Website Vs Blog

A beginner online often gets confused at the mention of a website and a blog. What is the difference? Which should I go for or start with? What are the advantages of a website and that of a blog? Answers to all these questions are what is provided in this article.

What is a Website?

A website is a collection of interlinked webpages on a domain with the usual HTML, php, etc..

What is a Blog?

A blog is also a website but uses a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress.

Benefits, Advantages/Differences of a Blog over a Website

A website is most often very official with a straight forward to business approach. A blog on the other hand is like a diary but online. A blogger writes regularly on a particular niche and readers are welcomed to add their thoughts on each subject article he writes. Here people can speak friendly and less official. It builds strong relationship.

A website and a blog have their place. It shouldn’t be a matter of which is better but which is more suitable for your reason online. It is what you intend to achieve that should determine which to start with. Both can work hand in hand.

Below are some advantages/differences of a blog compared to a website.

Blogs are cheap to create

For the reason that all fingers are not equal, the first advantage of a blog compared to a website is that it is cheap to create. With $20 (max.) you could have a hosted WordPress blog while it is a different matter entirely with a website. And if you can not afford $20 for a domain and hosting service you could of course start with a free hosting service though it is not the best, but you could start with it and not spend a dime. You can get a good free hosting service from blogger, owned by Google. Using blogger you could even have your blog tied to Google AdSense account. That way you get your hosting service for free and also make money. Cool right? I thought so too except that it is not the way to go for serious blogging (professional).

Blogs are cheap to maintain

Since creating a blog doesn’t in all cases require you having a skill, virtually anyone can start and run a blog, but for a website you need an HTML and website designing skills.

The simplicity of creating a blog has resulted in the more than 130 million blogs available online today and the number increases everyday, as thousands of people who never could have afforded a website are now settling for blogs and in some cases making good money from it.

Blogs are easy to update

To make a post on a blog all you do is log in to the dashboard of your blog, write your content and click on publish and in minutes your post will be visible to everyone online who visits your blog to read. In the case of a static website, to upload an article you first have to open your editor, FrontPage, Dreamweaver e.t.c. write your article, update page properties, before you could upload the page using FTP software. Depending on the techniques you applied, it could take months before your website is indexed by Google.

Blogs allow a written text, audio and video. And you can have it online in a matter of minutes this is not exactly the case with a website. You will have to spend some money every time you want to make an update to your website if you do not have the skill to manage a static website.

Blogs organizes itself

Blogs automatically organizes its content by date and category. And with a blog built-in search, readers and search engine spiders can easily run a search on your blog and find what they are looking for. For a static website you have to personally organize its pages.

Blogs could be Ping

Blogs could be ‘pinged’ so Google is alerted whenever you post fresh content and visit your blog to index it. Though this is also available in static website but you will spend more time than is necessary to should it be a blog on Search Engine Optimization (SEO), to have the website show up in search results.

Search Engines Love Blogs

Search Engines love blogs because of it regular fresh content since that is what readers search for online and search engines would not make millions if readers do not get fresh regular contents to read. And so blogs tend to get indexed easily and in time than a static website.

Search engines also push blogs higher up in search displays than static website just for it fresh content. Static website though could contain some articles but they are mainly designed to promote products and services.And might not be updated for months. And most website designers are mostly concerned about the appearance of their website rather than the content in them and maximizing Search Engine Optimization to get traffic.

Blogs allow readers to freely express themselves through Comment Feed

The Comment Feed in blogs creates a forum for people to express themselves in an informal way and interact with others hence building strong relationship and trust between you and your readers. And that is the essence of blogging because once they trust you, you become real to them as a professional in your field. So later in future when you suggest or offer them any relevant product (s) for sale, you will have large numbers patronizing you. Which at the end of the day is the reason why we blog or at least why most of us blog – Advertise and make money. A static website does not allow this, when and if it does, discussions are usually very formal.

But to get readers to comment, you have to regularly provide what they could comment on which is valuable content.

Blogging requires time since you will have to update your blog regularly with relevant content.

Website or a Blog, which should I go for now?

Like I said before it all depends on what you are trying to achieve. That is why I have outlined the features, advantages/benefits of a blog so that you can tell which meets your goal.

If you are a complete beginner online it is better you start with a blog. Use that as your learning curve. Presently there is nothing that you want to do that can’t be achieved with a blog.

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How To Market Your Blog and Gain More Followers: So Easy An Old Person Could Do It

Written as an example for a basketball coaching blog

1. Find similar blogs

You can start looking for related blogs by using the search engines. Search using relevant keywords + “blog”. Use the singular and plural form of the keywords for each search.

For example – “basketball blog”, “basketball blogs”, “basketball coaching blogs”, “NBA blogs”, “sports coaching blogs”, “high school basketball blog”, etc.

If you do these searches on multiple search engines (bing,google,ask.com, etc) you will come up with more options than if you were to only search on google.

Once you have found related, high quality blogs you should either bookmark them, put them in a spreadsheet, etc. Keeping track of everything can save headaches later on.

