WordPress.com versus WordPress.org?
I’m sure you know the difference, but there are two types of WordPress blog. There’s the one you can get for free at wordpress.com – no hosting charges, just choose your blog name and get started, or there’s the one you get from wordpress.org where you have to download the software, configure it and host it yourself. Plus you have to deal with any technical problems that arise, as they will from time to time.
When Free Isn’t Free
Free wordpress.com isn’t a great choice for your main business blog
So why would anyone choose wordpress.org – the difficult path over wordpress.com – the easier one? The answer is that wordpress.com is free only in the sense that it doesn’t cost any money. It’s not free in the sense of having freedom to do what you like with your blog.
A free blog at WordPress.com is a good choice for a hobby blogger but a poor choice for a primary business blog.
Why Business Bloggers Should Avoid Free WordPress.com for Primary Blogs
A typical business blog requires large numbers of quality visitors and ultimately conversion of a percentage of those visitors into customers. Artificial limitations on what can and cannot be done hinder this process.
With free wordpress.com, despite its many excellent features, there’s no domain ownership, no ability to advertise, restrictions on content, a non unique appearance, limited enhancement possibilities and no custom coding.
What Does a Typical Entrepreneur Need from a Business Blog?
A business person might make any of the following statements:
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I want to monetize my blog
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I want full control over what I can write about
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I want a custom theme to give my blog a unique look
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I want rich features on my blog using plugins
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I want special functions on my blog using custom code
If you can hear yourself saying any of the above statements, wordpress.com won’t do and you should choose a self hosted wordpress solution.
Please read our follow-up article to find out how easy it is for you to run your own self-hosted WordPress blog.