Automattic’s WordPress.com just launched WordPress.com for Business. The business accounts, which will cost $299 per site per year, include advanced design tools with support for custom web fonts, 50 premium themes and unlimited storage for videos and audio, as well as live chat support. Business users will also get a free domain name for their sites.
Some of the features in this package are also available in WordPress.com’s $99 per year Pro Bundle, but the live support option, premium themes and unlimited storage are only available through the Business accounts (or as part of the company’s higher-priced Enterprise and VIP versions). The sites, of course, will also be free of ads.
Support for business customers will be available during U.S. business hours (EST), and users who need a bit more hand-holding while customizing their sites will be able to call upon a “Happiness Engineer” who will, presumably, be there to engineer some happiness for them.
WordPress.com is clearly targeting small and medium businesses with this service, but the announcement also noted that it could be an option for “a pro blogger who wants to try out a bunch of premium themes before committing” or a “non-profit building its first website.”
Premium themes on WordPress.com start at $50 each, and the largest storage upgrade (200GB) costs $290 per year, so businesses that need these features are now better off subscribing to this new service.