With so many provider plans to choose from, every website owner needs to understand they get on a shared hosting plan before making their decision. Don’t worry, though – we’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll explore the main features, advantages, and drawbacks of shared plans. We’ll also give you the scoop on shared hosting alternatives, so you can find the best fit for your online venture.

What is Shared Hosting?

Shared hosting is a web hosting service where multiple sites share the same physical server and its resources, such as CPU, RAM, and bandwidth. The most common type of web hosting, it allows individual users to start and maintain a website without the cost of paying for the upkeep of a full server.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Shared Web Hosting?

There are several benefits that make shared hosting an excellent choice for many websites. No hosting plan is 100% perfect of course. Here are the pros and cons to consider when looking at shared web hosting.

Pro: Cost-Effective

Shared hosting is one of the most cost-effective hosting options. Multiple websites share resources on the same server, making it much cheaper than dedicated or VPS hosting. It’s a cost-effective option for anyone just starting out.

Pro: Easy to Use

A further advantage of shared hosting is its user-friendliness. Many shared hosting providers offer intuitive control panels like cPanel, which make it easy to manage your website files and databases.

These control panels offer one-click installations for popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. This allows you to launch your website quickly and easily, even if you have limited technical knowledge.

Pro: Maintenance and Management

When you opt for shared hosting, you benefit from your provider’s expertise in server maintenance, security updates, and technical support.

It is your hosting provider’s responsibility to monitor for security threats, update software, and address technical issues. This allows you to focus on creating content, growing your business, and engaging with your audience, without worrying about the technical aspects.

Con: Less Control and Flexibility

One of the main drawbacks of shared hosting is the limited control and flexibility you have over server configurations and customizations.

The shared nature of the server can make performance optimization challenging and may prevent you from installing custom applications required for your website.

You still have complete control over your website, but you cannot make specific changes, like the specific version of PHP the server uses. This usually isn’t an issue for those just starting, but it can be a limitation as you grow.

Con: Limited Resources

With shared hosting, you’ll be sharing the same system resources like RAM and CPU with other websites on the same server.

Those resources are divided between users, so your website may load slower during high-traffic periods. Slow loading times can negatively affect your visitor’s experience and even your SEO rankings.

Hosting companies typically balance their shared servers by putting several low-traffic websites and only one or two moderate-traffic websites on the same system.

This usually prevents slowdowns due to traffic spikes, but the limited resources can still impact your page load speeds.

Con: Security Risks

Although rare, there is still an increased risk of malware and virus infections. Since your website shares the same server with others, a security breach in one site could potentially compromise the security of all websites, including yours.

Hosting providers have comprehensive security measures in place to limit these security risks. But it is something you should consider, especially if you collect personal information or store sensitive data on your website.

What to Look for When Choosing a Shared Hosting Plan

When shopping around for a hosting company, you should evaluate the following options before deciding.

Uptime

Uptime is the amount of time the server – and your website – are accessible on the Internet. Conversely, downtown is the time your website is not accessible from the Internet

Low or inconsistent uptime can negatively impact your website. Not only will your visitors have a hard time loading your site, but frequent stretches of downtime can cause your site to appear lower in search results.

A standard benchmark for most hosting providers is 99.9% uptime. Putting that in simple terms,  your website might not be available for roughly 45 minutes over the course of an entire month.

But even that much downtime is unlikely and it’s even more rare that that you would see even a few minutes of consecutive downtime. In most cases, the actual amount of downtime is almost unnoticeable.

However, you should always look for an uptime guarantee. It’s a trust signal that your host is committed to providing consistent, reliable service.

A2 Hosting offers a 99.9% uptime commitment to ensure your website is always accessible.

Customer Support

Customer support can significantly impact your overall hosting experience, especially when issues arise.

Obviously, your website not loading is a significant issue and most support teams can address and resolve those issues quickly.

But it’s more likely that you will have issues where your website loads, but not exactly how you want it to.

This is where a knowledgeable support team is important. They can help solve your problem so your website looks great and works for your visitors.

Look for a host that has great reviews specifically about their support team. They should also have a comprehensive knowledge base so you can troubleshoot minor issues on your own.

Our in-house Guru Crew customer support team are available 24/7/365 by phone, chat, ticketing system, and email to help resolve any issue. Plus, we have a robust knowledgebase with tips and how-tos on almost any topic.

Scalability

Scalability is key for allowing your website to adapt to changes in traffic or resource needs. A scalable hosting plan lets you grow without interruptions or complicated migrations.

Whether you need more system resources for better site performance or want to launch more websites, look for a host that allows you to easily upgrade your plan.

A2 Hosting offers several Web Hosting plans that allow you to balance your needs with the cost. If you need better performance, we have Turbo Hosting plans that are up to 20X faster.

For more control over your hosting environment, we also offer Virtual Private Server (VPS) and Dedicated Server plans.

You can quickly and easily upgrade your service anytime with virtually no downtime or interruptions in service.

Performance and Speed

When choosing a shared hosting plan, consider the hosting infrastructure, including server hardware, and whether they use SSD storage and caching tehcnology.

Factors greatly impact your site’s speed and performance and visitors are more likely to leave your site if the pages load too slowly.

Speed also affects SEO, as the average loading time for a first-page result on Google is 1.65 seconds—much faster than the overall average of 2.5 seconds.

A2 Hosting uses premium hardware like ultra-fast CPUs and SSD storage and includes LiteSpeed Web Servers with all hosting plans.

Choose a hosting provider like A2 Hosting, which offers fast and reliable services, including NVMe SSD storage and caching systems. NVMe SSDs are significantly faster than traditional SATA SSDs, using the PCIe interface for more bandwidth and lower latency. This translates into superior performance for your website.

Storage

Sometimes still called disk space, storage is another important thing to consider when choosing a web host. You want to look at the amount of space included as well as the type of storage.

Between 5 and 10 GB is usually plenty of storage space for even the most robust website or WordPress blog. You really only need unlimited storage if you are hosting extremely large files or have a huge database of information.

Perhaps more important than the amount, you also need to check what type of storage the host uses. Spinning disk-based hard drives (HDDs) are becoming obsolete in hosting because they are much slower than modern alternatives.

