How To Use Your Blog For Business – Interview with Christine from Life Verse Jewelry

I recently had the pleasure to work with Christine from Life Verse Jewelery when she wanted a new design for her blogs Life Verse Blog and Womens Bible Café. Christine had been looking for a blog designer for quite some time to help her and was very pleased that we managed to get both blogs done in only a week. Christine mentioned she has seen a 41% increase in sales since starting her blogs and I caught up with her to ask how the blogs have helped her grow her business.

Please tell us a little about your blog.
I have two blogs: a business blog – LifeVerseBlog.com and a personal blog -WomensBibleCafe.com

Each blog serves a different purpose. My business blog includes articles about new products, promotions and giveaways. The content is focused on inspirational stories.

My personal blog is a Women’s Bible Study. Since I am a Bible Study Leader, I do not mingle the blogs, preferring to keep the Bible Study site for the sole purpose of encouraging people to read and study the Bible. I have about 10,000 monthly readers on this site.

How long have you been blogging?
I started blogging three years ago with the typical “Mommy Blog.” My first blog was a disaster with unrelated articles, poor graphics and numerous errors common with beginner bloggers.

What do you blog about?
I blog about inspirational people, books and things. My business blog focuses on my products and my Bible study blog focuses on scripture.

How has blogging changed your business?
I’m generating 41% of my business sales with my blog. It’s a back-door to my website as readers enjoy the blog content, learn about my company LifeVerse Jewelry and desire to buy my products. After years of SEO and web redesign, it seems the most effective source of business for me has been my business blog.

The Bible Study blog has changed me spiritually as I lead online Bible study, I find myself accountable to my own study. I can’t take a day off or skip a few days reading my Bible when I’m tired, because I have 10,000 people waiting for me to write a new post. That’s commitment!

What are the most important things you’ve learned about blogging since the start?
Most importantly I learned to get professional help. If I had started blogging with the knowledge I now have, my business would have grown much quicker than it initially did. There are numerous mistakes beginners make…unfortunately I followed too many beginners and learned on my own, which was a waste of time and effort. Once I understood the professional benefits and methods of blogging, I was an instant blogging success in just one month!

What do you see as the main difference of having a self -hosted blog and a free blog? Do you think having your business blog self -hosted brings more credibility and business than a freely-hosted blog?
After a month of successful blogging, I realized that I wanted to offer more to my readers. I started researching top bloggers and their designs and followed the professional blogger gurus.

Following their advice, I bought a self-hosting package and popular template…only to find after three months of frustration that it was impossible for me to understand. I turned my back on that and found your company. Imagine my relief when you recommended a better self-hosting company than the one I was using, a better blog template than I was using and you were able to design and install my blog with a short amount of time! You’re my hero and you probably don’t even know it!

Before I found your company, I struggled and experienced frustration because my blog did not reflect my desired style.

What is your advice for those who do yet not have a business blog? Why should they start to blog?
Those who do not yet have a business blog are better off than those who do! The ones who do have spent months or years designing the blog, writing articles, building a following and are less likely to get out of their comfort zone into a better blog. New bloggers are positioned to start at step one, with the proper tools that will lead them to success. If you start with the wrong blog templates, formats, etc..then you’ll lose interest because you will not see the results you want. As I said, I generate 41% of my business from my blog…that’s a HUGE reward for my investment.

Christine’s extra tip;

Don’t follow the leaders, be a leader. Get a fresh blog idea, build a creative blog design, and write articles that other people are not writing. There are too many Mommy Bloggers out there! Be different! With that, you’ll create a following for your blog and income for your business.

****  ****  ****  ****

If you are inspired by Christine’s story and want to make sure you are on the right track with your blog I invite you to take a look at our store. If you need help with growing and marketing your blog and setting goals, e-mail Linda to find out about our blog coaching options.

Our Custom Blog Design Packages and Small Business Web Solustions packages includes everything and more that you need for your business blog.

Remember: Blogging the right way can make a huge difference for your business. Can you afford not to invest in your blog?

Cream of the Crop: Goat Milk Stuff

Welcome to this week’s edition of Berries and Cream Blog Design’s Cream of the Crop series. We hope that you will enjoy today’s featured site, Goat Milk Stuff.

