Is Your Web Site a "Groundhog Blog?"

My friend Brett Rogers at BeatCanvas gives me kudos for explaining to him my thoughts that every web site is really a blog, it's just some aren't dynamic. And please, can we stop calling a blog an online journal. That's just one way to use "blogware."

If I launch a blog, put one post on it, and rarely update it - wouldn't it be a web page? Yes. Would you visit often, bookmark it, or subscribe to the feed? Probably not. But that's what many companies do with their home pages (sans feed).

I also met up with Mike Wagner this morning. Mike is a master of metaphors and a brilliant brand-ologist. When sharing my thoughts with him, Mike replied that static web sites are really, "Groundhog Blogs," or blogs that are the same day after day after day.

Blogs are a conversational tool. There are so many ways to use 'blogware,' and more ways are created daily. Every one is looking for better ways to communicate their message. So why is your home page static and unchanging? You sent that message once - we're bored with it.

If you have a company website and start a blog, incorporate blogware into that site. Dave Taylor does this well (check out paragraphs 2-4), though I doubt many visit his home page. Dave talks about this on another of his sites.

If your company doesn't have a website, put one up using blogware. La Shawn Barber has her whole site built with WordPress.

UPDATE: Lisa Haneberg of Management Craft has re-launched her home page at www.lisahaneberg.com using WordPress. Two things to notice right away (aside from always offering Knowldege You Can Act On) is that the most recent headlines of her blog posts appear on the home page automatically. She's also offering free downloads of her e-books and articles. We can hardly wait for her new book, Focus Like a Laser Beam.

Comments

[Brett Rogers]

I'm still chuckling about this since you called to tell me what he said. It's so spot-on.

By the way, one of my early intentions with my blog was to allow the user to change its look. I want to do something like that, based upon what you taught me this morning.

Always good to chat with you, Mike!

[Michael Wagner]

Mike - honored to have made a contribution with Groundhog Blog.

Ideas, opportunities and ways of expressing (like metaphors we haven't thought of) what we already know need a conversation in order to live and make a difference.

Dynamic sites allow for the conversation just like friendly get togethers for coffee do. Only with the convenience of asynchronicity (my big word for the day, maybe the entire week).

[mike]

Love the thoughts and the choice of words. Way to keep the conversations dynamic:-)