SiteSell recently launched a new site called Blog or Build? — their definitive answer to those who ask the big question…
“Blog or Website?”
From a business standpoint, the page is brilliant. SiteSell sells websites, not blogs. So of course it makes sense to push the benefits of a website and display blogging in a less favorable light.
Let’s be honest. Blogging threatens SiteSell’s business because so many people are lured into starting a blog over a website. After all, blogging is free, quick and easy to setup.
As a result, SiteSell is making its case for why most Webmasters should start with a website and not a blog.
They offer some very valid points on this page, but I don’t agree with everything written. For example, the statement below was taken from the page…
“Blogs usually have high Bounce Rates no matter what since normal visitor behavior is to read the newest post and then leave.”
This is true for many new blogs with small readerships. Most new blogs only show the recent posts because the authors tend to use standard templates and very little static content. So people read the latest posts and leave without exploring older content.
Blogs often appear as a plethora of disjointed information scattered about with no cohesiveness. And if you write a post that doesn’t fit with everything else, just add a new category and suddenly it fits! Right?
Some readers get lost and have trouble connecting with the content as a whole.
But there is a remedy for the high bounce rates… to a point.
If you learn how to strategically display mature content, you can increase your readership depth and lower your bounce rates. WordPress plugins are a great way to accomplish this.
Before I added the “Related Posts” plugin from WordPress, many of my recent posts received the most traffic while the older posts were buried and ignored.
If you want people to read more of your blog, you should find ways to make the older content visible. Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net does this extremely well on his homepage with his “Best of Blogger” section.
This not only allows his audience to read more of his older content, but the static links have a greater chance of gaining and/or maintaining their search engine rankings because the content won’t fall off the homepage like “recent posts” tend to do.
This also gives him a chance to display his “important” content that shapes his blog’s identity. I find that many bloggers have trouble with this part due to how blog content is published.
In order to give your blog more staying power, you should create static pages that “stay put” and help give your blog direction and focus — rather than relying on the typical blog post that is hot for a few days and then falls off the radar.
So you can work with a blog so it shares some of the content benefits of a website. This is definitely something I know I need to improve upon in the near future.
My point is, some of the disadvantages SiteSell speaks of can be fixed. The question is…. “Will the average new blogger understand how to do this effectively?” Perhaps that’s SiteSell’s point. In their eyes, the average person usually doesn’t.
Stirring The Pot
This article won’t sit well with some bloggers, particularly those who’ve had any kind of success. But that’s not who the article was written for. It’s for those on the fence trying to decide if they want a blog or a website.
And quite honestly, if I was teetering between the two and read that page, I’d have to say SiteSell makes a pretty compelling case for why the average person should start with a website instead of a blog.
They want people to know that creating a blog is not necessarily a shortcut to success. And while they are some benefits to blogging, it’s not an ideal start for most e-businesses.
I also want to point out they are not saying that no one should ever create a blog. There are definitely the exceptions and they are clearly explained in the article.
The point was also made that successful bloggers earn their status because they are exceptional writers and know how to generate traffic. Not necessarily because they chose a blog over a website. Content is always king.
I’ll Continue to Blog Because I Enjoy It
I have a blog now, but I’m glad I started with a website. I now have a traffic base that I can use to help promote this new WordPress blog.
And because I already have a site with steady traffic, I don’t feel that added pressure some bloggers feel when it comes to generating fresh content to keep that traffic coming in.
If this blog never gets to 8,000 visitors a day like my regular website, I’m OK with that. I also have proof this blog is beneficial to my overall goals.
One good thing about owning an established website is you can leave it for months and traffic can continue to build. This is not always true for blogs… especially if they are new.
Of course more established, heavily trafficked blogs can take a content break and still benefit from the traffic and revenue. However, most bloggers never reach that level.
Despite the odds SiteSell declares, I’ll continue to blog. I enjoy it. It allows me to talk about what’s on my mind at the moment.
