Blog is short for the word weblog. A weblog is a journal (or newsletter) that is frequently updated and intended for the consumpution of the general public. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or the Web site. Blogs can be used in the business world as well. Blogs started in the late 90s and have increased in popularity over the past months. Many people have started to create their personal blogs to express their thoughts and feelings. Internet companies have also started their blogs to inform consumers on the latest product news and reviews.
Blogs are now being used in internet marketing media field. Previously, Internet marketing was done by placing banners and links on popular websites, such as news and information sites. Links were also included on newsletters and marketing letters sent to the members of their mailing lists. Lots of people spend time reading blogs. People read their friend’s blogs, their favorite author’s blogs, blogs on topics that they are interested in, and blogs on product reviews. With the increasing popularity of blogging, it is even feared that people rely on blogs to get the latest news.
Although news reports from blogs may not be reliable, some people look for product reviews through blogs which in some cases is more dependable. While it is true that some media persons are being paid to write good reviews about a certain product, blog writers write about their actual experiences with products and services from a company. Since there are many people who read and start their own blogs, blogs are a good medium to market a product. Increasing blog traffic means an increase in product sales.
Joining affiliate programs and sites which will list your blog under a certain search category or name can increase your blog traffic. You can also have your blog advertised in popular websites. This, however, will cost some money and is not advisable if you have just started blogging. A writer who has just launched his/her blog will want as much traffic as possible to increase advertisements on the site. Also, some advertisers pay every time their link is clicked or the page that has their link is viewed.
When you have increased traffic on your blog, you should try to keep your visitors coming back and recommending your blog to friends and colleagues. This can be done by having informative or amusing content and good blog layout and design. You may develop your blog’s content or you can also acquire the services of a web content writer to provide you with the blog articles.
A blog’s layout and design also plays a big role. While most of the companies offering free blog hosting offer pre-selected templates, there are also some that allows customization that if you utilize this feature correctly can increase your blog’s traffic.
Make your blog stand out from the millions of blogs out by following the guidelines below:
Customize the banner.The banner usually has the most generic designs that are common to the blogs from a blogging company or service. You can personalize this banner by having a graphic with the dimensions of the banner. You can also edit the graphic so that it will also include the title of your blog. In this case, you can create your own graphic or you can purchase professional looking graphics online for less than $10.
Personalize photos. Of course, most of the photos that you will be posting will be your own. However, if you don’t customize the photos before posting them, you may miss maximizing the enhancing benefits graphics can add to the page. Adding photo borders can help the photo stand out from the page. It can also add to the design of your blog. You can choose a standard border or you can also create your own border which can be associated with your blog’s templates.
Add a favicon. Don’t you think sites with icons on the address bar before the website’s URL are cool? Many people do. These favicons add a professional look to the URL. These easy to do using photo or graphic editing softwares.
Include RSS feeds.This is a cool way to inform people with newsreaders about your blog headlines. Tutorials on RSS feeds are available on the internet.
Advertisements. If you have signed-up with Google Ad-Sense, which I am sure you would like to do, make sure that the ads are conveniently placed that these will not hinder your readers’ ease in accessing the information on your blog.
Check out blog templates, layouts, backgrounds, textures and skins from sites.There are sites that offer free blog templates, layouts, backgrounds, textures and skins. You can make use of these so your blog will not look generic like most of the blogs hosted by the service provider.
Audio makes your blog more personal.Not only does audio personalizes the blog; it can also keep your visitors coming back. You can try having streaming radio stations, mp3 file or playlists loading with your blog.
A well designed and run blog is a great internet marketing tool that can increase your product and service exposure and ultimately your sales. Following the ideas above will provide you with a great blog design.
