Many beginner WordPress users who follow our content find the concepts of blogs and websites somewhat confusing.
They frequently contact us to inquire about the differences between these two digital platforms.
Understanding the distinction between a blog and a website can help you determine which one better suits your needs and how you can leverage both to expand your business.
In this guide, we’ll clarify what a blog is and how it differs from a website, providing you with practical insights to make informed decisions about your online presence.
What Is a Blog?
A blog is a type of website where the content is presented in reverse chronological order (newer content appears 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 a lot of informational and thought-leadership-style content.
Typical blog posts also have a comments section where users can respond to the article.
History of Blogs
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 web log was first used during the late 90s, which later became ‘weblog’, then ‘we blog’, and finally 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 personal 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 43% of all websites on the internet. For more details, see our WordPress market share report.
What Is the Difference Between a Blog and a Website?
Blogs are a type of website. The only real difference between a blog and other types of websites is that blogs are updated regularly with new content, which is displayed in reverse chronological order (new blog posts first).
Typical websites are static in nature, where content is organized in pages, and they are not updated frequently. In comparison, a blog is dynamic and is usually updated more regularly. Some bloggers publish multiple new articles a day.
Blogs can be part of a larger website. Often, businesses have a blog section where they regularly create content to inform and educate their customers.
You can use WordPress to create both a website and a blog. That’s why a lot of business owners use WordPress to build their small business websites.
In simple terms, all blogs can be a website or part of a website. However, not all websites can be called blogs.
For example, WPBeginner is a blog and a website. Our website has other content that is published in a non-blog format, like the Solution Center, glossary, about us, and contact pages.
Now, let’s take a look at another example.
This time, a website called Awesome Motive. It is a business website and belongs to WPBeginner’s management company.
It does not have a blog or any content published in sequential order. It uses pages to organize and present information about a business and collects user feedback by adding a contact form.
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.
Blog or Website – Which One Is Better?
As a beginner, you may wonder whether you should start a blog or publish a website. Which one is better?
To be honest, the answer to this question really depends on what your goals are.
Many small businesses around the world have traditional websites made up of just pages and no blog. 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 are realizing the potential of a blog in their overall marketing strategy. Business owners are adding a separate blog section to their traditional websites and using it to get more traffic from search engines.
That’s because blogs are proven to improve search engine optimization (SEO).
Blogs also come with an RSS feed feature, which allows users to stay updated with your latest posts. When a new post is published, the RSS feed is updated automatically.
Note: Want to build a professional-looking website? Take a look at our WordPress Website Design service. For a small fee, our teams of professionals will help you create a custom website design.
Smart marketers often connect the RSS feed with an email newsletter or web push notification to send their users a notification alert about recent posts, product announcements, and more.
Take OptinMonster, for example. It is lead generation software, and its website has traditional sales pages showcasing its product and features.
They also have an informational blog that teaches users how to improve conversions and get more leads.
This helps them cover their industry keywords to get free traffic from search engines and make more sales.
Whether you are a business, a non-profit organization, or a professional, adding your own blog to your website can help you attract your target audience, grow your email list, and sell products.
What Is the Difference Between Blog Posts and Pages?
WordPress is the most popular blogging platform and a powerful content management system. By default, it comes with two content types: posts and pages. Often, beginners get confused between the two.
Your blog posts are displayed in reverse chronological order (newest to oldest) on your blog page because they are timely content. This means your users will have to dig deeper to view older posts.
Static pages are “one-off” type content such as your about page, contact page, products or services landing page, home page, and more.
To learn more, see our beginner’s guide on the difference between posts and pages.
Pages are usually used to create a website structure and layout. Even blogs can have pages alongside them (See our list of important pages that every blog should have).
Why Do People Blog? What Are the Benefits of Blogging?
Each individual blogger has their own motivation for blogging. Many of them use it as an alternative to keeping a diary or journal. Blogging sites provide them with a venue to share their creativity and ideas with 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.
Here are just a few benefits of blogging.
