Given the vast reach of the internet, there is no doubt when it comes to the power of a website for a small business. The first step to setting up a successful website would be search engine optimization or as it is more commonly called SEO. SEO was and still continues to be one of the most powerful internet tools to date.

Reports suggest that over 3.5 billion searches are carried out over the internet every single day. Out of these 94% people click on the first page results of their Google results. When you set up your own website, you want your business to attract more traffic and in order for that to happen, you will have to be at the top in SERP.

There are a large number of small businesses that have their website and hence the SERPs are usually overcrowded. When you set up an online business or open a website, you can be found in three ways:

1. Directly, where the person will enter the address manually.
2. By referral, where the person finds out about you from a link
3. Organically, where the person will search of words related to your business and come across the page.

Given the importance of SEO, it is essential for the success of a website. However, there are several new businesses that beginners make when it comes to SEO. Here are five common SEO mistakes that you need to be aware of and avoid.

 

Not Investing Adequate Time On Keyword Research

 

Keyword research is a simple practice where you have to look into tools like Google’s Keyword Planner and find out the list of keywords applicable for your website and rank them. The process might sound easy, but experts claim that this is where new business owners make a mistake. The process of keyword research is difficult. While the owner might look into keywords relevant for their business, it isn’t the same for the customers. They look for keywords relevant to them and their queries. Consider different intent that the customers might have for looking up for your website and incorporate those keywords in your list.

Expert advice: Place the important keywords in your URL and in the different pages. Make sure that the keywords make sense and aren’t out of context.

 

The website isn’t “Crawlable”

 

Crawling is a technical term that describes the process of search engine robots going through pages in your website. For the search engine spiders to crawl through your website, you need to link each page. When you sit to design the pages for your website, apart from making them attractive and user-friendly, make sure that they are all linked internally. If you skip this part, the pages on the website will not appear in the SERP.

Expert advice: Make all the subsequent pages of the website three clicks away from the homepage. This ensures that they are linked properly.

 

Not Using Relevant Anchor Texts For Internal Links

 

An internal link is crucial and you need relevant anchor texts within the website content for the same. Make sure that anchor texts used for linking different pages together in relevant and is a part of the content. They shouldn’t seem jarring and stand apart as texts that have simply been inserted for the sake of linking. The manner in which you use your anchor texts also reflects your credibility as a business.

Expert advice: Try to use anchor texts that are single words. If you are using phrases, make sure that they aren’t more than three words.

 

Poorly Written Meta Description and Title Tags

 

Meta description would be the information that you find in the SERP page. This grabs the attention of the reader, so make it crisp and interesting. Title tag is the first page that appears in the Google search results. This will be the first page that potential customers read and see. Make sure it is well written and that the tag includes the subject of your website. There are many websites that look attractive but have poorly written on long and monotonous tags.

Expert advice: Keep the Meta description within 160 characters and the title tag within 60.

 

Not Making The 404 Page Interesting

The website that you create should not only provide the customer with all the information about your website, but also provide a great user experience. Most marketers do not realize the importance of the 404 page. Studies have shown that a customized and interesting 404 page improves the customer’s experience manifold. The 404 page shouldn’t stop the user from exploring your website, but convince them to continue going through it. Make the design interesting and unique so that remains with them.

Expert advice: Add some humor and emotion when designing the 404 page.

 

Now that you know the basic SEO mistakes that beginners make, you can learn from these and start on with a successful online business venture.

Choose keywords carefully, make your site crawlable, use relevant anchor texts, optimize meta description and title tags, tweak 404 page and keep your SEO game on point!

I’d love to hear from you. Let me know which mistake sounds most familiar to you? Don’t be hesitant. Leave a comment right now!

The primary role of an eCommerce site is to earn money. It doesn’t matter if the website is generating a lot of money if it cannot generate sales. If you feel that your eCommerce site isn’t earning you money then you should start focusing on conversion rate optimization, and include affiliate marketing in your brainstorming sessions. The winner in the eCommerce game is the one who can get the majority of the conversions down the hole. There is a very thin line dividing those who force customers to make complete sales and those that smartly get a large number of customers through a complete transaction.

As an eCommerce marketer, your aim is to improve the terrible conversion rates, but by using the least amount of money. Improving eCommerce conversion rate isn’t about spending any money. You need to know how to play it smart. Here are some tricks that can help you optimize your eCommerce sales conversion without any cost.

 

1. Work on the Product Images

The easiest way to get people to click on a product would be to make it look attractive. Experts claim that the images on the eCommerce website are the primary factors for boosting conversion rates. Improving the quality of the images is one aspect of the website that you can change without spending a lot of money. Use high-quality images with a lot of white spaces around it. Users love to check the product out in its entirety, so it works when you use a lot of images. Show the product from as many different angles as possible. Also include the option of zooming in.

 

2. Improve your Product Description

The product description is another factor that matters. The customer can see if you are trying to sell a product with pomp and grandeur. Make the description honest and genuine. Provide all the relevant information that the customer might require about the product. Don’t shy away from mentioning all the information for fear of a long description. Engage the customer and make them read it. Apart from the detailed description, provide a short summary for the customers to glance through. The concise description should also carry the essence of the product.

 

3. Incorporate Testimonial Videos

You don’t have to spend any money on making the videos. Tap onto the existing customer base and ask them to send you a video of their product testimonial or ask them to send a video of them using the purchased product. You can also shoot home videos with your office and use them for the same purpose.

 

4. Exclude the Shipping Cost

While 50% of eCommerce sites offer free shipping, the other half don’t. Many websites offer a condition before offering free shipping while others do it for every occasion. It has been seen time and again that free shipping is often the primary deciding factor for customers looking to purchase. Many customers abandon the product in their cart because of the high cost of shipping that gets added to the final price of the product. If you want to find out how crucial shipping cost is, you should consider how Amazon’s sales increased in every single country where shipping cost was done away with.

 

5. Include Product Reviews

In the age of smartphones and apps, it is easier for customers to compare products on different websites before purchase. This is where the product review comes in handy. Given that the price for the product is more or less similar in the different eCommerce sites, the customers read the review and make their purchasing decision. You can either use plug-ins or widgets that allow reviews on your site or ask your existing customers to provide their reviews. Make sure to include a healthy mix of negative reviews as well since all positive reviews are too good to be true.

 

6. Improve the Quality of the CTA Button

The customer should never have to search for anything on the eCommerce site. It should be an easy transition from searching product categories to adding products to the cart to final check out and payment. Experts claim that improving the quality of the CTA button makes a huge difference in the conversion rate. Make the button attractive and colorful. The key is to make the whole website look attractive.

7. Make Contact Details Visible

Adding contact details on your website can make a huge change in the way customers look at your business. Adding contact details help build trust. It helps more if you are a small eCommerce site that doesn’t have the reputation of a large brand. Include the name and contact details on the header so that it is easily visible to the customers.

When you pick any of the methods mentioned above, try it out and test how your conversions are improving. No matter what your eCommerce conversion rate is, know that it can always improve.

There is no denying that Local SEO can be quite a challenge. However, local SEO can make all the difference in your business and can script a success story for the same. It is a known fact that every online experience starts with a search engine. Statistics reveal that almost 93% users start their work online with a search engine. It should also be kept in mind that majority of the users never look beyond the first few results when they search for something online. It might be surprising to know, but search is the primary force behind pushing the individual to content websites. Search beats social media in this sphere, hands down!

 

What Are The Primary Factors That Affect Local SEO?

Google ranking factor makes it evident that localizing ones business is highly crucial. It is clear that no singular factor is related to local SEO. There are certain primary factors that can make a difference to your Local SEO ranking.

1. On-page Factors: If you want to rise above your competitors and get the traffic to your site, it is time to work on the titles, descriptions and tags. These three aspects matter in local and international environments, and if you want to make your mark in a particular area or city, you will have to localize these.
2. Citations: It is crucial for your website to be cited in local resources. Even in international SEO, the quality of your reference matters. You should include mention in directories and digital media as part of your strategy to get better traffic.
3. Keywords: Keyword is crucial for local SEO. When you are trying to make a mark in a particular locality, make sure you use ample geographical keywords. Add relevant keywords that include names of the area or district that you want to reach out to.
4. NAP Consistency: Make sure to include your business name, address and contact details in a place that is accessible to all the customers. It is crucial to make sure that the name and address is available via search engine robots. These have to be in text format and not image format, for them to turn up in Google search.

If you are clueless about how to use local SEO to your advantage, we are here to help you out. We have compiled a list of tips offered by the leading SEO experts in the market, to help you start.

Save Money and Time by Outsourcing

Local SEO is both tricky and time consuming. SEO experts suggest the one should use tools and outsource the task of citation-building, back links, on-page content and even technical crawl health to outsiders. This way, you can focus on your business, something that you know about and let the experts tackle the local SEO. This aspect of the local SEO doesn’t require much skill-set and can be a tad bit tedious, hence it is easier to outsource the task. This gives the client more time and money to focus on aspects that are more challenging in local SEO.

