Websites vs Blogs: Which One Should I Use?

You’ve got the product, service, or idea ready.

You’re motivated and excited.

But where do you start?

Let me answer that: at the beginning.

Blogs and websites play a very important role in the marketing of your business. It is important that you learn:

1. The differences between websites vs. blogs
2. Why having a blog and a websites is useful for your business
3. How blogs and websites can be used to make money

1. Differences

Website

Websites are a collection of static web pages.

Static, meaning that information rarely changes once the site is created.

The author of the website is able to add additional pages to increase the content, but the order of that content cannot be changed.

Companies use Websites to:

• Promote their products and services.

• Sell their products or services.

• Provide more information about their products or services.

Walmart has a ‘shopping cart’ feature where you can find all the items you would like to purchase.

Walmart has a ‘store finder’ option

• Websites usually contain information on company history, mission statements, terms and privacy, customer testimonials and feedback, and frequently asked questions.

• A website its formatted in either HTML, JAVA, Python, PHP, etc. giving you lots of flexibility when it comes to the layout. In order to create your website platform you must learn or hire someone who knows how to write code. This can be expensive.

• Websites are not places to build relationships. Once the customer has purchased his/her product or service they leave the website without any sort of interaction. It is unlikely that a customer will return for any other reason that to replenish their product/service.

Websites are great if you just want to showcase your organization. It’s easy for readers to surf through your web pages and find out more about what your company offers.

A websites homepage can lead to thousands of pages including a blog page.

Blog is the short form of the word weblog, as they are derived from websites.

Websites can contain blogs, but blogs cannot contain websites.

Blogs

A blog is an informational website that contains a collection of short, informal posts with the newest information presented at the top. They provide helpful, valuable, and interesting content that readers will find useful in their everyday lives.

• Blogs are usually presented in reverse-chronological order (where the most recent post is listed first)

• Blogs are more interactive than websites. They usually contain comment sections for customers to review posts, recipes, beauty products, etc. F

• The content in blogs are what attracts people. This is why it is important to post new content on a regular basis, as it will keep readers coming back for more.

Walmart has a place for customers to write reviews about their recipes.

• Blogs are created using a Content Management System (CMS) that allows you to update your site with new content on a regular bases. This is the easier and cheaper option for those who don’t know how to write code.

Click here to find out which platform is best for your blogging needs.

• Blogs are a great way for readers to get to know you.

• Blogs contain useful features like email subscriptions or Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to keep track of websites, posts, comments, etc. for readers.

It will be easier for you to manage your website and blog by using the same CMS because:

• You don’t need to learn how to write code.

• Your will maintain the same look and feel for both.

• You can use the same plug-ins.

• It will be easier for you to manage and update both sites on the same platform.

• You’ll rank higher on search engines. Search engines pay more attention to blogs versus websites because blogs are constantly updating their information and producing more traffic.

WordPress has always been one of the top picks when it comes to creating your website easier. No longer would you have to hire a web developer to make a website for you from scratch and take weeks to finish it. However, did you know that there are other more website builders available right now. Each having their own set of features that can make your brand pop out even more. 

In an article from Best10WebsiteBuilders , they have carefully researched each and every website builder available to help publishers and users pin point on which specific one they should pick for their brand. The top website builders include:

1. Wix
2. SiteBuilder
3. Site123
4. WebsiteBuilder
5. Shopify
6. 1&1
7. GoDaddy
8. Ipage
9. SquareSpace
10. Weebly

You can get tons of more details about choosing the most appropriate and fitting website builder for you by going to Best10WebsiteBuilders.

Website vs. Blog: Summary of the Differences

Website

• Collection of web pages

• Formal

• One-way communication

• Static information

• Displayed using hierarchy

• Contains information on products and services

• Transactional

• Rarely updated

• More common as it is a necessary tool for your business

Blog:

• Is a type of website (comes from the word Weblog)

• Collection of posts

• Informal

• Two-way communication

• Dynamic information

• Displayed in reverse-chronological order

• Contains information on customer/industry issues

• Not everyone has a blog

• Cheaper

• Updated frequently

2. Why having a blog and a website is useful for your business

So we’ve concluded that the best way to build your brand is to have a blog and a website. Here are 4 reasons why:

1. Drive traffic to your website

By creating relevant content for your readers, you will drive more traffic to your blog/website

You must use your other social media platforms (such as Facebook and Instagram) as tools to promote your blog/website. Post links and visuals on Facebook to entice readers to click back to your website.