I can appeal to the people who prefer to hear from me in a blog format and let my website appease the rest. I’m at a place where I can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Could I be one of those exceptions SiteSell speaks about? Maybe. Only time will tell. And while I do think SiteSell made some great points, I also know quite a few people who have successful blogs and no website.
But I wholeheartedly agree that the blog buzz can be misleading. When it’s that easy to setup and launch a blog, it can give newbies false hope that it’s somehow an easier route to success.
Nothing out here is easy, my friend. And every website owner or blogger who is making good money definitely earned their stripes.
So take some time to read SiteSell’s argument about blogs. There are some valid points, but you also have to keep in mind this is written from a company who sells websites, not blogs. So a touch of biasness is to be expected.
Should you create a blog or a website? Do you need both like me? There is never a definitive answer to that question. Educate yourself on the facts, read SiteSell’s article and decide what’s best for your situation.
Hi..ome of the worst e-commerce sites I have come across were built on the Site-Sell platform – bad design, bad organization, bad content. This doesn’t mean the platform is bad, just that the platform doesn’t guarantee success.
I don’t know, blogging is beneficial for numerous of reasons many businesses use it to there advantage all the time though. Niche wise, blogging is tghe way to go. Nice post Lisa.
Hi Everybody–
Sitesell can be good for anybody who is new to building a website, but they are not the only ones out there. I began with Sitebuilder and learned alot — such as ways to build on my particular niche and get the most bang for the buck with it. This education comes at a hefty cost. It is $300/year. So I decided when my year was just about up (January 23, 2012) that I would look around.
I chose to change over to iPages because I could learn WordPress, have a website and have a blog. So it was the best of both worlds. I was able to get a plan with iPages for 3 years for $106 for all 3 years. It was a bit tricky to transfer my website and I did have to rebuild it; however, patience is the key.
I had to get my email addy up-to-date with Sitebuilder, get the domain unlocked by SBI, change the name servers over to iPages, and then begin rebuilding the site. If you have a website, definitely make sure you have a backup of the content — that made it easy to rebuild BakingBread-101.com. I have a blog and point the blog comments to my static website pages.
It’s not perfect. I’m still finishing some pages, but I have my ecommerce on it. I think I found the best of both worlds and I truly feel there is room for both. I have no computer background and I am able to do it, so you can too.
Lisa has some great information on WordPress — so dive in and get going!
Hi Lisa,
I liked your post – websites or blogs??
I have both websites and blogs but I enjoy the freedom of design with websites.
I was one of the reader of your site who developed my first site and get nothing as i have nothing to offer from my site except some Joomla/Wordpress templates. Without proper research if we will start website or blog we are planning to fail. It hardly matter whether you are going with website or blog.
This is a very good topic. I am neutral on this subject because it really depends on each individuals goals and what they hope to accomplish. Blogging has become a powerful way to earn online and allows people many advantages that website owners have without as much work.
Thank You for this valuable and informative post. With this information you can compare and make a wise decision as to what one really needs.
Hey Lisa,
Just wanted to say great post!
I’ve been thinking of building a website (my second) with a blog too. You probably read my reply to David, so I’m still researching the easiest and best way to do that.
Btw: I found this blog via your website soooo it was your website content that brought me here first.
Paul
Hi Paul,
I recently left SBI to go to iPages so that I could have a website and blog. iPages has been incredibly user friendly and their support staff is amazing. I’m not an affiliate of iPages, but I still recommend them. My experience so far has been great. The price is certainly reasonable ($106 for three years use) although they will try to get you to sign up for stuff you don’t need when you’re first joining. Use WordPress to build your site rather than iPages drop and drag. The drop and drag only allows you 6 pages whereas WP has no limit. You’ll see what I mean if you take a peek at my site http://www.BakingBread-101.com. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at my site. Have a great year!
