Blogs are another kind of website. The content is usually
organized by date and category with the most recent post/content displaying first.
If you look at this site, the content is organized by content and not by date or category. This is a static website.
So it's important to think about
how you want your content to be organized by
default. Having your visitors view/sort your content by date and
category may not be the optimal solution for every kind of site because
the content will get buried as your site gets older.
Have you ever visited a blog and had trouble finding what you're looking for because of the content organization?
This is because the owner didn't do a good job of making use
of static content to help you navigate through it. As I said, by
default, blogs are sorted by category and date (newest content
displayed first.)
You can change this, but it requires you to learn how to
manipulate your blog (use plug-ins, static pages, etc.) and perhaps do
some extra coding.
SiteSell Says Blogs Aren't Always Best
Ken Evoy of SiteSell.com made some pretty bold statements
about people who choose blogs to build a business. While many people
make money with blogs, I do agree that they aren't always the best
choice for business sites -- especially affiliate marketing (the way I
earn a living.)
All my static websites have always outperformed my blog from a money making and traffic standpoint.
You can read his comments here.
Setting up a Blog
To create a self-hosted blog (more on why
self-hosted is better later), you need a
domain name (yoursite.com) and a
web host.
Even though a site like Blogger is free and makes setup a
snap, you don't actually own the content or the site because it's hosted
on Blogger's domain.
So if Blogger ever decides to shut down, guess what will happen to your blog?
Yup...
bye, bye to all your hard work! (Trust me. I've seen this happen more than once.)
Not a good strategy if you are trying to make money with your blog.
If you use a company like
WebsitePalace.com to buy your domain and host your site then you can setup a
self-hosted WordPress blog for free in seconds.
You simply login to your hosting account and choose the
option to "Install WordPress" and instantly the blog will be up and
running on
yourdomain.com. You can begin blogging right away
and you own your content and domain.

I like WordPress much better because they have a bunch of
free plug-ins you can use to make your blog much more interactive,
functional and fun.
Let's say you want to add a shopping cart to your blog so
people can buy products. With WordPress, all you have to do is download a
plug-in (most are free) and the functionality will be added to your
blog in seconds!
There are literally thousands of free plug-ins available.
Blog or Website? Can't Decide?
A lot of people get confused and wonder if they should create
a blog or a static website. The video below explains the major
differences.
WordPress? Blogger? Which is Best?
WordPress and
Blogger are hands down the two most popular blogging platforms. I honestly see no reason to consider any of the others.
I started with Blogger, but when I started learning about the
flexibility WordPress provided, I switched over in December 2007 and
I'm so glad I did.
Blogger is great because it's super easy to use. However,
WordPress has a lot more features and plug-ins that will allow you to
enhance your blog.
And even though setting up a WordPress blog is slightly more involved, it's well worth it in the long run.
Remotely Hosted Blog or Self Hosted Blog?
Remotely Hosted
There are two ways to host a blog. The first way is to
remotely host it-- which means your content/files literally sit on the
server of the blogging platform (WordPress.com, Blogger.com, etc.)
As I mentioned above, there's always a risk involved with
doing it this way because if Blogger or WordPress decide to shut your
blog down (for whatever reason), you would lose all your content.
It also doesn't look as professional to have a blog address
like http://yourblog.blogspot.com or http://yourblog.wordpress.com. And
if you want to make money, first impressions mean a lot.
For the record,
I don't endorse remotely hosted blogs.
I think hosting is so cheap these days that it's worth spending a few
extra dollars to own your content and have a real blog address like
http://yourblog.com -- especially if you want to make money.
Self Hosted
With a self hosted blog, all your content sits on the hosting
account that you own. Your blog address is more professional and easy
to remember because you can have a true domain like http://yourblog.com.
My blog
is a self hosted WordPress blog. What that means is my blog's content
is published to my own domain, 2CreateAWebSite.com and I even got to
create a subdirectory called "blog" so my blog address is
http://blog.2createawebsite.com.
Watch the video below to learn how to setup a blog on your own domain.
I also have a free WordPress tutorial on how to setup your blog here.
Why a Blog and a Website?
Even though I already have a successful website, I decided to
create a blog too.
Here on my site, you'll find more static/unchanging
tutorials, and my blog is more like a journal where I talk about current
topics in the world of website creation, blogging and making money.
As I mentioned in the video above, whether you use a blog, a
website or both is up to you. There is no rule of thumb. You really have
to feel your way around and see what's best for your needs. But if
you're just starting, I'd definitely only focus on one or the other.
Serious About Making Money From a Blog?
If your goal is to make money from a blog, you might want to consider
Yaro Starak's Blog Coaching Service. This guy is no amateur and makes 6 figures per year from blogging alone.
In his free report,
Blog Profits Blueprint,
he lays the groundwork for creating a successful blog and helps you
keep your expectations in check when it comes to making money. Very
solid advice here.
http://www.2createawebsite.com/traffic/create-free-blog.html