WEBSITE BLOGS

I’m sure by now we have all come across blogs, or weblogs as they are also known.  Many sites out there today are using these blogs to communicate information to different people.  Any subject you can think of, somewhere on the Internet right now there is someone who has a blog written on the topic.  A blog is an online journal that is used by individuals as well as companies.  They are used by individuals as a mode for free speech, and to give opinions on particular topics or current events. 

Companies can use blogs for a more commercial approach.  They can be used to give people in as well as outside the company recent and ongoing information on the company.  While blogs are conveying this information they are also helping the company on the internet.  As stated by Scott Allen of IPoint-Tech, “Blogs offer the dynamic content that search engines seek out in an effort to drive their clients to the most informative sites on the web.”  So in essence weblogs are used by companies to not only communicate information but also as a tool to bring people into their website.  In recent years because ‘blogging” has become so huge, there are many tools available to start blogs.  These tools often require very little computer experience and are very easy to start up. 

There are many tools out there to help with your blogs, many of which are free.  If you type “blogs” into a Google search you will end up with about 372,000,000 results.  If you type “blog tools” into a google search you will get around 107,000,000 results.  It’s clear how massive the blogging industry is.  Many of these search results landed me in different blogging sites.  Many of these are free of charge and often are meant for an individuals use.  On the other hand there were some results that brought me to sites for software that could be used for a business.  One of these sites I came across was www.anconia.com.  This software does cost money but is advertised as blogging software designed for a business.  A great article to read would be this PC Magazine article which also has links to other blogging tools.  http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1403731,00.asp. 

When it comes to weblogging for a business you might want the custom approach.  This way you could customize the blogs to your company.  This is a simple service to obtain because most database and web developers could apply one to your site.  There are many companies that have already employed blogs into their site.  Below is a list of some companies already taking advantage of weblogs.

·          Microsoft - http://www.microsoft.com/communities/blogs

·          Ford - http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=17691

·          Google - http://googleblog.blogspot.com/

·          Sony - http://www.sony.com/SonySearch/Search.jsp?mode=&pst=blogs&pti=0&psti=0&st=blog&ti=0

Above are just a few of the many companies out there taking advantage of blogs.  In the sites listed, the companies use blogs to state news and updates on company business and events.  This is a good way to get potential customers/employees of your business involved.  So why not blog?  Give IPoint a call today and ask how blogs can help you.

To learn more about IPoint's Web Development services, please click here.

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How many of your customers came to you through the phone book this year?  How about your website, the leads groups you go to, or your current customers?  If you are not sure, think of the benefit of having all of this information in one simple report.  You would be able to budget what to spend advertising dollars on for the coming year.  You could get an extra special gift for those customers that brought you the most new business.  With IPoint’s new customer management application you can have all of that information and more.  You can track all the information you need about your customers securely over the internet.  You can keep your customers up to date about your company and products through targeted emails and make sure your prospective customers are giving you all the information you need to close the deal.

Information Point Technologies has developed a complete set of online tools that makes it easy for you to track where your customers are coming from.  It uses a customizable form on your web page that people can fill out directly and a secure administration where you can log customers that come from other sources.  The administration also allows you to change what questions are asked and search through the existing contacts.  There are also concise reports that give you hard numbers on where you are getting your customers from.

The administration also offers a listserv component that allows you to search for specific groups of customers to send emails to and can use graphic templates developed specifically for your business.  This is only the beginning of what can be done and IPoint can develop any number of custom tools for your business as well.  Make sure to schedule your free consultation to find out more about how you can start maximizing your advertising dollars and customer retention.

To learn more about IPoint's Database services, please click here.

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