____________________________________________________________

I don’t know about you, but I believe that natural products are typically better for you than highly-processed, chemical-laden ones.  Therefore, I was very pleased to discover Goat Milk Stuff when PJ graciously contacted me to offer her homemade goat milk soap as a prize for our launch party in Febraury.

Recommended by numbers of people including MckMama (blogger and mother of baby Stellan, for whose healing many are praying), the goat milk soap sold at Goat Milk Stuff is handmade by quite an extraordinary family.  The Jonas family is a large family (they have 8 children) who live on a 3-acre homestead.  They raise their own Alpine goats and lovingly turn the milk from their goats into fabulously natural soaps. Here is an excerpt from the Details page of their website:

Each bar of soap contains over one ounce of raw goat milk. The Alpine goats that produce the milk are not fed any antibiotics or growth hormones. Goat Milk Stuff use natural fats, coconut oil and olive oil to make their soaps. The colors of the soaps do not come from dyes or synthetics but from natural compounds and herbs. The soaps are scented with high quality essential or fragrance oils.

They even have a soap of the month feature which allows you to buy one bar of a different scent (they currently have 34 scents) each month for $4.50 instead of $5.00.

While I have not yet tried the soap for myself (I intend to very soon!), Dina, the winner of our launch party giveaway, had only high praise for this soap:

I have dry sensitive skin that gets even drier in winter. I have tried a variety of soaps, shower gels, moisturizers, without so far finding one that does not dry out my skin. Goat Milk Stuff’s soaps are far superior to any commercially available soap I have used. After using the goat milk soap, my skin feels soft and moisturized, making lotions and creams unnecessary. The soaps produce just the right amount of creamy lather, and leave my skin softly scented. My kids love the soaps too – my preschooler calls them Mommy’s yummy soaps! Bath time is more popular than ever, thanks to Goat Milk Stuff.

If you like boutique soaps, if you prefer natural products, or if you have sensitive skin or eczema, you’ll definitely want to check out Goat Milk Stuff.

Cream of the Crop: IM Web Graphics

Welcome to this week’s edition of Berries and Cream Blog Design’s Cream of the Crop series. We hope that you will enjoy today’s featured site, IMWebGraphics.

____________________________________________________________

If you are an info marketer, IMWebGraphics is a site you will want to check out.  When you sign up for the free newsletter, in addition to the newsletter you will receive a free collection of graphics to use on your website.  The newsletter itself will contain useful tips such as how to get embedded images out of a Word document, how to make your own original graphics, and more.

Cream of the Crop: Sparkle and Charm Boutique

Welcome to this week’s edition of Berries and Cream Blog Design’s Cream of the Crop series. We hope that you will enjoy today’s featured site, Sparkle and Charm Boutique.

____________________________________________________________

I discovered Sparkle and Charm Boutique when Kathryn contacted me to see if I could help her set up and design a store for her fabulous, handmade creations.  I thoroughly enjoyed having a hand in creating a unique website for her charming business, and I have loved seeing the products she has added.

What does Sparkle and Charm Boutique offer?  I’m glad you asked!  Sparkle and Charm caters mostly to little girls, although the personalized beanbags and Spiderman coloring and activity tote are certain to delight little boys.  Little girls will be enthralled with the beautiful and well-made tutus, hair accessories, flip flops, crowns, and baby doll diapers.  Moms are sure to like the beaded bookmarks and designer burp cloths.

If you are looking for high-quality, well-made, unique products and/or gifts, I highly recommend you take a look at Sparkle and Charm Boutique.

Cream of the Crop: Did You See That?

Welcome to this week’s edition of Berries and Cream Blog Design’s Cream of the Crop series. We hope that you will enjoy today’s featured blog, Did You See That?.

____________________________________________________________

Did You See That? is a review blog.  I asked Angela (aka CPA Mom), the owner, to tell us a bit more about her blog and herself.

I’d like our readers to get to know you a bit better. Please share some background about yourself, your site/blog, and anything else you’d like others to know about you.

My name is Angela and on my website I review books, movies, toys, websites, and fun products for kids of all ages. I was widowed when I was 28 years old but am now married again with two beautiful children, ages 4 and 6. Between my “real” job as an auditor/CPA and my family and my blog, I’m on the go all the time.

When did you start blogging?