Jill Krol
Hi,
I have read your post which really mentioned useful information. It is really interesting read for me.
Thanks for sharing!
royal
Hi,
I admire the valuable information that you discussed here and i really enjoyed to read your post and It is a good read for me.
Thanks for sharing
Royal
Newbie’s 2 cents worth . . .
I am a new SBIer (Site Sell), and have also paid for some advice from other places too. The best deal I have found so far was a steal, a one-time offer for a 1 month membership for a $1 trial. I learned more from 2 of their online videos than anywhere else to date. It was about brainstorming niches, using Google Adwords Keyword Tool, using CPC and “exact” in the analysis. It was the CPC factor (which I am sure that SBI factors in with the profitability stats but I just wasn’t getting the relationship) that made the light come on for me. BAM! If your niche doesn’t have a high enough CPC, then no matter how much traffic you can draw, you will never make money. 1000 visitors a day, times a penny a click for 1 to 2 percent of your visitors is like no money. SBI made something easy really very hard to understand in this case. The people I learned this from are making very nice money with WordPress blogs too. So SBI? I bought the one year membership and will keep plugging away like a turtle (their mascot) but no longer think they are right about everything (why did I ever?).
Hey David,
Like you I started with SBI, with so much info on starting online scattered all over the web, SBI was a great learning tool. They do like their recruits to stay focused it’s so easy to waste time on other platforms. Their templates are very basic so if you want a nice looking site, there’s another learning curve…. Dreamweaver etc…
I’m looking at building another website but stalling at going with SBI again. I think SBI is good for noobs and good for building a content themed site. But do I want to build a site about my music business with SBI? I’m not so sure.
Do I go with WordPress? How many addons will I need to purchase to make it work?
One good thing is I can use SBI to brainstorm keywords which brings me to my question, finally after this long post.
What is a high enough CPC?
Cool post Lisa!
Hi
Thanks for providing such resourceful and informative post,I really Enjoyed reading the post
Keep up the good work
Great I’m blogging and now I am doing the wrong thing. lol
I am very happy to read the post. Thanks for the information you provided.
A good post, very helpful information
.-= symptoms cancer´s last blog … Small cancer lung is a fast-growing cancer =-.
I think SBI is a great program to follow, but I disagree with some points of this article. Many of the benefits of SBI can be done automatically by WordPress too, such as automated Sitemap XML creation and pinging.
.-= Jonathan Bennett´s last blog … Search Engine Optimization (SEO) =-.
In todays enviornment Social Media is a affective media. People have opinions, just look at how this article is being evaluated. Dont hate on SBI because they have a business to run. Im looking to get into business also and that business one day will include a website. Creating Blogs first can help you get in the game before you invest time and energy in the wrong product or niche.
I agree like you with some of their conclusions. However, I felt more then a touch of biasedness so to speak. For instance, when they say blogs are more for commentators. Yet like any other application, blogs are becoming more evergreen(or better yet both). Initially, they started out as journals or online logs(web logs).
Plus the failure rate between blogs and websites are more or less the same(but I do know what sitesell means by the get-rich-quick-sand).
Unless they was exclusively referring to E-commerce businesses(and folks who totally don’t know which direction they’re going, I don’t particularly agree with their line that “blogging is a mistake for most to start an e-business”.
I think your analysis was great and brought a fresh new perspective on this particular landing-page.
To the power to ya lisa!:thumbsup:
I read bits and pieces of the article, but I really don’t see how the article would benefit anyone who’s looking to make money blogging and expressing themselves.
It’s like reading a detailed “97% of all people FAIL” article.
It’s more like a doomsday article meant to promote SBI?…and does a good job of scaring people out of doing something that does work when done right and with persistence
This is very good infomation and glad I found this site. I’m starting to get some ideas about what to put in my blog.
Hi John,
No, you need to sign up with one of GoDaddy’s regular hosting plans to get the wordpress blog to work.
