Will blogs replace websites?
Not too long ago companies were launching websites. Now it is all about blogs, often within the website. Do you feel that companies will continue to use both methods of sharing information or will blogs gradually outdistance the need for a website?
Good Answers (7)
Eric E
Independant Associate/Manager at Prepaid Legal Services
Best Answers in: Public Relations (1)
I believe they augment each other. A website generally provides static information that relates the core essence of a business, where a blog is more dynamic, in that it conrtains more up to date information on a particular subject, can easily change topics or direction, and generally provides a reader an opportunity to provide feedback to the blog's author.
I'm not an expert in the web authoring field but I think what we will see more prevalent in Corporate Sites is the use of content management websites. Somewhat of a hybrid between a blog and a traditional static-content website. This offers the Company the flexibility of a website with the ever changing content and web presence of a blog.
I am inclined to say that Blogs will continue to take a larger market share from the general mass media networks as people in social situations will readily believe rumors from a friend, than the advice of an expert. I think blogs will become more prominent in the consumer service industries (i.e. Music, News, Retail), however, in corporate service industries (Environmental Consulting for example), the website and its content management ability will likely dominate for some time to come.
Websites will not be replaced; however, they will and currently are evolving. What you will find is social computing will become more relevant and prevalent as the need for dynamic content emerges. Websites are addresses for companies on the information highway; people know where to go when they want to access that company. But, websites will play less of a role in channeling information and building relationships with clients. Blogs are just a precurser of what is to come. We have some ideas on how companies can achieve "persistent presence" through the Internet and tap into the power of social computing.
Ryan T
"The simpler our means, the more we communicate."
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Though each generally provides a means for providing content and interaction online, etc. a greater distinction emerges with how information gets found, by whom, for what purpose.
Production for mass consumption. Generating useful, interesting, or relevant stuff for specialized audiences. Digesting what's available into more navigable experiences. Somewhere across the three extremes, content converges online in purpose and form. This could speak more to the direction of Internet audiences and their habits than anything else.
That's why it's interesting to note that by themselves, websites require concentration, blogs encourage specialization, but neither by themselves encourages actual discovery of content. Great think piece by Mashable (see URL) discusses this further.
Ultimately the "intermediaries" (ad networks, social networks, social bookmarking, SEO/SEM, widgets, dashboard, aggregators, et al.) are going to shape online content more as well as its ultimate uses the more disparate and concentrated the locations.
Links:
Kristen N
E-Commerce Marketing Consultant at Simplicity Creative Group
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I think the size of the company is relative when offering an answer. In big business, definitely not. But in the world of small business, I think there is a very good chance blogs will replace the customary business card website. Small business owners often feel limited in their ability to set-up a traditional website; they see it as a potentially expensive and difficult undertaking. Many feel the need to hire a person for the initial set-up and ongoing maintenance, paying for each small change and update, thus eliminating the ability to make their web pages truly interactive on a small budget. While the web design technology has improved and costs can be reasonable, there are enough small business owners who still find the technology dumbfounding. Blogs are perfect for these business owners. Blog technology offered by Google's Blogger takes away the thought process and eases the learning curves. Blogs can be set-up in a matter of minutes by following a simple 1-2-3 process, to help tip the scales -- they are often free.
John E. B
Now with MorphoTrak
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Static pages, blogs, message boards, wikis, tweets, video, audio, feeds, etc. are merely tools that people and companies use to present content. The specific tools that any person or company will use will vary depending upon specific needs. For personal purposes, my home page is my blog (supplemented with my other content), but this is NOT the best access method for some people or companies. For example, the multi-directional/dimensional navigation capabilities of a wiki may be preferable to the time-oriented navigation found in a blog.
If you look at Oracle, it is using static web pages, blogs, wikis, tweets, videos, and probably some other avenues besides. Some companies will need everything, including the kitchen sink, to reach their audience.
More Answers (16)
Matt V
Online Marketing/Search Manager at Comcast Entertainment Group (E!, Style and G4 Networks)
No.
Blogs will not completely replace business websites. What a blog does is allow more of connection with the end users (often times allowing comments, feedback, guest writers, and encouraging discussion and interaction). Blogs also serve as search engine optimization fodder.
Not really...
Blogs are a great way to interact between users but still if you are looking for professional information and authentic content you will still need to rely on a website.
Blogs generally share views of individuals which come from personal experiences so the opinions and views expressed will no doubt be first hand but at the same time they could be biased or influenced by prejudice and preconcieved notions of the blogger.
If you are looking for an impartial information you still will have to rely on professionally maintained websites.Also these sites would provide more specific information whereas blogs tend to more generic.
But blogs could have their own advantages as websites that have more user interaction tend to be more useful and informative as well as have more diversified content for eg youtube.com and wikipedia
Octavio B
Corporate Strategist ★ Business Leader ★ Management Consultant
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Hi Susan,
I don’t believe that Blogs will replace to corporate sites anytime soon. Indeed Blogs, corporate sites and Intranets will be perfectly complementary in scope and intention and will closely interrelate.
