What Is a 503 Error?

A 503 error code indicates that the web server is currently unable to handle a request due to temporary conditions. It is typically caused by server overload or routine server maintenance.

Unlike permanent errors (e.g., a 404 Not Found), a 503 message means that the issue is temporary, and the server should be able to load that content or process the request again soon.

However, you will need to reload that page or run that web application action again.

How Does a 503 Error Look?

When users encounter this error, the browser often displays a message such as:

• “503 Service Unavailable”
• “HTTP Error 503”
• “The server is temporarily unable to service your request.”

These 503 unavailable error messages can vary slightly depending on the browser or server configuration, but they all communicate the same underlying issue.

What Causes a 503 Service Unavailable Status Code?

Although there are occasional false positives, too many incoming requests are one of the main causes of a 503 status code error.

However, there are several issues that can cause a server to return an error.

1. Server Overload: This is typically caused by high traffic volumes that overwhelm the server, especially if it lacks adequate resources like CPU, RAM, or bandwidth. However, poorly optimized applications or plugins can also put a heavy load on the server.
2. Maintenance Downtime: Scheduled server maintenance is another common cause that results in the site being temporarily unavailable. Some servers use a “503 error” to signal that maintenance is underway.
3. Application Crashes: Bugs, software conflicts, or misconfigurations in the website’s code can cause backend processes to fail. Outdated CMS or plugins may contribute to crashes.
4. Resource Limits: Some hosting plans, such as shared hosting packages, may only offer limited resources. As a result, your site can reach its limit, causing the server to temporarily stop responding. Unless you upgrade, repeated 503 status codes can result in a poor user experience.
5. Backend Failures: Issues with third-party services, databases, or APIs that the website relies on can trigger a 503 error.
6. Firewall or Security Rules: Some security configurations can mistakenly block legitimate traffic, resulting in a 503 response status code. Check your settings and look for recent security patches.

How to Fix a 503 Error

For Website Visitors:

1. Refresh the Page: Wait between a few seconds and a few minutes and try refreshing the page. Temporary server issues may resolve themselves quickly.
2. Clear Browser Cache: Clear your browser’s cache and cookies to eliminate potential local caching issues.
3. Contact the Website Administrator: If the error persists, reach out to the site owner or support team to report the issue.

For Website Owners and Developers:

1. Check for Maintenance Mode: Confirm whether the server or application is undergoing scheduled maintenance. If maintenance is unplanned, communicate with your hosting provider or IT team for updates.
2. Review Server Logs: Examine server error logs to pinpoint the issue. Most hosting platforms, including A2 Hosting, provide easy access to logs via control panels.
3. Restart Services: Restart your web server, database, or application processes to clear any stuck or hanging services.
4. Increase Server Resources: Upgrade your hosting package if you frequently experience high traffic or resource limitations. A2 Hosting offers scalable hosting solutions, from shared hosting to VPS and dedicated servers, to ensure your site can handle increasing demands.
5. Check Dependencies: Ensure all backend services like databases and APIs are available and functioning properly.
6. Disable Problematic Plugins or Scripts: Deactivate recently added or updated plugins or scripts to figure out if the recent updates caused the issue.
7. Optimize Your Site or Application: Add site caching, use a content delivery network, optimize database queries, and reduce large file sizes to reduce server load.

How to Prevent 503 Errors

As a website owner or developer, there are several steps you can take to prevent unavailable errors. Here are the most common solutions:

1. Use Scalable Hosting: Opt for a hosting solution that can scale with your traffic and resource needs. A2 Hosting offers high-performance plans designed to handle fluctuating traffic demands.
2. Set Up Monitoring Tools: Implement server monitoring tools to track performance, uptime, and resource usage. Early alerts can help you address issues before they escalate.
3. Optimize Code and Content: Regularly audit your website for unnecessary scripts, large media files, and inefficient database queries.
4. Use Load Balancers: Distribute traffic across multiple servers using load balancers to prevent overload on a single server.
5. Schedule Regular Maintenance: Keep your website software, plugins, and server systems up to date to avoid compatibility issues and vulnerabilities.
6. Add a Caching Solution: Use caching mechanisms (e.g., LiteSpeed Cache or a CDN) to reduce the load on your server by serving static versions of your site to users.

How A2 Hosting Helps Prevent 503 Errors

A2 Hosting understands that errors, including the 503 Service Unavailable error, are not only frustrating but can impact your organization or business. That’s why we provide:

• Scalable Hosting Solutions: Whether you’re on a shared plan or need the power of a VPS or dedicated server, A2 Hosting can grow with your needs.
• High Performance: We use premium hardware for the best hosting experience. For up to 20X faster page load speeds, consider our Turbo Hosting to prevent 503 status errors and keep your website loading even under heavy traffic.
• 24/7/365 In-House Support: Our expert Guru Crew support team is available around the clock to help you troubleshoot and resolve server errors.
• Developer-Friendly Tools: Gain access to robust tools and resources like SSH access, staging environments, and server monitoring.

If you have questions about our services or how to choose the right hosting solution for your needs, contact our in-house Guru Crew support team.

If you’re struggling with recurring 503 errors, A2 Hosting is here to help. From premium hardware to ultra-reliable server uptime, we have a plan to fit any need. Explore our hosting plans today to experience dependable, high-performance web hosting.

The post What Is a 503 Error? What Causes and How to Fix a 503 Service Unavailable Error appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Whether you are surfing the web and are getting a 401 or are a site owner or developer trying to diagnose a server issue, we explain what a 401 error means, why it happens, and how to troubleshoot it effectively.

What Is a 401 Error?

A 401 Error indicates that access to the requested resource is restricted and requires proper authentication.

You can think of a 401 status as trying to go to a members-only wholesale club without a membership. You can see the store but you cannot get inside.

In the case of a website, your web browser or the application attempting to access the resource does not have valid authentication credentials – a valid membership like a username and password, API key, or access token – to get inside.

This error is part of the 4xx class of HTTP status codes, which represent client-side issues. While it’s often caused by missing or invalid authentication, it could also indicate a permissions problem or misconfiguration on the server.

How Does a 401 Error Look?

A 401 error can appear in various formats depending on the application or browser, but common messages include:

• “401 Unauthorized”
• “Authorization required”
• “Access denied”

What Causes a 401 Unauthorized Status Code?

