There are two ways to start a WordPress site. A WordPress.com site may be easier to get started with but gives users less control. Webmasters can always download a copy of WP from WordPress.org and install it on their own server for maximum control. Thanks to JetPack for WordPress, you can have the features WordPress.com owners enjoy without giving up control of your blog.
JetPack includes a collection of cloud-based plugins for WP that enhance the functionality of websites and make life easier for webmasters. Here are the plugins included in JetPack:
- Gravatar Hovercards
- WordPress.com stats
- Twitter Widget
- Shortcodes
- Shortlinks
- LaTeX
- Sharedaddy
- After the Deadline
You can either download this solution from JetPack’s official website or from your website’s back-end. Once you install it, you will have to connect your blog to WordPress.com. When done, you are going to see the following screen:
As you can see in the above screen-shot, making changes to your JetPack install is not that difficult. JetPack is launched through WordPress partners as well. So if you have accounts with Bluehost, DreamHost, Go Daddy, HostGator, Media Temple, and Network Solutions, you will be seeing JetPack in your one-click installs. As far as performance, the effect should not be major on your server. But you always want to consult with your web hosting team for these answers.