Cloud Storage Can Save Money For Your Business

Though several benefits can come from cloud storage, one of the biggest is the savings that it can bring to a business. With several companies relying on servers either in the office or from a third [arty for their storage of company documents, this can be a huge cost to a business in terms of maintenance. However, online cloud storage can benefit you as the storage options are at a set price for a set amount of storage space. 

Cloud Storage Facilitates Remote Working 

Remote working has become hugely important in the last year as the Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the business as a whole. However, with the introduction of cloud business solutions, it is possible to have all your company files and saved data all in one place that can be fully accessible by those that are working remotely. Though this software can take time to fully implement this within your business, this will benefit you as it ensures all company data is protected and is completely assessable from anywhere, allowing the business to continue to work productively. 

Secure Logins To Prevent Cyber Attacks 

With many businesses working remotely during this unusual time, it has meant that several businesses are using the internet now more than ever to save files, hold meetings and do their accountancy, this can leave them open to cyber-attacks. With cloud storage, however, you are met with secure login details that should only be shared with a select few, this increased security, as well as end to end encryption, will make it easier to run your business as smoothly as possible during this time of increased uncertainty at the hands of Covid-19. 

Improved Reporting Capability 

The final benefit that cloud storage can bring is the improved reporting capability. By using cloud-based storage solutions as well as other online software, you can track the process of several tasks as well as looking at where your time as a business is going. This is a huge benefit to both smaller and much larger companies as it allows for data to be curated much faster than other businesses who are using much more traditional reporting software’s. By using technology and automation within your business, you can better your business as a whole and make sure you have everything you need to run your business smoothly.

Whether you are a small business looking to improve your business with automated software such as cloud computing or you are a larger company looking for ways to cut costs during this difficult time, there is no denying that cloud storage can help you do just that. 

1. Create Multiple Customer Profiles 

You have to understand that you are not your customer. You have to really dig deep into their demographics, their needs, their problems, their wants, and their situation. You also have to understand that your customer isn’t just a single entity. In most case, they’ll consist of multiple types of personas. That’s why it helps to create multiple customer profiles and use it as a guide when you create your content. You’ll find that you’ll need to go into content topics that sometimes appeal to the larger broad audience and sometimes appeal to specific groups.

2. Opt for a Fast Loading Web Host 

What good is great content if your website takes too long to load? Many of your visitors and customers will abandon your website if loading times are too long, especially if they are on mobile devices. If you suspect the problem is your web host, you’ll want to transfer your website to a better service provider. But if you are already on a great web host and don’t want to transfer your website to a new one, then you should opt for a CDN service. This is a type of service that will host your files across multiple servers all over the world for faster performance.

3. Back Up Your Content with Facts 

When you make a claim or a bold statement, it may be hard for your customers to believe in your words. But that skepticism can easily be overcome by backing up your words with cold hard facts. You want to use quotes, data, figures, examples, charts, and trends within your content to show that what you’re saying is actually true. There are many resources nowadays that can help you find important data in your market or industry. All it takes is some extra work to dig through the data to find something that’s relevant to your content topic.

4. Add Valuable Resources to Your Content 

While many website owners do not like to link out to other sites within their content, it’s actually helpful to do so. You have to first understand that you cannot provide everything that your customers need. Even if you don’t provide helpful resources, they’ll go seek out what they need on their own. It also shows your customers that you genuinely want to add value to their lives. This will result in them believing in your content and your agenda, especially if they were skeptical before.

5. Demonstrate Your Authority and Experience 

Sometimes you have to prove to your audience that you know what you’re talking about. To do this, you want to demonstrate your authority and experience. Show people how you’ve made a positive impact on your customers. Explain past projects that you’ve worked on. Obviously, you don’t want to make it over the top and try to boast about your accomplishments, products or services. You can easily incorporate these elements into your content while still adding value to your readers. It’s all about integrating these facts when relevant and tying it into the topic you are writing about.

6. Use Customer Experiences and Case Studies 

Another way to create content that is believable is to use customer experiences and case studies. You can do many different things such as interviewing your customers, asking customers to submit their content, and getting people to post their feedback in the comments section. Case studies work well too because you can dissect each aspect of a successful experience. Readers are also getting a behind the scenes look into what’s happening which can attract a lot of readers.

7. Weave in Real Stories that Customers Can Relate To 

Stories have been used to communicate important things from the moment we are born. That’s why they are a powerful way to communicate with your customers. There are several factors at play when you use storytelling within your content. First of all, stories imply that an important point will be made to the reader by the end. Second, stories are memorable because they are more personal and engaging. Finally, stories are filled with emotions which make it easier for readers to relate and absorb the information. What’s really weird about stories is that they are rarely questioned unless the story is too over the top.