Decide on the Number of Landing Pages

While there isn’t any hard and fast rule on the number of landing pages you should add to your website, it should to some extent depend on your location and your target market and customers. If you have multiple locations, then it helps in having multiple landing pages. On the other hand, if your company focuses on a small area with a large population then a large number of landing pages could spoil the venture. Experts suggest that sticking to one page for one city is the smartest way to go about it.

 

Be Smart While Selecting the Domain Name

When you are first choosing your domain name, you should pick it carefully since this will be the first point of contact with your customers. The domain name will also have a huge impact on your SEO. While selecting a domain name with a keyword was the easiest way to earn SEO ranking, things have changed now. Google prefers uniqueness and authenticity. Try to market the business with your domain name. Make sure it is easy to remember and catchy.

 

Go For Quality Content

Another easy way to boost your SEO ranking is through good content. Get inspiration from the top-ranked sites in the industry and fashion your website accordingly. Good content should include images and testimonials along with reviews. Be sure to mention all the products and services.

 

Take Advantage of Directory Submission For Link-Building

Directory link-building is crucial for boosting SEO ranking. It requires a lot of time and patience. You can save your time by outsourcing it to relevant web directories.

Use these tried and tested formulas to build your brand. Take the help of SEO to gain an edge over your competitors.

Instagram has become the leading app these days. I know for a fact that while I might survive without Facebook, I won’t be able to do so without Instagram and its posts on adorable puppies, delicious food and travel photos.

 

Sudden Outburst of Ads

Instagram has surely become better with time, but regular Instagrammers will agree that it was better without the ads that keep popping up on the photo feed these days. Instagram has postponed their decision to introduce ads for a long time now. The IG users weren’t very keen on having adds on their feed, but with Facebook taking over Instagram, it was just a matter of time before the ads appeared on the feed. Instagram runs on users who have signed up to see creative, witty and interesting photo and video posts and the company knows that including ads will kill the charm of the application.

 

Ads Similar To Photos

Instagram is therefore trying to test new ads with some companies who understand the user profile on the app. They work on putting forward ads that will suit the user and help them out. The advertisements on Instagram appear like regular Instagram photos, something like the advertisements you flip through when you go through a high-end glossy magazine.

Yes, it will be a crime to admit that no one like leafing through the glossy magazines with their advertisements and similarly there are many users on Instagram who don’t mind the ads.

Are the Users Warming Up To The Ads On Instagram?

Given that the advertisements on Instagram aren’t cumbersome and doesn’t break the pattern of the photo feed, there are many who are fine with the intrusion of the ads. Instagram knows that the users are apprehensive and are hence pushing out the ads slowly to prevent the users from being overwhelmed with the sudden change. While some feel that the ads are a necessary evil for the app to continue, the IG users ultimately have the scope to decide how their photo feed looks.

About Instagram Ads

For the ‘Sponsored’ ads on the application, you have the option to hide the content. Instagram clearly states in their policy for the advertisements that aim at showing the user ads from businesses that are interesting and relevant to them and for the same, they use your browsing information from the app and from their parent app, Facebook. Users will also see ads based on the pages and people they follow on the application. In fact, by hiding ads and selecting your option to remove them, you end up offering feedbacks that will go a long way in improving the content of the ads that are released on Instagram.

Instagram allows their users to opt out of seeing certain ads by changing their device settings based on user activity on Instagram and Facebook. Instagram has made it clear that the user information is safe with them and that no advertiser can access the user information.

If you are not very keen on seeing the ads on your Instagram feed, then you are in for some luck today! I have an easy trick that will make sure that your photo feed is no longer filled with the sponsored ads and you can breeze through the photos and videos without coming across those annoying ads.

Here are 2 easy ways to remove Instagram ads:

1. Hide the Ads from Your Feed: Instagram has enabled an option where IG users can ‘hide’ ads and prevent them from popping up on their feed. If you see an ad with the word ‘Sponsored’ written on it, all you have to do is report and hide it. The ‘Sponsored’ ads will have a ‘…’ in the upper right-hand corner. If you don’t want the ads to appear on your feed, all you must do is simply tap on that and click on ‘Hide This.’ The process to hide the ads is similar on both Android and iOS devices.
2. Report the Ads: Since the developers of the app knew that IG users will go ahead and hide the ads from their feed when they have the option, they were smart enough to tackle the situation. So, when you click on the ellipses and decide to hide the app, you have to choose the reason for the same. IG users usually tend to pick ‘This is not relevant,’ and Instagram comes up with a message stating that it will pick out ads that are more relevant to that particular user. What happens now is that the app will track your activity on the application and find out products and services that might be necessary for you and show you ads for similar products and services. Now, if you don’t want any ads on your feed and it isn’t about them being relevant or not, so you can simply report all the ads as “Inappropriate” and you don’t have to see them ever again.

I tried this trick a week ago, and trust me, I haven’t seen ads on my photo feed for a while now!

 

Take Control Of Your Feed

Yes, I know some would call be mean for blocking the ads on Instagram since there are more than 500,000 active advertisers on the app per month, but then I don’t want my IG usage being hampered by these ads. I have already seen my Facebook news feed turn into a marketplace with innumerable ads, which often divert me to a new page.

 

Before You Go!

Many don’t mind the ads on Instagram since it doesn’t break their flow of going through the feed. With this blog, I hope I could provide you all with the option of having the upper hand when it comes to dealing with ads. The power lies with you dear IG users and you decide how your photo feed looks like.

Marketing is the door to any successful business. These days, marketers are spoilt for choice with regard to marketing technology. It doesn’t matter if you have a large multi-national company or a small boutique, you will have to make use of your marketing team for success in the world of business. For a marketing team to figure out gimmicks to market the company, it can get a tad overwhelming if you are on your own, with no prior knowledge on the subject. If you go by the recommendation of the marketing gurus, digital marketing is the easiest way to take your business to places.

The evident benefits from digital marketing is easily witnessed and there’s no doubt that Digital Marketing is the preferred choice for most of the brands. More and more companies are resorting to digital marketing to bring in new clients and subsequently grow their business. You might have heard about the influence of digital marketing in the business world and hence taken the decision to step into the bandwagon.

When you decide to go for digital marketing, you have to realize that it will take a lot of time and energy and you will need an expert to guide you through the process. This is where the digital marketing outsource companies can help you out.

How can the digital marketing outsource companies help you?

1. They help kickstart the digital marketing service for your company, which will help it grow
2. They tailor-make services that are suited for your needs and budget
3. They help you gain access to the whole team of experts required for digital marketing- web designers., content developers, social media specialists, SEO experts and campaign designers

Why should you go for Digital Marketing?

Digital Marketing is the new mantra to success these days. With all the companies seeing a surge in their business with digital marketing, it is one trend that you shouldn’t miss out on.

1. Professional Help: With consumers spending so much time on your mobile and laptops, there is a demand for less tracking cookies. For the companies, it is important to note how and where their marketing data is sourced. It can get difficult to track customer’s data very rigorously since that reduces the trust factor. This is where a digital marketing team comes handy. You have a team of experts who track your marketing data responsibly, while you can focus on the business aspect and help your company improve.
2. Advice on Marketing Technology: It is common to get overwhelmed with so many marketing technology. If you have to pick any one tool for our company, you have to go through them all, which will take time and money. A digital marketing partner helps you in such times. You get a digital marketing model that has been tried and tested multiple times. You cut down on time by having an expert pick up the marketing technology that works for you.

Now, when you are joining hands with a third party to improve on your digital performance, there are certain aspects that you need to keep in mind. The digital marketing partner can provide you the opportunity to create great content and interesting campaigns, which result in great sales. Since it’s all about the brand image and sales, it is an important task and a small mistake can end up costing you, big time. Therefore, be cautious when it comes to choosing a digital marketing partner for your business. There are certain things that you need to clarify before you enter a commitment with a third party for your digital marketing.

Five questions to ask your digital marketing partner:

Q1. Can you provide a reference list of your current clients?

Before settling with a digital marketing partner, it helps to know their client base. This will not only help you understand the quality of your marketing partner but also help you realize which companies are seeking help from them and watch their market performance. Given that digital marketing is a booming business now, a lot of inexperienced people are entering the workforce to make easy money. Make sure you don’t end up paying an inexperienced team when you go for a partnership. Make sure you have the reference list of clients and go through it carefully before you make your selection.

Q2. Do you offer guarantees for your service?

Every service provider offers guarantees on their service, so don’t shy away from asking your potential digital marketing partner for the same. If the answer to this question is a vague one, it is better to continue looking and if it is too good to be true, we suggest that you continue with your research and check into the company track record in the market. When a digital marketing agency guarantees to take your company to the NO.1 position in Google, they will offer the same to all their clients. The success in the digital world depends on the update of the competitors, new entry and exists. Decide on set goals and see how well your potential digital marketing partner can achieve them and then go ahead.

