How to add a blog to a site?

justontime · 04-25-2008, 10:52 AM

What would be the best way to add a blog to an existing site? The company concerned runs rail tours for railway enthusiasts and the blog is intended as a marketing tool to develop customer interest/loyalty. Would it be better to have an external blog with a link on the site or should the blog be more prominent on the site itself?

berlinlife06 · 04-25-2008, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justontime

What would be the best way to add a blog to an existing site? The company concerned runs rail tours for railway enthusiasts and the blog is intended as a marketing tool to develop customer interest/loyalty. Would it be better to have an external blog with a link on the site or should the blog be more prominent on the site itself?

I would have the blog as an external thing, and as a free blog from one of the blogging sites, like Blogger, or WordPress. It would be more "legit" as a blog and would not feel as marketing and advertising. But on the site you can put a forum where people can talk and chat and comment about whatever they want. At least I think that way would be more effective.

tater03 · 04-25-2008, 10:34 PM

I would have to agree that the external link would be better all around. That way if people are interested they will click on it.

Kitten · 04-25-2008, 10:38 PM

And personally, I would say put it on the site itself. You already have the domain and hosting, so just add a separate page, use the address like www.domainname.com/blog, and then have a link on the main page. As long as it's not the main focus, then there's nothing wrong with it and it may feel more accessible and legit.

SageMother · 04-26-2008, 08:08 AM

Having your blog as an external fixture would draw more traffic, especially if you just use a Wordpress blog and keep it on their free host.

Taggart · 04-26-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SageMother

Having your blog as an external fixture would draw more traffic, especially if you just use a Wordpress blog and keep it on their free host.

I'm learning here, and I have a question: Why would the external option draw more traffic?

Is that because there would be links back to the main site that would be useful in page rank?

Kitten · 04-26-2008, 03:49 PM

Because the blog as a separate site could do its own advertising in the blogging world, I'd think. And it's possible that the external links could help, but only if you're actively promoting the blog and getting an audience.

justontime · 04-26-2008, 05:20 PM

Thanks for all the advice, the decision will be a shared on so I will pass on your comments to the other people involved. Sage Mother, I can see what you mean about an external free blog, but why wordpress? If it is on their free host then you can't have advertising, would we be better to look at blogger? We hope to attract comments from blog readers (customers who travel on the rail tours) would this be more difficult if the blog was part of the main site?

SageMother · 04-26-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taggart

I'm learning here, and I have a question: Why would the external option draw more traffic?

Is that because there would be links back to the main site that would be useful in page rank?

Your blog can be listed in blog directories with your site being listed in traditional search engines, giving you more exposure.

Kitten · 04-27-2008, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SageMother

Your blog can be listed in blog directories with your site being listed in traditional search engines, giving you more exposure.

Ah, I hadn't even really considered that part. I suppose it's true that you could submit the link to different outlets as well.