8. Ask Your Customers What They Want and Need 

The obvious thing to do when you start creating content is to research content topics that are popular and has performed well with your target audience. But very few content marketers take the next step which is asking their prospects and customers what they want and need. All it takes is a simple survey and you’ll be given hundreds, if not thousands of different topics to write about. When your readers’ requests are answered through your content, they’ll start to believe you actually care about delivering value.

These are a few of the many things you can do to make your content believable. You need to understand that content creation isn’t just about publishing mediocre content on a regular basis. There is so much that goes into creating content that adds value and resonates with your target audience. The content marketers that understand this often see far better results than competitors that take shortcuts and don’t put enough emphasis on quality.

This time, the tables have turned because the predators are the ones being hunted by their prey. It’s called threat hunting, a new cybersecurity strategy where businesses take a proactive approach towards identifying and fighting against possible sources of malicious attacks.

And the first line of offense is monitoring newly registered domains to discover the malicious lairs that harbor these predators.

Why Newly Registered Domains May Pose a Threat

Cyber criminals register new domains all the time. That’s because once their sinister base has been blocked, they simply create other ones — using new websites and email addresses — to resume their hacking sprees. And newly-registered malicious domains pose a particularly serious threat because an alert hasn’t yet been raised against them. They enjoy the benefit of the doubt which increases their chances of accomplishing the malevolent schemes they have set out to do. These include:

Spam and phishing expedition

Newly-registered domains spreading spam emails and enticing trusting users to click on an infected link.

Uploading malware on websites

Creative variations of new domain names drive trusting users to portals made for the purpose of malware contamination and stealing sensitive information.

Spoofing and direct impersonation

Hackers register domains that are similar to those of established businesses and use them for impersonation and spoofing attacks.

Recognizing the Traps: How Threat Hunting Can Help

Hackers are crafty, destructive, and once they cause harm it’s hard to detect. In fact, in 2018 the mean time of a data breach discovery was 197 days. Threat hunting helps protect businesses by anticipating hackers’ moves and recognizing the traps that they lay, including utilizing newly registered domain names. Proactive monitoring nips threats in the bud and is a crucial element in the following areas:

Strengthen cybersecurity

Monitoring newly registered domains reveals the tell-tale footprints of malicious websites thus enabling companies to immediately block them. Speed is of essence in detection because these rogue lairs often don’t intend to stay long on the Web and exit as soon as they have accomplished their mission.

Threat hunting allows prompt warnings to employees and helps establish protocols on how to deal with spam from phishing sites. Once malicious domains have been identified, threat hunting could continue tracing the network of other malevolent sites connected to them.

Enhance brand protection 

Threat hunting prevents brand impersonation and trademark infringement which can ruin business reputation and lead to financial losses or slumping sales. Companies can sniff out impostors by identifying newly registered domain names that are uncannily similar to theirs or those of other established organizations. Just one cleverly-placed letter may have been altered, but it’s enough to trick a busy employee or third-party stakeholder into falling for the trap.

Monitoring newly registered domains allows gathering reports on exact matches of brand names with established organizations or your own business thereby putting a spotlight on the threats and their possible destructive consequences.

Assist during investigation

Threat hunting complements cyber crime investigations by tracking the origin and extent of suspicious domain activities. This leads to newly-emerged domains with known malicious connections. Discovering these networks of dubious websites help in their possible prosecution and eventual shutdown.

Threat hunting also makes it possible to establish a more detailed picture of criminal events, starting with the motive – e.g., impersonation – and the timeline of its execution.

Threat hunting turns the tables on cyber criminals by tracking and disrupting their malicious activities. Businesses can become hunters by adopting the proactive attitude of diligently watching for possible threats to prevent costly damages to their organizations. Once they’re ready, monitoring newly registered domains is an excellent ground to begin the hunt.

About the Author

Jonathan Zhang is the founder and CEO of Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) — a data, tool, and API provider that specializes in automated threat detection, security analysis and threat intelligence solutions for Fortune 1000 and cyber-security companies. TIP is part of the Whois API Inc. family which is a trusted intelligence vendor by over 50,000 clients.

1. Reduction in IT expenses

While having various systems and hardware such as servers can be advantageous for a business, it can often be too costly to acquire. Instead of buying expensive equipment, it is far more cost-effective to migrate towards cloud computing services since they can reduce your expenses towards energy consumption, wages for experts, and the cost of upgrading the system with newer and better hardware when the time comes.

2. Data and information recovery

Storing important documents, files and software on a localized machine isn’t uncommon. In the event of a system malfunction or hardware crash, however, there’s a risk of permanently losing valuable information. This is a non-issue when it comes to cloud-based solutions. Since data will be stored in the virtual environment of the cloud, not only will you be able to access it from anywhere and at any time but you mitigate the possibility of losing the data completely.