After finding and organizing your potential candidates you should subscribe to, or “follow” their blog. This normally involves submitting your email address and/or website with some simple personal information. After subscribing you will be updated (by email) of any new posts, & of replies to any of your own comments made on other people’s blog.

*Note-It might be a good idea to make a new email address dedicated entirely to following others’ blogs. This way you can separate your personal email and your blog related email.

2. Interact with the related blogs you have found

Most blog owners will post updates anywhere from 1-10 X per week. Considering the amount of related blogs you may have found, this can be an overwhelming amount of information to comment on or add to. As a result, it is wise to only interact with blog posts that you are either very knowledgeable on or feel strongly about. You have to be saying something important or enlightening to persuade other readers that you are an expert. After a few comments, regular readers of the related blogs will recognize your expertise, and in turn check out your own blog – this will lead to more followers for you.

*Note you don’t always have to disagree with a blog post to feel strongly about it. If a post is written particularly well and you find it informative, its not a bad idea to comment about why you enjoyed/agreed with the post and what specifically you liked about it. This can result in happy blog owners, who may eventually ask for you to write a guest blog post.

It is a good idea to mix-up the type of comments that you make. Some can be a debate if you disagree with something. Some can be made in agreement with a post. Others still may add on something that was stated. Its important to switch it up so that you don’t look negative or like a yes-man. You want to stimulate thought with your posts.

The goal of commenting on other blogs is to gain backlinks to your own blog, as well as establish credibility in your community. When commenting on others’ posts there is usually a spot for your own website, which will be hyperlinked through your name. It will look similar to this- Mauro Panaggio says: – The link should link to your blog (mauropanaggio.blogspot.com).

3. Comment on basketball related articles & news

The internet is filled with basketball articles and news. Start by doing a search for the different types of articles you would like to add to.

Use searches like “basketball articles”, “basketball coaching articles”, “basketball defense articles”, “basketball offense articles”, “free-throw articles”, etc

Use any relevant keywords with the word “articles” or “article” at the end and you will know doubt find thousands of possible places to comment and add a link back to your blog. Get creative with your searches. You can be as specific or broad as you like. Things like “Orlando Magic articles” and “Orlando Magic strategy articles” will all yield different results. Focus on the highest ranking articles, as these will be seen more and result in more people reading your comments. The only exception is with broad searches like “basketball articles”. In this case it is possible that the first 5-10 pages could all get enough traffic to justify a comment.

The second part of this step is to stay up with current basketball news. These get the most traffic, however there are usually many comments. This can make it easy for yours to get lost and overlooked. It is important to pay attention to the regulars commenting on these types of articles. They are usually leads to find new blogs and possible interaction/networking. When commenting on news articles, it is important to keep your responses shorter and to the point. Don’t forget to add your website’s hyperlink.

4. Submitting to relevant blog directories

In order to make it so that your blog is easily found, it can help to submit to multiple blog directories. This involves doing a number of searches. Use keywords followed by the word “blog(s)” + the words “directory” or “directories”

“Basketball blog directory”, “Coaching bog directory”, and “Sports blog directory” are all good starts. These may not return very many relevant results, though.

After this, try searching for and submitting to general blog directories.

“blog directory”, “blog directories”, and “free blog directory” are good searches to start with.

*Note do not spend too much time on this step It is much less important then the other steps and can be implemented when the others have already been done for the day. This process can be frustrating and time consuming.

5. Look for guest blogging opportunities

There are many websites dedicated to bringing together bloggers and people looking for guest blog spots. Start with some simple searches and elaborate as needed.

“Basketball guest blogging” “Guest blogging opportunities” etc

In most cases you will have to sign up as a member at these sites (its usually free). This step can help gain a lot of exposure for your blog as well as provide relevant backlinks.

6. Turn your blogs into articles

Many informative blog posts can be “spun” into articles and submitted to numerous article sites. If done correctly this can result in increased exposure and useful backlinks. Some of the most effective article websites are: EzineArticles, ArticlesBase, GoArticles, and ArticleDashboard.

Spinning your blog posts into articles is an art. The key is to develop content that sounds very interesting (good title) and targets keywords with high search density.

7. Writing effective blog posts

While you should provide lots of fundamental and skill related content for your blog, it is important to spread this out among more light hearted blog posts. For example, in one week you may do a posts about “Motivating your team when they are losing”, “5 coaches who should be fired”, and “Why ____ could have helped the Magic beat the Jazz”.

Some posts should be strictly informative, others opinions, some made as commentary about recent games or events, and others a combination of all 3.

It is important to keep the blog posts at a reasonable length, as attention spans are short nowadays. Also be aware of others who may be commenting on your posts, and be sure to respond if the situation requires it. Constructive interaction may lead more word of mouth followers. Just be sure to keep an open mind when dealing with others’ opinions. You always get the occasional jerks or idiots who don’t know what they are talking about.

Be sure to include any relevant pictures, links, or audio/video that may help your readers. This can make the difference between a good or bad post.

Remember to determine who your readers are (or who you want them to be) and cater to them.

