Website vs Blog: What’s the difference?
How to choose & Who you need to hire
Are you wondering whether your business needs a website or a blog? That's a good question. If you don't know what the difference is, you’re not alone. This is a common question, with a relatively simple answer. In this article, you’ll learn the difference between a website vs blog.
You’ll also learn what’s included when you hire someone to do it for you. When you’re investing significant money, it’s important to understand what you’re paying for. It’s especially important to understand what’s NOT included.
Let’s jump in!
What’s the difference | Website vs Blog?
The main difference is how they function.
A traditional website has stationary pages, referred to as landing pages. The content on the landing pages don’t change very often. Each page serves a different purpose. You’ll have a home page, contact page, services page, ect.
A blog is a type of website. The main difference between a blog and a traditional website is that the content on a blog is updated frequently. Instead of landing pages, you have blog posts. Posts are displayed in reverse chronological order. Every time you create a new post, it shows up on the top of the page. The previous posts are displayed below it.
A blog can be a stand alone website, or it can be part of a larger website. So it’s possible to have a traditional website, with a blog. For example, your business website may have stationary pages AND a page that serves as a blog.
How to choose: website vs blog
Does your website really need a blog?
It depends.
A website serves as your online storefront. It’s the hub of your online presence. People can visit your website to learn about what you do and buy from you. For many businesses, that’s all you need.
However, adding a blog to your website can improve your SEO. However, you need a good content marketing strategy for this to work. The more relevant content you have on your website, the higher you rank. Publishing regular content on a blog can help you rank for more search terms.
Another reason to have a blog on your website is to nurture relationships with prospective buyers. If you sell something that takes time before customers commit, creating a blog is a good strategy. Use a blog to educate prospective customers and build brand authority. Consistently producing useful content on your blog will keep your future customers returning to your website.
Keep in mind, starting a blog takes ongoing work. Unlike a traditional website, you have to constantly update a blog. You have to invest time every month to create content, or hire a content creator to do it for you.
Checklist for deciding if you need a website or a blog
If you’re still debating between a website vs blog, use these checklists to decide what’s best for your business. Remember, you can have 3 options: blog, traditional website, or traditional website with a blog.
You need a website if:
You need a home for your business online.
You sell products or services.
You want to showcase your offerings (and sell them).
You have an online store.
You want to create the site and be done with it.
You need a blog if:
You plan to publish regular articles or video content.
You’re building a community.
Your goal is to educate or entertain people with your website.
You have time or money to invest in continual content creation.
You have a content marketing strategy.
You want to improve your search ranking by turning your website into a resource.
You need to nurture relationships with prospects before they’re willing to buy from you.
What’s included when you hire an agency to build it for you
Ready to invest in your website?
First, hire a design agency to build it for you. A web designer will make it look great and make sure it works the way it’s supposed to.
Then, hire a copywriter to do the writing and SEO for you. Copywriting is the text on your website. That text is vital to getting found by search engines and persuading customers to buy from you.
If you hire Wood Media to build your website for you, you get all this:
A full website designed to your taste and criteria
As many landing pages as you need
An optional blog page
Copywriting for your landing pages
Training on how to use it
*It’s important to note that your website includes copywriting for all landing pages. Keep in mind, blog posts are NOT landing pages. Content creation for your blog is not part of web design.
Who’s responsible for managing your website?
Just like a car, your website requires regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly.
Once your website is built, you can manage it yourself or hire Wood Media to manage it for you.
When you pay for monthly website management, it covers everything to keep your website running fast and optimally. This includes things like fixing broken links, managing hosting, and testing page speeds.
A monthly maintenance plan does NOT include updating the content on your website. That parts up to you. If you want your copy refreshed, you need to hire a copywriter.
Who’s responsible for writing your blog posts?
You are.
Even when you hire a web developer, you’re responsible for creating the content for your blog. Content can include things like articles, images, and video. Basically, anything your target audience is interested in.
There are 3 ways you can produce content for your blog:
Do it yourself (or have your staff do it).
Find contributors to write guest posts.
Before you start publishing blog posts, you need to have a plan. Posting random articles will not improve your SEO, nor will it help sell your services. The content on your blog should be created strategically, to support your overall marketing goals.
Create a content marketing plan for your blog by:
Defining the purpose of your blog (selling products, nurturing relationships, building community)
Research SEO and find out what keywords people are searching for.
Study what’s ranking in the top 5 for you keywords.
Figure out how you can make a better resource than what’s already ranking.
Create a content calendar.
If creating a content marketing plan seems outside of your scope, you can hire a content strategist to do the research and make a plan for you. Once you have a plan, you can create your own content or hire someone to do it for you.
