WordPress.COM & WordPress.ORG
WordPress made its name as a blogging software. But WordPress has morphed into much more than that and along the way it has created some confusion as to what sort of features it offers and which WordPress is for the casual user and which WordPress is for the web developer. Hopefully this article will help explain the differences between these two WordPress options.
With WordPress, you can just have a blog, or a web site, or, you have a WEB SITE with a BLOG on it, like my site does.
Since I don’t have all day to go into the difference betwixt a blog and a web site, go to these sites for further illumination if you desire:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_site
True fact: a blog IS a web site – as it is a site on the web, see? But a blog is usually set up so the owner can update the content themselves on a frequent basis.
Having a blog on your web site will help keep the content fresh. Search Engines like seeing fresh content and will give your web site higher placement if you keep your blog updated, which will make it easier to find you on the internet.
One of the main features about WordPress – and one reason why we use it in my company – is that is has a fantastic Content Management System (CMS) and this CMS will enable YOU, the user, to go in and update your site all by yourself – which is pretty cool.
Up until just a few years ago, we had to custom make CMS for clients – and it was expensive. With the advent of WordPress, we can use their pre-made CMS framework and modify it to suit our needs. This makes setting up sites easier for us and more cost effective for you, since we no longer have to do as much custom coding.
WordPress is Open Source Software, which means it has a huge developer base, talented people who are constantly working on improving it and adding more features/widgets/plug-ins. Also, millions of people are using WordPress, from Aunt Betty to CNN.
Because so many people are invested in this software on so many levels, we feel it is here to stay for the long-run, we trust it and we love using it.
••••• WORDPRESS.COM – www.wordpress.com
The .COM site is where you can pick out a template and set up a site for free – it will be hosted by WordPress.com
That’s right, you can go to http://wordpress.com right now, all by yourself, and set up your own blog web site. For FREE.
Keep in mind that these templates are not as robust as the ones offered on the .ORG side. But…hey, it’s FREE. So, don’t say I never gave you nuthin’! I just gave you a free blog at WordPress!
However, if you are not comfortable with setting up a blog on your own, or get confused mid-way through the process, here’s what my company can do in regards to WordPress.COM:
• Consult with you on setting up a free WordPress blog, answering basic set-up questions, show how to manage it, etc… hourly rate.
• Set up the free WordPress template that you pick out, add pages, etc… and then show you how to manage it – hourly rate ($85 an hour). Basically, we’ll make a “turn-key” blog for you so you can move right in and settle down and just start blogging to your hearts’ content.
••••• WORDPRESS.ORG- www.wordpress.org
If you want a site with more options in terms of individual domain names, associated emails, design and features, you’ll want the .ORG side.
The .ORG site is geared for developers, it will talk to you like you are developer and will assume you understand what a MySQL database is. If you are already lost at MySQL, just don’t go there, ok?
On the .ORG side there are more options available as far as custom designs, features, widgets and plug-ins go. Basically, you can do more with this side of WordPress than you can with the free version. But, it will cost you because you will be hiring my company to do all this stuff for you. 
To use the .ORG features, you have to have a domain name and a web host. I recommend Tigertech for domain name registration and web hosting – their hosting fees are about $7 a month, that includes free domain name registration – it’s a fantastic price and they are a wonderful web host.
Here’s some basics on what I can do in regards to WordPress.ORG:
• Set up the WordPress software on your web host
• Mildly modify a WordPress.ORG template to your specifications
• Make a custom site for you using the WordPress.ORG stripped down template
All .ORG possibilities are given a written proposal for cost.
FREE WORDPRESS.COM SITE EXAMPLES
Free templates and hosted on the WordPress server for….free:
http://blissdogyoga.wordpress.com/
http://sahoa.wordpress.com/
WORDPRESS.ORG SITE EXAMPLES
With registered domain name & hosted on private server, slightly modified templates from the .ORG side:
$1,400 – $1,800 range
http://samishneighborhood.org/
http://traceypitts.com/
The following are custom graphics on a “skeleton” WordPress template (using just the “bones” of the template):
These are $2,200 – $3,500:
http://donaleensaul.com
http://marthasherrill.com
http://whatcomwomensnetwork.com
Much as we love WordPress, it’s not the right platform for every job. We have other web site options to suit your needs.