Would You Run Your Home Business Without A Blog or Website?

Sat, Jan 30, 2010

Affiliate Programs, Article Marketing, Blogging Techniques, Link Management, Newbies Starting Out, Search Engine Optimization, Website Promotion, Work From Home, how to make money blogging


Recently while revisiting some of my older posts in my home business blog to do some tests on my Google Adsense placements, I came across my post titled: “If I Could Start My Blog All Over….” where I asked 4 of my blogging friends to give their thoughts on how different their blogs might be if they were starting all over again.

Well all of them said they would still have their blogs but with big differences in how they were to be built and promoted impacting domains, backlinks, blog marketing, blog theme among others. These are valid suggestions or improvements on their blogs which now begs the question : “How important do you value your blog?”.  Would you have the courage or audacity to give up your blog now? Or would you have not started with a blog at all if you had to start your Internet Home Business all over again?

Well my good friend Tom Lindstrom from The Home Business Archive says “Marketing without a website can be done by building a list of subscribers and broadcasting messages to that list.” All that is needed, he says, is a monthly investment for a reliable autoresponder which costs about $20. That is relatively low maintenance although this expense could be about twice you would have paid hostgator every month to maintain your hosting account.  But not having to update your blog frequently should make up more than the 10 bucks you got to dish out.

Going without a blog or a website is a serious decision to make and presumably you know what you’re doing if you’re seriously contemplating just that. Starting an autoresponder is not the only serious work you have to immerse yourself with. In Tom’s post, he advocates having a “system” to follow before you can start to run your home business. His system focuses on :

  • establishing yourself as an expert on whatever affiliate products you intend to market. My thoughts on this: Well some statistics I’ve come across put the affiliate marketing industry failure rate as 95% so obviously you have to strive to be in the 5% category of successful affiliate marketers.
  • using article marketing and promote extensively your affiliate products using both your article “resource box” and your autoresponder. Well that is something new for the average blogger and it’s for better usage than most of us could ever imagined.

My Final Thoughts

Personally, I would prefer having a blog and website than without one. The look and feel of a blog has changed over the years and somehow I get the feeling that people are more comfortable “talking” to someone on his blog than through his autoresponder. Nevertheless I know that the autoresponder plays a significant role in most successful marketers’ rise to fame and fortune.

A blog plays a big part in introducing who you are as an Internet Marketer through this communication channel. I have also yet to read many success stories of marketers who became exceedingly successful without a website or a blog. But of course it could be this ignorant me or the lazy part of me preferring not the road less traveled.

Over to you….

How important do you value your blog? Will you give it up now or would you have not used a blog for your home business from the start? I like to hear your thoughts.

Do read the full post by Tom Lindstrom on “Marketing Without A Website” to give you that insightful read in his blog


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This post was written by:

Peter Lee - who has written 197 posts on Work From Home Business Blog. A Legitimate Home Internet Business researching work at home ideas this blog was started by yours truly, a banker by day and a home business owner by night helping others start and grow their business, finding new ways to make money online. Read More About Me

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  • Peter,

    really think that the modern Internet marketer cannot survive without considerable web presence. The relationship building that happens when you have a regular conversation with your customers is worth a ton more than a few messages now and then while you hit them with sales.

    Saying that, I am not even using an autoresponder at the moment. Does that make me the opposite of what this post is about?

    A blog allows communication and market research, don't you think?

    Sahail
  • @Sahail Ashraf: Yes I think using a blog is the best way to communicate with others and helps to build your relationship with so many people. I really don't think there is a better way than that.
  • Hi PeterLee, I would always have a blog or website to have more credibility and to show that I am "for real". I like having a photo on a site, too, so people can actually see who is "writing". It all helps to gain trust.
  • Looking at some of the answers that you have received, I believe the direction they have been giving you is more like working for another party from home rather than a home business.
  • it depends if we have to, if we need to have a blog or a website to persuade our clients, but if we can have clients without our website or blogs, then thats tough luck for me,
  • legitimateworkfromhomejobs
    I think a website is very important to any type and size of a business. I always check out a company on the web - not only for legitimacy, but for more detailed information.
  • @legitimateworkfromhomejobs: Yes that's a good practice to follow and another one of many reasons why we really can't do without a website no matter what others say.
  • Of course you need a website! After all, I'm sure all of my competitors will have one.