Q3. What is their take on a successful client-agency partnership?

Talk to them clearly about the partnership since their take on things might be very different from what you are looking for. The difference won’t help in forging a good relationship for the long run. You need to match your way of working with the agency you ae partnering with. Many companies have a certain level of adaptability and will go that extra mile for their clients. If you want something specific from your digital marketing partner don’t be afraid to ask them for it and be very clear about your wants.

Q4. How experienced is your team and is it helpful for my industry?

The company might be in business for a century, but you need to know how aware they are of the digital marketing scenario and how frequently have they worked on what you expect them to do. You need to know about the nitty-gritty and see if the experience applies to your industry and needs. Be careful with the use of the term “experience.” It is a subjective notion and make sure that the experience amounts to work that is relevant and maintains a certain standard. For instance, there are many individuals who can competently use Facebook, but they won’t be able to use it as business tool. It is necessary for the partner to have the required set of skills since they won’t be able to meet your needs otherwise.

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Q5. Who will be working on my account?

The company that you want to connect with might have a great client record and have in the past created successful digital marketing campaigns for their clients. However, you might not get to work with the same team since they have been assigned to a more prestigious account. You might be stuck with the newbie, who has limited experience. It is important that you meet the individual in charge of your account. When you meet the team or the person responsible for holding your company’s digital marketing, you can decide if they are the right pick for your business and needs.

 

Q6. Do you focus more on your commission or the success of the client?

When an agency makes a recommendation to you, they might be aimed at helping you out or might also end up helping them earn increased commission. Be very careful about the reputation of the company before you go for a partner. Be certain that the recommendations offered to you are in the best interest of your business and not to help the agency earn a high commission.

Q7. Are you utilizing proprietary digital marketing technology?

Digital marketing has become complex these days. The best way to achieve success in the digital world is to combine digital marketing with digital technology. When you pick your digital marketing partner, make sure that they are focused on both digital technology and digital marketing. When the agency has both digital marketing and technology capabilities, it helps you be in sync with the rapid development and opportunities in the marketing sphere. If you are digital marketing partner is able to develop in-house technology that you can benefit from that becomes an added bonus, since many other companies might not be able to access the same technology.

Q8. What percentage of your total business is focused on digital marketing?

If you go for a company that focuses on different core areas, you might lose out. A company that is focused on too many things might not excel in all. Work with an agency that focuses primarily on digital marketing. If you go for a small agency that looks into digital marketing apart from many other things, you might end up wasting your money. Even if you are a small company, it helps to work with a good agency. You are taking a huge risk in your business when working with a digital marketing partner, but they might not understand the gravity of it.

Q9. Do you offer all digital marketing solutions?

It can get a tad difficult if you have to work with multiple vendors for the same line of work. Digital marketing requires SEO technology, web designing, CMS technology and many other things. If you work with an agency that offers only SEO technology, then you will have to look for web designers and meta search marketing and social media solutions among other things, elsewhere.

If you have the same company that focuses on web designing, SEO, inbound marketing, meta search marketing, mobile marketing, social media and SEM, then you don’t have to worry. Also, getting different agencies to work together can makes things confusing and difficult. There are confusions with regard to deadlines and communication, which can have a detrimental impact on the final product and affect your business.

Q10. What percentage of the work is handled in-house?

If the potential partner covers all your digital marketing needs within the company then you are in a better position to work out a cheaper deal with them. If they delegate the task to say freelancers, then you will have to bear their cost. Also, you won’t be able to communicate with those working directly with your account. When majority of the assignments and tasks are met in-house, there is less chance of error as well, which ensures the quality of the campaign.

And lastly…

What is the strength of your workforce?

If the agency has a small group of people, there is a chance that they might outsource some of their work. Given the marketing technology these days, a small team can’t handle the complexities in the field of digital technology and marketing. A larger team will have all the expertise on board and will get the task moving fast.

Before You Go!

These are the ten questions that you need to ask your potential digital marketing partner. A company that provides you with the answers that you are looking for from these questions, will be the right pick for your business. Connect with the best and watch your business soar. If you are completely clueless about where to start from, then head on to our Official Facebook or Twitter Page or comment down below for any advice. Working with an expert will automatically reflect on your company’s profile, so make sure that you don’t shy away from the best. Digital marketing can be a tad expensive, but it pays off in the long run.

A trusted digital marketing partner can transform any business and help you achieve success in the digital world. Working with the complex digital world is the task of the digital marketing experts, so it’s better to delegate the task to them. Your work is about looking at the business aspect of the company and with the right digital marketing partner you can do what you do best without worrying about other aspects.

Successful Financial Tips

At the beginning of every new financial year, we look back and sigh at our mistakes and promise not to repeat them in the new one. At the beginning of the new year, there are many who make resolutions to make better financial decisions in the new financial year. To help individuals make better financial decisions in the new year, here are some Successful Financial Tips for 2017.

 

Get Paid What You’re Worth and Spend Less Than You Earn

The tip itself is a simple one, but then there are many who struggle with the basic rule for a successful financial year. You need to make sure that you know the worth of your job in the market. How do you do that? You conduct skill evaluations, productivity, job tasks and evaluate your contribution to the company. Being underpaid can make a great difference during your working life, since your cumulative earning remains low.

 

 

The second aspect of this advice includes that you don’t exceed your earning when it comes to spending. It is easier to spend less and a little cost-cutting effort can help you make larger savings. It always doesn’t have to be big sacrifices.

 

Make A Budget and Stick to It

Right after you get your earnings, make an elaborate budget of all your expenses and stick to it. Sticking to the budget is something that you cannot be forced to do.

You have to stick to it on your own. Know that the budget will help you sort out your finances, and also ensure that you don’t overspend and can end up saving money.

 

Spend What Is Left After Saving

Remember the Warren Buffet principle of saving and investing. If you decide to save after spending from your total earnings for the month, chances are that you will be left with peanuts. Instead, decide on an amount that you will set aside for saving every month and stick to it. This will control your spending and make sure that you grow your savings.

Expert advice: You should save at least 26% of your annual earnings. If you aren’t saving this much, it is time to cut down your expenses and increase your savings. This change will help you live a comfortable retirement and provide you necessary backup in case of a job loss.

 

Stop Using Too Many Credit Cards

It feels good to be offered free credit cards and earning points after spending on them. However, it is time you know that nothing comes for free in life. When you spend through credit cards, you end up paying for a transaction fee. This fee is included in the cost of the product or service that you purchase with the card.

There’s no harm in paying through a credit card, but learn to restrict it for emergency purposes like booking a train or flight ticket when you have to make a sudden unforeseen expense. Apart from cutting down on the credit card expense, cut down on the number of credit cards to a maximum of two. This will prevent you from falling into a debt trap. When you have multiple cards and end up spending from all of them, you will have to end up paying all the finance charges and they can add up to quite a large amount.

 

Pay Off Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt could be quite a headache when you have to pay the large bill. On more than one occasion, we tend to forget that it is real money that we deal with when using the plastic cards. Despite our resolve to pay off the balance and outstanding bill, we often falter and then end up paying late charges and interests on the same.

In fact, we end up paying more for things that we purchase with our credit cards. In the new financial year, make a resolution to pay off your debts faster so that you can save on the high interests.

 

Purchase Enough Insurance

When financial experts ask you to cut down on unnecessary expenses, it’s not like they are asking you to cut down on purchasing insurance cover. Both life and health insurance are extremely important. While life insurance ensures

While life insurance ensures the safety of your family, health insurance safeguards your financial planning in case of an accident or illness. Insurance cover prevents you from paying in case of an emergency.

 

Don’t Wait for March

Many professionals think of investments and tax-saving right when March is around the corner. These individuals usually end up purchasing a product that doesn’t serve them any purpose. Financial experts say that we shouldn’t mix insurance and investments and should keep them separate. The easiest way to make sure that you don’t regret the financial year at the year-end is to start investing in April.

 

When you start early, you have time to study the product and earn good returns throughout the financial year.

 

Contribute to A Retirement Plan

You are saving at present to ensure a comfortable retired life. If your goal is a comfortable retirement then you need to maximize your retirement savings. You can put your savings in the salary deferrals 401(k) plans, automatic monthly withdrawals from a checking account and from paying down a mortgage.

You can also invest in tax-advantaged retirement schemes like IRAs. If your employer has the 401(k) plan and matches dollar for dollar up to 3% of your salary, then make sure that you contribute at least 3% from your monthly salary so that you end up saving 6% of your salary despite using only 3% for the same.

 

Invest for The Long Term

When you think of investment, think of it like a marathon and not a sprint. You should develop an investment strategy and stick to it no matter what is the situation of the market. You should know that the earning on

You should know that the earnings on a diversified portfolio of large capitalization stocks is 10% compounded annually since 1926, on the other hand, corporate and government bonds have earned only 6%.

 

Invest in Your Kid’s Future

Right at the beginning of the new financial year, think of little things that you can do in 2017 that might have a huge impact on your children in the next ten-fifteen years.

