This is a review of the eBay Developers Blog.

One of the things that set blogs apart from news listings is the ability to interact with the readers, and their ability to interact back. Even a corporate blog should have the capability for readers to post comments to posts. Not only does this give the reader a sense of working with company, but it is free customer information. This is a lesson which the eBay Developers Program blog failed to receive. Customers of eBay who visit the blog will find that there is no way to comment, making the blog nothing more than a news feed.

Stepping aside from that, examination of the visual qualities of the blog leaves one quite unimpressed. Visuals are limited to text, text, a screen shot or two, text, a clip art image, and text. While many blogs get away with just text, the text is typographically pleasing, not the browsers default by any measure. Examination of the site also fails to readily explain what exactly the site is trying to do.

Over all, the blog is of poor quality, especially given the resources eBay could have put behind the blog. There are many things specifically which merit review, so here is a breakdown of how the site rates in different fields.

Availability, 8 out of 10 –

Typing the blog into a Google search yields the page as the very first link, which is very good. A search for “eBay blog” will yield the blog several pages in, but this is due mainly to interference with their blog service for customers.

Posting Frequency, 6 out of 10 –

The eBay Developers Program blog posts in high numbers but there may be long pauses in between posts, leaving readers with a empty newsreader some days.

Relevance, 4 out of 10 –

It is very difficult to identify exactly whom the blog is trying to reach. The posts remain focused on technical developments of the eBay system, but because of the many voices behind the site, it is hard to figure out why the readers should care. Reading the blog makes it seem more for corporate propaganda than a blog where the company can give news to customers and get feedback in return.

Accuracy, 9 out of 10 –

It is difficult to verify, but so far the blog has remained technically accurate. A point is lost in the inability to verify everything, or comment for further information.

User Interaction, 0 out of 10 –

For the users and readers of the blog, there is no way to directly interact with the blogs writers. The posts lack any comment system, not even a digg button. And aside from author names, the blog offers no means to contact the authors aside from googling their names and hoping a result appears.

Overall, the eBay Developers Program Blog received 27 out of 50, or a whopping 54%. Given this failing grade, one would hope their act gets together and with the times.

Originally posted 2009-02-10 05:57:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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If you are running a corporate blog and you feel that you do not have the customer base and the blog is not doing well, you may not be using the blog to its fullest potential. There are a few areas you need to examine to evaluate your blog to see how hard it is working for your company.

First and foremost, you should enable users to post comments, and your company should take the time to respond honestly and in full to user comments. While the blog is a podium for you to get your message out, it should also have a Q and A section to it, otherwise your blog will fail in the ether of corporate blogs. Answering the questions and comments that your users provide will ensure that your customers feel that you have a genuine interest in their opinions regarding your product.

Secondly, blogs should be in a conversational voice. Every post you make could be geared towards selling a product, but don’t make it sound like a commercial or copy for the product. Rather, you should make the piece have a real voice behind it. You can provide tips towards using a product, discuss upgrades to the product, give an insider perspective regarding the company, and many other posts which seem like natural conversation. Do not post blog entries as though you are a sales man; post entries which make you seem like an extreme fan for your company and its products.

Another aspect to watch for is whether your blog is providing a transparent look into your company, or whether it appears as though it is a filter piece of corporate propaganda. This is a very difficult aspect to gain control of, given that any large company will have a large legal department using black sharpies on every piece of copy. This ends up back at the same idea as before, you blog should be personal. It should be written from the customer’s perspective, as if they had open access to your company. Not only will you garner additional customers this way, but the ones you have will have much more trust in your company, and that means more customers.

Do not assume that if you post content on a site where users can comment, that you are blogging. That is a poor way to start and shows an indifference towards learning how to properly utilize the education available to you. Reading other blogs is the best way to truly understand how to setup your blog and how the posts should end up sounding. This also has a real benefit if you go to other blogs and comment and participate. This demonstrates that you have full interest in the consumer.

Finally, do not expect users to give you any real information on their own. Instead, gear posts towards asking your customers for their input. Making them a part of the creation process will not only give you valuable market research, but customers gain great confidence in a company when they feel that they are a part of the process.

All of these tips will ensure that you are utilizing your blog to the fullest potential. It is not a difficult prospect, but rather one that should should be approached from the consumers perspective, not the PR department’s.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-18 05:21:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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