Make Your Website Stand Out with These Simple Marketing Tricks!

Focus on User Experience:

Your website design should not only look visually appealing but also offer a smooth and engaging user experience. Ensure that your website is easy to navigate, with clear and concise content. Use high-quality images and videos to grab the attention of your visitors. Make sure your website is mobile responsive, as a large percentage of users access websites from their smartphones.

Optimize for Search Engines:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial in getting your website to rank higher on search engine results pages. Use relevant keywords in your website content, meta descriptions, and titles. Ensure that your website is fast loading, has a clear site structure, and is mobile-friendly. Include internal and external links, as they improve the user experience and help search engines crawl your website.

Leverage Social Media:

Social media is a powerful tool to drive traffic to your website and build a loyal customer base. Create social media accounts for your brand and share your website content regularly. Engage with your followers, respond to their comments and queries. Run social media ads to target your audience, and use analytics to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Get Your Brand Noticed Online: Boost Your Website Marketing Today!

Offer Value to your Audience:

Your website content should be informative, engaging, and offer value to your visitors. Create blog posts, e-books, infographics, and other types of content that address the pain points of your audience. Encourage them to share your content on their social media handles, and use their feedback to improve your content strategy.

Build Trust:

To build a loyal customer base, you need to establish trust with your audience. Include client testimonials, trust badges, and certifications on your website to showcase your credibility. Ensure that your website is secure, with an SSL certificate and a privacy policy. Use clear and concise language, and avoid using jargon that your audience may not understand.

Measure and Analyze:

To improve your website marketing strategy, you need to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to track your website traffic, bounce rates, and other key metrics. Analyze the data to identify areas of improvement, and refine your strategy accordingly.

We hope these tips help you boost your website marketing and take your brand to new heights. Remember that website marketing is an ongoing process, and you need to keep updating your website and content regularly. With a little effort and creativity, you can make your website stand out and attract more customers to your brand. Happy marketing!

As the internet as grown and evolved over the years, so too have the options available for website owners when it comes to web hosting. Whether you’re launching a new website or looking to switch hosting providers, it’s important to understand the different types of web hosting available and their pros and cons. In this article, I will provide a comprehensive overview of web hosting, the different types of hosting available, and the pros and cons of each.

Introduction to Web Hosting

At its most basic level, web hosting is the service that allows you to make your website accessible via the internet. Think of it as renting space on a server where your website files are stored and served to visitors. When someone types your website URL into their browser, the server sends your website files to their device, allowing them to view your website.

Web hosting providers offer a range of services to make this possible, from shared hosting to dedicated server hosting. Each type of hosting has its own unique features and benefits, as well as drawbacks. Understanding the differences between the various types of hosting is critical to choosing the right solution for your needs.

Types of Web Hosting

There are three main types of web hosting: shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated server hosting. Let’s take a closer look at each of these options and what they offer.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is the most common type of web hosting and is best suited for small to medium-sized websites that don’t require a lot of resources. With shared hosting, your website is stored on a server along with many other websites. This means that your website shares server resources, such as CPU, RAM, and disk space, with other sites on the same server.

Pros of shared hosting include its affordability and ease of use, making it a great choice for beginners. Shared hosting plans typically come with a user-friendly control panel that allows you to manage your website and server settings. Additionally, most web hosting providers offer 24/7 support to help you with any issues that may arise.

However, shared hosting also has its drawbacks. Since you’re sharing server resources with other websites, your website’s performance may be affected by other sites on the same server. Additionally, shared hosting plans typically have limited resources, which can lead to slow loading times and downtime during periods of high traffic.

VPS Hosting

VPS hosting, or virtual private server hosting, is a step up from shared hosting. With VPS hosting, your website is still stored on a shared server, but you’re given a guaranteed amount of resources, such as CPU, RAM, and disk space. This means that your website is less likely to be affected by other sites on the same server.

Pros of VPS hosting include its increased performance and scalability. Since you have dedicated resources, your website is able to handle higher levels of traffic without slowing down. Additionally, VPS hosting plans typically come with more advanced features and customization options than shared hosting plans.

However, VPS hosting is also more expensive than shared hosting and may require more technical expertise to set up and manage. Additionally, since you’re still sharing a server with other websites, your website’s performance may still be affected by other sites on the same server.

