WordPress.com

1. divadino
   Member
   Jun 10, 2012, 2:32 PM

   Hi
   I am very untechnical but am about to start using WordPress.com to create and host a website (which will include a blog page) for new ventures. I was just about to print some business cards with the domain/URL on them (which I own but is currently unhosted) and read on one or your support pages that the domains can't have www on them such as http://www.example.com on them. Is this correct, even if I pay for the upgrade of hosting my own domain here? So what would I put on my cards? My domain is http://www.dinahmo.com. What would happen once I had my site on WordPress (and my domain mapped to it) if someone typed http://www.dinahmo.com into their browser, would it route to my site or come up with an error. Will it only work only if they omitted the www?

   Also if I want to use my own domain and don't want adverts etc. is it worth taking the $99 annual package offered up front when I sign up or taking individual upgrades (not sure if I'll need or know how to customize so can't say if I'll want that upgrade at this point - it may all prove too technically challenging!)?

   I'm sure I will have lots of other questions - this is a big challenge for me but hopefully won't be too painful! Please help as soon as you can as I need to send my cards to print in the next 24 hours!

   many thanks

   Dinah

2. timethief
   Member
   Jun 10, 2012, 2:42 PM

   read on one or your support pages that the domains can't have www on them such as http://www.example.com on them. Is this correct, even if I pay for the upgrade of hosting my own domain here?

   That's correct and what it states is that every link that contains a "www" will be seamlessly redirected to the same content under the URL without the "www". So you leave your business cards as is. Domain mapping insures that the links will redirect properly and to understand the process you can read more here > http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2012/04/02/do-i-need-a-domain/

3. timethief
   Member
   Jun 10, 2012, 2:48 PM

   All upgrades like the No-Ads upgrade are individually priced and can be separately purchased. While bundles are economic choices to make it makes no sense to purchase upgrades you don't need and can't use. See here for what a bundle contains > http://en.support.wordpress.com/bundles/ See here for all available upgrades > http://en.support.wordpress.com/upgrades/

   On the bottom of your Admin page you will find a link to the Learn WordPress.com blogging Tutorial prepared by Staff. http://learn.wordpress.com/ The support documentation is all found at the Support link http://en.support.wordpress.com which is also on the bottom of your Admin page.
   http://en.support.wordpress.com/introduction/

   I'm sure I will have lots of other questions ...

   This is a peer support forum and we Volunteers will be glad to answer your questions but do note that we expect people to search before asking, as there's rarely ever a question asked that has not been previously answered.

4. divadino
   Member
   Jun 10, 2012, 3:04 PM

   Timethief

   Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions so quickly. I will and have been research and read as much as possible before posting but sometimes I think I understand what I've read but am not sure so seek clarity. Who knows maybe in the future after I've set up my site (and another one) I'll be able to help others... I volunteer for a charity that helps young people setting up their own business so I hope my experience doing this will inspire them as they have no money to set up (like me!).

   Phew on the business card thing... as that wasn't clear from what I'd read and the link to your blog article was really helpful. If I understood correctly on that, it's worth doing the mapping up front before even starting on content or theme etc.? Hope it won't affect my email which is already hosted by Google Apps and I've put the DNS settings in http://www.123-reg.co.uk.

   I'll have a think about what upgrades I might need. Having read your blog, I suspect I may need the CSS customization sooner or later even if only for colours and fonts, so it may be worth going with the bundle... shame I'd already purchased my domain elsewhere really.

   thanks again timethief... I can already see from an hour here that you are extremely supportive!

   Dinah

5. raincoaster
   Member
   Jun 10, 2012, 4:28 PM

   For a blog like yours I generally suggest a custom domain and the No Ads upgrade. If you have an ability to edit CSS, then the CSS upgrade will allow you to customize the look of your blog as well.

   I don't recommend the Value Bundle because I don't think most people need or would use the Videopress and Space upgrades. But it's up to you.

6. timethief
   Member
   Jun 10, 2012, 4:33 PM

   I'm with raincoaster and would have answered the very same way when I worked my way down these threads.

7. divadino
   Member
   Jun 10, 2012, 4:33 PM

   thanks Raincoaster.... I will have a go at editing the CSS and if I can't my sister probably can.... On the Videopress thing, I was thinking that more and more sites have video clips and I may do some events which I film and edit or do some video blogs rather than written ones .... I'm sure I could probably put a link to a Youtube clip or something, but not being familiar with how Youtube works from a privacy point of view, I wouldn't always want a video to be so easily findable via Youtube and would much rather have videos hosted directly by my own site.... if that makes sense.... I may of course find that I never use it in which case I can not renew on that in future years.

8. raincoaster
   Member
   Jun 10, 2012, 4:38 PM

   I think using YouTube is better, because it gives you access to a whole other audience, YouTubers. Privacy? there is none on YouTube, but then there's none on any public blog either.

9. divadino
   Member
   Jun 10, 2012, 4:43 PM

   Well that answers my YouTube question then! Actually raincoaster, as it's a business type site, I don't necessarily want to reach a hugely wide audience for some things.... on the second site I will hopefully build, I may have footage of a seminar which I only want people who subscribe to view or which is password protected, as the speakers might not want it to be public... hence the way I'm thinking on this. May of course never use it!

   by the way, you guys all rock!

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