Blog Versus Website What You Need to Know

Graphic of 3 people standing near table with large computer screen discussing website creation versus creating a blog.

Blog Versus Website What You Need to Know

Blog versus website, that is the question. There is a difference. Either of them can be effective on their own. Combined, they are a dynamo!

What is the difference between a blog content and creating a website?

Blog content is generally more dynamic. Updates, or posts, are frequent. They tend to focus on a subject or topic the website owner is an authority on.

Website creation, on the other hand, is made up of pages. Website content is not added as frequently as blog content. In fact, new website content might not be added at all with any regularity. Website content tends to focus on a brand or subject. Once created the website content can be left unattended until a revision or update is needed.

The dynamic duo is a combination website content and blog content. There is no website versus blog here. It is a team effort. Combined they allow for the static pages to be found as a result of the ongoing updates via posts in the blog.

Dynamic Duo Blogging vs Website Getting Started

Blogging vs website, is there a right way to start? Yes. But it depends on your why. Before we can discuss that, let’s get an understanding of hosting and content.

When planning on launching a website or blog, it is important to understand the difference between website hosting, blog hosting, and content.

Website hosting is what allows you to display your website on the world wide web.

A website host provides the server. The web server contains all the technical elements that allows your website to function and be displayed. It is like the engine or motor tucked away under the hood. It houses a gazillion interrelated gizmos that jump into action at the turn of a key or push of the start button. As we are driving down the road we can’t see what’s under the hood but we know its working because the vehicle is moving.

In a sense, that is the function of your website hosting server. It is the unseen throughway that drives your content through the world wide web.

The blog platform is where the articles, posts, pages of products, coaching information, personal gallery, or just about anything you want found on the web is added. Examples of content platforms are WordPress and Joomla. For ecommerce, it might be Presta Shop or OpenCart. For eTeaching Moodle is a content platform.

An important point about content is SEO (search engine optimization). Blog content is integral to you being found by the search engines like Google and Bing.

In summary, to have a website and blog, you need a website hosting service, a domain name, and a blog platform. The content, graphics, videos, what you write, stuff you sell are stored in files on the content manager platform hosted on the website server.

For example, if your website address is WebsiteWebHostingServices.com, when someone enters that web address in a web browser, it connects to where your content is stored.

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Graphic of multi-colored steps with title Step by Step representings steps to take in deciding to launch a website or blog.

Steps to Creating A Website or Blog

Whether a multi-national enterprise or a home gardener there are three basic questions that need to be answered before creating a website or selecting a blog platform. They are …

  1. Purpose: What is it you want to accomplish?
  2. Name: What do you want to call your web property?
  3. Hosting: Free, Shared, or Dedicated which works best for your why?

Yes, there are other considerations. These are the three essentials that will get most personal to medium-sized businesses launched. If you are just starting out and can work your way through these three, then you are well on your way. Others decisions will fall in place as you go along your journey.

1. Purpose What is it you want to accomplish?

Defining your why, why you want to create a presence on the world wide web, is not just a nice-to-do. It is absolutely essential to establish the foundation for what comes next.

Consider this. Would you buy a professional tennis racket when your intention is only playing in the backyard. Or let’s say you decide you want to build a house. Would you do that without plans?

Your why, or purpose for your website, will determine your next steps. It is the foundation for your plan and the type of website platform you will need.

2. Name: What do You Want to Call Your Web Property?

Considerations in naming your website include branding, search engine optimization (SEO), length, memorability, and reflecting what the site is about.

If you are a coach or professional, you might want the domain name to be your name or the name of the practice. For example, TrophyMountainDental or JoshuaLaw. These would especially be conducive when your clients come from a specific community, region, or city.

On the other hand, you may want your domain name to reflect what you market or sell. For example, KingsCountyHoney or NorthWestFurs.

What is important is to decide on the domain name before deciding on hosting. Why? Because when you subscribe to a hosting provider, it will often include a free or discounted domain name registration for the first year as well as the installation of a platform for your website.

3. Hosting: Free, Shared, or Dedicated?

Because hosting is so important, here is a quick website hosting review.

Here is an analogy. You live somewhere. That somewhere has an address. Additionally that somewhere has rooms. Whether you are creating a website to sell stuff or to share information, your website, like you, needs a place to live. That place is called a host.

Similar to how you would chose a place to live, what you can afford needs to be considered. For example, you could live at home and pay nothing. That’s like free hosting with restrictions. Or you could live with friends and share the rent. Greater freedom and control, minimal restrictions. And, of course, you could have your very own place and pay the full rent or mortgage. Full control, upkeep, and maintenance required.

Choosing website hosting is similar. You can go the route of free hosting. But that comes with serious restrictions. Free is really not free. As you grow in your online adventure, you’ll discover that free hosting websites often impede SEO (search engine optimization) and other important marketing elements.

You could start off with a cloud private virtual server website hosting platform and have full control. If that is in the budget, go for it. But that is like investing in a Porche when a Volkswagen is all you need. For hobby websites or small business, that is way more than you need. Dedicated hosting is generally not necessary when starting out.

Small business, personal, or hobby webpreneurs would be best to start with shared website hosting. Shared web hosting is not about getting less. It simply means your website hosting provider has other people or businesses on the same web hosting server. It is like living in an apartment. You have autonomy inside your place even though there are neighbors on the other side of the wall. Shared hosting allows the provider to minimize the cost of the hosting service. That is why it is much less expensive than dedicated web hosting. Shared hosting is where we encourage 99% of our personal, hobby, and small business clients to start. If, at some point in the future dedicated hosting is needed, that upgrade can be done with minimal, if any, disruption.

Summary Blog Versus Website What You Need to Know

In review, a website is generally static pages that require minimal, if any, updating. An example of a webpage would be instructions on how to complete a form or an explanation of why the earth rotates around the sun. Each may require occasional updates. But generally, once published little updating is needed as change is static.

Blog content is dynamic. The information or insights charges regularly. Yes, old posts can be achieved and found. And yes older blog content is sometimes updated. But the overall concept of creating a blog is that the new content pushes the older content to the bottom of the reading list. Additionally, blog posts will often invite readers to leave a comment or even trend as a discussion. LinkedIn could be viewed as a blog even though it is intended as a place for making professional connections. As people post their thoughts, ideas, or observations, others can comment.

Website hosting is where all the gizmos are that make what you are putting on your website available to be found. Website hosting can be free, dedicated, or shared. Shared website hosting is what we recommend for personal, hobby, and small business websites.

A blog content platform is where you add your posts. Examples of content platforms are WordPress, Joomla, Presta Shop, OpenCarte, and Moodle.

Finally, determining your why, that is why do you even want an online presence, is what ought to be consider before getting started. Once the why is clear, start brainstorming for a website domain name. The name of your website plays a key role in not only people understanding what the website is about, but it is also for the search engines to decipher that as well.

There you have it. You can simply have a website filled with static pages like a driver’s manual or you can have a blog like a daily journal. The decision is determined by your why. Generally, a combination of static pages and regular posts works best for a personal, small business, or hobby website.</p>

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