    It's 2010-- it's no longer 1999. Every business that expects to drive income needs an Internet presence. It's much like asking advertisers of 1999 if they would buy a spot in The White Pages. (Of course!)
  • As far as I know, a blog helps increase business popularity and in any ways helps increase profit.

    So I would say NO to that :)
  • @Jewelry Making Supplies: Thanks for sharing your opinion and I think that's wise.
  • Having a home business and having a website will def build your sales. A little SEO and a nice website will get you the sales you need. Have a call to action on your website. I def think you cannot have a home business with out a website. I agree with you peter.
  • Not sure if a site is better than a blog, I have a forum and blogs. They all have their good points and challenges. But if kept up they are very useful. Using just a list I can see how that could work but the interaction is a little removed unless you send out polls and questioners every now and again. The combination is the ultimate, you can contact your list and they can actually complete your message on your blog and leave a thought of their own.

    Now All I need is a list!
    Brad West
  • @Brad West: My sentiments too. I have yet to meet someone here who is not using a blog or a website so I guess everyone seems to be going for the conventional way of doing things. Well if that works, why not. If it ain't broke don't change. Thanks for dropping by. Hope to see you around again.
  • I think today's market, in most niches, expects a business site or blog. Even if it's just a simple site with products, prices, contact info, store hours etc.. Just today my 75 year old father asked me to see if our local meat market had a site and what the package specials were. He's doesn't have a computer and has never been online in his life yet expected the business to have a website. He was right, they had a nice one, specials and all :)

    Building a list, in my opinion, should go hand in hand with most businesses if done right. That's not to say it's required or even necessary but I think they work well together. The search value alone makes a site a no-brainer in most cases.
  • @ExtremeEzine: Hey Brian thanks for sharing your thoughts. You're right. It's your website or blog that helps to make a name for yourself and building relationship with others that is so important. It's usually a place to do business at. It's like the offline business too, you need to see some kind of infrastructure of the company or at least an office to go for meeting. You can't very well meet the people on some street corners or cafe to do business can you?
  • @ExtremeEzine: Hey Brian thanks for sharing your thoughts. You're right. It's your website or blog that helps to make a name for yourself and building relationship with others that is so important. It's usually a place to do business at. It's like the offline business too, you need to see some kind of infrastructure of the company or at least an office to go for meeting. You can't very well meet the people on some street corners or cafe to do business can you?
  • I do love working online but it is hard work, I thought I would be making more money by now. If I could start over I would definitely, blog. Sorry I did not say this in my first post.
  • @melva2 : My same sentiments here. I could never do without my blog. It's like a fish without water?
  • I have been working on my present website for 13 months. Although I love my subject and the writing. I am finding trying to make money online a lot harder the anything I have ever do. I do not plan to give it up though. I may have choose another site concept it I had it to do over, but for now I am going to hang in there and keep working.
  • @melva2: Yup somehow it's that passion that always seems to keep the fire burning isn't it and glad you are hanging in there. Just continue doing everything that you feel is the right thing to so and I'm sure things will turn out well for you. Keep in touch!
  • Nice post, Peter. Depending on what kind of business it is, you don't need a website, blog or even an autoresponder. However, I think all three are critical if you plan on branding yourself and establishing yourself on the internet. Like I said it depends on what your business is and what goals you have for it.

    BTW, nice blog you have there, Tom.
  • Hi Peter, thank you for highlighting my post, much appreciated! I got the idea for this post when a person contacted me asking if it would be possible to run a home business without a website or a blog.
  • Hi Tom, you're welcome, yup! now that would be a real challenge :-)
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