websites Archives - Foreign policy

Top 10 Dedicated Server Providers in 2020

Published on May 25, 2020June 1, 2020

Owning a website nowadays is something that will decide whether your business will be successful or not. It might sound a bit cruel, but it’s the truth. Ever since the internet appeared, it changed how a lot of things work, including the entire corporate business world.

Nowadays, about ninety percent of all shopping and trading is done on the internet, which should already tell you the importance of owning a website.

When it comes to having your own site for your business, there are quite a few things that you need to know. Design, technical optimization, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and top-notch marketing are all very important factors, but that’s now exactly what we’re here to talk about today.

Although everything that we mentioned above makes up for the perfect website experience, there is one thing that serves as a backbone for your entire project, and we’re here to help you choose the right kind. Today we’re talking about dedicated servers and some of the best providers in 2020.

Since there is a lot to talk about on this subject, we’re going to end this introduction here and jump straight into the content. Here’s what you need to know.

What is a website host?

You probably already know that keeping a website online is something that requires a host. You can be your own host if you have the necessary equipment and knowledge, but that’s not really recommended if you really want a 100% uptime on your website and immediate error fixes in case you run into any.

This is why people choose a third-party host, but even when doing this there are a lot of things that you need to pay attention to.

A website host can be either shared or dedicated. Obviously, choosing a dedicated one means that you will be using all of the resources for your own website, as opposed to sharing them with others if you go with the non-dedicated, or “shared” option. Now, although everything about the dedicated host is better, it will come with a higher price.

So, what are the benefits of choosing a dedicated host?

Reduced website loading times that provide for smoother user experience. This is very important if you want people to stay on your website for a longer period of time.

Better customer support in case you ever need it. Dedicated packages always include bonuses like these since you’re paying more and you’re considered a premium user.

A much better uptime, meaning that your customers will never have to get frustrated because your website is “down” and they can’t order a certain product or a service

A dedicated server means that you will be using all of the storage on the server, meaning you can feel completely free to add more content to your website, as well as keep more back-ups in case you ever need them. This is the main benefit, not having to share your resources with another website, or even worse, more than a few websites at the same time.

How do I choose the right Dedicated Server Provider?

Since almost everyone owns a website nowadays, there are obviously many server providers on the market, and sometimes it is very hard to choose one because they all advertise as the best possible choice that you can make.

Luckily, we’ve made a list of some of the top choices that we’ve tested, so if you are unable to make up your mind, maybe this will help you out. Let’s take a look.

1. Bluehost

Bluehost is already known to be one of the most popular dedicated hosting services that you can choose, so if you are looking for a trustworthy and reliable option, feel free to take a look at some of their offers. According to cherry servers, Bluehost is probably one of the most user-friendly options that you should choose if you’re a complete beginner in owning a website.

2. HostGator

The well-known enemy of Bluehost, HostGator is also amongst the top-rated providers in the entire world. Their support is amazing, and they are always here to help you in case you need something. Load times are great and their uptime is one hundred percent, which is pretty mind-blowing. They have great packages with fair prices, so make sure to check them out.

3. A2 Hosting

If you care about speed, and you want your users to enjoy a lightning-fast website, A2 Hosting should be your choice. Currently, they are not very famous as the other two examples above, but it is very well-known that their load times are amazing, and that’s more than enough for you to choose them for your site.

4. Liquid Web

Now, every host has a strong side, and Liquid Web is known to have the best and most active support. If you ever run into a problem, you’ll never get a faster answer from any other support team in the world of web hosting. Definitely worthy to check them out.

5. SiteGround

Both their uptime, load times and support team are decent, and their prices are excellent. If you want the perfect balance between all these factors, SiteGround is the choice for you. Numerous offers are available so feel free to be as flexible as you want.

6. GoDaddy

A funny name, but don’t underestimate this hosting service. They are currently known to have the biggest customer base, and their loading speeds and uptimes are pretty fascinating as well, for a company of this size.

7. IONOS

Image source: getvectorlogo.com

If you want to make a beginner website just to try things out, you probably don’t want to spend a lot of money on it, and this is where IONOS shines. It’s a reputable company that is known to have some of the lowest prices on the entire market, so if you are into trying new things, this is the right choice for you.

