WebHostingPro

Who doesn’t like something for free? Free web hosting has become increasingly popular over the past few years, and I for sure can see why. Running a website can be expensive, let alone running a business. Cutting costs can often be essential in ensuring you can stay afloat. So, if you can get free web hosting, why wouldn’t you?

The trouble I’ve found is that a lot of the advertised free web hosting isn’t exactly free. There’s often restrictions and limitations on storage, data, bandwidth, etc. and the web hosts themselves aren’t much to shout about.

 

Pros of free web hosting:

• You don’t have to pay a penny (great if you’re on a budget or just starting out)
• Perfect if you only have minimal requirements (those who aren’t fussed on storage space of bandwidth)
• An ideal solution for testing (a simple way to not getting tied into a contract)
• Domain registration (many free web hosts include free domain registration)

Cons of free web hosting:

• Free services are often limited (limitations are frequently seen around disk space, bandwidth, and features)
• Advanced features may not be available (the ability to edit DNS settings, scripts, and access to 1-click installations)
• May include adverts (some free web hosts will rely on adverts on your website to make their money)
• Server speed and performance may suffer (web hosts may place free users on their less powerful servers)

 

To save you the time and hassle of sifting through the good, the bad, and the ugly, I’ve done the hard work for you. I’ve uncovered the best free web hosting services of 2019, so sit back and relax!

1 | InfinityFree (Best Overall Free Web Hosting Service)

InfinityFree has a small customer base of around 200,000 users. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re not worth your time. In fact, as far as free web hosts go, they offer plenty of features you shouldn’t shy away from. Their free web hosting solution includes the following features as part of their plan:

• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• Free SSL certificate
• Unlimited disk space
• Unlimited bandwidth
• 10 email accounts
• Free CloudFlare CDN
• 400 MySQL databases

And there’s much more where that came from! However, there are some limitations (as I mentioned about free web hosting services) to be aware of. Their terms and conditions regarding unlimited bandwidth and storage is a little confusing. You’re restricted to the types of files you can upload, making the term ‘unlimited’ not quite what it seems.

If the content you want to upload for your website falls into their acceptable category, then this freebie is well worth it. However, if you’re intending to go against the rules, your website and it’s data could be suspended (eek)!

If you want to try InfinityFree’s free web hosting services, then you can enjoy their free plan, absolutely free. In my opinion, it’s certainly worth giving it a go. If you like their services, and don’t want to be limited to certain features, their ‘super premium’ plan is only $2.99 per month.

 

Visit InfinityFree.com

 

2 | x10Hosting

x10Hosting has over 10 years of experience as a free web hosting service. They boast their ‘full web hosting suite’ which endevours to give you everything you need to host your website. With x10Hosting’s free plan, you’ll get unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage, PHP, MySQL, cPanel, and 1-click installations. Pretty much all you need to get started with web hosting!

This free web host provides some pretty great uptimes, meaning your website will be online for the majority of it’s lifespan. Their loading speeds and server response times are also admirable, given that their services are free. And the fact that you get unlimited bandwidth and storage is another strong talking point.

However, like many free web hosts, their unlimited promises are a little questionable. x10Hosting have the right to suspend your website if your usage is ‘too high’. What ‘too high’ is, though, isn’t specified anywhere, so it’s hard to know what this means!

Much like other free web hosting services, x10Hosting also have a premium package if you’re looking for something extra. With a 99.9% uptime guarantee, free website builder, automatic backups, and SEO tools, monthly costs start at $6.95 per month. The longer you sign up for, the cheaper the premium plan becomes.

 

Visit x10Hosting.com

 

3 | AwardSpace

AwardSpace provide web hosting for over 2.5 million customers. They’ve been in the web hosting business for over 15 years, so have a lot of experience as a free web hosting service. They offer a 99+% uptime guarantee, 24/7 customer support, an average response time of 15 minutes, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. These features are quite appealing considering they’re a free web hosting provider.

AwardSpace’s plans include MySQL database, one-click installations, and much more. You can host up to 4 websites with this free web host, and they’re 100% advert free. Rest assured, you can create a professional website and host it absolutely free with AwardSpace, without annoying adverts or a lack of features.

There are many good aspects that AwardSpace features. However, if you’re looking for a long-term web hosting solution with unlimited bandwidth and storage, then you may need to upgrade to another web host. AwardSpace’s free web hosting only comes with 1GB of disk space and 5GB bandwidth. There’s a good chance you could reach those limits within a short space of time.

This web host’s free web hosting solution is more of a taster to their premium plans. If you do find that their free plan doesn’t offer quite enough, their paid plans start at €2.79 per month. If you’re only interested in creating a personal website, or a blog, then their free plan could be the ideal free solution for you.

 

Visit Awardspace.com

 

4 | FreeHostingEU

FreeDomain.co.nr and AttractSoft GmbH have joined together to create FreeHostingEU. They offer two paid hosting plans and a free web hosting service. The free web hosting package offers 200MB of disk space, 4GB bandwidth, and 1 email account. You’ll also have 5 free domains included from eu5.net, but to be honest, I can’t see these being used that much.

Users can enjoy access to 3 free website builders, as well as 1-click installations for WordPress, Joomla, etc. PHP, MySQL, CGI, and other languages are supported, making this free plan just as professional as a paid plan. However, if you’re looking for some user support, you may be disappointed to find out that their support forums have been closed.

FreeHostingEU provide a limited free plan for users who are happy with what’s on offer. However, if you’re looking for something more, their low cost web hosting solutions start from $4.95 per month and claim to be 70% faster than the free plan. Web hosting space and bandwidth are increased to unlimited, as well as more email accounts and an antivirus included for free.

In terms of customer support, this free web host provide 24/7 support via live chat, ticket system, and their FAQ’s. They’re also seemingly active on social media via their Facebook page.

 

Visit Freehostingeu.com

 

5 | FreeHosting.com

FreeHosting.com have over 15,000 customers and almost 10 years in the free hosting business. As a European host, FreeHosting.com have become increasingly popular over the past few years, offering free web hosting to the masses. FreeHosting.com offer free web hosting services, paid services, and domain registration (like many of it’s competitors).

If you already have a domain, you can attach it to your free web hosting plan. Alternatively, you can use FreeHosting.com’s domain services to purchase a new one. Users will be offered unmetered bandwidth, cPanel, 10GB disk space, 1 email account, and 1 MySQL database. In terms of a free web hosting service, FreeHosting.com certainly offer enough to get a personal, blog, or small business website up and running.

However, in this web host’s case, not everything is as good as it seems. Website’s hosted with FreeHosting.com were recording very slow loading times around 2 seconds, and very poor uptime records. If you’re not fussed about generating traffic to your website, and you just need a free web host to physically host your website, then this may not bother you. However, for most, this would be off putting.

 

Visit Freehosting.com

 

6 | Wix

Although Wix is a website builder as it’s main focus, it also provides web hosting for free. This drag and drop website builder offers a free plan for users who are keen to create their own website at a low cost. You won’t need any coding skills to get started, and you’ll get 500MB storage, 500MB bandwidth, a free email account, and a free Wix.com subdomain.

One of the main appeals of Wix as a free web hosting and website builder service is how user friendly it is. Whether you’ve created a website before (or not), or hosted a website, Wix makes the whole process really easy. Simply choose a category to get started and you can browse hundreds of beautiful themes and templates to edit to your liking.

There’s plenty of tools to use too, such as SEO, which can be configured to speed up your website. Although it’s not a web host (more so a website builder that hosts your website), it still offers enough for most users. However, it’s free plan may not be the best option if you’re looking for a professional website.

Now, the reason I say this is really only based on it’s disk space and bandwidth limitations. You’ll be able to host a basic website, but if you want to host a business website or splash out on images and videos, you’ll need to upgrade to one of their paid plans. Similarly, if you want your own domain name that doesn’t have Wix.com included in it, you’re going to have to pay for a premium account.