SSDs, or solid-state drives, offer faster read/write speeds, which means your website loads faster than traditional HDDs. If speed really matters, look for ultra-fast NVMe storage, that offers up to 3X faster read/write speeds.

Our Web Hosting plans start with 10 GB of storage, with many unlimited plans available. We use SSD storage for all files, databases, and software on our basic hosting tier. Our Turbo Hosting plans use NVMe storage for significantly fast page load speeds.

Transfer Limit and LVEs

Another thing to consider when choosing a host are transfer limits and LVEs.

Sometimes called bandwidth, the transfer limit is the maximum amount of data your website can use each month. While limits were common years ago, most hosts now offer unlimited transfers.

LVE (Lightweight Virtual Environment) allows services to isolate resources in shared web hosting. Not all hosts list their LVEs, so it’s important to read the specifications carefully.

A2 Hosting includes specs on our servers and our LVE limits in our web hosting comparisons for full transparency.

Security Features

Security should be a priority when picking a shared hosting plan. Look for features like malware scanning, DDoS protection, and firewalls. Not all hosting companies offer the same level of protection.

SSL certificates are another security feature to consider. Most hosts offer free Domain Verification certificates, but you may need to upgrade to another type of SSL for better protection and trust with your site visitors.

A2 Hosting provides comprehensive security protection and a free Domain Verification SSL certificate. If you need additional encryption, we offer all levels of SSLs as add-ons for all hosting plans.

Email Hosting

If you need email accounts for your website, check what the hosting plan includes.

Some plans include a fixed number of email addresses, while others include unlimited accounts.

Also look for specifics about features like webmail access, spam filters, and email forwarders.

A2 Hosting’s shared plans come with unlimited email accounts, allowing you to create as many addresses as you need for personal or business use.

You can log in to your accounts through webmail or use standard IMAP or POP3 to sync messages with popular email programs.

Value

Many hosting providers focus on the price of their plans, but you should consider the value of the features offered.

Consider how much you will pay for the resources, performance, and support you get. You should also take into account promotional pricing and renewal costs.

A2 Hosting offers a premium hosting experience at a highly competitive price point. All of our plans are built for speed, performance, and reliability.

How to Know When to Upgrade Your Hosting Plan

As your website grows and evolves, there may come a point when your shared hosting plan can no longer meet its demands. Here are some indicators that it might be time to consider an upgrade to VPS or dedicated hosting:

• Resource demands: The first sign it’s time to upgrade is you run out of resources. If your site regularly loads slowly, you need more system resources like CPU and RAM. Higher-tier plans offer dedicated resources that will significantly boost performance.
• Security concerns: If security is a primary concern, upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting can offer better isolation and control over security measures. With dedicated resources, you can implement advanced security protocols and have greater control over software updates and patches.
• Customization needs: If you need specific software configurations or administrative control, shared hosting can be too restrictive. VPS or dedicated hosting provides greater flexibility to install custom software, modify server settings, and tailor the environment to your unique requirements.
• High traffic: Shared plans are designed to handle a lot of traffic, but there may come a time when you have too many visitors. High traffic can create a poor user experience. Upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting can provide the necessary resources and performance to handle increased traffic.
• Business growth: As your business grows, your website may outgrow the limitations of shared hosting. Upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting can accommodate increased traffic and resource needs, and ensure your website can continue to scale and support your business’s growth.

Should you find yourself outgrowing your shared hosting plan, A2 Hosting offers expert migration assistance to help you transition to a VPS or dedicated hosting plan that better suits your needs.

If you are ready to get started with premium web hosting, A2 Hosting has affordable plans to fit your needs.

Explore our Shared Web Hosting plans now, starting as low as $1.95 per month with current incentives.

All our plans include premium hardware and enough resources to launch a successful website. If you need better performance, consider our Turbo Hosting options, with up to 40%faster CPUs and ultra-fast NVMe storage.

If you are not sure that shared web hosting is right for you, we also offer VPS and Dedicated Hosting at competitive prices.

The post What Are the Pros and Cons of Shared Hosting? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

So, how much does it cost to keep a website running? Well, at the very least, you have the cost of website hosting and domain name renewals. But unless you are doing all the updates yourself, you need to account for regular website maintenance costs.

When you think of website maintenance, you are probably thinking of updating plugins and software. But it also includes renewing domain names and SSL certificates and even creating more content to help your business grow. Here is everything you need to know about website maintenance costs and how much it could cost to keep your website running.

Does It Cost to Keep a Website Running?

With rare exceptions, every website has a monthly upkeep cost. Exactly how much does it cost to keep your website running? Well, it really depends on the type of website you have.

Website maintenance costs for basic brochure websites are extremely low. You basically have the cost of your website hosting and your domain name renewal. The total cost could easily range from $65 to $120 per year, depending on your needs. That’s roughly $5 to $10 a month.

But that doesn’t take into account the cost of premium plugins, eCommerce systems, email hosting, search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, content creation, and so much more. Not to mention regular website maintenance tasks like updating software and plugins.

The more tools, features, and support you need, the greater the cost of keeping your website running. As a small business, you might need to budget between $25 and $100 per month. Medium and larger businesses might cost upwards of $1,500 to $5,000 per month or more.

And a note about those rare exceptions. Yes, there are so-called free website options out there, but they usually come with significant limitations. They might work if you are setting up a personal site to share limited information with friends and family. However, they are not a reliable option for businesses.

What Is a Reasonable Budget for a Website?

There are a variety of different costs associated with keeping your website running. From hosting and domain renewals to site maintenance, plugins, themes, and content, you can spend anywhere from less than $15 a month for a personal or hobby website to well over $1,000 for an enterprise business site.

That said, most hobbiests, small businesses, and beginner eCommerce sites can expect to spend between $25 to $100 a month. Medium to large businesses can spend upwards of $500 a month and major eCommerce sites and large businesses will spend anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 or more.

But before you start worrying about your website budget, it’s important to review all the potential costs and determine which apply in your circumstances.