8. HostWinds

This is a new and upcoming company, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t give them a chance. They are very well aware that as a new player their prices should be pretty acceptable, and that’s exactly what they did with their packages. Great customer support, not so great loading and uptimes, but fair prices and transparency.

9. AccuHosting

You’ve probably heard about AccuHosting before, and if not, it’s time to check them out. What they offer is great loading times and very friendly customer support, but they seem to lack some skill in the uptimes area. Still a great choice for beginners though.

10. Hostinger

This is a company that takes things to the next level. They have servers that consist of SSD’s, instead of HDD’s, and they allow you to make free backups of your content. Their domains and domain migrations are also free, and their prices are more than acceptable. Feel free to check them out.

5 Web Design Elements for Traffic Boost in 2020

Published on February 6, 2020

Business

When you want to improve your website, SEO and web design must go hand in hand together. In staying on the top page in SERP, this requires extensive work to rank your site. If you dwell much on search engine optimization, you might forget that your web design is being taken for granted.

Don’t settle on your current visual layout; you should create something that could help the viewers navigate your site efficiently. Evaluate your page and consider the comments of the users. Imagine yourself in their shoes and think of a solution that could provide a better user experience.

As a general checklist to start, here are the valuable 5 web design elements that you should keep an eye on.

1. Improve Your Website Speed

Have you found out the culprit on why your page keeps on loading slowly? Well, there are several things that you should check. First, you should have a regular cache clearing to remove unnecessary history and data. For instance, if you’re using a WordPress tool, you can follow these steps.

Go to Your Settings
Look for the Web Plugin for Cache
Then finally, click on the delete cache

There are various plugins that you can use to clear caches, such as W3 Total Cache and WP Super Cache. By using these tools, it will be easier to navigate in the dashboard, and it only takes a few clicks to delete the data.

Second, you should optimize your images. Yes, that’s right. Even though you love high-quality photos, you should still need to compress its resolution so that it won’t cause your web to lag. We suggest that you should use vector images rather than the raster ones.

Vector graphics are programmed through mathematical codes, formula, and geometric primitives resulting in a high-resolution image. Some of the formats that it supports are SVG, AI, PDF, EPS, and DFX. In contrast with the raster graphics, these photos are created through pixels such as PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF. By knowing the differences between these images, you will know which photo to upload that gives an HD resolution with a low data space.

Lastly, you should check your plugins. Identify the apps that you need and remove unnecessary plugins. You should also do a testing phase to check on which app slows down your website speed.

2. Develop a Competitive Visual and Appealing Site

Image source:unitedwebagency.blogspot.com

After you finished checking the first bullet, you may now proceed with the design layout and structure. What is the primary purpose of web design? Is it for a visual representation or attracting viewers?

Design is intended to make the viewers be able to read your message. You don’t have to explain what it’s all about. By just merely looking at the images, layout, and structure of the website, it sets out a clear purpose to drive the viewers with a better visual experience.

How are you going to improve the design? Here are the hacks to level up your web visuals.

Choose a responsive background with a reasonable low data space
Make sure that the fonts are readable and visible
Use bullets and short paragraphs for your contents
Place your ads properly
Adopt a modern design that works for computer and mobile formats

3. Use of the Negative Space

A negative space indicates the blank portion of the website. Whereas the positive space, this area includes all the elements of the website, such as contents, images, and more. In the new phase today, negative space becomes an essential technique in attracting a site visitor.

If your website displays too many images and contents, it makes the eyes look confused as to where to start navigating. It is important to use negative space to show your content in a presentable, legit, and readable way.

In using this technique, it does not only focus on the space between the paragraphs, sentences, or images. Sometimes, the negative space is also being used to lure a viewer to visit the site. If you inculcate the 8 seconds rule, you will understand how impatient the viewers are. As the term suggests, it only takes 8 seconds for a site visitor to decide whether he or she will navigate the website.

If you want to keep the visitor interested, you should use negative space and highlight the main headline of your website. Could you keep it simple yet substantial?