Lisa,
I am a subscriber to your blog and a regular to your website as a beginner web based business owner. My question is about blogging. After reading and watching your video on self hosted word press blogs I immediately went to websitepalace.com and noticed they are very similar to Godaddy. I have a godaddy account but I operate using the website tonight program which you said wordpress won’t work with. My question is can I make this blog work somehow through godaddy while still keeping my website tonight website? Thanks Lisa you are always a great help!
Lisa,
I admire all the hard work you have put in. Kudos to your success! I recently purchased SBI also and am hard at work to make it work. I also started a blog. I read your comments about hosting apart from WordPress and Blogger, but hey I had to start somewhere:) I added Google Adsense to my blog and believe it or not have already began to mnetize. I am still adding content. But hey you inspire me. Give me some constructive criticism. I can take it. Keep writing your excellent content, and I will see you at the top. http://WhyILoveWomen.Blogspot.com
well, I think blogging is not a mistake and to be honest, i do not feel confident having my contents on any other website except my own operated web site.
but it was a great read. thanks for sharing
Denz, not necessarily. But it indirectly it affects it because if they drop your site from their index it will affect your traffic, thus affecting your AdSense earnings. Now, if someone reports you to Google for copying their content then yes they could remove you from the program in extreme cases.
Hi Liza, i just saw your website yesterday and i learned so much about adsense and a lot of useful informations. I will be your regular reader now coz i learn so much when i first visit your site and also it has a lot of video. I just want to ask something about adsense. I’ve already google this but i can’t find topic for this. Here is my question. If for example my website has penalized by google for copying information from other websites or for any reasons. Does google will penalize my adsense too? Thanks ….
For me, websites seem to be better moneymakers. But, I find that if I add a blog to my website that my website tends to do better in the rankings and my site traffic increases.
I tend to use blogs to complement my website and help it stay fresh and relevant. Good post!
I’m so very glad Lisa that you are an honest person and don’t just go with the flow- you just won my heartfelt admiration for that. Kudos to you for being so true.
Now I have been researching for 2 years now which is the best content management system to start up a website from scratch and after 2 years of research i have come to the conclusion that the best one out there is wordpress. I’m not saying any blogging system but simply put- wordpress.
I have talked to top seo experts who have tested both static and wordpress and they have told me that wordpress has won everytime.
You do have to study a bit though on how to use and structure it the best way so as to not lose the effectiveness of it.
By this i mean- knowing how to properly set up the categories.
Knowing how to do the internal linking structure for better rankings on your most lucrative keywords.
Leveraging the abilities that it has to be able to do social marketing through it.
The fact that wordpress allows you to ping- brings in the google bots immediately.
This helps even when you update a post and send a link to another post on your wordpress site- the bots will immediately see that update–helping you in the ranking for the keyword phrases that you are going for.
If you update from a static page it might take much longer for the bots to see that update as a static page does not have the ability to ping updates and a wordpress post does.
Roy Montero who is an SEO expert told me that the best way to leverage the power of wordpress is by putting it in the root directory and not in a subdirectory.
If someone already has their static site (for a long time) in the root though then they will have to place it in the subdirectory.
You can also set up parts of a page to be static and other parts to be dynamic- you just need to know the code that does this.
That way it looks like a site but thas the advantage of being updated in the dynamic area. And as you know google looves fresh content.
Also the fact that you can trackback posts also helps a lot. You can leverage other people’s high rankings by doing a trackback to their post and therefore getting visitors from their high ranking post. Lynn Terry from Clicknewz taught me that one.
With wordpress you do have to constantly keep the latest version so as to not give way to hackers.
It is possible though to do great with a staict site- you just need anchor text links back to it.
BUT if you do the same seo work with a wordpress site you will go much farther much faster. Personally i prefer to start out with the best that’s why i chose wordpress.