Dedicated Server Hosting

Dedicated server hosting is the most powerful and customizable type of web hosting. With dedicated server hosting, you’re renting an entire physical server for your website. This means that you have complete control over the server’s resources and can customize it to meet your exact needs.

Pros of dedicated server hosting include its unmatched performance and flexibility. Since you have dedicated resources, your website can handle even the highest levels of traffic without slowing down. Additionally, you have complete control over the server’s software and hardware, allowing you to customize it to meet your exact needs.

However, dedicated server hosting is also the most expensive type of web hosting and requires a high level of technical expertise to set up and manage. Additionally, since you’re responsible for the entire server, any issues or downtime must be addressed by you or your team.

Choosing the Right Type of Hosting for Your Website

When it comes to choosing the right type of hosting for your website, there are a few key factors to consider. These include:

• Your website’s size and traffic levels
• Your budget
• Your technical expertise
• Your need for customization and control

If you’re launching a small website with low traffic levels, shared hosting may be the most affordable and user-friendly option. However, if you’re expecting high traffic levels or need more advanced features, VPS hosting or dedicated server hosting may be a better choice.

Ultimately, the right type of hosting for your website will depend on your unique needs and goals. It’s important to do your research and choose a reputable hosting provider that can meet your needs and provide the support you need to succeed.

Conclusion

Web hosting is a critical component of launching and running a website. By understanding the different types of hosting available and their pros and cons, you can choose the right solution for your needs and ensure that your website is accessible and performing at its best.

Whether you choose shared hosting, VPS hosting, or dedicated server hosting, it’s important to choose a reputable hosting provider that can provide the support and resources you need to succeed. With the right hosting solution in place, you can focus on growing your website and achieving your goals.

Choosing a hosting plan isn’t always easy. Even if you know all about the different types and understand their unique pros and cons, you may not be sure how to use that information to make an informed choice. Should you opt for a basic plan or something more advanced — such as managed hosting?

You’ll be glad to know that finding the answer to this question doesn’t need to be hard. In fact, there are a number of easy ways to tell whether a managed WordPress hosting plan is right for you.

In this article, we’ll touch on what managed WordPress hosting is, then present four reasons you might want to try it for yourself. Finally, we’ll introduce our own managed WordPress plan. Let’s begin!

An Introduction to Managed WordPress Hosting

If you’ve never built a website before, you may not know what type of plan to choose. You could start simple and go with shared hosting, or opt for Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting or a dedicated server if you need more resources. However, that’s not the only decision you need to make. You’ll also want to consider whether you want managed hosting plan.

Managed hosting is a service where your hosting provider takes care of your server and all related tasks for you. This typically means they’ll handle performance tweaks, monitor the server for security threats, perform backups and updates, and more. You’ll get the benefits of a hosting server managed by experts, without needing to know anything about web hosting. Plus, if you opt for a WordPress-specific managed plan, your site will be safe in the hands of people who know the platform inside and out.

Managed WordPress hosting is an excellent option, but is it the right one for you? This depends largely on whether any of the following reasons apply.

4 Reasons You Might Need Managed WordPress Hosting

There are a lot of reasons to choose a managed hosting plan, but these are four of the most common. If you’re new to the concept of managed hosting, consider each section below carefully. If one or more holds true for you, you may want to dig deeper into this type of plan.

1. You Want to Ensure Excellent Performance and Uptime on Your Site

If your website takes too long to load, visitors are unlikely to enjoy their experience.

Performance is crucial in determining how successful your website is. Users who have a good experience on your site are more likely to come back, and they’ll enjoy their visit more if your site runs smoothly. Slow pages drive people away, and you don’t want that to happen. An intermittently live site is even worse — after all, who wants to return to a broken website?

Part of ensuring your site loads quickly (and experiences little to no downtime) is choosing a hosting plan with plenty of resources, so it can handle any level of traffic. If you opt for a non-managed plan, you’ll need to optimize your server on your own and keep an eye on its performance. If you have the technical know-how required, then you’re all set.

