Wislounge

Thoughts and opinions on web development

Can You Find Your Business Online?

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Businesses that cannot find themselves online should make a long, hard look at what they are doing wrong.   If there are efforts being done to create online presence, it is safe to presume that the efforts are not enough to be of real value to the business.  This should encourage more positive and aggressive action so that the situation is corrected the soonest possible time.

Have you tried “googling” you own blog?  Did you find it through the keywords you thought your blog should be associated with or is it nowhere in sight?  What does finding it or not finding it mean to your blog?

If you find your blog where you want it, then you are probably doing something right.  It takes some serious optimizing to be found on top search results of desired keywords.  It doesn’t happen overnight and it sure doesn’t happen by accident.  It takes careful study to determine the keywords that really count for a particular blog.  Not every popular keyword is suitable for a blog.  It might be more beneficial to concentrate on fewer but targeted keywords rather than try to rank on so many and ending up with no real strength in any keyword.

Another way to  make sure that your blog gets to be found is to actively participate in different social media platforms.  The more socially visible a site is, the more interests are generated, and the easier it is to find your blog.  You will have to exert effort to make your blog visible by interacting online, providing killer posts, and showing ways that will lead to you blog.

The main goal in creating effective online presence is to ensure that your desired market finds you and fast.  If you yourself who know the keyword you used cannot find your blog, there is really something very wrong in your optimizing approach.  Take the time to determine where you can still improve on and do it.

Image: getentrepreneurial

About the Author:

Teresa is a professional researcher-writer on a wide range of topics.

The Blogging Entrepreneur

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Image: blogher

When one is an entrepreneur, he or she is bound to find ways to further a business operation in additional forms.  The modern way of doing business has made it necessary for business owners to enter the online foray in the name of competition and better exposure.  As push comes to shove, the birth of a new entrepreneur came through the blogging entrepreneur.

A blogging entrepreneur is essentially a business owner who incorporates a blog into his/her website and handles the task of providing relevant information to their customers through the blog format.  This requires the entrepreneur to provide posts at regular intervals to provide greater value to customers in terms of information.

Blogging provides a way for entrepreneurs to establish authority in the industry where his business is categorized.  By providing personal and first-hand knowledge of the product and services being offered, customers can be convinced that the business is owned and headed by a person who really knows what he is talking about.  Entrepreneurs who wish to blog however should not fall into the trap of copying or rewriting the contents of competitors since this fraud can become evident.

Business owners can opt to hire writers instead to handle the company blog.  Being the owner however, he should be able to suitably explain to the assigned writers in what direction he wishes to bring the blog.  Owners may not be gifted in writing but he must be sure to have a clear idea of what to do with the business.  There are some work that can be delegated and paid for but some like providing the overall company vision, should come from him to serve as guide to all employees.

Riding the Bandwagon of Controversial Topics

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One of the easiest ways readers can determine that a topic has gone viral is the number of blog posts from different writers dealing with the subject.  Many bloggers are being criticized for swiftly riding on the bandwagon of controversial issues even without sufficient information to make an unbiased article.  The golden rule about blogging on controversial topic is not to blog unless the blogger has something relevant to add to the issue.

Bloggers should also take care to choose controversial topics that can logically be found in their blog.   An out-of-topic controversial issue placed in a blog simply screams attention.  Some regular readers may interpret this as a desperate move to get added traffic and can actually get turned off by the intended over-sell.  Loyal readers appreciate bloggers who remain true to their subject area since they know where to find what they are looking for.  Inclusion of topics that are clearly out-of-topic just to gain traffic can be seen as misleading by some readers.

Once a topic’s connection is established, the next thing to consider is whether or not the blogger has something different to say about the issue.  Merely echoing what has been said over and over again by others may not exactly be an interesting or exciting post except for those personally interested on which side the blogger will take.

Bloggers need to be aware that controversial issues stir different emotions in people.  It is best therefore to take a side without being too over-critical of the other side lest you end up alienating many readers.  There is an art of taking side without antagonizing a person with different views.

Blog Hosting

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Image: notesofgenius

Choosing a blog host cannot be done simply by looking at a list of providers.  Since this is a service that will be used by the blog for some time, it is best to make sure that the services being offered is compatible with the kind of services required.  The blog owner and the blog host will be inconstant communication all throughout the agreement.

Hosting is something every blog needs to be operational.  There are many professional web hosts offering their services and it can be very difficult to determine which one work best.  This is especially so since reviews will tend to reveal that there is no such thing as a perfect blog host.

Each service provider will have its respective strengths and weaknesses.  What works for one will not necessarily be the best option for another.  It really depends on the purpose of the owner of the blog.

It would greatly matter if the blogger intends to make his/her blog merely as a personal record or diary of his/her thoughts and activities.  A different blog platform will be required by those intending to use their blogs for any earning purpose.  The choice will also depend on the technical capability of the blogger since more freedom in customizing usually requires more technical knowledge as compared to the option of always opting for ready-made templates.

Without going to specifics, there are at least three things that have to be considered before making the final choice for a blog host.  These include bandwidth, pricing, and uptime.  Comparison between and among blog hosts will surely result to some degree of confusion.  However, a blog host that is able to provide respectable service in these three areas is a safe choice.

Bandwidth is important because it should be able to accommodate the huge number of visits which a blogger is aiming for.  Pricing is likewise important since blog owners would like to have the advantage of getting the best value for their money in relation to offered services.  The importance of uptime is no longer questioned since no reader will have unlimited patience to repeatedly access blogs that seems to be always down.

Launching a Blog

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Image: blogforprofit

One of the primary issues when launching a new blog is what it should contain at the time of announcement to the public that there is such a blog to look out for.   Is it acceptable to be ready with one post only?  Is there anything else that should be found at once on the blog?

For purposes of introducing a blog, it is always important to know who the blogger is and what exactly is being offered to the online reading public.  With the expected minimal content of a newly-launched blog, it will be hard to gauge a blog’s offering without the necessary background from the blogger.  Proper introduction shows respect to the online audience who will have no other way of getting the information.

A sensibly written “ABOUT” page usually does the trick.  It is up to the blogger if he wishes to expound on his credentials if he thinks that it is relevant to the blog.  Of course, all the other necessities that would allow readers to navigate the blog with ease must be in place.

As to the matter of how many blog posts should be in place at the time of launching, there is no exact number for this.  A niche blog that will have only one main category to tackle throughout the lifetime of a blog can start with a single yet impressive introductory post to get the reader’s attention.  More is actually preferred so the readers can have a better understanding of what is to be expected from the blog.  Blogs that offer several categories however are advised to have one post for each category ready at the time of launching.  Clicking on a category without any content is not exactly a positive experience for new readers