 

Visit Wix.com

 

7 | WordPress.com

WordPress is probably one of the most popular or well known brands in terms of website creation. WordPress.org is the open-source version of WordPress that requires a separate web host to the website builder. However, WordPress.com is a website builder that will host your website for you (for free).

Although WordPress is very popular, it may not be the best option for beginners. It doesn’t have drag and drop features like Wix and Weebly, however, it’s much more powerful. There’s tonnes of customisation options and thousands of templates to choose from, allowing you to create a professional website with it’s own web hosting.

WordPress.com customers will get 3GB storage, 3GB bandwidth, an email account, access to lots of themes, and a WordPress.com subdomain. For this reason, it may be a good starter option for users who are keen bloggers as opposed to small businesses. If you do want to upgrade though, you can pay as little as $4 per month. This will open up more themes, customisation, storage, and eCommerce functions.

 

Visit WordPress.com

 

8 | Weebly

Well-known website builder, Weebly, also offers a free hosting plan (as well as upgraded plans for premium users). As far as website builders go, Weebly offers loads of professional looking templates to create a modern website without the need for coding skills. Weebly’s free plan will give you 500MB storage, unlimited bandwidth, and a Weebly.com subdomain.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer any eCommerce features, or an email account. But, you will be able to edit a wealth of free templates using it’s drag and drop features. If you’re feeling adventerous, you can put any HTML or CSS skills you have to use too. Weebly is user friendly for both beginners and professionals, but doesn’t offer as many features as a free web hosting service.

Like some other free web hosts, Weebly’s free plan doesn’t have any adverts (thankfully). Though you will notice Weebly branding at the footer of your website which you may want to avoid if you’re looking for a professional website. If you simply want your own personal website or are starting your first blog, Weebly could be a suitable option for you.

When you upgrade to one of Weebly’s premium plans, you’ll be able to connect your own domain. You’ll also open up unlimited storage and many more features like Site Search, password protection, video backgrounds and more.

 

Visit Weebly.com

If you’re looking to create a new website for personal or business reasons but don’t want to splash out on a web developer, where do you start? Creating a website free of cost is entirely possible! The easiest and (in my opinion) best way to do this is to use a website builder.

Using a site builder, you don’t require any form of training or IT background. It’s easy to gain full control of the entire web design and development process with the click of a button.

Most site builders have free plans so that you won’t have to pay a penny to get started. What’s more, if you like what you’ve created, you can usually pay a small fee to upgrade and gain access to even more tools at your disposal!

In 2019, using a website builder is about as easy as updating your Facebook status! You can save thousands of £££ by not hiring a professional to create your website for you. Why? Because you can do it yourself, and you can do just as good a job with the technology that’s available.

Free Website Builders

Creating a free website really is quite simple! Following these quick and easy steps will ensure that you are able to create your perfect website, absolutely free of cost.

Choose a website builder. There are lots of website builders to choose from. Simple drag and drop builders are at your disposal and have free services available (as well as paid).

Purchase a domain name. You’ll need a domain name in order for the world to access your website. A domain name should represent what your website is about, whether it’s for personal or business use. Domain names should be memorable, and easy to type too! Most free website builders will allow you to connect your domain name to their services so that you don’t have a branded URL.

Design your website. Website builders tend to come with preset templates and themes. You should take the time to research all the templates available to you so that you can pick one that you’re going to love. Remember, most website builders will allow you to customise their templates so you can create exactly what you want.

Choosing a Website Builder

Choosing the best website builder for the job can sometimes be a challenge in itself. Knowing where to begin is half the battle, as well as what to look out for. You’ll want to make sure you choose a website builder that suits your needs. Some things to consider when creating your free website are:

Ease of use. Website builders are notoriously easy to use. That’s kind of what they’re designed for! However, some website builders are more advanced than others, which could be off putting for a beginner. Most website builders will give you an indication as to how user friendly they are from the sign up process. You should be guided through each stage, having access to answers should you need them.

Templates. Choosing a template that suits your needs is very important. The range of templates available varies from website builder to website builder. It may be worth having a look at what’s accessible before you sign up.

Customer support. If you’ve never used a website builder before, you may want to choose one that has excellent customer support. If you have any questions or queries, you’ll be able to get them answered by helpful advisers as opposed to being lost! Many website builders will have a live chat or telephone option, so you can always test their knowledge before signing up.

Signing up to a Website Builder

Signing up to your chosen website builder should be a simple process. As previously mentioned, the signup process is often a reflection of how user friendly the website builder actually is. Let’s take Wix as an example of how simple it is to sign up to their freeplan and start building your website within minutes.

Start by selecting your favourite template as a basis for your website. This should be something that represents the type of website you’re creating. For example, if you’re starting a blog, select a blog template. Or if you’re planning on a new business, choose a template that compliments your niche.

If you already have an existing account, you can login once you’ve selected your template. Alternatively, you can sign up by entering your details, or login via Facebook or Google for quick access.

You’ll be taken straight to your chosen template for you to edit and add your own content. There’s plenty of tools to get started and lots of helpful hints should you find yourself stuck at any point. It really is as simple as that – create a free website in a matter of minutes!

Connecting your Domain Name

Choosing and connecting your domain name to your free website is the next step in getting your site live. Domain names are important as this is what people will remember (or at least you would hope)! They should represent what your website is about, or what your business niche is aiming for.

Some website builders offer free domain names but more often than not they will be branded. For example http://www.domain.mysite.com which doesn’t look very professional. But, it’s a start if you’re trying to keep costs down! Some web hosts will offer a free domain name when you sign up to their hosting plan, from as little as £0.99 per month.

Website builders like Wix will offer users a domain name who sign up to their annual plan. Obviously this means that your website wouldn’t be free, but if you’re looking to upgrade in the future, it could be an option worth considering. If you choose a domain name when you sign up to a free website builder, you most likely won’t have to do any leg work to get your domain connected.

The next steps

Once you’ve created your website for free, you may want to consider some other factors. These factors are really dependent on what your website is going to be used for. Some users may not be interested in advertising their website or generating traffic, whereas others will want to focus on this heavily.

Making your website live is one of the very first steps to developing your website. Once it’s accessible to users around the world, you may want to take into account the following:

SEO: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) focuses on boosting your website’s ranking so that it appears nearer the top of search engines. The purpose of this is to make your website more accessible by a wider range of users, thus increasing it’s popularity. Businesses in particular will want to embrace local SEO to ensure that their business details are visible when users search for specific terms.

Content: The content that appears on your website is as important (if not more) than your website’s design. Relevant and up-to-date content should be a priority, especially if people are citing or linking back to your website. Content, whether visual, video, or written, is king.

Social Media: Social media connections to your website are incredibly useful. When you think there were 4 billion internet users in 2018, and 3.1 billion of those were social media users, you’d be silly to miss out! Social media can be a great marketing tool in generating more traffic to your website. It also has very close links to content, giving you access to technology like live streaming and live commenting for further user engagement.

Final word

Creating a website for free is entirely possible in 2019. There are many avenues you can go down to achieve this, without spending lots of money on web developers and designers. Now you can gain control of what you create, and it can look just as professional as a professional doing it for you!

Free website creation is not only free, it’s quick and simple. You can get a website live within the space of a few minutes. What’s more, there is so much choice available, meaning you can achieve pretty much anything you want to. If one website builder doesn’t quite cut the mustard, it’s almost guaranteed that another one will do. That’s the bonus of having such a competitive market!

And remember, free doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality. Many people believe that getting something for free means that they won’t get the bonuses or benefits that paid users do. Now, in some cases, yes that’s true. However, it really depends on what you want to achieve with your website. It’s about weighing up the pros and cons of free versus paid website builders, and only you can make that decision. Carefully evaluate what each website builder can offer you and make a decision from there!

If you want to be successful online, you’re going to need a website. However, simply having a website isn’t going to cut the mustard. Web design and user experience (UX) play a massive role in ensuring your website and online presence is successful! I’ve put together 15 website and UX statistics of 2018 that you need to know.

