Blog Vs Website - Which Comes First For Online Business Growth?

While going through my recent emails, I came across this question"

"Blogging seems to be the way to go these days. Does that mean I can forget about a website in the old way -- home page, about page, and so on?"

It's a great question - and more complex than it might appears. Here's what I would recommend.

(1) Begin with a blog. If you're just getting started, stake your claim to Internet real estate with a blog. You will soon discover whether you have a viable target market that is truly interested in what you have to offer.

When you create a blog, you don't need a webmaster. Writing an attractive, easy-to-read post is as simple as sending an email message. You can have a blog up and running in a day or two. Now you have a place to send prospective customers and clients.

(2) Plan your posts. Writing a blog post seems pretty easy. You might feel that you're writing to a good friend -- except you're sharing your ideas with the whole world.

This part of blogging is good because many people get writers' block when they think about writing a whole article. They have no trouble posting a quick note to their blogs.

But if you're blogging for business, you have to be aware of your message and communication style. With every post, you're writing promotional copy. So when you write about your dog's latest trick or your daughter's struggle in school, you have to relate your post to your business goals. Your writing style, personality and message must be consistent with your brand.

(3) Plan for growth. Your blog can evolve into your permanent website. You just add static pages (i.e., pages that don't change every day).

If you are an independent professional, you will need a home page that describes what you do. You'll need an "about" page so prospective clients can get to know you. And you'll need pages describing your services and approach. These pages can become your strongest marketing partners - if you apply the basics of copywriting to reach your target market.

But you don't need these pages right away. You can wait till you know you've got a hungry market out there.

(4) Make sure you have a way to capture subscribers. You can invite visitors to sign up to get blog posts by email, using Feedburner or Feedblitz. You can also set up a subscription box right on your blog. Most likely you'll need to tempt visitors by offering what I call an irresistible freebie: an ebook or audio product that promises to deliver an important benefit.

(5) If you've already got a website, set up a blog with topics related to your business. Create a menu item on your website to direct visitors to your blog. Create a link from your website to your blog.

Then you can promote your website from your blog and vice versa. Choose a web host that lets you install your blog easily and you'll be ready to receive visitors.

Reasons Why You Should Hire a Blog Article Writer

Just why do you need a blog article writer? Before we go into that, let us look into the activity of website development and launching first.

A few years ago, the endeavor of launching a website would require much expense on your part, as well as time and a lot of technical savvy. This was just a little over a decade ago. However, today, the advent of the Internet and computer technology makes this endeavor quite the achievable and affordable one. If you want to have a competitive edge over the competition, then you definitely need to establish a strong online presence. This is no longer a mere luxury, this is already an absolute essential.

So, why do you really need a blog article writer? If you would look at today's companies, they do develop blogs that are focused on their particular niches and this has greatly helped in terms of performance and growth. A typical business blog is usually written in a casual manner, usually the "from me to you" format. Blogs are expansive in nature and can tackle all sorts of topics and niches.

Now, being a busy website owner as you are, there just might be a need to outsource your blog content to copywriters working freelance. The typical copywriter is equipped with writing and communication skills to provide customers with informative and relevant content that is entertaining in nature as well.

So, what can a blog article writer do for your blog? Based on experience, these writers can give your blog a community feeling to it. Blog writers are casual writers by nature so they are better equipped to create an interactive environment for your visitors and readers. Camaraderie is the key here, thereby encouraging more visitors to visit your blog, lengthen their visits, and even switch them into significant sales.

Having a blog writer allows you to let your personality shine. Websites sell just about every product everywhere. But if you sell digital cameras and other gadgets and you match these with techniques and whatnot on how to use these gadgets, then your website and company would appear more reliable and credible in your customers' eyes.

Having a writer on your side of the fence allows you to increase your search engine rankings as well. Google, Yahoo, and other search engines are always on the lookout for fresh content. By having a competent and reliable blog article writer, your business blog will surely be garnering a lot of attention and profit in the process.