What is a blog? Plus how blogs and websites differ

What is a blog? Simply put, it is a website where you regularly post new content.

The terms blog and website are often used interchangeably. However, a blog and a website are very different concepts and if you want to create a successful blog or website or both, you need to be clear about what each entails. What exactly is a blog and how is it different from a website?

What is a blog? Explained in more detail

First things first: A blog is a type of website. And a blog can also be part of a larger website. Confusing? Not at all!

A blog is like a running diary. It shows a collection of articles written and published regularly and created for a specific audience with a specific purpose.

So let’s look at the identifiable characteristics that make a blog specifically a blog…

• Reverse chronological content – Content is typically presented in reverse chronological order, with the most recent article at the top of the page. Therefore, readers can quickly find the latest content additions.
• Dynamic Content – The content of a blog is regularly supplemented and updated. This ensures that blog visitors always have a selection of new articles to browse.
• How posts are archived – Blog posts are usually archived by date, author, category and tags.
• comment section – Most blogs display a comment section under each article. This is to help grow the blog’s community, encourage readers to discuss the post they just read, and help improve search engine optimization.

In addition to standalone blogs, many websites also offer a blog. Because blog presence can have numerous benefits – let’s find out more…

Why create a blog? What are the advantages?

Blogs were originally created by people to document their thoughts and share personal journal entries with their friends and family. However, over time this grew into thousands of niche-style blogs covering topics from health, food, travel and lifestyle to business, tech and WordPress.

Here are just some of the benefits of creating a blog…

Some blogs are run by individuals, but many are written by multiple authors. Large companies also run blogs on their websites to help them reach their target audience, keep their websites updated, and improve their search engine rankings.

So now we know exactly what a blog is. Let’s compare a blog to a website…

What is the difference between blog and website?

The main difference between blog and website is that the content of a website is mostly static. This means that content is published on a website and left for visitors to view, typically without being updated too often. To keep the content fresh and varied, websites often display a blog alongside their static content.

Site Pages and Content

It is difficult to further specify the definition of a website as websites come in all shapes and sizes in the current online world. However, a corporate website or a website that advertises products and services will generally have a prescribed number of pages. These include…

• Home page – To grab users’ attention and flag important content.
• About Page – Description of the website or company owner, who they are and what they stand for.
• contact page – Where contact information is displayed, such as B. a contact form, email, physical address, phone number and more.

Other pages and features that appear on a website depend heavily on the niche or industry of the website. Let’s take a look at a few options…

• Ecommerce Stores – Online shops usually contain numerous product pages as well as checkout and payment processes.
• Portfolio Sites – A portfolio website displays galleries of images and/or videos. Here professionals or artists can show their work from their best side.
• business services – A company website promoting their services usually includes a portfolio of work as well as a page with testimonials from satisfied customers, an overview of the services offered and sometimes a price overview.
• events and entries – Sites that advertise events, courses or listings often have pages with class schedules and relevant listings, as well as online booking capabilities.

Although websites mostly contain static content, that doesn’t mean they don’t get updated. However, the important point to take away is that the main format of a website does not follow that of a blog. (i.e. the consistent publication of articles and other dynamic content displayed in reverse chronological order).

The characteristics of a successful blog

Depending on the niche of your blog, its features may vary. However, there are some key features and tools that most blogs want to integrate.

• headlines – Catchy and attention-grabbing headlines are crucial as they entice your audience to read your articles.
• contents – As visually appealing as your blog is, if your content isn’t interesting and unique, your readers won’t come back. Creating content that engages your audience should be your top priority.
• article layout – Use subheadings, short paragraphs, bullet points, and other literary techniques so your audience can easily scan your articles.
• pictures – Using beautiful images will help catch the attention of your readers, support your articles and inspire your audience.
• author field – Adding an author bio box under each post helps readers connect with the authors. Use a WordPress plugin, e.g Simple author boxto add this feature to your blog.
• comment section – WordPress provides a standard comment section under blog posts, but uses an advanced tool like Disqus will help build a community around your blog.
• related posts – Display a related post widget such as Related Posts for WordPresshelps readers click through to other posts on your blog.
• social media – Use Orbit Fox to promote your social media channels on your blog and encourage readers to share your content.
• opt-in forms – Grow your email list by adding optional forms to your blog.

As you can see, there’s a lot you can do to improve your blog’s chances of success.

And if you’re looking for a beautiful and professional WordPress blogging theme to get you started, check out KCCSB’s own free Neve theme, a lightweight option perfect for blogging.

Final Thoughts on What is a Blog?

For more detailed information on creating a blog, check out one or more of these guides…