There are a lot of web domains out there, .com, .net, .org, .gov and many more. It is very easy to not realize that the site that you want has a different domain and wind up at a completely different site wondering what the heck just happened and if this has happened to you don’t worry, you are not alone. One example of this that we deal with frequently at Nicely Done Sites is WordPress.com and WordPress.org. While a visitor does not see anything radically different it is important to know that there is a difference between the two sites.
Extremes of different domains
First a humorous anecdote. I attended Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA and they had a website of juniata.edu which was all fine and dandy. Anything and everything that you needed to know about the school from when Mountain Day was to details about the national champion volleyball teams and of course about the food could be found there. That was until someone looking to get revenge on an ex-girlfriend named Juanita posted pornographic images of her and created juniata.com. Never minding that the person could not even spell her name correctly at least one professor at an orientation reflexively added .com to the end of the address rather than .edu and the audience for a brief moment saw something that was not intended. That person was certainly red in the face. The situation was resolved when an alumnus bought the domain and took down the site, though the domain is for sale at the moment. There is a big difference in domains and that difference can have major consequences.
WordPress.com
For visitors to the WordPress websites they may not notice a difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org and in reality both sites seem to offer the same things like themes, plugins and support. Sure they look a bit different and they both help a user create and manage a WordPress website but there are some major differences. If a WordPress site is created using WordPress.com it is the most comprehensive and convenient, especially for a novice user or someone who does not have a lot of free time.
A site created using this site requires no software download and all of the hosting is provided. The user is guided through the creation and setup of the site, though with limited options. It is inexpensive (with basic sites available for free) but does not allow for a lot of customization with only basic pre chosen themes available with no plugins or code modification allowed. All domains also end with wordpress.com, though there are premium upgrades that can be purchased that can allow for domain registration.
WordPress.org
Creating a website through WordPress.org is a bit different. The same WordPress software is used but the user must download it (for free) and is responsible for hosting and for running their own web server (or paying someone else to do it). While this means more responsibility for the user it opens up many more avenues when it comes to designing a WordPress site. You have your own domain, can install custom plugins and themes and edit the code to get the most out of your website. You can choose from over 3,000 themes and nearly 56,000 plugins to help make your website truly stand out. Since the software is running on your own machine you also have access to the database and files for the site. For those that need hosting WordPress.org does have some referrals on the site but then websites built by Nicely Done Sites don’t have to worry about that as we have our own hosting service. Since a user will potentially be building their site alone WordPress.org also has more expansive support forums and documentation to assist that user.
Which is right for you
Creating a website, whether it is a personal website or a business site does not have to be hard. For someone who is just looking to just create a personal blog site to post vacation pictures with as little hastle and technical know-how as possible WordPress.com is the place to go. You can’t beat the price for that and for many people that is just the way they like it but you do get what you pay for. For businesses that may not be the best option. Creating a website from WordPress.org that stands out from the crowd and catches customer’s eyes is not something that can be created with the snap of a finger. While WordPress.com does have business options to get that website that truly stands out a site from WordPress.org is the way to go, and what we recommend. If you are worried about not having the technical expertise that is where we can assist you. You do not have to go it alone.
If you need a website or have an existing website that is dated there has never been a better time than now to upgrade. Existing websites can be transferred to WordPress making the process even easier. If you don’t think that you have the time or the know-how to build and manage a website for your business (or even yourself) then give Nicely Done Sites a call or fill out our contact form. We’ll be happy to sit down with you and help you get the website of your dreams. And at the very least, you will know which WordPress site to go to so that you can get started. Sometimes just utilizing the right tools can make all the difference.