Tag Archives: knowledge

URL vs. Domain

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Hosting

The post URL vs. Domain appeared first on HostGator Blog . It’s time to get your dream domain name and start building your very first website. But, there’s only one issue. There are so many different technical terms; it can be challenging to figure out what you need and what you don’t need before you can begin with your domain registration. There are a lot of technical steps you’ll need to take to lay the foundation for your online presence. With each of these steps come dozens of technical terms, ready to trip you up. Two of those you’ve probably come across are a domain name and a URL. Often, you’ll see these referring to the same thing, but they’re actually different things.  Don’t worry. This post will clear up all the differences and similarities between URLs vs. domain names, so you can get on finding a domain name and building out your new site.  Below you’ll learn about the differences between a URL vs. domain names, why they’re used, and their different applications, so that you can set up your domain and website the right way. Let’s dig in! What Is a URL? URL stands for Universal Resource Locator, but you almost always hear it being referred to as a URL. When you look up at your browser address bar, you’ll see the entire URL is displayed. It includes all of the information necessary to locate the right page on a website.  For example, the entire URL for this blog is https://www.hostgator.com/blog/url-vs-domain/  You’ll notice that the domain name (hostgator.com) is included in the URL. But, it’s just one piece of the entire URL. You can think of the URL as a map that your browser can follow to access the right page, resource, or image on the web server.  The critical components of a URL include a domain extension or Top Level Domain (TLD), a domain name, and the Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol, which is ‘https://.’  What Is a Domain Name? A domain name might seem simple, but it’s not that easy of a thing, especially if you’re just getting started online. Domain names exist to make the websites more accessible to you and your visitors.  Put simply, a domain name is the address that you’ll type in the address bar to access a website. For example, the domain name for this website is hostgator.com , while the domain name for Google is google.com . Domain names are a critical part of your online brand and should be memorable to your visitors.  To have a website that’s accessible by regular web users, you need a domain name and a host. When a visitor types in your domain name into their address bar, the web browser will communicate with the host that the domain points towards and will serve the visitor the associated website. If that sounds a little complex, let’s look at this example: Think of your domain name as your cell phone number. When someone wants to reach you, they dial your number, and you hear it ring on your physical phone. In this scenario, your phone number is the domain, and your cell phone is your website.  You can also purchase a domain name without actually building an associated website. Some people make a living by buying and selling domain names in a process known as domain flipping.  Understanding Domain Name Organization Now that you have a better grasp on what a domain name is, let’s look at some of the individual pieces that make up a domain name. The most common point of confusion is the Top Level Domain (TLD) , or domain extension. This is the .com, .org, or .net that follows your domain. You might have thought up your dream domain name, but when you search to see if it’s available, you find that your TLD of choice isn’t available . Generally, .com, .org, and .net are the most popular and widely used domain extensions. But, you also have TLDs that relate to specific local markets and countries like .co.uk, .ca, and .com.au.  During your domain name search, you’ll also see that there are dozens of other TLDs available. Generally, you’ll want to stick with the ones that are most popular and avoid ones that are associated with less trusted websites, like .info. But, it’s up to your discretion. Some websites even prefer to use fun and unique TLDs , because it makes sense with their branding.  Regardless, whenever you’re purchasing a domain name, it’s a smart move to purchase any of the other popular TLDs that are available. This secures your brand online, protecting you from the fearsome scenario of your competitor building a site on ‘yoursite. net ’ when your domain name is ‘yoursite. com .’ What Is the Domain Name System? Another related term you’ve probably come across is the Domain Name System (DNS). This is how domain names and IP addresses are translated. When you type a domain name into a browser, the DNS will translate that domain into the IP address of the web server where the website files are located.  This is one of the main reasons that domain names exist, to make it possible to access websites with easily memorable names. Before the DNS system you’d have to remember the IP address of any given website if you wanted to access a site.  The DNS system makes it so we can type ‘ hostgator.com ’ into our browsers and visit this site, instead of having to type in a complex and difficult to remember string of numbers.  How Subdomains Relate to Domain Names One of the final aspects of a domain name is subdomains. These can get a little confusing, especially if it’s your first time building a website. Essentially, a subdomain is an additional part of your primary domain name. Subdomains are commonly used to help separate and organize certain parts of your website. A subdomain will come before your primary domain name, like the blog in ‘ blog.mysite.com .’ You can create as many subdomains as you like for your primary domain.  For example, you can access the support resources here at HostGator by navigating to ‘ support.hostgator.com .’ Subdomains are used for a variety of reasons, but here are some of the common reasons why you might create a subdomain : To sell eCommerce products. Since eCommerce stores require different levels of security and software than a standard website, you might use a subdomain to create a separate online store that’s still linked to your primary domain.  To separate your blog. A lot of startups and other online businesses keep their blogs on a subdomain. This allows you to use a separate CMS to manage content , that you might not have installed on your main website.  To create a site staging area. If you’re redesigning your site, you can create a subdomain that you can use to build your site on. Likewise, if you’re a developer, you can create separate subdomains as you’re building out client websites, so you can showcase your work as you build their sites.  To create a resource section. A lot of sites will create separate resource and support sections that are separate from the rest of their sites. If you’re creating a lot of content that serves a different purpose than a blog, or the rest of your website copy, then this can help you better structure the content.  