Best Blog Software
What is the Best Blog Software for Business Blogs ?
By far, the Best Blog Software for business blogs (or any type of blogs for that matter) would have to be WordPress. An open source project that started in 2003, WordPress has now grown to be the most widely used blogging software on the internet today.
It is free to download and can be used free, for both personal and business blogs, as well as being flexible enough to use for business websites as well.
Another reason WordPress is so popular as the best blog software is there are also a vast array of free plugins that can be added to add all manner of features to your business blog. There are plugins that can turn your blog into an eCommerce site, a Forum, a Membership site, a Social Media site and the list goes on and on. Plugins can also be used to add videos, audio clips, photo galleries and flash animations etc, etc.
Another fantastic feature, is there are nearly an endless amount of free WordPress themes that can be downloaded for your site. Plus if you can’t find one you like, there are also many that can be customized to your liking as well.
Here are two free custom WordPress themes
WordPress is also regarded as the Best Blog Software going around because of it’s ease of use and ability to be picked up easily by nearly anyone. There are also countless reference books that not only explain the basics but also how use advanced features as well.
So there you have it, so far we’ve covered the fact that the WordPress blog software is free, most of the WordPress plugins and themes are free and so now you’re probably wondering what’s the catch?
Therefore, what do you have to pay for and how much does it cost?
Well, if you’re planning on doing all the work yourself all you will need to do is buy a Domain Name and some Web Hosting. It’s as simple as that.
Buying a Domain Name for your Business Blog.
Your first decision might be whether to register a “.com” or a “.com.au” domain name. If you want to target only Australia, a “.com.au” may be preferred but a “.com” will be just as effective as long as your web hosting is based in Australia. This will be enough to alert the search engines that your target country is Australia.
A “.com” will also give you the flexibility to target an international market at a later date, if required, as well. Remember, it is easy to change hosting but more difficult to change a domain name. So put some thought into the type of domain name you choose.
Buying Web Hosting for your Business Blog.
This can be a daunting task for anyone new to websites and blogs. There are so many different packages and deals as well as the option to either host locally of overseas. I personally have hosting accounts in both the USA and Australia.
Typically, hosting in the USA is cheaper but if your target market is Australia it is best to use a “.com.au” (if using US hosting) so all the search engines know your target market is Australia. Having said that though, I had a site with a “.com.au” that was hosted in Australia and changed it to the USA.
The site was on page 1 of google.com.au and page 2 of google.com for certain keywords. After the hosting shift the results were reversed and this was despite using a “com.au” and advising Google via the Webmaster Tools.
Therefore if your target is Australia, it might be wise to use Australian Web Hosting.
If you do require web hosting in the USA, I use Bluehost as they offer hosting at a really reasonable rate and offer very good support with little downtime.
In Australia I use Digital Pacific as I’ve found their support to be second to none. The only downside is their phone support is only open during business hours but their website is packed full of lots information. If you’re like me though and place good support and reliability on the top of your list then Digital Pacific is a well worth looking at.
WordPress Themes for your Business Blog Software.
As we’ve already mentioned there are numerous WordPress themes that you can download for free. There are also the free customizable themes mentioned above. The only drawback with using these, is often it’s not easy to find exactly what you want. If you like we can design a custom WordPress theme for your business blog from as little as $50. Inquire here.
So how little does it cost to get your Business Blog up and Running?
Web Hosting from Digital Pacific starts from as little as $4.90 per month and a “.com.au” domain at around $35 for two years, means you can get your business blog up and live for less than $80 per year.
Not bad if you’re prepared to do the work yourself.
So why else is WordPress known as the Best Blog Software for Businesses?
WordPress is also known as a Content Management System or CMS. Basically this means your blog can easily be edited, added to, updated and managed by yourself without the need for web development skills, a knowledge of programing, HTML and CSS etc
Therefore the obvious advantages are, being able to easily update your business blog so as to keep your content current etc. Another big advantage is, because you can update your blog, the search engines will favour your site over a comparable competitors website due to their preference for current and up to date content.
As a consequence your business blog then has the capability to rank higher in the search engines just by the very fact that it’s a blog (that is constantly updated/added to) which can then make it a very efficient marketing tool which can send loads of customers and client to your business.
So you can see, there are many reasons why WordPress is considered by many as the Best Blog Software available today. It is very inexpensive to to set up and very easy to use and maintain.
Business Blog Ideas
Business Blog Ideas – How to Come Up with Them and What to Avoid
Coming up with new Business Blog Ideas isn’t always easy but if you stick to this simple plan, you won’t go far wrong
What to write about in your business blog may not always be easy, but knowing how to overcome your writers block is as simple as knowing why you started your blog in the first place.
