One of the most important reasons for your business to have a blog or website is that you need to have an online business card.
Yet I am surprised at how many websites miss the mark.
Have you ever gone to a the website for a business in search of a phone number, and email address, or hours of operation – only to find that information does not exist.
It is frustrating to have to chase down a company or a blogger via the old fashioned phone book, social media sites, or even worse – one of the many “white pages” style sites that are out there that withhold the contact info unless you pay for it.
What do you think most people will do?
They probably will go and find your competition.
Yikes!
You can easily fix this if you
Include These 5 Essential Elements on Your Blog
Just like your offline business card – your website should, at a minimum have the following information:
- your name,
- the name of your company,
- your contact information,
- your social media profiles, and
- the services that you offer.
And remember – even if you don’t have a “traditional” type business – your BLOG is your business.
Brands, your readers, and other bloggers will need to get in touch with you.
They may want to connect, collaborate, or even hire you to do a sponsored post.
Don’t make it hard for them to find you.
Please.
Let’s go through each item.
Related: How to Start A Blog – This is what the A-listers do.
Make Sure Your Name is on Your Blog
Ok. I know that your name sounds like such a basic thing.
What was the first thing that we all learned in school?
Put your name on the paper.
Duh.
But seriously, I can’t tell you how many times I have come across a blog and it is not readily apparent WHO the blogger is behind the blog.
Here are a few ways to make it easy for your reader:
- put an about me widget in your sidebar that says “Hi, I’m so and so”
- include an about me box after every post
- include your name in the byline at the top of each post
- have your name on your contact page.
You don’t have to do them all but do a few, at least.
Your goal is to make sure that someone that lands on one of your posts does not have to go searching to find the name of the author (you).
Why?
It makes it easy for your reader to leave a personalized comment like
“Hi Neena, this was a great post. I learned this and that.”
And, it makes it easier for that same reader to connect with you in a personal way on social media.
Include Your Company Name
I don’t see this error as much as I used to – although it still happens.
Most bloggers have the name of their blog right at the top of their site.
But I have seen small business owners start a blog that uses a different URL than their business.
If this is your case – make sure that you have the name of your business featured prominently and LINK TO IT, as well.
Assuming, of course, that you are using your blog to promote your business.
How About Your Contact Information?
Yes, you do want people to get in touch with you.
Connect, collaborate, sponsored posts – yeah, we talked about that.
But here’s the thing.
People are busy and they are not going to search for your contact info.
So, put it in more than one place on your website or blog.
Stick your contact information in:
- your header (if your theme allows it),
- your footer,
- on your contact page (it’s not a bad idea to spell it out, as well as include a fillable form),
- in your email newsletters.
Seriously, put it everywhere.
If you are a blogger, you should include your email address at a minimum.
But if you have an actual service or product related business, you should consider including your:
- email address
- phone number
- your hours of operation, and
- the physical location of your store, if you have one.
When I visit a website for an offline business, it is usually because I want to know when they are open (make sure you always update for your holiday hourse!), or I need to give them a call, or I want to know where they are located.
Use your website to make it easy for your customers to find the information they need to buy from you.
Related Post: Blogging for Beginners – FAQ’s
Now,
Let’s Talk Social Media Profiles
You may have heard people say that including your social media profiles is not such a good idea. The theory is that it drives readers away from your website.
I disagree. Sort of.
Sponsors and advertisers want to see that you have a big social media following.
And your readers are on social media far more than they visit your website.
So, you want them to follow you, see one of your posts on social, and follow it back to your website to read the full article.
Put your social profiles somewhere on your blog – your sidebar, header, or footer.
HootSuite also lists this as a tip for promoting your blog on social media.
Finally …
What Do You Want Your Reader to Do?
So, you have built your blog and included all of your contact info.
These wonderful readers that come to your website – surely there is something that you want them to do.
Maybe you offer products and services?
The next logical step is to tell your readers what you can do for them.
You can do this by:
- listing your services and products on your homepage, and
- having a work with me page that goes into more detail about what you have to offer.
Easy, right?
Your assignment for today:
Take a step back and look at your website objectively.
Do you have the information listed above in an easy to find location?
Leave a comment and tell us what is going on on your website. If you don’t have the info there – why not?
Has anyone complimented you on how easy it was for them to find you or perhaps complained because they were frustrated?
Hi Neena,
Do you have any suggestions or tips for how I can narrow down my contact options? I have found over the years that people reach out to me for session bookings over the myriad social media platforms I use, which is great for them (ease and convenience for clients) but hard for me (can’t keep them all straight and makes it hard for me to collect their info). All the advice I’ve read says to be as open as possible for contact but I find it’s spreading me too thin, making me feel disorganized and every once in a blue moon I miss timely communication with clients, yikes!
Hi Laura –
Congratulations on reaching the level in your business where you are having difficulty managing client contact – it is a good thing!
It sounds to me like you are ready for a dedicated CRM (customer relationship management) solution. Or if you are using one, then finding something that better suits your needs.
There are a lot of options to choose from – and you really need to evaluate based on your own situation (operating system, budget, ease of use, integrations, etc).
Some options are Insightly and Zoho – but they all require some set up and rely heavily on your own input.
You could also use something like Leadpages or a page on your website. When people reach out to you, send them there – where they complete some standard questions and that way their data comes to you in one place, if that makes sense.
Let me know what you have tried and the solution that you come up with.
Remember – this is a good problem to have!!! 🙂
Thank you SO MUCH for this info Neena! As I read your guidance I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment. CRM is something I’ve heard of but not researched yet. I’ll look into the resources you shared. The ball is rolling forward… yeay!
Hi Laura,
It is fantastic to hear that the wheels are in motion! Keeping track of contacts can get kind of messy in business. Not only do you want to track contact info but you also need information about how you know that person, what their interests are, and anything that can make your interactions more meaningful.
When you find the resource or process that works for you – please do share. I love hearing about solutions that people use – it is always good food for thought.
Thanks for stopping in!