URL vs. Domain: The Key Similarities A domain name is contained within a URL. Although the URL is the whole and a domain is just a part of it, there are some similarities that the two share. Here are the two most significant commonalities you’ll find between domains and URLs: 1. They’re Treated the Same By Your Web Browser Although a URL and a domain name have different technical definitions, they are treated the same way by your browser. For example, if you type in ‘ https://hostgator.com ’, it will send you to the same page as it would if you typed in simply ‘ hostgator.com .’ However, to access the site, you’ll need the TLD as well as the domain name, so regardless of which one you type in, you’ll arrive at ‘ https://www.hostgator.com/ .’  2. They’re Part of the Same Web Address A domain name is a singular aspect of a full URL. So, you could say they’re in the same family.  For example, when you tell a friend your house address, you’d probably say 1234 Highland Ave. From that information alone, your friend could infer the city, state, and zip code of your address. It’s not a perfect example, but a full URL contains the domain name within it.  The same goes for communicating the name of a website. When you’re telling someone the name of a website you’ll generally say the domain name and TLD, e.g.  ‘ bestpuppiesintheworld.com .’ You wouldn’t share the entire URL, including the https and the www , even though they both lead to the same place.  URL vs. Domain: The Key Differences Even though you might find that the terms URL and domain name are used interchangeably online, they aren’t the same thing. Here are the two main differences between a domain name and a URL. 1. A URL is a Complete Web Address A URL is a complete internet address which can locate a specific domain or an individual page on a given domain. It provides the web browser with all of the information necessary to identify and display a given page, resource, or piece of media, like an image.  A domain name, on the other hand, is a simpler form of a URL, and is used in place of a technical IP address. Its role is to make it easier to access a given website. Domain names are brandable and can also refer to a business name as well.  2. A URL Provides More Information A domain name is just a single aspect of a URL. Without the rest of the technical elements of a URL, a domain name isn’t incredibly valuable. For example, if you only type of the domain name into your web browser, you’ll end up doing a keyword search for that domain name. You can still access the site, but you’ll have to comb through the search results first.  A URL is the complete pathway and provides all of the information necessary to access a given website.  The Importance of Understanding the Differences Between URLs and Domains Hopefully, by now, you have a better understanding of domain names and URLs, how they’re related, and the differences they have.  Understanding how your website, URL, and domain name all work together might not seem like a big deal. But, this knowledge gives you power. It’s like knowing how to accomplish basic car-related tasks, such as changing your oil or replacing your windshield wiper blades, makes you feel like a more confident car owner (as it should).  The more you understand how your website and domain work together, the better you’ll be able to fix minor issues and ensure your site always remains online. You become more self-sufficient with your website, and don’t have to rely on support whenever you run into a small issue with your site.  For example, if your website isn’t showing up, then it might be an issue with your DNS records not pointing to the correct location. Or, you could have even spelled your domain wrong when adding it to your host.  Beyond general website troubleshooting having more in-depth knowledge about your website and how it works is always a good thing. Hopefully, you’re better equipped to choose a web hosting package, register new domains , add redirects, and even start playing around with subdomains. 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Best Windows Hosting

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Hosting

The post Best Windows Hosting appeared first on HostGator Blog . When you’re in the market for web hosting services you’re going to have a lot of options to choose from, and a ton of decisions to make. You not only have to find a quality hosting provider, but choose the right type of hosting for your website. With each hosting type, you’ll find a variety of different options and features you’ll have to decide between as well.  One of those decisions will be which operating system is going to run on your server. Your operating system will influence the different applications and software that you can run, and that your server can support.  The most popular choice of server OS is Linux. But, some website owners will require the unique functions of a Windows server for their sites to function properly. If that sounds like you, then this post is for you. Below you’ll learn what Windows hosting is, the unique advantages and disadvantages it offers your website, and what to look for, so you can choose the best Windows hosting for your needs.  What Is Windows Hosting? Chances are you’ve heard of the Microsoft operating system Windows. You might even be using it on your computer right now. Well, just like there have been multiple releases of the traditional Windows OS, there are different versions of the operating system that are built for specific purposes. One of those is Windows hosting . This form of hosting was built to run on server environments, namely Windows Server. The use of Windows as a server operating system is on the rise, and for some website owners, it has become the preferred option. Linux still remains popular and widely used, but the name recognition of Microsoft Windows alone is helping Windows hosting rise in popularity.  When you see the term “Windows web hosting,” it refers to the fact that the server hosting your website is using Windows as an operating system as opposed to Linux. You might also see Windows hosting referred to as ASP.NET hosting .  Most of the other common hardware features will be the same with either form of hosting. You’ll have variations of storage, bandwidth, disk space, domain management features, and more, depending on your web hosting plan. The biggest difference is simply the operating system you’re choosing.  Keep in mind that you won’t need to choose Windows hosting services just because you’re running Windows on your home PC. The two are completely unrelated. You can host your site with Windows hosting even if you’re running Linux on your home computer! Why Windows Over Linux? The choice between the Windows and Linux operating systems is just one of many choices you’ll have to make when finding the ideal hosting provider. So, before you move forward with your web hosting decision you’ll need to choose between the two. If you’re in the market for a shared hosting plan , then you’ll find that most servers only run on Linux. But, Windows options are available, depending on the hosting provider. One of the biggest reasons to use Windows hosting services is if you’re building your site using ASP.NET. That framework requires a Windows host to properly support the site.  