BiggerPockets

It depends what kind of blog theme, in my opinion.

There are tons of great looking blogs that don't even look like blogs, and much more like a company site would "normally" look...

And then there are also blogs that look like blogs with great content and a "Contact" section with the company info.

I'd say to split test and see what works the best, but anything can go if executed the right way. :)

No, it is an adjunct. Same goes for Twitter, Facebook, etc. At the end of the day a company needs website.

Are Blogs hard to design and get up and running?

I think that blogs are an excellent idea, but I dont think that it should be used as a substitution for a company website. Suprisingly, websites are easy to design and fairly inexpensive. A few days ago I created a very simple website in about 9 hours, and trust me, I'm the least tech savvy person in the world. Yahoo uses various software that makes it as simple as can be at only $12 per month for hosting... The best bargain I've found and you can include a blog on your website if you would like to.

Blogs themselves can be free (www.blogger.com). At its core, blogs are online diaries and sounding boards.

I wouldn't recommend using a blog instead of a website, like everyone else it can make a good supplement to your whole internet campaign but really just using a blog seems to come up a bit short. I think the wordpress route for a website is a fine idea because it has the all-in-one seo pack plugin, but it requires a little computer know how or have the patience to follow a ton of direction.

Personally I've set up about half a dozen wordpress sites and the tools, plugins, and flexibility are there to make it come off like a regular site. I buy the hosting from godaddy because you get a discounted $2 domain name and they have an option that integrates wordpress into the hosting for you. So basically the starting cost is like $9 with a $6 recurring hosting fee. Pretty good bargain if you've got the time, patience, and know how.

One thing that really stands out to me that is missing from the picture is that blogs don't typically support squeeze pages for special reports. But our system involves running that combo because we go with the autoresponder approach and do fairly well. We're big fans of the special report :)

Another suggestion would be to take advantage of some of the other social networking tools, like YouTube is a great resource where you can make a playlist of what you have options on or what have you. I really like the blog tech because it qualifies you above others if they learn their options from you and heck, you already have a rapport. Also it gives you a great chance to take up some more space on your keywords and fine tune your brand.

Quick ideal set up: Website - (Wordpress Blog/GD-hosted) & a Wordpress Blog... well maybe Blogger by google. I think google kind of favors its own product in the search engines a bit. :P

Some really great advice in these posts.

The only thing that I'd like to add is the fact that one must realize that owning a blog means a serious commitment to actually bloging!

There is nothing worse than a visitor entering the site and seeing the last post dated more than a few days old. They will simply click away.

However, nothing stops you from organizing a blog in such a manner that the posts look more like articles and don't show posting dates.

raz

I agree with those who would use wordpress pages and a blog. This is the best platform I've seen that can give customers the information they seek about your company and furthermore they can interact with you via your blog.

In real estate, things like IDX displays and lead capture can certainly all be integrated into a blog, so a blog can definitely serve all the needs you have.

The only caveat I'd offer is that many visitors, especially if your market niche is not comprised primarily of tech-savvy clients, are not as familiar with a traditional blog format. If you're going to have just a blog, make sure it's designed well, implementing static pages and different page formats, so that it will present itself as a more traditional-looking site.

Many investors use blogs because of ease and manageability and initially, most are free. It is important to remember that whether using a blog or company website, it is a representation of your company for public viewing. If you prefer a blog, you need a professional theme to help win the trust of potential clients. We recommend you purchase a theme to ensure the overall look and feel is professional. However, if you are serious about real estate, consider a website. Although you have multiple options, outsourcing the website design is a cost efficient choice. Once the site is launched, your only expense would be annual hosting fees. With a website, it is vital that you work closely with the designer to ensure every detail for appearance and functionality is included.