Blog Design
Seems everybody’s got a Blog these days. My daughter is twelve, and I’m pretty sure she was working on her Blog last night.
But seriously, what does a Blog mean to businesses? How can it actually bring in more business? How can it be used to promote you brand? The short answer is: In numerous ways.
First we must look at what a Blog actually is.
Custom Blog Design and Development:
What is a Blog?
A Blog is simply a web log with various functionalities. This has made Blogs a favorite tool to post news and events for companies, publications, associations, the Media, etc. But a Blog also serves as a free PR mechanism to announce virtually anything not only to your customers, but to the world, including leading media sources.
Blogs are monitored, tracked and even promoted by large search engines such as Technorati, Google, and other specific Blog engines. They can be searched by subject matter, industry, topic…just about any viable criteria. Blogs are also frequently updated, which is important in web and search marketing, as explained below.
The Blog “Network”
Blogs also act as an excellent networking tool, letting prospects, vendors, customers, media, etc. read, link to, and even make comments on your Blog. These comments can be monitored, or even disallowed at your preference. Blogs also feature linking areas for relevant topics, as well as to products and services your business may offer. Keep in mind, the more relevant links to your Blog, and hence your site, the more you improve your websites’ “value” to most search engines. It is the linking and interlinking of Blogs that serve as a critically important tool for web and search engine marketing.
Custom Blog Design and Development:
Our Blog package includes a custom-design to match/promote your brand. Using a “free” Blog or a “template” can make a poor impression and result in devalued SEO “credits”; while a custom designed Blog can make an impact that encourages a prospect to want to learn more about a business or organization. These designs include consultations needed to design a highly-effective Blog strategy and navigation.
At Avant Garde Media, we custom design the style of the “Browse” page (the page that shows all of your (current) articles in a single window), the full article page, Blog typography, interactive columns featuring categories, archives, links, social media buttons, Blog signup and subscribe to email, and RSS. Other features such as search, topic clouds, widgets, corporate overview, etc. can also be added and coded. Each of these areas receives a custom design that is unique to your business, not shared amongst a community.
Our package also includes coding/CMS integration and testing your Blog for your use as specified, and creating a custom-coded version specifically designed for your company. Remember, your Blog design will dramatically affect the way your prospects and community interact with your Blog.
So what should you do next?