We have a detailed list of potential maintenance and recurring costs associated with websites below. They explain what the service includes, why it’s important, and what you can expect to pay for them.

Website Maintenance Costs to Include in Your Budget

To estimate the cost of upkeep on your website, you need to look at all the factors and evaluate your needs. Here are the most common ongoing website maintenance costs you may need to pay for:

Domain Name Renewal

The domain name is the URL or address that directs visitors to your website. The cost of a domain name ranges from $12 to $75 for the first year because of sales incentives. However, you can expect to pay between 50% and 80% more each year afterward.

The total cost also depends on the top-level domain (TLD) you choose. This is the domain extension after your unique name, for example, .com, .net, .io, or .shop. Certain TLDs are more expensive than others.

Domain name registration is one website maintenance cost you need to include in your budget. You don’t have a website without a domain name, so there is no getting around the cost.

While most website maintenance fees are monthly, you usually pay for domain names yearly. You can expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $250 a year for your domain registration renewal. The exact price depends on your TLD, the term of the renewal, and other add-ons like domain privacy.

Web Hosting

Like domain renewals, website hosting is another inescapable maintenance cost. While yearly rates are available, monthly hosting charges are more common.

The exact cost depends on your needs. Shared web hosting usually costs between $5 and $25 per month, while virtual private servers (VPS) and dedicated hosting start around $50 and go up from there.

Hosting costs include storage space for your website along with various tools and systems to easily build, maintain, and update your website. Plans vary by hosting company, so check what is included in your package.

The average maintenance cost for web hosting ranges from $5 a month for a basic plan to over $500 per month for a high-powered dedicated server plan.

Website Updates and Maintenace

Another cost factor to consider is regular website updates and maintenance. Even if don’t need to update any of the information on your website, you might still need site backups or updates.

Thankfully, updating your CMS, plugins, or theme is usually relatively easy for basic web hosting packages. However, some systems are more complex. If you are on unmanaged VSP or dedicated hosting plans, you are responsible for maintaining your own web server. And that can take some specialized skills.

Developers may charge flat fees or low hourly rates for basic hosting maintenance but expect to pay higher hourly rates for detailed server maintenance. Assuming you do yearly maintenance, costs can range from $50 or $100 to well into the thousands.

More frequent maintenance might be more affordable upfront, but you will ultimately pay more overtime. That said, some services may offer discounted rates or incentives to sign up for regular system maintenance packages.

SSL Certificate

Although not required, an SSL certificate is strongly recommended for both security and to improve your ranking in search engines. A secure sockets layer, SSL for short, is a digital security certificate that encrypts data transferred between your visitors and the web server.

Many hosting companies include basic Domain Validated (DV) SSL certificates with their hosting plans. However, this provides the lowest level of trust for your visitors.

Higher-level SSLs can increase trust with your customers, but they come with monthly or yearly maintenance fees. And, like domains, you have to renew them every year.

Depending on the type of SSL certificate you need, the average yearly maintenance cost is between $50 and $2,500 or more.

Content Management System or Website Builder

Content management systems (CMSs) and website builders are tools that make designing and updating a website easy. While they are very similar, CMSs usually offer more robust features and customizations than website builders.

Most hosting plans include a free website builder, and nearly all of the main CMSs, including the extremely popular WordPress CMS, are available for free. That said, some tools do cost extra.

Specialty and eCommerce CMSs, premium add-ons and packages, and certain tools have recurring monthly maintenance costs that increase the overall cost of your website.

Depending on your needs, basic tools start at a few dollars per month. However, enterprise solutions typically cost tens of thousands of dollars to set up and may include recurring monthly fees.

Plug-ins, Themes, and Extensions

The biggest benefit of using a CMS is that they are extremely customizable. Plug-ins, themes, and extensions make doing so many things easier- usually with very little technical know-how.

From image optimization to custom social widgets, there is usually a tool for everything. While some of them are free, the most helpful ones have a yearly cost or a monthly subscription fee.

Strictly speaking, you do not need any of these tools, but they can offer significant advantages. Costs vary widely from developer to developer.

You can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $100 or more per premium tool, so weigh their pros and cons before purchasing.

Email Hosting

Some website hosting plans include a few custom email addresses and a simple email tool for sending and receiving email messages. However, these are extremely basic accounts and tools that lack the features most businesses need.

Email hosting plans offer the tools, flexibility, and mailbox space that most organizations and businesses need. They offer the resources and credibility you need to stand out.

Depending on your needs, monthly email hosting costs range from as low as $3 per month. The cost of larger enterprise plans is usually based on the total number of users.

eCommerce Transaction Fees

If you are selling items on your website, you need to account for your eCommerce transaction fees in addition to the cost of hosting. These fees are usually based on a percentage of the sale plus a fixed transition cost.

It’s also important to note that these transaction fees are separate from the cost of eCommerce hosting. With eCommerce hosting, you are paying for specific website tools that allow you to operate your web storefront. These fees are for each individual sale.

The monthly cost of website maintenance for eCommerce transitions depends largely on how many items you sell. Most services charge around 5% of the item cost and a flat fee of 50¢ to $1 per transaction. While you should account for these fees when pricing your goods, be aware this can easily add hundreds or thousands to the cost of running your website every month.

Also, if you sell items on your website, you should consider an Organization Validated (OV) SSL certificate. Extended Validation (EV) certificates are recommended for larger eCommerce stores.

Content Creation and SEO

Another regular website maintenance cost you should consider is SEO strategy and content creation. To a certain extent, you might be able to create your own content for free. There are also plenty of free SEO resources available. However, not everyone has the time or skill to run an effective content marketing strategy.

Blog articles usually start at $25 to $50, while photo and video content can easily cost $50 to $100 or more. SEO and content strategy costs vary widely based on the scope of the project, the level of expertise, and other factors. However, you can easily spend $250 to $1,500 a month or more.

The total monthly website maintenance costs associated with content creation and SEO range from as low as $50 or $100 to well into the thousands.

What Website Maintenance Includes:

How Much Does It Cost to Maintain a Website?

So, how much does it cost to run a website? Well, it varies widely based on your needs. At the bare minimum, recurring website maintenance costs include web hosting and domain name renewals.

