Have you been pondering over the blog vs website question?
Knowing precisely what a website and blog are and distinguishing between the two will help you make the right choice for your online venture. And by choosing the right option between a website and a blog, you will achieve your online goals.
In this guide, I will explore the blog vs website debate. I’ll walk you through the definitions, differences, and pros and cons of each.
What is a website? 🌐
A website is a collection of publicly available web pages attached to a single domain name.
Website pages share related content, and the web files are kept on a server.
What is a blog? 📝
A blog is a website with frequently updated pieces of content commonly known as blog posts or simply posts.
By default, blogging platforms like WordPress display blog content in reverse chronological order from the newest to the oldest posts.
Here is an example of what this looks like on our blog:
Blog vs website: what makes them different? 🤔
Now that we have defined a website and a blog, let’s drill deeper and distinguish between the two.
Websites are static and blogs are dynamic
First, website content is static. It typically stays the same for extended periods.
Website content is static because the info on core website pages, such as the homepage, about us, contact us, and product or service page, usually remains the same. For instance, details like your company’s street address, phone number, and email address rarely change.
On the flip side, blogs are dynamic.
The essence of blogging is providing the latest information about a particular topic. Therefore, blogs get frequent updates. New posts are published daily, weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. Blog owners also revisit and update old posts for accuracy, adding new data or reworking the content angle. So vital is this need for freshness that content refresh SEO is now a thing.
Websites use pages and blogs use posts
Another difference in the blog vs website debate is how designers structure them.
Blogs use posts while websites use pages.
These pages can be categorized in different ways:
Hierarchical structure
This is the most popular website structure. It’s also known as the tree model. In the hierarchical top-down structure, pages revolve around a parent (or primary) page and child or sub-pages. It’s perfect for websites with tons of content.
Linear structure
This website layout is based on a sequential format that links to pages in a specific sequence so that you view content or complete steps in the correct order. These sites have a specified beginning, middle, and end. This structure is often used for online instruction manuals, as the goal of linear website structure is to make sure users don’t miss a single piece of content.
Webbed structure
In a webbed page arrangement, pages spring from the homepage, similar to the hierarchical structure. The homepage of a webbed structure website will have many links and individual pages will also be linked together so that users can get where they need to go quickly from any part of the website. Ecommerce sites love using this structure as it allows users to easily access and move between product pages.
Database structure
The database structure, also sometimes called the matrix, is complex. This layout organizes pages in a bottom-up style. The database site design suits mega websites with thousands of pages and sub-pages joined by countless links. Because database types of websites are massive, they are best navigated via the search feature.
Wikipedia is an excellent example of a website that uses a database structure.
All blogs are on websites, not all websites have blogs
You can publish a blog on a platform like Medium without establishing your own website, but that blog still exists on the Medium website. You cannot make a blog available online without connecting it to some kind of website.
A website, on the other hand, can exist without a blog. In fact, if you don’t have the time to come up with relevant article topics (and write high-quality content) on a regular basis, it can be much easier to run a website without a blog.
Blog vs website: pros 👍 and cons 👎
Next, let’s consider the benefits and pitfalls of blogs and websites.
Let’s start by looking at the advantages of blogs over websites.
Benefits of blogs
- Generate more traffic since they are updated regularly
- Increase brand awareness as blog visitors share your fresh content
- Build deeper connections with prospects and potential customers
- Have a viral marketing potential if a blog post takes off on social media
- Establish your brand as an authority in your industry
- Produce tons of content you can repurpose for other marketing campaigns
- Give you multiple monetization options, so you can make more money
Downsides of blogs
- Need a lot of time or financial investment to produce content week in and week out
- High chances of failure if you haven’t mastered search engine optimization (SEO)
- Poor content won’t produce the desired results as there’s fierce competition
Advantages of websites
- Acts as an online channel for selling your products or services
- Less expensive to maintain than blogs that need constant updates
- Markets your business online 24/7-365
- Provide an extra customer support channel to help customers who have issues
- Give customers vital information about your business
- Allow you to reach a wider audience and get more customers
Cons of websites
- Setup and maintenance can be time-consuming and costly, especially if you don’t have the technical expertise to do it yourself
- Data breaches can lead to the theft of sensitive customer info
- Dealing with a torrent of spam messages can become its own full-time job
Blog vs website: Which one is best for you? 🎯
In closing, now that you understand the blog vs website distinction, let’s address one last question: which is better between a website and a blog?
💼 Well, it depends mainly on your goals and the stage of your business:
- Do you want to drive traffic and get new customers? Then a blog is the best option.
- Looking for another channel to sell your product or service? A website would be ideal.
- Are you a new startup looking to introduce your brand to the world? Launch a blog to gain attention rapidly.
- Want to give customers an additional support channel? A website with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and knowledge base pages will do the trick.
- Are you an established business looking to attract customers beyond your physical location? An ecommerce website is the way to go.
Whatever your needs, get started today to enjoy the benefits of owning a website and/or a blog.
If you want to build a website, read our guide on how to make a website to get a detailed step-by-step blueprint. If you want to launch a blog, check out our tutorial on how to start a blog.
