By the year 2020, the number of bloggers is predicted to hit 31.7 million people. Why are there so many people blogging? Because it is an effective form of communication. This is why marketers often cite blogging as one of the key components of their content strategy.

While there are numerous reasons your company should have a blog, below are six of the top reasons:

1. More Indexed Pages

Websites that have a blog, tend to have about 434 percent more pages indexed in search engines. This means more opportunities for potential site visitors to find you when they hunt for any keyword phrase related to your industry. It might also help you rank higher as you establish your site as an authority in the industry.

Search engines have gotten smart, and they now track almost every factor on your site. Keywords are no longer as effective alone as they once were. Google, for example, is going to a more cohesive model that looks at all the data on your site. It compares that data to other sites linked up to you as well as what words are utilized that make sense or don’t make sense for the typical Internet consumer.

HubSpot turns up quite often in the search engines, and a big reason is their blog. They offer a number of pertinent articles and infographics aimed at the topics surrounding the services they offer. What HubSpot does particularly well is feature popular articles as well as articles hand-picked by their editors for their target audience.

2. Social Media Presence

Blog content gives you something to share on social media and gives social media users something to share with their friends and followers. Your blog essentially serves two purposes. It provides content on your website, and it also gives your social media manager something to share with readers on social media. Both of these efforts help drive traffic to your website.

The best use of blog posts is to hit social media on all levels. Pull out an interesting quote and an image and share just that small fact on social media with a link for more info. Add the ability to share articles on your blog to social media with a simple click. There are many ways to tie social media and your blog together, saving time and effort.

3. Informational

Some industries lend themselves to educating the consumer about various topics. A blog allows you to provide information to your target audience in a fun way. This can save your customer service or sales staff from repeating the same information over and over and can attract the exact type of consumer you’d like to sell to.

The posts on your blog can take many different forms to provide this information, including articles, infographics, slideshows and even video.

Note how Medical Guardian uses their blog to create useful content about health for users. The focus isn’t just on giving company news or sharing press releases. Instead, the content appeals to their target audience by providing useful information.

4. Establishes Authority

We touched on this topic for a minute, but establishing authority as a brand is something that should be stressed. If you have competition, and most businesses do, then establishing yourself as an expert in your field allows you to stand out from that competition. It shows the consumer that you know what you’re talking about, and you have key facts that others might not have.

How does a blog establish authority? The key is to back up your statements with facts and research, but to also share the unique things you know from being in business and why you know them. This is accomplished with white papers, articles and even personal stories from the people within your company. Don’t be afraid to also highlight customers you’ve helped as a business.

5. Increase Sales

Having a blog can increase your sales. In one study, researchers found that the typical buyer looks at three to five different forms of content before making the decision to purchase and talking to a sales representative. That means the more content you have, the better your chances are of engaging the user.

While the content might not directly increase your sales, it does increase the number of times your brand is in front of the consumer. In turn, this increases the chances the consumer will contact your company and possibly purchase a product.

Taking a trip to any of the Disney parks is not a cheap vacation. It is quite an investment, so understandably, people want to check out what is available before taking the plunge. Disney does a good job of providing a lot of in-depth information about their parks on their Disney Blog. Once a user reads articles on specific rides, features at resorts and insider tips, they are more likely to purchase a vacation package.

6. Gain Trust

Would you be more likely to do business with a brand you saw as trustworthy? Adding a blog to your business website can lend credibility to your overall branding. Eighty-one percent of online shoppers say they trust blogs as a reliable source of information. Most online shoppers do some research before they commit to buy.

If the consumer is comparing your product with another company’s product, being seen as trustworthy could make the difference. Even if your product costs slightly more, the consumer may choose the product they feel a company will stand behind and that has a proven track record.

Why You Need a Blog

As you can see, there are many reasons your company needs a blog. The facts prove that companies with a blog tend to get more links, more traffic and gain the trust of their site visitors more easily. Even if you have a small budget, start with a few quality articles a month and grow from there. A good blog will both answer questions and meet the needs of your customers while providing entertainment. You really don’t have anything to lose by adding this key element to your website.

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A typical conversion rate on a contact form is a mere 3 percent. However, there are some things you can do to up that percentage for your own site and to ensure those leads are the highest quality possible. Here are nine strategies to ensure you get as many leads as possible from your contact page:

1. Use Less Form Fields

One of the first things you should do is look at how many fields are in your form. Statistics show that the more fields for the user to fill out, the more likely he is to abandon your contact form. Reducing the number of form fields to less than 10 increases lead conversions by 120 percent, and reducing the number to four or less takes the conversion rate up to 160 percent. It is worth your time to figure out what information you truly need and what you can do without for now.

