What is Blogging?

What is Blogging?

In the early days of the internet there were no blogs. Websites were mostly what I term “postcard” websites—pictures, a smattering of text, and a contact page. These websites were static, they did not change that much, and they did not need a lot of server capacity to function. This was the era before smartphones, which have completely changed the way we deliver information.

As technological advancements progressed, the desire for content increased; hence, the blog was born. Even though blogging has been around for a while, it seems that small business owners STILL have a hard time wrapping their heads around the concept…or even what it does?

The website firstsiteguide.com defines a blog as:
“A blog (shortening of “weblog”) is an online journal or informational website displaying information in reverse chronological order, with the latest posts appearing first.”

In short, a blog on your website is a great way to keep your online business presence up-to-date and as an ongoing flow of information for your customers. This is ONE of the reasons I use WordPress to run small business websites. The WordPress platform was designed in the early days of the internet to be a blogging platform.  As technology improved, web developers soon realized that the open source WordPress platform could be leveraged for full website development.

Imagine, you own a small business and your website is old and outdated—one that you cannot update. This is a problem for many business owners, and it ends up being a lost opportunity. Furthermore, neglecting this important aspect of your business lends your competitors more internet real estate and more leads that you should be capturing.

One of the most critical skillsets for any business is EXECUTION. – Tom Hamilton

Now, you may try and continue to manage your website content all by yourself; however, when I think of that as an option, I remember this famous saying; “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” If you are currently having a challenge posting new products and services to your website, why not get a Strategic Partner? I have partnered with many businesses over the years and have successfully sold in different market sectors as well. Not only does my experience afford you a resource to manage your website but you also gain a trusted adviser that can provide direction in terms of marketing and sales.

The writing and leverage of good quality content on your website cannot be overstated. In fact, number one on Google’s (click here) list of ten items they value philosophically is “Focus on the user and all else will follow.” This means if you want to have a shot at getting people to your business online, you MUST be aware of search engines’ methods.  Google is telling you that your website has to provide value to the end user. If it does not (ie no updated content), it will fail to rank favorably in the organic ranking…or at all.

By sharing your latest updates and innovations with your market from consistent blogging, higher rankings are achieved, thereby resulting in more product sales. Let West Bay Media Group craft unique content for your website! In fact, our Content Creation product is available to you right now!  Take advantage of jump starting your website’s Content Management right NOW by reaching out to me anytime. I look forward to hearing from YOU!

 

Testimonial – Coffman Capital


Tom Hamilton is a true professional at his craft.  He and Carolyn were personally involved in every aspect of developing the website including the theme, structure, optional pages, illustrations, the works.  When it came to content, he encouraged us to do our best and showed us examples of what might work and how to start.  The one quality I would point to is flexibility.  At no point did I feel boxed in or limited in scope for what we wanted to put together and tell our customers.  They helped us with our logo art as well, working with my own ideas and making it look great, and then producing usable versions for outside printing uses.  As Tom likes to say (a lot): value added service.  Updates and changes are easily done, and in a timely manner, so the website maintenance is working really well.  You’ll enjoy working with West Bay Media Group!

Matt Parker – CEO

Coffman Capital 

WordPress Website Security – Blacklisting

I wanted to share with you a recent real life situation with one of our strategic website partners. When we decide to partner up with a new business by designing, developing, and deploying a WordPress website, one of the ongoing monthly services we provide is website security.

As professional web developers, our job is to give our clients the best possible guidance – ALL THE TIME. Website security should be a no brainer. Nonetheless, it is up to us to educate the small business owner so THEY can make an informed decision about what direction they want to take with their business. Our job is to put them in the position to win on the web. A winning strategy on the web MUST include a plan for website protection.

Recently, I received a notification from one of my partner’s website. The notification was suggesting there was Malware on the site. Upon further investigation it was discovered that the website DID NOT have malware.

Malware is when a hacker injects malicious code into your website. Then that code, if undetected, can adversely affect anyone who visits your site.

Instead of Malware, the notification was that the website was “Blacklisted”.

Read More HERE about what do if your website is Blacklisted.

So this was good news/bad news. The good     news was that there was no malware which   meant our security protocols we working   correctly. The “bad“ news was the blacklisting of   the domain name. Sometimes when these   scans occur, there can be a false-positive read. I was confident that site would be removed from the “blacklisting” status since we develop in WordPress with excellent website architecture, (read Google Crawl), provide valuable content, and have security and back up in place.

I followed their request for an email from the website administrator (West Bay Media Group) and fulfilled any requests they required. Once this was done correctly, the site was removed off the list immediately.

Blacklisting is a service provided by Google and other entities to “clean up“ the web and provide a valuable end user experience. These type of technical adjustments can be challenging for the average website/business owner. That is why West Bay Media Group exists. We are here to help the small business owner do what they do best – run their business. If you have any questions, or would like us to take a look at your website, contact us anytime.

Thank you for reading and best of luck on running a successful website!

Tom Hamilton

CEO/Founder
West Bay Media Group