Here are some of the most common reasons you’ll want to choose Windows hosting: Your website is built with, or requires, programming that only works with Windows You’re building your website or application with the ASP.NET framework You’re working with Visual Basic, FrontPage or MS SQL Basically, if you’re utilizing a Microsoft application to build your website, or if you require a Microsoft application for the ongoing use of your website, then Windows hosting is going to be a necessity.  Some people will also use Windows hosting, so they can utilize the Plesk control panel to manage their sites and server environment.  The Plesk control panel will help you manage and deploy websites and applications, configure email accounts, and a lot more.  The Pros of Windows Web Hosting Services Windows hosting can offer your site specific advantages if you’re a certain kind of website owner. Here are some of the biggest advantages to using Windows hosting:  1. Flexible Server Solution Windows hosting can afford you a lot of flexibility. For example, you have the ability to run Apache server software or even Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS). You also have the ability to use the ASP.NET framework, Visual Basic, or if you need to use MS Access or MS SQL for your databases.  Also, if you developed your web app or site using .NET, then you’ll need to use Windows to host it.  Same goes for using a program like Microsoft Exchange or Outlook. You’ll need a server configuration that’ll support any existing web applications or services you’re using through your website.  For those who have built their websites or web applications with Microsoft supported applications and tools, Windows hosting will be a great option that can help you get the highest level of performance and functionality.  2. Easy to Use A lot of people who choose Windows hosting do so out of familiarity. They use, know, and understand the Windows OS, so it makes sense for your server to run the same software as well. If you are going to be involved in running your server, then this knowledge might come in handy. If you’re running a Linux server, then you’ll need to understand how to use the command line and engage with the server in a different manner. Now, you might just be using the Plesk control panel to manage your Windows server, but the OS familiarity can be a benefit for some users—especially those who want to access their servers using the command line.  3. Windows Platform Compatibility Since your web server environment will be running Windows, you’ll also see compatibility with a variety of other Windows platforms and technologies. For example, if you use Outlook to manage your email, then you should be able to configure Outlook to work with your server environment as well. You’ll also find support for other software applications that have been designed specifically for Windows.  If you want to use other software on your server, you’ll still find compatibility with commonly used open-source languages like PHP, Apache, and MySQL. However, keep in mind that these languages and technologies might perform better on Linux machines.  If you’re unsure if the underlying technologies used to create and run your site or application will be compatible with a Windows host, then you’ll want to reach out to customer support before you sign up with a host.  4. Consistent Software Updates Like most other Microsoft products and services, you’ll receive a steady stream of updates with Windows hosting.  With regular operating system updates, you can ensure that your web server will be protected against the latest security risks that are lurking online. Plus, since they’re official company updates and releases, you may receive a higher level of support than what other open source solutions can provide.  Being able to access a team of Microsoft technical support specialists can be very valuable for some website owners.  The Cons of Windows Hosting Windows hosting won’t be the right fit for every kind of website owner. Some people will be a better fit for a Linux-based server. Here are the most common drawbacks of using Windows hosting:  1. System Reboot Issues One of the biggest downsides to running a Windows server is the frequent system reboots. If you currently use a Windows PC, then you’ll know about this issue. Now, the server edition of Windows you’ll be running will reboot less than the traditional operating system, but it does happen more often than with a Linux-based server. This can end up affecting your site’s reliability and performance. However, you can expect web hosts with long running Windows hosting packages to have the majority of these kinks worked out.  2. Can Be Less Stable Windows hosting can be less stable than a Linux-based server environment. Generally, a Windows server will be less streamlined than a Linux server. Simply because there’s more going on with a Windows server, there’s also a greater chance of things going wrong.  The chances are higher that you’ll experience reliability and stability issues with a Windows server. If server stability is very important to you, then you might want to explore different web hosting options .  3. More Expensive Hosting If the price of hosting is one of your biggest decision-making factors, then Windows hosting might not be the best option for you. Windows hosting isn’t the most expensive form of hosting you’ll find, but it is more expensive than a shared server running Linux. Since Windows isn’t a free and open source OS, the hosting company has to pay a licensing fee to install it on their servers. If you’re looking for the cheapest hosting possible, then you’ll probably end up going with a Linux-based server environment.  What to Look for in the Best Windows Hosting Provider If you’re looking for the best Windows hosting provider, then your options are going to be relatively straightforward.  Beyond ensuring that the hosting plan you’re choosing supports Windows servers, there are a few additional features you’ll want to take into account.  1. Support for Required Software If your website requires certain software, languages, or scripts, then you’ll need to make sure that it’s supported by the Windows host you choose. The worst thing you could do is go all the way with signing up with a Windows host, only to realize they don’t support the software that your site requires to function. If you’re running non-Windows software, programming languages, or platforms, then you’ll need to double-check that the software is supported.  