Happy Monday! I am so excited to bring you a new 5 part series this summer, all about blogging! I’ve received so many questions of the years about how to start a blog, the best website, etc. I thought it would be fun to share the top 5 things I wish I knew before I started blogging, in case you are looking to start a blog of your own. Every Monday for the next five week ‘ll be sharing a new tip and trick. This Monday is all about, WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com
First you might be wondering what WordPress even is. WordPress is the worlds most widely used site building software. But .org and .com are not the same and knowing the difference is key when starting a blog.
WordPress.com and WordPress.org arise from the differences between hosted and self-hosted websites. Self-hosted gives you all the back end code for you to design your blog the way you want. But if you do not know how to code, then it will look like a foreign language. Hosted is provided by a hosting company, and it can be a full-service solution for those who want to publish a site easily and quickly, without dealing with design, ongoing site maintenance, or other technical issues. Which believe me you want someone else dealing with those!
When I first started I picked WordPress.com because I wanted full control over everything. I ended up spending more time ‘trying’ to code the back end of things then I was blogging. When I finally decided it was time to switch it was a whole new pain all in itself. Even tho they are both WordPress, this is where the difference comes into play, it wasn’t like I could just switch everything over. I had to migrate everything over. So choosing the right one first is key!
I fully recommend going with hosted. There are a few options out there for the full-service, like Bluehost and Flywheel. I have personally tried both and love Flywheel. I had issues with Bluehost. Once you’ve made the decisions of either self-hosting or hosted and who you are using for your hosted site, you get to start on some of the fun things like your theme. While there are a TON of themes out there, the prices can range pretty high on them. I recommend a theme like Empress themes because they are customizable and super affordable. Your theme can always be changed later.
Next Monday for 5 things I wish I knew before I started blogging, we will be talking all about photos! If you have any questions regarding WordPress please leave them in a comment below.
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