With a managed hosting plan, your provider will take on the responsibility of ensuring your site doesn’t go down and always offers visitors a smooth experience. Even if you could take care of this element on your own, it can be simpler (and more cost-effective) to have someone else take the reins.

2. You Don’t Have Much Experience With Web Hosting

Increasing and unpredictable traffic can require changes to your hosting setup.

As we alluded to above, web hosting can be a complicated business. This is doubly true if you’re planning to run a large or complex site and attract lots of daily visitors. If you’ve never run a web server before, a regular non-managed plan may leave you responsible for tasks you don’t know how to handle.

If you want to get the most out of a non-managed hosting plan, you’ll want to understand how a server works and how to customize it to your specific needs. You’ll have to know how to update it, and how to scale up its resources to handle larger amounts of traffic. There’s also routine server maintenance that has to be performed to keep everything running smoothly.

This is a lot for the average website owner to handle. So if you don’t have the experience required, opting for a managed hosting plan can be a smart alternative.

3. You Want to Start Your Site Out on Secure Footing

Jetpack is a comprehensive plugin that provides plenty of security features (and is included with The Hosting Guy Managed WordPress Plans).

It’s crucial that your site is as secure as possible. You don’t want hackers getting in and messing around with your content or stealing private information about your users. Any quality hosting plan will help a lot, making sure your site’s data stays safe as it travels back and forth across the internet. Plus, there are a lot of effective tweaks you can perform on your own.

However, managed hosting usually offers additional security benefits. Your provider will be up-to-date on the latest threats and can monitor your site for suspicious activity and take immediate action if required. Your site will be updated consistently, which is important for minimizing security holes, and you’ll always have a recent backup if something does go wrong. You may even get access to special security features.

While most of these are tasks you can perform yourself, your provider has the expertise required to make sure they’re done right every time. So if security is important to you, managed hosting can be your best bet for starting off on the right foot.

4. You’re Looking for Reliable Support

Your hosting provider should offer 24/7 dedicated support, so they’re available when you need them.

Especially if you’re new to running a website, you may not know much about web hosting. Chances are you’ll have plenty of questions, and you may run into issues you don’t know how to handle (either while setting up your site or afterward). In these scenarios, you’ll want to talk to someone who can help you out.

Any quality hosting plan should come with solid support options. However, if you’re looking for the best support you can find, managed hosting is a smart choice. These plans typically offer 24/7 support. You’ll be able to communicate your needs to your provider when setting up the server in the first place and easily get assistance when you want something changed or tweaked.

Building and running a website can be complicated — so you’ll want to know that help is available whenever you need it. Managed hosting will provide you with that needed peace of mind.

Why The Hosting Guy Is a Smart Choice for Your WordPress Site

If you’re looking for managed WordPress hosting, you can’t go wrong with The Hosting Guy.

If you do decide that managed WordPress hosting is right for you, the next thing you’ll need to do is actually pick a provider and plan. We may be biased, but we think our own The Hosting Guy plans is an excellent choice for users of all types.

The Hosting Guy is managed hosting specifically designed for WordPress users. It’s a scalable, customizable service that will set up and take care of hosting for your website. If you don’t have the time or experience required to customize your server and maintain it over time, we’ll take care of everything for you. We’ll ensure quality performance, monitor your site for any issues, and perform maintenance, updates, and backups.

The Hosting Guy Professional and Business plans even come with WordFence Professional, which among other things provides plenty of top-notch security features. You’ll have access to reliable support any time you need it, through multiple channels. Plus, you’ll feel secure knowing that your site is being handled by WordPress experts. All of this comes at a surprisingly affordable price with plans starting at just $50.00 per month.

If you’d like to know more about The Hosting Guy and how managed hosting can benefit you, feel free to contact us anytime! We’d be happy to answer all of your questions.

 Conclusion

There is no one type of web hosting that’s perfect for every website. However, managed hosting is an excellent option for a wide range of applications. If your plan is also WordPress-specific, such as The Hosting Guy, you’ll be setting your site up for success from the very start.

Some of these releases are full new versions or critical security patches, in which we recommend updating all your sites to the latest version fairly quickly. Others are minor fixes or even release candidates that are less critical to update right away or even optional (in the case of beta releases). 