- Provides an avenue to organize your thoughts and ideas
- Allows you to showcase your skills, creativity, and talents
- Help individuals become an authority in their industry
- Helps you socialize with interesting, like-minded people online
- Many bloggers make money blogging using various monetization methods
- Businesses use blogging to bring more potential customers to their websites
- Non-profits can use blogs to raise awareness, run social media campaigns, and influence public opinion
What Are Some Examples of Good Blogs?
Blogging is huge!
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 popular 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.
1. Pinch of Yum
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.
2. WeTheParents
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 commissions on products they recommend.
3. We Wore What
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.
4. Nerd Fitness
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.
5. Lost With Purpose
A popular travel blog run by Alex, who shares her journeys while offering travel tips, advice, and guides for other backpackers.
6. Tiny Buddha
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. See our list of the most popular types of blogs for some more ideas.
How Do Bloggers Make Money?
Usually, people think of bloggers as hobbyists. While some people have lifestyle blogs, a large number of bloggers make money from their blog websites. This enables them to focus more on their blog, quit their day jobs, and build successful online businesses.
The more successful blogs can make six-figure, seven-figure, and even eight-figure incomes in a year.
Below are a few ways that most bloggers use to make money from their blogs:
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.
This is where Google AdSense comes in. It takes care of finding ads, displaying them, collecting payments from advertisers, and sending you those payments for a small cut.
Many bloggers also make money through affiliate marketing. Basically, they recommend products on their websites and earn a commission when users buy those products. For example, you can share your favorite Amazon products and earn a referral fee when users purchase using your link.
Other common monetization methods include memberships, selling online courses, or adding an online store (eCommerce) to the blog.
See our list of proven ways to make money online from your blog for some more examples.
We also have a list of “easy-to-start” online business ideas that you can check out.
Can Anyone Start a Blog?
Yes, anyone who wants to start a blog can easily do so.
In the early days of blogging, users needed HTML and PHP coding skills to even update their blogs.
Now, there are plenty of blogging tools like WordPress, Tumblr, Medium, Blogger, Wix, and Squarespace, that allow you to easily create your first blog without ever writing code.
Basically, if you can point-and-click, then you can build a blog within minutes.
With that said, choosing the wrong blogging platform to start a blog is the most common mistake that beginners make. But, since you are here, you will not be making this mistake.
We recommend using WordPress. It is the world’s most popular blogging platform and website builder. Over 43% of all websites on the internet are built using WordPress so that you can get an idea of how popular it is.
There are two types of WordPress: WordPress.com, which is a limited hosting service, 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 is open-source, which means you get instant access to all the powerful WordPress features. It also allows you to easily make money from your blog without restrictions.
Want to learn more about WordPress? See our complete WordPress review for a detailed breakdown of its functionality.
You will need the following things to start your own WordPress.org blog:
- A domain name (This will be your blog’s address and what users will type in their browser to visit it. For example, wpbeginner.com)
- Website hosting service (This will be the home of your blog’s files)
- 20 minutes of your time
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 name and up to a 77% discount on web hosting. Basically, you will be able to get started for $2.75 per month.
Plus, Bluehost is one of the biggest hosting companies in the world and is officially recommended by WordPress.
Need a Bluehost alternative? We recommend Hostinger. They are also offering a free domain name with a generous discount on hosting.
After purchasing hosting, you can head over to our step-by-step guide on how to start a blog for detailed instructions.
The best part about WordPress is that it comes with thousands of pre-made templates, also known as WordPress themes.
You can choose a theme and then customize your blog design with drag & drop tools. See our list of the best free WordPress blog themes.
There are over 60,000+ free plugins available for WordPress. These plugins are like apps for WordPress websites that let you easily add features such as contact forms, podcasts, online stores, and more. See our expert pick of must-have WordPress plugins.
