Sunday, December 12, 2010

To Spin a Web or Not

I spend hours over Thanksgiving break redoing my website.  But the more author friends I make in the blogosphere, the more I wonder if it's a good use of my time.  I enjoy keeping my blog up to date and can procrastinate hours of my writing time visiting interesting blogs.  Some are fun, some informative and others combinations of the two. 
Cate Masters helped me figure out how to add pages to my blog and I've been working on them.  Soon everything on my website will also be on my blog.  My blog will actually be like a website but it will get updated a couple of times per week and it will have great links everyday to my friends' blogs. So is my web page redundant?
I'm starting to think so and already a number of other authors have told me they only do a blog though they maintain multiple pages on it like a website.
So I'm throwing out the question.  Website? Necessary? Just a lot of work? Keep it or dump it? I'm very interested to hear not only opinions but your reasons to help me decide.

11 comments:

Maria Zannini said...

Cate is smarter than what is allowed by law. :)

I used to have a web site, but I've found I can say all I need to say on my blog. It was a pain to update the web site anyway because I used Dreamweaver.

I don't miss my web site at all, and it's been over a year.

PS Judging by stats, the blog historically has always drawn way more people too.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Thanks for sharing, Maria. I'm really leaning toward the blog only.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

My publisher recommended a blog over a website, and I'm glad I followed their advice. With pages, I can present everything on my blog that would be on a website, and it's interactive.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Alex, your blog is the one that inspired me to consider doing away with my website. It is a great example of a blog being all a website can be and more.

Anonymous said...

I have a Web site but have all traffic directed to my blog. Blog sites are replacing Web sites. Or the two are becoming one and the same. Blogs are in because they are interactive. That's what a blog offers.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I think you're right, Stephen.

Christina Lee said...

eeek when you figure it out let me know--I'll read all the comments!

RaShelle Workman said...

Susan - A great blog is good. I'm not sure I would completely get rid of the website though. I don't have one yet, but once my novel is published I may go for it. I'm flip-flopping. LOL

Ava Quinn said...

I like having both. I don't update my website as often as I probably should, but I still like having it.

My blog definitely gets more traffic, but it has a little different feel than my website and most of my manuscripts. The blog is where I can be quirky and crazy, the website is more serious.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

That's just where I am, Rashelle, flip-flopping.
Ava, I can attest you are wild and crazy on your blog.

Victoria said...

I prefer a blog to a website. I like the pages feature on blogger and can see myself using that more than I would use a website.