Choosing between a stand alone or integrated blog
When you’re planning your blog, one essential step is to choose whether your entire site will be blog-based or part of a larger website. I’ve done it both ways and have done it both ways for my clients. I don’t think there is ONE answer for this question, so I offer a few considerations for you to contemplate during this phase of your process.
What’s the difference between a blogsite and an integrated blog?
- A blogsite is a stand-alone blog. In other words, all the pages for the blog are built from the blogging platform (e.g., WordPress). Here are two examples of blogsites — BruceMulkey.com and RevolutionMe. MyBlogCoach is a blogsite too.
- An integrated blog is part of a larger website (think of the integrated blog as one room in a house, whereas a blogsite is the entire house). A couple of examples of integrated blogs are MarriageVowWorkbook.com/blog and ShonnieLavender.com/blog.
Which blog option is right for you?
Though there is not a definitive answer for all situations, there are things to consider that will help you make the best choice for you. Below are my recommendations (BS=blogsite, IB=integrated blog) for various situations.
- You already have an established web presence and printed marketing materials. Go with an IB. Rationale: You’ve already invested time and money on creating a website and marketing your business. Don’t throw that money down the drain by starting all over. Create a blog that complements your web design and company brand, then make sure it’s prominently promoted on all the pages of your existing website.
- Your website is hosted on a server that isn’t compatible with WordPress (or another blogging tool you use). Go with a BS. One of my recent clients ran into this issue. We were going to move her existing site and integrate a blog into it, until we realized her site (built in ASP) wouldn’t work on the Linux server we needed for WordPress. Rationale: Use your money wisely and don’t break a site that’s already working for you. Build your blogsite exactly as you want it with whatever platform you want and whatever name you want. Then, make sure it’s well-linked and highly promoted from your main website’s pages.
- You have no web presence, or your website hasn’t been updated since the last millennium. Go with a BS. Rationale: Though you may have invested some money and time, starting over–from where you and your business are today–will be a wise move. Do the planning steps so you’ll know your blog’s purpose, who you want to attract, what static (non-changing, or infrequently changing) info you want to share, then create that blog and start marketing it to the world.
- Your website promotes your five different businesses. Go with a BS (or multiple BSs). Rationale: If you attempted to use an integrated blog, what subject would it focus on? If you’ve got more than one business, use a separate blog for each one or for each closely related group of companies (e.g., Let’s say your businesses are in home remodel, weight-loss, vitamins, yoga, and do-it-yourself plumbing repair kits. You could have two blogsites. One which focuses on topics around home remodel and plumbing tips and the other oriented to sharing health, nutrition, and stress-relief information.)
- You have a website you love and you don’t want to learn more web skills than necessary. Go with an IB. Rationale: Let your web designer do what they are best at and you focus on creating the content for your blog and keeping it updated. If you can find a designer who knows blogs well, that’s all the better because then you’ll have built-in support for those times you run into snags.
Any other opinions or follow-up questions?
I welcome any differing ideas (or similar opinions) on the ideas I’ve outlined above. If you have a scenario that I didn’t cover, write it in the comments section and I’ll be glad to respond.
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