A Blog Roll and A Static Home Page Described
Hello! I occasionally see questions about static vs. blog roll,, so today, I want to explain the differences between a static home page and a blog roll.
However!!! I am not trying to persuade anyone to change what they are currently doing, nor am I suggesting that one of these is better than the other. I am suggesting that each is better suited for particular circumstances.
Let’s press on…
A Static Home Page
So, what is a static home page?
A static page is a page that stays the same. There may be minor changes and even complete updates from time to time, but you generally know what you are going to see when you get there.
This type of page is ideal for businesses, portfolio sites like cooking, fishing, photography, etc., where you want to showcase your wares, NPO sites, e-commerce sites, or any website that needs to present a consistent message to its visitors.
Use a static home page when you want to showcase specific content, such as an introduction to your business, your services, contact information, or featured products. Maybe you want to explain your mission every time someone stops by.
The main purpose of a static home page is to provide visitors with important, unchanging information right away. It’s great for making a solid first impression and guiding visitors to the most important parts of your site. In that regard, it relies heavily on a good menu to find specific content.
Clicking on a website and finding the same visuals every time you get there is comforting. Think about Wealthy Affiliate. Doesn’t it tell you that you are in the perfectly right place to launch an exciting, scalable, lucrative business when you see the big purple rectangle with the open laptop?
You can set up a static home page in your back office in WordPress by going to ‘Appearance’, then to ‘Customize’, then Homepage Settings’, then ‘Static.' An easier way is to set it to static in your Reading settings under 'Settings.'
A Blog Roll
A blog roll (or blog feed) is a dynamic page that automatically displays your latest blog posts in reverse chronological order. It is perfect for bloggers like many of us (I always use a blog roll) who regularly update rolls with new content.
Blog rolls are commonly used on personal blogs, news sites, and other content-heavy websites.
Use a blog roll when you want your readers to see your latest articles right away when they get to your site. In time, they will get used to this format and find it as comforting as a static page—more so if you update regularly. It shows people that you like to keep things fresh. That’s what we want to do, right?
I’m glad we agree. Keeping it fresh encourages your audience to check back regularly to see what’s new. That’s just one of the reasons the Wealthy Affiliate training encourages regular writing habits.
I don’t know about other themes, but Generate Press can be set up as a blog roll. You simply need to designate a page to display your latest posts. Select “Your latest posts” under the Reading Settings in your back office.
Pros and Cons
Pros:- First Impressions: A well-designed static home page can make a strong first impression, which can lead to higher engagement and lower bounce rates.
- Clear Messaging: It allows you to present your most important information and calls to action clearly, which can drive conversions and direct visitors to other parts of your site.
- SEO Potential: You can optimize a static page for specific keywords, which can help with search engine rankings.
- Stale Content: If the content is not updated regularly, it can become stale and less engaging for returning visitors. Google likes to see fresh content regularly, so your static page not only has to be SEO optimized to rank well, but fresh content must be added to your site regularly to keep that ranking.
- Limited Updates: It doesn't showcase new content or updates, which might reduce repeat visits.
Blog Roll
Pros:- Fresh Content: Regularly updated content can keep your site dynamic and engaging, encouraging visitors to return frequently.
- SEO Benefits: New posts provide more opportunities to rank for a variety of keywords, improving your site's overall SEO performance.
- Engagement: A blog roll can build a community around your content, with comments and shares boosting visibility and traffic.
- Initial Impressions: If the blog roll isn't well-organized with a catchy logo and meaningful categories or if the latest posts aren't immediately relevant to new visitors, it might not create the best first impression.
- Content Overload: Too many posts can overwhelm visitors, making it harder for them to find specific information.
Which Gets More Traffic?
General Observations:From what I've read in forums, it really doesn't matter which you use as long as your site comprises solid SEO and high-quality content.
Key Differences
- Content: A static home page features fixed content, while a blog roll displays dynamic, regularly updated posts.