#1 | 75% of people base credibility by a website

You may have the world’s best team behind your business. But, if your company’s website is not up to scratch, you could lose 1/4 of your customer base! Yes, that’s right. 75% of people base a company’s credibility by how their website looks, feels, and responds to the user journey.

#2 | 53% of mobile users will leave after 3 seconds

Speed is everything in 2018. With greater technology comes a greater responsibility to provide content, almost instantly. 53% of mobile website users will leave a site or a web page if it doesn’t load within 3 seconds. The more time passes, the higher the abandonment rate.

#3 | 59% of people prefer a beautifully designed website

41% of consumers would prefer a simple design, whereas 59% prefer a stunning website. So, it’s pertinent to remember that if you want your customers to stay engaged, you’ll need something quite outstanding.

#4 | 86% of visitors want information about products and services

When you visit a website, what kind of information do you want to see? 86% of surveyed people want information about products and services. It is therefore recommended that this kind of content is readily available and not hard to find. This will ensure that you continue to provide a great user experience.

#5 | 1% of users interact with website sliders

Creating the perfect landing page or homepage can be difficult. Knowing what features to include and not to include is vital to creating an engaging user experience. Only 1% of users actually click on sliders, therefore having a plugin or similar on your website probably isn’t doing much to improve things!

#6 | 94% of people won’t trust an outdated website

A stunning website is of course important. However, keeping your website and it’s design update is just as important. An outdated website could lose you visitors! 94% of users no longer trust outdated websites, and it’s no surprise given the competition! Make sure your website’s design is in-keeping with trends.

#7 | 70% of small businesses miss call-to-actions

Call to actions range from newsletters to guides, specials to purchases. If a call to action isn’t obvious, how can you expect your visitors to click through to where you want to lead them? A whopping 70% of small businesses fail to outline clear call to action buttons, and could potentially be missing out on a lot of business.

#8 | 50% of eCommerce revenue is from mobile users

Everyone is going mobile in this digital world that we live in. 50% of eCommerce revenue is produced from mobile users. This certainly backs up the notion that websites should be mobile responsive. Imagine creating a stunning website that didn’t work on mobile! You’d potentially be losing half of your customers.

#9 | It takes just 0.05 seconds to form a design opinion

Within milliseconds of visiting a website, users will have already formed an impression of what they see. It takes just 0.05 seconds for someone to decide whether they like your website or not, so grabbing their attention is key to your success. Investing in excellent web design is essential to a long-lasting business online.

#10 | 44% of users will leave if there’s no contact information

If your website doesn’t contain contact information, 44% of users will leave. If there’s no information available, this could instill a lack of trust into your users about your business. Contact information relates to an address, telephone number, or email address. Make sure your visitors have a way of contacting you via your website.

#11 | Slow image loading times can cause 39% of users to abandon

Slow website loading times are frustrating at the best of times. But, if a visitor manages to reach a website, and images don’t load, 39% of users are likely to leave the website. Image optimisation is key to web design; whether you’ve hired a web designer or you’re creating your own website.

#12 | You have on average 10 seconds to impress

When a user visits your website, you have around 10 seconds to impress them before they leave. Your website should capture a user’s attention within the first 10 seconds and keep them engaged. A good website will provide a smooth user experience and should give visitors a user journey that’s easy to follow.

#13 | 2 out of 3 minutes spent online are via mobile

Mobile devices account for 2/3 of time spent online. This is why it’s so important to ensure your website and UX follows a mobile responsive design. If 2/3 of your website visitors couldn’t access your website properly, or features didn’t work, they’d quickly abandon and go elsewhere.

#14 | Video content 53x more likely to reach the first page of Google

Video has become much more popular and relied on by businesses in 2018. A website that contains video content is 53x more likely to appear on the first page of results on a Google search. The impact of video is astounding; not only does it boost the user experience, it also increases your website’s SEO score.

#15 | 70% of people pay attention to bulleted lists

Bullet points are much easier to digest when it comes to lists, compared to other list presentations. 70% of people will absorb information presented in a bulleted list. So, if your website is content heavy, it may be worth considering condensing your content into bullet points.

WordPress is an extremely popular publishing platform which is used to power millions of blogs and websites around the world. It can be used to create blogs and websites that are rich in features and enables you to publish posts and pages, customise your site with various widgets, themes and bespoke menus and use plug-ins to make your site even more functional and impressive. Read on if you have been looking for ways to speed up WordPress.

One of the main drawbacks of the platform is that it can sometimes grind to a halt for various reasons. However, there are many steps you can take to speed up the performance of WordPress to save time and make using it more enjoyable. At UK Web Host Review, we’ve taken the time to outline some of the most effective techniques for boosting the performance of your WordPress site.

The key benefits of WordPress

WordPress has helped many companies and organisations to save significant amounts of time and money. This is because WordPress is so simple to use that it it’s possible to run your own site yourself without relying on help from outside. Many companies not in a position to pay someone else to design, build and maintain websites have used WordPress to oversee website management themselves.

Some companies have paid outside sources substantial figures to create websites on their behalf, only to find they have to hand over more money every time they wish to make the smallest change. Thankfully, WordPress is so simple to use that updating your site can become a breeze. WordPress has proved itself to be ideal for those who don’t wish to opt for an unprofessional-looking free site but cannot pour vast sums of money into expensive, high-end sites.

A host of themes and plugins

WordPress can provide you with a simple yet effective and professional site that can rank well on the search engines, drive visits and boost sales if applicable. WordPress itself is free, whilst there are many inexpensive yet impressive web hosting solutions available to you. The vast range of themes and plugs-ins on offer means you don’t need to settle for an undistinctive, generic website when you go down the WordPress route. You can even build a highly-functional website without extensive programming knowledge. If you don’t have the time to set up your website yourself using WordPress, you shouldn’t find it too difficult to get someone else to do it for you for a modest fee.

Great for business

There are more than 10,000 plugs in available that will let you add vast types of functionality to your site including SEO, social media sharing, slideshows and much more. Thousands of themes are on offer, and you can change the appearance and layout of your site easily without having vast experience and skill. You can update your website whenever you like, and what’s also great about WordPress sites is that they are looked upon very favourably by Google and the other leading search engines. Google has actually taken the step of recommending WordPress for business sites. The ability to update your site with ease, means you can post the frequent content that wins over search engines and customers alike, boosting brand engagement and exposure levels remarkably. Studies suggest that almost one in ten sites are now powered by WordPress. What’s more is that the platform has a vibrant and thriving community, which means help is never far away if you do need assistance with something, including ways to speed up WordPress.

Why you should look for ways to speed up WordPress today

So, why is speeding up your WordPress so beneficial? There are many benefits attached to speeding up the performance of your site. Speeding up your site will bring you faster-loading pages, which in turn will enhance the user experience, reduce visitor frustration, increase return visits and support SEO efforts. Studies have shown a drastic drop in human attention span over recent years. In fact, it’s said that during the 16 years leading up to 2016, the average attention span was cut from 12 to 7 seconds. This means it’s essential that site visitors are instantly met with an efficient and smooth service. You need to convince site users to stick around as soon as they land on your page. If your site loads slowly, visitors may well head elsewhere before it has loaded fully.

Keep visitors onsite

One case study showed that just a 1-second delay could reduce conversions by 7%, customer satisfaction by 16% and page views by 11%. Slow-loading websites have been penalised by Google for some time, which means you could be risking being pushed way down the rankings and losing vast numbers of visitors if you fail to speed up your site.

 

Let’s take a look at 21 ways to speed up WordPress right now

1. Research reasons for slow loads

The speed test report may suggest many methods for improvement. Although some of the language may seem complex and off-putting, gaining a grasp of these terms can be extremely valuable. The main reasons for slow loading times for WordPress sites include badly-configured web hosting servers, poorly-configured WordPress with unserved cache pages, unoptimised images, badly-coded plug-ins and external scripts like ads. The more you know about the technicalities behind slow loading times, the better.

