Importance of publishing small business websites and blogs

When a company starts to ramp up its marketing effort, the company will need something that becomes the message before the message (think tell them what you are going to tell them!). Then they will need a reminder of the message (think tell them what you told them).

Before a prospective new customer will agree to meet with a new vendor or service company, the prospective customer will typically want to check out the vendor or service companies credentials a bit. The typical way for most people to do this is via the web and via word of mouth referrals. If the prospective customer has not already received a referral from the vendor or service company, then the website can become one of the initial sources of referrals after a few referalls are published on a company website.

Once the customer gets the gist of what type of services or products are being offered, and decides that they are interested, a representative will meet with the customer and attempt to close the deal and sign them up.

Later as the customer considers the products and/or services offered, they may want to check out the provider again or other people in the customer organization may want to perform their own due dilligence, hence looking back at the provider website. After the customer officially signs up, they they may want to check in on your site from time to time or even use the site to refer your company to other potential customers or even learn about new products and services being offered. So the communications cycle will repeat itself.

Value of Business Blogs
In addition, sometimes companies want to explain the importance of various technical aspects of their services. Websites for your company need to be focused on the products and services.

Many companies today are using Blog's to publish articles less technical than a white paper that discuss the relative aspects of their companies work or services, the results of the services, or pitfalls of not receiving the services.

One of the handy things about blogs is that it can increase the reputation of your company by lending an additional sense of legitimacy about your expertise in your field. Basically, in writing about what it is that your company does people will start to look to you and your company as the experts you really are as opposed to looking at you as just another potential sales person.