Several issues can trigger a 401 error. Here are the most common scenarios:

1. No Authentication Provided: The user or application did not include the required credentials in the request.
2. Invalid Credentials: The credentials (e.g., username and password) submitted are incorrect.
3. Session Expired: The user’s authentication session has timed out, requiring re-authentication.
4. Token Problems (APIs): For APIs, the access token might be missing, invalid, or expired.
5. Insufficient Permissions: Even with authentication, the user might lack the necessary permissions to access the resource.
6. Server Misconfiguration: Security settings or misconfigured authentication rules on the server could incorrectly block access.

401 Error vs. 403 Error: What’s the Difference?

A 401 Error and a 403 Error are both HTTP status codes from the 4xx category, which represent client-side issues. However, they differ in their meanings and the situations that trigger them.

If you try to access a private webpage without logging in, the server responds with a 401 Unauthorized error and may prompt you to log in.

Whereas a 403 Forbidden error indicates that your request was understood and authenticated, but you do not have the necessary permissions to access that resource.

Common causes of a 403 Forbidden status include:

• The user’s account does not have the necessary permissions or roles.
• The resource is restricted to certain IP addresses or regions.
• Security settings, such as firewalls or access control lists, block the request.
• Directory or file permissions on the server prevent access.

Key Differences Between 401 and 403 Errors

How to Fix a 401 Error

For Website Visitors:

If you’re visiting a website and encounter a 401 error, try these steps:

1. Log In: Ensure you are logged into the website or application. Check if you missed a login prompt.
2. Verify Credentials: Double-check your username and password for accuracy.
3. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies: Corrupted session data may cause authentication issues.
4. Retry Authentication: Log out and log back in to refresh the session.
5. Contact Support: If you believe you should have access but still encounter issues, reach out to the website or application administrator.

For Website Owners or Developers:

If your users are encountering 401 errors, consider these steps to identify and fix the problem:

1. Check Authentication Headers: Ensure that the client sends the proper Authorization header.
   • For Basic Authentication: Authorization: Basic [Base64-encoded credentials]

   • For Bearer Tokens (OAuth): Authorization: Bearer [Token]
2. Verify User Permissions: Ensure the authenticated user has the necessary permissions to access the resource.
3. Debug Access Tokens (APIs): For API requests, confirm that the token is valid, not expired, and has the correct scopes.
4. Review Authentication Configuration: Check server-side configurations, such as .htaccess rules, API gateway settings, or firewall restrictions.
5. Monitor Server Logs: Review server logs for details about why authentication failed.
6. Fix Expired Sessions: Extend session timeouts or provide clear prompts for users to re-authenticate.

Preventing 401 Errors

Preventing a 401 Unauthorized Error involves ensuring that the authentication process is properly configured and functioning as expected.

By proactively managing authentication and access control, you can significantly reduce the occurrence of 401 errors and provide a smoother experience for users or clients accessing your resources.

Here are some key strategies for both website administrators and application developers to avoid this issue:

1. Implement Proper Authentication Mechanisms

• Use Secure Authentication Protocols: Employ secure methods like OAuth, OpenID Connect, or Basic Authentication for handling user credentials.
• Validate Credentials Correctly: Ensure that credentials (e.g., username, password, API tokens) are validated against your database or authentication server accurately.

2. Provide Clear Authentication Requirements

• Require Login: Clearly communicate which resources require authentication and direct users to the login page or authentication mechanism.
• Display Errors Clearly: Provide meaningful error messages to users, explaining why their request is denied and how to proceed.

3. Maintain Secure Token-Based Authentication

• Use Access Tokens: For APIs, use access tokens with proper scopes to define what resources a client can access.
• Refresh Tokens: Implement token expiration policies with a mechanism to refresh tokens without requiring re-authentication.
• Validate Tokens: Verify tokens on the server side to ensure they are valid, unexpired, and not tampered with.

4. Ensure Session Management Is Robust

• Set Session Timeouts: Implement reasonable session timeouts and notify users when their session expires.
• Handle Expired Sessions Gracefully: Redirect users to the login page or provide an option to renew their session without losing data.

5. Avoid Misconfigurations

• Check Authentication Headers: Ensure the client includes the correct Authorization header in API or HTTP requests.
• Verify Server Configurations: If using a web server like Apache or NGINX, ensure that .htaccess rules or server configurations are set up correctly.
• Secure Endpoints: Properly secure API endpoints and verify that the server is expecting authentication where needed.

6. Test Access Control Regularly

• Simulate Requests: Test requests with missing or invalid credentials to ensure that the server responds correctly.
• Use Automated Testing: Implement automated tests to validate that access control mechanisms are working as expected.

7. Educate Users

• Provide Clear Login Instructions: Guide users on how to log in or provide credentials for accessing restricted content.
• Notify About Expired Sessions: If a session expires, inform users and provide an easy way to log back in.

8. Secure API Key or Token Distribution

• Provide Secure Tokens: Generate secure API keys or tokens for clients and ensure they are distributed securely (e.g., over HTTPS).
• Avoid Hardcoding: Don’t hardcode credentials in your application’s source code.

9. Use Monitoring and Logs

• Monitor Authentication Attempts: Track login and authentication failures to detect patterns or frequent issues.
• Review Server Logs: Analyze logs for repeated 401 errors to identify potential causes, such as expired tokens or missing headers.

10. Ensure User Permissions Are Correct

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Implement RBAC to ensure users only access resources they are authorized for.
• Account Validation: Verify that users are active and authorized to access the requested resource.

Whether you need a basic website to promote your business or organization or a robust web application, A2 Hosting has affordable web hosting options to fit any need. Compare our hosting options to find the right fit for your website needs.

The post 401 Error Code: What Is a 401 Unauthorized Error and How to Resolve It? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

What Does 504 Gateway Timeout Mean?

A 504 Gateway Timeout error means that a server acting as a gateway or proxy did not receive a timely response from another server it needs to complete your request. Still confused? You’re probably not alone.

To really understand this error, let’s look at how the Internet works. Whenever you go to a website or click a link, you’re requesting data from a web server. This request is made using what is called the HTTP protocol, an agreed-upon standard for communication.

When the server processes your request, it returns a status code to explain what happened. The IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) classifies HTTP status codes into five classes:

• 1xx – Informational errors
• 2xx – Success
• 3xx – Redirection
• 4xx – Client error
• 5xx – Server error

5xx errors mean the web browser made a viable request, but the server hosting the website couldn’t complete it for some reason.

Specifically, a 504 gateway timeout status code means that an error prevented the server from completing your request in a reasonable amount of time.

What Causes a 504 Gateway Timeout?