Other common recurring costs include SSL certificate renewals, premium plugins and themes, eCommerce transaction fees, content creation, SEO strategy, and more.

With all these different website maintenance charges to keep in mind, here are the estimated costs of running a website for some of the most common types of sites.

It’s also important to remember these are only estimates. You should research your needs, then compare prices for tools and features for the most accurate estimate.

Also, remember that you can always start with entry-level hosting plans, features, and tools, then scale up your services as you grow. And if you already have and established site, remember to review your website costs every year and adjust them to fit your needs.

Personal Websites and Blogs: Less than $15 per month

Running a personal site or blog typically costs less than $15 per month. That cost includes your monthly hosting fee and your domain name. In some cases, you may want to pay for a premium website theme or plugin, which can raise the monthly total depending on your needs.

Hobby Blogs and Special Interest Websites: $25 to $50 per month

Hobby blogs and websites for small special interest groups usually cost between $25 and $100 per month. The costs include hosting and domain name, along with one or two premium features like a website theme, specialty plugins, or an OV SSL certificate.

Small Business Informational Website: $25 to $100 per month

The cost of a simple informational, brochure-style website for a small business will usually run between $25 and $100 per month. This includes the hosting plan and domain renewal, along with an upgraded SSL certificate and a few specialty themes or plugins.

Small Business eCommerce Website: $75 to $300 per month

Small businesses with an eCommerce website can expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $300 a month or more, depending on your sales. The costs include eCommerce website hosting, domain renewal, and transaction fees at the minimum. However, you may also need premium shop themes or plugins that cost extra. Again, the total monthly operational cost depends primarily on the volume of your sales.

Small to Medium Business Website: $200 to $1,000+ per month

Running a small to medium business website costs around $200 and goes up depending on your specific needs. The basic costs are your hosting plan, domain name, email hosting, and upgraded OV SSL certificate. You are also likely to need one or two premium plugins or extensions. While you might be able to use a premium theme, you also might want to pay for a custom theme to set your business apart. Your total cost will scale as you grow, upgrading to higher-tier hosting plans, more email users, premium features, and additional website tools.

Medium to Large eCommerce Websites: $300 to $3,000+ per month

Pinning down specific operating costs gets more complex as the size of a business grows. Medium to large eCommerce businesses might only need to pay for eCommerce hosting, annual domain name and SSL renewals, transaction fees, and a few premium tools. In the same regard, you could also need custom themes, proprietary web solutions, or enterprise-level email hosting. As such, your monthly website maintenance costs could range anywhere from $300 on the low end up to $3,000 or more.

Corporate Websites: $300 to $5,000+ per month

Similar to the larger eCommerce monthly web costs, there are a lot of variables in hosting a corporate website. VPS hosting with an OV or EV SSL certificate and yearly domain renewals may cost as low as $300. However, upgrading to a managed dedicated webserver with premium plugins and tools can cost $5,000 a month or more. Your total cost depends on the services you need, so consider your options carefully.

Government, Non-Profit, or Organization Websites: $100 to $5,000+ per month

Some government, non-profit, or organization websites can cost as low as $100 per month for web hosting and domain name and SSL renewals. But more than likely, you will need at least some premium features. And depending on the size of your organization, you might need enterprise-level products and services. That can dramatically increase how much it costs to run your website. Again, review your options and choose wisely to get the tools you need at an affordable cost.

When it comes to how much it costs to run a website, getting started can be extremely overwhelming. But that is why we made scaling with our hosting plans so easy.

Whether you are just getting started with Shared Web Hosting, a specialty business that needs eCommerce Hosting, or a corporate website that needs Managed Dedicated Server Hosting, we have a plan that fits any need. Plus, you can scale your hosting services up or down as your business changes.

Plus, we make it easy to add all the services you need. Easily add Domain and SSL Certificate registration, a site builder or popular CMSs like WordPress, or email hosting to any service.

With A2 Hosting, you also get our free migration services, money back guarantee, 99.9% uptime commitment, and 24/7/365 Guru Crew support to ensure you get the maximum out of our hosting plans.

Hero Photo by Markus Spiske / Pexels

The post Understanding Website Maintenance Costs: How Much Does It Cost to Keep a Website Running? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

But TurboHub, our exclusive dashboard for WordPress sites, gives you a snapshot of your security status and makes detecting vulnerabilities and updating your protection as easy as one click.

Whether you take care of your own website or are an agency or web developer who manages dozens of sites, TurboHub makes reviewing security status and making the necessary updates a breeze.

Advanced WordPress Security From One Easy-To-Use Dashboard

The TurboHub security tab is the fastest and easiest way to keep your site safe. Whether you manage one website or 1,000, it is vital for monitoring site health and security.

Loaded with features to keep you secure, you can quickly review potential threats in one convenient place. Verify your SSL certificates, make sure malware detection and proactive defenses are enabled, and review potential threats.

Plus, TurboHub recommends actions to eliminate security vulnerabilities. From salt key status to inactive plugins or themes, you can take immediate action directly from the control panel. In most cases, you can enhance your security with one click.

What Is TurboHub?

TurboHub is A2 Hosting’s exclusive control panel for WordPress sites. Designed to make managing and protecting WordPress sites easier, it offers comprehensive metrics about the performance, health, and security of your websites.

Improve your efficiency and workflow by reviewing all of your A2 Hosting WordPress sites in one place. Easily view current performance and security snapshots, review recommendations, and make improvements and updates across all of your sites.

TurboHub Security Features

WordPress site security is one of the core features of the TurboHub control panel. From proactive defense to security best practices, it puts the top security features at your fingertips.

SSL Status & Proactive Defense

When it comes to website security, you need to be proactive. TurboHub’s SSL status and proactive defense indicators ensure your SSL certificate is valid and your malware and proactive security defense are active.

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is the industry standard in data encryption for information transferred between a web server and a web browser. It protects online transactions and personal information, ensuring data privacy over the Internet.

A valid SSL certificate tells web browsers – and your customers – that your website follows SSL protocols for secure data transfer, keeping them safe.

Malware and proactive security defenses protect your website against malicious attacks that can hijack your website or steal customer data.

