• Business Growth & Optimisation

6 Tips to Start a Successful Blog for Your Small Business

6 min. read09.11.2021
By Team Zeller

Discover the benefits of blogging for small business.

Have you ever Googled a business to see what their website content is like? Of course you have. Whether it’s to find a business’s location, check reviews, or read up about expertise of the staff — most consumers turn online when searching for a hairdresser, local plumber, mobile dog groomer, or a place to have dinner.

No matter what products you’re selling, or servicing you’re providing, your potential customers are searching for you online. Making sure they’re able to find your business is an important part of your marketing strategy — and blogging can help you get there.

Blogging for your small business will not only attract customers to your website, it also provides you with the opportunity to communicate your brand story, strengthen community ties, partner with other local businesses and show the people behind the business — in turn building a stronger brand, which can translate into a boost to your business’s bottom line. Incorporating a blog in your business strategy drives 55% more traffic to your business, than having a business without a blog.

In this post, you’ll discover the benefits of blogging for your small business and tips to generate small business blog post ideas that your customers will actually want to read.

The benefits of business blogging

Just like email marketing, social media, and direct mail, a business blog is a marketing channel that helps grow your business and attract customers by creating brand awareness. So, you’ll want to make your blog stand out from your competitors as the go-to place for customers searching for your product or service.

There are a number of reasons to begin business blogging.

  • Blogs drive traffic to your business’s website.

  • Blog content can be repurposed for social media, which equals more customer reach.

  • Readers can become customers — just add a call-to-action button on each blog page, prompting customers to learn more about your product or service offering.

  • If your content provides readers with answers to real questions, it has the potential to add value long-term.

  • Blogging helps with link building, an important SEO metric that can help your website rank higher on search engines.

  • You can use your blog as a space to show customers what goes on behind the scenes, which can help alleviate haggling or discussions about discounting.

Getting started on your business’s blog

Now you know the benefits a business blog can bring, it’s time to start blogging.

You’re probably wondering where to begin. Before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), there are a few things you should do to give your blog the best chance of success. Below are a few blogging tips for small business that will help you get underway.

Set a consistent blogging schedule

Consistency pays off. Space out your blog articles so that new content is added weekly. Studies have indicated that posting 16 posts per month can generate three and a half times more traffic than posting just a few times per month.

It’s a good idea to set up a posting schedule to ensure that you are always adding new posts to keep customers engaged, and prevent your blog from going stale.

Write a list of topics

Coming up with small business blog ideas may seem like a complicated task — and it certainly can be, without proper planning. Yet coming up with a list of blog topics can be as simple as writing down all of the most common customer queries you receive.

For example, if your business sells specialty bed sheets, then you’ve likely been asked about the differences between different types of material. A blog post explaining what thread count means, and another exploring the differences between bamboo cotton and other materials, will be of interest to your potential customers.

If you’re in the hospitality business, you might like to use your own expertise as the basis for your blogs. You could publish a recipe and a story about its origins, or write an article about how to match wine with food at home. Think about the conversations your staff have tableside; business blogging allows you the opportunity to take those conversations online, and reach even more people.

Service-based business owners could provide updates on the latest trends and industry news, such as on-trend hairstyles for hairstylists, or comparisons of grass types for landscapers. If you blog about what you know, it will be a much easier task.

Your blog posts should focus on what your business specialises in, and provide thoughtful and entertaining content. The key is to look for content ideas that are relevant to what your business is selling, and will engage readers at the same time.

Conduct keyword research

You’ll want your blog to be read — otherwise, what’s the point in writing? The way to attract eyes to your blog is to get it as high up the search results as possible, for relevant keywords. Put simply, when a potential customer searches for something relevant to your business, you want to appear.

For example, if someone in your local area types “Sir Walter vs Palmetto” into Google, you want them to find your article exploring the benefits of each type of grass. That way, when they are ready to landscape their garden, yours is likely to be the first business they’ll call.

Having the right keywords will help you target your local market and bring new customers to your business. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a strategy that will achieve this by helping you find localised keywords. It will also help you generate ideas for topics to blog about. Nail your SEO, and your business may also appear in Google’s 3-pack — making your business discoverable to your local area.

Read our blog for more tips to help your business’s website rank higher on Google, and be seen by more potential customers.