A 504 Gateway Timeout occurs when a server acting as a gateway or proxy does not receive a timely response from an upstream server needed to complete your request. This issue is always on the server side and typically indicates that something went wrong during communication between servers. Here are some common causes:

1. Server Overload – When the server hosting the website is overwhelmed with too many requests or is experiencing high traffic, it may not be able to process requests in a timely manner, leading to a 504 error.
2. Timeout Settings – If the timeout settings on the server are too restrictive, the server may not wait long enough for a response from another server, causing the request to time out.
3. Server Maintenance or Downtime – If the upstream server is undergoing maintenance or is temporarily offline, it won’t respond to requests, resulting in a 504 error on the requesting server.
4. Network Connectivity Issues – Problems with network connectivity between the servers can cause delays in communication, leading to a timeout. This could be due to issues like poor routing, a broken connection, or problems with the internet service provider (ISP).
5. Firewall or Security Settings – Strict firewall settings or security configurations may block communication between servers, causing requests to fail and resulting in a 504 Gateway Timeout.
6. DNS Issues – A misconfigured or outdated DNS (Domain Name System) server can prevent proper routing of requests to the correct server, leading to a timeout error.
7. Proxy Server Issues – If your website relies on a proxy server, any issues with the proxy (such as it being down or misconfigured) can lead to a 504 error.
8. Slow Server Response – One of the servers might be running slow due to various reasons, such as resource constraints or inefficient code, causing it to take too long to respond to requests.
9. Inadequate Hosting Resources – If your hosting plan doesn’t provide sufficient resources (like CPU, RAM, or bandwidth), the server may struggle to handle requests efficiently, leading to timeouts.

Understanding these causes can help in diagnosing and fixing the 504 Gateway Timeout error effectively, whether by adjusting server settings, optimizing your hosting plan, or contacting your web host for assistance.

What is the Difference Between 502 and 504 Error Codes?

502 and 504 errors are very similar HTTP status codes that indicate server-side errors. However, they differ in their specific causes and implications.

• 502 Error – The issue lies in the response received from the upstream server—it’s either invalid or corrupt. They indicate a problem with the quality of the response. A 502 status code is caused by server misconfigurations, DNS issues, or proxy settings.
• 504 Error – The issue lies in the upstream server’s delay or failure to respond within a given time frame. A 504 status code indicates a problem with the timeliness of the response. They are caused by server overload, network connectivity problems, firewall issues, server downtime.

Understanding the difference between these two error status codes can help in troubleshooting and resolving issues more effectively.

How Does a 504 Error Impact My Website?

If you’ve ever encountered a 504 error, you know that the average person who comes across one isn’t going to wait around for it to be fixed.

In fact, according to Google Consumer Insights, 53% of users aren’t going to stick around if a website takes even more than three seconds to load!

Even if your visitors or customers weren’t turned off by a gateway timeout, search engines may be. If your 504 error isn’t fixed quickly, your SEO ranking could also take a hit!

It’s not worth the risk to your business, so it’s best to fix these as soon as possible and get your website back up and running in a timely manner.

How Do I Fix Error 504?

Knowing the risk to your small business, it’s understandable to want to fix this yourself. Even if you’re not a high-tech individual, there are a few things you can try to solve the situation.

• Refresh the Page – As simple as it sounds, refreshing the page may solve your issue.
• Check Error Logs – Sometimes, your website’s code can be corrupted by third-party plug-ins or software updates. Check your server logs to see if you can identify any clear causes for the error.
• Flush DNS – An outdated or corrupted DNS cache can also cause a 504 error. If this is the case, clearing the cache may solve the problem.
• Check Your CDN – If your website uses a Content Delivery Network (CDN), consider checking the configuration or performance. Sometimes, flushing the CDN cache or ensuring that the CDN servers are properly synced with your origin server can resolve a 504 Gateway Timeout error. If the problem persists, contacting your CDN provider for assistance may be necessary.”
• Check Other Browsers – If you’re getting a 504 error, you might find you’re only getting it on Chrome but not Mozilla or Safari. This can be a helpful lead in further sniffing out the root cause.
• Contact Your Web Host – If all else fails, you might be best off contacting your web host. Your web host may have a server down, and regardless of the reason, it’s likely they can clear the issue up in no time at all.

Seeing a 504 Gateway Timeout error can be frustrating, but understanding its causes and potential solutions can help you navigate this common issue.

Whether you’re a website visitor or a business owner, knowing how to troubleshoot a 504 error can save you time and ensure a smoother online experience. Remember, a 504 error is often temporary and can be resolved with simple troubleshooting steps or by contacting your web host.

Hero Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

The post 504 Error: What Does a 504 Gateway Timeout Mean? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Focus Area 1. Auditing Your Site

Creating a positive user experience for potential customers on your website
is important for any online business. Before you begin to change elements of your website, one of the first steps is to check out what you have so far in order to approach your redesign with a fully informed eye.

Investigate the Front End

First, investigate the front end of your website. Click through the different pages and elements of your site and see what pops out at you. Is there a block of text that can be written more concisely? Does your image in the top right not seem
to match as well with the rest of your content? Make a list of all the things that come to mind as you deep dive into the front-facing part of your site. Check out this blog that talks about how to perform a thorough content audit for your site if you’re looking for help making a start!

Investigate the Backend

Next, it’s time to investigate the backend of your website. The first question to ask yourself: how are you currently tracking metrics? Are you using tools like Google Analytics? If not, that’s the first place to start! Check out our blog that talks about how to integrate Google Analytics into your WordPress site.

If you’re already utilizing a tracking tool, there are a few important metrics you should look at:

What pages are most popular? This metric will help show you what is currently working well for your site.

What’s your average bounce rate? The overall goal is to avoid a high bounce rate. By looking at this statistic you can better understand if customers enter your site and immediately find what they’re looking for, or if they leave quickly to go look at another source.

What’s the most popular customer journey? Where are people dropping off and what pages are they navigating to most often? Depending on these answers, you can often tell how well your site’s UI/UX is working and whether there are places you need to edit and improve.

Some aspects that could affect this are page speed, appropriate content on each page, and how user-friendly your website truly is.

During this process, take notes on what you notice when looking at your tracking tools to help you decide what to focus on when you start your editing process.

Perform A/B Testing

Next, it may be smart to work in some A/B Testing. This is a great way to organically test whether some elements you noticed in your audit are legitimate issues or not. To perform an A/B test begin changing certain elements of your website like text size, colors, and images one at a time and see if each edit makes a difference in your conversions. By changing one element at a time, you will quickly know which elements are working and which aren’t.

