They are, after all, both types of websites; however, the differences lie in their structure and content.
Perhaps more confusingly, a blog can be a website on its own or one part of a larger site.
If you’re starting out and wondering whether it’s a blog or a website you need (or a website that contains a blog!), then you’re in the right place.
Here we’ll break down the subtle differences between a blog and a website to help you decide which direction to head in.
So, what’s a blog?
A blog is a type of website where the content is updated very regularly – sometimes every single day (and, if you’re super keen, multiple times per day).
Blogs focus on a niche topic, such as vegan shoes for women or home baking for beginners, and pretty much all the content will focus on this topic.
The most successful bloggers are seen as credible voices in their chosen industry and, as such, have a loyal fanbase who keep coming back for their content time and time again.
A blog is different from a regular website in that the content or ‘posts’ are organized in chronological order, with the newest content appearing first.
Good blogs will categorize the posts so that you can easily find the type of content you’re looking for.
For example, in the home baking for beginners blog we mentioned earlier, you could have categories such as ‘chocolate bakes’, ‘traybakes’, ‘birthday cakes’ etc.
Some of the most popular websites in the world are blogs and that’s because they’re updated regularly, provide valuable content, and are easy to navigate.
If you’re thinking of starting your own blog we’d highly recommend using WordPress, and you can check out this guide here on how to get started.
And what’s a website?
Essentially, anything with a URL (www.example.co.uk) is a website.
But for the purposes of this article, it’s best to think of blogs as ever-changing and websites as largely static.
The information on a website is organized into pages, and these don’t change much on a day-to-day basis, if at all.
The only time the information will really change is if you undergo a rebrand or want to freshen up your copy, or if you updated your website seasonally, for example at Christmas.
Another way to think of a website (as opposed to a blog) is like a book. Once the book is written, it has its structure, its chapters, etc, it doesn’t change.
There may be revisions or updates to the book over the years, but the fundamental information stays the same.
Blogs are more like magazines – each issue is completely different and unique and readers get value out of each one on its own merit.
So which one do I need?
It’s best to think about your business type and your goals, both short and long term.
For example, if you want to be selling products online then you need an eCommerce platform that is absolutely not suitable for a blog.
However, if you’ve got a lot to say about a certain topic and feel you could keep up a schedule of regular content, then a blog is your best bet.
Although, as we’ve alluded to already, the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Say you’re selling products, so you set up a website with a shop, but you feel you’ve also got some blog posts in you – great!
You can form a blog as a sub-section of your shop website, which you then update regularly thereby keeping your website fresh and providing great content for your customers and social media followers.
Websites vs blogs: it’s down to you
Hopefully, that’s provided some clarity so you now know the best way forward for your particular goals.
If you’ve got any questions or want help setting up your website, please get in touch below.
