If sales are stagnant, the problem is most likely the result of one or two things: You aren’t selling the right products or you aren’t properly promoting your online store. Of course, the answer could be found in a third option: You aren’t doing either.

Ecommerce doesn’t just happen. There is rhyme and reason to everything. In many cases, you can break it down like a math equation. If you do X and add Y but subtract Z you will get S, as in sales. But work is required to be visible, attract potential customers, engage them in the buying process and seal the deal. Ecommerce is full grown at this point and there is ample competition on the Internet. So you better put in the time to properly promote your online store. If not, failure is imminent.

The single best way to highlight your online store for customers is to create a blog. A well-written blog is a great way to put a human touch to your online store’s profile. This will attract and engage customers in ways that can’t be achieved with product and sales pages alone.

To help with the transition, here are the top 5 reasons your online store should have a blog:

Search engine rankings – This one is simple. If you aren’t registering on search engines – i.e. Google – then you’re spinning your wheels. It’s as simple as that. Without good SEO, your website is practically invisible. This is a bad thing unless you are in the fortunate position of being able to turn away new customers. Using keywords in certain ways and optimizing headlines, URLs and meta tags will promote the business end in a subtle, yet effective, way.

Engagement – Blogs, especially when combined with a comprehensive social media promotion strategy, are great for engaging readers and creating a sense of excitement. Polls, comment boards, contests and other special activities make the experience interactive and will keep customers coming back.

Education – Sales and product pages are viewed with an eye of skepticism by most consumers. They know you’re trying to sell something. But a blog represents a unique opportunity to inform readers in a non-intrusive way and answer important questions or address concerns.

Feedback – A blog also offers a valuable way to gauge customer interests and possibly hear what products and services they’d like offered. This interactive platform can be a very valuable source of prime consumer information.

Familiarity – While a blog will make your online store more accessible through lifestyle content, it also gives a look into the personality behind the business. This kind of insight offers human details consumers appreciate. It puts you on a level that will pay dividends in the long run.

Guest Post on Other Blogs

Guest posting is not the same as writing articles, as it typically means you have a relationship of some sort with the other blogger. By saying something original and interesting, you can turn many of the other blogger’s readers into your own. You don’t necessarily have to guest blog within your own niche, either – sites that talk about leasing groups financial sites, mom blogs – they’re all into guest blogging and welcome quality content that matches their own niche. Either way, you’ll enjoy interacting with others.

Try a Google Adwords Campaign

Google adwords allow you to advertise your blog without organically ranking very highly. This is a potentially very good way to get started and get some traffic flowing, sort of like priming a pump. This is one of the easiest ways to get some traffic coming to you. You’ll find searching for the right keywords to be an entertaining and enjoyable experience. Just make sure you start small so you don’t lose a ton of money.

Comment on Articles

If you write intelligent and thoughtful comments on articles and blog posts, you have the ability to promote what you’ve written by demonstrating what you know and how you can share your knowledge. Often, people find new blogs through reading the comments of interesting bloggers and clicking through to the links of those who left the comments.

Utilize Your Social Media Profiles

If you have Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, it makes sense to promote yourself on all three of these platforms. Whenever you have the ability to write out your blog’s URL for people to come visit you, do it. If nothing else, it makes finding you easier for people who’ve heard about you and want to learn more.

Write a Book in Your Area of Expertise

A lot of great writers over the past few years have released a book to cover a lot of ground that they also cover on their blog. But a writer need not be great to do this. Even if your writing skills are middling on their best day, people trust your word more if they know it’s also in print. Even if they never read your book, the fact that you’re a published writer they could look up on Amazon will build your credibility considerably.

Promoting your blog usually involves writing, and the process needn’t be hard or annoying. Just look at every new visitor you get as a new person who appreciates what you do and what you have to say. If you focus on promoting yourself, in time you’ll have tons of readers.

Leave Business Cards

A fun way you can promote your blog is to leave business cards at the places you plan to review. For example, let’s say you’re a culinary writer and want to review a restaurant you just tried. You can write a message on the back of the business card about the upcoming review and leave it on the table or give it to the manager. Either way, business cards are a great way to market your blog offline.

Slip a Note in a Book

There’s a book on almost any subject, especially the subjects that most people blog about. A great way to tell people about your blog is to slip a piece of paper into a library book, a book that you are trading through an online trading service or a book that you’re selling at a yard sale. Regardless, this is a great find for anyone who is passionate about the topic you’re writing on.

Spill the Beans

Do you ever have people come up to you and start random conversations or converse with the people at the register? This can be the perfect opportunity to tell people about your blog. If you don’t feel comfortable telling complete strangers about your blog, at least bring it up with people you know. Word of mouth is one of the most popular marketing tools.