Ask Your Audience What They Want

You have the best resource at your disposal: your existing customers! Set up a poll directly on your homepage or social media or even send an email or create a survey to obtain your customers’ opinion on aspects like fonts, navigation, and graphics.

See if they have any comments on how they think your site could flow better or be more appealing to a future audience!

Focus Area 2: Updating Your Look: Branding Guidelines

Now that you’ve done some research and you’ve armed yourself with areas to focus on, it’s time to start the actual editing process. The first aspect to consider is the aesthetics of your website. Having a tool like branding guidelines can establish consistency in your branding. Fonts and Sizing

First off, be intentional and strategic with your typography. Keep your font and sizing variations to a minimum. For font changes and sizing, less is more. Some strategic variations can look cool but use with discretion.

Images

An easy place to start is with obvious stock photos lurking around your website. Avoid staged pictures (i.e. portraits of individuals staring into the camera or fake group high fives). If you must use a stock photo, choose natural, realistic poses, creative camera angles, and lighting. Choose photos that align with your brand. Want to layer text over your photos? Make sure the text stands out. Here’s a guide on how to create custom graphics for your site if you decide you’re feeling creative and want to experiment with your own!

Colors

The colors displayed on your website are also important. By using colors strategically you can help guide your customers through your website, carefully choosing where their eyes go to first and the pattern of things they notice as they scan your various pages. Certain colors have certain meanings to users and there is an entire color language called Pantone. Here are some examples:

• Red: passion, anger, love, confidence
• Orange: youthfulness, cheer, warmth, hunger
• Yellow: sunshine, happiness, energy, optimism
• Green: nature, fertility, balance, cleanliness
• Blue: water, tranquility, trust, power • Purple: nobility, power, elegance,
• wisdom
• White: peace, balance, purity, simplicity, winter
• Gray: neutral, sophistication, balance, wisdom
• Black: exclusivity, modern, power, sophistication, mystery
• Brown: earth, stability, tradition, nature
• Pink: love, romance, femininity, baby girls, humanistic
• Turquoise: tranquility, clarity, compassion, healing

Logo Usage

Your logo is you. Give it top billing! Logos set the tone, value, aesthetic, and recognition of your brand. You want it to be remembered! Many companies choose to display their logo in the upper left corner of their website.

WordPress Themes

Using an updated WordPress theme is an essential part of any WordPress website. WordPress themes can even impact the loading times of your whole site. Browse the many free themes available to you in case you decide your site needs a complete refresh.

Focus Area 3: Enhancing Your Website User Experience

At the end of the day, how your users interact with your website can be the difference between a conversion and a missed opportunity. The user interface and user experience, better known as UI/UX, is an important thing to consider when committing to redesigning and refreshing your online presence! Below are some ways you can make sure yours is working in your favor rather than against you.

Simplicity/Spacing

Using white space, also called negative space, can help you bring attention to details of your site that are most important. Spacing around titles can even improve your customers’ experience by 20%. More white space helps separate sections and guides your customers’ eyes down the page. Less white space can indicate that elements of your site are supposed
to go together. Through the yin and yang of content and spacing you can control how your user experiences every part of your page.

Website Navigation and Menu

Another important element of website design is your navigational system. The most important thing to remember when building your website’s navigation is that your users need to be able to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. Make sure your search tools stand out (normally located in the upper right corner) and that your colors are working together for readability.

Your menu should be located at the top of the page and should have no more than seven items (not including dropdowns). There should be ample space in between menu sections for aesthetic reasons. It can be helpful to use a fixed navigation bar as well so if your customers want to move to another section of the site they don’t have to scroll all the way back to the top of the page. A good rule of thumb for your overall design is that users should be able to access any point in three clicks or less. This ensures both efficiency and lack of confusion.

Mobile Responsive and Optimization

In 2021 it’s important your website is both mobile-friendly and responsive.
On average, 80% of users are searching on their smartphones so speed is vital. Though WordPress automatically makes sure your page is responsive (scales up and down with screen size changes and various browsers) it can be helpful to place buttons in the middle of your page for optimum mobile use. It’s also important to ensure a similar experience on both mobile and desktop viewing. This will help with consistency and return customers.

Hosting Choice

53% of people will navigate away from a page that takes more than
3 seconds to load. This means who you choose to host your website will have a major impact not only on your speed, but also on your website storage, uptime, and responsiveness to any future problems. That’s why we recommend going with A2 Hosting. Not only do we have a 99.9% uptime guarantee but our Turbo plans can increase your load times by 20x! This will improve your bounce rates, SEO scores, and conversions.

Speed

Explore these steps for a faster user experience with your chosen host:

• Optimize images
  Reduce plugins
  Clean up your themes
• Use a CDN
• Check as you grow to make sure you don’t need more resources (VPS Hosting can help!)

Selling Yourself and Your Website

Now that you have cleaned up the look and feel of your website and optimized your site for speed, it’s important to make sure you’re selling yourself and converting your customers! Below are helpful considerations.

Blog Posts and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Today, the way to win the web is through quality content and proper SEO procedures. Good blog posts keep your customers engaged and eager for more content. To achieve this, a solid SEO foundation is necessary. Start by targeting keywords to move your site up the ranks on Google searches. You want to generate as much traffic as you can and build credibility within your chosen industry. Check out our guide to SEO-Friendly blog formatting to see what you can do to improve your next post! Plus check out these three SEO mistakes to avoid.

Social Sharing

At the end of each blog post (and preferably at the bottom of your website), there should be links for social sharing. This will allow your followers to share your valuable content on different social media platforms. This is critical to help you build your following and to create an easy way for people to find your site.

Social Proof

You should also have areas of social proof somewhere on your website. This can be anything from written reviews to videos of customer feedback. These areas of true customer engagement lend your brand and your site credibility. They help potential customers trust that you will do what you say you do based on the positive feedback of others. We recommend you try and implement videos because these are a great way to keep your customers engaged with your website and fortify/strengthen human connection.

Calls to Actions

Finally, calls to action are where you close the deal and help your website convert potential customers into customers for life. Make sure they are

strategically placed in places like the top of your navigation, below sections that specifically require action, and at the bottom of the web page. They can be in banners, buttons, or whatever form you like the most! Some good examples include:

• Sign up for our email list!
• Shop in our store!
• Fill out your own lead form.
• Click for more info.
• See pricing.

Conclusion

Refreshing your website can be a long process, but we hope with the help of this guide it’s both easy and successful. Make sure to check out A2 Hosting for great hosting plans for your website and subscribe to our newsletter for future helpful content.

