The Power of Business Blogging: Increase Website Traffic and More

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8 Feb 2024

If you’ve recently created a website for your business, you’ve likely only seen a trickle of visitors. Don’t be discouraged—you’re not going to see explosive traffic numbers right away. You need to lure people in, and creating a blog is a great way to do that.
Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility. But visibility isn’t the only thing you stand to gain; in fact, business blogging is so valuable that it is a top priority for 53% of marketers. This post will discuss the many benefits blogging can bring to a business, no matter what your business model, and give you some tips for how to start a blog and create an impactful digital marketing strategy, as well as critical digital distribution strategies around it.

The benefits of blogging for business

Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility.
Blogging for business can strengthen your company in these ways:

01. Increase website traffic

Business blogging increases the number of pages on your company website, thereby expanding its online presence and providing more avenues for potential customers to find you. One study found that businesses that blog have 55% more website visitors than those that don’t. The more website traffic you get, the more you’ll reach potential customers who will likely book, purchase or fill out a contact form to stay in touch. It can also give you the competitive advantage against competitors who don't have a blog.

Consider Make Pop Music—a Wix website that sells production presents—as an example. When looking through the business’s Wix Analytics, we noticed that this blog article had the second highest traffic volume after the homepage. After popping the link into the Ahrefs site explorer, we understood why—it had the top spot on the search engine results page (SERP) for “studio desk setup,” a keyword that averages 150 searches per month. The site explorer also revealed that the post’s high search traffic made it the second most valuable page on the site after the homepage.
Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility.

02. Drive conversions

Blogging doesn’t immediately pay off for businesses in the way that advertising and specifically online advertising does; most corporate blogs don’t see a positive ROI until they’ve been blogging consistently for 6 to 12 months. That said, blogs gain potency as they grow which means that they have a longer lifespan than ads. In fact, 56% of marketers say that blogging is effective and 10% say that a blog has the biggest return on investment of all marketing strategies.

To take full advantage of that potential, Ivory Paper Co. shares one of its blog posts at the top of the homepage. The article links to nine of the company’s planners and—as we can see in the “top navigation flows” report below—successfully leads site visitors to product pages.
Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility.
Adding clear and actionable call-to-actions (CTA's) to blog posts is a crucial part of blogging for business and optimizing content for conversions.

03. Contribute to social media efforts

Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility.
If you only use your social media accounts as free ad space, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Social media marketing can improve customer retention, as it keep businesses top-of-mind for interested consumers, and build brand awareness. To reap those benefits, you need to share valuable content that makes consumers want to follow you. Your blog posts (or microblogging efforts) will (ideally) contain information that will interest your target audience, so just reshape your content to fit the feed. For example, you could turn the most valuable morsels in your blog posts into social media graphics for Instagram or LinkedIn. On average, small businesses that blog have 79% more Twitter followers than those that don’t.

04. Builds trust in client relationships

People trust what is familiar. Blogging gives customers the opportunity to learn more about your company than they could from an ad or a landing page. A blog gives you a platform, a type of website, to answer frequently asked questions and share company news. Plus, sharing high-quality content shows your target market what you know about your industry, so they can trust you to provide a quality product or service. A blog can work as a part of your customer relationship management plans and help you build both credibility and authority in different areas. If you're thinking of starting a business, or taking an existing one to the next level, taking up blogging for business could prove impactful.
Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility.
Quixotic Design Co. uses its blog to demonstrate that it knows how to scale businesses with strategic design. For example, Why your website isn't making you money explains how companies can use visual hierarchies and cues to drive conversions. By sharing such an article, the agency simultaneously offers a free resource and demonstrates its value to potential customers. And it starts with learning how to create a website.

05. Reinforces your brand

A blog gives you almost unlimited space to deepen your brand identity. Take Bonny for example—this creative agency uses its blog to emphasize its niche as content creators for lifestyle brands. With catchy titles like # StayHomeStayInspired and Boost Your Superpowers – 3 Best Healing Stones for Busy People, the agency shows that it can create content that appeals to a lifestyle brand’s audience.
Blogging gives customers the opportunity to learn more about your company than they could from an ad or a landing page. A blog gives you a platform, a type of website, to answer frequently asked questions and share company news. Plus, sharing high-quality content shows your target market what you know about your industry, so they can trust you to provide a quality product or service. A blog can work as a part of your customer relationship management plans and help you build both credibility and authority in different areas. If you're thinking of starting a business, or taking an existing one to the next level, taking up blogging for business could prove impactful.
Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility.

