WordPress is a very powerful web site framework. It can be used for a blog, but it can also be used as a web site. Roughly a third of all web sites are created using WordPress. All of my web sites run on WordPress. You can do so much with WordPress that it is my first recommendation for someone who wants to build a web site.
There is some confusion about how WordPress works, so I’ll try to clarify. There are two ways to use WordPress:
WordPress.COM – A business that will host your web site for you on their server.
WordPress.ORG – Free software that you can install on your own hosting account.
WordPress.COM is popular because it starts out free, but if you look closely and read the fine print, it can actually end up being MORE expensive to use WordPress.com, with less flexibility! The chart below compares what I personally pay for my self-hosted WordPress and the prices for accounts that allow business use listed on WordPress.com as of 1/26/19.
| Simply Hosting | WordPress.com Premium Plan | WordPress.com Business Plan | |
| Price | $4.99/mo ($60/year) URL $14-28/year depending on the type (.com is $14/year) | $96/ year lump payment (No monthly payment option) URL renewal $15-120 depending on the type (.com renewal is $18/year) | $300/ year lump payment (No monthly payment option) URL renewal $15-120 depending on the type (.com renewal is $18/year) |
| Features | Analytics SEO options No WordPress branding | No Analytics No SEO tools Mandatory WordPress branding | Analytics SEO tools Removeable WordPress branding |
| Themes | Hundreds of free themes Thousands of paid themes | <50 Free Themes Limited Paid Themes | <50 Free Themes Limited Paid Themes Custom Theme Upload |
| Plugins | Any Plugins | No Plugins Allowed | Limited Plugins |
Does having your own host terrify you? It shouldn’t. There are lots of great hosts out there. I personally use simplyhosting.net and love them. They are a small company, they have US based tech support, and I’ve been with them for over a decade. Very reliable and the few times I’ve had issues they have been resolved within minutes. Other popular hosts are BlueHost, DreamHost, and HostGator. I personally would avoid GoDaddy, as they don’t use the industry standard cPanel, do a lot of upselling of unnecessary items, and have lousy customer support.
When looking at a host, you’ll want to know:
1. Do they support WordPress?
2. Do they have a quick way to install WordPress?
3. When you pay for the domain name, do they register it in YOUR name or their
name? (You want it in your name, trust me!)
I do recommend buying your domain name from your host, as long as it is registered in your name. The convenience of not having to forward the domain is well worth it, and it makes renewing easier.
In short, hosting your own WordPress site is, in the long run, cheaper AND more flexible. It’s not as scary as it seems, too.