My very first blog post was on 6/1/2006 (on a personal blog that is no longer in existence). I started blogging after seeing myself eviscerated on someone else’s blog and it made me start thinking “why do people blog in the first place??” A friend told me it was for “validation” and I thought “Hey, I could use some validation!” and so it began. I started the review blog in April 2007 so I could post my opinions on a site that wasn’t passcode protected like my personal blog. The ab-fab Nicole at The Opinionated Parent got me started on product reviews and it’s all snowballed from there. I’ve been blessed with great friends who recommend my blog to their own product review sources and with PR firms who have taken a chance on me.

Why do you blog?

I blog on the review site because I’m not one to turn down the opportunity to tell you what I think about something! And I won’t lie – it allows me the chance to give my kids some absolutely fabulous toys and movies (and books for me as well) that I would never in a million years be able to afford on my own. I’ve never gotten any trips to Disney or kitchen appliances like some bloggers have but I’m pretty happy in my little corner of the blogosphere!

What do you normally blog about?

Current movies, books, and products – anything I think my readers would be interested in.

What is your favorite post?

Strawberry Jam 101 because my daughter is just so stinkin’ cute.

What are some of your readers’ favorite posts?

I think the favorite giveaway was the one from Pepsi recently. That got 513 comments which is huge for my little blog.

If you have any upcoming events or posts that you think our readers would like to know about, please tell us about them.

I’ve not been a terribly consistent blogger this month because of summer vacation and work obligations but I’d say be sure to subscribe via email to the blog and you won’t miss any of the giveaways coming up!

As a blogger, what is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Disclose, disclose, disclose. Always be upfront on where you received the product from and if you paid for it or not. The FTC is watching now!

Is there anything else you’d like to highlight or share with our readers?

Through blogging I have meet some of the very best (and the very worst!) people in my life. Be open to all that blogging has to offer you (validation!, friendship, opinions, advice, etc.) but guard yourself too. You can get hurt quite easily.

Thank you, Angela, for sharing more about yourself and your blog.  If you haven’t stopped by Did You See That?, why not check it out today?  There are lots of interesting reviews to read there.

Cream of the Crop: Doodlebug & Peanut Creations

Welcome to this week’s edition of Berries and Cream Blog Design’s Cream of the Crop series. We hope that you will enjoy today’s featured site, Doodlebug & Peanut Creations.

____________________________________________________________

Doodlebug & Peanut Creations is a fascinating boutique that offers a wide variety of products relating to children of all ages.  Alexis, the owner, kindly consented to be interviewed by me and even gave more information than I had requested.

When did you start your business?

June 2004

How did your store come to be?

Our store grew out of my father’s designs for parents to hand-build toys for their children – even with the child’s help. Although we no longer sell his designs, the business grew into a complete store with everything from infant to tweens and all the years in between. We have two daughters as different as night and day and learned that selection is key to being able to meet everyone’s needs – not just one personality type or another!

Who are Doodlebug and Peanut?

Doodlebug is my pet name for my oldest daughter, Ainsley, and Peanut is my pet name for my second child, Adley. And they are the sole inspiration behind this site.

What will visitors find there?

We carry dozens of lines of tried and true products that are not only guarantee to be some of the finest available but are also the most functional so that you know you are getting a quality product that will actually do what you want or need it to do. And if you are not completely satisfied – we take it back – no questions asked!

Why do you sell what you sell?

All the products on our site are items that my girls or my close friends’ children love. For example, I cannot tell you how excited children are when they walk in my house and see their very own, kid-sized table and chairs. Although my best friend (and mother of my oldest child’s best friend) and I have also spent hours sitting in those pint sized chairs, I would not trade my kiddie table for anything! They eat at it, play at it, and – in fact – we like them so much we actually have two!

What is your favorite item in your store right now and why?

The Belli Skincare Baby Gift Box. Belli Skincare has set the highest standard for prenatal safety as the only skin care line in the world that is teratology screened, which means they can guarantee the safety of you, your baby, and your unborn children!

What are the top sellers in your store?

Boon Frog Pod, Boon Bug Pod, and the various shoe lines.

Can you share some products that you are planning to put in your store soon?

We’re excited to announce we will be adding Haba toys, Oopsy Doopsy Tutus, Papila and Lucy Locket (plus a few more…)

Why do the products change?