3. Efficiency in the flexibility of operations

Having local access is a standard for many companies. Cloud computing solutions, on the other hand, provide its users with the ability to access information remotely. Simple as this might seem to be, it makes all the difference in the efficiency of operations and various work practices that the business normally entails because the desired documents, files and other data can be accessed whether the user is on-site or not.

4. Quick access to updates

Not unlike other types of technology, cloud solutions are not exempt from updates. The good news is that unlike a local system, cloud computing delivers the necessary updates far quicker and easier. What this means is that the business will have access to the latest technology, be it the version of the software utilized or server upgrades, without the tedium or cost of having to acquire it through more conventional methods.

It’s not hard to see why cloud computing has become commonplace amongst the infrastructures of many businesses, big or small. Not only does the technology provide a means for a company to reduce its expenditure, but it can be highly advantageous towards the productivity of operations too. It is well worth noting, however, that with a large number of vendors that offer the service, it’s best always to do research and check for reviews first. In this way, you’ll be able to mitigate the risk of spending more than you need to for a service and acquire a reliable provider that will give you the support that you may need.

So, what factors can end up impacting the performance of a network? Here are the leading factors to keep an eye on throughout the course of a year.

1) I/O Capability

It starts with the I/O capability or “Input/Output Capability,” which is a common term thrown around in the world of networks. The idea of this specific factor is to highlight what the network is built on. In general, each network has a foundational setup that is calculated with regards to its “bus size.” This is commonly mentioned among technicians because it has a role to play in how well the network runs.

When the foundation is mediocre, the rest of the network can start to slow down or become impossible to use. In general, the idea of a network’s I/O capability is how well it can manage packets of data. When everything is running well, the network is able to manage higher traffic loads without stopping the data or slowing it down. It’s important to understand this specific factor while diagnosing a network when it’s performance metrics drop.

2) CPU

The next part would be a network’s CPU or central processing unit. The central processing unit is aimed to help with your data and control planes. This means anything that has to do with processing data will involve the CPU. This includes performance metrics and capacity-related numbers that are associated with a particular node. If the node doesn’t have a solid CPU in place, it is going to end up hurting the rest of the network. Each node has a role to play and if it doesn’t offer processing power, the other nodes end up taking the brunt of the work.

This ends up harming the network and how well it performs on a daily basis. It’s important to pinpoint the numbers as soon as possible because there is going to come a point where the network traffic is too much for the overloaded node(s).

3) Distance

Yes, this is one of the most underrated components associated with modern networks.

Distance means how far the data has to travel and how it is going to be used. A lot of the times applications aren’t set up to handle specific distances. With data being pushed around at approximately 186k per second, any sort of delay can end up halting things.

This is certainly important for businesses that are dealing with wider coverage zones and want to pay attention to the speeds based on distance.

4) Applications

Just like distance, applications are going to be an integral factor in how a network does over the long-term. With applications, you are going to notice a change in the performance and capacity. This can include how much data is being pushed by the app. In some cases, the number can be far lower than desired, which is a major issue.

Application details can also play a role in how the network is able to function and how well it manages window sizes. This is certainly a reality when it comes to Wide Area Networks.

5) Speed

Each network is going to come with its own speed metrics (i.e. the amount of data sent in one go). In some cases, this has to do with the hardware and its features, but software can also play a role in how much data is transmitted between nodes.

6) Errors

One of the most common issues that pop up would be network errors. This is why they’re an important factor in the performance of a network. If there are too many network errors involving latency and queuing, you’re going to notice the network start to slow down. This happens when the data is being restricted due to specific errors in the system. Over time, packets of data start to drop. This is when the problems pile up.

7) Memory

There is nothing worse than memory loss, which is possible in some networks. The idea of memory is to make sure data is being stored in the right place and each packet is handled appropriately. Otherwise, the network isn’t going to perform as it should. This is often seen in the form of dysfunctional control plane operations.

8) Performance Management

It’s important to think about the management of a network throughout the day. Whether this is done using automated solutions or manual changes, everything has to be in line with what’s required from the setup. Otherwise, you are going to face a problem with regards to how consistent a network is. Sometimes, a network will work well in the beginning but start to falter as time goes on.

Remember, the idea of performance management is to look out for certain metrics such as the response time, consistency, and overall performance. Everything has to be running on all cylinders or the network is going to fall apart with time. A lot of people don’t realize this and assume their network is in good shape when it’s starting to show signs of depreciation. Take action and make sure to stay on top of this.

When a network is well-managed, it will stay in good shape year-round. These are the factors that affect the performance of a network. If you are not willing to adapt and/or pay attention to what’s transpiring, you will end up with a network that is dysfunctional. This is when everything else can start to slow down and/or come to a screeching halt. Be smart and make sure to work through a checklist of variables including the ones listed above. You want to use these to determine what’s working and what’s starting to show signs of aging.

