By Bruce A. Love
Over the past several years, I have enjoyed reading blogs, and responding with comments that reflect my own views and experience. For those who are unfamiliar with the term blog (short for “Web log”), they are online forums where ideas and information are posted by a blog host, who encourages visitors to respond online with comments. As a casual blogger, I have found that this form of communication enables individuals to analyze and debate issues with peers, and receive a pretty good education in the process.
Recently, I decided that I was ready to host my own blog. I researched various blogging options, and decided that I liked the features of a free package called MovableType. The flexibility of this blogging tool and its impressive features make it one of the most popular blogging programs available. Unfortunately, the web server hosting LoveConsulting.com did not meet the requirements for hosting a MovableType blog. I realized that it was time to move my Web site and combine it with the new blog I wanted to build. After contacting MovableType for recommendations for a reputable Web host who was familiar with MovableType, I was referred to LivingDot.
Pavel Ushakov is the Managing Director of LivingDot in Los Angeles, CA. He and his staff made the process of transferring my Website from my old server to LivingDot servers very easy. Unlike the “support staff” that hosted my old web server, the staff at LivingDot were friendly, accessible, attentive, skilled, and communicate fluently in English. These are all qualities to look for in a Web host, since you will probably need to coordinate with them as you build your blog or Web site. It is no wonder why Newsweek, Time Magazine, Washington Post, CapitalOne, and thousands of others all have their blogs at LivingDot!
Before launching my blog, I read everything I could about the process. Although it sounded complicated to install MovableType, Pavel had me up and running within minutes - with very little input from me! I posted my first blog entry about three weeks ago. We were throwing a surprise party for my father-in-law, and I decided to set up the blog so that others could wish him a happy 80th birthday from afar. Although only a few comments were left on the blog, I learned some things and will begin posting other types of entries. I continue to tweak settings and adjust the style of my blog to customize it for my purposes.
According to Pavel, there are numerous reasons for small businesses to start a blog. Like traditional Websites, blogs can be an inexpensive and effective form of marketing (my plan costs less than $10 per month). Interaction with the public is important for businesses; blogs provide a convenient channel for feedback and recommendations from customers. Blogs also help to improve search engine optimization (SEO). This means that your company will appear higher in search engine results than it would without the blog! This can translate into more business.
Individuals and organizations will find many uses of blogs. I hope you use my new blog at blog.loveconsulting.com to leave comments and share your thoughts about this column and others.
