As more and more merchants turn to the web to offer their products online, it is becoming more difficult for e-tailers to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Pricing is often the “easiest” way to cope with this, but this usually results in more problems down the road, and is a sure-fire way to shrink profits in the long term.

One simple thing you can do as a merchant is to start a blog on your site. With many hosts (including LexiConn) offering a one click install of WordPress, starting a blog is a simple task. What’s harder is customizing the blog, and then keeping it updated with relevant content for your readers (who should become customers if the blog is done right).

Where to start?

Luckily I came across this blog post titled “54 Blog Posts You Should Read Before (And After) Blogging” that has a wealth of information/links for new and experienced bloggers. It’s a great resource for any blogger.

Why have a blog for an ecommerce store?

Here are a few reasons why your online store should have a blog:

• 1. Become an authority in your niche
  If you want to stand out, start blogging about your industry and your products. Show that your company is a leader and knows your industry inside and out, and shoppers will look to you for answers and products/services.

• 2. SEO, SEO, SEO
  It’s no secret Google and other search engines love blogs. If these spiders see updated and new content regularly, they will index your site more often, and recent content often equates to higher rankings.

• 3. Give back to the community
  Use your blog to post how-to articles, provide answers and information, etc… This shows potential customers you’re not just selling products, but want to help benefit the niche you serve.

• 4. Show your human side
  Mix in personal stories, funny anecdotes, and other items that show your readers you’re human. Putting a face to your company will help you connect with your customers, and strengthen relationships.

• 5. Highlight customers
  Post about happy customers, or a customer using your products in a creative or unique way. Or just highlight a customer randomly to demonstrate what a typical customer is like. Customers love to hear about other customers, as it helps them connect and feel like “part of the gang”.

• 6. Announce new things
  Once you get a base of readers, your blog can be a great way to market new products, new ideas, and get the word out. Make sure your blog uses an RSS feed service such as FeedBurner, and allows subscriptions by email.

• 7. Build a following (translated repeat buyers)
  Once customers start subscribing and regularly visiting your blog (because you keep it up to date with interesting and fresh content), you build a relationship that goes beyond consumer/supplier. If they enjoy your posts, they’ll be more likely to choose your products again and again

• 8. Because it’s fun
  Blogging does not have to be just another task in your day to day or weekly schedule. Once you start mixing in humorous content, and ideas you are passionate about, blogging becomes an outlet for expressing your opinions, your frustrations, and your goals. It can be quite infectious (in a good way).

So what are you waiting for? Get blogging!

Feel free to share other tips for combining ecommerce and blogging.