2. Plans Within Your Budget One of the most important factors in choosing the best Windows hosting for you is finding a host that fits within your budget. Now, if you’re looking for quality, price alone shouldn’t be the biggest factor. Instead, you should look at the total value of the host. Do they provide the hardware and software you require? Are the servers high-performing? Do they provide Windows-specific support? Try to find a Windows host that fits within your budget, while also offering additional hosting benefits beyond strictly running the Windows OS.  After all, your operating system choice doesn’t matter a whole lot, if it doesn’t have the additional features you need, or you end up with a poor-performing website.  3. A Quality Support Team A customer support team isn’t something you’ll need to rely on all the time. But, when you need it, you want a support team that you can count on and trust. Make sure that your hosting provider offers support via a channel you prefer, whether that’s via phone, email, or even live chat.  Since you’re running a Windows server, you might also want to look for Windows-specific support. While running a Windows server should be less involved and easier to manage, a quality support team is always important to have.  4. Easy Site Management If you’re relatively new to hosting your site online, then you’ll want to look for certain tools and applications that’ll make your life easier.  For example, ensure that your Windows host offers the Plesk control panel. This control panel operates similar to cPanel and offers you an intuitive graphical interface that’ll help you accomplish technical server and website tasks.  You might also want to look for a bundled application installer that can help you quickly install dozens of applications on your server environment.  Is Windows Hosting Right for You?  Chances are, Linux hosting is going to be a better fit for most website owners. However, users who are building their sites with ASP.NET, or another Windows framework will require a Windows server to host their sites. Overall, Linux servers are more common, but Windows hosting does cater to a portion of the market who will require a Windows server for their site to function properly.  Even if you’re an absolute beginner, a lot of hosts offer dedicated technical support, along with the bundled Plesk control panel for easy site and server management. Hopefully, you have a better understanding of what Windows hosting is, the types of circumstances you’ll want to use Windows hosting, along with the benefits to hosting your site on a Windows server. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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What Is Wiki Hosting?

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Hosting

The post What Is Wiki Hosting? appeared first on HostGator Blog . When you’re seeking out information on a topic online and you head to Google, in most cases the top result you see will be from Wikipedia. The massive Wiki has become the go-to source for knowledge of all types online. But Wikipedia is just one example of a larger category of websites: wikis. What are wikis, and how can you host one of your own? We explain everything you need to know about wiki hosting plans below. What Is a Wiki? A wiki is a popular type of website  that enables open collaboration from users. The main thing that sets it apart from other websites is that anyone with an interest in the topic at hand and relevant knowledge can go in and add or change information on the page. In addition, the structure of wikis centers interlinking between related topics. This both encourages visitors of one page to move to related pages to gain additional knowledge, while also making it easier for people to learn contextual information that improves their understanding of the topic at hand. As many fans of Wikipedia, the most dominant of all online wikis, are well aware, the wiki format can inspire meandering and varied—but fruitful—explorations of knowledge. There’s even a term for this kind of exploratory knowledge gathering: the wiki rabbit hole , likening the experience to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland moving from one interesting experience to the next. Wikis are therefore great tools for sharing, organizing, and gaining knowledge through many types of resources. And for learning from the minds of many who can bring a diversity of experiences and knowledge to the format. Why Should You Start a Wiki? If you’re at the stage of trying to decide what kind of website to start, you should know that a wiki isn’t right for all possible websites. For example, if you’re building a business website, you want to keep control over what information goes on each page. And while providing helpful information may be part of your business website strategy, it wouldn’t be the central focus—getting people to buy your products or services is. Wikis aren’t for every use case, but for the particular situations where they do make sense, they can be a great choice. If you want a website that matches these four main attributes, then a wiki may be for you. 1. Wikis are collaborative. This could potentially be the main benefit or the biggest reason not to start a wiki, depending on the type of website you’re building. Whether you want strangers who share your passion to be able to add their knowledge of the subject your website is centered on, or if you want to allow employees or colleagues to weigh in on the business information provided, a wiki allows for that. If a colleague has a great idea for improving one of the business processes you describe on a wiki page, they can chime in in a format where everyone can see their contribution and build upon it. Or if a visitor that shares your love of your favorite TV show or author remembers a key point not initially included on a character’s page, they can add it to make the description more thorough. If your goal is a site that collects as much relevant knowledge as possible from multiple sources, then a wiki makes a lot of sense. 2. Wikis enable wide accessibility. A wiki can be easily accessed by anyone with internet access on any device they have. For businesses or organizations that want a centralized location where everyone can access all the company’s important information, a wiki provides that benefit. You can keep all your documentation, including the comments and responses other people have shared, in one place where anyone can get to it at the moment they need it. Wiki platforms provide accessibility both in terms of making it possible for everyone relevant to weigh in on the topics covered, and when it comes to where and how people can view the information included. 