2. Check the performance of your site

Don’t think that just because your site loads up quickly for you that others are getting the same results. If you regularly visit your own site, it may have been stored in your browser’s cache, leading to it opening swiftly. However, those visiting your site for the first time may still be met with slow loading times. Users in different parts of the world may also get different results. There are many tools online that will let you test your loading speeds from different locations. Although 2 seconds may be regarded as an acceptable load time, some users aren’t even this patient. Even removing half or a full second from load time can result in a much better experience for site visitors.

3. Choose the right WordPress host

It’s essential that we don’t underestimate the importance of a quality web host. Reputable shared web hosting providers will spend sufficient time on optimising performance, though shared hosting does mean sharing resources with a large amount of other people. Busy neighbouring sites can have a significant impact on the whole server and therefore your site. You may well wish to opt for a managed hosting service over a shared one. Opt for a managed service and you’ll be able to benefit from highly-optimised server configurations as well as automatic back-ups, updates and complex but valuable security configurations that will enhance the security of your site. This step is regarded as one of the most effective ways to speed up WordPress.

The hosting of your site is widely agreed to be amongst the most important factors when it comes to loading times. Many providers offering “unlimited” bandwidth are unable to provide impressive loading times, especially during peak hours. Furthermore, the vast majority of these providers can’t guarantee more than 99% uptime per month. Nonetheless, the prices of quality hosting packages have fallen significantly with the passage of time. Some companies offering cloud servers require you to do a great deal of the legwork yourself, which can be daunting for those lacking in technical experience. However, there are many hosting providers available who will do most of the work on your behalf and will happily come to your assistance if you do need to be pointed in the right direction.

4. Use a reliable WordPress caching plugin

When many people are visiting your site simultaneously, performance can be negatively affected. However, a caching plug in can make your site up to five times faster. The plug in creates a copy of a page the first tie it loads and displays a cached version of it to every visitor after that. You won’t need a caching plugin if you have a managed server as they will look after this for you. Caching drastically simplifies the process the server has to go through when showing pages to users. Some of of the most reputable and useful WordPress plugins are part of the caching category and will greatly improve loading times. What’s also great is that many of them are totally free and wonderfully easy to utilise. W3 Total Cache has regularly been named as one of the most reliable cache plugins on the market and requires you to simply install and activate it to see vastly enhanced loading times immediately.

5. Update your site regularly

Updating your site regularly is essential. Themes and plug-ins are refreshed regularly, and if you fail to take advantage of them, you could become vulnerable to bugs and security issues as well as slow loading times. Keep on top of the latest updates to avoid performance being affected. Make sure your site, plugins and themes are all updated to the very latest versions. What’s also advantageous about updating your site with new content regularly is that doing so is looked on very favourably by the likes of Google, who also reward fast-loading sites that offer fast performance with better rankings.

6. Optimising images

Visitors are much more likely to hang around when you display images on your page. However, you could be risking vastly reduced load times if your images are not optimised. You can optimise them with photo editing software, which will cut down file sizes and can be used to change the format of your images. In fact, compression can cut the amount of data in your image by up to 20% without significant quality being lost. PNG images are heavy on data, which means its hugely advisable to switch to JPEG if possible.

Yahoo!’s discontinued image optimiser Smush.it had a great reputation when it comes to reducing file sizes without noticeably reducing quality. However, the process of reducing one image at a time can be time-consuming, so if you do have a large number of images to upload and are short on time, you may well wish to make use of free plugins like WP-SmushIt which will treat all your images quickly as you upload them and has won a great deal of praise amongst the WordPress community.

7. Take advantage of excerpts

WordPress will continue to entirety of each article on your homepage and your archives unless you instruct it not to. This leads to homepages, categories, archive pages and tags loading slower. If full articles are shown, visitors may not decide to visit the page in question, which means pageview numbers can be negatively affected. By using excerpts, you can convince users to click through to view full pages and spend more time on your site. The Settings menu enables you to show summaries to your visitors rather than the full text.

8. Break comments into pages

Although it’s always great to see vast numbers of visitors commenting on your articles and joining the discussion, loading comments can also take time. The Discussion part of the Settings menu offers a Break Comments into Pages option that will help you avoid this problem and enable you to avoid slow loading times likely to send guests away.

9. Content Delivery Networks

A Content Delivery Network or CDN will help you speed up loading times for visitors no matter where they are. Without a CDN, users in the country where your server is based will experience faster loading times than visitors located elsewhere. CDNs are consist of servers from across the world, with all servers storing static files like images, JavaScript and CSS that make up your site. Using a CDN means users will be served filed from the server nearest to them, whilst your own web hosting server will perform quicker because of the reduced pressure on it.

 

 

Most well-known and well-read WordPress blogs are now making use of CDNs in order to cater for visitors across the world effectively. The Max CDN Content Delivery Network has a great online reputation and has been complimented for its intuitive dashboard and generous pricing structure. Furthermore, it comes with video tutorials designed to make the setting-up process smoother and quicker.

10. Avoid uploading videos directly to WordPress

Uploading your videos directly to WordPress can also vastly reduce loading times. What’s also worrying about this is that hosting videos directly can be very expensive in terms on bandwidth, and you could be faced with a big bill from your hosting provider, who may even decide to close your site. Even if you’re paying for so-called unlimited bandwidth, you may still be met with tough penalties. Hosting videos will also make backup sizes swell and make the restoration process much more difficult. However, help is at hand. You can instead embed videos that you have uploaded to services like YouTube who do have the bandwidth. Just cut and paste the URL into the post and it will be embedded seamlessly, helping you avoid slow load times and penalisation.

11. Choose a speedy theme

Though scores of great WordPress themes are available, it’s important to consider speed when selecting one. Some of the most visually-impressive themes have bad coding and can have an adverse effect on load times. Try to strike a happy balance between performance and visual quality when selecting a theme. You may need to experiment with a number of themes before you reach the best compromise. Many WordPress site owners opt for simple theme and select a number of high-performance plugins to get the right visual feel and efficiency. Some of the most reputable theme shops include StudioPress and Array Themes and are great channels for obtaining impressive themes that won’t result in snail-like loading times.

12. Faster slider plugins

Sliders are particularly popular amongst WordPress users but do have a tendency to lengthen loading times. What’s more is that they can even undermine your attempts at speeding up your site, such as choosing optimised images. It’s wise to spend time online researching the best slider plugins for your needs. Nivo Slider, Soliliquy and Meteor all have a great reputation amongst leading WordPress experts and veterans.

13. Faster gallery plugins

Do you need to display a large number of photographs? As we have already mentioned, photographs that haven’t been optimised can lead to poor loading times. Many professional photographers using WordPress opt for speedy gallery plugs ins that have been designed for speedy loads. There are many reliable and fast gallery plugins on the market – some of the most reputable and acclaimed include Envira Gallery, NextGEN and Foo Gallery.

14. Splitting longer posts into pages

There are many great reasons for adding detailed, lengthy posts to your WordPress site. Long post can provide your readers with detailed analysis and facts about complex topics and really establish yourself as a leading player in your field. They can also be fantastic for SEO. However, if you do post extensive information supported by a string of images, loading times can be impacted. One way to get around this is to separate your longer posts into pages. Splitting posts into sections isn’t complex – you simply need to use the <!––nextpage––> tag when you wish to end one section and begin another. Long posts don’t need to have an unwanted effect on loading times.

 

15. Prevent pingbacks and trackbacks

Pingbacks and trackbacks tell you whenever your site receives a link, but they can put your server resources under pressure. What’s more there are other resources you can use to assess links of your site, such as Google Webmaster Tools. The pressure on your server comes from the way requests from WordPress are sent back and forth when link ups are made. Additionally, hackers and other cybercriminals can exploit pingbacks and trackbacks in DDoS attacks. You can switch off this functionality in the Discussion area of Settings. Simply deselect “Allow link notifications from other blogs (pingbacks and trackbacks)” to disable pingbacks and trackbacks.

WordPress is designed to interact with other blogs equipped with trackbacks and pingbacks. When you are mentioned on another site or blog, data on your own post is updated. Don’t worry about backlinks being lost if you disable trackbacks and pingbacks – you’ll only be losing clutter on your site by taking this step.

