Why a retailer blogs

Trey Pitsenberger, also known as The Blogging Nurseryman, is owner of The Golden Gecko Garden Center in Garden Valley, Calif. He offers some insight on why blogging is important to him and his business.

You’re reading this on a computer so take a moment and go to Google and type in “nursery consultants” and see what comes up. This is the unexpected part of blogging. The longer you do it and interact with readers the more often you find your blog showing up in searches for the strangest reasons. Google “what's in and what's out for 2007” and my blog shows up on the first page. Through search term analysis I find out that lots of people are visiting the blog because they want to know what’s going to be in for 2007. The Blogging Nurseryman knows! Actually I don’t have a clue, but now that person has discovered something that may or may not interest them: my blog! If they like it they might get a feed of the blog sent to their computer every time I update it. How cool is that? Now we have truly connected. So what if they are on the other side of the world and will never visit my physical location? With the Internet my store can now be visited anywhere there is a computer and often it’s my blog that leads them there first.

This kind of stuff will become more important as we start some online sales. They can’t buy from you if they can’t find you. I have a link on my blog to our company Web site so, if inclined, they can pop on over. It’s nice when you Google “where to buy plants in northern California” and my blog is on the first page. It may not be later, but for now it is. I don’t think that you can manipulate search results without eventually alienating your audience. Honesty, regular updating and linking to others who share your passions are the best way to attract readers.

For the readers of the blog (consumers) the blog is a way to meet the owner without ever stepping inside the physical store. More and more consumers want to know about the companies they do business with. No longer does just price, product, display or location mean everything. Does your company share the values important to your target audience? I know my customers use the Internet for many of their daily activities. Why not be there when they want to stop in? The frequent updating that occurs with blogs tends to attract regular readers more than a static Web site that only changes every so often, if at all.

My blog is a way to discuss important issues concerning gardening and the horticultural business with gardeners and horticultural experts alike. Since I allow my readers to comment on the blog we get all sorts of advice and information that directly impacts how we run our business. If something sounds interesting -- like garden centers putting in coffee shops or the competition from box stores -- I write about it and the readers respond. Some of the readers have refreshing points of view that you won’t get from people visiting your physical store. I have a number of readers who, while they live in all parts of the globe, have said they would make a point to visit our physical store if in the area. How exciting!

With the Internet and a blog you can reach people around the world with your ideas, and in turn expose yourself to ideas you may never have encountered otherwise.

-- Trey Pitsenberger, guest blogger