Just five years ago if you were a blogger you were seen as a geek, a computer nerd or even a little strange. Blogging is in fact just another term for online self-publishing in a world now dominated by the World Wide Web. The rise of the social web has seen the rise in the importance of creating content online and blogging as it can offer many distinct benefits. Some of these include:
- Position your brand as an expert or thought leader in its industry
- Drive traffic
- Capture leads
- Increase sales
- Improve your websites search engine rankings
- Increase customer engagement with your content
So where do you start?
You could go and leap onto Tumblr.com or even create a site on Blogger.com. Sure they are easy to setup and use. The problem though with these platforms is that you don’t own them and you have limits to what you can and can’t do with your blog’s features and functions. You are just renting. So what is optimum and how do you build a blog on solid foundations?
Buy your own domain name
Buy and own your online name. This could be your first name and last name like I do for my blog at jeffbullas.com. It also could be an industry centric name like Joe Pulizzi does over at ContentMarketingInstitute.com So go and buy your own domain name.
Make sure it is self-hosted
The next important factor to consider is to ensure that you have it self-hosted on a reliable website hosting service such as Bluehost.com that offers good performance for your website that loads quickly and is reliable. Ever been to a site that is so slow to load that you click away? That can sometimes be put down to having a slow Internet connection. Often though, it is because you are sharing a hosting computer with hundreds of other domains. The other key here is having a site that is online 24/7. You may pay a little more, but in the end you will be thankful, especially when you are building a blog that means business.
Why is self-hosting with good load speeds important?
Hosting that has quick load speeds is important for a couple of reasons. 1. Usability. People will get frustrated and click away if it is too slow. 2. Google search rankings. It has become vital with Google’s new attention to user experience that your site loads quickly. If it doesn’t then you will find that it will affect your sites search engine results as Google gives your site a small black cross. This little rule is now written into Google’s algorithms. Fast is good.
Branding and design
Branding is part science and part art. In its simplest form it involves three key elements.
- Logo and colours. Your visual design that resonates with your chosen category.
- Your messaging and voice which will carry into what you write and how you communicate across a range of multimedia
- Being memorable and sticky within your industry so that you stand out is key. If your competitors are zigging maybe you should be zagging.
Design is what consumes most people’s time. For many, it is how it looks. Yes, looks are very important… but design goes much deeper than that.
The design challenge
Design that matters and manages the tension between form and function is what you should aim for. Steve Jobs knew and understood that.
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works”. – Steve Jobs
So hire a designer that understands that it isn’t just about having a beautiful face but effective and essential functions. Don’t spend too much time just on design. Many people also take weeks agonising over the name. Remember “Done is better than perfect”.
What are some of the key elements for your blog?
There are some elements for design and the site’s functions that are non-negotiable when building that blog.
- About us or “Bio” tab This is one of the most visited sections of your site. Make sure you are creating a great first impression.
- Easy to read Make sure that people aren’t squinting because the text is too small or dense.
- Built for a social web Making it easy for people to share your content means that you need as a minimum to have Twitter retweet and Facebook sharing buttons. Depending on your industry also consider Pinterest and LinkedIn. Also include them at the top and give them design prominence.
- Designed for subscribing Building followers on Twitter and Facebook are essential to grow those important social media networks so ensure that you are easy to follow or “like”
- Content centric Blogs succeed or fail on the quality and consistency of the content. Make sure you are creating and promoting your blog posts. Content marketing is key and it involves two words. “content” and “marketing”. So make sure you amplify your content.
- Visible credibility Have any awards? These can be offline or online. Have you been published in authority websites or any publications? Do a bit of showing off. It works.
- Social proof On your blog display how much social sharing is taking place. Also display how many subscribers you have. This provides “Attention Quantification” evidence. It adds to your credibility and online authority.
- Designed for search engines Platforms such as WordPress are designed to be easy to found and indexed by search engines. You can add plugins such as WordPress SEO by Yoast that enhance the search engine optimisation.
- Call to action Make sure that you have calls to action such as subscribe, download or “buy now”. Turn that traffic into followers, leads and sales.
- Offer something for free You need to be building an email list from day one so offer something for free such as an e-book to grow that all important email list.
- Optimized for mobile devices The web is now mobile. So ensure that you have your blog able to be viewed and read on a mobile device. WordPress offers many low cost “responsive” themes that are designed for mobile.
What about you?
Are you thinking of starting a blog? Wanting to start an online business? If you already have a blog, how does your blog stand up?
50% off Master Class – How to Create Authority Online
Jeff Bullus is running a Master Class on “How to Create Authority Online” in Sydney at the Sheraton on the Park, 20 March. It is a intensive one day course which is about the 10 key steps to becoming an online authority, leader and expert in your industry. It is about creating visibility online. Register using the VIP code ABN and you will receive 50% off the price of the event.
