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WordPress.com or Wordpress.org:
Which Should You Choose?
 You have one of those static websites. You know, the kind your business and brand have outgrown? The colors don't work anymore. And your products and services are different. But your designer tells you that it isn't going to be simple to make the changes you need.
A friend told you how cool her new WordPress website is. The software was free. And once her site was up, she could add pages, delete content, change photos in and out-without having to wait for an opening in her web developer's schedule.
It's true. You can do a lot with WordPress. But which option should you choose: WordPress.com or WordPress.org? (You did know there are two choices, didn't you?) Here are some things to think about:
5 Things to Consider in Choosing Your WordPress Option
1. Cost
The software is open source, so it's free in both cases. Beyond that:
Wordpress.com: It's free and easy to set up a simple blog or website. If you want to use your own domain name or you want CSS customization, those are each an additional $15 a year. WordPress.org: Requires a monthly hosting fee to a third party provider.
2. Updates, back-ups and security features
WordPress.com: Security, spam filtering and back-ups, including posts and updates, are all automatic.
Wordpress.org: You will need to back up your posts and files, install spam filtering and do your own updates. But there are plugins for most of these functions. And WordPress versions 2.7 and above have one-click updates from your dashboard.
3. Choice of themes
Here is where you begin to run into some major differences. WordPress is based on themes, or what you might think of as templates.
WordPress.com: Limited choices: currently about 70+ themes, with more being added all the time. You can search themes by characteristics through your dashboard.
WordPress.org: Access to thousands of themes, both free and paid. With the 2.8 version, you can upload the theme directly to your dashboard and even search themes by features.
4. Options for plugins and widgets
Plugins are tools that expand your blog or website's functionality (increase SEO, catch spam, back up databases, etc.). Widgets give you a simple way to arrange your sidebar content (newsletter sign-up, CD purchases, your latest tweets on Twitter, etc.)
WordPress.com: Limited number of widgets and plugins. The most useful widget is probably the text widget, which lets you insert html code to create a widget that would otherwise be unavailable.
WordPress.org: You'll find tons of widgets and plugins on the Web and on WordPress.org, all uploadable to your site. But be sure to do your research to find reputable and stable ones.
5. Ability to Customize
The beauty of WordPress is the ability to customize your blog or website to communicate your unique brand. You can do that to varying degrees, depending on the version you choose.
WordPress.com: Limited customization options, depending on the theme. For an extra $15 a year, per theme, you can customize your CSS (cascade style sheet), which allows you many more options.
WordPress.org: You can upload a lot more themes, including paid premium ones. Many of them have options that don't require CSS or html knowledge. The Thesis theme is a good example. And if you do know CSS or html, you have complete control to change the code.
For more cool stuff you can do with WordPress, visit the Cat's Eye Marketing website or Bob's WordPress blog.
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