Post a Free Ad

Does your blog offer how-to information? Then why not share that information with as many people as possible? There are a number of places where you can place free ads. Many classifieds even have a section for information, but if not, place your ad in the services column.

Contact Your Local Visitor’s Center

If you blog is about local events there is no better way to market it than through the local visitor’s center. You can create simple fliers for the center to hand out or even a brochure. Either way, this is a great way to get more page views. Frequent visitor’s to the area will check your blog often to find out about upcoming events and specials.

There are thousands of ways to market your blog online, but don’t forget the importance of offline marketing. Whether you’re spreading the word through business cards, brochures or word of mouth you may be able to attract hundreds of new readers.

What Is Google Webmaster Tools?

Google Webmaster Tools is not only a way to check the ranking of your blog, but offer great inside information on what works for your blog and what doesn’t. Blogger can see which keywords attracted the most people and from where. The tools also allow bloggers to see which websites link to the blog and even give users the ability to set preferred domain names. In other words, Google Webmaster Tools gives you much of the information need to know to make your blog successful. While it may take time, every blogger should be using these tools.

Why Should I Use Google Webmaster Tools?

Let’s say you write about a popular topic and use the right keywords, but the page views are dismal. With Google Webmaster Tools you can get a better understanding of why your post bombed. The same is true for a post that drew in thousands of readers. You can look and see where the visitors were coming from, which keywords drew them in and where your page currently ranks. Google Webmaster Tools can even tell you if there were problems while indexing your site and which errors led to the problem. Best of all, Google Webmaster Tools gives you an inside look on how your site stands up to others when people perform searches for keywords that your posts contain.

While Google Webmaster Tools may not be able to give you all the answers you need to succeed, it can make a difference in how your site performs. Whether it’s telling you where traffic comes from, which keywords work best or just how well your page ranks, Google Webmaster Tools offers useful advice for bloggers wanting to blog professionally. So, what do you have to lose? Dig a little deeper and learn what you can do to make your blog the best it can be.

Include Live Links to Your Best Blogs

Chances are you have a number of blogs and there’s another chance that some do better than others. Including live links in your resume makes it easier for companies to view your work. Be sure to link to the homepage of your blog and that your blog looks the best that it can. Before sending out or posting resumes, you should tweak your design and remove any unnecessary clutter.

Highlight Your Accomplishments

A blogger resume should also contain a list of accomplishments you have made as a blogger. You may want to list your most prestigious awards, number of page views and followers or comments received by important people in the field of your topic. Remember, you are competing with other bloggers. You need to show companies why you are the right person for the job. Just remember to include proof of your achievements in the form of pictures or live links.

Mention Stats

If important people follow your blog or social networking accounts, it pays to mention this. A company will be interested to know that the content you write for them could be seen by potential investors or people willing to endorse the company. People want to know your story. Other information worth mentioning includes search engine ranking, number of pieces of content published and of course how long you’ve been working in the blog industry.

Explain Your Skills

Last, but certainly not least, you should highlight your skills. You want to list the platforms you’re familiar with, your understanding of SEO, your ability to connect with readers through social networking sites and your knowledge of social bookmarking sites.

Creating a blogging resume isn’t that difficult. You need to understand though that there are a number of other bloggers applying for the same jobs. Your resume needs to stand above the rest by showcasing your skills, accomplishments and stats. Don’t forget to also include live links throughout your resume to show off your best work.

Optimizing your channel description. This is different from channel title optimization because the channel description should be written with the readers in mind (as opposed to the search engines). Of course, you want to fill your channel description with plenty of good keywords, but it should also be well-written, and drafted in a way that will attract the attention of readers. You can also use HTML tags to customize your channel descriptions and make it “pretty.”

Branding. When it comes to developing a powerful Internet presence, branding is everything. But did you know that your RSS feed can be branded, too? Make it a point to add an image to your feed – either your blog’s logo or a photo of yourself – as most RSS feeders will feature this image right above your content. Also, make sure to put a favicon (an icon specific to your blog – usually your logo) in your domain’s root directory so that it will show in the navigation bar of your RSS feed.

Housekeeping. Make it a point to regularly tidy up your RSS feed, so that RSS feeders can load it quickly. Take out older posts and archive your content to keep it your RSS feed running clean and smooth. This way you won’t lose impatient readers.

By following these simple tips, you can not only improve your RSS feed’s functioning and search engine optimization, but you can also create a personalized experience for your readers. You really can’t afford to not be taking advantage of what an optimized RSS feed can do for your blog, so the next time you put your time and energy into a new blog post, make sure you also dedicate some time to improving your blog’s RSS feed.

