The MVP (Most Valuable Part) of Your Website in 2022

Your website – properly done - is one of the most important assets your business has.?

And with the shift in the way we search for information, every section of your site should provide the information your customers want … in the way they want to consume it.

Something happened in the last year and a half that shocked businesses and marketers:?The online growth that was predicted for the next ten years actually took place in just 90 days!

This event has been called “The Leap” by global management consultant McKinsey & Company.

And it has left companies scrambling to up their online presence so they can take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to fulfill the needs of those eager online searchers.

How are customers searching for information?

In the United States alone, internet users are browsing over 130 web pages per day.?And if these hungry searchers don’t find the solution they’re looking for quickly, they’ll move on to your competitor’s site without a backward glance.

So how do you keep these fickle folks from jumping off your site?

By giving them what they want in an engaging, easy-to-understand format.

And the data is clear:?one of the most engaging ways to share your information with online searchers is with a blog.

But isn’t blogging dead?

You may have heard that blogging is no longer relevant.

Or you may think blogs are great or businesses that offer fashion, cooking, child care, or pet solutions.?A few years ago a blog was the perfect way to share recipes or makeup tips.

But surely it couldn’t be helpful for a mortgage lender …

Or for a plumber …

Or a banker.?How could a blog possibly be helpful for a school, a bakery, or a construction business?

The new age of blogging offers companies the perfect method for sharing the information they want customers to know in an informal, conversational way.??Online customers are searching for much more than prices and availability.?They want to make sure they are choosing the best solution for their needs.?A blog gives the consumer a place to research and find exactly what they’re searching for on a crowded internet.

Whether your business offers products or services, you will probably be surprised at the ways blogging is influencing businesses like yours.

Some shocking blogging statistics

If you don’t see a blog as an important part of your online presence, check out these mind-boggling stats:

• ???There are more than 600 million blogs on the internet.
• ???60% of consumers say blog posts are valuable in the early stages of the buying process (according to Demand Gen Report).
• ???Companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads monthly than companies that don’t blog.
• ???Blogs can result in a 434% increase in indexed pages, plus a 97% increase in indexed links for your website.
• ???Companies that publish at least 16 blog posts per month receive 3.5 times more traffic than those that publish fewer than four posts.

And the bottom line?

• ???70% of people would rathe learn about products through articles than from traditional “paid” advertisements.
• ???84% of internet users say they make their buying decisions based on information they got from blogs.
• ???2.14 BILLION people buying online equals a massive potential increase in sales.

?Basically, your prospective customers are searching for answers.?And when their search leads them to a high-quality blog post on your website - where they’ll find the answers they’re looking for – they are more inclined to purchase from your products or services.

So why don’t companies add blogs?

Simply put, a blog is a time commitment.?And company leaders are stretched pretty thin these days.?It’s hard for them to add another time-consuming chore to their already packed schedule.

The average blog post contains 2,164 words and takes 3 hours and 55 minutes to write, according to Orbit Media.?Companies would be hard-pressed to find time to write a regular blog even if they knew how.

And a blog isn’t a one-time project.?For the blog to be effective, new posts need to be published regularly.?The time required to maintain the blog adds up to a significant number of hours every month.

Blogging is also something many businesses are not confident enough to do.?Most companies don’t have a writer on staff or a web developer available to update a blog on a regular basis.

And ideas for blog posts may be a problem for some businesses.?They may not know what they should be posting to help their customers and boost their site ranking.

But if you’re ready to take the next step and add your blog, consider these tips:

How to start your blog

First, make a plan.?Be sure to put some thought into these steps:

• ???Create a list of topics you’d like to include in your blog
• ???Check out blogging platforms and choose the one that best suits your needs
• ???Write your posts or find an experienced writer to create the content you need
• ???Add appropriate images, videos, or graphics to your posts
• ??Upload your posts, and monitor the comments to get feedback from customers

Second, commit to updating your blog on a regular basis for the best results.?Soon your customers will begin to see your blog as the “Personality” of your brand.

Third, enjoy the results!

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If you would like additional information about creating your blog, contact me.

This article was previously published at CherylRisner.com.