I like the dos and don’ts as well – I would add it’s important to regularly update it as well, it makes your company look relevant and professional.

Anyway, short version: Blog as Business Gateway. WordPress as CMS. Two different things.

Having said all that, most off-the-shelf WP themes I’ve seen (even the much-vaunted Thesis) *do* make sites look like glorified blogs if they’re used unmodified. For example, they tend to carry over the sidebar content from the blog to all the other pages. I wouldn’t want a list of “recent comments” or links to umpteen different social networking profiles on my home page. (If anyone knows of a good free or cheap WP theme that has built-in support for different sidebars on different pages, I’d love to hear about it!)

I readily acknowledge that blogs are usually great for SEO and that systems like WordPress are easy to use, etc. However, by leading with a blog, you’re eliminating the all-important home page blurb. This is the copy that summarises and positions your company and offering, and sets your reader on a strategic ‘slippery-slide’ to conversion.

I know that blog posts can establish personality and tone, but they’re not directed like home page copy is. They generally cover a much wider range of subjects than home page copy generally would, and don’t usually do anything in the way of summarising your offering (because that’s counter to the culture of social media).

I know that some of these sorts of sites have a summary of sorts (e.g. in the header, or a prominent list of services), but many don’t. I know when I come to one of these sites, I always feel momentarily lost.

And my concern with this is not just the lack of the persuasion slippery-slide. It’s also the perception they create. It’s easy to mistake their purpose: are they just a blog that offers products and services on the side? If I’m after specialist services, I want a specialist provider, not someone who offers the service as an ‘afterthought’. (Big names like Michael Gray and Rae Hoffman may be able to get away with it thanks to the personal brand, but it’s not gonna be so easy for lesser known providers.)

Furthermore, there’s the straight usability issue: what do users expect? Just as they expect certain nav options (Home, About Us, Contact Us, Products, Services, etc.), do they also EXPECT standard home page copy? I know I do, but that may be just me. That’s why I’d be interested to see some usability studies.

Anyway, thanks for the post. This is something I’ve been pondering for a while, so if nothing else, it’s good to see some discussion about it!

Cheers, Glenn (@divinewrite on Twitter)

The search engine friendliness of WordPress is unmatched – especially with the correct plugin choices – and with a bit of PHP and CSS knowledge, there isn’t much that can’t be accomplished within the framework of the WordPress platform.