Marketing guru Neil Patel has a fairly simple contact page that still addresses the needs of his users. You simply tell him why you’re getting in touch, add your name, email and notes if you’d like, and you’re ready to submit. This allows for some customization, while not requiring too many fields to fill out.

2. Test Your Forms

This might sound obvious, but it is a step many website owners overlook. The form likely works great on their end, because they are logged in as an administrator. However, does the form work for someone without a username on your system? Take the time to thoroughly test everything on your contact page. People can’t get in touch with you if the forms won’t work.

3. Confirmation

Make sure you offer some sort of confirmation that the form has been submitted. Otherwise, even if the form is working, the user may suspect it isn’t. This can translate into multiple submissions and frustrated users. Make sure when the site visitor clicks Submit that a thank you/ your form has been submitted message appears. In addition, you’ll want to set up an autoresponder that will generate a thank you email and let the user know you’ll be in touch soon.

The Kentucky Guild of Brewers has a simple contact form where you fill in your name, email and basic message. Once you hit submit, you get a “Thank you!” message. This lets the user know the form has been submitted. They then follow up by getting in touch with the person within short order.

4. Give Users a Reason

Explain to your site visitors why they should contact you. This might be an offer of a free guide, a note about your expertise and that you’d like to share it, or some very specific reasons the person might want to get in touch. Make it easy to get in touch with you and users know you’d like for them to make contact. Sometimes they just need an invitation.

5. Multiple Ways to Get in Touch

Offer the user more than one way to get in touch. No matter how much testing you do, there will be a browser or system on which your form doesn’t work well. Some people simply don’t like or respond well to forms, either. Instead, also provide an email address and perhaps a phone number. The more ways a user has to contact you, the easier the entire process becomes and the more user-friendly your site.

Take a look at how WPEngine creates multiple opportunities for contact. First, it has a live chat window that pops up. However, if you prefer not to live chat, you can simply send a message or call. If you click on Send a Message, you are taken to a contact form. On the right is additional information, including an email address and physical mailing address, as well as a repeat of that toll-free number.

6. Highlight Social Media Profiles

People aged 18 to 34 are more likely to follow a brand on social media than other age groups — about 95 percent of them follow brands on social media. A good place to add social media follow buttons is on your contact page. Some of your customers might prefer to contact you via social media channels. As a bonus, they will likely follow your brand, allowing you to market to them in the future.

7. Place the Form Above the Fold

Don’t just push your contact form down to the bottom of your page and leave it there. It might be better to have it above the fold, even if you need to put it on a separate page. Even though placing above the fold doesn’t ensure your form will be viewed, the engagement rates for items above the fold does peak. The best way to engage users is to convince them to take action.

8. Watch the CAPTCHA

Have you ever tried to submit a form, but you can’t figure out what the CAPTCHA code is? This is quite frustrating to the user. Some CAPTCHA forms use images or scrambled letters and numbers that are very difficult to read. If you must implement a CAPTCHA, keep it as simple as possible. One good choice is a check box next to the words “I’m not a robot.” In one study, CAPTCHA created a conversion rate drop of 3.2 percent, which can really add up when form submissions aren’t very high to start with.

9. Privacy Policies

Make it easy for the user to find your privacy policy. Some people are reluctant to share their information because it has been abused in the past. No one wants a bunch of spam filling their email inbox, so people tend to be really protective of their email addresses. Show them they can trust you not to sell or share their information and they’ll be more likely to share it.

Get More Leads Through Your Contact Page

Everyone loves to generate more leads, and following the tips above will help you generate quality leads. A contact who is interested in what your business has to offer is worth far more than one that simply clicked on the form in order to enter a contest or get something in return. Cultivate the target audience you most want to reach, do split testing until your contact page is performing well and increase your conversion rate more than you thought possible.

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1. Informed Employees

One of the first things you should do is make sure employees are informed about any online promotions or coupon offers and how they apply to the brick-and-mortar store. It is quite frustrating for customers to see an offer online, go into their local store, mention the offer and then receive a blank stare from the clerk. Even if the offer is online-only, the employees need to be aware of it and have a plan in place to satisfy the customer’s needs, such as placing an in-store online order or making a comparable offer.