Write your blog

The ideal word length for blog posts is 2,000 words. Now, you’re a business owner, and more than likely won’t have the time to write 2,000-word posts — and that’s okay. Quality over quantity is what it comes down to.

Ensure what you’re writing about is relevant and has a catchy title of six to thirteen words for it to rank well, and receive traffic. Also, readers like visuals — so if you’re trying to explain something and there is a picture or diagram that helps illustrate your point, use it.

Distribute your blog

There are numerous strategies to get people to read your blog and drive traffic to your business.

Consider the following ways to distribute your content.

  • Email newsletter: invite your customers to sign up for your newsletter, and keep them updated with tips and other content that will keep them coming back to your business.

  • Social media: publish posts with links to your blog, and promote them on the socials via organic or boosted posts. Boosted posts are easy to set up, and can be targeted to a specific area. Read our blog to discover more tips and tricks to get your content in front of the right audience.

  • Google My Business: claiming your Google My Business listing will further increase your business’s exposure, and encourage your customers to leave reviews. Having a listing here will also help your website’s SEO. Read our blog for a step-by-step guide on how to make Google My Business work for you.

Scaling your small business blog

Launching a successful blog that readers find engaging and drives business outcomes (red: more sales) takes more work than simply writing a few blog posts here and there. A successful small business blog requires a considerable amount of time, effort, and planning — however, when executed well, it can be a valuable part of your business plan that will help grow your business and brand awareness.

Once you’ve set up your business blog, where to next? Think about content planning, tracking keywords, and incorporating guest posts. Your goal is to make your blog the go-to source of information for your product or service, and that takes time and planning.

Meet Zeller: we’re reimagining banking for Australian businesses

Accepting payments, managing your finances, and paying recipients should be simple. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Our research shows the majority of Australian business owners are dissatisfied with their business banking. The truth is, most merchant services solutions aren’t built to help your business thrive. That’s where Zeller comes in. Today, we’re launching Zeller — giving Australian merchants affordable, accessible, and innovative tools that enable businesses to get paid, access their money, and manage cash flow — without ever having to set foot inside a bank. We’re reimagining business banking through powerful new technology, backed up by local support and personalised service. An innovative SME alternative to business banking “Innovative” isn’t a word usually heard in the context of merchant services. Finding integrated financial solutions to grow and support your business often requires you to weave together multiple products from different providers, which typically means longer processing times, more paperwork, and a more frustrating experience. Large enterprises benefit from financial solutions tailored to their specific needs; traditional banks have shown that they’re more than willing to pour resources into supporting big business. However, this comes at a cost to the everyday Aussies behind our small to medium sized businesses. SME owners are typically forced to fit the traditional banking mold, suffering through archaic onboarding processes only to be hit with high fees, lock-in contracts, and slow processing times when the paperwork is complete. For new business owners, this can present what seems like an insurmountable hurdle to starting and growing a venture. With 67% of businesses stating they would prefer a non-Big 4 bank, it’s clear that Australian business banking is fundamentally broken. A lack of innovation from the incumbents means merchants like you are overlooked and underserved, at a time when they should be thriving. Businesses need new tools, technology, and support to grow. And that’s why we built Zeller. What’s in the box Zeller is all-in-one payments and finance solution for Australian businesses. It helps to accelerate your business cash flow by giving you a next-generation EFTPOS terminal, a free business transaction account, and free business Mastercard, all in one box. 1. Zeller Terminal Our research revealed that 71% of business owners using clunky EFTPOS terminals regularly consider switching providers. High costs and expensive fees, slow deposits that impact cash flow, and a lack of local support are all common reasons for businesses looking to switch. The majority of Australian business owners are dissatisfied with outdated EFTPOS technology currently on the market. Zeller Terminal is an all-in-one card payment and EFTPOS solution. Our next-gen payment terminal allows you to accept every payment from every customer – Zeller Terminal accepts contactless devices, contactless cards, chip cards, magstripe cards, and will soon also accept alternative payment methods such as Alipay and ZipPay. As new payment methods continue to emerge and shape the way Australians pay for products and services, Zeller Terminal will adapt to support Australian businesses to grow. Read more about Zeller Terminal . 2. Zeller Transaction Account We understand that being able to effectively manage and access your cash flow is key to the long-term survival of your business.  That’s why we make sure your funds are available as quickly as possible after taking payment from a customer. Zeller Transaction Account is included free when you sign up for Zeller. Your account is instantly ready to use, giving you real-time visibility over your settlements and spending — no lengthy paperwork required. When you take payment through Zeller Terminal, funds are settled directly into your free Zeller Transaction Account within the day. You also have the option of sweeping your funds into any existing bank account, and they’ll be accessible as soon as your bank allows. Read more about Zeller Transaction Account . 3. Zeller Mastercard By giving you the tools to accept payments, store and settle funds, and spend your money, we're significantly reducing the time it takes for you to get access to your funds. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 60% of small businesses close within their first three years — and the most cited cause for business failure is poor cash flow. As a business owner, fast access to your funds to pay your staff, suppliers, or buy product, is imperative. Read more about Zeller Mastercard . By seamlessly combining these services into a fully integrated solution, Zeller significantly reduces the time businesses spend on finding a merchant services provider, completing lengthy applications, getting set up, and connecting disparate payments and financial services solutions — all while speeding up your business’s cash flow. Watch the video to see how Zeller works in more detail. Your business, your way Merchant services should work the way your business needs, allowing you to pick and choose the business banking products you need to sustain and grow a profitable business. With Zeller, you have the option to choose the parts you need – Zeller Terminal, Zeller Transaction Account, and Zeller Mastercard work just as powerfully together as an integrated solution as they do alongside your existing products. Learn more about our EFTPOS machines and how our newly launched products are changing business banking for the better.