How to update WordPress

If your sites are on a managed WordPress host, updates are probably automatically taken care of for you. The Core Hosting, for example, updates major versions two weeks after release and security updates  24-72 hours after release. Of course, you can always manually update your site yourself or opt-out of major version updates if you need more time for testing. 

Click here for more information about how The Hosting Guy handles updates to the WordPress core. 

If you’re not working with a managed provider yet, you’ll likely have to manually update your sites to the latest version via the WordPress admin panel. This is very easy to do, but can be time-consuming if you manage lots of client sites. 

To update WordPress manually, simply log into wp-admin and look for a notification at the top of the homepage prompting you to update. Click that, and you’re good to go!

Even if your hosting provider takes care of updates for you, it’s still a good idea to be in the know about the latest WordPress version. Then you can make sure your sites are ready for the upgrade and can take advantage of any important new features (like the recent Gutenberg Editor)!

To help you stay up to date with the most current WordPress version, we’ve created this changelog where we’ll publish the details of major version updates, security releases, and maintenance releases. 

The latest WordPress version is 5.5.1 “Eckstine” that came out on August 11th, 2020. Other recent versions include:

• WordPress version is 5.5 “Eckstine”
• WordPress 5.4.2 Security and Maintenance Release
• WordPress 5.4.1 Security and Maintenance Release
• WordPress 5.4 “Adderley”
• WordPress 5.3.2 Maintenance Release
• WordPress 5.3.1 Security and Maintenance Release
• WordPress 5.3 “Kirk”
• WordPress 5.2.4 Security Release
• WordPress 5.2.3 Security and Maintenance Release
• WordPress 5.2.2 Maintenance Release 
• WordPress 5.2.1 Maintenance Release

WordPress 5.5.1 Maintenance Release

Released on September 1, 2020.

This maintenance release features 34 bug fixes and five enhancements. Nothing too exciting in this short-cycle maintenance release except for improvements in user interface functionality. The WordPress core team is working around the clock to ready WordPress 5.6 for its target release in December!

Highlights of this maintenance release include: 

• Fixing an issue so you can now check your site health by using the [site-status-tests] filter.
• Fixing an issue with XML sitemaps since they were incorrectly paginated in the previous release (woohoo!).
• Removing the ability to change the list of environment types with a new wp_get_environment_type() function.

For more information about this update, check out the official release post or the documentation page. 

WordPress 5.5 “Eckstine”

Released on August 12th, 2020.

This new version of WordPress, named after Billy Eckstine, is bringing improvements to three primary areas of your sites: speed, search, and security.

Speed improvements

Posts and pages now use lazy loading to feel like they load faster to users. This means images won’t load until they’re about to scroll into view, which should give image-heavy sites a nice boost in performance. (In fact, this is one of our recommended steps when optimizing images for the web!)

Search improvements

By default, WordPress 5.5 will include an XML sitemap from the moment you go live. This will help search engines discover your content sooner, and therefore help more people find your content sooner.

Security improvements

Outdated themes and plugins are one of the most common reasons sites get hacked, but it’s also easy to miss an update (especially if you’re using lots or managing several sites). WordPress 5.5 gives you the new option to set themes and plugins to automatically update when a new version releases, so you can automate the process on a per plugin or per theme basis.

A word of caution: Sometimes an update can cause problems on a site, which is why we usually recommend either making updates on a staging site first or using a service like The Hosting Guy’s Managed Plugin Updates Add-on (in which we’ll review the site and roll back updates if anything breaks).

A few other highlights of WordPress 5.5:

• Create stunning site layouts combining text and media with new block patterns.
• Looking for a new block? Search the directory right from the editor, so you never have to leave your screen to find what you’re looking for!
• Edit images right in the image block. You can now crop, rotate, and zoom without leaving the post or page. Plus you can edit images with an assistive device!
• Copy links in media screens and modals with a button (without trying to highlight the text).
• Move meta boxes with the keyboard.

To learn more about Eckstine and see what it brings for developers, check out the official release post or the documentation page.

For more information about this release, check out the announcement post.

WordPress 5.4.2 Security and Maintenance Release

Released on June 10th, 2020.

