What’s New

The blog is now 10 years old. “Blog” is a shortened version of the term “Weblog.” In the early days the blog was primarily a method for diarists to tell anybody who was vaguely interested what they kind of bagel they had to eat in the morning and what they did on the way to the dog park. Now blogs are regularly subjects for CNN pieces and area important extensions of many newspapers’ reporting techniques. There are humor blogs, political blogs, industry blogs, and blog blogs.

The question that many business owners should ask how can they use blogs as part of their business plans. Let’s take a look at the options. Blogs can be used as a method of communicating with customers and clients. That is the most obvious way of using them. But the software that manages the blog can be used as a tool to keep a Web site up to date. In the first instance, the blog is a way for the business owner to tell about new products, sales, technical tips, and, yes, Website launches!

For this type of communication the blog can be hosted on the business’s own Website, or it can be hosted on a third-party service such as Blogger. Does it make much difference? Maybe in some instances it does, but for most small businesses it does not. One reason for this is that hosting a blog on one’s own Website require management of the software, such as making sure it is up to date and spam proof. Using a third-party service is much easier because the service makes sure the blog works. The user can customize it for appearance and layout. A simple link can be added to the business’s Website that sends visitors over to the blog.

Blog software can be installed on many Websites so that the blog is hosted directly. Software such as WordPress is an excellent choice as it is easy to use and relatively easy to install for those who understand such things. Check with your host to see if they have the option of installing WordPress (or other software) for you.

In some circles blogs still have a negative connotation. In such cases having a “blog” for your business may not be such a good idea. The solution is to customize the appearance of the blog so that all “blog references” are removed. The blog then becomes a content management system. For instance, many people who read the What’s New section of this site, as you are doing now, do not know that this is blog software in action. Most references to a blog have been removed. The benefits to using this a a content managements system is that the What’s New section can be updated anywhere, anytime, from any computer.

An additional advantage is that many blog software packages, such as this one, offer RSS feeds. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) allow your visitors to subscribe to your blog. When your blog is updated they are notified and can immediately read your latest postings.

Can anything be better that that?

The new Web site for Stuyvesant Plaza was launched today. This is a very exciting project and can be viewed at www.stuyvesantplaza.com. Stuyvesant Plaza is this region’s premier destination shopping center. It feature great upscale stores, shops, and restaurants. The site itself has links to various businesses and maps that show the location of each.

Visit this fascinating site today.

The latest project from Roger Lipera Web Design & Consulting is an exciting new Web site for the Law Office of Margaret C. Tabak. This site is at www.tabaklawoffice.com and is ready for your inspection.

Check it out today!