Advanced Website Hosting Protection

TurboHub allows you to instantly validate the status of your firewall and DDoS and brute force protection. These ensure you are safe against attacks designed to gain access to your web server.

A firewall is a digital barrier that blocks unauthorized access to your sites from cyber threats. When active, they block malicious traffic based on predefined security rules.

Reinforced Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection prevents malicious attempts to attack your website and take them offline. DDoS attacks use multiple compromised computer systems to slow down or even crash websites, preventing access to legitimate users.

Brute force protection shields against relentless attacks attempting to log into your system. Attackers will systematically try to guess passwords, encryption keys, or other secret information. Brute force attacks are typically automated, allowing them to rapidly test millions of combinations.

A2 Recommended Actions

TurboHub also includes a number of A2 Hosting recommended security actions, like locking editing abilities on plugins and themes or bcrypt password hashing. These recommendations improve your overall website security, lowering the risk that hackers can access your site data.

Common recommendations include:

• Locking the editing for plugins and themes from WP Admin to prevent the misuse of built-in editing capabilities for malicious purposes.
• Deny direct access to configuration files to block bots and web users from directly accessing and potentially exploiting WordPress config files.
• Remove old wp-config.php backups to eliminate unnecessary files with potentially sensitive information.
• Use bcrypt password hashing for a more secure password storing and hashing method.
• Disable XML-RPC services to close a possible entryway a hacker could exploit your site.

You can easily toggle these options on or off from the TurboHub security panel to fit your security needs and keep your website data safe.

Best Security Practices

TurboHub also analyzes your website to ensure you are following the best security practices. You can identify potential vulnerabilities at a glance and take action to secure your sites. Simply review the recommended security updates and follow the instructions to implement these improvements.

When necessary, TurboHub will recommend the following actions:

• Regenerate salt key passwords to protect your account even if your login cookies are compromised.
• Check for and remove insecure SQL backups and files that could be accessed by hackers.
• Reduce potential vulnerabilities and improve site performance by removing unused plugins and unused WordPress themes.

Just follow the steps associated with each best practice to protect your site.

More TurboHub Features Coming Soon

Committed to the fastest and most reliable hosting solutions, A2 Hosting developed TurboHub to streamline WordPress site performance and management.

From personal sites and hobby projects to agencies and developers managing client sites, it offers features that simplest updates and makes everyone a performance and security expert.

But we aren’t done yet. We have an exciting lineup of advancements that will enhance your workflow and your websites.

A2 Intelligent Performance

Optimize your site’s performance with the power of AI. A2 Intelligent Performance monitors critical performance indicators to keep your site performing at its best. Easily review the data and make the most informed decisions about your site’s speed and reliability.

A2 AI Assistant Inside WordPress

Launch new websites quickly and easily with our AI co-pilot. Exclusive to TurboHub, our A2 AI Assistant for WordPress writes content, generates images, and can even design page layouts. Trained on WordPress help documentation, it will answer common questions and help you get the most out of your WordPress site.

Enhanced Staging

Our upcoming enhanced staging feature makes developing, testing, and deploying website updates a snap. This robust tub maximizes compatibility by recording changes on both staging and live sites. And the advanced 2-way sync ensures changes are mirrored in both environments.

Enhance Your Website Security With TurboHub

Enhance site security and improve your site performance with TurboHub for WordPress from A2 Hosting. Quickly review potential security risks and easily make improvements to protect your website. Streamline your WordPress site management today. TurboHub is available on all A2 Hosting WordPress hosting plans.

The post WordPress Security Made Easy With TurboHub appeared first on The A2 Posting.

However, if you know how to incorporate video into your website, you can use it to maximize engagement and drive conversions. With the right approach, video can act as a powerful Call To Action (CTA).

In this article, we’ll talk about some of the latest video content trends, and then go over three tips to incorporate videos into your website. Let’s get to it!

What the Latest Video Content Trends Are

It’s likely that many of your users spend a significant part of their day watching videos on one platform or another. On average, users consume around 100 minutes of video per day. If you can seize even a fraction of that time through your content, it can help increase conversions.

If the primary goal of your videos is to drive sales or conversions, shorter is usually better. Despite the massive amounts of video content that customers consume, it’s safe to say that attention spans are getting shorter. At the end of 2019, up to 66 percent of video ads were approximately 30 seconds long. Although that might sound short, there’s a lot that you can say about a product or service in half a minute.

Thanks to the rise of social media stories and platforms such as TikTok, users are getting increasingly comfortable with shorter video ads as a part of their online experience. Moreover, there’s massive interest in User-Generated Content (UGC). If you can get consumers to share their experiences with your products or services in video format, that’s a huge marketing win.

There’s also a growing interest in educational videos. If your website focuses on online learning, video is a channel that you can tap into to expand your audience.

3 Tips for Incorporating Video into Your Website

If you’re ready to start incorporating videos into your website, there are several factors that can help you maximize their effectiveness. Let’s look at three tips you can use to make the most of your video strategy.

1. Add an Intro that Highlights Your Brand

If you go to your favorite YouTube channel right now and open a random video, we’re willing to bet it has an intro:

The goal of intros isn’t to pad video length, but to take the opportunity to reinforce brand awareness. An intro can accomplish that in several ways, including:

• Reminding you of the brand’s name
• Showcasing the brand’s logo
• Reinforcing the brand’s style and the type of content it focuses on

In this case, your website or business is the brand. Even if your videos are only 30 seconds long, adding a short intro that includes your name and the site’s logo can only benefit you. This is particularly the case when users end up watching those videos outside of your website.

Depending on which video marketing tools you use, adding intros to your content might be easier than you think. A lot of tools provide you with templates that you can use and edit, as well as the ability to upload your logo and incorporate it into the video.

2. Choose a Performance-Oriented Hosting Provider

If you plan on uploading videos directly to your server, you should use a performance-oriented web host. A lot of websites choose the cheapest hosting provider they can find, which often translates to slow loading times and a frustrating User Experience (UX).

If visitors have to spend minutes waiting for a video to load, and then wait for it to buffer every two seconds, they are much less likely to watch it in full. Even worse, that poor user experience can reflect badly on the rest of your website.