Serves as a great content curation and marketing tool
Content marketing is a proven and tested tactic in the world of digital. More so in the b2b community since thought leadership and industry knowledge are taken into account. WordPress websites serve as an amazing tool to create, curate and deliver content. With the use of targeted keywords, marketers can drive search engine visibility for the content. This allows you to build backlinks to the website via social sharing and mentions as well.

Builds a community for businesses
It takes ages for businesses to build a brand. But with a website as strong as WordPress, building an online brand gets easier. This is because, with a WordPress website, you can set time goals for your business and attract customers to the home page. Moreover, the themes, design elements and vivid templates add to the aesthetics of the website and play a huge role in attracting customers to the WordPress website. This, helps businesses build an online community resulting in better brand equity. So when you are choosing the best WordPress hosting for your client, do not forget to factor in this advantage for your clients.

Increases discoverability of online businesses
A WordPress website allows you to curate and pushes more content with its CMS, eradicating content bottlenecks if any. This allows a website to improve its ranking. Moreover, WordPress allows one to expand content editors, since making regular changes into the content improves search engine optimization, resulting in better discoverability of the website. Also, with plugins like Yoast, you can easily boost the SEO of your WordPress website.

Improves conversion rate of customers

With a WordPress website, lubricating your customer funnel is much easier. This is because WordPress wins as a CMS(Content Management System). You can track the visits, shares, entire analytics of your website and understand which web page is performing and why. You can modify the content on the pages that are not performing or even remove redundant ones. Also, design and development actions including CTA (Call to Action) and setting advanced custom fields to categorize the type of content is also possible with a WordPress website. All these advantages factor in while improving the rate of conversion for a WordPress website.

Category agnostic
There are certain websites that are said to be good for a particular business category. For. eg. Digital marketers suggest Magento as a platform to build an e-commerce website. However, WordPress is so robust in its structure, layout and as a platform that it can serve all business categories. Digital marketers swear by WordPress’ ability to become one with every category. Be it finance, e-commerce, machine industry or even a consulting firm, WordPress beautifies and provides able support to all kinds of businesses.

In closing
We also feel that there are some other website platforms worth mentioning but no one comes as close to WordPress. This is also because WordPress support is brilliant. Businesses do not need to depend on their agency to provide inputs for making changes or updates to their WordPress website. WordPress has a huge community online and the forums keep making upgrades to the new additions made within the website. We hope you now know why WordPress is suggested as a website by agencies and consultancies to build a website. Hoping that when you will be choosing the best WordPress hosting plan for your client, you will keep these factors into consideration.

This plays as an interface that allows the customer’s navigation and management of their websites. The users can customize their website whenever needed. cPanel is designed particularly for the maintenance of web servers. It is a dedicated hosting provider that can be useful for those who are searching for the best web hosting server.

In recent days, cPanel has become one of the best choices for the hosting providers around the globe and is compatible on UNIX-based OS like CentOs, Redhat. cPanel is supposed to manage FTP accounts, Firewalls, Statistics, Email accounts, and many other files.

cPanel can be used for any sort of application like for a corporation, freelance techie, a webshop, alongside the dedicated servers and virtual private servers that require hosting.

https://hostpresto.com/cpanel-hosting/ is the best resource for obtaining a better cPanel Hosting that best suits the web designer requirement.

The installation process of cPanel:

Install cPanel & WHM, enter the link that is shown on the main website and click enter

It will direct to the latest version of cPanel that is flexible and convenient for the web developers to manage the hosting.

Note:

1. It is suggested to run and install cPanel in Linux Screen.
2. Only install cPanel & WHM on a freshly-installed operating system.
3. Log in as a new user to the server, because only the static and publicly visible IP addresses are licensed here. Dynamic, sticky, and reserved IP addresses are not considered.

The general requirements for cPanel are:

1. The registered hostname should not match any other server domains and has to be a real IPv4 or IPv6 address.
2. It should certainly have a valid subnet, default gateway IP address.
3. If the server resides in NAT network, it should have 1 NAT configuration.
4. It should have a proper ethernet connection with static IP address and qualified hostname.

The special features of cPanel are:

1. Contact information is displayed on the default placeholder pages according to the account suspended. It makes customer view contact details of the providers quickly and can contact directly for any enquiry.

2. Manual backups are always suggested to the server that reduces the expanding lists. This has been updated in version 34.

3.  A special text box is available to record the information about each MySQL. It can be seen in the Manage Hosts table of cPanel hosting website.

4. Configuration options are streamlined for both cPanel and WHM users. These are responsible for configuring  AutoSSL notifications

5. Using cPanel provider, the user can determine Wildcard SSL rating with respect to the domain basis under the version 74.