The post Three Areas to Focus on to Ensure Website Redesign Success appeared first on The A2 Posting.

With our LiteSpeed Hosting solution, you address speed issues with a blazing-fast platform.  Read on to discover how it can help you build a site fit for the modern consumer.

What Is LiteSpeed?

LiteSpeed — a drop-in, speed-enhanced web server — is available with our Turbo packages. With LiteSpeed, our clients experience 20X faster page loads compared to traditional solutions. If you’re serious about boosting your site’s performance, you should make the switch to LiteSpeed.  Here’s why:

High-Performance

A slow website impacts your bounce rates, SEO rankings, and bottom line. With Litespeed, we take care of your site’s performance so you can focus on other high-value activities. Here’s what we can guarantee with our solutions:

• 40% faster CPU performance
• 2X faster to first byte
• 9X more traffic capacity
• 3X faster read/write speeds

Free Site Transfer

Are you ready to experience A2 Hosting but fear migrating to our servers on your own? Don’t worry; in most cases, we can move sites for free. Call our 24/7/365 Guru Crew Support for more information about our free site transfer.

With our worry-free migration services, you can eliminate all speed optimization barriers.

Developer Friendly

We’ve been serving various website needs since 2003, and we’ve always enabled our clients to enjoy the most popular development software. We support older versions, too! Here is some of the development software we can link to your account:

• PHP 5.6, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, or 8.0
• MySQL
• 6/MariaDB
• PostgreSQL 9.6
• Python 3.4
• PERL 5.10
• Apache 2.4
• js 12
• FTP/SFTP
• Free SSH Access
• SSL & Free SSL

Perpetual Security

Recent cyber security statistics reveal that hackers attack 30,000 sites across the globe every day. With our Perpetual Security feature, we prevent our clients from falling victim to such attempts. A2 Hosting accounts come with free HackScan Protection to block malware before they can do any damage. Also, our reinforced distributed denial of service (DDoS) Protection boosts the likelihood of remaining online even after attacks.

Benefits of Turbo Plans

At A2 Hosting, our goal is to provide our clients with the best web hosting solutions that are both ultra-fast and reliable, like our Turbo plans. These are the options we offer for such services:

• 40% faster CPU performance
• 2x faster to first byte
• Can handle 9x more traffic
• Improved user experience with fast page loads
• Better SEO rankings

Built for Speed

Below are some components that make our turbo plans super fast, apart from LiteSpeed Hosting:

• Non-volatile memory express (NVMe): Through this component, we offer 3X faster read/write speeds.
• HTTP/3: This feature is the new gold standard in providing faster and more reliable connections for sites and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
• Edge Side Includes (ESI): With ESI, you don’t have to designate entire pages as non-cacheable. Instead, you can determine which portions can be cached and those that cannot.
• Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC): This element is an ideal alternative to transmission control protocol (TCP). QUIC creates multiplexed connections between computers, which further enhances your website’s speed.

Advanced Caching Software

Every time someone visits your site, your server has to run a request to convert all information pieces to viewable parts in a web browser. This process sometimes causes sites to run slowly, but it doesn’t have to.

This process doesn’t vary much from visitor to visitor, making caching essential. Turning on your cache stores your files within a much faster random-access memory (RAM). When caching software, your site won’t have to run complicated processes. Instead, your server stores HTML files for a fast load speed.

Upgraded Server Hardware

At some point in your company’s life, peer-to-peer networking becomes insufficient. As you grow, your user demands will exceed the capacities of routers and shared storage devices. For this reason, upgraded server hardware can do wonders for your business.

With a trusty server on your side, you can manage email campaigns for more people, grant access to multiple users, and manage shared resources in the workplace.

Optimized Configurations

Our experts know our hosting infrastructure inside and out, making it easy to optimize our solutions for various sites. Whether you have a CSS, JS, or HTML site, we have the right hosting infrastructure to meet your needs.

With our optimized configurations, you can enjoy faster load times while reducing overall page size. We can help you save up to 80% bandwidth and boost your site’s performance tenfold.

The A2 Hosting Edge

A2 Hosting is nothing like your typical hosting company. We designed our Turbo plans for super speed, limited occupancy, and various performance add-ons to provide clients with the fastest web hosting services available anywhere.

With our solutions on your side, you can boost your user experience and conversion rates. Read on for more reasons to switch to A2 Hosting.

Super Speed

Fast web hosting servers allow you to customize your website in a way that addresses your unique requirements. These services are essential to thrive in the modern world.

Fast hosting leads to a quick load time — a crucial SEO component that encourages clients to hang around. Additionally, a fast website equates to better security and more revenue. If your slow internet is driving away clients, It’s time to say goodbye to mediocre hosting.

Guru Crew Support

With A2 Hosting, our exceptional services don’t end when you sign up with us. Our 24/7/365 Guru Crew Support proves it.

When you manage a company, you typically observe normal business hours. However, overseeing a website is a different story.

Websites require 24/7 support because anyone can access the internet from anywhere in the world. Any time of the day, you have visitors reading your content or making purchases. Every time you experience technical difficulties, you can lose traffic and credibility.

Whether you experience a breakdown or network outage, our support team will be there for you 24/7/365.

Money-Back Guarantee

We believe in all our groundbreaking solutions, inspiring us to offer a money-back guarantee. There’s nothing to lose but everything to gain from our offer, so why not give it a shot?

We don’t think you’ll cancel because we offer up to 20X faster web hosting to help you thrive in the modern world! However, if you do, we’ll give you a hassle-free refund. We hate breakups as much as the next person, but we won’t hold it against you.

99.9% Uptime Commitment

Uptime refers to a measure of system reliability expressed as a percentage of time a machine has been available. When hosting providers boast impressive uptime rates, it’s a good indication of high-performance servers. Our 24/7/365 support staff will get your site running in no time.

Upgrade Your Website Now

In today’s modern world, your website speed can make or break your online presence. A fast load time can boost your SEO, conversion, and sales efforts. Whether you need shared web or managed dedicated services, there’s an ideal Turbo Hosting for your needs. With its LiteSpeed Hosting feature, you never have to lose an online client again because of a slow website.

Contact our sales team today to discover how working with us can transform your business.  We’d love to help you achieve your 2022 business goals.

The post What is LiteSpeed? The Ultra-Fast Web Server You Should Know About appeared first on The A2 Posting.

What Is Managed WordPress?

