posted by W A Blog Tools on Jan 16

Blogging seems to be all the rage now. Many of these are personal blogs, where people just give their opinions on various topics. Others, however, are business blogs. Blogs can let more people find your site, as there will be more content for the search engines to pick up on. And they will be more likely to stick around, as you have interesting content.

The first thing you will need to do is pick someone to write your business blog. It needs to be someone who writes well and knows about your business. In some cases, those may not be the same person. Often, in very small businesses, the owner is the only employee. If that is you, it’s possible that while you don’t write extremely well, you do know a lot about your business. If that is the case, you might try a system where someone else proofreads your blog and corrects and slightly rephrases things where they could be improved.

The next think you will need to decide on is what your subject matter will be about. In some types of businesses, it is appropriate for the blog to be slightly more personal in nature. If you are marketing to high school and/or college students, they would be more interested in local events than they would in the details behind your latest business partnership.

Another option is to blog to keep clients and others updated on where you are in various projects or what inventory you’ve gotten in. For a golf store, you might keep your clients up to date on when you’re expecting a new line of golf clubs.

A third option is like my own blog, where you give advice that will help others, regardless of whether they are your clients/customers or not. On my blog, I try to make sure that you don’t have to have a lot of technical expertise to use my advice. I don’t blog about how to write HTML. Instead, I blog about the types of features you can have on a site and whether it would be to your advantage to use those features. It’s general advice that can be applied to websites whether the reader has a working knowledge of HTML or pays someone else to do that.

I’ve found that my blog (and it’s accompanying monthly printed newsletter that’s basically the “best of” the blog entries from the previous month) seems to increase my perceived credibility and my approachability. And to get new clients and customers in the door, perceived credibility and approachability is what you need. To keep them, you will need actual credibility and good communication, so hopefully you have both.

You can also publish your blog entries to sites like ezinearticles.com or goarticles.com and include a link to your site, which is what I do. Then other sites will also publish your articles, but they have to include those links to your site also.

Personally, I post on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think that any less frequently would be a waste of time. And remember, in addition to making sure the entries will pull in new visitors from search engines, also make sure the article is useful to them. If you are a good writer and write on the types of subjects you mentioned, you’ll do well.

About the Author

Tim is the owner and senior web designer at T&S Web Design. His company has developed and maintained website for dozens of small businesses and organizations. Tim also maintains a blog with free website advice for small business owners, GetASiteOnline.com.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Jan 15

As the old adage goes, “There is nothing permanent in this world but change.” And yes, it is very much true. Oftentimes, when there is a time to take the leap and make a change, it is a very risky decision for one simple reason. Changing could actually cause something to rise to success or it could also be the cause of its downfall. Many people, companies, and businesses have tried that out as part of their strategies and it would be interesting to note that they are actually living testimonials of dealing with change.

To deal and keep up with the various changes going on in the globe as well in the automobile and car world, Auto Parts Online continuously keeps itself updated. By doing such, this online store and company is able to bring up to date its categories of auto parts and accessories.

Auto Parts Online is one of the leading suppliers of automobile parts and car accessories on the Internet. It has been in service and in existence for more than twenty five years. It holds a wide collection of parts that include hard to find auto parts and truck parts. Aside from providing easy access and an easier shopping experience for customers and vehicle owners, Auto Parts Online also provides important trivia, tidbits, and facts regarding various vehicles, cars, and auto parts.

To add up and support this online store’s function of providing information, it has launched a blog that would provide customers, visitors, enthusiasts, aficionados, and guests further and in depth news and ideas on the realm of vehicles, cars, and automobiles. Any new broadcasts in their line of field and business would be posted and updated on the Auto Parts Online Blog. Further awareness and information would be the main function that this online blog would serve and adhere to. Any breakthroughs, news, events, or recalls would also be posted. As long as something is noteworthy, you could be sure that you would be able to read it from the Auto Parts Online Blog.

One of the latest news you can find at the Auto Parts Online Blog is about a new way for drivers of any kind of automobile or car to communicate with each, not just through honking their horns, flicking on their light signals, or the very seldom use of hand and arm gestures. The latest news that has reached the Auto Parts Online Blog is that there has been a revolutionary and innovative design and creation that would give drivers the chance to communicate with each other not just through signals and signs but with words as well. This would be done so through the use of innovative LED displays. To find out more, interested parties and individuals can simply access the Auto Parts Online Blog.

Auto Parts Online remains committed to delivering superior and up to date auto parts for different vehicle types and brands. And just like that, the Auto Parts Online Blog will also continue on keeping up with its commitment in delivering worthy and up to date news and features regarding anything and everything in and about the world of automobiles.

About the Author

Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Jan 9

Today’s software makes it so easy to set up a blog that it seems like everybody and their neighbor has a blog. Yes, they are a fad right now. And yes, they are a great business tool for any business, large or small - and they’re here to stay.

Especially for the independent professional, a blog is an easy communication tool to build credibility and trust. Most importantly, blogs make it easy for people to find you on the Web.