Simply put, the products change because availability changes and so do the wants and likes of the children in my life. Although I’m the mother of two girls, we have a very close knit group of friends with children of all ages and sexes…and no two are alike. I want to have products that meet lots of needs!

Why is shipping included in your prices?

By including the shipping costs in price of each item, I am able to offer you the lowest price available. Some things are expensive to ship – desks, tables, bulky stuffed animals – but other things like wallet-sized cameras are much less expensive. I want you to pay for what you get…not share the cost of someone’s desk purchase shipped to Alaska!

Do you offer coupons?

All the time! We’re consumers, too and there is nothing we like more than a good deal, so we like to offer those to our customers, too. As any true shopper can attest, clothes purchased at a great sale price even feel better to wear! Please be sure to register with the site so that you can be notified of all our sales and clearance events.

Do you offer Military Discounts?

YES! 365 days a year! My husband has proudly served in the U.S. Army for 12 plus years, and we acutely understand the sacrifices those in the service have made for our country. In order to get the military discount code, simply fax your ID to (877) 273-8707 or email it as a .jpg or .pdf to alexis@doodlebugandpeanut.com, and I will immediately send you the discount code. Whether you’re a dependent, active, retired or reservist we will gladly extend a discount to you!

Do you want feedback?

Yes! Please! Love us, hate us, think we’re just right or just crazy, please drop us a line. We want to hear from you so we can learn what products you want to see more… or less of!

Do you link to other sites?

Of course! If we find a product we love that we cannot offer to sell, we’ll gladly offer our customers a link to where they can purchase those products.

As a business owner, what is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Treat every customer the way you would want to be treated as a customer. Never forget to shop your own store.

Thank you so much, Alexis, for the informative interview. I know I learned a lot about you and Doodlebug & Peanut Creations.

You definitely want to visit this boutique.  You will be absolutely amazed at the sheer number and variety of products they offer.

Cream of the Crop: The Pink Poodle Boutique

Welcome to this week’s edition of Berries and Cream Blog Design’s Cream of the Crop series. We hope that you will enjoy today’s featured site, The Pink Poodle Boutique.

____________________________________________

The Pink Poodle Boutique is another online boutique that carries unique items. Here is what Christian had to say when I interviewed her.

Please tell our readers a bit about yourself.

I like to think I am Super-Single Mom (no cape necessary) : My world revolves around 2 children; one with special needs. My career and day job is in corporate event coordinating and event facilities management. I head up a online mother’s group, TxRIOT. My family is all local and VERY active. And then I offer freelance event coordinating services and have my little boutique.

When did you begin your business?

2003

What inspired you to open The Pink Poodle Boutique?

After the birth of my first child, I wanted to do something from home to marry my professional career as a freelance events coordinator with my new life as a stay at home mother; coordinating while providing unique, hand-made print pieces, decoration and gifts for children functions was the natural step.

What will people find at your site?

Infant to youth fashion & dress-up clothing and accessories, along with special event supplies and decor.

What is your favorite item in your store right now?

I really like the Personalized & Photo Confetti.

Do you plan to add anything new to your store soon?

I will be expanding the selections of confetti shapes within the next year. I will be adding confetti in a Beach/Summer theme, Western theme, Graduation theme and Baby theme.

Do you offer any specials?

Yes, you can receive 25% off your order by utilizing promotion code MomPack at check-out

If you haven’t checked out The Pink Poodle Boutique yet, do stop by and take a look. You will find many neat items. Like Christian, I really like the personalized confetti.

What is your favorite product from The Pink Poodle Boutique?

Cream of the Crop: Sunny Island Breezes

Welcome to this week’s edition of Berries and Cream Blog Design’s Cream of the Crop series. We hope that you will enjoy today’s featured blog, Sunny Island Breezes.

______________________________________________

Well, it would have worked out better if I had either finished this post before I scheduled it to post or had just saved it as a draft. My apologies!

Nancy of Sunny Island Breezes is one of my favorite clients, and I enjoy stopping by her blog, too.  Not only is her design serene and peaceful, evoking a feeling of the tranquility of a tropical paradise (which was the atmosphere she wanted for her blog), but her content is also interesting and is regularly updated.

Nancy’s archives reach back to March of 2008, and if you explore them, you will find that she loves to read and review books.  I have really enjoyed her book reviews because they always include the first chapter from the book, which gives me a better view of the book than a review alone could do.