WordPress 5.4.2 features 23 bug fixes and 6 security patches, so it’s recommended you update to the latest version. If you haven’t updated to version 5.4, there’re also updated versions of 5.3 and earlier that fix the bugs for you!

Highlights of the WordPress 5.4.2 security updates include:

• Fixing an issue where authenticated users with low privileges are able to add JavaScript to posts in the block editor.
• Fixing an issue where authenticated users with upload permissions are able to add JavaScript to media files.
• Fixing an open redirect issue in wp_validate_redirect().
• Fixing an authenticated XSS issue via theme uploads.
• Fixing an issue where set-screen-option can be misused by plugins leading to privilege escalation.
• Fixing an issue where comments from password-protected posts and pages could be displayed under certain conditions.

For more information about this release, check out the official release post or the documentation page. 

WordPress 5.4.1 Security and Maintenance Release

Released on April 29th, 2020.

WordPress 5.4.1 features 17 bug fixes and 7 security patches, so it’s highly recommended you update to the latest version if you haven’t already.

Highlights of the WordPress 5.4.1 security updates include:

• Fixing an issue where password reset tokens weren’t properly invalidated.
• Fixing an issue where certain private posts could be be unauthenticated.
• Fixing XSS issues in the Customizer, search block, wp-object-cache, and file uploads.

For more information about this release, check out the official release post or the documentation page. 

WordPress 5.4 “Adderley”

Released on March 31st, 2020.

This major release, named after American jazz trumpeter Nat Adderley, is all about giving you more ways to make your pages come to life without sacrificing speed (in your workflow or your page load time). Let’s start with block updates.

Naturally, enhancements to the Gutenberg Editor were a big focus of this release. Here are some of the new things you’ll see!

• Two new blocks! “Social Icons” and “Buttons,” to increase interactions on your page.
• New color options, such as gradients for Buttons and Covers and added color functionality for Group and Columns blocks.
• A streamlined process for placing and replacing media in blocks.
• The option to have the Media+Text block link to something.

On top of all the block updates, WordPress 5.4 brings cleaner UI and easier navigation. You’ll find things like block breadcrumbs, better tabbing and focus when navigating with the keyboard, and a faster editor load time. (51% faster time to type!)

To round it out, this version also helps with some privacy-related matters (like being able to see progress as you process export and erasure requests), and a number of enhancements specifically for developers.

Here are a few highlights!

• You can add custom fields to menu items natively, thanks to two new actions.
• Blocks are easier to style, and no longer have negative margins and default padding.
• There are two new APIs for block variations and gradients.
• The block editor now supports TikTok in embeds.

For more information about this update, check out the official release post or the WordPress 5.4 Field Guide. 

WordPress 5.3.2 Maintenance Release

Released on December 18th, 2019.

This maintenance release features 5 fixes and enhancements. Some high-severity tickets were opened shortly after WordPress 5.3.1 was released, so the team pushed this release to solve those issues.

Highlights of the WordPress 5.3.2 updates include:

• Ensuring that get_feed_build_date() correctly handles a modified post object with an invalid date.
• Fixing a file name collision in wp_unique_filename() when uploading a file with upper case extension on non case-sensitive file systems.
• Fixing PHP warnings in wp_unique_filename() when the destination directory is unreadable.
• Fixing the colors in all color schemes for buttons with the .active class.
• Using a proper delta comparison when checking the post date to set future or publish status.

For more information about this update, check out the official release post or the documentation page. 

WordPress 5.3.1 Security and Maintenance Release

Released on December 13th, 2019.

This update features 46 fixes and enhancements, including a number of security improvements. For this reason, updating is highly recommended!

This security release includes fixes for: 

• An issue where an unprivileged user could make a post sticky via the REST API.
• An issue where cross-site scripting (XSS) could be stored in well-crafted links.
• Hardening wp_kses_bad_protocol() to ensure it’s aware of the named colon attribute.
• A stored XSS vulnerability using block editor content.

On top of these security updates, WordPress 5.3.1 also introduces several maintenance fixes, such as:

• Adding Customizer options to show/hide author bio, replace JavaScript-based smooth scroll with CSS, and fix Instagram embed CSS.
• Fixing Edge scrolling issues and intermittent JavaScript issues.
• Avoiding thumbnails overwriting other uploads when filename matches, and excluding PNG images from scaling after upload.
• Ensuring administration email verification uses the user’s locale instead of the site locale.