 

You can fund a 529 account for college or invest in the 529 ABLE accounts for children with disabilities. Start a trust fund or fund a small investment account that will become a safety net for their college education. Remember that the small acts today will go a long way in helping your kids in the long run.

Wrapping Up!

These are some of the most basic financial advice for 2017. Remember there is the power to planning, so get a plan set up and follow it. Plan for the future and stick to it. Automate your investment strategies and savings whenever there is scope for the same.

Review your steps beforehand and seek financial help whenever you deem it necessary. There’s nothing more foolish than risking things simply because you didn’t know what to do. Seek the help of a financial planning professional and get ready for the new financial year.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment box. If you have any queries, contact us on our official Facebook Page.

Effective ways of Link building without content?

Of course, content plays a crucial role in link building, and we all know that. The nature of the content, makes the link builder’s job easier. However, we have learnt not to generalize things when it comes to marketing strategies. Content is important, but it isn’t necessary to build links. In fact, experts suggest that there are more tactics than content that goes into helping you acquire useful links.

Link building is no rocket science. All you have to do is find a relevant link and convince them to link. Now comes the next question, and an important one at that. Why would the other site link to yours? The other site might link to you for a variety of reasons:

1. Because there is a relationship between these two sites
2. Because the site is talking or discussing about your product
3. Because you are valuable to their customer base and they don’t want to miss the opportunity to connect with more customers
4. Because you are involved in the same community events.

While its known that content doesn’t necessarily play the key role when it comes to link building, it should be kept in mind that you need to work on existing relationships and connections if you want to build links without creating content. You will have to provide some value if you want to earn links. It will be difficult to earn links if the other site doesn’t feel you are valuable enough for them and their online business.

Remember, link-building tactic can be easily abused and you shouldn’t inculcate relationships with other websites solely for securing their links. When you pursue links only for the SEO value, you get yourself into a strained relationship, which could go on to damage your brand’s reputation. Subsequently, you end up with low quality links, which does more harm than good for you.

The key here is to first deliver value when you are looking to build links without content. When you do so, you are guaranteed of good links as an added benefit.

Given below are 10 great ideas to build links without content.

Mentions

The easiest and most convenient way to secure links without new content is to resort to online mentions. People need to be talking about your company and your offline marketing and PR will have to come up with strategies to build the brand further. Brand mentions are the most common form of mentions. Your business brand, executives, products and services will have to be frequently mentioned online. Mention opportunities are derived from:

• Well-known products
• Prominent employees
• Company buildings
• Proprietary images
• Sponsored events
• Brand representatives and spokespeople
• Slogans, taglines and catchphrases

It should be noted that even controversies with media coverage will help build links. If someone makes a reference to your company online, in any way, it creates a link opportunity for you. These references are usually ignored and this is where your PR and marketing team plays a crucial role. You can take the assistance of Google Alerts, Rankur and similar tools to find relevant mentions.

 

Relevant Niche Directories

Before the existence of search engines, directories were used to navigate the web. Directories focus on websites as a whole, rather than specific parts of the content and hence you don’t need to create new material. When you link your website to a directory, you can get valuable traffic. While directories have fallen in relevance because of their diminishing quality and assurance, you can still build links when you connect with relevant directories.

 

Partnerships

Meaningful partnerships with other companies that include referral business, cooperative marketing, product collaboration, lead to link opportunities. Another effective way to use partnerships would be to co-author content. Your offline partners can also help you in link building online, without creating new content. Making your company part of a professional network or association also helps in building links. Offline partners already have a connection and it helps to make it evident online.

 

Reviews and Testimonials

Before Google came into prominence, online reviews were the place to cite useful information and credibility. When you get a review somewhere it automatically becomes a great place to link your website. You also get the opportunity to show your users the positive review that the company received. When you become reviewed, you not only build links, but also get credited as a reputable company.

Make sure that you provide testimonials only if you believe in the company that you are endorsing and not just for the purpose of building a link. Yes, writing a testimonial or review is considered as content creation, but adding a short quote or description requires less number of resources than writing an infographic or blog post. You can get potential reviews and testimonials from:

• Distributors
• Merchandise suppliers
• Local Vendors

 

Community Involvement

If you want to build links without content, becoming a part of the community is a great place to start. The moment you become a part of the community, helping it better, you get the chance to partner with other brands in the industry and this increases the visibility. Partnerships forged while giving back to the community is a great way to build links.

While relationships and community activities are a great way to build links, make sure that you don’t give preference to your needs more than that of the company and the society.

Here are some ways in which you give back to the community and earn your right to build links:

• Scholarships to students
• Charity work
• Hosting local events
• Sponsorships

You can also become a part of an online community like Quora, Reddit, Google+ Communities and other social network platforms.

 

Contests

Another great way to build links is to associate with the marketing activity of another company, be it in the form of content creation, and authority building. Contests are another great way to do so. They are ideal in boosting your online engagement since you get social media shares and mentions. These go a long way in building good links. If you are thinking of interesting ways to acquire more links, then you cannot miss out on the contests.

 

Roping in Outdated Resources

Outdated resources would be the sites that had a niche like yours, but stopped updating their website and changed their brand names, or dropped the product or services similar to yours, or have completely shut their business down.

There is a high chance that many sites are using the outdated resource to link, without having any idea that they are no longer updated or that the business has closed its shop. If you end up using the outdated link, you automatically link to these pages.

 

Broken Link Building

Broken link building is the best tactic for building strong links. The practice involves finding broken links that point to pages and sites that are similar to yours. You can then connect with them and tell them that you would want to showcase the broken link on your website. You can also use broken links to reach those who are linking the old link and show them your latest and superior content. Using broken links is extremely popular right now.

 

Image Links

If you have images that have found their way into other websites, it is time to stop being angry. Instead use the incident to your benefit. When you find out that the website with your images and logos is worth linking with, ask them to convert these images on their websites to links. There are different tools you can use to track down-convert these images into links.

 

Help A Reporter Out

Help a Reporter Out is a website that helps reporters find quotes and sources. HARO helps by alerting a company if a journalist is looking for a quote in your field. You can immediately respond and provide the journalist with the quote that they are looking for. There is no denying the power of the press and the resulting publicity that you would get. You need to work with HARO if you are looking to secure yourself as a strong contender in your industry.

 

Before You Go!

The guide with the ten ideas to help build link without content has been tried by different companies. You have to consider the option of building links without new content critically. The content will never fade out in importance, but the published content can be a great way to boost the brand.

You have put in your time on to the content and there is no need to rush and change it every time you want to build links. Content promotion is as crucial as writing a new piece of content and you need to explore different strategies for the same. Make sure that marketing your content generates more lead and increases your index so play it smart when it comes to content. Check out our link building packages at much affordable and reasonable rates.

Rewriting isn’t always the clue to success.

Do you think these 10 strategies can help you build links without generating fresh content? I’d love to know your thoughts.

Drop me a comment below or contact us via our Official Facebook Page.

Blogging can be a great hobby, but then all bloggers would agree that scouting for interesting ideas for the blog content can tend to get a tad tiring. To keep connecting with the reader, you have to come up with new ideas for the different posts. The grind can be exhausting, especially if you are wracking your brain for all the ideas.

The struggle is genuine and especially if you churn many posts each week. You know that without quality content, even the best marketing strategies to get people in will fail. So how do you think of great content ideas for your blogs and keep the readers happy?

The answer is simple. You need to find out the type of content that will click with the readers. There are two types of basic content ideas:

• Ideas that come out of nowhere
• Ideas that are derived from demand

Each of these ideas can be used to make the content of your blog an instant hit. However, if you are looking to address a specific goal with your blog, then it is a better idea to stick to the second option.

Even if you have like a stream of great ideas for your blog posts, there isn’t any guarantee that these will be appreciated by the readers. The opinion of a few people doesn’t help in getting an idea about the large number of readers that you want to connect with. In such a situation, you need a tool that will help you validate your ideas with the help of human interaction, search queries and forum posts. The tools help you understand the interest of a larger audience and makes your posts more viable.

Try the different tools listed below to help you generate ideas for your content. There is no guarantee that all of them will click for you, but there isn’t any harm in giving it a try.

 

Google Suggest

This is the easiest and most convenient way to find out what’s trending. All you have to do is enter the keywords and let Google suggest variations of these terms, based on the search carried out by others. If you go to the bottom of the page, you will get links to additional related searches as well.

 

MagicRecs

MagicRecs helps you find out the latest areas of interest with the help of Twitter. You can find out which account majority of your followers are following and help you get ideas that will enable you to connect with them.

HubSpot’s Topic Generator

 

HubSpot generates topics quickly and is a no-brainer when it comes to learning how to use it. The tool is so efficient that you will have five blog post ideas within seconds. The tool generates topics based on the nouns you enter. The moment you enter the three nouns, HubSpot will list five topics for you.

Isn’t that awesome?

