WordPress.com or WordPress.org?

Hopefully, you’ve come to the conclusion that you need to get your business online and that WordPress is a terrific platform for you to do just that without the help of expensive designers or paying someone to do things you can do yourself. If you’re still on the fence, check out my one reason that you need a WordPress website for your small business.

You’re now doing some research into this WordPress thing and you immediately come across something pretty confusing: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Now what is this all about?

In a nutshell, WordPress.com is a free, but limited, version of the original WordPress platform. It is the easiest way to use WordPress because they host your files for you. WordPress.org is the original platform developed by the WordPress community and is something that you download to your own web host. Therefore, it requires a little more technical work, but you get the added bonus of being able to use advertising and extra functions such as plugins. WordPress.org is also free to download but requires a web host or server to run on the Web, which typically costs some money each month.

Let’s take a look at each and size them up. You can then decide what’s important to you and what you would rather use to get your small business online.

WordPress.com

Like I mentioned before, WordPress.com is a completely free version of the WordPress platform. It is a service provided by a company called Automattic. They allow you to set up an account and get going in 5 minutes or less. It’s a good service and serves millions of users around the world.

The downsides of this service are

• Your site is not yours, it’s hosted by Automattic
• You can only choose the options that Automattic offers you
• You cannot use advertising
• You get a sub-domain URL (ex., wpdrivenbusiness.wordpress.com)
• You have to pay to get extra options
• Can be more difficult to find you through an online search

The upsides are

• It’s hassle-free
• You don’t have to pay extra for hosting
• Includes all the functions you need for a basic web site or blog
• Can use the site to learn how to use WordPress
• If you need some basic upgrades, they are available a la carte

So, who is this for? If you just want to get your company online and don’t need a lot of extra functions (e-commerce, social media, specific email addresses, etc.) then this is a good option for you. I would suggest paying the $5-10/month to get your own domain name (i.e., www.yourcompany.com). This way it’s personalized to your company but you don’t have to take care of the hosting and technical parts of the web site yourself.

Also, if you are just looking for a place to get a blog up and running for your company to add to your existing web site, this is a great option for you. Since it’s a blog, no one will even mind that the URL is a sub-domain of wordpress.com. Many top company blogs use a platform like WordPress to set up their company blog.

WordPress.org

If you are looking for a more complete web site solution, then you should really consider WordPress.org. The original WordPress community can be found here and you can download the WordPress program files for free and put them on any computer or server in the world. Many web hosts even take the hassle out of this by using what they call a “one-click install” of WordPress. This makes it incredibly easy to get your custom WordPress site up and running in no time.

If you can put in the time to learn the WordPress platform, this is by far the best solution for your small business, as it gives you the flexibility to create a web site that will serve as the online hub for your company. Through a web hosting company, you will also have the opportunity to create company email addresses, utilize video on your site, and download free plugins which will give your site added, specific functions that will further customize the web site.

There are a few things that you will need in order to complete a WordPress.org installation, including:

• Your own domain name (URL)
• Your own web hosting service
• WordPress program files

I have personally overseen many WordPress installations and I like to use the web hosting service at site5.com (I can’t say enough about them as hosts). The entire process takes no time at all and costs less than $100 to get up and running. It’s one of the best hundred bucks you’ll spend.

The downsides of using a WordPress.org installation are

• You have to do everything yourself
• There can be a brief learning curve to using WordPress all by yourself
• You must pay for your own web hosting and domain name

The upsides of WordPress.org are

• Your site belongs solely to you
• You have total freedom to create exactly the site that your company needs
• You can use advertising
• You can use video on your site
• Your only limits are your web hosting service and your imagination
• There is a huge WordPress community to help you learn
• You can utilize hundreds of free and premium themes to change the look of your site

WordPress.org is for companies that see their web site as an essential part of their business plan, not just a marketing tool. If you want to sell products, use advertising, or do anything more complicated than putting some information out on the Web, then this is the choice for you. One of the other real pluses is that your company can utilize hundreds of free or premium themes which allow you to change and customize the look and feel of your web site to suit your business.

One thing to remember about all of this is to choose wisely when you start out. It is possible to move from one platform to another (it’s all WordPress) but that becomes a time- and labor-intensive process that you just don’t want to go through. Therefore, read about both and weigh the options carefully. Most importantly, take the time to consider a strategy for your web site. What do you want to accomplish with it? From there, you should be able to choose the correct platform for your small business.

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Brian Haferkamp is the owner of HighWay Consulting, a web design and consulting company that helps small business owners like yourself get their businesses online. He currently lives in Seoul, South Korea and has been designing and consulting for web sites for over 10 years. He also holds a master’s degree in business management and organizational leadership, so he understands the needs of small business owners. You can find out more about his services at highwayconsulting.org.

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