Increasing Traffic To The Business Blog

Posted by Matthew Stone on April 1, 2010

Customers earned via the internet begin their relationship with a company as simple web page readers. Converting those readers into customers is then the key to earning revenue and increasing sales. Blog readers want information that can help them, but usually desire a strong and positive message to guide them in their activities as well.

What attracts readers to a company website? Of course the website must first be configured and positioned so it can easily be found when users look for information about a product or service. This can be done using standard Search Engine Optimization or Low Cost SEO strategies, but once readers arrive, what then?

To some extent, readers are looking to be informed and are looking for meaningful content. A business blog that provides these elements invites readers back repeatedly for fresh information or at least some entertaining material. Yes, entertainment can be a key ingredient in earning repeat customers.

Leading a story with a comic or joke might not be the way to encourage readers to return though. Serious subjects require some degree of serious content. Still, humor is disarming to the reader and allows her/him to enjoy the composition. It is helpful if humor can be worked into the theme. In the end though, the real reasons that viewers will return to a blog or website are fundamentally simple, so blog authors should ensure that each composition includes: Value – providing something of unique value to the reader ‘Move the Ball’ – showing how a reader can quickly make small improvements Support – inspiring the reader to keep facing down challenges and in effect, ‘cheerleading’ helps establish some degree of credibility within the community

Value: Client success stories or testimonials are hugely valuable and should be included in blog posts or on the main web page as frequently as possible. Potential clients and customers want to see how the company has helped others. Story telling is highly useful in this environment, but the author should keep the stories as short as possible – perhaps in the neighborhood of 500 to 700 words. Readers are probably time-constrained, so don’t overrun the reader’s attention span.

Focus each post on a single point of value as well. As readers tend to be in a hurry, state that point of value early in your piece. Using a ‘bold statement’ or something like, ‘client improves profit margins by 50% with this product’ can be effective.

Move the Ball: The football metaphor refers to showing the reader how to advance his business – even if only by a little bit. Progress is difficult enough even under good economic conditions, so making small progressive improvements are important.

Support: Motivating prospective clients to undertake actions they might otherwise not want to take requires some degree of ‘cheerleading.’ Advice and support in the face of unknown business challenges always seems welcome to the reader. Including some motivational content or even a small bit of encouragement can attract the reader back for future visits. This also establishes the author as an expert in the field; one that understands unique challenges faced by those in the reader’s line of business.

It is also necessary to specifically invite readers back to the site. Telling readers what to expect next week or offering a teaser about what bit of value they will get if they return in the future is a highly useful tactic.

Acknowledging a couple simple inclusions in each blog post can build the company business blog into a readership magnet. By attracting more readers to the site, the company has a significantly improved opportunity to convert web page readers into customers.

Consultant Matthew Stone provides Low Cost SEO assistance to clients nationwide. Specializing in link building, blogging and article marketing, SEO Consultants Denver helps companies of all sizes improve sales and revenue utilizing internet search methodologies.