 

Google Keyword Planner

The tool was launched in place of the old Google Keyword tool. The tool is used to search keywords and ad ideas. All you have to do is simply add a keyword or phrase, the URL of the landing page and the Google Keyword Planner will come up with relevant keywords.

These keywords are the ones that your readers have been searching for. Once you know what your readers are looking for, you have the content idea for your blog posts. You can also enter keyword combinations and generate potential blog post titles.

 

Quora

Quora is one of the leading questions and answer sites and is one of the most effective ways to get an idea about what your readers would want to read about. With this tool, you can search for all the queries related to your keywords. When you register to Quora, you have to pick your selected categories, which would include your areas of interest.

 

Delicious

This is one tool that will keep churning great ideas for your blog posts. The tool gives you a comprehensive list of all the trending topics on the web. You will get an idea of the topics that people have been discussing on the internet and you can take your pick from there to craft your blog post.

You can also enter a keyword and get related topics that are currently being discussed. These lists are curated by people, so you can trust their popularity.

 

BuzzSumo

Another great tool that will help you generate ideas for your blog posts is BuzzSumo. The tool does more than just share content ideas with you.

• It can show you the number of shares and social engagements each topic received
• Identify key sharers via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+
• Show you trending topics and contents
• Displays backlinks

The tool helps you decide the angle that you need to adopt in your blog post on a particular topic so that you strike with the reader better.

 

Alltop

Alltop is a news aggregator that lets you know about the trending news online. It covers a wide range of topics that includes, sports, religion, science, and even fashion. If you are a part of Alltop, you will always be on the top of the trending topics. If you go through only the homepage of the tool, you will get a lot of great ideas for your posts, depending on the area you want to focus on.

 

UberSuggest

This is a simple and straightforward tool that generates title ideas based on the keywords you enter. You will get thousands of phrases with your preferred keyword and are free to select the ones that are worth writing about on your blog. Many feel that UberSuggest is similar to the Google Keyword Planner, but a lot more streamlined and sorted.

 

Technorati

Among all the tools listed here, Technorati is one of the best tools for researching. The tool is up-to-date and helps you find out about the latest blog post ideas searched by SEOs. It helps bring out the most relevant posts so that you can be a part of the current debate and discussion.

 

Wrapping Up!

Creating a content plan and sticking to it is a challenging task. Every blogger inevitably comes to a point where they suffer writer’s block or get bored about writing or simply fail to feel the pulse of the readers.

There is no shame in being in such a situation, but you should be willing to experiment and try finding inspiration in other sources. Try to craft your content differently, explore different resources and optimize your strategies. Give these tried and tested tools a try when you feel stuck and aren’t able to create quality content for your blog. The ten tools provide you with a variety of ideas, so play around with them and see what works and what doesn’t. Simply do not follow them since they have been suggested. Workaround and find your comfort space. Don’t be scared to experiment while creating amazing content ideas. After all, no one can resist something that’s a little different from the usual run-of-the-mill stuff that we find on different blogs. Also, Feel free to add to our list of tools!

Have you heard of the term “web hosting?” Before we get into understanding the concept of “web hosting,” let’s understand what hosting means. Hosting is the physical computer where the website is situated. Or in other words, it’s the server that delivers the files that the visitors of the site require.

Web hosting can end up being a tad confusing, especially if you want to launch your website and have no idea how to go about it. Yes, the concept is extremely technical and might be completely strange to you, but it is fun once you get the hang of it!

If you are planning on launching a website, the first thing that you must do is hosting. Hosting will provide the place where you will put all the information that will be displayed on the website. It should be kept in mind that a great host will make your website fast.

A Study from Hostingfacts found that

Now if you want to launch a website, but aren’t being able to wrap your head around concepts like Apache, PHP Load, and PHP, it’s suggested that you entitle the task to a tech expert. If you are looking for a tech expert to help you with the website host, then look no further, since we are here to help.

We will help you understand the concept with basic terms and explanations and make the technical jargon easy to comprehend. Not only will we break down the technical concepts to help you get a better idea, but also help you understand the basic things that you need to consider when hunting for a host. We assure you that the whole idea might sound daunting, but with our help, it will be a cakewalk!

Know What You Need

Before you start figuring out about web hosting, you need to know exactly what you want. To understand your requirement for a web host, you need to answer certain fundamental questions that will help you get a clearer idea of your requirements.

1. Will You Lose Income or Visitor If Your Site Droops Down?

This question is crucial since you will face the ramification whenever your site goes down. The option you pick will help you decide the hosting you need to invest in.

2. What Kind of Traffic Will Your Site See?

Give some thought to the present level of traffic that your site experiences and make a future projection based on it.

3. How Fast Do You Want the Site to Be?

The kind of host you use impacts the speed of your website. You will need to decide if a slow site will hamper things or create a bigger problem and go ahead with a particular host.

4. How Much Space Does the Site Need?

The kind of content your site contains will determine the space it requires. If your site doesn’t have much media-centric content, you will make do with limited space, but if it includes images and videos, then storage needs to be considered.

5. What Are Your Specific Needs?

You need to decide if your need is based on other sites that need hosting. If you have several URL redirects or have e-commerce wants and even allow space for email, then your hosting preference will change accordingly.

6. How Much Control Do You Require?

The hosting will depend on what kind of control you need. You can choose between being an average user, or going ahead and testing many configurations, or even making advanced installations.

7. How Do You Plan to Seek Help?

There are lots of ways to ask for help. You can either go for the phone, email, online forums, or ticket-support systems. Which one you favor for the particular website will determine the hosting you need.

It might not be possible to have all the answers before you start, but if you have a basic idea about these seven questions, the selection process for web hosting will be easier.

What Are the Different Types Of Hosting?

There are different types of hosting, and each one is unique. Given below is a basic outline of the various types of hosting, which will help you get a better idea about the concept before you start working on it.

1. Shared

Shared hosting would be the most common and inexpensive hosting. Most people start with shared hosting and works well for most of websites. Shared hosting involves multiple sites using the same server. Each customer website gets a chunk of the server and must remain within the set limit.

Possible drawback:

While the price for shared hosting is cheaper than the rest, it comes with some major problems. The first and foremost would be the issue of space. With many websites sharing a single server, it might so happen that one site enjoying a lot of traffic will slow down the rest. Overloading issues shouldn’t occur with a good host, but it is one of the biggest problems faced when using shared hosting.

Pricing: $4-15 per month.

2. Virtual Private Server

The Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a hosting that uses software to run quite a few sites on a single server, in a way that they function like dedicated servers. Even though multiple sites share the same server, the software in place makes it feel like a dedicated server for the website. Even though the VPS server is costlier than Shared server, it is customizable, faster, and more secure. Since the server doesn’t slow down other sites, because of increased traffic on any one site, it is an excellent choice for growing websites.

Pricing: $15-150 per month.

3. Dedicated Hosting

If you have a site that requires a lot of space, then Dedicated Hosting is the best choice for you. This host will offer your site its very private server, where you don’t have to share with anyone. Dedicated Hosting ensures a more secure site with faster speed. Users will also not face any impact from other websites. There are plenty more options to pick from for different price ranges.

When you pick Dedicated Hosting, you have the option to choose between managed and unmanaged dedicated hosting. When you go for managed hosting, the hosts provide you with technical help who assists you to handle the server and carry out upgrades. In unmanaged hosting, you have to perform these tasks on your own.

Pricing: $100-250 per month.

4. Cloud Hosting

This is a new method of hosting that has recently gained a lot of importance. In Cloud Hosting, your site is not associated with a single server; it is linked to different servers in several locations. Cloud hosting minimizes the downtime for the website since it is readily available in the cloud. It is the perfect choice for websites that cannot have downtime.

Possible drawbacks:

Setting up Cloud Hosting tends to be complex. It is also more expensive than the other hosting options available in the market.

17 Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Web Host

Deciding on which web hosting option to pick can be a difficult one, especially if you are a newbie when it comes to running a website. Multiple companies in the market promise to fulfill all your requirements and offer similar prices. In such a situation, it can be tough to pick one company out for your hosting option. Given below is a list of factors that will help you make the right decision when it comes to selecting a web hosting company. Most reliable web hosting companies have a dedicated page, where they mention the perks of joining their company. However, you should still do your due diligence and find out whether what they claim is true or not.

• Price: The first factor we consider when we pick anything is pricing. However, it isn’t the right way to head when it comes to web hosting. When you choose a company that offers you low prices, you need to be prepared for a service that meets the bill. You have to realize that employing a suitable host costs money and you cannot get the best non-outsourced support and hardware at a low price. Do not compare solely based on prices. Compare the services that the companies are providing and then consider the pricing. Another thing you need to keep in mind is the purpose of the website. If your site is meant for personal reasons, then going for free hosting makes more sense for you.

If you are confused, you can always head to HostMonk, which is a website that offers a comprehensive list of all the hosting companies along with their different packages. WHReviews is another good site to head to before making your decision.

