What is a Blog and How is it Different from a Website?
We are often asked by beginners about what is a blog, and how is it different from a website? If you are thinking about starting a blog or a website, then understanding these terms will help you meet your goals. In this beginner’s guide, we will explain what is a blog and how is it different from a traditional website.
A blog is a type of website where the content is presented in a reverse chronological order (newer content appear first). Blog content is often referred to as entries or “blog posts”.
Blogs are typically run by an individual or a small group of people to present information in a conversational style. However, now there are tons of corporate blogs that produce tons of informational and thought-leadership style content.
Typical blog posts also have a comments section where users can respond to the article.
Blogs evolved from online diaries and journals in the mid-90s. At that time, internet users were already running personal web pages where they published regular updates about their personal lives, thoughts, and social commentary.
The term weblog was first used during the late 90s, which later became ‘weblog’, and then just ‘blog’.
Due to the growing number of such web pages, several tools started to appear which made it easier for users to create online journals and blogs. These tools helped popularize blogging and made the technology accessible to non-technical users.
In 1999, the popular blogging website Blogger.com was launched, which was later acquired by Google in February 2003.
The same year, WordPress released its first version as a blogging platform in May 2003. Today, WordPress is the world’s most popular blogging platform powering over 30% of all websites.
Blogs are a type of website. The only real difference between a blog and other types of website is that blogs are regularly updated with new content displayed in a reversed chronological order (newer posts first).
For example, our website has other content which is published in a non-blog format like , about us, and pages.
It does not have a blog or any content published in a sequential order. It uses pages to organize and present information about a business.
You can also say that blogs have articles that are organized using categories and tags. On the other hand, websites use pages to organize and display content.
WordPress is the most popular blogging platform, and it has two default content types: posts and pages. Often beginners get confused between the two.
Pages are usually used to create a website structure and layout. Even blogs can have pages alongside them .
Each individual blogger has their own motivation for blogging. Many of them use it as an alternative to keeping a diary or journal. Blogging provides them with a venue to share their creativity and ideas to a wider audience.
Top brands and businesses create blogs to educate their customers, share news, and reach a wider audience. Blogging is an essential part of online marketing strategy for many businesses.
Following are just a few benefits of blogging.
What are Some Examples of Good Blogs?
Millions of individuals and businesses from all over the world have blogs. This means that there are blogs on just about any topic you can think of.
Here are some good blogs that you can check out as an example. We have hand-picked the best blogs in different industries to give you an idea of how diverse blogs are.
Pinch of Yum is one of the most popular food and recipe blogs online. Started by Lindsay, a high school teacher, the blog allowed her to quit her day job and become a full-time blogger.
WeTheParents is a popular parenting blog run by Neve and Keane (the parents). They share parenting tips for moms and dads and while doing so they make money by earning commission on products they recommend.
A popular edutainment blog that publishes interesting articles on a variety of topics in listicle format. It combines the pursuit of interesting and intriguing facts with the innate human desire to rank and list things.
Started by Danielle Bernstein, We Wore What is a popular fashion blog. With more than 1.5 Million followers, it covers everything from fashion to interior design to menswear.
A fitness blog started by Steve Kamb, Nerd Fitness is dedicated to helping people stay fit. It provides fitness advice, motivation, support, diet and exercise tips.
A popular travel blog run by Alex, who shares her journeys while offering travel tips, advice, and guides for other backpackers.
Tiny Buddha is a personal development blog created by Lori Deschene. The blog publishes content on happiness, love, relationships, mindfulness, spirituality, simplicity, minimalism, letting go, and more.
There are many more great blogs out there on many different topics.
The most common and probably the easiest way to make money online is by displaying ads. However, as a new blogger you will not be able to contact advertisers directly or manage them on your own.
Other common monetization methods include memberships, selling online courses, or adding an online store to the blog.
See our list of proven ways to make money online from your blog for some more examples.
Yes, anyone who wants to start a blog, can easily do so.
We recommend using WordPress. It is the world’s most popular blogging platform and website builder. Over 30% of all websites on the internet are built using WordPress, just so you can get an idea of how popular it is.
There are two types of WordPress: WordPress.com, which is a hosted solution, and WordPress.org also known as self-hosted WordPress. See our guide on the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org for more details.
We recommend using WordPress.org because it gives you instant access to all WordPress features. It also allows you to easily make money from your blog without any restriction.
A domain name (This will be your blog’s address and what users will type in their browser to visit it.
Normally, a domain name will cost you around $14.99 per year and website hosting $7.99 per month. Now if you are just starting out, this seems like a lot of money.
Thankfully, Bluehost has agreed to offer WPBeginner users a free domain and discount on hosting. They are one of the biggest hosting companies in the world and are officially recommended by WordPress.
Basically, you will be able to get started for $2.75 per month.
After purchasing hosting, you can head over to our guide on how to start a blog for complete step by step instructions.
We hope this article helped answer your questions about what is a blog and what’s the difference between a blog and a website.