9 Questions to Ask When Buying an EFTPOS Terminal

Here's what you need to know about finding the right EFTPOS terminal. Searching for a next-gen EFTPOS machine that accepts modern payment methods, processes payments quickly, settle funds into your business account as fast as possible, and looks good on your countertop? Finding the right terminal for your business is important – you’ll rely on it for secure, fast cashless payments that keep your cash flow looking healthy. Some terminal providers will lock you into long contracts, with expensive termination fees, so knowing what to look out for is key. How much is it to have an EFTPOS machine? The EFTPOS machine you choose will depend on variables such as your budget, sales volumes, Point of Sale (POS) software, and fees associated with your merchant account. It costs $259 to own a Zeller Terminal outright. There are no hidden fees or charges, and no lock-in contracts. When you sign up for Zeller, you also receive a free Zeller Transaction Account (into which funds accepted via Zeller Terminal are settled nightly) and a free Zeller Debit Card — so you can pay suppliers and make business purchases with ease. Keep reading to discover the nine questions you should keep in mind when comparing EFTPOS terminals. 1. Do I understand the fees? Many business owners don’t realise they are agreeing to pay hidden fees, such as expensive terminal fees, until it’s too late. Sign the dotted line and you could be agreeing to pay a lot more than anticipated for your EFTPOS machine — and lock-in contracts usually come with hefty fees for early cancellation. Otherwise cautious business owners fall victim to hidden EFTPOS terminal fees time and time again. However, these fees are required by law to be disclosed somewhere – you just need to know where to look. Make sure to go through the terms and conditions with a fine-tooth comb; never solely rely on a verbal quote. If you’re already using an EFTPOS machine, check your merchant statement as this will tell you the processing fees and other fees you’re currently paying. It’s also important to remember that, in most cases, if you decide to rent your EFTPOS terminal you won’t own it at the end of the payment period. You’re simply paying for the privilege of using it, and will be left empty-handed when the contract ends. Although renting may look like an affordable option at first, it’s a tactic designed to get business owners to pay far more than what the terminal is actually worth. Zeller Terminal is yours to own for one low payment of $259. There’s no lock-in contract or hidden fees; we know you’ll keep using your Zeller Terminal because you love it, not because you have to. Learn more about Zeller Terminal and whether it’s the right solution for your business. 2. Will it be easy to use? Taking payment is usually the last interaction a member of your staff has with a customer. However, time wasted teaching staff the intricacies of a confusing system is time that could be better spent on other parts of the business. The ease with which staff process a payment affects the customer experience at every business. Your EFTPOS payments terminal needs to be easy for all staff to use, with minimal training. This is especially important if you run a retail store that hires casual staff during peak holiday and sales periods, or in another business that regularly hires new workers. When shopping for an EFTPOS terminal, consider whether it has been designed by a team that understands your business. Are the prompts straightforward? Is the user flow intuitive? Your terminal should feel natural and simple to use. If it is, your staff will save time with every transaction – and you’ll save time training them how to use it. 3. Can I customise it to suit my business? Some EFTPOS payment terminal providers will force your business to work their way. This is related to the point above: if you choose a provider who understands your business, you’ll likely find there’s no need to change your internal workflows. An EFTPOS terminal should fit the way you want your business to work. When selecting a terminal provider, consider how well it fits with your established processes. For example, you might want the ability to: restrict the ability to provide a customer with a refund to a small pool of staff, such as managers charge your customers a surcharge enable tipping customise your receipts Choose a provider that gives you the power to customise the way you accept and manage your payments and you’ll save yourself from needing to retrofit your processes to fit the tool. 4. What happens if my internet cuts out? Your business