WordPress is an open-source platform dedicated to helping people get online. A2’s Managed WordPress plans are a cheaper way to get access to a high-quality WordPress site with amazing server management without the price tag. The best part about starting a site on WordPress is that it’s extremely customizable and can be used for many different functions through the implementation of different plugins, themes, and code changes. Users can install plugins like WooCommerce to create an eCommerce store similar to what can be created on Shopify. WordPress caters to a large range of potential users including:

• Web Design Novices
• Users with some web development skills
• Users with the budget for their own web developer

What Is Shopify?

Shopify is a SaaS company specializing in eCommerce and specifically built to help entrepreneurs establish online stores. Entrepreneurs that work with Shopify don’t own their own software but they do pay a monthly fee to access all that this company has to offer. Their product packages come with a variety of different drag and drop templates. All sites associated with Shopify are hosted on Shopify’s own servers (equivalent to a shared web hosting plan).

Shopify vs WordPress: How Do they Compare?

Pricing

There’s a pretty big jump in the pricing when comparing A2’s Managed WordPress Plans to Shopify’s offerings.

A2’s Managed WordPress comes with a significantly lower price tag and with the added bonus of server management and support around the clock. A2 also includes multiple sites on the higher-level plans and added security. All plans come with a free SSL for added security and 24/7/365 assistance through phone, chat, and email!

Shopify’s pricing is a bit steeper than A2 Hosting’s Managed WordPress offerings. The most basic Shopify plans start at $29.99 a month. Their lower plans would work for someone just starting out but don’t include many necessary business options for professionals who are trying to grow quickly. For example, the lowest Shopify plan doesn’t include professional reports so users interested in any deeper statistical tracking would need to upgrade. This means that in order to truly take advantage of what Shopify has to offer users would need to buy one of the more expensive plans paying more than double the price of A2 Hosting’s most extensive managed WordPress plan!

Look and Feel: Templates and Themes

Templates and themes are lifesavers when you’re creating the look and feel of your website. Though both WordPress and Shopify offer these options, the variety and prices differ depending on which platform you choose:

WordPress has thousands of paid and free themes. Many of them are very easy to edit and are mobile-friendly and responsive. They can be found at sites like Theme Isle or Theme Forest. When looking at the different themes out there, make sure you pick a safe theme for your site. Here’s a guide on how to pick the right WooCommerce theme for your online store.

Shopify has 9 free themes and 70 paid themes. You can also get a specialized theme designed through their Shopify designers for an added cost. While their themes are professional they are much more limited than what you can get through WordPress.

Content Management

When looking at the CMS capabilities for each of these platforms there really is no comparison.

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems online. It has content versioning which allows you to save all versions of your pages and posts in one system and revert back to old versions of your site if need be. WordPress also comes with a block-based editing system giving you more flexibility on page layout.

When comparing content management, Shopify only competes with WordPress in its capabilities for managing products and collections. Since Shopify is a dedicated eCommerce company they’ve made it easy to add products and sort them together. For WordPress users looking for this same capability, it’s as easy as installing the WooCommerce plugin which will allow you these same features and turn your site into an organized eCommerce site!

Flexibility

Seeing as WordPress is so large in the market and is widely used across the web, this CMS is one of the most flexible out there. You have the option to use thousands of plugins, templates, and integrations that will make your WordPress function however works best for you.  Since it is an open-source platform and you have control of your own host (we recommend A2 Hosting’s Managed WordPress plans) you can tailor your site in almost any way you can imagine to fit your needs! Pick from thousands of amazing themes and plugins to make your site completely your own and have the option to add almost any capabilities you can think of right at your fingertips.

Shopify is a great site builder for beginners but it isn’t as flexible long-term if your company is looking to scale and grow quickly. Their drag and drop builder is easy to use and customize but it’s limited in its capacity to scale up dramatically without ratcheting up the price tag quite drastically. Though Shopify does have third-party apps that make it easier to add functionality to your online store, the support on these tools can become more complicated as you partner up with separate businesses’ support systems for each tool rather than just working with one party.

SEO and Content

SEO and relevant content are an important part of the success of your website. One of the greatest parts about improving SEO when working in WordPress is their plugin YoastSEO. It’s one of the most popular SEO tools in the market! It analyzes content in real-time and guides users on different ways to improve their SEO ranking. Some of its best features include:

• SEO enhanced sitemaps
• Canonical URL’s that make sure there’s no duplicate content
• Analyzation of paragraph structure and keyword density
• Guiding for meta descriptions
• Link support and more!

Another perk of working on WordPress in relation to SEO is your chance to choose your internet host. Your hosting company and the plan you choose have a big impact on your website’s potential uptime, how it handles traffic, and its overall ranking on google. Managed WordPress Hosting with A2 Hosting is a great choice if you’re looking for someone to take care of your server management so you can focus on your business!

Managing SEO for websites set up on Shopify is a little more limited. Their site comes with the option to use an SSL and automatically creates an XML Site Map. You can configure 301 page directs if you decide to change your website’s name, which can be very helpful if you ever want to make big business changes or rebrand down the line. One of the downsides to SEO for websites built on Shopify is that it’s hard to create clean URLs. While Shopify has different SEO plugins available to help you nothing compares to WordPress’ YoastSEO.

Customer Support

At the end of the day, people don’t prioritize customer support until a crisis arises, and then it’s everything. It’s always good to know you have support there when you need them.

Managed WordPress with A2 Hosting is known for its support. With 24/7/365 customer service for all customers over the phone, chat, and email, there is always an expert there to assist. Please we have an extensive knowledge base of articles there to help you if you’re the do-it-yourself type of person. Our plans also come with easy backups, a free Jetpack Personal license, and WP-CLI pre-installed. Contact our sales team today with any questions!

Shopify Lite customers receive chat and email support but to get phone support you must be on a higher plan. They also have a help center and a forum, but there’s nothing like talking to a real person to help you get your problems solved quickly and accurately.

In Conclusion

Both Shopify and A2’s Managed WordPress plans have their benefits. If you’re just getting started and looking for a super simple experience without the bells and whistles, Shopify may work for you. If you’re looking to grow your website internationally with many different options and capabilities we suggest our Managed WordPress plans. It’s as easy as picking a theme and downloading WooCommerce so you can get your business up and running today!  If you want 24/7 support, flexibility, a cheaper price tag, and incredible uptime, check out our new Managed WordPress line today!