For more information about this update, check out the official release post or the documentation page. 

WordPress 5.3 “Kirk”

Released on November 12th, 2019. 

WordPress 5.3, named after jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, brings some great improvements to the publishing experience. This version includes the new default theme, Twenty Twenty, which takes full advantage of the block editor to offer new levels of flexibility and design. It also features a variable font for the first time (Inter by Rasmus Andersson), which is easy to read for users and easy to load for browsers.

The block editor was also a major focus of this update, with over 150 new features and usability improvements! 

I won’t list them all, but here are some of the highlights: 

• Improved image support, specifically for non-optimized, high-resolution photos from a phone or camera. 
• Accessibility improvements, including a new Navigation mode that will help users jump from block to block when navigating the dashboard with a keyboard (instead of tabbing through every control).
• Predefined layouts, which makes it easy for content creators to arrange content in advanced designs. 
• Additional style options, including the ability to control the text and background color of Heading blocks, support for fixed-width columns in the Columns block, and a new Group block that can be used for creating colorful sections throughout the page. 

Beyond the block editor and Twenty Twenty, WordPress 5.3 also introduces some basic improvements that everyone will appreciate. Images will now automatically rotate on upload based on the embedded orientation data – a feature that was first proposed nine years ago! And now when you log into a site as an administrator, you’ll occasionally be asked to verify your email address. This should help reduce the chance of getting locked out in the event that your address changes. 

For more information about WordPress 5.3, check out the official release. 

WordPress 5.2.4 Security Release

Released on October 14th, 2019.

This security update fixes six bugs that are found in WordPress versions earlier than and including 5.2.3.

This security release includes fixes for: 

• An issue where stored XSS (cross-site scripting) could be added via Customizer.
• A method of viewing unauthenticated posts.
• A way to create a stored XSS to inject JavaScript into style tags.
• A method to poison the cache of JSON GET requests via the Vary: Origin header.
• A server-side request forgery in the way that URLs are validated.
• Issues related to referrer validation in the admin.

For more information about this update, check out the official release post or the documentation page. 

WordPress 5.2.3 Security and Maintenance Release

Released on September 5th, 2019. 

This security update fixes bugs that are found in WordPress versions earlier than and including 5.2.2, along with a few additional feature enhancements. Updating is highly recommended!

This security release includes fixes for: 

• Issues where cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities could be found in post previews by contributors, stored comments, and shortcode previews. 
• Issues where validation and sanitization of a URL could lead to an open redirect or XSS attacks. 
• Reflected XSS during media uploads and in the dashboard. 

For more information about this update, check out the official release post or the documentation page. 

WordPress 5.2.2 Maintenance Release 

Released on June 18th, 2019. 

This maintenance release fixes 13 bugs and includes improvements to the Site Health feature released in WordPress 5.2.

Highlights of the tickets completed in the 5.2.2 Maintenance Release include: 

• Dashboard elements don’t always have clear focus states or tab order
• Make Site Health page access be filterable
• Theme update links show in Customizer but don’t work

For more information about this update, check out the official release post or the documentation page. 

WordPress 5.2.1 Maintenance Release

Released on May 21st, 2019. 

This maintenance release fixes 33 bugs (nice work, core contributors!) and includes improvements to the block editor, accessibility, internationalization, and the Site Health feature released in WordPress 5.2.

Highlights of the tickets completed in the 5.2.1 Maintenance Release include: 

• Gutenberg right-to-left (RTL) typing issues
• At least one function in /wp-includes/sodium_compat/src/Core32 that timed out on 32-bit servers
• wp_targeted_link_rel filter that shouldn’t be applied to “Custom HTML” widget
• Editor: Update packages for WordPress 5.2.1

For more information about this update, check out the official release post or the full list of changes. 

WordPress is constantly evolving and improving thanks to the dedicated team of developers working on the core. For more information about any and all WordPress versions, be sure to check out the Release Archive. 

Gone are the days when a company’s website was only there to inform customers about common information such as store hours and email addresses. Today, a company website needs to pull out all the stops to not only get people to visit their site but also to stay. The following list includes some of the most important elements that a successful business website needs to have in order to be successful.