To ensure the best video experience, we recommend avoiding shared web hosting. At the very least, you’ll want to use a Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting plan, which in most cases provides better performance as well as dedicated resources for your website.

3. Create Videos that Target Your Website’s Audience

You probably have a pretty good idea of who your website’s target audience is, such as:

• Where your users are visiting from
• The average age of your audience
• What their interests are and what content they want to see or read about

This information is critical for video creation. You can have an amazing idea for a marketing video, but if it doesn’t speak to your website’s audience, it won’t get the results you want. In other words, the video won’t get you conversions.

When you’re working on video content for your website, it’s important to consider whether it’s something your audience will be interested in. If the video provides or promises solutions and answers to questions they might have, it will likely succeed in its goal.

Conclusion

Knowing what the latest video content trends are is a solid starting point for creating your own media. Your website is the perfect channel to deliver those videos because it already has a built-in audience, some of whom may appreciate a different kind of content.

If you’re not sure how to approach video creation, you can start off on the right foot by keeping the following three tips in mind:

1. Add an intro that highlights your brand.
2. Choose a performance-oriented web hosting provider.
3. Create videos that target your website’s audience.

Do you have any questions about how to incorporate video into your website? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!

Image credit: Pixabay.

The post 3 Tips for Embedding & Adding Video into Your Website appeared first on The A2 Posting.

What is an Email Blacklist?

The email blacklist is an extensive database of public domains and IP addresses marked as suspicious for sending spam emails through the internet. It’s also known as DNSBL (Domain Name System-based Blackhole List) or RBL Real-time Blackhole List. Organizations like Email Service Providers (ESP), Internet Service Providers (ISP), and anti-spam agencies (ASA) use this list to detect, monitor and block any spam emails entering their network.

Am I Blacklisted? What Are the Signs?

There are many signs to alert you of your IP’s status. When you’re blacklisted, you can’t send emails to the recipient’s mailbox properly. Now, this doesn’t mean you’re going to be blacklisted from every mail server in the world. If you’re blacklisted with one DNSBL service, there are hundreds more that may not have blacklisted you. A few key signs:

1. There are an increased number of emails lost.
2. You experience deteriorating delivery rates.
3. You find a high number of email bounce rates.

These don’t confirm you’re blacklisted but are some warning signs. If you check a few of the boxes for delivery issues, you can now check to confirm the blacklisting of the domain or IP address.

Checking Your IP address and Domain in an Email Blacklist Directory

There are various email blacklist services on the internet. It’s not practical to check every single one of them, but some applications maintain a list of live RBL (real-time blackhole list) directories to save your time. They provide a page dedicated to that RBL service and also offer a service to delist your domain or IP address.

Here are a couple of popular RBL applications:

• MXToolBox: This checks for domain blacklisting across multiple RBL lists. It provides detailed information and suggestions on your domain’s current status.
• MultiRBL: This is a free DNSBL lookup site that can scan 100+ DNSBL lists to check for domain blacklisting. It also details the steps to remove your domain from the blacklist.

Malicious sites can be blacklisted by Google Safe Browsing, which will warn visitors of potentially unsafe pages. Dropmysite includes a feature that sends you alerts if your site is listed on this blacklist monitoring program – so take immediate corrective actions before it gets too late! A2 Hosting offers Dropmysite as an add-on cPanel plugin so that you can back up your data and monitor your websites. These services can help you actively monitor your IP address so that you can ensure swift delivery of all of your emails.

Blacklists are an important tool for email deliverability. They help protect email users from spam and phishing emails and improve the deliverability of your legitimate email campaigns. If you’re not familiar with blacklists or aren’t sure if your IP address is on one, we encourage you to use a blacklist checking tool. Use this information to clean up your email practices and improve your chances of getting delivered to the inbox. If you have any more questions or concerns feel free to contact our support team 24/7/365!

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This new PHP version has allowed popular frameworks like Symfony and WordPress to run on PHP 8.1, so you know that A2 Hosting’s servers will be able to support it! You can now take advantage of PHP 8.1 with your PHP applications hosted by us.

Web Hosting Support for PHP 8.1

PHP 8.1 is the most recent release of PHP and features new updates, such as:

Scalar Type Hints

PHP will now receive better error messages when type hinting doesn’t match. This means that if you’re expecting a string and PHP receives an integer, PHP will throw a clear and concise error message to help you debug the issue easier. PHP will also not allow errors to occur when typing hinting at your PHP variables. This is just one of the ways PHP 8.1 helps you keep your PHP applications secure and bug-free!

Return Type Declarations

PHP 8.1 now supports return type declarations which means that PHP will be able to tell what kind of data you’re expecting back from a function. PHP 8.1 can not only help with security but also PHP performance as PHP will be able to execute the function and return the type of data you’ve requested without an extra step which speeds up PHP execution!

PHP 7 Compatibility

PHP 8.1 now has improved compatibility with PHP 7 so PHP developers don’t have to rewrite their PHP scripts for PHP 7. PHP 8.1 is backward compatible with PHP 7 so you don’t have to rewrite your code!

Contact Us Today

A2 Hosting is a leading provider of PHP hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and a 24/7 support team to help you get the most out of PHP 8.1, today! Our expert Guru Crew team can help you with any questions or concerns about your PHP application, PHP 8.1 support, or migrating to PHP 8.1! We are available 24/7/365.

The post A2 Hosting Supports Newest PHP Version 8.1 appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Looking to learn more in-depth about the security included with all these plans? Below is an explanation of the different security tools and features included and how this can help you make sure your website is safe and secure.

The Importance of Security on Websites Using WordPress

When there’s a huge demand for a script or CMS, there’s a good chance that hackers and attackers will be keeping an eye on websites using it. At any one time, there could be hundreds or thousands of attacks happening on the internet. This makes WordPress websites a target.

As such, hackers will always be scanning WordPress websites for vulnerable areas. This means website owners who don’t properly prepare and secure their WordPress sites may be at risk. This is why you need to keep the security on your website in tip-top shape! Below are the features we offer at A2 Hosting on our Managed WordPress plans to help ensure your security success.