06. Differentiates a business from its competition

It can be difficult to show customers how your business offers more than your competitors—especially when your product or service isn’t flashy or easily accessible. For instance, a customer needs to actively research which SEO tool is actually the most effective for them. To deal with that challenge, Ahrefs built a comprehensive blog that shares valuable tips for analyzing data. When relevant, the blog posts feature step-by-step Ahrefs tutorials, a clever way of marketing the product in a way that is beneficial to the reader. A blog helps businesses take advantage of multiple marketing channels.

07. Encourages engagement

Customer engagement reinforces the connections between a brand and its fans, thereby encouraging repeat business and expanding a company’s reach. Whenever a company writes a blog post, they create something that loyal customers can share with people who might have never heard of the company. They also empower their direct marketing efforts - meeting customers where they are.

The Home Depot has shown how potent such a strategy can be. The company blog created a Patio Style Challenge series that encouraged hundreds of influencers to promote The Home Depot on their own channels. The Home Depot took full advantage of all that free content by sharing it on a Pinterest board that has almost 3 million followers.

How to start blogging for business

Now that we’ve established how valuable blogging for business can be, it’s time to create a plan for your business blogging that will make good on that value:

01. Determine the focus of your blog

People are most excited to read, share and link to blog posts which cover relevant and specific topics to them. If your target market is people interested in being more eco-friendly, you’d likely benefit from writing a blog post about reusable plastic. This is where keyword research comes in handy, for identifying topics important to your users and brand.

Learn more: How to start a real estate blog

02. Set metrics

Content marketers predominantly use traffic metrics to assess the effectiveness of business blogging, but they also look at sales lead quality, sales and conversion rates. You'll need to understand what blog analytics is and how to track important blog metrics, related to traffic and how its generated, and engagement metrics on your content.

03. Refresh existing content

Although there will be plenty of posts that never even rank, those that do can bring in steady traffic for years after publication. Plus, a low-performing SEO post doesn’t have to stay low performing. Giving articles an occasional refresh can improve their SERP rankings. In fact, content marketing agency Animalz found that refreshing a post improved its performance by 55%.

04. Invest in high-quality blogging tools

As we’ve established, you’ll need to do more than scribbling a few thoughts and hitting publish to make a blog successful. To effectively curate, promote and track the performance of your blog, you’ll need to invest in blogging tools that will best support those efforts.

Tip: Wix not only has blog templates that make designing posts easy, but it also has multiple web analytics tools that’ll help you understand how your blog supports your marketing efforts.

05. Promote your blog

Keeping your readers engaged is just as vital as attracting them. Social media and email marketing are great for promoting your blog and networking with active customers. You might also want to think about link building for your blog, which is the process of earning and generating back links from other online authoritative sources who quote your blog and link to it.

06. Establish goals for content creation

The more you publish, the better your blog will likely perform. That said, you must be realistic when deciding how much time and money to spend on your blog. Publishing quality content on a consistent basis will be much easier than trying to pump out as much content as you can as fast as possible. Create an editorial calendar with the articles you want to write and the schedule you intend to stick to. Doing so will not only help you publish consistently, but it’ll also help you track your progress along the way.

Is blogging still a good business?