We hope this article helped answer your questions about what a blog is and what’s the difference between a blog and a website. You may also want to see our list of the most useful tools to manage and grow your WordPress blog and our tutorial on how to create a free business email address for your blog or website.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Jiří Vaněk
Both terms are explained perfectly. I also run a website that includes a blog. Blogging is just as popular today as podcasts, for example. It’s a great way to have something alongside the main website where I can communicate publicly with my customers, users, or community. A blog wonderfully complements a “static” website and creates a friendly environment for customers or users. I’ve had my blog for several years, and besides being a great form of self-presentation, it’s also an excellent way to communicate with people on my own platform. In contrast, a website unfortunately doesn’t allow for this. It’s a static summary of some information that changes very minimally over time.
shahzad shah
hy i am new .i want to make a blog website this articul help me the diference between blog and website.plz suggest me the how can i improve myself
WPBeginner Support
For someone just starting out we would recommend taking a look at our page below!
https://www.wpbeginner.com/start-here/
Admin
arman
Very useful, thanks. Can an individual have more than one blog with wordpress ?
WPBeginner Support
You can most definitely have more than one WordPress blog.
Admin
kelly
thanks for the post
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome!
Admin
Amber Askhab
very informative! jazakallah ….i just wanna ask is gravatar necessary for everyone?
WPBeginner Support
It is not necessary for everyone.
Admin
Princewill Ejikeme
Great post. Thank you for sharing.
WPBeginner Support
Glad you liked our post!
Admin
Erum Saba
Hello
This article helped me a lot to understand the difference between a blog and a website as the common man reads these two and heard of them many times but does not actually know the difference like I was…I have started my career as a content writer and taking training in digital marketing and e-commerce as well. I have also intended to start my blog that’s why I was here to find out about blogging actually. I have learned many things through this article it was easy to understand for a layman like me.
Thanks
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article was helpful!
Admin
Joanna
Hi, can I check if it is better to get my website fully completed (for a small and new home bakery business) or write up an article (blog) first on my website?
WPBeginner Support
Unless we hear otherwise, there isn’t a specific order that those should be completed in for which is better, it would depend on what you feel is most important!
Admin
Marist Fri
Great information for beginners and very easy to understand. Thank you!
WPBeginner Support
Glad you found our explanation helpful!
Admin
offodile joseph
Very instructive, riveting and impactful. Recommended for every beginner.
WPBeginner Support
Glad you feel our explanation was helpful
Admin
Enzama Brahan Atutu
Wow! I’ve liked ths site n apreciate your guides for such a beginner I am! Thanks.
WPBeginner Support
Glad you found our guide helpful
Admin
Victor Ng
Hi, i would like to blog under different themes eg.finance, health, leisure.
How do i structure my blogsite so that readers can go to the topic of their interest instead of scrolling through all my blogs as they are set in chronological order.
Thanks in advance
Kim
You actually divided a blog from a website for me. Genius! Now I understand why I do better with websites than blogs. I am still not sure if I ever want to deal with blogs but then, maybe it will not be so bad once I get my feet wet.
Fred
If I understand correctly I can use the posts function on my current website as a blog?? I am always adding new content as posts so what would you suggest as the first three steps please>
WPBeginner Support
It would depend on how you’re using the content currently but you can use categories to separate your different post content on your site.
Admin
Minister segun
As a blogger if i choose a niche can i use my blog as well for other business like affiliating,ad-sense, selling of ads space etc or this is ONLY meant for a website
WPBeginner Support
You can get affiliate or ad revenue from a blog or a website if you wanted.
Admin
Niki G
I wish I had read this article before deciding to start a blog and/or website. Thank you for offering all this helpful information, I will probably move ahead with a blog to share my creative writing from past work, share experiences about living in the present moment. I just need to do some more research and hopefully not overthink it.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article was helpful
Admin
Paola
Great information, very useful, thank a lot.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
zanu
Nice And Great Article post it is very useful and helpful for me Thanks For Sharing
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
alex smith
It’s very helpful to me and thanks for the sharing..
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
mani
Is Wpbeginner a blog or website?
WPBeginner Support
We are normally considered a blog
Admin
Mahesh Bhatia
Great And Very Helpful Article, Wow. Thanks.
