Virtual Impax

Blogs are better than traditional static websites because…

You may have heard the “buzz” about blogs. However, what may not be immediately clear is WHY blogs are better than traditional web sites, especially if you’re looking at a blog as a potential marketing tool for your business.

  • What is a blog?
  • How is a blog different from a static or regular web site?
  • Are there times when you’d be better off WITHOUT a blog?

As for What is a Blog…. blogs are just another type of website. They’re as diverse in look and content as “regular” websites. Chances are that you’ve visited blogs and didn’t even know that it was a blog.. This web site is an example of a blog and this is an example of a blog post.

Blog posts are simply short (or not so short in my case) articles which are easily posted to the web site.

A blog is really just a CMS (Content Management System). The most recent articles are listed first, in reverse chronological order.

Blogs are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH easier to use and maintain for “regular” people than a traditional website. Heck, blogs are much, much, much easier to use and maintain for “geeks” as well! In addition to being easier to use… blogs allow visitors to interact with the blog owner. Visitors can leave comments and express their opinions via comments on the blog. Other blog owners can reference content on other blogs and in the case of WordPress blogs, you can see those incoming links. WordPress will even create trackbacks for you! (Trackbacks are also known as “reciprocal links”…. except you don’t have to beg, borrow and steal them. The other blog just has to approve it and VIOLA! LINKAGE!)

While blogs are great, and WordPress is the best of the bets…. there are times when ‘Yes, Virginia… tis far nobler to have a static web site. As a general rule, if you’re making a Minor Sale, then your business would be better served with a traditional web site. What is a Minor Sale? According to Rackham in his book Spin Selling , your business is making Minor Sales if:

  • There is a single decision-maker
  • The buyer’s financial or emotional investment is low or insignificant
  • The purchase does not warrant the time/energy necessary to research alternatives
  • There is little interaction between you and the customer
  • The consequences of making a purchasing mistake are inconsequential or insignificant.

Sound like what you’re selling? Then skip the blog and hire a web developer. YOU my friend are the lucky owner of a business which is engaged in making Minor Sales!

On the other hand, blogs are simply communication tools which means they are really the web presence of choice for the business that is engaged in making Major Sales. Your business is making Major Sales if:

  • There is more than one decision-maker
  • The buyer’s financial and/or emotional investment is significant
  • The purchase warrants significant time and research into alternatives
  • There is the potential for a long-term relationship between you and/or your business and the customer.
  • The consequences of making a purchasing mistake are high.

Sound like the kind of sale YOUR business is making? Well, congratulations because of the nature of your business YOUR potential customers need a LOT of information before they make a buying decision. This is important. It requires time, thought and research. A buyer has to have a certain level of trust established before they make the leap and complete the Major Sale.

Lots of information…. TONS of information… no such thing as too much information. The more check marks you can make beside the factors listed above, the more trust you have to build BEFORE the sale.

THAT is the biggest reason for a blog. You need to provide TONS of information… some of it over and over again… you need to educate your customer…. they want to know more… and a blog is a great way to deliver that information to your potential customers.

Comments

8 responses to “Blogs are better than traditional static websites because…”

  1. […] Although WordPress is well known as a blogging platform, you don’t have to include a blog section in your site, it can be purely undated pages. Virtual Impax just published an informative and informal little post about whether a blog is a good idea for your business too. […]

  2. Mark Trainer Avatar

    Great info. Nice site.

  3. Suzanne Avatar
    Suzanne

    I’ve heard lots about Blogs being for marketing and i guess that’s true. But I use blogs for personal reasons. I like to blog about events, trips, stuff like that on Zovue.com. Now in Zovue.com I have the choice of blogging to the world, to just my friends, or even to friends of friends. Only the people I want to see my blogs will see them. But I do agree with you that blogs are better than traditional sites becasue i like how they get organized and dated – very cool!

  4. Business Computers Avatar

    Blogs are good for getting the attention of potential customers in a non-formal way. Instead of a high-pitch sales letter, you can give insights into the benefits your business provides in form of goods and services. You can actually talk at length without sounding boring or singing your own praise.

    Beside this, a lot of consumer tend to believe the personal views of bloggers when they review a product or service instead of reading reviews on the traditional corporate websites.

    I blog about computers because I enjoy working with them as a small business owner. Nice article.
    .-= Business Computers´s last blog ..How to Choose A Netbook Computer =-.

  5. Mason Rudolph Avatar
    Mason Rudolph

    Hi, I understand why a blog is important and why it’s so highly regarded in the search engines but how do you explain sales pages that consistently get ranked from the Clickbank market place!
    .-= Mason Rudolph´s last blog ..My Turnkey Online Business Discovery =-.

  6. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    A blog is just another type of web presence. It’s possible for standard HTML pages to get highly ranked. You don’t HAVE to have a blog to get a great SERP. The thing is, blogs tend to make it easier for those who aren’t experts in SEO to get ranked.

    A blog with no incoming links and an erratic use of keywords won’t do any better than a similar HTML site. Blogs are NOT marketing magic… they’re just tools to make it easier to create a quality web presence.

  7. Karla Avatar
    Karla

    Thanks for sharing such informative blog post! I know that blogs are very much important and there are some few things that we should really understand as a bloggers! Anyway, thanks for sharing and keep posting!!!

  8. SEO Bod Avatar

    Only for the uneducated. Static sites are much better for SEO purposes and bespokeness.