How to add a blog to a site?

[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?

[berlinlife06]

justontime Wrote: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.

[Kitten]

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 http://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]

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]

SageMother Wrote: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? :confused:

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

[Kitten]

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]

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]

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

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]

SageMother Wrote: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.

[SageMother]

Kitten Wrote: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.

You can also draw trackbacks to your own site using an external blog. Name the blog using something similar to or compatible with the content of your site. It may improve your main site's PR.

Your external blog can also address topics that influence the use of, or explore the science of, the products you sell. It works quiet well with skin care and cosmetics and I don't see why it couldn't work with electronics or other products.