But for everyone else who isn’t a talking head or consultant, just how important is being first when it comes to a small business blog?

The First Who Were First

Being first in your niche is a huge deal if you’re trying to get a book deal (or are otherwise trying to get “blog famous”). We see the origins of this template in the first wave of blog stars: Regular people — not dotcom or marketing types — in the early 2000s, who blogged about their normal-ish jobs and lives, were among the first good bloggers representing their field, accumulated a bunch of readers, got attention as the mainstream media started picking up on blogs, and then got book deals.

In my mind, the prime examples of these “firsts” are a taxi blog, a bouncer blog, and a waiter blog. (Coincidentally, all of these bloggers, while good writers who told interesting stories, were also based in New York. Funny how that East Coast media elite-thing works.)

Anyway, now that just about everyone who’s going to blog is blogging, you’re most likely not going to be the “first” in your field, or even the first to break a story. (Nothing is original any more, and there really is nothing new under the sun, right?) So this means you’re not going to get your book deal. Which, I think, is a well-needed reset of expectations.  (The one exception seems to be strippers’ blogs. People can’t quite seem to get enough of strippers and sex workers who blog.)

Ways You Might Still Be First

So you can’t be a mega-first — the spot for first taxi driver blogger is long taken. That’s okay, because you’re not going for a book deal: you’re trying to help out your business. All the previously stated reasons for small business blogging apply: Increased engagement with customers and prospects; higher visibility in search; the ability to get better feedback and tell your side of things; etc.

You might still be able to be a first in your area — your town, ZIP, or service region. These are the people most valuable to you — getting noticed by a reader across the country might be nice (and could possibly lead to some incremental business if you do mail order), but reaching the people who might actually darken your doorstep are better.

Even if your local niche is crowded with bloggers, chances are you can still find a competitive advantage by covering something that others are missing. People can’t cover everything (or at least they can’t cover everything equally well. Sorry to be maddeningly vague, but it really depends on your specific field and locale.)

Next Can Be Pretty Good, Too

Sometimes, it’s better not to be first. Or rather, there are different advantages to not being first. The first person up the hill gets the credit, but also takes the arrows. And especially in the “breaking news exclusives” space, being first means that you sometimes sacrifice quality or accuracy for speed. By being “next” instead of “first”, you get to see weaknesses and mistakes; see untaken angles or things that you can do better; add deeper analysis from alternate perspectives; and even round up and analyze what other people have said.

The key is to try and add something original. And seeing how opinion is rarely original, try doing something original. If you’re a blogger commenting on something everyone’s already talked about, why not be different from every other pundit and actually try going to a primary source? (This is what journalists do. Well, some of them.) A noted example how an Industry Standard blogger quashed a false iPhones in Congress rumor, just by calling to get confirmation, which no one who blogged it thought to do. (I really like this example, and not just because the article uses one of my photos.)

Anyway, I’ve gone on long enough. It’s your turn: Have you found ways to be a “first” small business blogger? If not, have you found a way to be “next”? Please leave a comment and let us know how you found a niche, and what you’re doing to stay on top of it.

When I invited participants of my food discussion group, Sietsema’s Table, to tell me what they most wanted from a restaurant’s Web site, I got an eyeful.

At the top of diners’ wish lists: descriptions of dress codes, driving instructions, the ability to make reservations online, current menus with up-to-date prices, Metro accessibility information, hours of operation, photos of the restaurant’s entrance and interior, and information regarding special needs. Is the site wheelchair-accessible? Are large-type menus available? Are substitutions allowed for those with allergies? As one poster pointed out, “With the right information, those who cannot be handled well will avoid the restaurant” instead of showing up and having a difficult meal, “then giving bad reviews to everyone they know. It’s in your interest to present your establishment honestly.”

Also telling is the stuff they don’t want to see: Flash, animations, and music. (Especially when the music “makes my co-workers think I’m on a porn site when I’m just trying to find a menu.”)

For my part, I did cover many of the mentioned items, but I didn’t really weigh the importance of accessibility or special-needs considerations. The quoted poster is absolutely right, especially since people with special requirements probably also participate in the relevant niche communities online, the impact of which I mentioned in my first “everbody’s a reviewer” entry.”

Another important thing to mention is the absolute necessity of keeping current and always showing the most up-to-date information. This goes for things that change rarely (phone numbers, parking info, etc.), but more crucially, for things that change frequently (like menu items). Not coincidentally, this is another strike against using an all-Flash Web site, or anything else that you can’t quickly and easily update by yourself (like PDF files of your menus).

In the case of something that changes really frequently — like daily specials — consider a blog: The new stuff is always on top, so it’s tailor-made for stuff that updates and expires quickly. Plus, if your specials are  part of a larger blog for your business, it always gives you something to write about, and you can use them as a hook to talk about other important elements of your business.

In short, for a restaurant, nothing should be stale — not even the info on the Web site.

Now, although this particular topic is pretty restaurant-centric, a lot of the basics apply to any other type of brick-and-mortar business. Have your own tips or pet peeves? Leave a comment below.