a combination of the traditional website with a blog or news page included, so that it covers the best of both worlds and provides a positive consumer experience.

Because blog content is added regularly, Google regularly re-evaluates the website and updates the Quality Score. This means that the website will have a much better chance of being ranked in Google’s organic search engine results, which results in free traffic to your website and, from that, increased customers and sales.

There are multiple types of blogs, and each one is slightly different in what it aims to achieve and the benefits it offers to the owner and user. To keep it simple, the purpose of the blog will dictate the style, content and the target market.

The main advantages of a blog, apart from the Google factor mentioned above, is that it provides potential and current customers with information they need to make informed decisions. This information could be about your product or service, it could be reviews about other people’s products where you can receive a referral or affiliate fee, or it could simply be used for branding and promotional purposes.

As you control the content, you can showcase you or your product in a positive light and provide potential customers a fun experience. You can also use it to highlight the unique benefits you can offer. It can additionally be used to promote yourself as an expert, sharing your knowledge and experience, which builds trust and rapport with your readers.

When I am asked to review blogs for clients, there are a few basics that are often missing which I consider essential.

First, make sure your blog is a positive visual experience. Make sure the layout is spacious and easy to read.

Second, a blog should capture your audiences’ contact details through a capture page or contact form. You have taken the time, and often expense, to attract a potential customer to your website, so you should at least get them into a database. This can be done by offering them an incentive for entering their details, from something as simple as a discount to an eBook or a gift of perceived value.

Simon Wetherell is a Social Media expert, Best Selling Author & International Speaker. He now resides in Phuket where he trains businesses and individuals on how to profit from the use of Social Media. For more information go to https://PhuketOnlineMarketing.com or call him on 095 085-3355.

— Simon Wetherell