8. Utilize existing channels and contacts

This one is a no brainer. After you have made a few posts and your blog is looking good, reach out to anyone you already know and that might be interested. Ex players, coaches, and anyone else who might pass along the word. Use emails, Facebook, and even phone calls to inform others about your blog and encourage them to tell their friends.

This step will help you gain a good base of followers and is a great starting point. It is much harder to gain followers you don’t know, especially if you currently have little no none to begin with. People tend to follow blogs that already have a lot of followers, so starting with the low hanging fruit is key.

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Things to Remember About a Commercial Loan Workout

These times are the best times as any to take advantage of applying for a commercial loan workout since a lot of owners are having difficulties in applying for the refinancing of their debt obligations. Options like a commercial short sale and a commercial loan audit are just some of the effective solutions designed to help delinquent borrowers to become more financially stable. These arrangements help the property and business owner on a lot of things such as cutting down on interest and principal rates, improving the cash flow, and many others. The different kinds of properties that will benefit include office buildings, multi tenant buildings, motels, shopping malls, strip malls, and hotels.

A commercial loan workout that is successful depends on the business owner’s capability to maintain a steady cash flow to pay monthly premiums on time on each new loan terms. However, before a commercial loan workout is granted, the creditors or the lenders would first have to analyze the financial documents that they required the borrower to submit to them. This is for the lenders or creditors to determine whether or not a property owner would be capable of making the monthly payments required for the modified agreement. So, for a property owner to convince the lenders or the banks enough to approve the application, proper and solid documentation proving the owner’s financial difficulty would have to be submitted.

There are several types of lenders that the owners can do business with; however, the best choice would be the banks. Owners of these income-producing properties can apply directly to their banks or lenders; however, this may somewhat be a daunting and intimidating task so there are third party firms that, at a certain fee, will handle the negotiations and application process on the owner’s behalf. A commercial loan workout is favored by a lot of property and business owners because it offers them flexible options to pay off their obligations. These options include interest rates reduction, extension of terms on the original loan as well as lowering of the balance on the debt.

However, the vital step in the whole process of commercial loss mitigation and most importantly, commercial loan workout, is to get approved and get approved as quickly as possible. Now, in order to do this, a property owner who is applying must be well informed about the details regarding the procedure of approval as well as making sure that all necessary documents and paperwork are in place and ready to be submitted. You, as a business owner would need to have your own copies of the important financial documents that would be required such as tax returns, land and property statements, business proposals and plans, and others. Keep in mind that filing an application also has costs so it would be better to prepare yourself for any toward expenses. All in all, adjustments to the terms of the debt obligation would be very helpful for any property and business owner, all that is needed is to be approved for it.

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Commercial Loan Refinancing Refi

Commercial loans once acquired are often never reexamined to insure that the best financing value has been negotiated. It is an understatement to say that the business world is dynamic and economic conditions are always evolving. Changes often occur that might indicate the need for the reevaluation of a company or individual position with respect to commercial loans. There are several important reasons that might cause one to consider refinancing of a commercial loan. A few of these reasons are enumerated below;

1. Taking advantage of equity gains that may be realized which could enable the borrower to free up capital for other expenses or ventures. This option is often referred to as “cashing out” and offers an opportunity to invest the equity that has accrued in a manner that offers a higher return.

2. Interest rates may have declined or another commercial lender is offering a lower rate and it is prudent to take advantage of reduced payments. Reduced loan payments obviously affect cash flow and enhance one’s financial position.

3. Another acquisition may provide an opportunity to combine loans and recognize increased cash flow or take advantage of more favorable terms and conditions. Combining notes may offer the opportunity to take advantage of the equity that has built up in one note to obtain more favorable financing for another. It also offers an opportunity to strengthen a financial statement by closing out a note under favorable conditions.

4. Taking advantage of an opportunity to lengthen the period of the loan and realize an increased cash flow as well as to take advantage of tax concessions.

5. It may be appropriate to pay down some of the note and renegotiate terms and conditions to strengthen one’s financial statement.

These potential reasons have been highlighted for illustrative purposes, but there are other reasons that may cause one to seek commercial loan refinancing. Each individual or company circumstance will dictate differing responses. As with any decision, an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantageous is necessary to insure that the effort is worth the reward. One needs to assess the total impact of the decision with regard to tax implications, the advantages of cashing out equity, the effect on one’s present financial statement, the opportunities for additional investment and the actual savings that may be available.

It is important to note that a detailed analysis may be required to thoroughly assess the impact of potential refinancing. Loan covenants may need to be revised or renegotiated and should be closely examined to insure that the maximum business flexibility is maintained or enhanced. The bottom line that applies to refinancing is to acquire a business advantage that might go unfulfilled without this refinancing action.

In summary, a review of the status of commercial loans may present an opportunity to refinance and realize a gain that may have been previously overlooked.

Find Commercial Loans using our free Commercial Loan Application to compare rates and submit your information to multiple commercial lenders. GlobalBX works with top lenders in commercial real estate and business financing. We have over 300 commercial real estate lenders, business and construction lenders as well as private equity groups waiting to help you. Best of all, GlobalBX is FREE!

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