Your Online Business: Why a Blog is Better Than a Static Website

Well, we've seen blogs popping up all over the place. Blogs have been quite the phenomenon in this thing we call "Web 2.0" Gone are the days of static websites as companies realize that blogs are being read more and more by their customers. But what makes blogs that much better than a website? Will the static website soon become a thing of the past?

Well, first let me define what a static website is. Static websites are your typical website with content. They're not updated as often as blogs are, unless of course, the webmaster chooses to update it every day. However, generally the content on a static website is the same. Blogs, on the other hand have a whole different personality...

Blogs Give You a Voice

What I mean by this is that blogs are a medium by which to express your true feelings and be transparent about your business or personal life. Static websites are more structured, but with blogs people expect you to voice your opinions.

Blogs are known for their journal-like qualities. In fact, back in the early days of blogs, people used them as online journals. However, the blog community has grown and now businesses are beginning to use them as a form of communication. Someone can voice their opinion on issues that are occurring right now in relation to their blog topic. With a blog there's more freedom to simply tell it like it is. Although you could probably do that with a regular website, with blogs it's more acceptable to just say what you want to say.

There are blogs on just about any topic that exists in this world. From knitting to politics to sports - you can find a blogger who talks about these subjects. You can create an audience of thousands if not millions of readers who are influenced by what you have to say. If you're blogging for business, a blog is a way for customers to get to know you on a business and personal level. Remember that people buy from people they like! Be honest about yourself and let people get to know you better.

Blogs Are Ranked Higher in the Search Engines

Because blogs are updated frequently, the search engines like to rank blogs higher than static websites. This is good for traffic, of course. If you have an online business then this could also result in more sales. Contrast that with static websites that only get updated once a week or even just once a month with fresh new content.

Blogs are easy to update and you could it every day if you wanted to. There are people who even blog two or three times a day. This brings me to another reason why blogs are better than regular website...

Blogs are Easier to Use Than Regular Websites

We have many blogging platforms to choose from and most of them are pretty simple to use. One doesn't even have to know HTML to operate a blog. If you have something to say, all you have to do is type it up and press the publish button! For those of you who are web design illiterate, blogs are the way to go.

Blogs Can Make You an Expert in Your Niche

As you research and write on your blog, you'll begin to learn more and more about the particular subject that you're blogging about. Many people use their blogs to keep track of things they've come across in their readings or to share their experience and knowledge. Eventually you'll become to know everything there is to know about a subject and people will begin to view you as an expert and a helpful resource.

The key thing with blogs is to provide valuable content for your readers. As with any website, your goal is to have a substantial amount of traffic to your blog so that you can create an income for yourself, if indeed that is your goal. For others blogging is a hobby that lets them share their expertise and help others in the process.

I think regular websites will still be around for awhile, but for now blogs are a great way to generate more customers for your business.