3. Wikis are an intuitive way to collect and organize information. Part of the success of sites like Wikipedia is that they organize information in a way that makes it easy to get the exact information you’re looking for. Wikis break information up into individual pages that each have a clear focus. Instead of packing all the information about a TV show into one page, for instance, you have separate pages about each character, each episode, each actor, and each of the main themes in the show. While the information is divided into one page for each topic, the related pages are also interlinked to make it easy to find additional relevant information as you go. As an example, if a character’s page mentions that they’ve married another character, it would include links to the spouse’s character page and the episode the marriage happens in. All of this makes it easy for anyone visiting the wiki to quickly find answers to the particular question they have, and any related information they decide to seek out as well. 4. Wikis are easy to set up. With the available wiki software, building out a wiki from scratch is fairly easy and intuitive, even for someone new to the whole process. And installing the wiki software on your web server is simple if you choose a Wiki hosting plan (more on that in a bit).  You will want to spend a little time planning out the kind of information you want your wiki to cover and how to organize it, but getting a wiki up and available to other users isn’t all that hard. 6 Main Types of Wiki Software Once you’ve decided to create a wiki for your website, you have two main choices to make: which wiki software to go with, and which wiki web hosting to choose. For the first question, you have a number of different options. These are the most popular wiki software solutions to consider. 1. MediaWiki MediaWiki is the most popular and well known of the wiki software options, as it’s the software behind Wikipedia. It’s a free and open source software that’s powerful enough to host a wiki of virtually any size. It’s relatively easy to use and extremely scalable, with hundreds of configurations and extensions available. Mediawiki is best for wikis that you intend to make publically available to anyone interested. It doesn’t provide good features for restricting access to a particular group of people. If you’re building a wiki for business purposes or to enable collaboration between members of a specific organization and you want your wiki to have a level of privacy, then Mediawiki probably isn’t the best choice for you. For any publically available wikis though, it’s a popular choice. 2. Tiki Tiki is another open source, free wiki software that’s been downloaded over a million times. It’s primarily developed for businesses to help enable collaboration between employees and departments. Tiki’s wiki features make it possible to create and edit a virtually unlimited number of pages, but unlike MediaWiki, it lets the wiki creator set permissions for specific pages and lock pages to keep others from editing. It also tracks the version history for each page and allows you to restore a page to a past version. For businesses or organizations wanting a wiki they can control access to, Tiki is a good choice. 3. PmWiki PmWiki is another popular wiki software that provides useful features for businesses, while remaining free to use. It’s a fairly basic version of wiki software, providing the most essential functions you need for a business wiki. You can easily change the appearance of your PmWiki site using skins—either ones you design yourself, or pre-made options that are available. As with Tiki, PmWiki lets you control which users have editing access to specific pages of your wiki site using password protection. If you’re looking for a good software to build a simple business wiki, PmWiki is a solid option. 4. WikkaWiki WikkaWiki is a lightweight wiki software that provides similar functionality to many of the other wiki engines mentioned on this list. WikkaWiki makes editing wiki pages simple for a variety of users, and like the other business-friendly wiki options, allows the wiki creator and administrators to control which users have access to specific pages both for viewing and editing. It also allows you to track and view a page’s revision history and restore prior versions as needed. 5. Dokuwiki Dokuwiki is a free and open source wiki software that boasts a simple design. The core features are basic and intuitive, but the software is also extensively customizable using available configurations and plugins. Dokuwiki is a popular choice for business use cases, including collaborative corporate workspaces and project management. As with many of the other options, Dokuwiki has access control features that allow wiki creators to limit who can view and edit particular pages, as well as specific sections of pages. And they provide revision tracking and management. 6. Matterwiki Matterwiki is a simple, easy-to-use wiki software made specifically for small businesses. All wiki articles are stored under a specific topic for intuitive organization. The software also tracks revisions, as well as who made each change. The editor is easy for employees at all levels of knowledge to use, so for small teams that want a simple interface for their wiki, Matterwiki is a good option to consider. What are Wiki Hosting Services? Wiki hosting is any web hosting plan that has the specific features and compatibility to work with wiki software. All websites need web hosting in order to be published to the web and accessible to visitors, and there are a wide range of web hosting options available when it comes to choosing a plan for your website. Application web hosting plans are specifically designed to work effectively with the particular type of application you used to build or run on your website. Wiki hosting is a type of application web hosting that promises support for wiki websites, whatever type of wiki software you choose to go with. What to Look for in a Wiki Hosting Plan If you’ve picked out your wiki software and are ready to choose a wiki hosting plan to launch your website, there are a few specific features to look out for: Easy installation One of the benefits of going with wiki hosting services, rather than a more general web hosting plan is that adding your wiki software to your web hosting account will be a breeze. Look for wiki hosting plans that provide one-click installation for your wiki software. Specific compatibility Most wiki hosting plans should work with any of the top wiki software options, but to be safe, check and make sure that the web hosting plan you consider works with the specific wiki software you’ve selected. HostGator wiki hosting supports many of the wikis we mentioned above, including MediaWiki hosting, Tiki hosting, PmWiki hosting, and WikkaWiki hosting Proper bandwidth This is especially important if your wiki will be publically available on the entire web, but also matters for private business wikis as well. Bandwidth will affect how much information (especially media and images) you can include on your wiki, and how many visitors the wiki can handle. If you expect a lot of people to access and use your wiki, then select a web hosting plan that can handle a lot of traffic. 