The post Shopify vs WordPress: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

A recent Microsoft study shows that a whopping 90% of Americans consider customer service a crucial deciding factor in choosing a brand. Let’s face it: no one wants to do business with companies that treat customers poorly. Read on for six hacks to boost your customer service and support online for the holidays!

1.   Analyze Previous Data

One of the best ways to plan for the holidays is to review previous data, such as customer interactions, pain points, and online customer service improvement opportunities.

Below are some components you can research.

• Holiday shopping incremental customer volume versus the rest of the year
• Common customer concerns and questions
• Customers’ preferred communication channels

Analyzing this data will help you come up with a strategy to better accommodate the increased traffic and questions that are sure to come with it. Then you can make a more informed strategy so your support team can go into the holiday rush with a plan.

2.   Prepare for the Holiday Traffic

Holiday shopping is supposed to be fun, but studies done by the American Psychological Association reveal it stresses out eight out of ten Americans. Any website component can chase customers away, including slow loading times, confusing navigation, and complex checkout processes.

Remember to assess integrations, restock inventories, and beef up security measures to elevate customer experiences during the holidays.

3.   Get Ready to Scale

No matter how much you prepare for the holidays, you always need a contingency plan to scale up or down as needed.

If you find your staff overwhelmed with inquiries, you can automate e-commerce support, add manpower hours, or outsource business components.

4.   Make Self-Service Easy

Before the holiday season arrives, make sure your processes make it easy for potential buyers to find what they need on their own. Here are some ways to guide holiday shoppers:

• Links to FAQs
• Video guides
• Relevant articles

From tracking pages to complex AI-powered e-commerce support, digital self-service is a cost-effective way to deliver quick results for customers. With the right tools on your side, you and your online customer service team can celebrate the holidays without affecting your operations.

5.   Surprise Fans with Shipping Options

Don’t limit all the holiday cheer to your e-commerce store. You can create a strategy to expand your channels, such as:

• Online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Wish
• Social media pages like Facebook and Instagram
• International platforms such as Mercado Libre

If you decide to open new revenue streams, connect your channels for seamless transactions. It’s best to use a unified system to provide clients with a holistic experience no matter which platform they choose.

6.   Develop Relevant Marketing Campaigns

From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, there are many opportunities to make customers feel the love during the holidays. Personalized holiday offers have many advantages, including:

• Attracting massive audiences.
• Converting random visitors into customers.
• Reactivating inactive clients.

The season provides online business owners with an opportunity to boost sales. According to MuchNeeded, holiday shopping accounts for 30% of all sales annually.

Elevate Your Customer Service

Your customer service and support online play a critical role in your holiday success. Whatever strategy you prefer, make sure your e-commerce platform can address consumer needs.

At A2 Hosting, we offer hosting solutions 20x faster than our competitors, boosting load speeds, SEO rankings, and sales. We’re here if you need a reliable partner in prepping your business for the holidays. Talk to our sales team today to learn how we can help you and your eCommerce website!

Related Resources:

• A2 Hosting’s Ultimate Guide to Getting Your eCommerce Website Holiday Ready
• A Developer’s Checklist for Getting Your Site Ready for the Holidays
• How Your eCommerce Business Can Nail Holiday Customer Service
• How to Handle Heavy Traffic to Your eCommerce Site During the Holiday Season

The post How Your eCommerce Business Can Nail Holiday Customer Service appeared first on The A2 Posting.

The holidays are fast approaching and many e-commerce retailers will be looking to increase sales. During this busy time, it’s easy to lose track of those potential clients who might have had additional questions and didn’t end up making a purchase.

However, a little extra time spent addressing those questions now can go a long way when it comes to building a relationship with your clients and having a repeat customer. Investing in interaction now with a potential client could lead to a fruitful relationship for you both in the future.

Here are a couple of fundamental tips to help reach those clients who aren’t yet comfortable making a purchase:

Adding a human element to a website can help potential clients feel more comfortable and be more willing to make a purchase. This provides a method of receiving expert advice about a particular product that’s being offered on the site. There are many options available to help discuss options with potential clients:

• Live chat is a popular solution as it allows real-time conversation and proactive chatting if desired by a prospective client.
• A separate telephone line for the business is another fantastic option. Of course, while the live formats are best, it may not always be possible to keep them active 24 hours a day.
  If a separate telephone line isn’t feasible for your business, then a simple contact form would also work.
• Ultimately, the idea is to have an open line of communication with your potential clients for further discussion.
• Once that line of communication is opened, then it’s time to start thinking about conversations with potential clients. When discussing options with clients, take the time to get to know them and their situation. The reasons they’re shopping with you will vary, and each individual interaction should be given the proper attention and assistance to help find the right solution. The goal here isn’t just to answer generic questions about a product or sell the most expensive option available. Instead, try to find out:
  • why the client is looking to make a purchase
  • if they have any particular pain points
  • what is the reason they’re interested in your product

By investing the time to properly understand the client, it’ll help set up future interactions and hopefully create a long-term relationship. In the days of internet selling and fast purchases, the human element can be the difference between a client purchasing from you or another retailer. While these tips may be simple, the fundamentals of human interaction can often have the largest impact.

Do you know what else has a big impact on conversions? Your website’s speed and uptime! Keep coming back to our blog this week to read advice from our A2 Hosting experts on how to get your site ready for Q4! We’re also running a sale on all of our A2 Turbo products so check out our website today for deals and discounts you don’t want to miss!

Related Resources:

• A2 Hosting’s Ultimate Guide to Getting Your eCommerce Website Holiday Ready
• A Developer’s Checklist for Getting Your Site Ready for the Holidays
• How Your eCommerce Business Can Nail Holiday Customer Service
• How to Handle Heavy Traffic to Your eCommerce Site During the Holiday Season

The post How to Increase eCommerce Conversions This Holiday Season appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Introduction to the Core Web Vitals

Google’s Core Web Vitals initiative provides streamlined guidelines that aid in promoting a quality user experience on the World Wide Web. Wait, huh?

They are metrics measuring the overall perceived user experience based on interactions with your website. You will receive a score based on your page’s overall UX. This page experience score is an official Google ranking factor. The question is, will you be among the mighty or the fallen?

How can I find my site’s Core Web Vitals?

First, you will need to sign up your domain with Google Search Console. Once your domain is verified and you have an account, you can continue to the enhancements section.

So what are the Core Web Vitals?

A quick Google search will show you this image,

Google loves their acronyms (and their primary colors), but what exactly do these acronyms stand for?

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures perceived page load speed. Strive for <=2.5s.

What this means: This is the time from when the link is first clicked to when the main content is loaded and visible to the user on the screen.