4. Make your Website’s Platform Mobile-Friendly

Image source:webdesigntipspro.site123.me

According to the statistics, around 3.5 million people are using smartphones this 2020 year. It means to say; more people are using mobile than computers.

The reason is obviously due to mobile’s handheld usage. You can watch videos, stream channels, and surf the internet anywhere and anytime if you have a smartphone.

For web developers and designers, it is a must to keep your content compatible with mobile devices. If its layout and structure look messy in the smartphone, it would affect your viewers’ interest and may result in a higher bounce rate.

To unleash your website into a mobile layout, you should test it first before launching it to the public. In this way, you will know if its display looks presentable and professional in a smartphone device.

5. Guide Your web Visitors using a Sitemap

Have you consulted an SEO Specialist? You’re probably wondering whom to seek advice for on how to make your sitemap well-designed and SEO friendly. Well, let me tell you the basics and see the results for yourself.

According to Joelhouse, Sitemaps are essential elements of web design because they help in guiding the viewer in navigating the site. It does not only refer to a dropdown list menu and toolbar, but also an essential part of the SEO.

A well-mapped website can be easily tracked and analyzed by Google. Both the internal and external links are also essential to make your site visible to the public. A sitemap contains internal links that guide the online visitor on which section to click and to look for.

Juggling all these 5 elements is undoubtedly a challenging role to take. You must balance all these features to make your website visually competitive and boost its traffic. If you know how to put all these things in one place, then you have the edge to succeed in your ranking.

How to Find the Best Product Reviews and Guides

Published on August 27, 2019

Tips

Whenever you want to buy something new the smart thing to do is to look up reviews before doing so. You should make sure that what you’re buying is of good quality and that other people are satisfied with that specific product. Sometimes it can be hard to find reviews or guides when it comes to some products, so we decided to make a list of websites where you can do exactly that.

1. Amazon Customer Reviews

As we all know, Amazon is getting more and more popular by the day and you can pretty much find any product you can think of on Amazon nowadays. But this is also what makes it perfect for finding reviews of obscure products or just about anything really. The reviews on Amazon can often be very detailed since they don’t just consist of text but often have pictures or videos attached.

2. Angie’s List

In our opinion, this is a pretty high-end review website that is mostly used in the US. This website collects reviews on around 720 household-related services, so it definitely isn’t on Amazon’s level as far as variety goes but it is much more thorough and trustworthy. The ratings are given with grades, from F to A. All reviews on this website are also monitored by admins who make sure that only honest and trustworthy reviews are posted.

3. Quora

Quora is a bit different, since it is actually a user-generated platform, and it is massive in its own right. The difference here is that this isn’t really a review website but it can definitely be used like one, it is actually a website that is something like a forum where people ask questions and other people answer them to the best of their ability. Quora is often used to ask about certain products but is also a great platform to ask about anything in general.

4. BestyBesty

BestyBesty is a website that specializes in researching reviews, statistics, specs and they even throw in some of their own opinions in there. They always make sure to spend as much time on research as they can, which includes looking at reviews, product specifications and more. This enables their experts to go through hundreds of different products so we don’t have to. Another great thing about this website is that they actually test many of the products they review, so you know that they know what they’re talking about. If you want trustworthy and reliable reviews visit this website.

5. Capterra

Capterra is a smart platform used mainly for reviewing software products. It is a very meticulous review platform with over 325,000 reviews and 500 different product categories to sort them in. Around 3 million users are on the website each month which just shows how reliable and good it is. You have to create an account and you are set to go. Once you do that you get access to a massive community whom you can interact with.

6. G2 Crowd

This is the perfect place if you want to get reviews and advice on B2B software. G2 is a great platform where you can get unbiased opinions when it comes to online tools. It has over 300,000 reviews which are vetted and checked. A big plus for G2 is its comparison section. You can choose a product that interests you and then compares it with another one from the same category.

How to shop for clothes online?