Managed WordPress Security Features

A2 Hosting’s new Managed WordPress plans now come with a selection of enhanced security features that have been designed to support our users such as HackScan Protection, Reinforced DDoS Protection, and KernelCare. We’re including a complete breakdown below of three of the main tools we will be including in the plans and the different security features they provide our users:

WordPress Toolkit

We include different levels of cPanel’s WordPress Toolkit on all of our WordPress plans. Below are some of the main security perks:

• 1-Click Hardening: Used to scan existing and new sites for settings that may be potentially vulnerable.
• Automatic Hardening: This can keep your site safe through the auto-application of the industry’s best practices in security.
• Mass Hardening: Scans all your sites for vulnerable settings while securing every site with just a click.
• Security Rollback: In rare cases, security updates may create compatibility issues on your website. This feature will allow you to quickly revert the changes made.
• Mass Updates: This allows you to execute updates for all of your website’s WordPress themes, core, and plugins.

Jetpack Security

We will also be including the popular Jetpack Plugin. This plugin comes with a multitude of security features including:

• Automated Spam Filtering: Protects your site by keeping spam content away.
• Brute Force Attack Protection: Works to keep your website safe by blocking unsafe login attempts from distributed attacks and malicious botnets.
• Free Daily Malware Scans (Included with our Fly & Sell Plans): This feature automatically checks your site for vulnerabilities such as malware. You’ll also receive immediate alerts if Jetpack finds problems to be addressed quickly.

A2 Optimized

All of our plans also come with our plugin, A2 Optimized. We’ve focused on various security measures with A2 Optimized, which include the following:

• Deny Direct Access to Configuration Files and Comment Form: This allows you to protect your configuration files by creating a Forbidden error to bots and web users who try to access WP configuration files.
• Lock Editing of Plugins and Themes from the WP Admin: This prevents exploits to use the built-in editing capabilities of the WP Admin.
• Login URL Change: With this, you can hide your wp-login and wp-admin pages, blocking off hackers from entry through brute force attacks.
• Regenerate wp-config salts: WP salts and security keys help to secure the site’s login process along with the cookies that WordPress implements to authenticate users.
• ReCAPTCHA on Comments and Login: Used to increase site security while decreasing spam by adding a CAPTCHA to the login screen and comment forms.
• Unused Themes & Inactive Plugin Notifications: Themes and plugins with security flaws can still have an impact on the site. Having these notifications can help you better manage other features on your site for improved security.

cPanel Security Features

There is also a wide range of improvements to cPanel’s Security. This includes:

• Directory Privacy: Blocks users who want to open a folder that you’ve designated for protection. They will first need to enter a username and password for access.
• Free SSL Certificate (Free RapidSSL On Sell plans): This allows you to secure pages on your website so that details such as credit card numbers, logins, and more are sent encrypted instead of plain text.
• Hotlink Protection: Stops your images from being used on other sites.
• Imunify360: A comprehensive security suite for real-time and proactive website protection. It provides an all-in-one security solution that features a Web Application Firewall, an Intrusion Prevention and Detection system, a Network Firewall, Patch Management, and Real-time Antivirus protection.
• IP Blocker: Blocks a range of IP addresses to stop hackers from getting access to your site.
• Leech Protection: Stops users from publicly posting or sharing passwords to restricted areas of your site.
• ModSecurity: Provides real-time monitoring for incoming threats and blocks malicious connections before reaching your WordPress website and applications.
• Patchman: This scans your account for any outdated WP malware scripts, vulnerabilities, and applications. It will then fix any vulnerabilities without doing damage to the site.
• SSH: Provides more secure file transfers.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): If turned on, it will require the app on your smartphone to provide a unique security code that you must input apart from your password when trying to log into your account.
• Virus Scanner: Configurable scan of your account to identify any security threats.

Need Help? Ask Our Guru Crew

If you need support or just have a few WordPress Hosting questions, you can count on our expert Sales team! Working 24/7/365, our friendly and knowledgeable staff are more than happy to address any concerns or issues. You may also reach them via email, phone, or live chat, so you can get the answers you need when you need them.

The post New Managed WordPress Enhanced Security Features with A2 Hosting appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Why do you need WordPress Under Construction Pages

You need either Coming Soon or Maintenance mode page prepared for your site for the following reason:

• Inform your potential visitors about your new site, and its launch date
• Collect information about your visitors with a contact us or subscription form
• Inform visitors about launch promotions
• Keep your site users on the maintenance duration and its duration
• Avoid losing SEO traffic by having the right response page.

Types of Under Construction Pages

When you create a new WordPress site and want your visitors to be aware of the launch date, a Coming Soon page is displayed. The maintenance mode page, on the other hand, is displayed when you are updating or performing routine maintenance tasks on your WordPress site. The Under Construction or maintenance mode page should clearly state the duration of the site’s downtime and include a 503 response code. The 503 response code informs search engines that the site will be restored, preventing any SEO issues.

Popular WordPress Under Construction Page Plugin

There are numerous WordPress plugins available that allow you to easily create both of these pages for your site while maintaining a professional look and feel. The following are some of the most popular WordPress Under Construction page plugins.

Seed Prod

SeedProd is a freemium plugin available in the WordPress plugin repository. This plugin allows you to easily create professional-looking and customizable “Coming Soon” and Maintenance Mode pages without any scripting knowledge.

The premium version of the SeedProd Coming Soon, Maintenance Mode, and Landing Pages plugin supports custom 404 errors. The free version templates are more than enough for a starter website, and the free pages can be further customized with SeedProd’s built-in page builder.

Refer to this article for a step-by-step tutorial on how to create a Coming Soon or Maintenance mode page with the SeedProd plugin.

WP Maintenance Mode

DesignModo’s WP Maintenance Mode is a free plugin that allows you to create fully customizable maintenance mode pages. It is suitable for multisite installations and includes useful features such as a countdown timer for maintenance duration, contact forms, and a subscription form to collect visitor information that can be downloaded later.

The maintenance mode can be activated immediately after installing the plugin. For more information on the extensive feature set available, go to the official plugin page at https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-maintenance-mode/.