I also want to write a blog.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our article was helpful
Admin
Sourav
Thank You very much for this amazing knowledge
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Wasil Adewale
I really appreciate your explanation and hopeful to start my blog soonest.
WPBeginner Support
Glad you found our content helpful
Admin
Ri Ri
Can we get make a blog first and get the hosting later… Is this possible? Currently I don’t have money to invest
WPBeginner Support
You can create a local installation of WordPress to do that or create a free site on WordPress.com for what it sounds like you’re wanting.
Admin
Rabia
The article is very precise and not filled with complex words that a layman won’t understand… Loved it…
Is this possible to start the blog first and get the hosting later ( if we don’t have money to invest as a beginner)
WPBeginner Support
You could install the site locally for doing what it sounds like you’re wanting, this would mean only you on your computer would be able to see the site.
Admin
Draleku John
Thanks for the message. It is useful to me.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad you found our guide helpful
Admin
SP.GUNA
very good article for those who are eagerly waiting to start a blog
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, glad you liked our article
Admin
Di Muskan
Great And Very Helpful Article, Wow. Thanks.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad you found our article helpful
Admin
garry singh
hi, i have read your article and it is very helpful. thanks From garry singh
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, glad our article was helpful
Admin
John Samuel Yakubu
Wow! Thank you for this great expanciation. I really now clearly knew the difference between website and blog. You have killed it all!
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article could help clear this up
Admin
Joseph chukwuemeka Philip
Thanks in a million!
I was totally confused because I don’t know the differences and similarities between blog and website. Now, I know what to create(blog) to market my product
WPBeginner Support
Glad our guide could help clear up any confusion
Admin
Jujuu
Hey
Thank you so much about this article.
I really had lots of doubts about either starting a blog or a website and this was really helpful.
Keep up
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our article was helpful
Admin
vijay reddy
love this article . very informative .Thanks aton
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad we could be helpful
Admin
citc
thank you for this article.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Jadizo Saidy
actually i get learn and understand over this
Thanks for the infformation
WPBeginner Support
Glad our guide could be helpful
Admin
fiveest
Your style is unique in comparison to other people I’ve read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this site.
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, glad you like our content
Admin
A.m
Thanks a lot for providing this valuable information.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Akoto Perez
Information seems helpful Big ups
WPBeginner Support
Glad you like our content
Admin
ALLI ABDULAH
You’ve summarised everything, You are so superb. So detailed that a learner can just easily start out.
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, glad you like our content
Admin
ann
Awesome, informative article..thank you, am encouraged to start one
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, glad our article was helpful and hope you start a site or blog
Admin
DEEPAK RATHOR
That’s a really good information, this article is very helpful and informative. Thanks for Sharing
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article could be helpful
Admin
Akshaya
I want to start blog with minimum monthly expenditure. What will be the minimum expenditure to create blog, Pls suggest me .
WPBeginner Support
For the cost of a site, you would want to take a look at our article here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-wordpress-website/
Admin
Rajendra singh
Hi the articles is a guide me.
It has many knowledge.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article could be helpful
Admin
Kevin Barry
Thanks for a very informative article. When I set up a blog, can I invite limited numbers of persons access to post on my blog, and also require persons who want to respond to any post to provide their name and email address (any other information.)
Thanks again.
WPBeginner Support
You could do that by setting up a membership site using one of the plugins here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/plugins/5-best-wordpress-membership-plugins-compared/
Admin
Shayike
Thank You very much for knowledge.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Maddali Laxmi Swetha
Excellent Article!
WPBeginner Support
Thank you
Admin
FON CARINE
Thanks lot.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Acha Mercy
thank you for posting; I was considering building a blog or website and what wondering the difference between the two. but now I m almost there.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article could help clear up any confusion
Admin
Kareem Zainab
This article was very useful, thanks. can an individual own more than one blog with wordpress ?
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, you can certainly have more than one blog
Admin
kareem Zaynab
Very useful, thanks. Can an individual have more than one blog with wordpress ?
WPBeginner Support
Yes, they can
Admin