Website Blueprint

Basics of Small Business Blogging

Posted on Mar 21, 2009

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Small business owners need a blog. But not so they can tell people what they had for lunch (there’s enough of that on Facebook and Twitter). A blog for a Main Street business is a type of website that displays posts about what’s happening with your business.

What’s a blog? The cleanest description I’ve read is:” A blog is a web page made up of usually short and frequently updated posts that are arranged chronologically—like a ‘what’s new’ page or a journal.”

Business blogging started in 1999, and since then has exploded to over 100 million blogs today. But don’t think you’ll be lost out in sea of cyber-posts. There are many techniques for how you can (and should) utilize your blog to build your small business.

Unlike a personal blog that is usually opinions or a personal diary, a small business blog should be used to deliver helpful information to customers and prospects. A blog for your small business is a great way to share your expertise, build additional web traffic, and connect with potential customers.

Blog software is easy to use. You simply type out your posts, which is as easy as typing an email. Then  link to resources, and publish to your blog with just a few clicks of the mouse. I recommend the blogging software WordPress.

Blogging is a low-cost alternative to having a web presence , but you want both if at all possible. But for small business owners without the time to learn HTML (and who does?) or the money to hire a professional web designer or developer, blogging offers an inexpensive method to establish your company’s presence online.

Updating a blog is fast and can be done pretty easily with a little initiative to learn a few steps. This is a cost-effective option to shelling out bucks for a web designer.

Your small business blog will allow you to share your expertise, knowledge, and company news with a growing audience of potential customers. And with an email service like Aweber, your blog posts can automatically be emailed to your email list. Sweet!

3 Social Media Tips for Small Businesses

Posted on Mar 04, 2009

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The newest tool for building your small business web presence is social media. The big three social media sites are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Of course, new tool means more work. So you can take off on the right foot, keep in mind a few rules of etiquette that will make sure you’re communicating well.

1. Share, Don’t Just Promote

The more you talk about your own products or services, the less others will listen. Regardless of the social space you find yourself in, remember that the best way to be perceived as a leader in your field is to share your thoughts and expertise based on current issues as well as what others in your space are saying. Your simple presence in social media environments will create exposure and build business.

2. Be Yourself, Not Just Your Business

If you’re a Main Street business, people are comfortable with your business if they know about you – the owner. I’m not saying they need to know what you had for breakfast (which you will hear about on Twitter or Facebook), but social media does allow you to share bits of your life and lifestyle. So use social media to create a personal connection with your current customers and future customers.

3. In the End, It’s Networking (on steroids)

Social media is a lot of things, but it is mainly networking for you and me.  As you explore social media, you’ll find it similar to a business after hours and online.

Start working toward having spaces online with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Once you’re up and running, you can follow me on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/gregorymurray

SEO and Your Small Business

Posted on Feb 18, 2009

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SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for small business websites is like the wild-wild west. There are thousands of web pages and dozens of books out there on maximizing SEO for your small business website. And many skilled professionals out there telling small business owners how it all works. These days it’s all about getting that Google Juice.

For a small business owner looking to get people to find their website by searching keywords in Google, the process of getting you on the first page of the list locally is a relatively easy process. The hard part about SEO is if you were trying to compete nationally. That’s because when you’re searching for a generic product or website, you don’t add a location into your search terms. When you’re looking for something locally, you naturally always add your location to your search. Getting your dry cleaning business to the first page of Google is hard under the search term, “dry cleaner.” But, getting that same business to show up under “dry cleaner Pittsburgh” is much less difficult as you learn how it’s done.