- Purpose: A static home page is great for presenting key information and a clear call to action, while a blog roll is ideal for presenting and engaging visitors with new content.
- Audience: Use a static home page to convey a professional, consistent message or a blog roll to attract and retain readers interested in your ongoing updates.
Now that you understand these differences, you can choose the best format for your website based on your goals and what you want to present to your audience.
If your aim is to inform and educate with regular updates, a blog roll might be more suitable. If you want to focus on a single message or offer, a static home page could be the way to go.
Let’s take a vote. Which do you think is better for your particular circumstances? I’m a blog roll guy because I want people to find something fresh each time they visit. How about you?
Dave
Recent Comments
21
Your post offered some good information. I use my blog roll for my home page. However, because of the subject matter, I plan to make one of my posts sticky so it remains at the top of my blog roll. The rest of the posts are automatically organized by posting date. My other site is always the most recent post because it doesn't need an introductory post.
Nancy
I can remember the names of the actors who played in the original Beverly Hillbillies, but I can't seem to remember yesterday. It's been a couple of months since I visited your site, and I can't remember the layout. I think I remember liking it.
I haven't tried the 'make it sticky' option, but I think I will eventually build a static homepage. My focus now is actually on my Bootcamp site. Google hates it, so I'm trying to make it more likable.
Thanks for the response, Nancy.
I like the blog roll type simply because it changes and users can easily see that the page is or has been regularly updated. If a static page looks the same today, tomorrow and 100 days from now, I think some readers—unless they already know your site—may just move on because nothing "appears" to have changed.
That's probably just my preference when I go to a site, I always check to see when it was last updated.
Karin
I agree, Karin. A static page and a forum are a good pairing to keep things fresh. I don't have the resources to manage a forum right now, but perhaps in time.
Great points, Dave.
I use a static home page on my websites, rather than a blog roll.
I want my readers to know what the site is about, and the static home page will provide visitors with that information.
If a website has a blog, there is usually a tab indicating so in the menu. If so inclined, I will check out their blog articles to learn more.
Rudy
That's right, Rudy. 'My Blog' is a typical category I have seen. You are the second person who has responded and indicated that they use a static page for at least one of their blogs. I think it is more common than I realized.
I think when people are first starting out as bloggers, setting up the website d3faults to setting tour blog as a blog roll.
Once acclimated, some folks may change to a static page layout.
Both are good.
Both need to remain fresh.
Adding new blogs for the roll...
Adding new content, or a CTA to the home page, even changing font size, color, this all helps to stay current.
Seasonal additions can help give life to the static home page.
Rudy
Yes, the training focuses on creating content and not on the secondary tasks, including the type of homepage to use.
You add some good information here, Rudy. Thank you.
Hi Dave, I used to advocate for blog roll but now I have a static home page with clear call to actions and more information about my brand which helps visitors to see. I found more visitors stay on my site than from when I had my blog roll content. Now they have a better understanding of the whole concept on my site. I support static home page that is what most websites look like now rather than a blog roll. Thanks for sharing this, its a good resource for us. Many thanks!😀
Thanks, Brenda. That is quite interesting. I've given some thought to making the homepage static on my first site since the top players in my genre have them. I haven't taken the time to design it.
As an aside, some days are diamonds; some days are stones. Thanks for taking me from granite to hoping for a bit of sparkle.
💎Dave
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Great read Dave! Personally I think having a static homepage looks more professional, but.... in reality who actually lands on this??
I'm forever tinkering around with things on different sites in order to see what works best!
And to be honest... I still have no clue!!
Take care my friend and enjoy a wonderful week! :-)
You're right, Nick. According to my research, it's not about the homepage; it's about keeping your site fresh. Maintaining a static homepage is another thing to worry about. I don't know about you, but I don't need to do more work. However, it would be nice to be able to hire people to help optimize and maintain sites.
Absolutely Dave, fresh and relevant is the name of the game!
I do like a nice static homepage but.... I totally agree it's extra work for little benefit when our efforts could be used much better doing other tasks to drive traffic! :-)