But 9 out of 10 blogs created will be abandoned because they can take up a lot of time in a busy professional’s life, and results may not be evident right away.

There are several keys to making your blog work for you, instead of the other way around. Once you learn and integrate these steps, it should take you only 10-20 minutes per post. It’s recommended that an additional 20 minutes a couple of times per week should be spent reading and commenting on other blogs and sites on the Web so you can bring valuable information to your readers.

7 Secrets to a Successful Business Blog

1. Write valuable content and share stories to showcase your knowledge and expertise. Don’t forget to explain how you work with clients and let readers know how to contact you, hire you, buy a product or register for your services.

2. Write 2-3 times a week, short articles of 250-350 words each time. Occasionally, a longer article can be shared, using the extended post feature.

3. Link profusely to other resources on the web. This is essential for building traffic and enlarging your reading audience. Spend some time, 2-3 times a week researching your area of expertise on the Web. Leave comments on other blogs.

4. Submit to blog directories and ping each time you post. If you don’t know how to do this, get a blog coach or buy and read an instructional manual, such as the ebook at www.BuildaBetterBlogSystem.com.

5. Track and monitor your visitor stats. Install a counter on your blog so you know what’s happening. For example, a free counter can be found at www.SiteMeter.com.

6. List all your products and affiliate products and make sure you have the landing pages properly linked. Use your affiliate links and ad-tracking features if you have a shopping cart.

7. Don’t forget to link to your own website and vice versa! This is one reason we prefer to have the blog separate from your website, rather than installing blog software incorporated into your website. It’s like having two fishing poles in the pond.

Like any marketing effort, persistence pays off. In six months of regular blogging, assuming you are providing valuable content, you should see a significant increase in your web site traffic, the client leads, and overall total revenue for your business.

If not, you’re not blogging smart!

About the Author

Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman work with professionals to maximize their marketing strategies by implementing blogs, ezines and ecommerce tactics. They have co-authored “Build a Better Blog”, “Confessions of a Reluctant Blogger” and “Secrets of Successful Ezines” Get The Blog Squad’s free report on the “Top 10 Reasons to do an Ezine and A Blog” Snipurl.com

posted by W A Blog Tools on Jan 4

FrankBlogs have been around for many years but have recently become somewhat a new craze. A Blog is short for Web Log is basically an online journal. They can be set up at little to no cost at all, and can be used for a wide variety of things. Some bloggers just blog for the fun of it, while others tend to use their blogs for business reasons.

The following are just a few ways blogs can be used:

1) Updates
Keep customers/clients up to date on changes to your website. Also new product announcement and new related websites.

2) Reviews
You can give opinions, advice and personal recommendations on specific products or services related to your field.

3) Personal and Business uses
Blogs are a great way to keep track of your goals and plans just by open writing.

4) Stress Reliever
Jot down your vents, gripes, thoughts. Some also find general writing therapeutic.

5) Search Engine Optimization
Search Engines love text and content. You can also include links to your website which equal backward links which in turn equals high ranking.

6) Money Makers
Yes, you can make money with your blog by providing readers with quality copy writing and a few affiliate links.

So how is a blog set up? There are several options you can choose from when starting your own blog, and a few are:

1) Using a free service such as http://www.Blogger.com.

2) Using Blogger.com (or other free blog provider) with your own domain name that you can purchase through places such as Mommys Helper Domain & Hosting Services http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/web-hosting.html .

3) You can also choose a paid services such as http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Affil/?51483 for as little as $5.95 a month.

So you have your blog set up, but how do you get visitors to it and get them comming back? Along with general advertising, here are a few more ideas:

1) Directories
There are many directories that you can submit your blog to such as http://www.BlogWise.com To find more simply do a search for blog directories.

2) Link Exchange
Place links on your website to your blog and visa versa.

3) Syndicate Your Blog
For example you can now give your visitors the option of having your blog headlines right on their MyYahoo! Page. (example - http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http%3A//www.2wahms.blogspot.com ) This makes it much simpler for your readers to quickly skim the topic headlines and an added benefit to you the blogger to keep your visitors up to date.

You also have the choice of letting your readers comments on your blog. Most services have these features and can be a great tool to keep your blog interactive between you and your readers.

With all the spam filters and spam blockers available or sometimes even automatically installed in email programs, its getting harder every day to keep in constant contact with your visitors/customers and/or clients. Blogs have shed some new light in this aspect giving you a better way to communicate.

Most blog services are very user friendly. If you can run simple programs such as MSWord or Word Perfect then you have the knowledge to maintain your own blog. Theres no need to even have html knowledge. In essence, anyone can have his or her own blog.

Happy Blogging!

About the Authors:
Kara Kelso and Anita DeFrank are the owners of Mommy’s Helper - Mom’s Market Ezine http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/mommys-helper-moms-market-ezine.htmlan ezine for work at home moms. You can read their business blog at: A Tale of 2 Wahms http://2wahms.blogspot.com