16. Cut down external HTTP requests

Though it is helpful to use some files from other sites, overdoing things can also impact load times. A large number of plugins and themes load files from other sites, with many making use of scripts, images and more from the likes of Google and Facebook. However, if your plugins make a large number of requests, chances are that loading times will be effected. You can get around this by disabling some scripts and styles.

Alternatively, you may wish to merge them into a single file. This task may seem more complex than many of the other tips and tricks we’ve discussed in this article, but making these changes and gaining a rich understanding of what you need to do to reduce HTTP requests can be worth its weight in gold. There are many tutorials online that will show you how to cut down HTTP requests and disable JavaScript and CSS files from plugins to boost loading times and bring your visitors a smoother and faster site experience.

The process of minification won’t lead to unwanted results but will eliminate unnecessary characters from HTML, JavaScript and CSS files. Minification reduces load times and boosts performance by removing redundant code and unnecessary characters. Various studies have shown how minification makes a significant difference to the performance of WordPress sites. You can also speed up WordPress by minimising page size and reducing the number of calls to JavaScript and CSS.

17. Use GZIP compression

Many computers owners choose to compress files on their computers in order to save disc space after looking for ways to speed up WordPress. The equivalent of this for WordPress users is GZIP compression, which cuts down bandwidth usage and reduces the time it takes for users to access your site. It means the browser unzips your site before they enter it. There are many plugins available that will enable you to compress your files, though you can also add the code below to your .htaccess file.

AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/plain
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/css
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xhtml+xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/rss+xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/javascript
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-javascript

 

 

18. Reducing database calls

Again, this step may seem somewhat complex but you can expect your efforts to pay off if you invest time in understanding what you need to do to reduce database calls. You will need to gain some understanding of PHP and the template files of WordPress to perform this step. Unnecessary direct database calls and requests can put too much pressure on your server and can result from badly-coded WordPress themes. Even themes that are otherwise coded impressively may make database calls just to get simple information. The tag <?php marks the beginning of a new database call. If you’re using a child theme to customise your site, the calls can be deleted and replaced with specific information. You can also replace them with static information when using a parent theme.

19. Remove unnecessary information from your WordPress database

Once you have been using WordPress for some time, you will probably come across a significant amount of unnecessary information. The WP-Sweep plug in can be used to eliminate much of this and will get rid of unused tags, trashed posts and much more, giving your database a much-needed and valuable spring clean. Furthermore, you can optimise the entire structure of your database with just one click.

20. Cut back post revisions

Post revisions can fill up a great deal of your database, and some experts suggest that they might have a negative impact on plugin database queries. Plugins that don’t exclude revisions could search through revisions when they don’t need to. However, it’s relatively easy to limit the amount of revisions kept for every article. You can achieve this by adding the code define( ‘WP_POST_REVISIONS’, 4 ); to your wp-config.php file, which will result in only the last four revisions being kept and older revisions being discarded.

If you’d prefer to use a plugin for post revisions, options are available. A plugin called Revision Control enables you to revert to previous versions if mistakes are made and enables you to decide how many revisions you wish to save so your backend isn’t clogged up with scores of old drafts that you no longer require.

21. Stopping hotlinking and leaching of your content

The higher the quality of your content is, the bigger the chances of someone else using it without your permission become. When other site owners choose to serve your images from their URLs on your site rather than uploading them to your servers, they are using your bandwith, without you even being able to enjoy extra traffic as compensation. Add the code below to your .htaccess file to stop others hotlinking your images.

#disable hotlinking of images with forbidden or custom image option
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http(s)?://(www.)?wpbeginner.com [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http(s)?://(www.)?google.com [NC]
RewriteRule .(jpg|jpeg|png|gif)$ – [NC,F,L]

You may also be negatively impacted by content scraping websites, which take content from your RSS feed to create their own posts. Fortunately, there are many tutorials online which will help you prevent content scraping from your WordPress site.

Conclusion

Reducing the loading time of your site will vastly improve the experience of your visitors, no matter which device they are viewing your site on. No matter whether they are navigating your WordPress site through their desktop, PC, smartphone or tablet, you can follow the instructions above to create a better experience for site visitors and start enjoying much quicker loading times. Though many of the above steps are relatively simple, it’s certainly worth spending some time getting to grips with the more complex instructions in order to start getting the desired results.

Improving loading times won’t just create a better experience for your visitors, it will help you impress the search engines and make your own use of the site more enjoyable whilst enabling you to cut down your bandwidth and avoid other negative scenarios including unforeseen costs and even the closure of your site, whether that be temporary or permanent in nature.

 

 

Optimising speeds is essential for running a quality WordPress site. To make the most of your site and keep visitors and search engines happy, you need to gain a deep understanding of what affects WordPress speeds, how to identify a quality hosting provider, understand what makes a great hosting service, understand what your own unique needs and requirements are and know what the best plugs ins to install are.

By using excerpts, splitting comments into pages, using a reliable CDN, updating your site with the best new plugins and themes, using faster slider and gallery plugins, optimising images, reducing database calls and HTTP requests, cleaning up your back end frequently, clearing out old post revisions, disabling hotlinking and leeching, preventing pingbacks and trackbacks and using GZIP compression, you can turn a poorly-performing or even merely adequate WordPress site into a great one. There are various techniques you can use if you have been searching for way to speed up WordPress.

If you have been searching for Google Analytics plugins to boost business and drive traffic, read on. There are many exciting and highly-proficient GA plugins for WordPress on the market that will help you get a deeper insight into the behavior of your site visitors and help you cater for them more effectively. Google Analytics was launched in 2005 after Google purchased Urchin. It is now one of the most popular web analytics services around.

Features of GA include various data visualisation tools including scorecards, motion charts and a dashboard. You can use the platform to view and assess changes in data and behaviour over time. It also offers segmentation for analysis of subsets like conversions and provides you with valuable custom reports alongside e-mail based sharing and communication. The platform integrates with various other Google products such as AdWords. The tool is targeted towards small and medium-sized sites, particularly retail websites.

Let’s take a look at some of the very best Google Analytics plugins for WordPress right now.

Analytics Cat

The process of adding Google Analytics to your WordPress site is quick and easy with Analytics Cat. The plugin doesn’t feature an array of unnecessary features and enables you to add your GA code to your site in under two minutes, without the site being slowed down. All you have to do to get started is install and activate the plugin, copy and paste the GA info and you’re ready to get started. The plugin works straight out of the box, and there is a useful quick-start guide to make the whole process wonderfully uncomplicated. What’s also great is that the plugin is totally free (we actually use this plugin our site).

Google Analytics by MonsterInsights

Google Analytics by MonsterInsights was once known as Google Analytics by Yoast. Free and paid-for versions are available, and the installation process is simple. Once you have configured the plugin, you’ll be able to track visitors, download numbers and click on outbound links. The intuitive plugin features tool that users can get to grips with quickly. You won’t need to open any other site to access analytical data after the plugin is installed, as everything you require can be seen on the dashboard. The plug in also uses lightweight code that doesn’t put vast amounts of pressure on the server. There are demographic and interest-based filters to take advantage of. Many users begin with the free version before graduating to the paid-for one.

WP Statistics

Also easy to get to grips with is WP Statistics. This plug in works flawlessly with a host of search engines including not only Google but Bing, Yahoo and many more. Visits are tracked based on GeoIP, and hashing IP addresses in the database are supported, protecting user privacy. The plugin can also track e-mail stats and place them in reports. You can export XML, TSV and CSV file data with the plug in, which is renowned for the quality and number of its export options. If you regularly need to produce reports to gain access to valuable information about user behaviour, WP Statistics could well be the perfect match for your needs.

Google Analytics WD

Web Dorado’s Google Analytics WD integrates Google Analytics into your site impressively, and there are many useful features to take advantage of, including stats overviews, traffic information, analytics reporting and more. The plugin is pleasingly responsive and has what it takes to give you a real edge over the competition. Free and premium versions are available. If you do find the free version to be somewhat restricted, you can opt for various Pro packages that rise in price depending on the features you require. The Pro plans unlock various features such as ecommerce tracking, pushover notifications, AdWords reports and full GA reporting to name but a few.

