Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Blogger v. WordPress

Now that business owners are becoming convinced that blogging is a good idea for their businesses, I am frequently asked the question,
" Which is better, Blogger or WordPress?"

It's a very good question and my answer is that both have advantages.

At Delphis Ltd, we currently run (or manage) 3 Blogger blogs and 4 WordPress blogs, so we're in a good position to compare the two. Of course, they're not the only two blogging tools around!

Advantages of Blogger.com

Its ease of integration with photo services such as Flickr is a major plus. After uploading a photo, you simply click the 'blog this' button above it and it is automatically sent to your blog.

However, there are features for a business blog that Blogger lacks - like a sidebar Search Box widget and online statistics. Having said that, the speed at which Google indexes new blog entries (within minutes!) is a huge advantage!


Advantages of WordPress.com


Amazing online stats that keep you up to date with what's happening on your blog. You can see:
  • Most Popular Posts
  • Referral Sites
  • Links people clicked to leave your blog
  • Keywords used to find you - I find this an especially good toll to help discern what my blog is missing!

I also prefer the way WordPress handles 'categories' and 'tags'. (Tags act like keywords for blogs and are very important in driving traffic to your blog.)
The categories feature lets you organise your posts in a more compact manner than Blogger's 'labels.'

Finally, I believe the Search Box to be an essential element on any web page, even more so with a blog.

For these reasons, I have been recommending WordPress.com to my clients who are creating blogs for their business.


Get Blogging with our WordPress Tutorial

Have you started a blog yet? If you haven't, or are having trouble getting yourself set up, we've got some help for you.

  • Join us at our next Blogging Seminar in Dominica, or

  • Get a copy of our WordPress Blogging Tutorial which will soon be available as a PDF Download for just US $5.00.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Millenia.dm Launched!

A brand new website to help promote one of Dominica's newest businesses, Millenia Ltd., was launched today.

Millenia is a full service Architecture-based Company including Engineering and Land Planning services. With offices in Dominica and St. Vincent, they will be serving both the local and regional markets.

Visit Millenia's new website and see why Millenia slogan is to... Live Different.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

A Blog Means Business

More Blogging for Business

Many people ask me why they should have a blog for their business. "Isn't a blog just for teenagers?" they query. The answer is an unequivocal NO.

The Blog has become a very powerful e-marketing tool for businesses to present a personalised, up-to-date, and interactive environment to communicate with their customers.


Personalised
You can give your customers a little more insight into who you are and what your business is really all about. Your posts are nearly a one-on-one conversation where you get the chance to speak directly to your customers in a casual environment. Be yourself, build your relationship with your prospective clients one post at a time.

Current
The natural structure of a blog presents your more recent posts first, so visitors see what's happening right now, today. A simple scroll down the page keeps them in touch through yesterday's posts, then last week's. It's an on-going dialogue between you and your visitors.


Interactive
Since visitors can post comments on your blog, you have the opportunity to interact with them. Ask for their feedback on your latest product or promotion and find out what they really think. (These comments can be moderated and edited by the blog owner.)

Get blogging
Here are several ways to use your blog:
  • Announce upcoming events.
  • Release a brand new vacation package.
  • Discuss a new product or service you are offering.
  • Request feedback from your clients or customers.
  • Address a current issue or concern.


Dedication

While blogs are fairly easily to set up, they do require commitment and dedication to make them a success. Experts vary on how often to post, but I believe posting an average of once a week is necessary to keep readers interested and pique their curiosity to keep coming back.

So get yourself over to Blogger.com or Wordpress.com and start blogging today!