6. For including object storage destination just like Amazon S3, cPanel updated its backup destination.

7. When a spammer is detected, automatically the actions are managed by cPanel that increases the reputation instantly.

8. For the new users, Apache SpamAssassin Spam Box is available by default to protect users from general attacking vectors.

9. Increased security is provided for all the WHM and cPanel servers. When the cPanel account is disabled, passwords are required for any SSH keys.

10. More than 500 apps and plugins are present in cPanel. The user can select the best suitable widget and tool to tailor the experience in attaining the target audience. Indirectly, this helps to grow hosting business over the niche.

The advantages of cPanel are:

1. Email capacities

Email Functions of cPanel assist users in creating their Email accounts, alter such that they meet their requirements, and help users create security features, create or modify passwords, and have the capacity to regulate spam and then separate emails to various folders, till they are found genuine.

2. Site Maintenance

There are many cPanel features that help in site improvements and maintenance. The users can install or uninstall their front-page extensions and are allowed to control FTP account, internet configurations, domain management, directories and are directed to view the custom errors on the page.

3. Web Security and Protection

cPanel enables its users to maintain secrecy in their account with passwords and some other directories. The users likewise ensure security that can empower them to block or unblock IP address and can likewise debilitate or empower their hotlink support. This makes users to deliberately choose the work and access their customers and workers.

4. File or Document Manager

cPanel has many file manager benefits, which empowers users to download documents to the server and transfer them from the server. This component likewise enables users to move files around their site by diverting the URL and making subdomain where such similar documents are found.

5. Database Management

The hosting provider, cPanel enables its users to deal with their respective databases. The users can then have the chance to make a MySQL database using PHPMyAdmin benefits. They likewise enable users to backup their files through an extremely basic and direct way. Data Management is thereby a confidential and accurate procedure that comes up with the secure access for the users.

6. Simple Installation

By the approach of the Linux operating system and with a few clicks it is allowed to install and use cPanel without any influences. It accompanies default settings, which additionally enables to take a shot at the server quickly after the process of installation even if it is not installed before.

7. Domain Management

It supports multiple domains creation on a single account. It doesn’t limit the users count for their services to deliver. The hosting provider is permitted to decide how many valid domain registrations can be performed during the process.

Conclusion

Hopefully, it is reliable that the cPanel hosting server has numerous features. With all its effective elements and features, cPanel is known to be an extraordinary web hosting application. The characteristics, that are mentioned above can help to manage the website effectively and offer satisfaction to the customers. cPanel offers advanced value for all the penny that is spent while purchasing it. Consequently, it is recommended to make the website management convenient and effective using cPanel.

How Cloud Hosting Works

Cloud hosting works by allowing a website to be stored on a virtual network that operates across a variety of physical servers. Cloud hosting networks are highly efficient as they can tap into the resources of any given server on the network to provide more space or bandwidth for a particular website or app as demanded by traffic patterns.

Most cloud-based hosting plans are billed on a per-usage basis. This means you only pay for the amount of resources that you actually ended up using, rather than paying for an entire server and allowing some resources to go to waste.

Types of Cloud Hosting

There are two main types of cloud-based web hosting; PaaS and IaaS. PaaS stands for Platform as a Service and is what website owners coming from traditional hosting services will find most familiar. IaaS, or Infrastructure as a Service, cloud hosting allows users to create their own software stack and have full control over the operating systems and applications used on the service.

If you’re building your website with a Content Management System like WordPress or Drupal then you’ll likely find PaaS to be the best cloud-based hosting option. Using a PaaS cloud-based service is an easy way to get your website on the web with an already-installed server operating system and sometimes even one-click CMS installation options. If you’re planning to build a Drupal website or already run a website on the Drupal platform then you’ll benefit greatly from switching to a cloud service that offers optimized Drupal hosting.

Another popular type of cloud hosting is VPS cloud website hosting. Virtual Private Server hosting allows you to configure your server environment on the cloud with minimal technical training. This is perhaps the easiest and quickest way to get your website on the cloud without having to learn advanced hosting protocols or networking. Drupal hosting and other CMS-specific hosting services are often most effectively utilized when run on a VPS-style cloud service that allows the flexibility of a VPS, the security and scalability of the cloud, and the economic pricing of a shared-hosting style setup.

Cost Savings with the Cloud

One of the best reasons to use the cloud is the cost savings it can bring to your business. You can increase your hosting efficiency and save money on overhead by choosing a cloud hosting plan that best aligns with your budget and technical requirements. If you’re running a small to medium-sized website that doesn’t receive peaks in traffic you may find a flat-rate VPS-type cloud service most fitting. This will ensure you pay the same amount of hosting each month, regardless of how much data your website transfers or uses.

Scalable Cloud Solutions

If you’re expecting growth in your web traffic or have noticed peaks in traffic at certain times then you may want to opt for a per-usage cloud hosting plan so that your website can freely scale as needed and you don’t overpay for too large a hosting account. The best way to determine how much storage space and bandwidth you will likely need is to use a resource monitoring application like AppOptics or Google Analytics.