Visuals

When it comes to visuals, this is as basic as it can get, but implementing the right design can mean a world of difference. The reality is that we are visual creatures. If a consumer looks at a dull website, they are not likely to stick around. People yearn for visually pleasing visuals, from the color of your font to the logo. Customers only need 10 seconds to look at your brand logo before forming an opinion of it. A lively website that is appropriate to your particular business can greatly increase the consumer’s perception of your company and make them take a second look.

Content

Visuals are a great place to start when constructing your website, but it is certainly not the most important. A nice website is only as good as its content. Content, through the use of SEO keywords, can provide you with a positive flow of customers. Content provides your customers a reason to stick around and even interact with your website. Lastly, the right type of content can mean the difference between being the little guy in your industry and being seen as an industry expert.

Navigation

If your customer searches and lands on your page, they are likely searching for something specific. The last thing you want to do is make that search difficult for them. Having clear and fluent navigation throughout your website is critical and can mean the difference between a potential customer leaving or checking out. Note that you should also make navigation convenient for a mobile format, as an overwhelming amount of searches are done through a person’s cell phone.

In today’s world, your first interaction with a customer might not be in person but rather through your website. This is why it is so critical to make sure that your website is ready for them to visit. You may accomplish this by utilizing some of the tips listed above and applying them towards your own business website.

Looking to build a website for your company? Click here for affordable hosting!

What does this mean for you?

If you’ve been keeping your PHP applications up to date (you should be!) then moving to a new version of PHP should be little to no problem. PHP applications that are being developed on a continual basis, will almost always be supporting the latest in server software. This is especially true for PHP applications.

However, we all have lives away from the screen and we tend to forget about the software we have installed to run our online website/applications. which means they tend to get overlooked when it comes to updates. If you’ve not been keeping your PHP apps up-to-date, then the first thing to do is check with the developer and see if there are updates to the applications you are using. If there are newer versions of your application, then updating your application should be relatively straight forward. Many of today’s PHP applications, such as WordPress, have the ability for automated updates to make moving to a new version fairly straight forward.

No matter what, however, The one thing you should make a top priority is moving away from PHP 5.6. Not moving away from 5.6 could lead to your site and serve being compromised, as security vulnerabilities will, and more than likely already have been found.

Why moving to PHP version 7.1 or higher is the right thing to do.

Speed!

PHP 7 saw a rewrite of the Zend Engine, introducing what is called ZendEngine NextGen, adding one of the largest speed enhancements to PHP applications ever. PHP 7.1 and higher versions add immense performance increases to PHP applications that were running on PHP 5. Most tests conducted show speed improvements of almost double to triple for WordPress and most common CMS applications.

Code compatibility

With a new Major version of PHP (That being 7.x), most application developers will be dropping support for 5.6. In most cases, without upgrading your PHP version, you will be unable to upgrade your application or will have issues if you do. In other words, the transition stage of migrating PHP applications seamlessly from PHP 5 to PHP 7 is closing fast.

Security

As of now, PHP 7.0 has already reached its EOL period and is no longer maintained. But PHP 7.2 does not end its EOL until January 1st, 2021, and PHP 7.3 until January 1st, 2022. This means you will always have security updates and fixes until those times.

How do I move to PHP 7.1 or higher?

That’s the easy part! If you are one of our DIY or Managed WordPress Hosting clients, no need to worry about upgrading because you’re already using the most current version! If you’re hosting with another provider, the best thing to do is to check with their support team to see if they have them available. Alternatively, on Cpanel based systems, you can easily swap version using the build-in MultiPHP version change system.

Motivated to move away from PHP 5.6?

Hopefully, we have helped you to see the benefits of moving away from PHP 5.6. If you want to move away, and either is not able to or do not know how to, then contact us! With our new Managed WordPress Service, we will help maintain, update, secure and optimize your WordPress site, and help the transition process much easier. Or make the migration to us today, We will match or do better than your current pricing! We offer both DIY(Do it Yourself) hosting for those who want to control all aspects of their site, as well as Managed WordPress Hosting where we take care of all the backend work for you! Contact our sales team today!