Five Reasons Why You Should Self-Host WordPress (Even If You’re a Non-Geek)

Let’s assume that WordPress is the best content management system available. I’ll prove it later; just trust me for now. The next question for would-be bloggers and Web site owners is whether you host a blog on WordPress.com, or self-host your own copy of WordPress.

WordPress comes in two versions: one you can use freely over the Web (WordPress.com), and one you can download and install yourself (available through WordPress.org). In the first case, you have no responsibility for the blog software. WordPress.com upgrades WordPress periodically, applies security fixes, and keeps your blog up and running. It’s the (seemingly) low-cost, low-maintenance way to host your content. In the second case, you open an account with a hosting service such as HostGator, and install your own copy of the WordPress software. When WordPress is updated, you’re responsible for installing the upgrade. If something breaks, you’re responsible for fixing it.

Does self-hosting sound like a pain? It can be. Most authors and subject matter experts avoid it, because they’re not “techno-geeks.” They want a Web site so they can educate people on stocks, gardening, or the forthcoming Robot Revolution – not so they can tinker with software. But if your business requires building a fully functioning Web site that grows along with your operation, there are many reasons why you’re better off opening a hosting account and installing WP yourself.

1. It’s not as hard as you think. WordPress is so popular that all of the major hosting services have made it easy to install. Services like DreamHost and HostGator provide one-click installation of the latest version. After the initial installation, WordPress can upgrade itself. WP will tell you on your Administration panel when an upgrade is available. In most cases you can click a couple buttons and, bam – new WordPress!

What if you’re just starting out, and can’t afford a custom design for your site’s appearance? No worries. There are over 1,200 free themes that will give your blog a professional look and feel in a matter of minutes.

2. WordPress.com isn’t as cheap as it looks. Hey, they have to keep the lights running somehow. The site makes its money by charging for “advanced services.” Want to change your blog’s background color? That’ll be an extra $10 a year to edit your site’s style sheet. You’ll also pay extra to host your own domain, upload video, remove ads, and obtain more storage space. Depending on what you need, hosting your blog on WordPress.com can be just as expensive as hosting it yourself.

3. Self-hosting is cheap. When you consider what you receive in return, self-hosting is a steal. For $10 a month, HostGator will provide you a hosting account with unlimited disk space, unlimited domain name hosting, 24-hour support, data backups, Web site traffic analysis, mail hosting, FTP access, and secure e-commerce services. And HostGator calls that their “Baby” hosting service!

$10 a month is a drop in the bucket even for the most piddling blog whose sole revenue stream is Google AdSense. If you self-host and your blog does even moderate traffic (1,000 visitors a day) by the end of its first year, self-hosting will pay for itself.

4. Self-hosting means more features and happier users. With WordPress.com, you’re restricted to using the features that the site offers all of its users. That’s a rip-off! WordPress has a plug-in architecture that allows third party software developers to add new features. As of this writing, there are over 10,000 plug-ins available for free download. WordPress users who self-host can distinguish their sites and keep their customers engaged by installing a few well-chosen plug-ins.

As an example, this blog uses Redirection to automatically redirect users when a URL changes; Contact Form 7 to provide an easy means to contact the author (moi); Facebook Connect to enable complete Facebook integration; All in One SEO Pack to optimize my posts for search engines; and Google XML Sitemaps to make my content easier to find. That’s only a small sampling of the plug-ins available to turbo-power your WordPress installation.

5. No restrictions on site advertising. WordPress.com makes additional dosh off of ads it places on your content. That’s right: they’re profiting off of your hard work. You can pay to have ads removed, but most bloggers can’t host ads themselves. Some high-traffic blogs (i.e., blogs pulling in more than 25,000 visitors daily) can apply to host their own ads, and split the revenue evenly with WordPress.com. No offense to the good folks behind the scenes, but I find that obscene. Your content is yours. You should own it lock, stock, and barrel. If anyone’s making money off of your output, it ought to be you.

If you’re using your Web site for business, your business deserves better than being hosted on WordPress.com. Open up a HostGator account, and you can start developing a uniquely branded site immediately. And remember: if you get stuck, I’m only an e-mail away.