The power of an ecommerce blog

I recently attended a workshop to help online business owners improve their blog posts.

I used to post to my blog weekly. But now it’s every three weeks as my business has grown and I have less time to write. I began to wonder whether I should continue posting. Was it worth it?

The answer is “yes.” Here’s why.

I began to wonder whether I should continue posting. Was it worth it?

Time on site

People spend more time reading a blog post than, say, an Instagram post.

Instagram is designed for scrolling, spending no more than a couple of seconds on each post. It is idle, pleasant entertainment. But it is not “sticky” for your business.

With blog posts, consumers are typically researching. They are seeking information.

When they reach your blog from the search results on Google, Bing, or Yahoo, they will soak up as much as they can. They want answers to their queries.

One blog post — with relevant links to other internal posts, including product pages — can hold a visitor’s attention for several minutes or more.

The longer they stay and discover new information, the further they are in the conversion funnel.

Return visits

Blog posts encourage repeat visits.

If consumers perceive you as an authority and regularly visit your blog, they start to rely on what you have to say. You disappoint them if you don’t post consistently.

One of my favorite blogs has stopped posting as often. I attended a wedding-industry conference in Las Vegas 2014 before launching My Wedding Décor. The organizer, Wedding Merchants Business Academy, publishes a blog called “WedBizTips.”

The latest post was in March 2019.

I have checked repeatedly since then. I am disappointed there hasn’t been an update as I value the tips and insights. The absence of new posts is testing my loyalty.

Frequently asked questions

Perhaps you have a dedicated FAQ page. But blog posts are an opportunity to answer in detail the questions associated with your products and services, as well as your industry.

…blog posts are an opportunity to answer in detail the questions associated with your products…

When you answer a prospective customer’s email query, she might click on your FAQ-page link. She probably won’t read your site’s terms and conditions.

But you can link to a blog post, which can help her overcome barriers to the sale. For example, I did this by explaining on a blog post why event rental delivery fees are higher than those charged by furniture companies.

In other cases, I’ve sent prospective customers links to posts that provide tips on decorating their events.

The more they know and understand about your industry and your business, the easier it is to convert them to a customer.

Authority

Your blog posts help grow your authority.

Of my 100 most-visited web pages in the last 12 months, 17 were blog posts, with an average time on page of 3 minutes 19 seconds, which is three times as long as my rental category pages.

Regular posting puts you in front of your target customer.

A carefully written blog post, unlike an email newsletter full of special promotions, does not feel like a sales pitch.