needs to be able to continue processing cashless payments even during periods of internet outage. You don’t want to have to send your customers to the closest ATM, or have them scrambling for cash. Occasionally, small periods of service downtime will be unavoidable. Your internet provider might be down for routine maintenance or there may be a power cut to your area, or another technological issue may impact how your EFTPOS terminal connects to the internet. However, any period of downtime has the potential to negatively affect your business — the impacted customer may never return. That’s why, when you choose Zeller Terminal, you have the option to switch to another network. If you’re experiencing issues with your Wi-Fi provider, it’s simple to connect via 3G to another network and continue processing payments using your SIM card. 5. How often will I need to charge it? These days, many businesses are run on the go — so a mobile EFTPOS terminal is a must. Cafes and restaurants that take payment from the table depend upon a long-lasting battery to get through the day. For a retail store, a long-lasting battery provides the flexibility to take payments from wherever is convenient for the customer. For mobile services such as trades and beauty technicians, having the ability to take payment on the go saves you the hassle of returning to your computer, sending an invoice, then following up until payment is finalised. It’s essential that the EFTPOS terminal you choose has enough battery life to give you peace of mind that you’ll never miss out on crucial transactions. 6. How fast can I put my funds to work? Depending on which payment services provider you choose to use, you could access your funds the same day you earn them – or you could be waiting upwards of three business days. The speed of settlement can have a big impact on your cash flow. Choose a provider that’s slow to settle, and you may find yourself in the frustrating situation of needing a business loan to tide you over until your funds are released. When you use your Zeller Terminal in combination with your free Zeller Transaction Account , you’ll get same-day settlement for your funds so you can spend using your Zeller Debit Card . Or, if you want to use your existing business bank account , your funds will settle the next business day. 7. Is there setup and ongoing support? Painful setup, hard-to-follow instructions, and uncontactable customer service representatives are headaches you simply don’t need. Some EFTPOS terminal providers are intuitive enough to use out of the box, whereas others come with a booklet of instructions you’ll need to follow. Or, you may be asked to book a technician to manage the setup on-site. Once you’re up and running, having multiple ways to ask for help – whenever you need it — is important. If your business operates in the evening and on weekends, look for a provider that offers extended support hours. If something goes wrong and you need answers fast, you need to feel confident that someone will pick up the phone on the other end. 8. Will it protect my business? Fraud is a risk for businesses of any size. Recurring chargeback fraud , in particular, can be costly for a business. When considering any financial services provider, it’s important to check whether it's backed by a team of security experts. You’re trusting this business to handle your money. Zeller’s Support team monitors transactions round the clock — 24 hours, 7 days a week — to prevent fraud before it happens. Backed up by intelligent machine monitoring, our team works to identify and respond to fraudulent attacks in real-time. 9. How soon can I get it? If you’re ready to start selling your products or services now, choosing an EFTPOS terminal that takes weeks to be delivered is an unnecessary setback. Why eat into valuable time you could be turning a profit? Ideally, your EFTPOS terminal will be available for delivery quickly. Even if you’re not ready to start accepting payments at your business, getting your EFTPOS payment terminal as soon as possible will give you extra time to get up to speed with its features and options for customisation. We offer fast, free shipping anywhere in Australia, for all Zeller purchases. Sign up for Zeller in minutes. Zeller Terminal and accessories can be purchased online from the Zeller Shop with free express shipping and same-day dispatch. Once you’ve considered these 9 questions, you should have a good idea of the non-negotiables you need from your EFTPOS terminal provider. Remember to always read the fine print and understand what you’re really paying for when you sign the dotted line.

