Should You Blog?

I'm often asked by beginners if they should build a website or a blog. My answer is always the same:

"Contrary to what you may have heard, a blog is a website."

In fact, here's how wikipedia defines a blog:

"A blog (a contraction of the term "web log") is a web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video."

So you see, a blog is indeed a website.

Okay, now that I've cleared that up, let me explain why I prefer operating a blog site.

It really comes down to one word - simplicity. I'm technically handicapped, so I really need a simple platform from which to present my views and opinions, and conduct business.

And you just can't beat the simplicity of a blog. In fact, today's blogging software takes simplicity to a whole new level. To build a professional looking blog nowadays, it's basically point and click, and you're done!

It really is that simple.

When I decided to start my blog, I looked at the three most popular blogging platforms. Google's Blogger, Wordpress and Typepad.

Typepad is a paid service with subscription plans starting at $4.95 per month. Blogger and Wordpress are both free services.

After reading information on all three services and doing some exhaustive research, I decided to go with Blogger. Why?

Again, it came down to simplicity. You just can't beat the simplicity of Blogger's platform. And Blogger's boatload of free, easy-to-install features were also appealing to me.

Of course, that's strictly a personal preference. And the last thing I want to do is sound like a commercial for Blogger. Perhaps you'll find Wordpress or Typepad more to your liking.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the top services. You can build a professional looking blog with either of the three.

And that's really the point, isn't it?

So should you blog?

Well, that depends. If you're opinionated like I am, have something to say and want to share your views and opinions with the world, then you'll probably find a comfort level with a blog.

But whether you decide to blog or not, if you're building a website as a "for- profit" enterprise, it's important that you take it seriously and treat it like a business. Because that's exactly what it is.

That means approaching your business with commitment and passion. It means paying close attention to the appearance and functionality of your site - making sure it's user-friendly.

It also means following up with your customers, refreshing your content regularly and concentrating on getting plenty of backlinks to your site.

If you're not prepared to do those things on a consistent basis, then you're not ready for a website.

But if you do decide to make that commitment, I look forward to seeing you on the internet!

About the author:
David Jackson is a writer and the owner of the Fundamental-Marketing-Blog.com, featuring original articles on the fundamentals of marketing.
http://fundamental-marketing-blog.com