In my last post, I shared with you some great tips on why and how your small business can benefit from having a blog.  Today, I hate to scare anyone off, but I want to detail some reasons why it’s not entirely a cake walk and point out some mistakes that you can make when starting your small business, corporate or organizational blog.  So, in no particullar order, here are the top 7 mistakes you could make when starting your small business blog:

1. Not having your own domain name.
Your domain name is the first stop in your digital identity.  Having a blog (or any website for that matter) without a domain name is like trying to run a business without a phone number OR address.  With domain names costing a mere $10 / year, go ahead and stake out your digital real estate.  You’ll be glad you did.

2. No author biographies or photos.
Number 2 on the list here is a simple matter of establishing rapport and trust with your readers.  Who are you, what’s your background and what level of expertise do you bring to the table?  I’m Aaron Radez.  I’m the President of Indianapolis-based web design company, Intero Design Group.  I’ve been a web marketing consultant for 7 years.  See - don’t we have a better relationship already?  A photo of you will simply allow the user to feel more connected with whom they read the writings of.  Get your bio together and get writing.

3. Posting titles that lack decription and flare.
This is a matter of initial reaction.  With all of the content that’s produced on the web each and every day, we (as readers) have to carefully pick and choose what’s relevant and what isn’t.  Your posting titles can be your blog’s best friend - they can help with search engine optimization and then draw a user in to find out more.  Think carefully about what kind of message your posting titles send and whether or not they’re doing you any favors in terms of your site’s search engine placement.

4. Irregular publishing frequency.
Establishing and meeting your user’s expectations is a key element of any web presence, and this is especially true with the reliability and frequency of your blog schedule.  Even with emailed updates and RSS feeds, users still like to feel like they have some control over how often they should check back for updated information.  If you can’t stick to a daily schedule, then go for weekly or even monthly.  Just keep the information, fresh, timely and on schedule.

5. No clear focus or topic.
If you sell cars, then your blog needs to be about cars, not sports.  Within your organization, establish some norms and topics that your blog will be about, and stay on message.  The more focused your content, the more focuses your readers will be.  The web is all about finding a niche and dominating it, and if you publish on too wide a net of topics then you’re less likely to attract a loyal audience of high-value readers.

6. Forgetting who you’re writing for.
Think twice before posting!  Afterall, this message is going out to a potential global audience of billions of people.  Along the same vein, think about who your primary target audience is and what their needs are.  If all I did was write about website code and technical jargon then I wouldn’t be meeting my obligations to you, the small business owners.  Pick and audience and picture then whem you write.

7. Poor navigation and image.
Image, image, image.  The way you make a first impression on a sales call is to comb your hair and brush your teeth that morning.  The way you make a first impression on the web is to have a nice, graphically stimulating, clean and easy to navigate site.  Your blog (or website) should offer the user a clean, clear and obvious way to navigate the content and find what they’re looking for.  If you don’t have an eye for design, don’t hesitate to hire a professional to craft an image unique to your business that really portrays what you’re trying to convey.

In closing, don’t be affraid to try things out.  Afterall, one of the the beauties of blogging is is pliability.  Get in touch if you have any questions!

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