Okay, but how is this any different from Time to First Byte? (TTFB) This measures the user’s experience and not simply the responsiveness of the web server.

How can I improve my site’s LCP?

• Upgrade your server. Not a member with A2 Hosting or already a member and interested in upgrading? Let us help you.
  • Our Turbo servers use a drop-in Apache replacement called Litespeed, but are also built with NVMe storage, and the AMD EPYC processors making these the perfect upgrade for sites in need of additional power.

• Consider a Content Delivery Network (CDN). Since your content is hosted on a single server, users farther from this server will have slower load times. A CDN will provide a link to both your server and any faraway users. Our servers are CloudFlare compatible so you can easily set this up.

• Compress images. In many cases, images are the largest element on a page. Improving the load and render time for these images has a direct impact on improving your LCP score.

For more suggestions, Google has a guide on optimizing LCP. Here are 3 platforms we recommend for measuring your website’s performance.

First Input Delay (FID) measures load responsiveness and interactivity. Strive for <=100ms.

What this means: This is the time from when a user first interacts with the site to the time it takes for a browser to respond.

What are some examples of these interactions?

• Clicking a link
• Tapping on a button
• Choosing an option from the dropdown menu

I get it but how is this different from page-load speed? FID does not simply measure load responsiveness, it measures the time it takes for users to interact with a page.

How can I improve my site’s FID?

• Reduce Javascript Execution. Optimize how JavaScript functions on your website.

• Use a web worker. 
• Use a browser cache like Litespeed. Our Turbo servers include Litespeed, the fastest caching agent you can find.

Read Google’s full guide on optimizing your FID. Here are 3 platforms we recommend for measuring your website’s performance.

Source.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual elements and overall design stability. Strive for <=0.1s.

What this means: The elements on your page are stable as the page loads.

Users don’t want to play a game of “Link Tetris” where elements of your page are constantly moving around as it loads. Users want stability and reliability.

How can I improve my site’s CLS?

• Include width and height size attributes to images and video elements. This guarantees image stability as the image is loading on the page.

• • Reduce ad shift. Strategically place, reserve static space, and include set dimensions for advertisements.
• Avoid inserting new content above existing content. The user remembers your site layout a certain way. Be careful with dynamic content or else your user will be left confused and frustrated.

Read Google’s full guide on optimizing your CLS. Here are 3 platforms we recommend for measuring your website’s performance.

How can I measure my Core Vitals?

Google offers a myriad of tools for measuring these elements. These tools include:

• Lighthouse 
• PageSpeed Insights
• Chrome DevTools
• Search Console
• Web.dev’s measure tool
• Web Vitals Chrome extension
• Chrome UX Report API

What other web vitals are there?

Is my website mobile-friendly?

Your site should be fully optimized for a mobile device with responsive themes, larger font sizes, and an accessible site navigator, among other practices.

Check if your site is mobile-friendly here.

Does my site allow for safe browsing?

Your site should be free of malware, other harmful content, and deceptive downloads.

We’ve partnered with Sucuri services to provide superior website monitoring, firewall protection, and enhanced malware scanning services.

Is my connection safe with HTTPS?

The connection to your website needs to be secure. To achieve this, you will need to add an SSL certificate.

Not sure if you have an SSL certificate? The method of finding out will depend on your browser, either:

• Look for https:// in your address bar. If it says http:// then your URL is unencrypted.

OR

• Look for a closed padlock icon at the beginning of your address bar. If it isn’t present, your browser may say “Not Secure.”

An example of a site with a secure connection and encrypted data.

Beware of hackers! An example of a site with an insecure connection and unencrypted data.

Is my site free of intrusive interstitials?

Your site should be free of extraneous content and unnecessary pop-ups covering the majority of a webpage.

Hopefully, by now you feel educated on Google’s Core Web Vitals.

And now your homework for this week:

1. Test each of the Core Web Vitals.
2. Make sure your site mobile is friendly.
3. Add safe browsing-friendly services like Sucuri.
4. Get yourself an SSL certificate.
5. Just say no to those intrusive, pestering interstitials!

If you’re still a bit confused on how Google Core Vitals impact your website or you’d like to purchase an additional search signal-friendly service, please contact our sales team today.

The post Google’s Core Web Vitals Is Updating and So Should You: A Guide to Optimizing your Site’s UX appeared first on The A2 Posting.

How to Add a Logo to WordPress Login Page

We’ve created a step by step guide teaching you how to add your company logo to this page in order to start your brand recognition early!

There are a number of ways, you can add a logo such as:

• A custom 3rd party theme
• 3rd party plugin
• With the help of simple code snippet

Today, we will focus on the code snippet so you don’t have to install any 3rd party themes or plugins. If you are interested on more in-depth information on how to install a custom logo onto your WordPress site rather than your login page, please click here.

Set Yourself Up for Success:

1. First, connect to your WordPress FTP or login to your cPanel.
2. Locate your theme folder (in this example, we will use “twentysixteen” theme).
3. From here, navigate to wp-content/themes/your-theme-name folder.
4. Create a folder “assets” and upload your logo image file

These first steps make sure your logo image is uploaded into the right place before you try and put it on your login page.

Begin Placing Your Logo:

• To begin, log in to WordPress as the administrator.
• Then go to your dashboard.

• Follow this path: Click on Dashboard ->  Appearance -> Editor

• Once you have reached the editor page, look at the right column where you see the “Theme Files”.
• Under theme files, you will see a list of all the files related to your theme. In this example, we are using “Twenty Sixteen” theme.
• Find the file “functions.php”
• Click on Edit to make changes in the file.
• Add this code snippet at the bottom:

function add_logo_to_login() {
    echo '<style type="text/css">
        h1 a { background-image:url('.get_bloginfo('template_directory').'/assets/images/logo.jpg) !important; width:300px !important;}
    </style>';
}
add_action('login_head', 'add_logo_to_login');

In the above code snippet, “/assets/images/logo.jpg” is the location of the custom logo. This makes sure your logo, as well as the rest of your images, are stored in one folder and easy to access when needed

Now, here is what the login page looks like with our logo as an example:

Remember, it is never too early to make customer aware of your brand by editing and personalizing your WordPress site. If you are interested in further WordPress edits, like changing the language of your site or the date and time, we have step by step instructions on how to do that as well in our Knowledge Base. Click here if you are interested in fast and reliable WordPress hosting to further improve your website!

The post How to Add Your Logo to Your WordPress Login Page appeared first on The A2 Posting.