WP Power Stats

WP Power Stats works independently and has no connection with GA. It has built-in options that let you track visitors and generate reports based on a number of elements. Filters can be used to obtain greater analysis, and nine languages are supported. The plug in tells you about page views, unique views, devices used for viewing, browsers used, traffic sources, search terms, the geographical locations of visitors, operation systems and referrers details.

 

Analytics Stats Counter Statistics

This simple but valuable and reliable plugin only has a modest number of features, yet each one it does offer is incredibly useful. The plugin gives you an excellent insight into the activity happening around your site and supports IPv4 and IPv6 connections. It has an uncluttered analytic meter and can give you information about landing page performance, unique visitors, returning visitors, page views and stats based on geographical locations, screen resolution and more. The plugin app can prove very helpful if you’re running multiple blogs.

 

Google Analytics Dashboard for WP

The Google Analytics Dashboard for WP may be perfect for you if funds are limited. The powerful plugin is available for free and has a popular live stats function that appears on each page or post. One limitation of the plugin is that you’re likely to get more use out of it as an advanced user, however it retains a vast host of valuable features, such as enabling you to add your own GA tracking code and show stats in the WP dashboard.

 

Analytify

This unfussy, popular plugin provides you with a detailed breakdown of post stats on the back and frontends. Rather than having to work your way through various individual sections of Google Analytics, you can see everything you need on a single page. There are increasing numbers of add-ons being prepared for the plugin, such as a feature that will allow you to track Woo Commerce and Easy Digital Downloads activity.

We hope you found our guide to the best Google Analytics plugins for WordPress useful. Hopefully, you’ll find something in the above list that meets your needs, preferences and budget perfectly.

Using the modern technology we have available today, this list of best drag and drop website builders in 2018 will show you how easy it is to create a website. The magic really sits behind how quickly this can be achieved; from blogs to portfolios, business websites to eCommerce stores.

Most drag and drop site builders don’t require any coding knowledge, making them a great source for absolutely anyone. We’ve certainly moved along in time from the days where HTML and CSS is a requirement to create a website!

1. Wix

First on our list (which should tell you a lot already) is Wix’s website builder. When you compare Wix to other drag and drop builders on the market, it really does excel. Whether you’re creating a new business, personal, portfolio, or blog site, it’s quick and easy to achieve with Wix.

There’s a great selection of templates to choose from before you get started. Simply filter by category to find the perfect design to suit your needs! The beauty of this drag and drop website builder is that you can tailor each template to your website or business. If you like the design but don’t like the colour, it’s a simple and quick method to change it.

One of the main selling points of Wix is just how simple and easy to use it is. Whether you’re creating a blog, forum, website, or eCommerce shop, the process is very self explanatory. Simply drag and drop existing or new components onto your web page, and within a matter of hours you can achieve the perfect website.

 

Pros:

• Easy to use drag and drop functionality
• Templates sorted by category so you can find your perfect design
• Ability to switch between desktop and mobile views to ensure your site is mobile friendly
• Affordable pricing and scalability dependent on needs

Cons:

• If you want adverts to be removed, you’ll need to pay a higher price
• Once you’ve selected a template and gone live, you can’t change your selection

 

2. Shopify

Shopify is a versatile eCommerce drag and drop website builder. No matter what type of online store you’re looking to run, Shopify will give you the tools to achieve it. Shopify is designed to integrate with lots of other apps, including your social media channels. It’s drag and drop functionality makes it really simple to create the perfect online shop.

One of the main features that stands out for me is Shopify’s analytics. You can monitor your sales, shipping, customer information, etc. allowing you to monitor every aspect of your website. Handy easy to use graphs are available so you can have an instant overview of how your eCommerce website is performing.

You can even add a blog section to your website to engage your customers. That’s right, it doesn’t just have to be a shop, there’s so much more you can do with Shopify, and that’s why I love it.

 

Pros:

• Tonnes of analytics to monitor website and eCommerce performance
• User friendly UI even if you’ve never created an online shop before
• Plenty of templates and designs to choose from for inspiration
• Easy to integrate with other apps and social media platforms

Cons:

• Can be quite pricey dependent on the plan you choose
• Transaction fees apply on sales

 

3. Squarespace

Squarespace is insanely easy to use, which is why it makes it’s way comfortably into our best drag and drop website builders. Because of how user friendly it is, Squarespace is a popular website builder among users all over the world (including celebrities)! No matter whether your website is a portfolio, blog, eCommerce store, or anything else, you can achieve it with Squarespace.

There are lots of professionally designed templates from you to choose from. Creating a wedding website, online food shop, or showing off your musical talents? It’s all really simple to do with this drag and drop builder. You can quite easily get a website live over the space of a couple of hours – I told you it was easy!

The beauty of Squarespace is that it’s not limited – you can fully customise any template to achieve the perfect design. What’s more, it’s an all-in-one package if you want it to be, offering a domain name, SSL certificate, and more.

 

Pros:

• Exquisite and professional templates
• Mobile responsive approach
• Style Editor gives you full drag and drop customisable control

Cons:

• Pricier than other comparative drag and drop builders
• No separate mobile builder

 

4. Ukit

Russian based Ukit prides itself on it’s drag and drop technology. The beauty of this website builder is that you don’t need to know or understand an ounce of code to build your perfect website. There’s several hundreds of templates to choose from, so you won’t be lost for inspiration – that’s for sure!

Once you’ve created an account, you’ll get to select a domain name and input your business details. Ukit is designed for businesses, so if you’re looking for a personal website, this wouldn’t be our recommended choice. Once you’ve got past the initial stages, your basic web pages will be setup for you (home, about, blog, and contact pages).

The only thing you really need to add is your own content, and you’re good to go! There’s easy to use widgets and blocks that you can drag and drop onto your site, placing things exactly where you want them. In my experience, you can get a website live with Ukit in just a couple of hours.

 

Pros:

• Free 14-day trial giving you premium access
• Stunning templates that rival the likes of Squarespace
• Your business and website will automatically be connected to Google Maps, Google Console and Google Analytics

Cons:

• Weekly-based backups as opposed to daily
• Domain names do not include WHOIS protection

 

5. Weebly

Weebly is a long-standing and professional drag and drop website builder. You can create any type of website with Weebly, whether it be for personal or business reasons. You’ll get to choose the type of style you want for your Weebly website straight away, where it’s technology will take over and do most of the work for you.

Weebly’s drag and drop editor is very intuitive, so if you’ve never used one before, it won’t be a scary experience. Getting a website live doesn’t take much time or effort, so you’ll be able to see your website on the internet in no time at all. There’s lots of templates to choose from, so if you’re not feeling creative, there will be something for you.

What excites me the most about Weebly is it’s mobile app. So, if you’re not at the computer and you need to make some changes on the go, you can! Plus, you’ll get to see your website in mobile view which is a bonus too!

 

Pros:

• Mobile app to access your website builder and make changes on the go
• Intuitive drag and drop software
• No experience required to get your website live the same day

Cons:

• Advanced marketing tools are hard or impossible to get working
• Migration to another CMS platform is very difficult

Okay so you have a website that you are about to launch, you have created loads of awesome content, you have some of the best features that you can have for a website and you’re ready to roll. You know that your visitors are going to love your website because you spent aging crafting unique, high quality content that is focused on your target audience.

What you should always remember is that it is important to effectively measure any kind of marketing method, whether it is an email campaign being measured for click throughs, or how many visitors are viewing each page on your website. These are key measurements of how well your marketing is working.

Google Analytics is a hugely popular choice when it comes to tracking website usage, partly because it is so easy to use and partly because it is free.

If you’re new to using Google Analytics, then here are some simple steps you will need to take to get up and running:

 

– Visit https://ift.tt/mU8LnS to sign up for a new account. If you already have a Google account, you can use that one so you don’t need to create another account.