A current trend that is easily observable in some corporate websites and Intranets, is that the careful inclusion of content made by company’s employee’s through blogs is only happening in those companies which open-minded culture, willingness to share knowledge and experiences and proper mindset to innovate effectively fosters the effective using of collaborative technologies in the workplace.
I hope this helps you.
Octavio
Blogs are archives of information. Depending on the web developer, a website can be completely customized with administrative features that will enable an admin to make changes on the fly. By definition, this is a "blog" customized for a specific focus.
There are thousands of off the shelf website templates and blogs. There will always be an easy solution, whether a site uses templates, MySpace, Blogger or an out of box package... you can be assured that your site will not original, will have limitations set by the template (blog program) and may not meet the goals that a customized site and an experienced developer can meet.
From my experience, blogs will be an integral part of communication, but not the sole winner in the future. Look more towards growing interactive technologies like Flash and video. The iPhone is a prime example of future interactivity.
It won't ever happen!!!
Blogs are too destructured and unreadable.
Other than beein so bad to see in a fahionable desing contest.
I create my own websites, and my websites have links to my blogs.
I think one needs both. Each can drive viewers to each other. Therefore, I don't think one will replace the other. They will peacefully co-exist.
Links:
Brian M
at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
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Hi Susan,
of course not. Blogs are fine for a number of functions but web sites do lots of things for companies that blogs can not. Where is the eCommerce in a blog? If you are a widget manufacturer, how does a blog handle your catalog?
Sure, some of these functions could be grafted onto a blog but the result would hardly meet web usability objectives.
Regards
Brian MacLeod
As for me I do not believe that it's all black and white.
Blogs will not replace websites in the sense that not all websites need to be commented by visitor for example. However, people may want to provide an RSS feed to their website for news and updates...In this sense blog technologies might be implemented in future websites.
Blogs is just another way to communicate freely with your clients/ users. It is also a great way to create website stickiness (keeping users on and active)
This is a perfect example.. i am blogging to respond to your question (as i look up i see an hp advertisement and i have been active on Linkedin for a while!
Clarification added November 17, 2007:
Forgot to mention, blogs is a great way to rank higher in search engines.. the more times your users are talking about a specific topic... the more content relating to your website resulting in better search engine appearance.
Eileen B
IT Professional, Information Security Quality Assurance Operations & Administration / President, CMU SEI LI SPIN
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Hi Susan,
Blogs are websites, they are a subset or type. So no.
Eileen
Blake R
Multi-Family and Apartment Investment and Management
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The website is the standard "web brochure". Blogs will gain share as they are inherently more interactive.
Hi, Susan. There are many web sites that were built having really a blog-like idea in mind. These will disappear and will be substitued with blogs.
Blog architecture does'nt actually implement an application design. It's a de-structrued point of exchange of ideas and of opinions collections around ideas. So can be viewed also a complementary site. If You need mode details.pls ask me.
Bye
Links:
No. Blogs can only cater to businesses and audiences that benefit from a two-way conversation as part of doing business. For example, I would see a blog as a great tool for a speakers bureau website (constantly changing, engaging, and open to two-way interaction), but not good for a company like a mop-wringer manufacturer... as they have no real conversation with the customer.
Blogs will continue to work with interests and industries on a greater scale as a news reporting mechanism I am sure.
As to using Blog software such as Wordpress as a hybrid and simple Content Management System (CMS), I can see where that may work as long as a designer knows what they are doing. Unfortunately these implementations seem to only work on small-size clients that have very shallow navigation complexity.
John R
Media Test and Tools.
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Susan: There seem to be quite a few users going mobile, so there may be additional repositories in addition to these. What's free to the user may have advertising which may take new forms as it becomes more precisely customized. Blogs comment on things, including web content. The answer might depend upon what the users need to know or tell. Thanks.
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No. In fact, I believe we have seen the top of blogs. Blogs are excellent to promote individuals but are not effective promoting a lot of other dynamic organisms, especially not when they are organized. Blogging as a FAD is FADING. People who hopped on blogs to follow the trend are finding out that it takes stamina to nurture a relevant blog and in spite of good intentions, it often decreases in priority once they realize they have a life and a career beyond the blogging sphere. I think technological advancement will equally reduce the use of blogs. Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Pat
Lakshman P
Chairman, CEO and Chief Architect of Lpcube - a Knowledge Management Company
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Susan:
Many parts of corporate websites will be replaced with innovative approaches or platforms. One of them is definitely a "Corporate Blog".
In future corporate sites will have a human touch - lively, intelligent, efficient, interactive, pleasant and more responsive - supported by a good knowledge base (both people, intelligently organized content and smartly managed communication).
