Blogs are a powerful marketing tool for small business owners. They give a business the ability to interact and connect with prospects and clients online. Not all blogs are created equally however. It is important to include the following elements when designing your blog strategy.
Keep it Clean
At first glance, a blog theme may appear to be dynamic but if it is hard to read it will lose viewers. Generally, a white or light-colored background under the text is best for readers. The text should be black or a dark enough color to be read easily. Clean fonts such as Arial or Verdana are easy to see online. Avoid black backgrounds if possible. They cause eye strain.
Go Easy on Home Page Ads
The point of a blog is to have prospects read your content. If they get distracted by ads when they first see your home page, they will leave your blog before they have time to get to know you better. If possible do not include ads on your front page or limit them to one or two. If you must include an ad, make sure it is a moneymaker. It does not pay to have a reader leave your page for the few cents a Google AdSense ad will produce. Instead, insert AdSense within your posts, or on other pages within your blog.
Pop Up Opt In Boxes Are a Matter of Taste
Personally, I get turned off by pop up opt in boxes. If a box pops up into my face before I have had time to read an article, my first instinct is to go to another website. The final insult is when a box pops up asking me if I am sure I want to leave the website. In my opinion this is a form of manipulation that I do not appreciate.
On the other hand, many marketers are convinced that pop up opt in boxes lead to more conversions. It is important to know who your readership is and what they respond to. If you must include a pop up, set the timer so that it does not pop up immediately and allows the viewer to become engaged in your content.
Slow Loading Blogs are Deadly
A blog that does not load quickly will lose viewers. Slow load time cannot always be avoided. Servers go down from time to time. It is important to check your blog at least once per day to make sure it is online. Other issues that cause slow loading time are images that are too large, self hosted videos, widgets that are connected to third parties, and flash elements. There are plug-ins on Word Press that will optimize your blog for faster loading. In general, less is more. Use widgets strategically, depending on your individual needs.
Easy Navigation Will Keep Readers on Your Blog
Include a search form, a sitemap, RSS feeds, related post links and/or a tag cloud to help readers search for topics of interest in your blog. Include links in your blog posts to send readers to other articles of interest. The longer a reader stays on your blog, the better chance you have of converting them to loyal customers.
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