Therefore to find out the “why” lets start at the start as it’s important to understand what the intent of a Business Blog really should be.
Surfing around on the internet it doesn’t take long to discover that many businesses use their blogs as a bit of a social medium where they can connect with their customers, clients and readers in a much less serious manner. They write about themselves, they write about their business and they write about community issues, current events and try and be topical.
Now this may seem like a good basis to come up with business blog ideas but is it really the best way?
Well, seeing we’re talking about a business blogging here let’s look at the reason why business’s exist in the first place, how they become successful and how they have longevity and the ability to continually grow and stick around well into the future.
They simply do it by being profitable and delivering an income to it’s owners and employees so they then have the incentive to keep doing what they are doing in a manner that is sustainable, so the business can once again grow and so the cycle continues, so on and so on . . . .
Now I understand that this is just business basics 101 but stick with me here because we are going somewhere with this.
Therefore to achieve this cycle, we all know as savvy business people that the best way to do this is to provide a product or a service to our customers that is of quality and of value to our customers.
Once again, this is a business philosophy that any successful business owner knows. If you want to be profitable and successful you need to offer a service that is valuable. It’s as simple as that.
So how does this all tie back in with a business blog ?
It’s simple really, your blog needs to about your customers needs, not your business’s ego (as many are). Therefore, if you’re searching for business blog ideas you need to write about things that your target market is searching for so you can satisfy their thirst for information.
You see the bottom line is this . . . . . there is no better means on the internet today to attract customers to your business than a well written business blog . . . . . FULL STOP!!!!!
It is better than Facebook, it is better than Twitter, it is better than any other form of Social Media 2.0. It is better than a Business Website and it is far, far better than advertising in your local newspaper and the reasons why are simple . . . . .
- Google and the other search engines favour well written, well optimised blogs. So it is possible to rank high is the search results for all manner of relevant keywords,
- It is something that you own, so you are not subject to the terms and conditions of someone else’s website, so you have full control over what you want to publish and who you want to attract,
- Plus because you own it, it can become a valuable business asset, something you can sell one day and something that can earn you an income in the meantime,
- You can target prospects that are actively search for what you are offering rather than have to try and covert “tyre kickers” that might need your product or service but aren’t actually searching for it at the time.
Therefore by all means, set up a Facebook page and get active on Twitter etc but if you really want to attract targeted traffic to your business that is actively searching for what you have to offer then you won’t find a better way to do it than with a business blog.
So to answer the original question about Business Blog Ideas . . . . . You need to be able to write about topics that your target market is actively searching for on the internet today . . . . . and there are many ways to research this.
Google offers several tools that can help you identify keywords that are being searched for regularly. Online forums are a great place to search for business blog ideas. Simply striking up a conversation with your clients and customers can give you plenty of ideas or it can even be as simple as asking your readers what they’d like you to write about.
So the biggest mistake any business blogger can make is to speak too much about themselves and their business. This is why you have an “About Us” page.
Therefore, the process of coming up with new and relevant Business Blog Ideas should be just the same as how you go about making your business profitable.
If your business is all about offering a service to your customers then so should your business blogging and the best way to reflect this is in the Business Blog Ideas and what your write about.
To find out more about how to turn your Business Blog into a customer attracting machine simply contact us today so can get your Business Blog attracting your Ideal Customers and Clients like never before.
Small Business Blog
The Small Business Blog, Under Used, Under Estimated and Unfortunately, Misunderstood ?
If you’ve got a Small Business or any type of Business you need to read this because you won’t find a lot of this information anywhere else . . . . .
Now this might seem like an interesting statement to make but let me qualify it first by saying this. What we’re talking about here are small business blogs and how to use one to attract customers to your business, not personal blogs or blogs in general.
Therefore if you’ve got a small business and you’re looking at starting a blog then don’t go searching for information about blogging in general . . . . . because what you’re about to discover here, you’ll have to look long and hard for anywhere else on the internet.
So first all, why would a small business need a blog?
Well the first thing to understand is this . . . . . a blog will have a much greater potential to send customers to your business than a website even will. Why? Well Google and the other search engines tend to favour blogs and the reason why is simple.
Blogs are a haven for quality information on all manner of topics and of course that’s what the majority of people are after, information. Therefore the search engines want to give people what they’re looking, good quality information. This is why sites like Wikipedia rank so high with the search engines. They provide quality information and lots of it.
Now the next thing that needs to be qualified here is that people search on the internet for two types of information, free information and information that they are willing to pay money for. Therefore because we’re talking about business here we’re obviously talking about information people are willing to pay money for and information that is designed to give people the confidence to buy from you or enlist your services.
