Many of us in this world, I’m sure, have come across the term WORDPRESS in some form or another, most likely if you’ve been interested in web development or design.
It is a piece of software that makes it simple to create websites and publish content online. It was first released in 2003 (wordpress.org) and has since evolved to become the world’s most popular website-building tool.
While bloggers are still WordPress’s primary audience, the platform’s vast possibilities have led to large brands such as Sony, Walt Disney, BBC leveraging on it.
WHAT CAN WE BUILD WITH WORDPRESS?
With this content management system, you can create:
- Corporate websites
- E-commerce websites
- Blogs
- Portfolios
- Dating websites
- Social networks
- Membership websites
You can build anything you can think of. “You think it, you build it” or rather “You dream it, you live it”.
WordPress is the most widely used platform for creating websites, accounting for approximately 43% of all websites on the internet. However, despite its popularity, many new users are still confused about the distinction between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
The two websites will rank first and second in a Google search for “WordPress.” If you’re new to this, you might be unsure which one to choose. So, in the next section, we’ll explain the difference between the two.
WORDPRESS.COM VS. WORDPRESS.ORG: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
WORDPRESS.COM
WordPress.com is an all-in-one website-building platform. To get started, it’s completely free, and you won’t need any external hosting or a domain name. Simply go to WordPress.com and create an account, and you’ll be able to start developing your website or blog right away.
THE BENEFITS OF WORDPRESS.COM
1. It’s completely free for up to 3GB of storage. You’ll have to switch to a premium plan after that if you want more storage capacity. (The plans are; Personal plan for $48/year provides 6GB of storage, a Premium plan for $96/year provides 13GB of storage, and a Business plan for $300/year provides 200 GB of storage.)
There will be no need to worry about backups or upgrades. WordPress.com will take care of that for you.
2. Starting with WordPress.com is as easy as it gets. Go to WordPress.com and click “Start your website.” They will guide you through each step, making it simple to set up your new website. Simply input your email address, a name for your website, and a design from a selection of ready-made themes. After a few minutes, you’ll have a fully functional website or blog to use right away
DISADVANTAGES OF WORDPRESS.COM
1. All free websites have advertisements on them. Your users see such adverts, but you don’t get paid for them. You can upgrade to a paid WordPress.com plan if you don’t want your users to see their adverts.
2. You are not permitted to sell advertisements on your website, severely limiting your options for monetization. If you have a high traffic site, you can apply for their advertising program called WordAds, in which you share revenue with them. Users of the Premium and Business plans can begin using WordAds right away.
3. A WordPress.com branded subdomain (e.g. https://yourwebsite.wordpress.com) is included with free WordPress.com sites. A custom domain name (for example, https://www.yourwebsite.com) requires a premium plan.
4. There are no eCommerce capabilities or integrated payment methods on WordPress.com. You can only get it if you upgrade to the eCommerce plan.
These are just few of the cons of WordPress.com and as you can see it’s quite limited in a lot of areas. To get more features you have to upgrade higher paid plans.
WORDPRESS. ORG (popularly known as THE SELF HOSTED WORDPRESS)
The advantages are;
1. WordPress.org is a free, open-source, and incredibly simple to use content management system. Over 43% of all websites on the internet run on this self hosted WordPress.
2. You can monetize your WordPress.org site by running your own advertising and not sharing the profits with anyone.
3. You can change the style of your website as needed. You can use any WordPress theme, whether it’s free or paid. You can also make fully unique designs or make changes to anything you like.
4. You are the only owner of your website and all of its content. You have complete control and don’t have to worry about being held accountable or having your website shut down because you broke someone’s conditions.
5. You can make nearly any type of website, including ecommerce stores, membership sites, dating platforms, school websites, and so on.
DISADVANTAGES OF WORDPRESS.ORG
Anything that has benefits also has it’s own drawbacks.