99% uptime Whether your wiki will be for the broader public or just for a select few, you want it to be reliably accessible. Uptime is the term that describes how much time a web hosting provider keeps its websites up and available. The best web hosting companies promise at least 99% uptime, but a select few go further and offer 99.9% uptime with a money-back guarantee.   Customer support While building a wiki is relatively easy, with any type of website there’s always the chance you’ll face occasional technical snafus or issues you need help with. Find a wiki hosting company that provides 24/7 customer support so you can always trust there will be help available at the moment you need it. Find the Right Wiki Hosting Plan for You Building a wiki can offer a range of great benefits. It helps you connect and collaborate with other people, and enables a number of people to build upon each other’s knowledge. Whether your wiki provides information about a hobby or piece of culture you love, or helps your company manage projects and organize documents more effectively, it’s the right tool for a number of jobs. To make sure your wiki site is available to everyone that needs it, reliably and consistently, make sure you choose a wiki hosting plan that’s up to the task. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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12 Online Copywriting Tips to Improve Your Website

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Hosting

The post 12 Online Copywriting Tips to Improve Your Website appeared first on HostGator Blog . An impressive online presence matters. It’s the difference between visitors learning more about you or losing interest in your brand. To grab your target audience’s attention, upgrade your copywriting skills to engage with visitors. Effective copy helps your business sell more products, boost brand awareness, and dominate the competition. But, several factors influence how you write online. From the specific audience to your existing content, you must weigh what will work best for each piece. It also doesn’t hurt to add your unique personality to the work. Ready to level up your writing skills? Try these online copywriting tips to create a memorable visitor experience. 1. Research Your Audience According to CoSchedule, “successful marketers are 242% more likely to report conducting audience research at least once per quarter. And 56% of the most elite marketers conduct research once or more per month.” Bloggers can break the mold in their writing by becoming better researchers. Knowing about your audience gives you the intel to cater to their interests and maintain their attention. Research comes in many different forms. You can survey your existing audience and ask them particular questions on what topics they would enjoy reading. You could review your Google Analytics reports to assess the type of blog posts people visit the most. Tools like Social Mention also can help you discover new insights. This social media search and analysis platform tracks and measures what people are saying about any topic across social channels. While researching, your goal is to identify themes and patterns. You want to pinpoint ideas that will debunk myths and offer inspiration. Take the time to learn about your audience. Understanding their wants, needs, and behaviors helps your write better content. 2. Write in an Easy-to-Read Format The reading habits of an online visitor varies from a person offline. Research shows that site visitors read 20% of the text on the average web page. Your readers’ intentions are only to scan your content. Some individuals are too busy to read every word. Others just want to get the high-level concepts and move to the next topic. No matter the reasoning, be prepared to adjust your content. Best-selling author Jeff Goins offers his thoughts: “Sure, people can read. They just choose not to. You need to learn how to communicate to people who are functionally illiterate. Or perhaps, more appropriately, aliterate—that is, they’re able to read, but just choose not to do so.” You can make your writing easy to scan by using shorter paragraphs—limiting them to no more than four sentences. You can create scannable chunks by adding multiple subheadings throughout your blog posts. Draw the reader’s attention to important information with numbered lists and bullet points. It’s also wise to use bold and italic formatting to give your words more emphasis. There’s no doubt that your readers will scan your content. It’s up to you to assemble it in an easy-to-read format. 3. Insert Specific Keywords Organic search is the lifeblood of generating traffic to sites. If people can’t find your blog on Google, Yahoo, or Bing, it’s difficult to get new visitors. Keywords make it possible for potential readers to land on your site. When a person types phrases in a search engine, they get directed to content related to those keywords. Consumers are searching for specific terms with a particular intent. Impact reports that “50% of search queries are four words or longer.” Bloggers must match the searchers’ intent with remarkable content that solves their problems or answers their questions. As a result, readers will locate your blog and discover relevant information. Google Trends analyzes the popularity of top search queries in its search engine. That way, you can observe what people want to learn and write content that fits their needs. It’s not necessary to overload your blog posts with keywords. Stick to the basic search engine optimization guidelines, like adding keywords to your headers and meta descriptions. Writing for the web means getting your content seen. It all begins with including specific keywords in your work. 4. Highlight Notable Experts We’re often taught that writing is a standalone activity. When you’re ready to write, you should go in your perfect writing space and begin jotting down as many of your own words as possible. However, writing doesn’t have to be a lonely process. Writing for the web is also about collaboration. Your audience wants to hear new perspectives from other industry experts. The good news is that you can introduce them to notable people through your blog posts. John O’Nolan , founder and CEO at Ghost, agrees: “Is your brain tired? Borrow someone else’s! Who do you look up to in your industry who your readers might be interested in? Drop them an email and ask if you can do an interview. Your only challenge is to come up with some interesting questions which will get your subject talking.” Choose experts that your audience respects. When formulating interview questions, it’s important that you touch on different topics not present on other blogs. Exceptional questions will provide a fresh perspective to your post. Don’t limit your writing to just your ideas. When you feature thought leaders, it’s a special treat for your readers. 