Tips: Small businesses can consider domain hosting, colocation or standard paid hosting. When you go for domain hosting, you only have to pay for the domain name of your website. This is the perfect option for those running on a small budget and who want to use a site with Tumblr or WordPress.

• Specialties Offered: There is a host of companies offering you web hosting services. However, you need to realize that not all of them are suited for your need. Each customer has a unique need, and they should head to a company that can meet them. The key factor determining your choice of hosting company should be one that caters primarily to your needs and the specialty of your website. Talk to customers who have already availed of the services of these companies to get a better idea.
• Technical Specifications: How your site functions will go a long way in determining the web hosting company you would want to associate with. If your website is rich in content or is an e-commerce site, then you shouldn’t go for a cheap plan since that won’t have enough RAM and processing power to support your traffic. Select wisely to avoid downtime and load issues. Before zeroing in on a host, check if they charge for additional domains, support, and backups. You need to contact the company and be very clear about how you want your website to grow and make sure that understand your vision completely.
• Technical Support Offered: Since you do not have a clear idea about your host, it will be difficult for you to deal with the technical problems for the same. When you go ahead and pick up a company, make sure that you can access a real person during a crisis. This individual would help you realize what’s the problem and also help you solve it.

You need to check on the customer reputation of the company. See how they can be contacted and whether they are available 24X7 since you never know when you might need them for your website! Just like host companies are different when it comes to their pricing, they are different in their technical support as well. Carry out some extensive research to pick your preferred company.

• Features Offered: When it comes to choosing between so many host companies, it always boils down to what extra the company offers that the others don’t. Several companies will go the extra mile to win a potential customer. They might offer you multiple data centers, free domain privacy, data backups, energy-saving practices, and much more. If you find a company that offers services and features that you require, beyond and above what they usually offer, you will know that you have found a good host company.
• Additional Features Offered: The hosting companies might entail more cost, but they are worth it. Some of the extra services that these companies offer include email services, where you can create your email address. This goes a long way in making your business more professional. An e-commerce website needs a secure server where the customers can carry out safe transactions. These services help build a reputation for your company and will assist you in the long run.
• Hardware: What kind of hardware the company uses will decide on the quality of the service provided by them. If the company isn’t very open about the server that they use, it is time to look for other options. A company that uses modern, state-of-the-art machines as compared to one that uses chicken wires and spare parts, will offer you a better service.
• Customer Reviews: The most honest opinion about a particular hosting company can be derived from the customers. You need to connect with the existing customers and also carry out a blog search on the internet to find out reviews on the different hosting companies. The customers will honestly tell you if the technical support is easily reachable, and what is the average time for them to respond to, and what is the kind of service that they provide. You can visit websites like Web Hosting Talk, LifeHacker, and Web Hosting Jury for customer reviews.
• Reputation: The customer reviews will help you get a clearer idea about the reputation of the web hosting companies. Make sure that you get a clear picture of the company’s reputation before you start working with them. Each of these companies will have their testimonials and statistics mentioned. Check out hosting forums also to see how they are perceived by the text experts.

When you are trying to get a clear idea about the company’s reputation, also check up on their uptime statistics. The uptime percentage will help you see how frequently the hosting company’s sites are live. The higher the percentage, the better it is. Make sure that you go for a company that has a rate close to 100% since an issue with the hosting company will slow down your website. If the website is slow, the visitor will not be able to access the site and are then less likely to return for the second time, and you lose out on traffic.

• Spam and Email Practices: If you have an email option in the website then make sure that your hosting company has a solution to tackle spam problems. Consider their spam solutions and email practices before you decide to work with them.
• User Interface: No matter how technically sound you are, there are some issues about web hosting that might not be your cup of tea. If you don’t know how to install WordPress or set up an email or FTP account, you need to find a hosting company that will do it for you without any additional cost. Make sure that the company has cPanel or Plesk for updates and doesn’t use the complex interface that might be difficult to figure out. Since you will be the one to work on them, it will be difficult if you can’t find your way through them.
• Space for Growth: Another crucial thing that you need to consider when selecting a hosting company is whether they can fit into your plans. What might be adequate for you now, won’t be so in the future, when the website grows. As a web-based entrepreneur. you need to focus on growth and hence shouldn’t consider hosting companies that won’t accommodate the future growth in the company. If you are availing of Shared Hosting, check if the company offers VPS and Dedicated Hosting solutions and how easy would it be to update your account.
• Usability: Usability will be important if you are new to the world of web hosting and have no clue about coding and other technical know-how. Usability can also give you more freedom to customize the website and offers more hosting options. When you are considering usability make sure that the hosting company offers you Plesk, cPanel, ISPConfig or ispCP. These programs will help you customize and set up your website even if you are unfamiliar with the file transfer protocol. FTP is necessary if you want to upload files to the site, which include header images and logos.
• Don’t Just Go By The Big-Names: Just like cheap hosting companies might not offer all the services you want, the big names might also not offer you everything you want. These web hosting companies might have built their brand, but it is easy to get blindsided by their success and not pay attention to their hosting solutions. Don’t go for a company simply because they have a good reputation in the market, make sure that they offer you the services that you require.
• Security Strength: Since you are placing all your website’s information in the host, it is mandatory that you consider a company that offers the best security strength. The customers will share all their information with you, and it is your responsibility to secure them. When considering security strength, look into the daily backups of the web hosting company. You cannot afford to lose the content of the website without a backup to retrieve them! Keep an eye on the SSLs. When you design an e-commerce website but don’t plan on using third-party service for the client’s payment data, you will need SSLs. You also need to scan for malware and help the site from being blacklisted. A SiteLock will take care of this and will also help you gain the trust of the customers.
• High Traffic: If you are looking to create a website that will see a huge amount of traffic, you must consider a company that has the capability to handle that amount of traffic and doesn’t cause the site to crash.
• Zero Downtime: Downtimes will make your website slow. It doesn’t matter even if that happens in the middle of the night since a site will be accessed by visitors from all over the world. The downtime will make things difficult for your website, and you will have to make sure that you go for a hosting company that upgrades their system to avoid downtime.

How to Choose the Right Host for Your Site

Now that you have a comprehensive list of all the factors that you need to consider when picking a host for your website, it is time to get some nuggets of advice that will help you select the right hosting company. Given below is a list of wisdom that will assist in making the selection process easier.

1. Reputation:

You might have understood by now that the reputation of the company is of prime importance. How long a company has been around and how quickly they respond to complaints and whether they offer immediate technical support, will help you make sure that you get the best service. Be very direct with the host, ask them questions, and satisfy all your queries. If you find them lacking somewhere, don’t hesitate to keep looking.

2. Find the Limit of the Unlimited Package:

Even before you get into the world of websites, you must realize that there’s nothing called “unlimited.” Even the unlimited has a limit, so don’t be fooled by the hosts that offer you unlimited storage and data transfer. It is bait waiting for you. The limits are mentioned in the service agreements and contracts, and you might have to plow through them to find it out, but be rest assured that it is there! There are chances that the host company might keep changing their limits without warning or leave things undefined, so you should be very clear about it from the beginning. While storage and data transfer numbers are crucial, what matters primarily is the PHP memory, which you will run out of first.

3. Be Sure About the Uptime Guarantees:

Before you sign a contract with a web hosting company find out their uptime guarantee. Even if they offer 99.9% uptime ensure that still includes eight hours of downtime every year. Analyze if your business can function with this. This might not pose a threat to smaller businesses but could become a major deal-breaker for larger ones.

4. Be Sure About the Refunds:

It might so happen that the hosting company might not be able to provide you with satisfactory service or you might find a better deal else. In such a situation, it would help if you can avail of a refund. Make things very clear with the web hosting company from the very beginning. What if they mess things up or if their server crashes or if you ever want to end the contract with them, if you can avail a refund.

5. Location:

Yes, you read that right! Location does matter even if the website is global. If your server is located on the other side of your primary customers, then things will slow down. If you are concerned about the speed, then you need to place importance on the location of the servers used by the hosting company.

6. Be Open to Moving:

There’s no harm in moving your site. If you feel that the service of the hosting company isn’t good enough or that the service is too expensive, you can easily move your website. If you find the price steep in the initial months, this expense will only increase with time, and you should switch to a cheaper option if you don’t want to keep paying the steep amount.

7. Customer Service:

The one aspect if always tend to look past is the customer service offered by a company. However, this cannot be the case when you select your web hosting company. If your website crashes at 3 am, customer service will be the first one you will try and contact. No service will matter if you cannot get instant help when your website is in a crisis. Firstly, you shouldn’t face many problems, and even if you do, you need to be confident about 24X7 customer service for the same.

So How Will You Decide If the Customer Service Is Best Suited for You?

