Making a WordPress Website Not a Blog

You’ve created a blog. Now what? Having fun with words isn’t exactly what you had in mind when you signed up for a blog site, but that’s what you’ve got now. You can try to monetize your blog (which I’ll get to in a bit), but let’s be honest: it’s a chore. When you’re sick of spending your free time writing and editing content for a niche audience, you might consider making a WordPress website. Keep reading for more information on the differences between a blog and a website, and consider what type of content you want to post and where you want to post it before making any decisions.

Breaking Down the Difference Between a Blog and a Website

Simply put, a blog is when you use WordPress to publish content that’s mostly about your personal life or the lives of those around you. You’ll typically find a blog created for entertainment purposes, like Lifestyle Bloggers or Daily Bloggers. Your blog’s content could be something as simple as a blog post on a daily basis, or it could be a larger series of content like a travel guide or an e-book.

A WordPress website is when you use WordPress to publish content that’s mostly related to your business or brand. It could be informational, like a blog post about your company or product, or it could be something more social, like an online store or magazine.

Now that you know the difference, let’s discuss some of the pros and cons of each.

The Benefits of a Blog

There are a lot of benefits to having a blog. Here are just a few:

• You get to try out a variety of content formats.
• Your content is regularly published, which means more people are likely to read it.
• You have a place to express your opinions and ideas.
• If you monetize your blog, you can earn a decent income from the content you produce (as long as you keep up with the payments).
• Blogs are a great way to build credibility and demonstrate expertise.
• It’s a lot of fun to blog. You get to try out different content formats and platforms, which allows you to improve your skills as a writer and grow your audience.

The Drawbacks of a Blog

There are a few drawbacks to having a blog. Here are just a few:

• You’re tied to the internet. Your blog is only as good as your audience is willing to engage with you online.
• Blogs are generally difficult to monetize. You might consider paid promotion or affiliate marketing if you want to earn money from your blog.
• Blogs aren’t for everyone. If you want to have a successful blog, you should consider some of the other platforms or CMSs (Content Management Systems) out there.
• It can be a lot of work to maintain a blog. You need to have a sizable audience to make it worth your time (and effort). Some sources say it takes at least 100 articles a month to achieve that.
• Blogs aren’t search engine optimized. Because your articles are mostly about your personal experiences or the experiences of those around you, search engines don’t always see them as valuable or relevant content.
• Blogs can be difficult to monetize. You might consider selling and displaying ads on your site.

Why Make a WordPress Website Instead of a Blog?

If you’re looking for a question to ask yourself when considering a blog vs. website conversion, it ought to be: “Why do I want to make a WordPress website instead of a blog?”

There are a few good reasons why you might want to make a WordPress website instead of using a blog platform. Here are just a few:

• Product reviews are a great example of a type of content that would make a WordPress website more appropriate. You might want to consider reviewing products you’ve personally tried or tested out.
• You want to make a go of it in online marketing and earn a living from the content you create. A good example of this would be New York Times journalist and blogger Nick Carr’s website. You’ll notice he uses a combination of blog posts and podcast episodes to promote his business.
• You’re looking to create a space that’s more commercial in nature. Maybe you want to write an e-commerce store review, or you want to start a monthly newsletter for tech enthusiasts.
• You want to build an online community. Whether you’ve got 100, 10, or even 1 reader, every reader is a potential customer (and maybe even a friend or acquaintance). If you want to earn money from the content you produce, consider creating a space that encourages community engagement.
• You want to experiment with different content formats. If you’ve got a keen interest in tech or lifestyle topics, you might consider creating a space that uses only podcasts or only blog posts.
• You want to connect with existing or potential customers via social media. Maybe you have a Twitter account with 140 characters or less for every blog post. Or maybe you’ve got a YouTube channel with video content that’s engaging and attractive.

In my opinion, the biggest reason why you might want to make a WordPress website instead of a blog is because you want to try something new. You’re either sick of blogging about your personal life or you want to try your hand at a different type of content. Whatever the reason is, take a quick look at the differences between a blog and a website, and then ask yourself the question: “Why do I want to make a WordPress website instead of a blog?”