Blogging is a viable and profitable business for many individuals and businesses. However, the success of a blog as a business depends on various factors, including niche selection, content quality, adaptation to trends and monetization strategies.
Here are some considerations:

Niche selection: Choosing a niche that has a target audience and is not oversaturated can be crucial. Finding a specific area of interest where you have expertise or a unique perspective can help your blog stand out. Blogger and Growth Marketing Expert at Wix.com, Hanna Kimelblat, says, "Blogging is one of the most fun activities you can do, but it could also feel like a chore if you’re not passionate about its content. Turning something you love and know a lot about into blog posts is a great strategy to attract readers: they’ll come for the knowledge, but they’ll stay for your authentic outlook and first-hand experiences."
Quality content: Producing high-quality, valuable and relevant content is key to attracting and retaining readers. Regular updates and maintaining a consistent posting schedule can help build a dedicated audience.
SEO and marketing: Understanding and implementing search engine optimization (SEO) strategies can enhance your blog's visibility in search engine results. Effective marketing through social media, email and other channels is also important to reach a wider audience.
Monetization strategies: There are various ways to monetize a blog, including affiliate marketing, sponsored content, selling digital products or services and displaying ads. Diversifying your income streams can contribute to the sustainability of your blogging business.
Adaptation to trends: Staying informed about industry trends and adapting your content and strategies accordingly is crucial. For example, video content and podcasts have become increasingly popular, and integrating these formats into your blog can be beneficial.

Business niche blogs to consider starting

Blogging for business FAQ

Is blogging a good business idea?

Blogging can be a good business idea for several reasons, but it ultimately depends on various factors such as your niche, dedication, and ability to monetize your blog effectively.

How can I start a blogging business?

Starting a blogging business involves several steps. These basic steps include - defining your business blog niche, choose a blogging platform, setup your blog, then create high-quality content and publish it.

How do bloggers get paid?

Bloggers can earn income through various monetization methods. These include, advertising, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, digital products, consulting or services, and subscription content.

Do business blogs make money?

Yes, business blogs have the potential to make money through various ways. These include - lead generation, product or service sales, advertising and sponsorship, events and workshops.

What kind of blogs make money?

Various types of blogs have the potential to make money, depending on factors such as the blog's niche, audience, and monetization strategies. Popular examples include - lifestyle blogs, personal fitness blogs, travel blogs, as well as business. entrepreneurship blogs.

How to format your blog posts

01. Start with a strong title

A catchy blog title should pique readers’ attention and quickly communicate the information they need. The more original your title, the more likely people will click on your blog post on organic search results and social media. And take note: According to Optinmonster, blog titles with 6-13 words attract the highest traffic.

If you want your article to rank for a specific keyword on Google, include it in the title. For example, if you want to rank for how to write a blog, you could consider titles such as:

How to Write a Blog: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
The Beginner’s Guide on How to Write a Blog
How to Write a Blog That People Actually Want to Read: Your 10 Step Guide

Once you’ve settled on a title, make sure it stands out at the top of the page in large, easy-to-read font. Your articles have margins to balance the page and so should your title: Incorporating white space on either side of your title and written copy helps readers’ eyes more easily focus on written text. Fortunately, website builders like Wix have preset margins so you don’t need to worry about setting these yourself.

02. Make your blog post skimmable

Readers want to arrive at an article and immediately find the solution to their problem or steps to complete a task. To keep text from overwhelming your visitors, make your blog post skimmable by breaking up sentences and paragraphs to increase white space on the page.

Break up your content with these best practices:

Use bullet points

Bullet points help readers easily see bits of information at a glance. You should use at least one bulleted list in each blog post for the following reasons:

Adds more white space
Stands out from the rest of the text
Makes concepts more digestible
Is easy to read through quickly

See what we mean? The same thing could have been put into a longer paragraph, but bullets can quickly convey information. Aside from bulleted lists, you can also use numbered lists for sequential items.

2. Use headers and subheaders

Headers help guide readers’ through a blog post and also provide structure so a reader can quickly grasp the content without having to read it all.

In SEO lingo, headers are called H tags, which refer to the HTML tag that dictate title order. So, your H1 is the page title, H2s are your headers, H3s are your subheaders, and so on. Use a mix of headers in each post; aside from helping readers skim an article, they also help search engines understand and rank your post. For that reason, keep headers short, clear and to the point. You definitely don’t want to confuse Google (or your readers).

3. Bold or italicize key information

If you really want the reader to remember a fact or take away from your blog post, bold it. Bolding a sentence allows readers to find key information quickly when skimming a text.

However, practice this technique sparingly as not every sentence is critical to your blog post. Don’t bold too many sentences close together, and don’t bold full paragraphs. Simply bold the primary information that makes sense on its own and solidifies the message.

