Blog Development for Beginners
Starting up a blog is probably one of the smartest ways a Virtual Assistant can invest their time and effort. It’s the first thing most people will see of your business, so there’s absolutely no margin for error. Trying to make it too extravagant or complex is largely futile. Right now, you don’t really require a computer expert to get the job done for you, because everything you need is readily accessible, much of it available at no charge.
The one thing that I would suggest, if this is going to be your main web presence as a Virtual Assistant, then you should have your own Hosting Package and a domain name that mirrors your business name, or as near as you can get it. The process that you need to go through when starting your blog is:
Initially, before you start, here is an important warning: Keep your site classy and uncluttered, simplicity is everything! Make sure that the site is simple for your users to navigate, so that they can easily find what they’re searching for. Whilst in technological terms it may be state of the art, your blog still needs to appear stylish.
1. The first thing to do is to pursue some keyword research around the topics you are going to talk about on your blog. From this you can identify the most optimised names for the blog. From this you can identify the most optimised names for the blog.
2. Your next task is to look into the blog platform that you are going to utilise. There are a great number of choices available, offered by providers such as WordPress.org – the Moveable Type for the self hosted option, or the likes of WordPress.com, Typepad, Blogger, Blogspot or Blogsmith for hosted platforms. The points you really should ensure that you do are:
* Use a platform that’s widely supported by an extremely active community.
* Use a portable option, and always maintain back ups in case anything goes wrong.Once you’ve selected a platform, sign up using one of the preferred names that you picked for the blog, or install the site onto your own domain.
4. Choose the template that you want to use, and make sure that:
* It ’s appropriate to your topic.
* You fully customise it with headers, pictures, buttons and so on to make your blog stand out.
* The end result suits your style and brand.
5. Once you’ve finished this check out what else you’re able to add to your site, i.e. popular widgets and plug-ins.
6. When you’re pleased with the overall style, you should add some new posts to get an idea of how the blog will look once users begin to utilise it. Once you’ve verified all is well, make any adjustments necessary to improve the style and visible structure.
7. When you are happy with the overall look you can then publish your blog.
Maintaining your blog can be challenging as you really should post more than once a week, two or three unique posts at them minimum would be best. You need to be providing something that visitors will want to come back for – and encourage these users to sign up to your feed.
Don’t forget that this is an online business blog and you’re showcasing your corporate image, so keep the tone amicable, as you want to convey your individuality whilst remaining professional. Don’t mix business with pleasure on your site, and as you don’t want to alienate anyone, try to keep away from any kind of controversial topics.
Michelle Dale is The Managing Director of Virtual Miss Friday, an Experienced Executive Virtual Assistant who collaborates with businesses and individuals with the sole aim of accomplishing their professional goals. Want to learn more about these comprehensive online business building success strategies? Join the Campaign for FREE Virtual Assistance right now!
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