One great tip to follow if you’re trying to utilize the cloud efficiently is to keep track of expected growth patterns as well as your current resource usage. Even if you haven’t launched your website yet, you can determine how much traffic you’ll likely receive by doing research into the market your business operates in.

Tools like the Google AdWords Keyword Tool can help you assess how much demand there is for the keywords related to your business. Site ranking indexes like Alexa can also help you see how many visitors you competition or other websites in your market currently receive.

By following these tips and getting a better understanding of the cloud-based hosting options available to you, making the most of your hosting budget will be an easy and surmountable task. You can increase your website’s efficiency by finding a hosting plan that’s been optimized for your specific CMS and choosing a cloud service with a billing style that works well with the level of traffic your website is expected to garner. Compare several cloud hosts to make sure you’re getting the best deal and consider a VPS style cloud hosting solution if you appreciate quick and easy website setups and prefer added control over your cloud server.

Slow Page Load Speed

Although there are numerous reasons for slow page load speeds, the influence of an ailing web host cannot be ruled out. When you have tried all the hacks for improving page load speeds and your site still loads slower than normal, it is time to have a look at your web hosting provider. You may be offered the choice of another hosting plan. However, if your current website speed was fast enough initially with your current hosting and you have not made any large scale changes to your website recently, how are you certain that you site won’t slow down after a while on the new plan? Keep in mind the fact that 47% of web users expect a site to load in two seconds!

Regular Website Downtimes

If you are with a web hosting provider that is not fully committed to the maintenance of its equipment, you will get regular downtimes. The same applies if they do not have any mechanisms in place to deal with the constant threat of cyberattacks. An efficient web host should be able to protect your website from domain hijacking, “which happens when another website manipulates the communication between your domain and your web host’s servers. The result is downtime, and your customers may not know that they are no longer dealing with you,” says Brendan Wilde at NZ Domain Names, one of New Zealand’s hosting giants.

If regular downtime is a common theme with your chosen provider, it may be time to look elsewhere, unless you are happy with losing visitors and conversions.

Poor Support

Have you noticed that your web host no longer speedily responds to your concerns? Have they stopped responding to queries completely? It may be time to stop paying. Even if you are technically savvy, it helps to know that your web hosting provider actually cares about your business. If the service is great, poor support might not be a deal breaker, but in combination with other problems covered here, you should be searching for a new provider.

Incompatibility with Important Features

If you have features that are important to the running of your website that you are unable to use due to your web hosting arrangements, you need to reconsider your options. Your first move doesn’t have to be going to a new provider. Seek alternatives to the features or technology you are trying to run first.

Similarly, you should consider a new web host if you are moving to media rich content. Your bandwidth may be burnt up quickly if you move away from text based content to lots of videos for example.

Inability to Handle Site Traffic

If your current web hosting provider is unable to cope with the amount of traffic you are currently receiving, it may be time for you to move on. This is especially true if you have maxed out the product offerings from the provider. The best web hosting companies offer affordable virtual private server hosting packages that are able to handle large visitor numbers and spikes in traffic.

You Are Downsizing

If you are trimming the fat with your business, you may not need all of the features you are paying for. Go over your web hosting needs if you have changed up your business processes. If you need minimalist hosting and it is not available with your present web host, save money by looking elsewhere. Many web hosts are more than happy to offer bespoke solutions.

Disagreement with Policies

If your hosting provider introducing policies that adversely affect you and your business, it may be time to move on. This could be anything from email usage permissions and code options to changes to the payment methods. If you suddenly feel caged by the services of your web host, there is no need to stick with them.

Your Website has Fallen Victim of Shared Hosting Tar Brush

If you are on a shared hosting plan, your business is at the mercy of other users on the specific server. Your site could be blacklisted if one or more users on the server engage in activities deemed as cybercrime or as generally nefarious such as malware distribution. When this happens, your site will be marked as a threat and delisted from search results.

Exorbitant Rates

If the rate charged by your provider is not in line with the rates charged by other reliable providers offering equivalent services, you should consider moving. Keep in mind, however, that price should never be the only reason for making the move. Find out the underlying reasons why the new provider charges cheaper rates before making your move.

If you have noticed any of these signs, you should seriously be considering ditching your web hosting provider. This is especially true if you have noticed two or more of these issues.  However, do not forget to extensively research your chosen provider before you make the switch. If your business is already up and running, there is little to no room for error!

But with many cloud service providers (CSP) in existence, how can you know which one is best equipped to meet your web design requirements? Consider the following five factors when you’re looking for a CSP that’s right for your needs.

Is Cloud Access Easy to Use?

