Kevin-Doherty.com

The online world is going through some incredibly rapid changes.. and what’s happening is that many entrepreneurs are not getting as much business from their website because they have not stayed current with the trends.

One of the trends that is impossible to ignore is the phenomenon called Wordpress.  In case you’re new to the blogging world, Wordpress is a very popular, totally free, open source blogging application that has captured the attention of just about any savvy online marketer.  You are looking at a Wordpress blog right now.

Static HTML websites just can’t compete with Wordpress blogs for a number of reasons.  Allow me to offer you the top 5 most compelling benefits that a blog can offer your business growth:

1.  Better Search Engine Rankings– Without a doubt, Wordpress blogs outrank static HTML websites on Google and Yahoo.   This means A LOT  more traffic coming to your blog through the search engines.  Why is this so?  I’ll explain below..

2.  Integration with Social Media– You can create a perfect synergy between your blog and social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Digg, and Youtube.  You can install plugins on your blog such as Tweetmeme that allow your blog visitors to re-tweet your blog post to their followers with the push of a button.  You can install plugins like Onlywire that enable you to distribute your blog post to 27 social bookmarking sites within 2 minutes. People can also leave comments on your blog so you can build a relationship with them and get stimulating conversations going.

Social proof is one of the main factors Google is looking at now to rank your site.  If Google sees that your blog is getting a lot of re-tweets and comments, it proves that your content is valuable and informative.  The social media integration is the basis of benefit #3 as well.

3.  The Power of Viral Marketing–Since it is so easy to spread the word about your content through social media sites, there is a much greater likelihood that people will share your information.  On twitter, your content can go viral within a couple minutes of your blog post, which means that potentially hundreds of new visitors can swarm to your website with incredible speed.

4.  Easy Management of Your Content– With a static HTML site, a web designer in in charge of making additions or changes.  With a blog, you can easily post new updates any time you want and you are 100% in control of the process.  The more regularly you post content, the more traffic you will get through the search engines and through social media.  Static sites are just that–static.  Google rewards a site that is dynamic and engaging, and that is regularly updated with fresh, original and valuable content.

5.  You Get to Brand Yourself– This is an absolutely critical point to understand.  In this day and age, people are fed up with conventional advertising and marketing.  People are craving more authenticity and connection.  They want to get a sense of who you really are before they do business with you.  People are sold on you before they are sold on your company.  Your blog is the perfect medium to position yourself as a trusted expert and leader through personal branding.  YOU, INC. is the platform upon which to build!

A wordpress blog is a lifelong asset that you are in total control of.  By branding yourself, you never have to worry about giving away too much power to a company, investor, or web designer.   Your blog is your central home on the internet, around which you can build a loyal following for years to come.

There is some confusion around how much you need to pay for a Wordpress blog.  Yes, Wordpress is a totally free application.. but I do NOT recommend that you try to set it up yourself.  There are many, many details that go into creating a professional blog with all the right plugins and marketing features that you are going to need for your blog to generate some serious traffic.

Based on my research, most companies are charging between $2-4,000 for a fully functional, professionally designed Wordpress blog.  My company, Authentic Online Marketing, is quite a bit cheaper than this, with likely even more care and value that is offered during the set up than you can find elsewhere.  If you want to discuss our Wordpress package, you can click here and fill out the contact form at the bottom of the page and I’ll get back with you shortly to set up a consult.

Feel free to re-tweet this to your Twitter followers if you think they could benefit!

keep moving forward,

Kevin

Oh yeah, if you want more tips on social media and blog marketing, you’ll definitely want to leave your name and email below.

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