Why Your Site May Not Need A Blog

Does every website need a blog? I would argue that no, they don’t really have to. Most visitors coming to your website care about who you are, how you look, what you do, how much you cost, and how to contact you or buy something.

That’s how I remember the web being. Then, standalone blogs started showing up, then some websites had their own blog, and now it seems that all the big websites have one. So, you should have one too, right? Yes, many times you should because fresh content is one of the best ways to get people that may not know you to find you, but blogging doesn’t come without tradeoffs.

It takes time. It takes effort. It takes someone to set up a nice blog for you that is tailored to your content. Blogging is like having a pet. I have a dog, and I love him, but I have to feed him and take him out for a walk. I have to take care of him or else he won’t be a good dog for long and people will start judging me for how un-groomed he looks.

4 Major Blogging Mistakes

So, here are some big mistakes I see in blogs. The question to ask yourself is: if you are making these mistakes, is it better to just not blog, and instead concentrate on the other aspects of your site?

1.  You never update

When’s the last time you posted? Do you even still exist? If you’re not updating at least once or twice a month people may feel like you aren't currently doing anything.

2. You are boring

Your blog reflects your company. Do you write meaningful, interesting content? Or, does no one care about what you’re saying?

3. You are spammy

People can spot a Prince of Nigeria spam mail a mile away. People that are used to it know what you are doing and judge you for it. People that aren't used to it will just think you sound weird.

4. You are using syndicated content

By syndicated I mean standard content from a service, like veterinary documents. This type of content makes you look stiff because you have the same docs as at least a thousand other sites.  You look like a template and don't stand out.  There is also the argument that google may penalize you for having the same content as other websites.

So, Is A Blog With These Mistakes Worth It?

Now, even here at Cowley we’ve made these mistakes at times, but it's difficult to be unique and exciting all the time. There’s no magic blog fairy that sprinkles interesting content about advertising for us. 

Don’t get me wrong, blogging is a wonderful tool.  There are alot of benefits to it that we have covered in this blog extensively.  But really, I'm interested, do you think having a blog and making these mistakes is better than not having one at all?