The best place to start is the Weblogs section of the website About.com. The reason is that this site provides tips along with the listing of blogging jobs. You can also visit the larger websites like ProBlogger that advertise the blogging jobs. Do not miss the mainstream job sites like Career Builder and Monster. Generally, these sites will post better paying jobs. Another option is the blogging network, which hires paid bloggers. They are acquired to look after existing blogs. Network will typically ask for samples on the specified topic. You can also check out the blogs like Deborah’s where freelance writing jobs are advertised. You can also get jobs that offer you a share in revenues.

Always have a blog of your own while looking for a well-paid blogging job and make sure it is updated every day. This allows you to demonstrate your capabilities as a blogger to the talent hunters. You can share your blog with your relatives, friends and business associates. Having your own blog also allows you to gain experience that will be handy while applying for blogging jobs. You also need to be persistent as there are many people looking for these jobs. After having gained more experience, you can also go for better paying jobs and remember to keep away from frauds as some unscrupulous characters have entered the business and they do not pay for your work. Ensure that you are working for a reputed company.

Use your social media to generate traffic

Some blog owners still don’t like using social media sites to promote their blog, which is a shame. Links provided to social media sites can generate quick feedback and visits because it’s easier for your friends and acquaintances to click on the link and then read the article. Don’t be shy, self-promotion is not a bad thing.

Posting schedules should be considered

You may have written a wonderful article. But before you post it, make sure that you post it in a day and/or time where you will get more mileage from it. Study your blog traffic and post your great articles on a day or time when you usually anticipate more traffic going to your site. Just post your more “generic” content at a time when there is less traffic – even on a weekend if you want to.

Use a more critical eye when reviewing your post

Don’t just write and post your article. Before you publish your blog post, take some time to step back and look at what you’ve just written. Chances are there are some things that you can tweak and improve. For example, a more descriptive title, or a stronger opening to your post.

However, traffic is not all that matters when it comes to readership. Truth be told, a handful of blog readers are probably too lazy to keep track of all their favorite blogs all the time. Even those who use RSS readers might have dozens and dozens of feeds to sift through. A good number would probably prefer just to receive their daily dose of your blog right in their email inboxes.

The advantage of adding email subscriptions to your usual RSS feed link mostly involves added ease of access to potential visitors. Rather than fumble with copying and pasting the feed URL to their feed reader, they just key in their email address, hit enter,” and expect to be alerted every day of new items.

Some services even go to the extent of copying the body of each post content into the body of the email. At first, you might feel that readership from emails might be eating into your page views. To the contrary, though, most people who want to check out discussions will click on the item and read the blog post from your site itself.

How to set up email subscriptions

The simplest way to set up email subscriptions on your blog is to run your feeds through Feedburner. Once you’ve set up Feedburner to “burn” your site’s feed, you can activate the Email notification service under the Publicize tab.

Can I monetize email subscriptions?

The main problem with email is that, unlike the web, you’re not always sure how your readers will be reading your content. Will it be in HTML? Will it be plain text? Will it be on the desktop computer, or a mobile device? It’s always best to assume that readers will be reading your post in as minimal a format possible, which means text.

This also means that monetizing content transmitted through email might be more difficult. You can monetize RSS feeds through AdSense or banner ads. With email, monetization will usually includes affiliate links and sponsored reviews. If your blog is popular enough, then you can run a newsletter for paid subscribers only, in conjunction with using email as a notification service. You can use software and services like Feedblitz and AWeber for this purpose.

In conclusion, adding email functionality to your blog would help drive traffic to your site. The main benefit, though, is that it gives users an easy way to access your blog without much effort.

Many times, I find myself tempted to write headlines with a twist, or funny ones that are meant to be an insider joke (meaning only a few people would understand it). If you run a blog intended for such a purpose, then by all means, go for it. For instance, you might run a literary blog, and you are fond of writing poetry. In many cases, the titles of your posts can be simply one word. It can be as far out as just a single exclamation point.

However, when you run your blog with the intent of providing useful information, or as a source for news, reviews and editorials, it makes sense to use relevant headlines. In this case, you need to include relevant keywords in the title itself. Including relevant keywords in the title can both help your blog become more visible in search engines, and it will also make your post more attractive to human readers, such as those coming from feed readers. After all, at first glance, it’s the title of their post that they encounter, and so people will often judge the content based on the headline.

Let me ask you this: when you do a Google search for a certain topic, do you necessarily click on the first result in the list? Or do you click the title that seems most appropriate to your query?

I must admit that in doing reviews for submissions here on EatonWeb, I often scan through post titles, both current and archived, before reading through posts. This lets me get a feel of what a blog is all about, even before I read through entries. It helps me gauge the relevance of a blog at first glance.

Write a better blog. Start with great headlines.