If you’ve been blogging for some time and are ready to take WordPress to the next level, you can do so by converting your blog into a website that’s functional, easy to use, and attractive.
We’ve published articles about how to establish a successful WordPress blog in 2021 and what to address before you launch your WordPress site, but we haven’t quite tackled the transition between the blog and the website.
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WORDPRESS BLOG AND WEBSITE
A website and a blog are really two different things. This might seem like a no-brainer to some of you, but for some who are just beginning on WordPress, the vast array of options offered on the platform could easily create feelings of overwhelm.
By definition, a website is “a place on the world wide web that contains information about a person, organization, etc., and that usually consists of many web pages joined by hyperlinks” while a blog is “a website on which someone writes about personal opinions, activities, and experiences.”
Though those definitions imply that the difference has a lot to do with business versus personal usage, that’s not quite accurate. After all, a website can contain a blog, but a WordPress blog doesn’t and can’t contain a full website. Let’s get a bit more in depth with this.
What Exactly Is A Blog:
A blog is a chronological display of content, most often posts or articles written by the blog author. Those posts (or articles) are published and, usually, categorized into topics and archived by date.
A blog is constantly being updated with new entries with the “home” page of a blog typically displaying the latest entry.
Blogs are also more dynamic than websites and typically will activate comments so visitors are encouraged to interact with the blog. They’re able to leave their feedback and the blog post author can respond, thereby creating an ongoing dialog between author and reader.
Related reading(s): LCN – Using WordPress to Create a Website (not a blog)
What Exactly Is A Website:
A website is a collection of published pages and sections that offer the visitor a variety of experiences or information. Part of the website can be a blog that enhances the overall visitor experience, but it usually includes other sections and features that might include things such as the following:
Photo Galleries: This specific area of your website houses albums and galleries of uploaded photos, allowing your visitors to browse through and comment on the photos you display.
E-Commerce Store: This feature is a fully integrated shopping cart through which you can upload products for sale, and your visitors can purchase your products via your online store.
Discussion Forums: This area of your website allows visitors to join, create discussion threads, and respond back and forth to one another in specific threads of conversation.
Social Community: This section of your website allows visitors to become members, create profiles, become friends with other members, create groups, and aggregate community activity.
Portfolio of Work: If you’re a photographer or web designer, for example, you can display your work in a specific section of your site.
Feedback Forms: You can have a page on your website with a contact form that visitors can fill out to contact you via e-mail.
Static pages (such as a Bio, FAQ, or Services page): These pages don’t change as often as a blog page does. Blog pages change each time you publish a new post. Static pages contain content that doesn’t change very often.
The preceding list doesn’t exhaust what a full website can contain, but instead lists some of the more popular aspects that make up a website. And with a website, the pages tend to be more static in nature, with pages remaining unchanged for months at a time.
Related reading(s): Dummies – The Difference between a Website and a WordPress Blog
WHY TURN YOUR WORDPRESS BLOG INTO A WEBSITE?
You Change The Label From Personal To Professional:
If people currently treat your blog as a hub where thoughts can be shared and opinions can be expressed freely, a professional website will advertise you as an expert in your field.
Promote Yourself And Services:
Turning your blog into a website is a good starting point to promote yourself and your services, regardless of your expertise. Be it design, content writing, development, music, art, or whatever you’re good at.
Make Yourself More Available To Potential Clients:
Through an actual website, you’re able to showcase your work and background so when a client is looking for someone like you for a project, they’ll know they can hire you.
You Won’t Lose Your Current Readers And SEO:
If you make a website out of your existing blog, you hit the road with a reader base, no matter how small. It’s easier to build up an active user base than from ground zero.
The great part about converting a blogging site into a website is that you can post about the change and get feedback from your audience about what they would like to see, etc.
Money, Sales, However Way You Wanna’ Spin It:
You can monetize your content, sell digital or physical products, and basically found a business of your own.
Related reading(s): Theme Isle – Convert a WordPress Blog to Website: Beginner’s Guide in 7 Steps
IN CONCLUSION: BLOG, WEBSITE, OR BOTH?
If you’re wondering whether you should keep your blog as a blog, or turn it into a website, the answer really depends on your goals.
Many small businesses around the world have traditional websites made up of just pages and no blogs. Such small websites are often made to create an informational web presence for a business, organization, or individual. On the other hand, more and more businesses understand the benefits of including a blog in their overall marketing strategy.
Blogs are proven to improve search engine optimization (SEO). Business owners are adding a separate blog section to their traditional websites and using it to get more traffic from search engines.
Related reading(s): WPBeginner – What is a Blog and How is it Different from a Website?