Blog Vs. Website: What’s Better for Your Business

Whether you should have a blog or a website does not come up often. After all, most businesses have them both for a good reason. Both increase your online presence, boost your digital footprint, and benefit your digital marketing effort. However, let’s pretend for a second that you had a budget to do just one of these two right – what would you choose? Well, here are a couple of things you need to know.

What is a blog?

The big difference, however, is that blogs are regularly updated with new content displayed in chronological order. Also, it’s more dynamic and updated regularly. In other words, it’s the best way to communicate with your broader audience. So, how do you start a business blog?

1. Pick a blog name

The first thing you need to do when coming up with a blog is to pick a name. Do your research to avoid infringing on someone’s copyright or cybersquatting. Also, the name of the blog should be descriptive and self-explanatory. One more tip, read the word out loud or ask someone else to do this to avoid choosing an unintentionally inappropriate domain name. You can never be too careful with these things, seeing as how one mistake can mark your brand for good.

2. Get your blog online

One of the critical steps in this process is getting your blog online. Many people postpone making their blog go live until they’re 100 sure it’s ready. The thing is that you’ll never be pleased with the way things are. It’s just human nature. You’ll keep improving your blog for as long as it’s up there, so don’t postpone the inevitable.

3. Customize it

The next step you need to take here is to give your blog its visual identity. We’re, of course, talking about the customization of the blog in question. The simplest way to do so is to sign in to the platform you use to manage your content, go to the menu/settings, and pick a theme. Other than this, you can edit your blog in whatever manner.

4. Write and publish your first post

In time, your blog will be filled with content of all sorts. However, publishing your first post is not an easy step to take. On average, it takes a seasoned blogger about 3 hours and 57 minutes to produce a position; however, for your first post, you should take as much time as you feel you need. There’s no rush. Remember that you might want to generate some internal links later, which is why you should focus on quality.

5. Promote it

Promoting your blog is pretty easy, provided that you know where your target demographics are. Different groups prefer different social media platforms. If you plan to post on places like Reddit, you need to figure out which subreddits are most frequently visited by your audience. This will increase the likelihood of your content (and, therefore, your blog going viral).

6. Making money

Regardless of your primary source of income, the truth is that you can also make money from your blog. How? Well, through ads, of course, some sell their products directly through their blog. This additional source of passive income can be used to help you out with the cash flow. An extra dollar here and there can make a difference and as your blog grows, so makes your profit.

What is a business website?

Regardless of what your marketing plans are, you need a business website. Why? Well, if you plan to increase your audience, you need a starting point for them to access your brand online. They need a place where they can inquire about your business, hear your offer, and get acquainted with the type of service that you provide. Here’s how you make an efficient business website.

1. Chose the right host

The first thing you need to do is find the right website host. It would be best if you had someone with a sterling reputation, excellent customer support, and a decent offer on their hands. You should aim for about 99.99 percent of uptime and a decent value-per-cost. In this day and age, finding such a host shouldn’t be particularly hard.

2. Pick a domain name

When it comes to picking a domain name, this is something that we’ve already discussed in the section about starting a blog. Once you have the title in mind, look for a certified domain name registration platform. This way, you can legally claim the site. 

3. Build and design it

People who first hear about your business will likely look it up online. What they see upon clicking on the link will affect their first impression of your business. This is why many businesses justifiably pay for professional website designs. Keep in mind that the placement of the logo, the color of the background, and even the content layout make all the difference.

4. Upload your content

Website content can include various formats like text, images, sounds, videos, and animation. Ideally, your website would contain as many different content forms as possible. Sure, doing so is a costly affair. However, you don’t have to pull it off right away. As discussed in the blogging section, you must start with the basics. Text and images for your website’s day one are more than acceptable.

5. Website maintenance

The last thing you must remember is the importance of proper website maintenance. This will determine its functionality, which is something that your audience will use to make estimates about the efficiency of your business. This is one of the most important things regarding your website and, as such, deserves your full and undivided attention.

Conclusion

It’s more than evident that it’s the most efficient when your blog and website can work together towards the same goal. Because both projects can be pretty low-cost (especially starting a DIY blog), there’s no reason for you to be forced to choose.