You can also emphasize text using italics, but only do this for specific words or quotations. You don’t want to italicize an entire sentence or paragraph, as this can make it difficult to read.

03. Include a table of contents

A table of contents shows the reader what to expect as soon as they click on your article. Essentially, a table of contents collects your headers and subheaders to show how you organized your post. The reader can get a good idea of your piece’s length and detail just by looking at the table of contents. If you hyperlink your table of contents to each corresponding section, even better. Visitors can then easily jump to the content they want to read.

04. Add strong visuals

Adding images to a blog post increases views by 94%. Well-designed images, infographics, videos or helpful charts and graphs not only break up text but can also make the content more digestible. What is a blog meant to be, if not easy to read. In fact, 32% of marketers say images are the most important form of content for their business.Blogging gives customers the opportunity to learn more about your company than they could from an ad or a landing page. A blog gives you a platform, a type of website, to answer frequently asked questions and share company news. Plus, sharing high-quality content shows your target market what you know about your industry, so they can trust you to provide a quality product or service. A blog can work as a part of your customer relationship management plans and help you build both credibility and authority in different areas. If you're thinking of starting a business, or taking an existing one to the next level, taking up blogging for business could prove impactful.
Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility.

Start your article with a captivating featured image. Then, add photos throughout the text, either centered in your post or aligned with the text.

You can take it a step further and include embedded videos, too. Video content is 50 times more likely to drive organic traffic than plain text alone. Only 19% of bloggers incorporate videos, so add yours to help make your post stand out from the rest.

04. Stick to readable fonts

Using a non-standard or difficult-to-read font can distract from your content. Try to stick to the sans-serif font family (fonts without the little feet on the ends of the letters, like Helvetica, Arial or Geneva). You can change up the font for your title to make it pop out, but don’t switch fonts too often on a single page.

Your font size matters, too. If your font is too small, readers will click away to avoid straining their eyes. A too large font can seem like yelling. You might have to adjust the size depending on your chosen font, blogging platform, and whether the page is viewed on mobile or desktop.

06. Include relevant links

Internal and external links not only help with your blog's SEO, but they also show your reader where they can find more information on a topic mentioned in a post. Like bolded or italicized text, hyperlinks also stand out since they usually appear in a color different than your main body copy. You can also add links to promote other blog posts or products. Blogging gives customers the opportunity to learn more about your company than they could from an ad or a landing page. A blog gives you a platform, a type of website, to answer frequently asked questions and share company news. Plus, sharing high-quality content shows your target market what you know about your industry, so they can trust you to provide a quality product or service. A blog can work as a part of your customer relationship management plans and help you build both credibility and authority in different areas. If you're thinking of starting a business, or taking an existing one to the next level, taking up blogging for business could prove impactful.
Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility.

07. Highlight your CTA

Calls-to-action should be easy to spot within your blog post. Whether a call to subscribe to your blog’s mailing list or complete a contact form, make what you want the reader to do as clear as possible.

Use different fonts, contrasting colors, forms or buttons to help your CTA pop out to readers. You can place it at the post’s end, in the opening paragraph or even as a pop-up as the reader scrolls toward the end of the page.

Don’t make it too “in your face.” Again, you don’t want to annoy the reader, but you do want them to know that this blog post comes with an action item if they choose to take it.

10 types of blog post formats

You can write a blog post in more than one way, and each type of blog has its own expected format. We won’t get into the nitty-gritty details of each post type here—for that, you can check out these blog post templates as examples. But, we will introduce you to the main blog post formats so you can see all the different directions you can take with your next post.

01. The listicle

You’ve certainly come across these trendy list-style posts. In general, bloggers format these posts as a numbered list that feels organized and easy-to-read, like this list of blog ideas.

02. How-to post

This blog format teaches your readers how to do something, such as how to make money blogging. You want to make sure you answer the reader’s main query when they land on the page.

03. Comparison post

This post compares two things, usually products, side by side. Many companies use this post to compare their product to a competitor’s, such as this article on Mac vs. PC.

04. What is post

These definitional posts answer questions like “What is a blog?” Use your blog platform to provide a detailed definition including examples, uses and commonly asked questions.