2. Smartphone Pings

There is technology available that allows physical stores to ping a customer as he or she walks by the store. For example, if your business is located in a shopping mall and the consumer has downloaded your shopping app, you can send a “push” that if they come in today, they will find the new spring line. Pings can include a discount, the consumer can earn points for coming into the store or they can simply serve as a reminder that the business is there and the consumer likes that store.

3. In-Store Kiosks

Some companies have begun to embrace the way their customers interact with technology. For example, Staples and Kohl’s both offer in-store kiosks that allow you to order a different size or color of a product. If the store is out of all but the display item, you can go to the kiosk and order a new item sent to your home. In many cases, the shipping will be free if you order the item in-store, whereas ordering online requires a minimum purchase to receive free shipping.

4. Pointing Customers to the Website

There are many ways your storefront can point people to the ecommerce site for your store. Even though brick-and-mortar still accounts for 90 percent of retail sales, ecommerce is growing at a faster pace, so this is likely to change. As more and more people shop online, you’ll want to take advantage of that trend so your store doesn’t fall behind. Add your website address to bags and store literature and ask your employees to mention online specials to customers.

5. Experiential Graphics

Experiential graphics are elevated graphics that totally immerse the person into the experience. The designs include signage, way finding systems and even architectural graphics to create an impact on the consumer. These immersive environments can use a storytelling approach to educate and entertain visitors.
Imagine walking through an entryway that feels as though you are undersea with fish moving around you, the sounds of being underwater and such a vivid design that you’re almost tricked into thinking you’re a fish. You can easily tie this into your online efforts by adding photos and information about the experience in order to entice online consumers into visiting your store.

6. Click and Collect

While many online retailers in the United States offer free shipping with minimum orders, not as many have gotten into the habit of having consumers order online and then pick up in the store. There are a few standouts, of course, such as Walmart’s in-store pickup and Kroger’s ClickList service. Allowing those who prefer to shop online to place their order online, but come into the store to pick-up the item, is smart business that can drive foot traffic to your store.

7. Reviews

Customers often base their decision to buy on the viewpoint of others who have already purchased the product or tried the business. Make it easy for your customers to see what others have to say about an item. Storefronts can highlight top reviews on displays or provide QR codes so the user can scan the code with a smartphone and pull up reviews for the item.

8. Personalize the Shopping Experience

Utilize your online data to help drive the shopping experience in your store. Take the time to look at who your typical site visitor is. Now, think about what might attract that person to visit your brick-and-mortar store. For example, if your target demographic is made up of millennials who love music, invite a local band and provide a special event for your customers to attend. Get creative with the ways you can reach out to your typical customer.

9. Immediacy

About 60 percent of people who purchase an item from a physical store say they do so because they want the product now and don’t want to wait. One way offline stores can benefit from offline traffic is to provide online shoppers with the information they need to get the product today instead of waiting for it to be shipped. This can include information such as letting the customer know the product is available at a specific location near where they are located.

10. Drive Online Sales From Offline

Train your employees to drive online upsells. For example, if a customer comes into a clothing store and buys a new outfit, encourage the customer to check out the “find your perfect pair of shoes” feature on the website. Or, have a sign that lets the consumer know that, if she didn’t find the exact item she wanted in-store, she can order it online. Train your sales team to help with online sales so they’re prepared if the need arises.

11. Offer Added Value

It’s difficult for brick-and-mortar stores to compete with online mega retailers. The prices can be difficult to beat, for example, and online marketing could fall flat. What storefronts can do is offer added value. For example, if the customer comes into the store, the employees can offer a customized experience and help the customer find the exact item he or she is looking for. You can also allow online orders from your store to be returned to a brick-and-mortar store as an additional enticement to buy.

12. Self-Checkout

People are busy and younger generations sometimes just don’t want to deal with talking to yet another person when technology can do the same task. Add an app where the person can scan their items and check out on their own without going through a line — or install self-checkout scanners in your store. By offering the promise of convenience, you can attract people who would normally shop online to avoid crowds or congestion.

What Is the Goal of Your Business?

One of the key things you need to do for branding is to figure out what your brand is about and how you can reflect that in everything you do. Make sure you send the same message whether you’re marketing online or offline. The customer should easily recognize elements of your business philosophy no matter how or where they interact with your brand.

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