Do you have a 'Welcome Readers' article on your blog? It's ideally the first article or post you write on your business blog.

I consider the Welcome blog article a must-have for a blog. Not only does it welcome readers to your blog, but it also sets expectations for you and for them as you go forth publishing articles on a regular and ongoing basis.

If your business doesn't yet have a blog - or has one that might benefit from a reset - here are 10 tips for starting that business blog.

For perspective, I originally published this article in March 2012 a day after a #KBTribeChat about Blogging for Business that Todd Vendituoli hosted. I met him in person a few months later at Coverings 2012.

>> See Tile Industry at Coverings 2012 via Tweetup, Twitter Chat, Trends

The Twitter Chat reminded me that I had wanted to address this topic. As I revisit this article six years later, I'm reminded how critical it is to not just have a blog for business, but also to put it in the right perspective. These top tips should help.

What's your take on why blogs for business?

Do you consider them useful? A necessary evil? Something to run away from? A digital doodad with possibilities, but too confusing to pay much attention to right now?

Blogs Are Critical for Business

I consider blogs critical for business. In fact, I can't imagine any business serious about connecting with customers and getting found online being without one.

Without a blog, how do you create meaningful content for your customers?

If you're serious about inbound marketing, you'll want to embrace business blogging. Why? Because the two fit together like hand and glove.

Here's how it all comes together.

Not Sure About Inbound Marketing?

If you aren't fully sure about inbound marketing, don't immediately discard the idea. You see, inbound marketing is all about attracting interested visitors to your website and business. You do that with remarkable, delicious, relevant content that you publish regularly on your business blog.

What's the best way to go about writing a blog article or post on your business blog?

I do best when I methodically plan out my article before sitting at my keyboard contemplating a blank screen.

In case it's the same for you, I share with you my...

If you're serious about getting found online, you know that a business blog is your most critical asset. And, if you're really serious about getting found online thanks to a business blog, you'll want to evaluate it periodically. 

Congratulations if you have - or plan to have - a blog for your business. After all, it's a powerful tool for connecting with customers.

I think of my business blog as my business' own digital printing press for taking the world by storm online. I'm not dependent on publications or TV channels or billboards - or million dollar budgets - for communicating directly with my customers.

It's a heady notion. Thanks to digital resources - such as a business blog - you, too, can connect with customers in a way that used to only be available for Fortune 20 type organizations with cavernously deep pockets.