[gambit]

I've created a blog for me and for my business. I just created it for a hype & to log daily updates for all my biz so that I can go back to see my progress. It is also a source of information for my team.

Until recently, I noticed that's being visited by some people and its being picked up by search engines. Its also being RSS feed to other business news blog.

I'm wondering if there's any opportunities that I'm not aware of.

Right now my blog is being hosted by blogspot.com. I don't know if I should create my own blog inside my site or should I hosted it to other sites.

So here are my questions:
1. Is it good to have a blog and promote it?
2. Should I develop my own blog or outsource it?
3. Should I have a blog as a major part of my websites?

[Sarafina]

1. Yes, I say go for it. Blogging isn't a fad and there's a definate value in blogging for your business.
2. If you're proficient with the web, you may as well do it yourself. There are alot of programs out there that allow you to host your own blog. Just google it.
3. Incorporate it into your site. It gives you an oppurtunity to show your expertise in a particular field. Blogs do get a fair bit of attention in search engines I suspect because they're frequently updated. It could be a good way to drive additional traffic to your site.

Here's a good article I found that relates to this subject:Should Your Business Blog?

[mxer210]

I would say yes aswell. pinemeadowgolf.com and campaignmonitor.com do a good job on a company blog. It's important not to write too many posts in your blog, and also to keep it relevant and about your business, or atleast your industry

[BetterEdit.com]

1. Is it good to have a blog and promote it?

Heh, silly question. Of course yes and yes.

2. Should I develop my own blog or outsource it?

This question is the same as whether you should have something like geocities host your site or build it yourself. If you install and host your own blog then you control all aspects of it which in my opinion is better. However that of course does mean that you are responsible for everything which means more work and more technical skills required.

3. Should I have a blog as a major part of my websites?

I'm inclined to say yes to this but it depends what your website does. As you noted blogs get picked up by search engines and if it's hosted on your business site then whenever you post a blog entry your site is "updated", which search engines like. It's a really easy way to keep your site fresh and build content. If you talk about your business it can also be a great sales tool for potential customers to learn more about the person/people behind the business. You can build up a rapport which can make the purchasing decision easier for potential clients.

> It's important not to write too many posts in your blog

Definitely don't listen to this advice. Content is good. The only way content is bad is if you are creating irrelevant, copied, boring or wasteful content. Sure if you write 100 new posts per day you might confuse your readers but in a months time you will have an amazing resource site if those 100 new posts are relevant and valuable. No such thing as too much content in my mind.

[Steven Kovar]

Q. 1. Is it good to have a blog and promote it?
A. Of course! Any way to spread your business' name and to report the inner workings of it will get you massive kudo points with the public as WELL as giving you (the business owner) a retrospective look at your business. Say you're growing and don't know what to do when you come to a crucial decision; you can look back through your blogs and remind yourself of the values you base(d) you company on, and follow suit with your original intentions! Great idea.

Q. 2. Should I develop my own blog or outsource it?
A. There are tons of places you can find a pre-made blog script, or places to host your blog for you [which can be 100% cutom-designed], such as www.blogger.com. If you are web-savvy and know all the relative programming languages, I'd say you should make it yourself. It'd be good practice and give you a chance to express yourself and your business how YOU want, not some designer.

Q. 3. Should I have a blog as a major part of my websites?
A. If your business is very public-oriented and you converse constantly with businesses (such as being a consultant or marketing firm) it would be an imperative area of your site. Otherwise, I think it should shadow the more important items, such as your mission statement, service section, portfolio, etc. etc.

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My two cents; sure hope it helped!

[bigpund]

It is definitely a good idea. I am actually looking in to doing it myself for my businesses. I look forward to checking yours out when you get it started. Be sure to leave a link for us.

[gambit]

This is what I love about YE! You always get a smart answer even if some my questions are stupid.

I ran my blog at blogger.com. It is on http://cyfocus.blogspot.com/. I just used as an online business diary whenever I make some major business move. It also to inform my team. I noticed that it is generating traffic towards my sites. It is also being RSS feeds to other web/business sites. This prompt me to ask my fellow YE if I should pursue it in which the majority agrees.

Technical sides are not an issue becuase I own my own server and PHP/MySql is my expertise.

I love WordPress. I've used some other blog software but this one gives ease, flexibility and adaptability. It is the updated version of b2 blog (http://cafelog.com/). Here is the link for WordPress for anyone interested http://wordpress.org/. I think it is one of the best.

I will let you guys know once it is done and we will probably RSS feed each other or link our business blogs.

Thanks bigpund,Steven Kovar, BetterEdit.com, mxer210, Sarafina

[villarrealsj]

Gambit,

I'm interested in learning more about your directory sites and how you created them. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk more about it and maybe you can answer some questions I have.

[gambit]

Originally Posted by villarrealsj

Gambit,

I'm interested in learning more about your directory sites and how you created them. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk more about it and maybe you can answer some questions I have.

Its made in PHP/SQL.