For any business establishing itself online today the options available are multiple and varied. Should you get a Facebook page, a Twitter profile, a website and a blog? While none of these alone should be considered as your only online presence, combining two, three or four of these can help your business to grow. The other question is do you need any of these online ‘store fronts’?
With the popularity of social networking on the rise many small businesses are using only that venue of marketing to connect with their clients. As a website designer this is very unsettling. You see the fact of the matter is that these social networking sites lack the control that a business can have over their own personal website or blogs. Many times these social network sites go through updates and construction that the user has no control over. There have been cases of business that use only social network sites losing the ability to connect with clients for days because of maintenance or loss of data.
Another problem with social networking sites is that sometimes you can’t control what people are saying on them and that in turn could spell disaster for your business. There has been an increase in spammers on facebook and twitter which can harm your business site.
Looking at websites and blogs, the potential for your information or storefront to be tarnished is a lot less. Usually you have 99% up time guaranteed by your web hosting company and at times you will know ahead of time when scheduled maintenance will be happening. You also have more control, if not 100% control on the design of your website or blog.
The difference between a website and a blog have narrowed over the past years with the popularity of WordPress and Blogger. While neither of them is a total substitute for what can be done without a website, the best solution is a hybrid website/blog combination.
You may be asking yourself what exactly is a blog. The simple answer is that a blog is a place where you can update information through a Content Management System usually consisting of posts or articles that once published show up on your blog. The benefit over using a blog for an area such as a news section of your site allows you to update content quickly and often. The benefits of this can include better search engine optimization, building credibility with your clients and becoming an authority in your business field. This can help you gain trust with newer clients while also increasing your reputation with old clients.
While none of these online presences should be considered by themselves, having two or three can benefit your business greatly. The more places your business can be found the more likely you will be able to attract new clients to you. If you would like to include a blog as part of your marketing or update the design of your current blog contact Shire Interactive and set up a Creative Consultant meeting today.