1. Domain and web hosting are required for all websites. The domain name is the name of the website, and depending on the domain extension you choose, it can cost $8 or more. (.com,.org,.net, and.blog) are examples of domain extensions. Web hosting refers to the location on the internet where your website files are hosted.
Initially, the price ranges from $3 to $15 each month. As your website expands and receives more traffic, the cost of your web hosting package will rise, but you will be producing enough money to cover the expenditures. If you’re still new to Web development, I recommend reading our previous post on INTRODUCTION TO WEB DEVELOPMENT.
2. You must install WordPress on your hosting. Fortunately, the majority of popular WordPress hosting companies provide one-click WordPress installation options. You can also email us for instructions on how to do so, which we will cover in a future post.
3. Updates are your responsibility. It’s not too much work to update your WordPress site by simply clicking on the update button (one-click). You’re also in charge of backups. Fortunately, there are numerous WordPress backup plugins available that allow you to set up automatic backups.
The amount of money you spend on a WordPress.org website is determined on the type of site you wish to create. There are also other considerations, such as free vs. premium themes and free vs. premium plugins. You can also start a website using free designs and themes and plugins, but as it grows, you’ll need to upgrade to paid ones.
WHAT IS A PLUGIN??
A WordPress plugin is a collection of code that you may install on your site to provide certain features, functionality, or integrations.
1. The Plugins menu in your WordPress dashboard is where you may add plugins.
2. You can locate a free plugin on the WordPress.org Plugin Directory by searching with the built-in search function.
3. Plugins can also be downloaded as zip files and uploaded to your WordPress dashboard via the Plugins menu uploader.
There are thousands of plugins for different reasons, there are plugins for backups, plugins for email marketing, plugins for page builders and many more.
WHAT IS A THEME??
Your website’s “framework” is provided by a WordPress theme. Most WordPress themes include your website’s overall design (its appearance, feel, and style). Font styles that apply across the entire website, Design of the page (or templates).
Some themes work in the same way as WordPress page builders, allowing you to create custom page layouts without having to know how to code. They are also give you the opportunity to add custom codes.
1. You can add themes to your WordPress dashboard by going to Appearance > Themes.
2. You can find a free theme on the WordPress.org website by using the built-in search option.
3. You may also download themes as zip files and upload them to your WordPress dashboard’s Appearance > Themes menu uploader.
Examples of popular themes are Astra themes, Divi themes, Avada themes.
WHO USES WORDPRESS?
Individuals, small enterprises, and large corporations alike utilize WordPress. WordPress is also used by alot of well-known companies. Here are a few instances of what we mean:
1. BBC AMERICA
BBC America combines the greatest of American written television with the best of British entertainment, making it extremely popular on both sides of the Atlantic. As well as other TV dramas, science fiction show are produced by BBC America. It also allows you to watch movies online. But it’s the fact that you can read the blog and shop for items online that makes this website so adaptable.
This well-known firm also uses WordPress.org. This site exudes WordPress style and functionality, with a giant hero picture, a sticky navigation menu, and specific pages for investors, job seekers, and the company’s philanthropic initiatives.
3. SONY MUSIC
The website of Sony Music, a global music company, is powered by WordPress. The website includes information about its artists, recent news, a Twitter feed in the sidebar, and more.
The corporate website for The New York Times is The New York Times Company. It is one of the most widely read newspapers in the world, having millions of readers worldwide.
WordPress powers the official White House website. The site is simple to navigate and displays the most recent bills, legislation, statements, and other informations in the world, having millions of readers worldwide.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS??
There are advantages and disadvantages to both WordPress.com and WordPress.org, and there is no obvious winner. It all depends on what you want to get out of your website platform, how much money you have, and what kind of website you want to build.
Do it on WordPress.com if you only want to start a personal project for testing, sharing your opinions, or a hobby site. You may get started for free, the setup is simple, and there is no maintenance required.
If you wish to create a more serious website, such as a commercial website, a project website, or a professional blogging project, use the WordPress.org platform. If you wish to monetize your website in any way, this is also an option.
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