5. Provide Actionable Steps Web writing shouldn’t conclude like a suspense novel with a cliffhanger ending. Your audience wants actionable steps on how to move forward. Whether it’s leading them to a YouTube video or the checkout cart, it’s your responsibility to guide them to that goal. As an expert blogger, it’s easy to forget that your reader lacks the knowledge you possess. So, you may slip up and write with jargon or skip important details. That’s perfectly fine for your first draft. But, in the editing stage, you’ll want to scan for specific words or complex procedures that may hinder your readers from taking action. i am a food blog is a powerful example of how to showcase actionable steps in online writing. The instructions to prepare the dish are straightforward. Any reader can easily scroll to this section of the website and immediately begin cooking. Website design also is essential when writing for the web. You can include your steps in a colorful graphic to gain more attention from readers. What next steps can you offer your audience? Give them a reason to turn your words into productive action. 6. Write Targeted Copy Your website is an opportunity to establish your brand in the market. When people arrive to your site, they want to know what you do and what you stand for. Use your site copy to reflect a clear vision of your business. Rather than offering unnecessary details, select a primary goal that your copy will accomplish. “It’s important to give every piece of copy you write a single objective…Focusing on one objective at a time minimizes confusion and prevents you from including extraneous text,” writes  Sujan Patel , co-founder of Web Profits. Targeted copy will pinpoint the solution you offer visitors. You’re not just a food blogger or a website designer. People want to know how you can help them with their problems. In the image below,  The Art of Sculpting  tells you exactly how they serve their potential customers—taking their fitness to a new level. 7. Make the Visitor the Hero Let’s set the record straight: your copy isn’t about you, your business’s achievements, or even your latest TV appearance. If your desire is to transform visitors into leads (or customers), your copy must focus on your audience and their needs. All the copy should center around helping the visitor. It starts with telling a great story and creating a journey that involves the visitor. Much like the movies, the copy will discuss the challenges and the triumphs of the hero. Copy isn’t always about getting someone to take action. It’s also about etching a unique memory into their minds. That emotion will stay with them after they leave your site. 8. Express Your Value Visitors are interested in knowing how you can change their lives. What value will you provide to customers to improve their outcomes? This value will separate you  from the competition . In-home care startup  Honor  establishes value quickly on its homepage. Their team offers services to help seniors live better, while offering families peace of mind. Be descriptive in your language and avoid the over-the-top tone. It’s perfectly fine to boast about the benefits of your product. However, you don’t want to over-exaggerate. “People don’t want to be sold to. Tone down the hype and write your web copy like you’re talking with your ideal customer face-to-face. Your audience can tell the difference, and will be more likely to participate,” says  Christina Walker , a professional freelance web copywriter. To show your value, highlight the results of your services. Get people engaged in doing things differently with your business. 9. Craft a Compelling Call to Action Effective copy leads visitors to your desired next step, and that’s where your  call to action comes in. Your website consists of several pages with different purposes. If you’ve worked with marketers, they may have suggested creating pages consistent with your sales funnel. For instance, with new visitors, your goal may be to turn them into qualified leads. The call to action might convince your audience to sign up for a free ebook or checklist. While for your returning visitors who already possess interest in your products, the call to action would be a 10% coupon or a bonus gift after an initial purchase. No matter the call to action, it should speak to the audience’s needs and desires. They should be eager to receive your offering and ready to move down the sales funnel. 10. Add Social Proof Your brand centers around perception. It’s about credibility in the eyes of your future customers. They want to know that your products and services are worth their hard-earned money. Moreover, visitors are curious about whether or not they should associate themselves with your brand. With so much competition in the marketplace, sometimes the only differentiator is the prestige and external validation of your brand. People want to be affiliated with success. We buy cars to transport us from one place to another. So why would anyone want to purchase a Lamborghini or a Tesla? Because customers also seek vehicles to represent their status in society. Leverage social proof, like  customer testimonials , to influence your audience. “ Check out this example from  Backlinko . Brian Dean backs up his expertise with quotes from industry influencers. 11. Avoid Jargon Have you ever sat in a meeting where you didn’t understand anything? Everyone was talking in your native language, but every word seemed foreign. You probably felt confused or as if you didn’t belong. It’s an overwhelming feeling that just makes you want to stand up and exit the room. That’s a similar feeling your visitors experience when landing on a site stuffed with jargon. They don’t understand the content, so in a split second, they decide that this brand isn’t for them. To keep your target audience interested, you must speak their language. Instead of using unfamiliar terms, stick to words your audience knows. Pay attention to the words your current customers use to describe your business. Use social media to learn how your audience talks about your brand. With this insight, you can create copy that invites them into your website experience. 12. Experiment With Different Versions Your first draft of copy isn’t your last. Just like other aspects of business, the best way to learn if something works is to test it. So try not to fall in love with your copy. Remember that every word on the page is to help visitors understand you better. It’s important to keep that principle in mind when  A/B testing your copy . Experts suggest changing only one variable in your experiments. You might test the headline, then the call to action. If you test everything at once, you’ll lose sight of what your visitors actually like about your copy. Below is an example of an A/B test on the call-to-action-button text. The new variation focused on what the company’s offer provided the visitor. Be willing to experiment with your copy. It’s the best way to learn what connects with your visitors. Smart Copywriting that Conveys Your Brand Message Online When visitors land on your site, your goal is to gain their interest and establish trust quickly. Copywriting is a critical component to telling your story to your audience. Write compelling copy that makes every visitor the hero, and use social proof to add to your credibility. Improve your website with better copywriting. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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The Best Ways to Advertise Your Website