Here is a Facebook post from MonetizePros advertising our article on time management tips. This will increase the chance that Facebook users will click back to our website to read the article.

Also, consider posting inbound links (a hyperlink back to your website) in your blog articles to drive traffic back to specific pages in your website.

Take a look at this article on why your site traffic sucks (and how to fix it)

2. Increase your SEO/SERP

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): is the process of maximizing the number of visitors to your website or blog.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP): Is the page that comes up when you Google something. It’s a list of the results returned by your search engine when you search a keyword.

Blogs are a great way to increase your SEO and your SERP rank.

Since new content is added on a regular basis on blogs, they generate more attention from search engines than a website.

By using keywords and popular topics and categories in your blog, you will increase the chance of people finding your article on SERP.

The more clicks on your blog post, the more visitors to your site.

3. Show that you are an expert

Be mindful when you blog.

Just like choosing proper keywords, you also need to choose the proper content.

By creating top quality content your brand will be seen as an industry leader.

If you create an article on “How to Make the Perfect Steak” then make sure it truly is the perfect way to make a steak.

If someone finds your article and tries out your recipe and as a result, makes the best steak that he/she has ever tasted, then that reader will always go back to your website/blog to find recipes.

In their eyes, you’re the expert.

4. Build relationships

By being an expert, customers will grow to trust you and your brand.

Blogs are also a great way to let your customers get to know you. Referring back to the same example used above, Ree Drummond posts an article about reasons why she loves her sister.

This gives readers a glimpse into her personal life, making her more relatable and trustworthy.

3. How to make money using your website/blog

There are many different ways for you to make money using your blog/website:

1. Advertising

There are three different ways you can use advertising:

1. PPC =Pay-per-click: This is when you get paid every time someone clicks on an ad on your website/blog. Google Ad Sense uses this model and is where many bloggers start.
2. ​CPM = cost-per-mille: This is where you get paid for every 1000 impressions of an ad that you can generate.
3. Direct: The most lucrative (but the most time consuming) of the three, direct advertising is where you directly contact a relevant business and sell them ad space on your website/blog

Click here for tips on how to find direct advertisement for you blog

2. Affiliate Marketing

This is where you add links to your article of a merchant’s website. If a reader clicks that link to the merchants website via your article and then purchases a product/service from them, you get a commission for directing that customer to their website.

Click here for a smart affiliate marketing strategies.

3. Sell products/services

You can sell digital or physical products/services directly from your website/blog.

If you produce super high quality premium content for your niche, then you can start charging readers for access to it. This can range from digital products or access to exclusive mastermind groups or forums.

Examples of digital products:

• E-books,

• Online courses and workshops

• Images, Videos, and music

• Tools, Apps, plugins, themes

For physical products, it can be tricky and expensive to carry inventory. Try drop shipping, where you sell goods directly to the customer via the manufacturer without going through the typical distribution channel.

Click here to learn how to drop ship.

Services have the highest profit for margin. This is because you are selling your time and not a product. However, you are limited to the amount of hours you work.

Examples of services:

• Consulting and training,

• Writing - copywriting, editing, proof reading

• Design – illustration, design.

• Videography

4. Sponsored Posts

If your website drives lots of traffic and you are considered an influencer in your industry.

You can start doing sponsored reviews. This is where you write honest posts about products/services and get paid to do so.

Click here to set up sponsored reviews.

Alternatively, you can do sponsored posts. This is where you publish a post provided by the advertiser or write a post that mentions them.

Commonly seen in the fashion industry, where businesses require the fashion blogger to post a picture of them with their product.

5. Flip your Website

Once you’ve built up a website so much that you have lots of traffic, lots of room to make profit and a large audience, you can find a buyer and sell your website!

Click here to learn what NOT to do when monetizing your website.

Conclusion

So in this article we learn the differences between websites vs. blogs, why having both is good for business and how you can make money with them.

Now its time to get started!

Click here to learn how to start a blog.