 

You might also want to take a quick look at the demo video to give you a better understanding of how everything works.

 

– Once you have either created your new account or signed in with your existing Google account, the following screen will then be displayed:

– For the purposes of this article, we are looking at tracking website usage but you can also use Google Analytics to track mobile app usage. You will be given the following fields to select from:

 

 

– Select ‘Website’.

– Enter an account name for the website you want to track (if you want to track several websites then make sure you can differentiate between each one easily).

– Enter the website name and URL, followed by the type of business from the drop down list. Make sure that you select the correct time zone.

– The next section covers data sharing details which basically gives Google permission to access your data to provide analytical data and support, as well as using it for benchmarking. If you have any concerns about how your data will be used then read the privacy policy.

– Once you have selected your data sharing options, you can generate your tracking ID by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page:

– Read through the Terms of Service and if you are happy, click on the ‘I Accept’ button.

– You will then be presented with your unique tracking ID with the code that you will need to paste into any page on your website that you wish to track. The ID looks like UA-12345678-1 in terms of format.

– Familiarise yourself with some of the settings and if you want to monitor organic searches (where people have found you using a search engine), there is any area to add more than the default list of search engines.

At this point you will have successfully set up your account details ready to start using Google Analytics.

– You now have the choice between manually entering your code into your WordPress site or opt for one of the many plugins that will do it all for you.

A popular choice is the Google Analytics Dashboard for WP. So you need to go to Add New Plugin within your WordPress site and find the plugin that you want to add. Install your plugin as you normally would (you can get more advice on how to install a plugin) and you will get the following page:

 

– Because you have already set up your Google Analytics account details, all you need to get started is to click Get Access Code. Copy the code that you are given into the Access Code field and you are ready to go.

You will be able to see a Google Analytics section has been added to your dashboard and you can find all of your website usage information in here.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering which website builder is best for you. Well, it’s a good job you’ve arrived! Website builders generally do have similar features to equip you with the tools to make your perfect website. However, there are also many difference between them, setting one platform apart from the other.

I’ve signed up and used both Wix and Squarespace in order to give you an accurate representation of each website builder. I’ve looked at various elements of each site in order to provide you with the best comparison in 2018!

Wix vs Squarespace: Mobile Ready

User experience is something which cannot be ignored (and shouldn’t). 87% of consumers own and use a mobile device. It’s estimated that 6.1 billion people will be using a smartphone by the year 2020! According to IMPACT, nearly 60% of mobile users would not recommend a business with a poor mobile site.

When designing a website using a website builder, I expect to be equipped with a mobile ready site. I experimented with Wix and Squarespace’s tools and features to see how easy it would be to design a mobile a website. Let’s take a look at the results!

 

Wix

Wix has loads of beautifully designed templates to choose from. However, they don’t provide exclusive responsive templates. That’s not to say that their templates aren’t mobile ready, because most of them do appear to be.

It’s great if you’re simply looking to make a few changes to an existing template! But, if you want to add/remove features like blogs and forums, things get a little more tricky. Wix has a mobile interface editor which allows you to view a mobile version of your website and edit content as you please. The issue is that this can cause the process of creating a website to take a lot longer than other website builders.

If you’ve got the time though, Wix’s mobile editor is actually very powerful. There’s lots of advanced tools allowing you to create a mobile version of your website that’s either the same or entirely different to your desktop version. In my opinion this offers a lot more flexibility and control over how your mobile visitors view your website.

 

Squarespace

On the flip side, Squarespace’s templates are all mobile responsive. They can be used on desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobiles, with absolutely no effort or changes required. Their templates look absolutely effortless and I for sure love them!

Because all of Squarespace’s templates are designed by professionals, there’s a level of guarantee that other website builders don’t offer. If you’re not sure how your website will look, you can easily view it on a selection of devices and test it’s responsiveness in front of your own eyes.

 

Wix vs Squarespace: Features

When you’re paying for a website builder, you want to be reassured that you’re getting the most for your money. I certainly do anyway! Features are of course dependent on what your own needs are, but it’s also possible to make a general assumption as to which builder offers more.

 

Wix

If you’re a complete beginner to building websites, Wix is a great choice. You can build websites, blogs, forums, and more, all with a few clicks. It’s not possible to list every feature that Wix offers, so I’m going to break down the main ones here:

• App Market: Whether you’re looking for a form builder or newsletter signup, the app market has it all. Apps unfortunately aren’t free, so you’ll need to pay a price on top of the standard Wix fee.
• eCommerce: You can build an online store within minutes! Wix’s store manager allows you to organise and filter products into collections, as well as creating options for sizes, colours, etc.
• Blog: It’s super easy to integrate a blog into your website. You can manage posts, social media, and comments all in one place.
• Forums: Does your website have a need for a forum? Sure it does! It’s simple to add a forum to your website where users can interact with each other and post thoughts/ideas.

 

Squarespace

Squarespace offers very similar features to Wix, bar the app market. What I feel sets Squarespace aside though is their advanced approach to existing tools and features. Don’t get me wrong, Squarespace is really user friendly, but I feel it offers more to those who aren’t just beginners:

• Import/Export: As well as creating your own blog with Squarespace, you can import content. That’s right, if you have WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, etc. you can bring your content over to your site.
• App management: If you need to make any changes to your Squarespace site on the go, there are iOS and Android apps to access your account.
• Developer platform: Confident with code? Squarespace allows you to change any code on your website so you’re not stuck with your template looking the same as everyone elses.
• Access levels: Having a team of people manage your website can be useful. Especially if you’re running an eCommerce store. Squarespace gives you the option to manage multiple contributors with different access levels.

 

Wix vs Squarespace: Customer Support

In my experience both Wix and Squarespace have offered outstanding support. In fairness I’ve never really needed to contact them, but as a test I did. There’s not too much to say on this subject, so I’ve briefly summed up my thoughts on both website builders below.

 

Wix

+ Every element in Wix has an icon you can click to learn more

+ Large help center

+ Videos and how-to articles

+ Ticket support

+ Phone support (Mon-Fri 5am-5pm PST)

 

Squarespace

+ Tutorials

+ Workshops held in New York office

+ Wide knowledge-base and guides

+ Forum

+ Email support

+ Live chat support

 

Wix vs Squarespace: Pricing

Both website builders offer a range of pricing plans catering to different requirements. Wix has 5 plans and Squarespace has 2 plans for website users and 2 plans for eCommerce users. It’s hard to directly compare all of the prices available as they differ so much, so I’ve tried to outline some key elements for you:

	Wix	Squarespace
Pricing	Connect (£3/month) Combo (£6/month) Unlimited (£8.50/month) eCommerce (£11/month) VIP (£16/month)	Personal (£10/month) Business (£15/month) Basic (£20/month) Advanced (£30/month)
Free Plan	Brand ads on Free	No free option
Domains	1-year domain on Combo+	Free domain on all plans
SSL	SSL licence additional	Free SSL licence
eCommerce	Online store on eCommerce+	Online store on Business+
Marketing	$75 ad vouchers on Combo+	$100 AdWords on Business

 

Wix

Overall, Wix’s plans are cheaper than Squarespace’s. If price is all you’re worried about, Wix would seem like the sensible option. You can choose Wix’s free plan, but you’ll have a Wix branded advert displayed on your website at all times. You’ll also have a Wix domain e.g. (mywebsite.wix.com) which in my opinion doesn’t look very professional. If you’re willing to pay for your website, Wix offers tiered pricing to suit all users, from beginners to experts, blogs to online stores.

 

Squarespace

Squarespace is more on the pricey side and they don’t offer a free plan. If you want to try their services, you can opt into their 14 day free trial. If you know what you want from your website builder, Squarespace offers more features than most I’ve seen, so their hefty price tag really does seem worth it. If you’ve never used a website builder before and want a more professional look, give Squarespace a go for free to start off with.

 

Wix vs Squarespace: Conclusion

To be honest this is a bit of a tough cookie to crack! My recommendation here is to give Wix and Squarespace a try before you buy! Deciding which website builder is best for you is really down to your own needs.