How An EFTPOS Terminal Can Benefit Your Business

Considering a card machine? Here's what to weigh up. Having a reliable card machine and accepting card payments is becoming increasingly important to Australian businesses. Contact payment is now the norm, so when you’re starting up a business, one of the first things you’ll need to consider is whether to get EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of sale). While there has been a rapid decline in cash payments over the past decade, the rise in payment technology means it’s crucial to be informed about the various EFTPOS options that are available to your business so you can make the right choice. Looking for more information about what EFTPOS is and how it works? We’ve written a handy article explaining exactly that. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of using EFTPOS in your business. What are the advantages of EFTPOS? The advantages of EFTPOS include faster transactions, encryption for security, quicker access to your funds, the ability to offer multiple payment methods for your customers' convenience, and proof of payment with a digital or hard-copy receipt. Faster transactions A card machine has the superior ability to speed up transactions, which means you can create a better service experience for your customers while also lowering your labour costs. For the hospitality industry, increased efficiency is the key to handling rush hour. This is the time your business will be making the most money so it’s important to be able to keep customer satisfaction levels high while finalising transactions quickly. Having EFTPOS machines handy helps your employees keep up the pace during those frantic peak times. More secure EFTPOS machines offer businesses a much higher level of security than when you’re dealing with cash and keeping large quantities of it in your till. Thieves primarily target businesses that make a lot of cash quickly. By having card payments where the funds transfer directly into your bank account, you are more likely to avoid being a victim of this type of petty crime. Quicker access to your funds Instead of making a time-consuming trip to the bank to deposit cash, then waiting for it to hit your account, you can accept funds through Zeller Terminal. The money will conveniently settle in your account by the next business day. If you sweep the funds into a Zeller Transaction Account, they can be available even sooner. This helps increase your business's cash flow. Some card machine providers have setups that take longer, so if fast access to takings is important to you, look for a provider that prioritises this. Accept multiple payment methods EFTPOS terminals can accept a wide variety of payment methods, including contactless technology. Options include AMEX, Apple Pay, Google Pay, eftpos, and more. Letting your customer choose what’s convenient for them will ensure you meet their needs. It's a key part of providing exceptional, memorable customer service as a whole. Proof of payment An EFTPOS terminal will provide your customer with a physical receipt, which proves what, when and how they purchased goods or services from your business. Some providers, such as Zeller, will also allow you to email or text a digital receipt to your customers, so they can keep it for their records. Even if your customer doesn’t take the receipt, you’ve got details of the transaction to ensure there’s proof of payment. There’s no need to count your till when a customer says they think they paid with a $50 note, but your staff gave them change for $20, either. Disadvantages of EFTPOS Merchant services fees Each time a customer makes a card payment, you have to pay a transaction fee. When you’re being charged a different rate for accepting AMEX cards, eftpos, and the rest, it can become very difficult to work out how much you’ll need to pay your merchant services provider at the end of the month. This is one reason why the typical merchant statement can be tricky to understand. However, you have the option to pass that off as a surcharge. Look for an EFTPOS terminal provider that charges one flat rate, so you can anticipate your charges. Every card tapped, dipped or swiped on Zeller Terminal costs just 1.4%. You can easily toggle surcharging functionality one or off anytime, from Zeller Dashboard . Risk of downtime EFTPOS terminals rely on a working internet connection to make the transaction happen. Some internet downtime is unavoidable, whether due to service interruption or upgrades — it’s out of your control. When this happens, you won’t be able to accept payment. This is extremely frustrating for a customer and potentially harmful to your business reputation. Decoy Cafe , in Melbourne CBD, was experiencing multiple internet dropouts at peak periods. This rendered their card machines, provided by one of Australia's big four banks, useless — and forced staff to ask customers to return the next day to pay for their purchases. However, since making the switch to Zeller Terminal, Decoy has resolved its downtime issues. Zeller SIM Card (powered by Optus) provides backup internet connectivity, in the event your WiFi cuts out, so you can continue taking payment. Should you get an EFTPOS machine for your business? Without a doubt, you should be operating your business with a quality EFTPOS machine that’s available to your customers however they pay. Every EFTPOS machine is different, from the speed of settlement to the merchant services fees. Make sure you consider all the pros and cons before you make a purchase so you select the card machine that’s right for your business.

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