05. Case study

This post looks in depth at a topic, like how a client succeeded with your product. Case studies usually employ testimonials and highlight the product or service’s value.

06. Product showcase

Your blog is a good place to highlight a new product and demonstrate how a customer can use it. These blog examples, for instance, highlight Wix blogging tools and provide valuable inspiration for fellow bloggers.

07. Thought-leadership post

These posts include original ideas expressed by an industry expert. They aim to shape opinion and make your readers think differently about a topic . These posts can spark a discussion and help readers think outside the box about a certain issue, making them highly engaging and shareable on social media. For example, our blog article on bridging the digital divide explains why small businesses should play a part in making the internet more accessible.

08. What not to do post

In this post, you’ll highlight the common pitfalls people experience when undertaking something new. For example, our post on blogging mistakes points out common errors and highlights what you should do instead.

09. The beginner’s guide

A beginner's guide gives a complete overview to someone unfamiliar with a topic. This article about blogging for beginners, for instance, gives a run down for people who likely don’t have a blog yet or just started one.

10. Interviews

Interviewing someone in your field can spice up your blog and offer a different perspective. The format here can be a list of questions and answers or a piece with a selection of quotes, like our article with branding expert Jackie Treitz.

How to format a blog FAQ

What is the correct format for a blog?

There is no one "correct" format for a blog. However, there are some general guidelines that you can follow to create a well-formatted blog post:

Start with a strong title. Your title should be clear, concise and attention-grabbing. It should accurately reflect the content of your blog post.
Use a clear and concise writing style. Avoid using jargon and technical language. Write in a way that is easy for your readers to understand.
Break up your text into paragraphs. Paragraphs should be no more than 3-4 sentences long. This will make your text easier to read and scan.
Use subheadings and bullet points to organize your content. Subheadings and bullet points can make your text easier to read and understand. They can also help you to break up long sections of text.
Use images and videos to break up your text and make your blog post more visually appealing. Make sure that your images and videos are relevant to your content and that they are high quality.
Proofread your blog post before publishing it. Make sure that there are no errors in grammar or spelling.

Blogging allows customers to gain greater insight into your company compared to traditional advertising. It provides a platform to address FAQs, share news, and demonstrate industry expertise, building trust and supporting customer relations.ild both credibility and authority in different areas. If you're thinking of starting a business, or taking an existing one to the next level, taking up blogging for business could prove impactful.

Blogging for business is a content marketing tactic in which a company creates content related to its product or service to improve its online visibility.

What is the most popular blog format?

The most popular blog format is the list post. List posts are easy to read and scan, and they provide readers with valuable information in a concise way. Other popular blog formats include:

How-to posts: How-to posts teach readers how to do something.
Review posts: Review posts share your thoughts and opinions on products, services or experiences.
Storytelling posts: Storytelling posts share personal stories or experiences with your readers.
Thought leadership posts: Thought leadership posts share your expertise and insights on a particular topic.

What are the five parts of a blog?

The five parts of a blog are:

Header: The header is the top section of your blog. It typically includes your blog's name, logo and navigation menu.
Main content area: The main content area is where you will publish your blog posts.
Sidebar: The sidebar is a column on the right or left side of your blog. It's typically where you will place widgets, such as social media buttons, email sign-up forms and recent posts lists.
Footer: The footer is the bottom section of your blog. It's usually where you will place copyright information, links to important pages and social media buttons.
Comments section: The comments section is where your readers can leave comments on your blog posts.

What blogging formats are there?

There are many different blogging formats that you can use. Some of the most popular formats include:

Traditional blog format: This is the most common blogging format. It involves publishing individual blog posts on a regular basis.
Microblogging: Microblogging is a type of blogging that involves publishing short, frequent posts. Examples of microblogging platforms include Twitter and Tumblr.
Visual blogging: Visual blogging is a type of blogging that focuses on using images and videos to tell a story. Examples of visual blogging platforms include Instagram and Pinterest.
Audio blogging: Audio blogging, also known as podcasting, is a type of blogging that involves publishing audio recordings.
Video blogging: Video blogging, also known as vlogging, is a type of blogging that involves publishing video recordings.