Published on July 11, 2019

Online Marketing

One of the many great things that technology and the Internet has brought us is shopping online. Isn’t it wonderful that you can sit in your living room with a cup of coffee, browse the web and buy literally anything with just a few clicks? Some people love going to the malls and trying on different outfits, while others see it as a waste of time they would gladly spend on doing something else. In this text, we are going to give you some advice on how to shop for clothes online.

Since there are so many options available, firstly you have to find an online store. Due to the immense popularity of internet shopping, nowadays, almost every brand has a web store, which means that there is nothing between you and your new piece of clothing. Also, there are many other online shops such as Floryday, you can explore to find a new dress or a pair of shoes.

The most important thing when shopping for clothes on the web is to make sure that it will fit you perfectly. You don’t want to wait for weeks for your shipment to arrive, and then to have to return it because it is the wrong size. You are probably aware that each manufacturer has its own size chart which is why you cannot rely on a traditional numeric or small/medium/large scale.

Since, clearly, you cannot try on anything, you have to know your exact measurements which include height, hip, chest, and waist measurements, arm length, and so on, depending on the piece of clothing you want to purchase. Also, make sure to check the size of each piece, since online stores sell items from a range of manufacturers, and, as already mentioned, they all use different size charts. The safest way is to find the chart in inches and use it when buying clothes.

Furthermore, you have to check out every seller before making a purchase. Even though most of them are legit, you can never be too sure. Only buy from authenticated stores and you can find those online, by reading comments and reviews from other customers or simply ask a friend for a recommendation. When signing up for a website, consider if all information they require is really necessary.

Okay, you have to put in your name, surname, and address, but your social security number is definitely one of the information the seller needs. If at any moment, you become suspicious, you should probably leave that website and look for another. In addition, you should avoid paying with your credit card. Instead, use PayPal or Apple Pay that ensure the safety of your bank information.

Lastly, don’t forget to set up a budget. Spending the money online is way easier than spending it in stores. This is because you are not holding it in your hands and giving it away to the seller. You have to track the prices of each purchase and make sure that you don’t go over the planned budget. There are always some discounts or coupons you can use. Moreover, always compare prices on different websites, because sometimes they can significantly differ. What’s more, don’t forget to check the shipment fee. Sometimes these expenses can be higher than the price of the item, and that is just throwing money down the drain.

To conclude, these are only some tips you can use when buying clothes or any other products online. The most important thing is not to share your personal data with anyone. Make a cup of tea, sit back, relax and start exploring online stores.

Create An Online Store That’s Almost As Good As Free

Published on May 29, 2019May 29, 2019

Business

If you want to create online store free, then there may be some options out there. But if you want to create a good, reliable online store for your business and that too at a very low price, then you must consider the Shopify Lite Plan.

Given that there are various free-of-cost options for building your e-commerce store, it can be quite difficult to pick one. A very inexpensive option at just $9 per month, this plan comes with a solid set of features that could beat other options that may be allowing you to create online store free – you can do that here.

Shopify Lite comes at a very reasonable amount of $9 per month

The Shopify Lite Plan can be integrated with your existing blog or website. By doing this, you can start selling custom-made products on your website or blog. So, if you’re willing to continue keeping your blog or website and selling items on it, Shopify Lite makes for a great option.

Let’s take you through the different features of the Shopify Lite plan that makes it an option as good as free – maybe even better!

Easy-To-Use Dashboard

Shopify Lite comes with a dashboard which is very easy to use. There is an activity log on the dashboard with a side menu that’s very easy to navigate through. The Shopify Lite dashboard consists of inventory tools such as track inventory, add item images, add item descriptions, bulk upload products, organize products by category, add vendors to products and so on. It also lets you create invoices, maintain customer directory, and build discount coupons that can be put to use both in-person as well as online.

Selling Through Social Media

Shopify Lite offers you a fully-integrated Facebook store. If you already have a Facebook page for your blog or website, the Facebook store that you create with Shopify Lite can make for a good extension of it. The best thing is that if someone likes your products on Facebook and wants to purchase something from the store, they can do it on Facebook itself. All thanks to Shopify Lite, now one doesn’t have to exit Facebook to purchase products that they like. This is a win-win situation for not just your prospective customers but also for you. It shortens the process by which you can generate sales on Facebook.