Blessings to ya,
Eren Mckay
so blogging is good to start and e-business but not a short cut to success. That’s what I got out of your post. Thanks for your imput.
hi Lisa,
I noticed that in the following page of your site:
http://www.2createawebsite.com/traffic/create-free-blog.html
There is a link to the blog post “How I Gained 200 Blog Subscribers Fast” that actually points to thisone.
By the way, nice work! I am about to start a blog, and I am getting most of the tips from your site.
See you,
Carlos.
One good thing about blogging it gives room for interaction just by commenting on any site that interest you.
You’ll also agree blogs can be very interesting.
Hi Lisa,
There are many arguments for and against blogging with companies blowing their own trumpets in favor of their product. It is just like practically every other thing you can do on the internet.
Just like you point out though, it becomes a personal decision in the end and the SBI article about blogging being a mistake is just another opinion to be considered.
Brendan.
That is hilarious. Thanks for sharing this, Lisa.
Frankly, though, I’m fairly confident that clever marketers can launch an entire business from a blog… if they use some custom coding to build excellent calls to action on the page.
Come to think of it… How many major product launches have we seen that use a blog to deliver the bulk of the launch news to the market — while using email primarily to draw attention to the blog.
That proof can stand on its own.
Thanks, Lisa. Enjoy your day!
-William Clements
There are two aspects:
1. Business
2. Traffic
1. Business
You say it in the beginning of your post: SiteSell sells websites, not blogs. They don’t like that blogs are popular and, more important, that there are many popular and easy-to-use tools to build blogs.
On the other hand there are also excellent, powerful and userfriendly Content Management Systems to build websites, and they are all free. For example http://www.drupal.org. An overview of such tools can be found here http://www.opensourcecms.com/. Not yet so many people know that such tools exists. If they would now, nobody would buy SBI.
With all these tools search engine optimization is possible, because it is not the tool, it is the way content is built…
2. Traffic
I think the main point in the discussion “blog or website or both” is the problem that traffic is split on 2 sites. It would be also possible to have a website and there a news section and “blog” there.
On the other hand the blog has the advantage that it generates links to the main page, and, many people like blogs. So, I also don’t know whether it is beneficial to have also a blog or not.
The sum of the SBI article comes to this: if you have no idea what you are doing and want someone to spoon feed you a solution – get SBI. (But don’t be surprised if you still don’t get immediate overnight success. The platform, no matter how good, won’t turn you into an online business genius. There is a learning curve to that.)
I have always used WordPress as a publishing platform and find it very flexible and easy to use – but I have some knowledge of website creation and the underlying technology. Some of my sites are time sensitive and others are content sites like those described in the article. Most can be setup and optimized for good search engine placement within 1 hour.
Some of the worst e-commerce sites I have come across were built on the Site-Sell platform – bad design, bad organization, bad content. This doesn’t mean the platform is bad, just that the platform doesn’t guarantee success.
I guess I’m one of those exceptional blog users, because I have sites that generate consistent traffic and require very little ongoing maintenance. I generate profits from content created years ago, and I can quickly add new functionality to my sites because of the active developer base creating plugins for WordPress.
To each their own!
its deffinitely a semantic argument and probably either depending on the strengths of the person doing it and in reality the motive of success or money is usually not as good a catalyst and enjoyment…but what do i know i suck at both blogging and web building…
LOL @ Karen,
Very well-written article, Lisa. I do think blogging can be a good option for some but the majority of them sit out there visitor-less. I think it’s important for people to build credibility like you did and THEN start a blog once you have the traffic to support it. Of course SiteSell would rather you start with them over a blog, but I agree they make some very valid points. People do assume a blog is easier so they get lured into it and find themselves disappointed.
It’s very hard to argue with sucess… All I know is that I have seen many SiteSell websites ranked at the very top in a short period of time.
I have been thinking about using them to create another site.
I’m sure they’ll change their mind and write another ultra-biased article as soon as they release “BlogSell” or any other similar product. 😛