I was travelling yesterday as President Obama was accepting the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal and instead of watching the scene roll out on CNN and internet sites replete with Twitter commentary; I had to hear about it on the radio. I find it rather odd that two years ago that would not have even seemed unusual to me, but off and on throughout the day I found myself wondering about the opinions of others that I have included in my online social circle.

At the end of the day, when I opened my Facebook and Twitter streams only to find venom and hate against our President, I was glad that I was not included in those discussions. I would have surely responded with a different view, entering into an argument that wasn’t mine to win.

And that is both the beauty and challenge of our omnipresent social media. Traditional websites have blossomed to include social media streams discussing their brand and products ad infinitum. I like it on most days. But I like the old way too, when my opinion was truly my unencumbered opinion, not shaped by others who liked or disliked something before me.

So how does the traditional website owner embrace social media in a way that allows their customer to feel empowered in their choices? Should they limit comments on their website? Should they allow comments at all?

It’s a tough call and that is why for traditional businesses, I favor using both a website and a blog. The website allows the company to offer its product and services in their voice. The blog allows opinions of salespersons, communications staff and customers to be heard. A website and a blog offer the prospective buyer the best of both worlds. Your best webhosting solution will allow you to integrate the blog into the website. Those who want to participate will jump to that page, read and comment without disturbing the flow.