Another good thing about this aspect of the Shopify Lite plan is that the dashboard gets synced with your Facebook store which adds to your convenience. This means that you don’t have to upload your products again and again. When you sync your products with your Shopify account, any changes you make in the products on your dashboard will automatically sync with your Facebook store.

A streamlined and secure check-out procedure adds to the overall experience of your customers. They don’t have to exit Facebook and head to your website to make the purchases.

You can also use the social media platform to create and run ad campaigns to boost presence and bring more leads.

Strong Customer Support System With Facebook Messenger

When you’re using Shopify Lite, most of your selling is happening through Facebook only. As such, operating your customer support system through Facebook messenger is only relevant. Along with the Facebook store integration, Shopify Lite also provides a live chat module through Facebook messenger.

This tool under Shopify Lite provides customers with automated responses related to product inquiries. Without having to hire a team to handle customer queries, you can easily deal with your customers on Facebook Messenger.

Another great thing about the customer service channel through Facebook Messenger is that it helps you market your business by sending out marketing messages with appropriate call-to-action buttons. This includes adding the call to action button to lead your audience directly to purchase your product(s).

Enhance Your Previously Built Websites

Apart from the Facebook shopping feature, Shopify Lite offers you the option of adding the Shopify Buy button. It allows you to embed modules for products and collections as well as shopping carts as a part of the package. The Shopify Buy button is perfect for you if you already have a branded website. With Shopify Lite, all you have to do is upload your products, embed the Buy buttons with information about the products right onto your website. As such, selling products through Shopify Lite is as good as selling products when you create online store free.

Shopify Payments

You can use Shopify’s payments system to process payments and also add other payment gateways to your online store. You may sign up to avail Shopify Payments through the Shopify dashboard. This will allow you to integrate 100 different types of payment gateways.

Main differences between VPS and dedicated hosting

Published on April 22, 2019April 9, 2020

Technology

Why do I need Web Hosting?

If you want to have a website, you need a web host. All of the web pages need to be stored somewhere and that is the job of a web server. In order to make the websites available to everyone everywhere, you need a web host. Technically, you can serve pages from your PC but that is highly impractical as the internet connection is probably going to be less powerful than you need it to be in order to serve multiple users at the same time. Web hosting companies help you with that issue by offering you a powerful web server that can store the pages and serve them to many users at the same time. That is, in all likelihood, something you can’t do on your own and so, today web hosting companies are a necessity.

VPS vs dedicated hosting

There are a lot of things to take into consideration when looking at web hosting companies. As some of the more important factors, web4africa.com singles out fast and stable networks, high-quality hardware, and 24/7 monitoring. Thinking about what web hosting includes, this all makes a lot of sense. Another thing you should think about is whether you should opt for a VPS or dedicated hosting.

By choosing VPS, or a Virtual Private Server hosting, you’re agreeing to share the server’s resources with few other websites and if you are interested you can find out top picks here. This is not to be confused with shared hosting where you’re sharing the resources with a lot more websites. Unlike VPS, dedicated hosting means that one entire physical server is dedicated just for you. The resources are always available to you with VPS hosting, but they are shared among few other websites meaning that sometimes, it’s not going to be shared equally and that it’s not always guaranteed for your use.

Dedicated hosting gives you complete control over the server and the CPU. You can have up to eight CPU cores for your use, and the performance isn’t threatened in any way as you’re not sharing resources with other websites.

What should I choose?

Many websites switch to VPS once they’ve outgrown shared hosting. It is a great solution as you don’t need to think about the maintenance of the server and its security. Those are some things your web hosting company needs to worry about. On the other hand, dedicated servers require you to cover the costs of maintenance making the VPS a cheaper option. VPS comes with technical support and represents an ideal solution for many websites as it’s much better than shared hosting, but still much cheaper than dedicated hosting. By using VPS, you can increase or decrease the resources you’re using depending on your needs. So, in order to know which option is best for you, you need to consider your future plans, the growth of the business, your strategies, business goals, and similar. If you’re foreseeing a big growth for your business in the future, then switching to VPS, or even dedicated hosting, from shared hosting is a good idea.

