One of the most searched questions on the internet is “What’s the difference between a website and a blog?”. Their similarities have gotten too many people entangled in the question so much that differentiating both has become a problem for a bulk of the internet populace.
One creates engagement, while the other gives static information. One builds a following while the other is simply visited by people the web address is given to, and much more. The difference between both are broad, and knowing them will help you understand whether you either truly want to have a blog, a website, or if the current website you’re visiting is a blog or a website.
Before we move into the difference between a blog vs website, let’s first look at their similarities:
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Similarities Between A Blog And A Website
- A blog is technically a website, as both a blog and a website have a unique web address, and can be built with the same technology
- A blog and a website both have a specific audience they’re targeting
- A blog and a website both usually contain links, pictures, videos, and more
- A blog and a website both require the owners to put in some work if they’ll be visible on the internet
- A blog and a website are both easy to setup with free Softwares like WordPress
- A blog and a website are both hosted on a server
- A blog and a website can both be accessible from anywhere around the world
- A blog and a website could sometimes be part of each other
- A blog and a website can both have a subscription form.
While these similarities are mostly the confusing factor for people to compare a blog to a website, distinguishing them is clearly important to knowing what you’re on at any point in time.
That said, here are the differences between a blog and a website:
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Characteristics Of A Blog
- Blogs have a comment form
- Blogs consist largely of articles
- Blogs are managed by a single editor or an editorial team
- Blog contents are updated regularly
- Blogs are informative and educative
1). Blogs Have A Comment Form:
This is one of the most important features of blogs. They always have a comment box at the bottom of every article for the reader to share his or her views.
An example is this blog (www.startuptipsdaily.com) you’re currently reading. At the bottom of the article, you’ll see a comment box that gives you the power to share your thoughts on what you’ve just read.
2). Blogs Consist Largely Of Articles:
Every blog consists of articles. This is the single most important feature of every blog, and the articles could be posted on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
3). Blogs Are Managed By A Single Editor Or An Editorial Team:
Writers basically run blogs. It could be a single individual or a team of people. What matters is that the core that powers every blog’s growth lies in the strength and creativity of the editorial team.
4). Blog Contents Are Updated Regularly:
As earlier mentioned, articles are posted periodically on blogs. Some writers post every day, others post once a week, some once a month. But what matters is that new content is constantly posted on a blog.
5). Blogs Are Informative And Educative:
Every article posted on a blog is geared towards passing information. The information could either be educative, informative, or even just a personal story the writer wants to share.
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Characteristics Of A Website
- Websites’ contents are static
- Websites are usually very formal and professional
- Websites don’t give an option for interaction, except with a live chat feature
- Websites mostly only give information about their products and services
- Almost every business online has a website
1). Websites’ contents are static:
The information on websites are usually static and do not change. They could be the product and service information, the company history, and much more. But no matter how much information is on the website, it is almost always static and not updated daily or weekly.
2). Websites are usually very formal and professional:
While blogs can be informal or have plain looks, websites tend to be formal and professional. Their target audience are mostly organisations in their niche, and so, strive to ensure the website looks just as their industry accepts.
3). Websites don’t give a Comment System for interaction:
You don’t have the option to comment on a service or product on a website, except the website has a blog embedded in it. The only means of interaction you have is either a live chat with the company’s customer service, the contact form for sending a message, or the phone numbers listed on the website for a direct call.
4). Websites mostly only give information about their products and services:
As earlier stated, websites only give information about their products and services, and nothing more, except a blog is embedded in the website.
5). Almost Every Business Online Has A Website:
Almost every business that has an online presence most likely has a website and not a blog. Whenever a web address is given to a client, it is for the client to visit the company’s website and not the company’s blog. Since websites are peculiar to organizations than blogs to individuals and publishing companies, the average business that gives you a URL to visit is almost definitely talking about a website.
See Also: 5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Starting A Blog
To Sum It Up
The difference between a blog and a website are apparent, irrespective of the fact that they have similarities. If you’ve ever wondered what the difference between a blog and a website is, what you’ve read in this article is a great start in your distinction of both.
You guys are good…good read as well. Well articulated and easy to digest. Thanks much
Thank you for the kind words, Debby.
Wow I love the way you explained It, very enlightening. Until now I thought the only diff between them was that one was more packaged and programmed. Thanks for clearing this up.
Thank you for reading, Lucy.
Thank you Stan for sharing this simple unkown and useful information. after reading this article i understood that blog shares us information. where as website gives us business purpose or service oriented.
Thank you for sharing with us Stan. Yet, I don’t agree with the fact that a website is static and a blog is not. In fact, Facebook and Pinterest are also considered websites. and If you take the update frequency as a comparison criterion; Surely, there is no website on the internet being updated like Facebook.
First really usable article on the difference between a blog and a website. Thanks.
Good morning Stan please is it possible to host a blog without any cost?
Or
is it cheaper to host a blog as compared to hosting a websit.
Thanks sir
You can’t do it without a cost, Peace.
Unless you want to use Blogspot which is not wise.
Thank you for sharing this amazing post with us, Stan. The way you differentiated Website & Blog is wonderful. Lots of people have confusion between these two. Gonna share these article to my colleague so that they can get this point too.