Although you might think that simply having a website to promote your business is the be all and end all of online success, you'd be very much mistaken. Whether you're an individual who's running a small website selling ebooks, or a larger company with multiple sites worldwide, having a website is just the beginning - to truly succeed, you need to have a blog. Originally just a little tool that allowed people to share with readers what was happening in their personal lives, blogs have taken off in such a way that now no right-minded business can afford to be without one. But what makes a successful business blog, and do you really need one anyway? Well yes, you do, and the reason you need a blog for your online business is simple:
* A blog increases traffic. This is such a well-known fact that it's surprising many businesses are still missing out by not having a blog. Blogs let you inform people of your latest information, so they will visit your website regularly to make sure they haven't missed anything.
* You can make use of RSS feeds. These are great little tools, since they send out an email alert anytime you make an amendment to your blog. Again, this will bring in more potential customers to your site, especially if your RSS feed is informing of any special offers or similar.
* A more personal touch. Although you'll still want to keep a modicum of professionalism (especially if the blog is representing a larger company), blogs allow you the freedom to approach things a little differently, and the personal touch will often make customers feel more relaxed with your company, leading to more sales.
* Blogs can be updated easily. Whereas any changes to websites can mean potential down time while the server is being updated, leading to the danger of sales being lost, blogs can be a completely separate part altogether. This allows you to update them regularly and easily, and not affect your overall website traffic.
* Blogs help people find you more easily. Search engines like Google and Yahoo are particularly fond of blogs, due to the relatively small amount of information they carry, so they appear in website searches a lot quicker. The result? More people to your website.
These are just a few of the reasons why you need a blog for your online business. There are more, but these are the ones that show just how much a difference a blog can make. If you're still unsure, consider this - British songstress Lily Allen isn't a hugely successful artist in North America, but her blog gets over 3 million reads per week. Now, imagine what these kinds of numbers could do for your business.