Know the Importance of SEO for Chiropractic website

Published on December 25, 2018

Business

You must be wondering what this fuss is all about, right? You made a website now but what is this SEO and why is it so important? Now that you have made a site to promote your service or product, you must be knowing the number of potential customers you have.

However, all the effort goes into vain if they cannot see or access the website. So, there you have the reason why you should know about SEO.

It stands for the Search Engine Optimization, and it is the key to get the traffic on any site be it of any service or business. To be one of the top chiropractic websites you need to understand the various SEO tactics.

These are never the same as with the passing time and emergence of new technology and software, the chiropractic SEO tools and requirements are also rapidly evolving.

Why is SEO important for the chiropractic websites?

Reach a larger audience

Do you know that almost every other person in the world from various age groups use search engines like Google every day?

That is a known fact, right? So just think about the number of potential customers that you have out there. We have reached the era where people search for the services on the search engines rather than going out and looking for the place.

With SEO you have the power and ability to take your services to such a vast number of potential customers.

Be visible

Visibility is a factor that remains prior when you decide to make a medical website no matter for what service or business that you want to promote on any search engine!

The higher the rank on the search engine, the more visible is the website. With the rapidly evolving demands of search engines, it is very important to stay updated and equipped with the latest and effective SEO tactics.

Wise advertising

Previously people used to stand all day in some street to distribute brochures of the services to every passing person is long gone.

And even the television advertisements are outdated as they could cost you a fortune! Some wise man said- “don’t work hard but work smart.”

So, when you could promote your services with the simple yet attractive chiropractic website templates, why go for any other alternative?

This is the best part of the online advertisement– you don’t need to dance or shout on top of your lungs or wear something catchy to promote your services but it does not mean that you have to do nothing, you still have to convince your visitors why they should choose your services.

Target the customers

Firing the arrow in the dark won’t be so fruitful. This can be proved with the previous methods of advertising. The television advertisements and all the prior techniques of the ads are perfect examples of shooting an arrow in the dark!

How? Everyone watches advertisements but aren’t we all habitual of changing the channel just as the ad appears on the screen?

With the SEO, you can target the customers who need your services! People who search for the keywords on your chiropractic office websites are the one who will be able to access it.

Stand out

You think that there is only you who got this brilliant idea to make a website for your services?

No, hundreds and thousands of websites are created on the search engines daily!

Therefore to stand out from the competition, it needs to be unique and attractive!

And that can be achieved with excellent chiropractic websites and design which has all the things that the customer is looking for. To appear on the top of the rank list, your site should be different and equipped with all the SEO requirements. Just know that if you are not on the top, you are not there at all!

Convert the visitors to potential customers

What SEO does? Well, it helps to get your website on the top of the search result rank list. People tend to trust the results of the search engines, that is, if some site is on top, it is bound to be the best or at least people think so.

Therefore, if your website is on the top among the chiro practice websites, it would mean more people will visit your site.

More visitors mean more business potential customers. If even 10-20% of the visitors turn into the customers, then start counting your good days!

Form a customer base

SEO gets you traffic but only after ensuring that your website has all the SEO features so as the visitor gets a good and user-friendly website with all the content that he/she is looking for.

Which means it makes sure that both the search engine and the visitor is happy!

Also, a visitor with a pleasant experience is bound to return to your website for your services. Hence, what SEO gets you is the regular customer base.

Create brand awareness

A happy customer is most likely to recommend your services to his friends and family, and the cycle goes on and on.

If your chiropractic website marketing is # 1, then it is bound to show up in the best chiropractic services as well which means your site will appear many times while the user is searching for the desired service, eventually leading him/her clicking on your website.

People trust the results of the search engines almost blindly today and you being on top of the search result rank list will be cherry on the cake.

source: nextanalytics.com

These were only a few of the many reasons why the SEO is so important for the best chiropractic websites 2019 and any other sites.

Today, there is so much competition everywhere that staying behind is not an option anymore; you always have to stay one step ahead.

You have got such an amazing tool for advertising and promoting your services, all you need is to use them wisely and effectively, and it could do wonders for you!