• They will be prompt. The best customer service is one that responds to your problems instantly. Depending on the situation, a wait time of an hour is the maximum you can afford for your website. You would not want to be associated with a company that offers a wait time of 24 hours for a crisis.
• They should be helpful. Customer service will be the first point of contact when you face a crisis, and they should be capable of making you understand the problem and offering you a quick solution. If they are evasive or cannot provide useful information, then you will be in trouble.
• The customer service should function as you want them to. Some companies send in technical support to work things out for you, or there are some that respond and offer solutions via telephone and chat. Go with the one that suits you best.

8. Security:

Security is another aspect we don’t give much importance to until something goes wrong. You will realize that most of the host companies don’t talk about the security option. This is because they don’t want everyone to know about their system. However, some hosts brag about their system, and that is when you know that they have something unique and are using it as a selling point.

• Check online and read reviews to find out about the kind of security offered by the company.
• You should check for network firewall, intrusion prevention system, server firewall, and access lists to make sure that the hosting company is providing the best security.
• The best option is multiple layers of security.
• Also, make sure that the company updates its security patches at regular intervals.

9. Amount of Control You Enjoy:

Since it is your website that we are talking about, you will have some amount of control over it. However, the amount of control you enjoy depends on the level that the host company offers. If you are using shared hosting, you might not enjoy the same amount of control as you would enjoy with a dedicated server. No matter what type of hosting you go with, a good host makes sure that you have an ample amount of control and access to your website.

• Many hosts offer a control panel with a lot of functionality. While you may not need so many, it is always better to have access to these. You may end up requiring them when you least expect it.
• Make sure that the control panel you have access to is a cPanel since they are the best and the most popular. If you are clueless about the cPanel, you can go through the online tutorials for the same, to gather your information. Given the popularity of the cPanel, you might not have to relearn a new system in case you change the host.

10. Avoid Overloading:

One of the primary problems faced by the world of web hosting is overloaded servers. Many hosts cram too many sites into a shared server to increase their earning, and this often ends up affecting the websites. The overloaded server only makes your site slow and unavailable because other websites are enjoying all the traffic and bandwidth. The only problem is that you cannot find out if your company is overloading the server.

• Check the other websites on the server and see what their speed is. Also, check the speed of the host’s site to see how fast it is running.
• You can also ask around or read the reviews.

11. Check If the Company Offers FTP Access:

Find out if the host company offers FTP access. It is the easiest way to connect with your site and upload files. You will need FTP even if you want to install WordPress yourself. If the web hosting company doesn’t offer FTP, they will allow you to upload the files with the help of a web interface. The method works, but FTP is quicker and easier to access.

12. Check for Upgrades:

You need to remember that your website will not remain this small in the years to come. You have a big dream, and you should make sure that your hosting can make that a reality. Before you associate with the company, check on their upgrade options. You might not need them right now, but you will need them in the future, and it doesn’t harm to have an idea about it.

• Don’t believe whatever the company tells you and don’t upgrade if you see that the next package offers an “unlimited” option. You don’t need it right now, and it will only cost you money.

13. Email:

The easiest way to make your business look professional is to make your business email. Most of the host companies offer emails, but it always helps to clarify them in the beginning. See what features they offer and if it serves your daily needs.

• Make sure that the company allows all emails to be rerouted to your domain.
• Check for the availability of autoresponders.
• See if you can forward your emails to an existing account. This is helpful you already have an email address and don’t want to keep a tab on multiple accounts.
• Make sure that you can access your email via IMAP and/or POP3. The POP3 access will help you check your email via Outlook.
• Also, look for web-based solutions.

While the aforementioned points should be considered before selecting the host company, here are some more points that will help you pick between two options that are equally perfect for you.

14. One-Click WordPress Install:

WordPress is easy to install, but it becomes easier when you have a hosting company that offers one-click WordPress installation. This helps if you want a hassle-free approach when setting up the website. Here’s the catch- if you go for one-click installations, you usually have to make do with security issues and slower upgrades.

15. Reselling Options:

Host reselling is a feature that will help advanced users. Reselling is a common practice for web developers since it gives them the opportunity to build the site and host it. If you want this option, look for the reselling opportunities offered by the host. Many hosts offer unbranded solutions for you to make the hosting environment suitable for your branding. Privilege server offers great reseller hosting packages to get you started.

16. Affiliate Cash:

If you aren’t planning to resell hosting, you might be offered affiliate dollars by the host company. The affiliate cash will help pay off in the long run. You can also make do without managing ads or links and can still end up making some cash.

17. Registration of Domain Name:

Some hosts allow you to register your domain name. While it might be a good option to combine your hosting and domain registration, this might become a problem if you want to change hosts in the future. Many hosts own their URL and license it to the website, so it might be difficult to transfer the URL to another host if there are billing issues. It is a smarter move not to combine host registration and domain name since that might force you to remain with the host even if you want an out.

18. Domain Parking:

This is a rather common practice in the world of web hosting. Companies end up purchasing all the domains that are similar to their name, including the misspelt ones so that they can get the traffic. Host allow domain parking, but there might be some limits on how many URLs you can redirect.

19. Backup:

It is crucial to have a backup system on your site. This will help you if you delete a folder accidentally while tinkering around the FTP program. Trust us when we say that these blunders have to even the most technically sound person. To avoid such situations, hosts offer daily backups, which will restore whatever gets deleted. Be very clear about the backup options provided by the company, and it is safer to have your backup options in place, like the BackupBuddy.

20. E-Commerce:

If you want some additional functionality like e-commerce, you will be able to get them from your host company if you ask them for it. These out-of-the-box solutions may not be customizable like many WordPress plugins, but they will work fine for any basic requirements.

21. One Place for All Sites:

If you have a long list of websites and can’t stop buying interesting domain names, then it is best that you host all of them together in the same space. Many companies offer options to keep multiple sites, which is called Addon Domains. Check and confirm if the company you want to work it offers the feature.

10 Questions to Ask Your Web Hosting Provider Before You Make the Final Decision

You cannot compromise on your website and the security of your customers. One of the key points to remember before you go ahead and create your online presence is the choice of the web hosting company that you associate with. Many factors determine your decision. Here is a list of 10 questions that you might ask the hosting company, to make an informed decision.

1. What Is the Security Policy That You Follow?

The security policy followed by a hosting company will offer you an insight into the company. There a lot of varieties to pick from. Many companies offer you server space and a connection while deciding to give you free rein when it comes to the security of the content. On the other hand, some companies carry out malware scans, monitor the traffic of the site and offer denial-of-service mitigation. You also need to be sure that the security updates happen very frequently.

2. How Do You Handle Breaches in Security?

One of the key security concern is when the security precautions fail in certain cases. In such a situation, it is often the hosting company that finds out beforehand and needs to ensure the safety of the visitors. It is important to know how and whether the provider will attempt to tackle the situation and how long will they take to identify the crisis and work to solve it. Also, what happens if you find out about a breach and how soon can you get a reply from the company after you report the issue to them?

3. What Is the Platform Under My Application?

Closely related to the issue of security is the server platform used for your website. You need to know which server your CMS application is installed on and how it is secured from breaches. Generally, the underlying platform is protected by server software like IIS and Apache. A knowledge of this is crucial since these platforms often require to be restarted for maintenance and you will not know how to do so if you don’t have any idea about the platform. Every time you restart for maintenance you cause downtime, and you will have to maintain the delicate balance between operations and security.

4. Is SSL (HTTPs) Offered?

SSL is usually offered as a premium hosting service and not as default. It so happens that the cost for the SSL is not considered when you are looking for the price of the server and the end figure might drastically change once it is factored in. In such a situation, it is important that you know whether it is required. The SSL will make the website secure, especially if you plan on employing username and password, as in many e-commerce sites. The HTTPS will ensure that the data fed in by the customers become encrypted before they are sent across the internet. There are different levels of SSL certificates that you can consider.

5. Do You Backup?

Backups are crucial for security and continuity of the website. The backups help if there is equipment failure at the host’s end and if there is a security compromise in the website. When you know that your data is backed and you can restore it easily, you will have the option to deal calmly with such situations. Injecting an SQL will compromise the website easily, and a backup will help recover the database and restore the files in the web folder. Lastly, make sure that the backup data is located off-site since keeping it on the site might subject it to the same risk as the website.

6. Who Is Responsible for CMS Platforms and Installations?

Most of the hosting sites have pre-installed content management software. However, it is crucial to know if the installed version is the latest build and whether it gets security updates regularly. Many hosts allow users to upload their CMS platform and they also provide the option to allow the customers to keep the software updated.

7. Can I Disable Applications and Service Not Required?

This question might sound simple, but it is important, If you want a blog and not a forum, you might want the option to remove it. Unused applications might only increase the threat of an attack. There are initial server configurations that allow you to select the applications you want to use with the option to make changes in the future. You can also disable the unused features.

8. Who Will Update the Applications and Software?

Attackers love unpatched applications. WordPress, Joomla, Movable Type have all seen vulnerabilities. If you leave these vulnerabilities unpatched, then you allow attackers to compromise your website. Most of the malicious websites are in fact victims of a compromise. You need to be clear about whether the host will offer to update applications that they don’t provide.

