Professional Web Studio

Web Development - Search Engine Optimization
Online Marketing

2010 Mar23

Blog Versus Website: Pros and Cons

Written by: Darlene

Plenty of careful planning is necessary to build an online business. If you want a successful business, you'll need a thorough plan. One of the first major decisions you must make is whether to start a blog, or launch a website.

blog versus website

With a blog you can continually add new, updated content. It's driven by a database, and the design is independent from the content.

A basic static html website usually has 5–20 html pages. Typically material isn't updated as regularly as it is for a blog. If you do a search on the Internet on this topic you will find a huge array of opinions in regards to which is better – a Blog or a Website. Below we just touch on some points for you to think about if you are wondering which is best for your business.

Blog Versus Website: Which is Right for You?

1. Content updates

In order to remain actively viewed on the web, new content should be added frequently to a blog or it may end up as one of the thousands of forgotten blogs in the blogosphere. In contrast, a website can have static information that doesn't have to be updated on a regular basis. For instance, a web tutorial will provide information that won't become obsolete. This type of site contains relevant material that doesn't require updates.

2. Search engine rankings

Search engines may list your blog immediately due to its new, timely content, but these high rankings can disappear within days, or even hours. Website content gets high rankings as a result of its subject and structure. Blog content is stacked, rather than being linked thematically. Search engines show only the most recent posts, which get temporary rankings.

3. Website structure

Blog content is most often subjective, based on personal opinion, trends and hot topics in the news. The material on websites usually centers around a theme. Website structure makes it possible for pages to be linked, which helps to maintain the theme of the site.

4. Access to content

The front page of a blog usually shows the latest post or four or five most recent posts, depending on how it is designed. A visitor must search through archives or go to the site map to find older posts. A theme–based website structure gives visitors easy access to the full range of content.

5. Bounce rate

Visitors to blog pages usually read the most recent posting, then move on. Websites can keep visitors for a longer period, as there is more content to explore. Knowing there will be in–depth content can be a lure for many potential visitors.

6. Upgrading software

Some blog formats are vulnerable to security breaches, as they use forms of software such as WordPress that must be upgraded regularly. So either you'll have to learn how to perform upgrades or you'll have to hire a technician to do them for you. You can store the html pages of a website on your computer, and if you lose files your computer will have copies stored. If your blog files are hacked and deleted from your host server, all the content in the database will be gone as well. To avoid this, you'll have to make regular backups of your blog to store on your computer.

7. Storing files on the server

Hundreds of blog files can be stored in a database and will need to be accessed, a process that that can slow the blog–loading time. The entire blog site can be affected if a single file is corrupted; in fact, you can lose your entire store of files if a hacker gets into your blog.

Load time for an html site is quicker, since it contains only html pages. If a hacker gets in, no permanent damage will be done as files can be restored in a short amount of time.

Additional Tips

It's important that you have a clear definition of the online business you're launching before you start a blog or a content–oriented website.

A blog is the right choice if you're willing to add new content on a regular basis and to interact with your visitors.

A content–oriented website with theme–based material is best if you are interested in bringing your business online using static content that will stay steady in search engine rankings.

For those who currently operate a frequently visited theme–based website, and want to start interacting more with visitors, adding a blog may be a great option.

At Professional Web Studio we can create a professional website and blog for your business to give you multiple ways to attract new clients and interact with them on a regular basis.


Next entry

Similar entries


  • Digg this!
  • Share this on del.icio.us
  • Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon
  • Share this on Facebook
  • Share this on FriendFeed
  • Share this on Reddit
  • Tweet This!
  • Share this on Linkedin
  • Post on Google Buzz
  • Add this to Google Reader

If the links above aren't what you are looking for, try the SHARE button below.

Bookmark and Share


Comments

Comments are closed.


Pingbacks

Pingbacks are closed.


Trackbacks