MH1 Web Design Blog

Businesspeople possess a unique opportunity to be more than just a cash funnel to their customers. A few steps to improve the company blog can work wonders for customer relations.

The next competitor to you doesn’t have to beat you on price if he or she has the customer’s love. In this century, any illusions you still entertain about controlling the customer relationship need to be pummeled from you forthwith.

Fear not, I have a large club full of ideas and a decent reach. We’re going to improve your company blogging today…

You don’t have one? Please get one. Easy free solutions from Google’s Blogger or from WordPress exist.

Committing time to blogging will be a problem? I’m terribly sorry. I don’t have a tissue handy.

See, the time used to blog shouldn’t be viewed as a consumption, but as an investment. You don’t complain about taking money to the bank, do you?

I’m letting you in on a big secret about human nature, one that few people understand well if they do know it. People want to believe in something. Your customers want to believe in your authoritative voice on the topic of whatever it is you have to place in a virtual shopping cart.

They long to understand that in a world of beeps, boops, and boings, someone listens. You are in a business which I expect you understand at least in a nominal fashion. Share that understanding. Yes, the difference between Product Version 1 and Version 1.1 may be nominal, trivial, and pedantic to discuss.

It’s a piece of information you understand. Conveying it through the company blog says “I know these things, I know them well, and you’re a better consumer for doing business with me.” People want this, conveyed a little more gently, probably. 

The investment you make consists of details, provided through a blog. It’s marketing, brand reinforcement, and an ongoing solicitation to do business with an absolute professional. Provided, naturally, you communicate that way.

Blogging quality ranges from outstanding to “did this person skip grammar and spelling in school” types of bloggers. Spellcheck fixes a multitude of sins, and having a trusted person look at your post to find the stuff spellcheck missed will grab most, if not all, of the rest.

No matter how much work you put into blogging, you’re going to make a mistake somewhere. My personal demon: writing billion for million and vice versa. No idea why, but I’ve done it a couple of times and had it pointed out to me. Sometimes even politely.

This is how you handle a mistake you made, in blogging and I think elsewhere in the business. Acknowledge it, fix it, and move forward to the next issue. People seem to want contrition as much as they want to believe in something. Provide a reason to forgive; fix the problem. Letting a mistake simmer to boiling over the proverbial pot will leave you regretting it.

As for the negative comments you will see at some point, gain what you can from them. The most annoying person in the world may have a valid argument. These days, they expect to be able to express it; worthy complaints merit a decent response.

I can’t tell you how to be interesting, funny, and compelling with your writing. We’re all different, in blogging and elsewhere. Write honestly, authoritatively, and regularly (a post a day, you can manage that), and leave no one the option to claim you aren’t trying to embrace your customers.

About the Author:
David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.

by Stephanie Neunuebel
Business Development, MH1 Web Design

The beginning of a new year is typically a time of self-evaluation. Resolutions revolve around personal goals such as health, personal growth, family life, or spirituality. This year, it may be time to re-evaluate marketing techniques within your company, especially if out-dated practices such as banner ads and paid campaigns are still your idea of effective marketing!

Blogs (from “web logs”) serve the purpose of relaying information to the reader. Clients, and potential clients, want to know who you are and what you’re passionate about. Providing a blog on your website for guests to read lets them get into your mind and read your personal thoughts on a new product within your industry, a recent change within your company, or a new trend that’s affecting the way you do business. Be open, honest, and professional – and talk about something that will educate and is relevant to your readers.

Another benefit to having a blog on your website is they help boost your search-engine rankings. It will add rich keywords that will enhance your website, allow for you to post photos, videos, or graphics that will give your readers a better idea of the company you run. This helps search engine ranking by adding more data that is relevant to your company, and prevents your website from becoming static. Updating a blog on a regular basis keeps your website fresh, and is an easy, quick way to provide new or breaking information to your readers.

Blogs are super-easy to maintain and are virtually effortless- but as with most things, the more work you put into it the more effective it will be. If you use your blog to simply inform your current customers of your newest changes, it could eliminate your need to send bulk emails to clients, which in turn could save you time and energy. However, if you use the blog as a marketing tool, and post articles and other industry-relevant information, you can gain credibility by being referenced by other bloggers, mentioned on forums and other online communities, and in turn help your business grow.

If you have any doubts in your mind about the prevalence of blogs, just type your industry and “blog” into Google and see what pops up. Let your readers into your mind, and let a new wave of marketing begin!

by Mike Hallaron

We build a wide variety of websites from 2-3 page “microsites” that create a simple but very limited web presence to large, complex sites with databases, flash and other advanced programming. Blogs can work for many websites of varying size and complexity as an effective and simple method of posting frequent content updates. But Blogging for its own sake is not for every business website.

So who should consider adding this rapidly growing social networking tool?

Add a Blog to your website, if:

• You have lots of information to share with potential customers and existing clients.
• There is a commitment to spending a few minutes each week writing short informative articles, company or product updates, industry news.
• Your company has a dedicated point person on staff who will be responsible for periodic updates of news and/or photos.
• Your company will benefit from sharing your content with other partners and potential customers interested in what you have to say.

Forget adding a Blog, if:

• You have a static site with limited content.
• If your service(s) or product(s) rarely changes or requires detailed explanation.
• There is no one on staff to spend time updating the Blog. Old articles grow stale quickly defeating the purpose.
• Your business is a one-person operation and you spend little time in office concerned with your website, emails. That’s fine, too. Many of our clients trust their website to create a static presence and help generate new leads without much interaction.

To be certain of what’s best for your business, contact MH1 Web Design today.