Should You Host Your Own Business Blog?

If you're ready to start a blog for your own business, you're probably wondering whether you should host it yourself on your company's web site or use a third-party blog-hosting service. In almost all cases, it's better to host your blog on a dedicated blog host, like Google's Blogger.com service.

Hosting is free on Blogger.com, and there are several advantages to using that service. If you host on your own site, you or your custom blog service will have to coordinate with your company's web designer or webmaster. Since blogs require frequent updates, this can lead to excessive time spent on the blog by your designer or webmaster.

A hosting service like Blogger.com lets you or your custom blog service update the blog at any time without involving your web hosting personnel. It also lets you keep non-employees from accessing your web-site server. Even better, changes and corrections can be made almost instantly and new blog articles can appear without delay.

Naturally, you'll link to your external blog from your website. Best of all, your external blog will contain links to your business website and provide an additional way for customers to find your business. Blogger.com, as part of Google, includes your blog entries in their search engine, which gives you additional internet exposure. All in all, the benefits of external blog hosting far outweigh the costs of hosting on your own servers.

Email Me to discuss how a blog can enhance your marketing strategy. There's no charge for an initial consultation.

Don't Settle for Second-Hand Web Content

There are a number of services that claim to supply content for your web site or blog at bargain prices. You may find these services with a Google search for "web content" or something similar. The content is real, of course, but consider whether it's really a bargain.

In most cases, the content supplied by some of these services has been used on many web sites already. Sometimes it's been rewritten slightly, but the content is the same. "Content Mills" obtain the content from a variety of sources, some of them perfectly legal. But that content may have originated long ago and be out of date. Worse, your customers may have already seen the same material on another web site, even on a competitor's web site.

When you buy web site content from a professional web content writer, you can be sure that it's original, fresh, and tailored for your web site alone. It's a little more expensive, but the payoff in customer approval is more than worth the small additional cost. There's no substitute for custom content for your web site or blog. It makes your site stand out from the crowd, rather than blending in with the mass of other websites that are competing for your customers.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your blog or web site content. I'll make recommendations of how custom content can add new dimensions to your site.

Neatness, Spelling, & Grammar Really Do Count

I've been looking at a lot of small business web sites lately, and it's not pretty out there. Too many web sites, especially business web sites, are chock-full of spelling and grammar errors. That really bothers me, because a poorly-spelled, ungrammatical, incorrectly punctuated web site sends visitors scrambling for their browser's back button.

That's a shame, since a visitor who leaves your business's web site isn't likely to become a customer. While some people won't notice and others may not care, a sizable percentage of people who visit your web site are put off by sloppy writing, bad spelling, and poor grammar.

Think about it. Your website represents you and your business. You want your prospective customers to consider you professional, careful, and attentive to detail. You want them to know just how seriously you take them. Those attributes are what lead to customer loyalty and continued patronage.

Spell-Checking Isn't Enough

Just running your website content through a spelling checker won't cut it, either. There are too many words that are spelled correctly, but that are used incorrectly. Common examples of this type of error are the words "There," "Their," and "They're." Each means something different, but they all sound the same. "Its" and "It's" are another pair of words that are frequently misused, and spelling checkers won't tell you. Your web site visitors will see the errors, though, and you'll never know what they think.

Grammar Isn't Just for School

Not everyone is a grammar whiz, but most people don't like reading material that uses poor grammar. Even if they don't know why, they know that they don't like what they're reading. If your web site contains content that is ungrammatical, your customers will see your business as sloppy and careless. They won't tell you this; they'll just not come to your business.

Punctuation is Powerful

The same problem applies if your web content is badly punctuated. Misplaced or improper punctuation makes text hard to read and understand. Your goal is to inform your customers, not to confuse them.

Getting it Right

The solution for poorly-written web content begins when the content is prepared. If a professional content provider creates your content, you can rest assured that it will be correct. A professional will proofread your content multiple times, and correct any errors that exist.

If the content is already on your web site, the same professional can proofread and correct it quickly and for a reasonable price. Either way, you need a pro to do the job, unless you're a professional writer yourself.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your web site content. If it's in good shape, I'll let you know. If not, I can fix it for you at a reasonable price.

Is Your Twin Cities Business Web Site Stale?

For too many small businesses, web sites are an afterthought, neglected and out of date. That's a huge mistake. Your business web site is how new customers find you and should keep your old customers up-to-date on what's happening right now at your business.

I know...you don't have time to mess with your website. You have a business to run. Maybe you have lost contact with your web designer. That's no excuse. If your web site is stale, your business isn't getting all it can from internet-savvy customers.

Any business web-site should be:

• Up-to-date, with regular updates as your business changes.
• Current with sales, specials, and new services.
• Full of lively, well-written content that informs your new and old customers.

If your site doesn't meet these criteria, maybe it's time to freshen it up. If you don't have time to do this, consider hiring a web content expert to give your website the up-to-date punch it needs in this competitive economy.

Email Me for a free evaluation of your web site, and I'll help you figure out an economical plan to breathe new life into your web presence.