Being able to get access to your content and web services anywhere is the cornerstone of cloud computing. A CSP that makes this access tedious or unintuitive is not terribly useful. As with any other service, a CSP’s ultimate function is to remove hassles.

Decide whether a prospective CSP gives a good description of how its interface works. Does the CSP have a free trial version? You may want to test this free version to see if it’s well-suited to your operations.

How Do They Prevent and Mitigate Outages?

Even among more established providers, large-scale outages do happen. Some providers use features such as redundant storage sites to make sure you’re never cut off from essential cloud services.

CSPs may offer guaranteed service restoration times with penalties if they don’t hold up their end of the bargain. Look for these times in the user agreement.

What Extra Security Measures Does the CSP Take?

Controlling and monitoring who can access your information is critical. This monitoring will be one of your highest priorities if you deal at all with private or sensitive material.

Ensuring absolute security when working with a CSP is a two-way street, but making sure your CSP is using the most effective security and compliance measures such as two-factor authentication, firewalls such as Amazon Web Services, and 24-hour monitoring will cut the risk of a potentially devastating breach.

Is Customer Service Responsive and Helpful?

Not everything will go according to plan all the time. When the unpredictable happens, you’re going to want a CSP with whom you can easily communicate. You should also be confident that the CSP you select will respond to your concerns effectively and promptly.

How Much Will the Service Cost Now and in the Future?

Many CSPs are fairly affordable when compared to the costs of building an IT infrastructure from the ground up with comparable features.

Nonetheless, looking at and comparing price points could save you the trouble of a tedious and difficult service transfer down the road. This point is especially true if you work with high-quality multimedia content in your web designs or any other assets that can quickly drive up your storage space requirements.

Ultimately, everyone’s needs are different. Thankfully, no shortage of CSP options exists, and most have a plethora of critical and user feedback for those shopping around. The process takes a bit of homework, but finding a CSP you can trust with the right features to help you succeed with your web design work is well worth the effort.

A standout amongst the most vital choices you make when setting up a site is picking a web hosting. There are wide range of sorts of administration and the extensive variety of bundles on offer can leave a newcomer tricked with regards to choosing the correct specialist organization. In order to help you out, this piece of information will give you an understanding into the most critical criteria you should reflect.

Accessibility

Accessibility is the specialized term utilized as a part of the business for unwavering quality and what you have to search for is a web host that can provide its client with high accessibility. As it were, they will ensure that your site will remain on the web and won’t flop because of mistakes with their servers or be taken disconnected for long stretches amid support. The business standard for accessibility is 99.5% however this still compares to your site being disconnected for more than 3 hours consistently.

Data transmission limits

Transfer speed is a term used to depict the measure of information you send from your server to your guests’ programs. Each time somebody loads one of your pages on their PC or either on their cell phone you are spending data transmission. In the event that you have a site that has bunches of overwhelming substance, for example, substantial media documents you may utilize a considerable amount of transmission capacity. What client truly need to search for is a web host that gives either unmetered or boundless data transfer capacity on littler hosting bundles and transmission capacity allotments on greater arranges which are so high it’s exceedingly far-fetched you will ever outperform them.

Disk space allotment

The measure of plate space you will require depends altogether on your own conditions. On the off chance that you are an independent venture needing to run just a site, then you are not going to require enormous plate space by any stretch of the imagination. Be that as it may, on the off chance that you are an extensive venture gathering colossal measures of information and running capable applications you will absolutely require a great deal more space.

Throughout the day, consistently, specialized support

Dealing with a site can get very specialized and here and there issues happen that it is possible that you don’t know how to explain or which require illuminating by your web host. Therefore, you require a web host that gives 24 hours a day.

Specialized opportunity

In order to empower your site the way you require it to than there is a scope of specialized operations that you might need to complete. Some web hosts or a portion of the bundles which web has given don’t give clients the flexibility to utilize every one of administrations such as PHP, MySQL or FTP and accordingly confine what they can do with their sites. In a perfect world, you need to have the capacity to utilize every one of them and ought to search for a host that empowers this. This is particularly essential for those searching for shared facilitating as it’s these bundles where most limitations can be found.

Capacity to utilize SSL

In straightforward terms, SSL is a little bit of programming that empowers sites to scramble information sent from a client’s program to your server. You can perceive locales that have it as they have an address that starts with https rather than http. In the event that you run a site that takes installments or individual data from clients, then it’s conceivable that you will need a SSL testament.

Countless email

Before buying a hosting bundle, look at the email benefits that is provided. You need an administration that can be gotten to anyplace on the web and which enables you to set up email sending, auto reacting and email bulletins.

Do you gain a control board?

A control board is where you deal with your site and server. It enables you to roll out improvements to your site, include new elements and put in new programming and updates. It’s likewise where you can redesign your record and include new facilitating administrations if necessary. A few hosts give a control board which just provide you a couple of alternatives and confines what you can do, driving you to experience client administrations to do things like include new email records or change your secret key.

