Best option for blog for ecommerce site?

llegent · 06-16-06, 02:31 PM

I'm planning to start a blog for my ecommerce retail site. Yup, I haven's start such thing for my ecommerce site yet.

I plan to have blog to include newsletter (weekly I think), items updates, special order status, previews of upcoming sales, new release ..etc

I have some goals for this blog:-
- Keep current customers informed of new products.

- Provide timely updates so customers would not have the idea of our shop is quite

- I believe blogs will help in Search Engine ranking, so sort of like to utilize this too!

With these in mind, what would be the best strategy for me?
- Should I include it in "latest news" section?
- Or seperate folder in my site's directory for the blog?
- Or external link to a dedicated blog site and link back to our ecommerce site?

Any inputs?

ninikins · 06-18-06, 04:22 PM

I would suggest a latest news section for ease of viewing and such, personally.

**Baby Boy** · 06-20-06, 03:57 PM

I've tried this a couple of times, never could get it right though.

My only suggestion is to keep it going DAILY... offer your readers some iscnetives. I talked about inscentives and freebies a lot but if you offer it, you may get like the saying goes "more bang for your buck."

sopaman · 06-20-06, 05:51 PM

While I do run a personal blog, it isn't directly associated with my site. To be honest, I would run out of things to say in such a blog. What we do instead is send out a monthly, subscriber-only newsletter, highlighting interesting new products, events, etc.

This seems to work ok for us, and I believe (in my niche at least) is frequent enough to let people know we are still active, and encourage them to re-visit our site.

Slashmire · 06-21-06, 08:04 AM

I think I would have to go with sopaman with this. If you run out of things to say (or repeat the same thing over again.) people will get uninterested and think that you're just trying to get attention. Newsletter on the other hand will probably make more sense.

feline · 06-21-06, 09:29 AM

What I noticed in a work from home site, they send us emails every now and then to inform us of the updates that they have taken on their site as of the latest job hiring and it works for me since I am always in search of online jobs.

llegent · 06-21-06, 11:34 AM

Looks like it will takes a lots of commitments to run and maintain an official blog especially for business entity. As I am still in learning stage for this, I think I would better hold on first while continue to digg more informations as to how to manage and grow a successful blog.

Thanks for all your kind inputs. I appreciate it.

**Baby Boy** · 06-23-06, 09:57 PM

On the topic of repeating yourself or running out of things as sopaman said, you have to face the theory, your business will not ALWAYS be the same. In other words its a smart idea as I said. Although periods of times will suggest its a bad idea but your business would be bound to change overtime. You could also use it as a subBusPer (meaning part personal life and part business world.)

e.g. "My Store" is offering 10% discounts for the entire summer. Sale ends July 31, 2006 (Business Post)

OR

.e.g As I've seen the many commericals from organizations
of feeding the needy children, therefore, we are donating 20% of profits for the month to "America Harvest" food donation. (subBusPer Post)

Slashmire · 06-24-06, 05:35 PM

On that note, do you think that one line such as "My store is offering..." is enough for a blog post? I would have thought that people wanted to read a paragraph or so.

**Baby Boy** · 06-24-06, 07:00 PM

Slashmire, re-read my post... before it it says e.g. (Example Given) meaning that its an example not something to actually thoroughly use. Remember, example not to use it. Sorry for the misunderstanding.