In addition to reading and reviewing books, Nancy also publishes weekly blog posts on various topics: Finance and Fitness Fridays, Thursdays Travels, and Sunday Scriptures are three regularly featured categories.  If you like cooking, explore Nancy’s Recipe Box.  Sewers will enjoy perusing Sewing on Saturday.

Overall, you will find a variety of interesting content at Sunny Island Breezes.  What is your favorite category from this blog?

Cream of the Crop: Bargain Briana

Welcome to this week’s edition of Berries and Cream Blog Design’s Cream of the Crop series. We hope that you will enjoy today’s featured blog, Bargain Briana, a blog devoted to bringing you the best in bargains.

______________________________________

Bargain Briana is where I learned the most effective way to use coupons. I had tried using coupons one time before, and after saving a few cents on a name brand product but still paying more than I would have paid for the store brand that I usually bought, I gave up, figuring that coupons weren’t worth my time. Boy, was I ever wrong! Since finding Bargain Briana’s instructions, I have consistently saved 40%-60% on my grocery bill and am able to purchase better food and more of it for less money.

Because of my experience with her site, I was thrilled when Briana agreed to answer my questions.

Please tell our readers a bit about yourself.

I’m Briana Carter of BargainBriana.com and a mother of four active children ages 2-10. By day, I utilize my Master’s Degree in Accounting as Controller for a Plumbing & HVAC contractor. After work, practices, dinner, showers, and the kids are in bed, I blog and love every minute of it!

I started my blog this past summer (2008) in response to family and friend’s interests in my bargains. I don’t consider myself frugal by nature because I love to shop! Finding bargains, deals, freebies, and cheapies are a great way to curb my spending. I save money in one area so I can spend it in another. If it is a bargain, BargainBriana.com (http://bargainbriana.com) covers it!

My goal is to teach others to save money while shopping by utilizing effective coupon methods. I always knew about coupons but never really knew how to use them. This is not something that can be learned overnight and the savings usually start to show after you have a nice stockpile of your basic items. When I first started “hard core” couponing in 2006, my family was resistant. Once they realized how we really could buy more for less, the whole family is involved with saving money. From the kids looking for coupons at the store, clipping coupons, or helping me shop, saving money is a family project. Being called a “Coupon Freak” is a term of endearment in our household.

For struggling families or families who just want to save more while shopping, Bargain Briana, can help. Come visit me at BargainBriana.com for the latest coupon match ups, freebies, and bargains!

Why do you blog?

To share my fabulous deals!

What do you normally blog about?

Bargains, deals, and money saving tips!

What is your favorite post?

How to Make Your Own Free Ringtone!

What are some of your readers’ favorite posts?

The 15 days of Couponing Series. It is a basic guide to couponing. [Note: this is the series that taught me how to coupon.]

As a blogger, what is the best piece of advice you ever received?

I don’t remember anything specific but I love reading Blogcoach.org to get fabulous tips on a regular basis!

Thank you, Briana, for taking the time to share a bit more about yourself. If you aren’t already familiar with her blog, stop by Bargain Briana and find out for yourself how much help it could be to you.

Cream of the Crop: Seeryus Mama

Welcome to this week’s edition of Berries and Cream Blog Design’s Cream of the Crop series. We hope that you will enjoy today’s featured blog, Seeryus Mama.

_______________________________________

Sky of Seeryus Mama is another blogger who has become more than just a client, and I am so pleased to be featuring her blog today. I appreciate her taking the time to answer my questions.

Sky, please tell our readers a bit about yourself.

I’m the 30 year old mother to two. Johnny is 9 and Pea is 19 months. I’m a part time library lady and I also volunteer as the Public Relations Coordinator for the Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant.

When did you start blogging?

I started blogging seriously in March of 2008.

Why do you blog?

Blogging has brought so many wonderful people into my life…I don’t know who I’d be otherwise!

What do you normally blog about?

I blog about my kids and product reviews and giveaways.

Do you have any upcoming events or posts that you think our readers would like to know about?

I have a lot of exciting giveaways coming up! Stay tuned!

As a blogger, what is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Just be yourself! And you know, it’s true!

Thanks, Sky, for letting us get to know you a bit better.  You always review great products, and I love your giveaways at Seeryus Mama.

Next Page »