Security is critical

Web security is winding up noticeably more vital and your decision of web host can have a major effect to how fine your website is ensured. You require a web host that can offer solid firewalls, interruption assurance, and checking to safeguard against malware.

Picking the privilege working framework

All in all, most web hosts provide either a Linux or Windows working framework for their sites. The disarray for most new clients is that while Windows is the dominating OS for home PCs, Linux is the primary decision for running sites. For some, there isn’t a decision as the product you use to make your site will figure out which framework you need to run with.

Are you planning to set up a website for a business of your own? If yes and you are like most people out there who want to have their own website but do not want to write code from scratch, you are not alone!

Fortunately, there are a number of options that are available for you to skip the massive coding required and publish your content faster. However, you need to decide whether you want to use whether you want to use a managed website platform or a self-hosted website platform solution. The aim of this article is to discuss the pros and cons of both the solutions so that you can make an informed decision as to which one suits your needs the best.

Making a choice between a managed solution and a self-hosted solution can be a little tricky. There are a few clear trade-offs between these two solutions and the whole process might be a little scary if you are new to online business.

On the other hand, if you are the owner of a small business and are expanding your activities online, you will be able to better appreciate what it is like to lose your hard-earned money unnecessarily. You do not want to arbitrarily choose an option and then find out it is the wrong one for your needs. Therefore, some of the questions that you need to ask yourself about your specific situation prior to choosing a managed or self-hosted website platform are as follows:

• Are you in a hurry to set up your website or do you have some time with you?
• Do you have to create any type of special functionality for your website?
• Do you need to have code-level access to your website?
• Are you looking for round the clock customer support?
• What would be your monthly budget for operating your website?

If you have a clear idea as to what exactly you are looking for, the following discussion will help you to make the right decision for yourself.

Managed Website Hosting Platforms

If you are running your website on a domain that you do not own you are using a managed website platform. Many managed platforms also allow you to use a custom domain name, usually with an upgraded package. While managed platforms can save your time and money, they also limit how much control you have over your site. The functionality of your website could be limited and the hosting service provider may change the rules at any time.

Typically, managed website hosting platforms are cloud-based and are run on servers owned or rented by the cloud provider. They will not provide you with access to the program code set that runs your website.

Advantages

#1: Generally, managed website hosting platforms have only one web interface. As they do not require you to write a number of lines of code, they are not only easy to set up but also easy to operate. As such, your website can be made operational fairly quickly.

#2: As such services are often cloud-based, the issue of updating the platform software does not arise at all. Updates are frequently rolled out, sometimes even multiple times in a day, by the provider. Further, bugs are often fixed immediately and you do not even have to even log in for manually updating the changes. This is to say that you will be relieved of system downtime problems to a great extent.

#3: You are not required to employ a large IT team when working with a managed website hosting service provider.

#4: The cloud web hosting service provider will have technical experts in their team to handle or maintain the software that runs the platform. Therefore, you do not have to worry about the technical aspects related to running the online store.

Disadvantages

#1: As you do not have access to the source code, you will not have the kind of flexibility that you might be looking for.

#2: Some service providers may not allow you to use your own domain name. You may be forced to use their subdomain URL.

#3: You may be provided with a few third party software and plugins that you can use in their platform, but you may face problems when integrating the systems that you might be using internally.

Self-hosted Website Platforms

Self-hosted solutions are those wherein you download the required software and run the website on your own servers. These platforms help you to overcome the disadvantages that are associated with hosted platforms. These include the following:

#1: Ability to customize your website and its operation as per your requirements.

#2: As you own the software, you will have complete ownership and control on the codebase.

#3: You can decide and ensure that your website is always running according to your preferences and you are not bound the policies of hosted solutions providers.

#4: You can add plug-ins/tools of your choice to extend or improve your website’s functionality.

As with anything else in life, there are negatives associated with self-hosted website platforms too:

#1: When technical problems arise, you will have to deal with the issues yourself or pay for support by a third party.

#2: The solutions may come with extensive documentation, but the systems are often very complex and it takes time and effort to have a clear understanding as to how they work.

#3: The servers have to be configured, databases maintained, backups managed, lost data recovered and updates implemented in order to ensure the smooth operation of the system. You will be focusing more on these aspects instead of worrying about your conversion rate, product sale and profits.

#4: Self-hosted solutions are not out-of-the-box systems and, therefore, they are to be optimized for obtaining best results.

In conclusion, the best solution in your specific case will entirely depend on your answers to the questions listed above. You may choose a managed or self-hosted website platform after considering your needs and researching the available options. You should identify at least three to four website hosting solution providers, evaluate their offerings and go through some reviews on these providers prior to finally deciding to work with one of them.