This is why small business blogs are so powerful and why nearly every small business should add one to their customer pulling arsenal. It’s because you as a small business owner owe it to your small business to be profitable, to grow your customer base and to add to your bottom line.
So why are many small businesses reluctant to start a small business blog ? ? ? ?
Well if you’re a small business owner then I assume you already know the answer to this . . . .
You haven’t got the time OR you just don’t want to spend the money to outsource it right?
Well, can I just a say this? you can easily spend time and money on tasks such as bookkeeping, cleaning and other overheads. And how much money do these overheads actually bring into your business? It’s not a revenue producing activity is it? You basically do it because you have to, because it’s one of those necessary tasks that just comes hand in hand with running a small business.
Therefore wouldn’t you think that to either spend a small amount of time or money once a week, once a fortnight or even just once a month writing an article about your business and what it can do for your customers would be worthwhile? Especially if this activity had the potential to bring in customers and add to your bottom line.
And here’s the best bit . . . . . each time you add to your small business blog you potentially increase it’s customer pulling potential.
You see, most small business owners operate under the business philosophy that you work for an hour and you get paid for an hour . . . . . OR . . . . . you sell a physical product and you get paid for it once and if you want to get paid again you have to sell another product.
This of course is a worthy business ethic but as a small business owner you also need to understand this . . . . . this is the reason why you haven’t got 1 or 2 hours a week or a fortnight to spend time writing an article for your small business blog.
It’s because you are a slave to this concept. You work for an hour and then you get paid for an hour.
This is where the internet is different. You have now entered into the age where anyone can produce something once then keep getting paid for it over and over again.
Let’s repeat that again, just in case you missed it . . . . .
You as a small business owner have now entered into the age of where you can produce something once and then keep getting paid for it over and over again and the tool you can use to achieve this is called . . . . .
the Small Business Blog.
So I ask you, how can you possibly afford to ignore it ? ? ? ?
Well there are really only two reasons that could possibly be stopping you.
Either you love spending excessive hours working in your small business, working weekends, using public holidays to catch up and rushing around everywhere trying to make it all fit in with family and friends . . . . . OR . . . . . you simply don’t know how or somebody has never introduced you to the concept of producing something once and then getting paid for it over and over again.
Well I’m sure you’re well aware that this isn’t a new concept. After all this is how people like Paul McCartney make a living. As we all now he wrote a whole bunch of popular songs back in the 60′s and 70′s that now earn him quite a healthy, passive income, still, 40 years later.
Now I’m not going to suggest for a second that you will be able to use a small business blog to achieve anything that even come close to this, that would be ridiculous. But what a small business blog can do for you is earn you a passive income that you can then go and use to buy back some of that valuable time that your business takes away from you spending more time with your family and friends.
It’s a very powerful concept and one that’s very, very achievable, by anyone (well I’ll be honest, nearly anyone, but you know what I mean).
“But my friends business has a blog and they say that it adds very little to their bottom line and doesn’t bring them many customers at all.” I hear you say.
Well that’s not really all that surprising because here’s the reality . . . . .
Nearly all the business blogs on the internet today are set up incorrectly and have made some very basic but very fatal mistakes. These mistakes restrict the income earning potential for their owners severely and as a result can give an inaccurate representation of just how effective a small business blog can actually be.
This is what you need to know . . . . . there are many small businesses in Australia today that know the secret of how to use a Small Business Blog to attract customers like you wouldn’t believe, PLUS earn their owners a very substantial passive income as well and the good news is . . . . .
We’ll say it again . . . . .
There is no reason why any small business can’t do the same, except for one thing . . . . . . a business owner’s reluctance to take action and just do it . . . . FULL STOP
Therefore, now you’re probably wondering how to go about setting up a small business blog that will attract more customers and can be used to potentially earn you a passive income that you can then use to buy back hours from your small business?
Well, the best thing you can do is contact us today and we can discuss just how to turn your Small Business Blog into the revenue earner that it really should be. And if you like we can discuss how to earn a passive income from it as well.
What REALLY Matters for Businesses that want Online Results
“Never before have we Business Owners ever been so fortunate.
Living in the era of the Internet, we now have the potential to tap into a near endless supply of our Ideal Customers and Clients.
Knowing how to connect though is the secret.
Therefore if you can tell us who your ideal customers and clients are, we’ll show you how to connect with them.”
PS. “Here’s something we're very conscious of with every Business Website we make . . . .”
A Business website will only ever cost you money when it fails to make you money
"Therefore, never consider your Business Website an expense or something that devalues over time. But rather, an asset that you own, that will continue to attract more and more new customers and clients to your Business as time goes by".