9. What Kind of Security Monitoring Is Employed?

If your site is compromised, how will you find it out? This is where the security monitoring comes into the picture. It would be better if you were the first one to find this out rather than your visitors finding it out via security software. The situation becomes a lot less embarrassing, and you can fix the problem immediately.

10. How Are Uploads Secured?

The content of the website is crucial, and you need to ensure that only you have access to it. The content is usually updated by FTPs, but they aren’t secured, and there have been cases where FTP credentials have been stolen. A better option then would be to use Secure FTP for the content.

Before You Go!

If you have any doubt about hosting options that will be best suited for your requirements you can hit me up in the comments section below, contact me via our Facebook page.

Till then,

Happy Hosting!

Have you guys ever been browsing your favorite website or playing an online game and all of a sudden, the stream starts to be all shaky, and your connection seems slow as a snail. You might quickly go and try another website on the browser only to find every other website loads just fine, but the one you want to surf – those %$@%^s need to upgrade their server connection? (So, you think), but what may actually be a totally different scenario is that the website is likely being hit by a Denial of Service Attack.

Well, unusually high traffic can also make a website server load slow for you, but in most cases, if the slowness is persisting for a little more than comfortable, it may be a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack.

Such was the same case with one of our clients on 17^th January 2017. Just as he was about to checkout after ordering a Local SEO Pack from our website, BOOM! The website got stuck, and then came the “white-screen-of-nothingness.”

Alike every other unaware visitor, Andrew (I am sure he won’t mind) was a bit frustrated with the experience. And the next moment he was writing a tantrum in Gmail, complaining about how we should upgrade our Servers and get more capacity for traffic, and how our website sucked!

Rest assured Andrew; we surely don’t run our company on shared environments. Sharanyan Sharma, our founder wasn’t too surprised to receive the email, as just at that moment we were hit by a Layer 4 (Syn Flood) DDoS Attack, the size of 6.2 GBpS. To read more about our experience and how we tackled it click here.

And that was our 2^nd DDoS Attack in the last 4 years. The first one we faced wasn’t any close to this magnitude. But 6.2 GBpS, I tell you this is pretty freaking BIG.

Since the past decade, Denial of Service attacks have been on the rise. Experts say, that such attacks in any magnitude cannot be fully stopped, as you can never truly find and control the core of these attacks, but the damaged can be minimized by taking controlled measures and letting Denial of Service Mitigation Experts handle the situation.

And when I say, Mitigation Experts, I am not in any way referring to Cloud Flare, I am talking Incapsula, Arbor, Verisign, Nexusguard. You get the drift. These folks charge $10000s by the hours (for starters). We have tried quite a few Mitigation Services, and one thing we can conclude is that there is nothing called Cheap DDoS Mitigation. You either get someone good and pay for it, or do not bother at all.

DDoS Alert Report from Splunk (primeone.global Impacted January 2017)

 

We looked at the Cyber Security and Risks Threat Survey of Arbor, Neustar, Kaspersky and Incapsula only to find very strict similarities in their research. Neustar has conducted research amongst 1000s of managers, directors, CTOs, CSOs, CISOs and other chief executives to understand the impact of Denial of Service Attacks on their organization and what measures they are taking to mitigate such attacks.

The majority of these respondents belong to the IT, Finance or Retail Industry. The respondents taking part in these surveys accrue anywhere from $100M to $1B per year. For these companies the risk picture is magnanimous. The cost of an hourly downtime for such organizations ranges anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 subject to peak traffic and sales seasons.

Annual Revenue of Respondent Organizations

 

Global Data at a Glance

• 73% of all organizations interviewed suffered a DDoS attack.
• 85% of attacked organizations were subjected to multiple DDoS attacks.
• 44% of attacked organizations were hit six or more times.
• 49% of respondents would lose $100k or more per hour during peak periods due to a DDoS attack.
• 33% would lose $250k or more during the same periods.
• 76% of organizations are investing more in response to the threat of DDoS attacks.
• 38% are investing more in DDoS defence, but acknowledge the investment should be even greater.
• 39% of respondents took three or more hours to detect a DDoS attack.
• 25% detected the DDoS attack between three and five hours.
• 53% of attacked organizations were breached as a result of a DDoS attack.
• 46% reported finding a virus after the breach

(Source Neustar 2016 DDoS Report)

In their IT Risks Survey Thread of DDoS Attacks survey report, Kaspersky states:

20% of companies with less than 50 employees have been a victim of DDoS Attack at least once in their lifetime. The top three Industries affected by DDoS Attacks, are not surprisingly, IT, Financial Services and Telecommunications.”

DDoS Attacks cost a lot of businesses. Apart from financial loss and business downtime, more than two-thirds of DDoS Attack victims have reported another type of security threat directly coinciding with the main attack. (Thankfully, we belong to the one-third). Although DDoS Attacks don’t say and happen and are enough to take large scale websites down, combining such attacks with other security intrusions only helps to multiply the collateral damage, apart from the significant loss of business downtime and reputation.

In the Worldwide Infrastructure Security Report, Arbor states…

• There is a steady growth in the size of DDoS Attacks YOY. In 2015, 20% of service based companies reported attacks, an average of 50Gbps. In 2016, nearly 33% of Service providers reported attacks the size of 100Gbps on average. Which only means to say that the top-end size of these attacks is nearly doubling every year.
• The largest attack in 2016 reported 1 TBPS. Octave Klaba, the founder of OVH, reported in a Tweet.

@Dominik28111 we got 2 huge multi DDoS: 1156Gbps then 901Gbps pic.twitter.com/NyFTr6KLCC

— Octave Klaba / Oles (@olesovhcom) September 19, 2016

The tweet exclaims there were simultaneous attacks the size of 100 Gbps on OVH, which totalled more than 1TBps. And the largest single attack on OVH peaked at 799 Gbps and 93MBps.

• In the majority of the cases, Customers are the number target for DDoS Attacks.
• The proportion of survey service provider respondents noticed cloud-based attacks, which have grown from 19% in 2012, to 29% in 2014 and 33% last year – again a clear trend.
• Amongst the different types of Attacks, Application Layer Attacks seem to be the most popular at 93% in 2016, a significant rise from the 90% is 2015 and 86% in 2013.
• The most common service targeted by these Application Layer Attacks is DNS, which hasn’t been much targeted
• The most common top motivation behind criminals giving DDoS Attacks is “to show-off their attack capabilities,” with the second and third most common reason being “gaming” and “extortion.”
• A growing proportion of respondents claim that they are noticing malware and virus, along with Data theft after DDoS Attacks, which means to say that these attacks are being done merely as a means of distraction.
• There is also a significant growth in SIP/VoIP based attacks, which is up from 9% in 2015, to 19% in 2016.

Increased interest in DDoS Mitigation and Detection Services continue this year due to these ever-increasing attacks.

DDoS Attacks can cause even more damage if organizations aren’t prepared. 74% of the respondents in the Arbor survey claimed that they were spending more on Mitigating the attacks than their overtime loss due to the attacks, and even acknowledged that they needed to pay more to better handle such attacks. Therefore, the number one business impact due to DDoS is increased operational expense, followed by Revenue Loss, Customer Churn, Employee Turn Over and others. See image below.

Time Is Money, And Money is the Game!

The harsh truth is that, nobody can afford a Successful DDoS Attack and neither anybody can mitigate a DDoS Attack complete – well, at least an attack of that stature.

Increasingly, DDoS Attacks are being deployed in conjunction with other illicit activities in order to distract or misguide organizations on the actual motive of such attacks, which is usually to install malware, ransomware or viruses.

After the Storm

The aftermath of the storm leaves behind a strong sense of vulnerability, that nobody on the Internet is safe. Where some organizations are turning to one another for guidance and exchange of information, others are taking refuge in the comfort of Security Consultants and a majority of these organizations are working in conjunction with Law Enforcement to get to the root of these attacks in lieu of previous attacks or to simply ward of impending attacks.

Before You Go!

All data sources point to one and only one fact. 2017 is already witnessing a multitude of DDoS Attacks around the globe, and these attacks will only continue to increase as time passes.

“It is not about when these attacks will happen, it is about HOW MANY TIMES.”

Taking into account the new type of smokescreen attacks, Denial of Service has started resembling ransomware attacks more than anything else. SMBs are the ones that suffer the most under the pressure of such attacks, and the technology behind such attacks is Simple, but the measures to fend them are complex and resource-intensive.

The average financial damage of a DDoS is quite significant, which still turns out to be less than the cost of mitigating such attacks. So, most Small Media Businesses that have spent money on DDoS Mitigation services claim that they would rather strengthen the security of their infrastructure to prevent a data breach than spend more money on mitigating these never-ending attacks.

Has your organization faced a DDoS attack in the last 12 Months? If so, how bad was the attack and what are you doing to wade off such attacks from happening in future? Data security is a big concern and we would surely love to know what and how you are tackling these unfortunate events.