There are various platforms to start a blog. Blogger, Tumblr, Ghost, etc., are some of the commonly known platforms. Another popular blogging platform quite famous on the internet is WordPress. When it comes to having fun or hosting a personal journal, blogger, tumbler, WordPress are some of the most preferred platforms since they are easy to manage and have free access.
However, when you want to turn blogging into a business, make money or use the platform to promote your business, these free versions aren’t much helpful. It is better to opt for a self-hosted version of WordPress. Let us first understand what the WordPress platform is?
What is WordPress
WordPress was launched as a blogging tool which later on turned to a complete Content Management System (CMS). Released in 2003, the platform has merited enormous fame and repute in the past 14 years.
There are various wondrous services offered by WordPress such as Gravatar, Jetpack, Videopress, Vaultpress, etc. However, two significant features of WordPress make the platform outstanding in the market. These are:
• WordPress themes
The platform has a big community of designers who create and offer free as well as premium WordPress themes. Thus, any day you can change the theme of your site and raise it to a master level. All it requires are a few clicks that can turn your website’s appearance to an excellent site. The themes do not demand any coding knowledge to make this platform attractive.
• WordPress plugins
Plugins are the features that you can add to your WordPress based website. All you require is to install the plugin to your website and customise them as per your requirements. Accessing the plugins is easy. You can go through each one’s directory understanding how to operate it. The platform has a big community of designers who create and offer free as well as premium WordPress themes. Thus, any day you can change the theme of your site and raise it to a master level. All it requires are a few clicks that can turn your website’s appearance to an excellent site. The themes do not demand any coding knowledge to make this platform attractive.
WordPress plugins
Plugins are the features that you can add to your WordPress based website. All you require is to install the plugin to your website and customise them as per your requirements. Accessing the plugins is easy. You can go through each one’s directory understanding how to operate it.
WordPress has two different variations in its software, that is, WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The WordPress.org is a self-hosted WordPress site. Let us understand the difference between the two.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
WordPress.com is a free platform to start blogging. Anyone can create a blog within 2 minutes and start blogging. It is a paid platform if you decide to own your own domain.
On WordPress.com, one needs to install WordPress on their hosting server. Some hosting servers may ask some coding, but some apparently have a one-click install available.
One creating a blog, you will have a web address like name- www.wholesalecommunity.com. Thus, the blog is hosted on the WordPress server. You can create a custom domain name like name.com.
=It is a perfect platform for anyone who wants to record their personal writings or merely want to blog just for the sake of writing.
=It is a perfect platform for anyone who wants to blog with the aim of making money, business promotions or creation of an e-commerce website.
=The blog as paid add-ons available. You can also buy a custom domain name, themes, etc. Unlimited ad-ons are available to create an appealing and an attractive website.
Setting up using resources from WordPress.Org (A community for wordpress developers)
As there are various limitations on managing the website like the third party plugins that might really help you add an amazing feature is not possible and the access to limited choices. However, it is a perfect choice to make from the perspective of a personal blog. It removes all the limitations present in WordPress.com version and is completely controlled by the owner of the blog. You can install third party plugins. The website can be monetised any way you choose like AdSense, affiliate marketing, etc.
Choose your platform
Now that you are aware of the pros and cons of each of the platforms, it is easier to decide which one can fulfil your requirement. Thus, if it is all about personal blogging and no aim to make money, it is always suggested to opt for a WordPress.com platform. It can later be converted to WordPress.org platform if you intend to make money.
However, if you want a custom domain name, want to use the blog for monetary and marketing purposes, then WordPress.org is an ideal solution. It is easier to get the complicated tasks done by third parties such as WordPress website design on Fiverr.
You can the complete ownership of the platform. Though this platform is very demanding, it also gives you an opportunity to make up the returns. However, the case is not the same as the former version. It is a free platform and has a limited scope of getting returns.