I am constantly asked “Why should I have a blog?” I have found myself explaining the benefits of blogging to a number of small business owners while I was having my hair done. I try to explain it in an easy to understand term: Google! Google loves blogs because of the fresh content and the links it can find within a blog. Blogs are also a great way to provide supplemental information like tips, how-to’s, sale items and more.

Susan Petracco has posted a great article Weblogs for Ecommerce Sites at DoublePlus New Media Marketing which is jam packed full of great information. Susan and her husband Pete Petracco of NetBlazon, have been part of the Miva Merchant community since 1999.

My blog application of choice? WordPress. While I prefer to install the application on a client’s server, you can setup a blog directly at WordPress.com. Be forewarned, it you set up a blog at WordPress.com to play with and have links to your store, Google WILL find it.

Another thing to keep in mind, if you don’t like the “canned” look of the default theme that comes with WordPress, there are hundreds more to chose from. But even better, WordPress is flexible enough that it can be made to look just like your store. Can you tell where the store ends and the blog begins on this site? Ignatius Productions. Most sites like to use the word “blog” as a link, this site chose not to. I think Google like that word too.