Wix is a great platform if you’ve never created a website before. It’s also pretty handy if you want to edit the entire content of your site including it’s positioning on desktop and mobile. Wix’s ease of use makes it a perfect choice if you’re not too fussed about having every feature available to you.

Squarespace has professionally designed templates that look extremely professional. Squarespace may not be as easy to use as Wix if you’ve never built a website before, but it sure does have great features.

You’ll honestly have a different experience with both website builders; neither of them are sub-standard to the other. They have both positioned themselves well in their market, providing the tools and resources to build a professional website from scratch at their reflected prices.

Do you need to know how to block IP addresses in WordPress? If so, read on. There are many good reasons for blocking certain IP addresses from accessing your site. Many people choose to do this so they can avoid spam and reduce the likelihood of their sites being hacked. This article has been produced to tell you how to block IP addresses and tell you more about which IP addresses you may need to block to avoid attacks from cyber criminals and similar unscrupulous types.

What are IP addresses?

IP addresses can be compared to real-life addresses and telephone numbers. The addresses consist of 4 sets of numbers between 0 and 255 that are separated by dots. All computers that connect to the internet have IP addresses, which are given to them by ISPs or Internet Service Providers. Each time someone visits your site, their IP address is stored in your access log. In turn, each time you visit a website, the event is logged and your IP is stored. The fact that IP addresses are logged is very useful as it makes it easier to identify those engaging in unscruplous or illegal behavior related to your online space. IP addresses have resulted in many people having action taken against them for cybercrime including cyber bullying, hacking and more. However, some people opt to hide their IP addresses via VPN services. This can help them protect their personal information.

Reasons for blocking IP addresses

So, why would you need to block an IP address? Blocking an IP address can protect you from spam of various types including e-mail and comment spam, unwanted visitors, hacking and DDOS attacks. Symptoms of a DDOS attack include websites becoming inaccessible or pages taking too long to load. If you start to receive more spam e-mails or spam comments than usual, you may need to block IP addresses to stop this occurring.

Comment spam and DDOS attacks

WordPress can tell you the IP addresses of anyone that has left a comment on your site. Visit the comment page in the WP admin area to link comments up with IP addresses. Do you suspect you have come under a DDOS attack? If so, the first thing you should do is to look at your server’s access log. Login to the cPanel dashboard linked to your WP hosting account. Head to the ‘logs’ section and click the ’Raw Access Logs’ button. Click on your domain name in the access logs page so you can download the access logs file.

You will find the access log file in a gz. Archive file. Click on the file to extract it. There are various options available to you if you don’t currently have a program for extracting such files. You may wish to download a reputable program such as Windzip. Once you have extracted the files, you can open your access log file in a plain text editor such as Notepad. The file consists of raw data relating to all requests that have been made to your site. All lines start with the IP address that has made the request. Take care to avoid blocking yourself, trusted users and search engines from your site. If an IP address seems suspicious, there are IP lookup tools online that you can use to find out more about it. If you have a particularly high number of requests from a single address, this could be the source of the unwanted activity. You can copy and paste the IP addresses you are suspicious about into a new text file.

How to stop IP addresses leaving comments

Do you simply wish to prevent certain users from leaving comments? If so, you can do this in the WP admin area. Go to Settings » Discussion and scroll until you reach the ‘Comment Blacklist’ text box. The process is relatively simple – just copy and paste the unwanted IP addresses and click on ‘save changes’. Users with the IP addresses will now be unable to leave comments, though they will still be able to visit your site. However, this should help you win the battle against spam and help you deliver a better user experience for those who aren’t abusing your service. The offending users will see an error message when they attempt to leave a comment.

Have hackers attacked your site?

If you need to take more drastic steps to challenge those misusing your site, help is at hand. You can block IP addresses via cPanel to stop them gaining access to or viewing your site. This step may be for you if you have come under attack from DDOS or hackers. Login to the cPanel dashboard of the hosting account and head to the security section. You then need to click on the ‘IP Address Deny Manager’ button. This facility enables you to add any IP addresses that you need to block and can be of great value whether you need to block one or several addresses. If you do decide to unblock certain IP addresses – perhaps after learning someone else was responsible for the malicious behavior – you can do so in the same page.

Are you being attacked by addresses from across the world?

There may be situations where these steps are not enough. If you have come under attack from hacking attempts and DDOS threats from various random addresses from across the world, you can use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) for extra protection. One example of such a service is Sucuri, which is designed to protect you from such attacks and is ideal if keeping up with scores of offending IP addresses is simply not realistic. All of your site traffic will be sent through their servers so it can be assessed for suspicious behaviour. The facility can block all IP addresses deemed to be suspicious from accessing your site. The above steps can help you thwart hackers and keep your WordPress site safe from malicious attacks, so why not get started today?

What is Local SEO?

First things first, what is local SEO? In simple terms, it’s Search Engine Optimisation that is specifically designed to attract your target audience or users in a targeted geographical location. So, if you’re a graphic design company in Edinburgh, U.K., and you only want to attract users within this area, you’d use local SEO.

 

Local SEO is very specific, but in turn often produces greater results, because you’ll have less competition than if you were to target a wider audience. This also means that you might be able to save money too, as your SEO will be focussing on a small catchment area.

Why is Local SEO important to embrace?

Google is constantly updating their ranking algorithm, so keeping up-to-date with local SEO is very important. Recently, Google stated that local searches with high relevance, combined with a high-quality website with original content, would be prioritised over those that rank lower on their algorithm.

So, the aim of the game is to get your business’ website on the first page of Google, so that when a user searches using relevant keywords to your website, yours will appear in Google’s business listings, as well as on the search engine itself.

 

How do you improve your Google Business listing?

It may sound simple, but ensuring your business’ information is accurate and consistent is one of the most important factors in improving your Google Business listing. As well as Google My Business, there are other sites, such as, Foursquare and Yelp which can help towards getting your business seen – but the information about your business on these websites must be the same! The same process should apply to your business if you have multiple branches, too.

Does a small difference really matter? Yes, it really does. Google are becoming very strict when it comes to SEO and page ranking; as well as improving your ranking, Google will penalise your website’s ranking if it doesn’t conform to their standards. Google RankBrain is Google’s AI system used in their search algorithm; we won’t lie, it’s a complicated system, but it’s definitely worth checking out in order to improve your website’s SEO techniques.

 

What else can improve your Local SEO?

Some simple changes to your website can improve your local SEO, similar to general SEO. Ensuring that you include relevant keywords in your page title is an absolute must! It might be tempting to overload on your keywords – the more keywords you have, the better chance you’ll be seen on Google, right? Wrong! Remember, Google’s algorithm will not go easy on you if you’re not sensible about your SEO techniques.

When applying your SEO strategy, natural, interesting, relevant, and engaging content is the way forward. Let’s face it, who wants to visit a website where you’ll get bombarded with irrelevant, low-quality content that doesn’t give you the information you require. For example, if your website sells cakes, make sure your content is about cakes. You can include blog articles, and relevant links to other websites, but if you get carried away and lose your reader’s attention, your ranking will be adversely affected.

 

Can smart phones make a difference to your Local SEO?

Absolutely! Think about it, when you’re out and about shopping and you fancy a bite to eat, what do you do? You probably use your smart pone to check Google to see the information and location of local restaurants nearby. That’s local SEO right there! According to Statista.com 73% of the U.S., as of January 2017, were using their mobile phone to browse the internet, and 90% in Japan.

Ensuring that your website for your business is mobile optimised is very important. Most professional web developers and designers will make sure your website is at the top of it’s game on both desktop and mobile. Here are some simple steps to take to ensure that your mobile website uses local SEO to its full potential:

• Include your business’ telephone number on your website (this means a mobile user can simply click on your number, and it will initiate a call to your business)
• Include your business’ name and address on your website
• Integrate Google Maps on your website (a mobile user can click on your location, and receive directions straight to your door)

 www.statista.com – Mobile internet user penetration rate in selected countries as of January 2017