Technology has definitely changed the way people do business. With just a few clicks, you can effortlessly create a webpage to promote and widen your market’s reach. It’s easy to put your brand out there for the world to see. But, creating a website that can potentially establish your brand in the digital world? Well, that’s another story. This is where the beauty of WordPress comes in.

WordPress is among the first ever blogging platforms that surfaced online. It used to be the common choice for creating a simple blog, but has evolved since into a content management system (CMS) that is now preferred by most users.

A recent 2016 statistics report reveals that WordPress powers 26.4% of all websites on the web and this number continues to rise daily. On average, about 500 new WordPress Websites are being created each day. Users publish around 4.7 million new posts and 60.5 million comments monthly, so you can just imagine how powerful WordPress is in catering for the amount of fresh content that goes online every single day.

There are two types of WordPress websites; WordPress.com and WordPress.org. These two are often mistaken as one and the same, but they are very different from each other.

WordPress.com

This is a free hosting solution that allows you to create a very simple blog or website. It is an open-source platform that powers all the webpages hosted under their umbrella. Simply put, it takes care of the hosting job for you. All you need to do is create an account, choose a theme, and publish your content. Beginners and personal bloggers sometimes opt for WordPress.com since it is free (unless you decide to add your own domain name).

There are limitations to this platform that can hinder you from achieving the website or online presence that you desire. A main drawback is the low number of third party apps (WordPress plugins) that you can add to the website. Plugins enable you to tweak the look and functionality of your webpage, reducing your design options dramatically.

WordPress.org

This is a paid self-hosting solution that allows you to be fully creative and more flexible in the way you build your website. You (or your website developer) are fully in control of your data and design of your WordPress site.

You can install as many plugins as you want to add more flair and character, and you also have the option to upload your own theme and modify it to your heart’s content. There are thousands of plugins and themes available for download.

In order to obtain your very own self-hosted WordPress site, you will need to find a hosting provider that will keep your website running along with your domain name. You will also need to keep your WordPress Core and plugins up-to-date to maintain the look and functionality of your site – and avoid the possibility of the website being hacked or compromised.

Which one should you choose?

If your goal is to have a simple webpage for a personal blog with little traffic and no wish to attract new visitors, then the free WordPress.com option would be more than enough for what you need.

If you want a website to showcase your portfolio, monetise your services or product online, add value to your business, or simply to build credibility for your organisation, then you need a self-managed website where you (or your web developer) have full control. Building a website you can be proud of requires technical knowledge and skills, but the great news is, you can always hire a professional to get the job done for you!

At the end of the day, it all comes down to your branding and what your goals and objectives are.