Under Construction Page

The Web Factory Ltd Under Construction Page plugin is a specialized plugin that allows you to quickly and easily create under-construction pages using a drag and drop builder. The free version of this plugin includes unique features such as Google Analytics page visit tracking, the ability to load custom CSS to customize the page, and maintenance mode timers.

Conclusion

Have any questions? Contact our team today and we will be happy to answer them!

The post Why You Need a WordPress Under Construction Page appeared first on The A2 Posting.

1: Promote Weeks Before the Holidays

Be sure to run your holiday email marketing campaign at least a week before holiday festivities begin. The holiday season formally begins during Cyber Week, which includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

These events see a huge number of online transactions annually and it only increases every year. Experts still expect holiday sales to rise despite the global pandemic, making this season a great opportunity to promote your products and services.

2: Offer Last-Minute Deals

The days closest to the big dates require the most intensive holiday email marketing efforts. You want your prospects to rest assured that they have options that ship their orders on time. On-time or even overnight shipping deals are some campaigns you can adopt to convert prospects.

Meanwhile, setting deadlines for orders brings out the urgency in potential customers who may end up taking the deal.

To set a deadline, consider sending emails stating that customers can get their order shipped on time if they order before a certain date.

3: Offer Real Reasons to Buy

While you offer last-minute deals, be sure to avoid giving customers false urgency. Give a real reason that wouldn’t devalue your brand and turn off customers. Perhaps you only offer two discount deals a year, making this holiday season a great opportunity.

4: Analyze Previous Strategies That Worked for You

Although the pandemic brings lucrative opportunities for online shopping during the holidays, auditing your marketing campaigns in the past can still help improve your performance. Review the strategies you adopted and then identify which areas need finetuning.

Consider auditing customer statistics as well. Identify which items they value most and tailor your messages to target them.

5: Understand Your Customer

The previous strategy can help you understand who your buyers are. Be sure to create a marketing campaign that speaks directly to your customers. Consumers who feel that a brand can solve their pain points are more likely to support their products and services.

Once you know who you are selling to, you can adjust your strategy to grab their attention. You would also set yourself apart from your competition by having a loyal consumer base.

6: Segment Your Email List

Segmenting your customers helps you sell different products to existing customers and even upsell to them. It is also related to identifying your audience. Dividing your customer demographics helps you target variations of your messages that match their voice. In other words, you would speak one way to VIP customers and another with newer customers who have yet to close a purchase.

7: Remind Loyal Customers Why They Subscribe

If your brand has a mission that’s months in the making, the holiday season may be a great time to remind your customers of their goals outside of the products you offer. This mission may be the reason why your customers stuck around in the first place.

8: Limit Your Emails

Avoid sending out too many emails to the point that customers get turned off from buying. Too many promotional emails may even make customers unsubscribe.

Conclusion

The best holiday email marketing campaign involves understanding your audience, prompt preparation, and careful limitation. Once you know you know your target audience, you can tailor your messages to reach specific members of your audience.

Your emails should lead your subscribers to your website and convert sales. You’ll want to optimize your site to keep up with your customers this holiday season. Get in touch with our experts at A2 Hosting and ask about our hosting plans. We can help speed up your site so all traffic from your holiday email marketing campaign converts.

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 Create the Best Holiday Email Strategy appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Why is Google Tag Manager Right for You?

Google Tag Manager is a great tool for any website owner. Google Tag Manager (GTM) allows you to manage code script, track conversion, and efficiently use a single dashboard. It comes with templates for Google Analytics, Adwords, and works well with some tracking platforms. Any edits to scripts can be done via GTM and then applied to the whole site.

Installing and Setting Up Google Tag Manager for WordPress

To begin, you must have a google analytics account before you proceed with the Google Tag Manager installation. If you don’t, go to the Google Tag Manager website and sign up using the same Google account you used with Google Analytics.

Follow these steps to install and setup Google Tag Manager:

1. Sign up for the Google Tag Manager using the same account used for the Google Analytics account.

2. On the create new account page, give a name for your account and click on the continue button.

3. Give an account name, container name, choose the target platform, and click on the create button to create a container. You can have multiple containers in one account:4. Next you will be redirected to the container dashboard:

5. Once you have created a container, the next step is to create a tag.

Creating Page View Tag on Google Tag Manager

Now we will show you how to create a new Page View Tag. Follow these steps:

1. On the dashboard, click on New Tag:

2. Give a name for the tag, and then click on the Tag Configuration section, to choose the tag type:

3. Choose the tag type. For this blog, we will use the Google Analytics: Universal Analytics

4. Next step is to configure the tag. On the Tag Configuration screen, check the “Enable overriding settings in this tag” option. Get the Tracking ID code from your Google Analytics account and paste it into the Tracking ID.

5. A tracking ID is a special code that allows Google to identify your site. Login into your Google Analytics account, under the admin tab, copy the tracking ID from the tracking info.

6. Next on the Trigger section, choose the trigger type. Here we will choose the Page View trigger for All Pages:

7. Click on Save after you enter your tracking ID. You should see the tag on your dashboard:

Adding Tag Manager Code in WordPress

1. To begin, click on the GTM ID on the top navigation bar to retrieve the GTM code. Edit the header.php template and paste the code right after <body> tag.

2. Alternatively, you can use Insert Headers and Footers plugin and use it to paste the GTM code.

3. The final step to complete this Google Tag Manager setup is to use the Google Tag Manager dashboard to publish the container.

Conclusion

There are many different ways to install and configure the Google Tag Manager for WordPress. This blog showed you how to set up the Google Tag Manager and create a page view tag. Google Tag Manager has many useful integrations. Visit the Google Tag Manager page to get more information.

Looking for great hosting for your WordPress site? Look no further! With A2 Hosting’s Managed WordPress plans you can get 24/7/365 support, 99.9% uptime, and all the tools you need to better manage your WordPress website. Contact our sales team today with any questions!

Related Resources:

How to use Google Analytics with WordPress

Using Google Analytics & WordPress

How to Integrate Google Analytics With WordPress (In 3 Steps)

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