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Hosting

The post The Best Ways to Advertise Your Website appeared first on HostGator Blog . You’ve put a lot of time into creating an awesome website. Now you need people to find it. Frankly, that’s the hard part. The web is huge. With millions of websites on just about every topic you can imagine, you’ve got a lot of competition to capture people’s attention. You can’t expect to launch your website and wait for your audience to find you. For people to visit your website, you have to work to get it in front of them. Luckily, there are a lot of different tactics you can use to make that happen and some of them are even free! If your website doesn’t have a budget to put toward promotion, you still have some powerful ways to start reaching new website visitors. The catch is that, what you save in money, you should expect to spend in time. Most of these tactics will require a significant time commitment (although notably, you can save the time if you have money to spend on hiring a professional to do these for you). 1.     Prioritize SEO. Google is the main way people find most of the websites they visit. Over 90% of all web searches start there. One of the best ways to make your website easier for people to find is to get it showing up in the search engines. To be clear, this isn’t easy. Search engine optimization is competitive and requires doing a variety of tasks on an ongoing basis, including: Doing audience research to identify the people you most want to reach. Doing keyword research to learn the terms and topics your audience is interested in. Optimizing each page on your site for your target keywords. Creating relevant, high-quality content on a regular basis. Promoting your website and content to bring in more visitors and gain the attention of influencers. Performing link building campaigns to increase your website’s authority. It requires creating a strategy and putting in the work, but SEO is one of the most valuable tactics for making your website more discoverable online. We know that SEO can feel intimidating. Maybe you know that you need SEO, but don’t know where to start. Check out the HostGator Business Cloud package . It comes with a free SEO tool that will generate a personalized step-by-step SEO plan for your website. The SEO tool will show you how to improve your search ranking, and will send you real-time updates to your website rankings and monitor your competitors’ rankings as well.   2. Do social media promotion. Creating accounts on the various social media sites is completely free, as is sharing your content with followers on those sites. You don’t have to be on every single social media channel—for most website owners that would be overwhelming. Take some time to research where your audience is most likely to be and how they use the different sites. And consider which social channels are a fit for your website . If your audience generally prefers written content over video, then you may not need to be on YouTube. A photography website should definitely be on Instagram, but one that’s light on images may do better on Facebook and Twitter. Whichever social media channels you decide to go with, there are a few best practices worth keeping in mind: Tailor your messaging to the channels. If you promote your website on both Instagram and LinkedIn, you’ll need to take different approaches to each. Promote your content more than the general site. Including your home page in your social media bio makes perfect sense, but tweeting out a link to just the homepage usually doesn’t. You’ll get more results if you drive people to pages on your website that include helpful content. Do more than just promote your site. A common mistake people make on social media is to treat it only as a platform for promotion, when it’s supposed to be social—it’s right there in the name. Do drop your website link into your bio and share your awesome content with your followers, but also devote some time to interacting with other people on the site. Share and respond to their stuff and look for opportunities to join conversations and communities. Think before you share. Social media faux pas are far too common. Don’t let the fast, transitive nature of social media make you lazy. Proofread your social media posts and make sure everything you share is something you’re willing to stand behind. Social media is one of the most powerful free tools for promoting your website, but getting something out of it without sinking all your time into it can be a challenge. Be thoughtful and strategic about which sites you use and how you use them.   3. Create high-value content. Consistently producing great content is useful for both SEO and social media promotion , but it’s also good for drawing new visitors to your site in and of itself. The more content you create that helps people, the more reasons they have to visit your website. Blogging is a great tool for consistently producing fresh content that shows Google your website is current and relevant, while also giving visitors something useful to read and return to. And you can use especially high-value content like an ebook or course to stand out in the crowded content space, draw in new visitors, and potentially get email addresses for your list.   4. Start guest blogging. Creating content on your own site is a smart strategy for giving people more reasons to visit, but usually it works best if you combine it with creating content on other relevant websites that give you the chance to reach a new and bigger audience. Many websites accept guest blogs because it means free content for them. For you, it means an opportunity to build links (good for SEO) and drive new visitors to your website. Be strategic in your guest posting to make sure you get the most out of it: Look for websites that cover similar or related topics to yours, whose audience will overlap with the one you’re trying to reach. Prioritize pitching websites that have a large or dedicated audience (ideally both). Take some time to get to know the website before you write a piece for it. You want to be familiar with their audience and the types of posts that generally perform well there. Include relevant links in your guest posts back to your own website, along with the link you include in your bio. Make sure your guest posts are high quality—you want to make a good impression on the new audience you reach. Guest posts help you build up the authority of your website and attract new visitors at the same time.   5. Join and participate in online communities. Online communities are valuable on a number of levels. They give you the chance to connect directly with your target audience. You can learn how they talk and the kinds of questions they regularly ask. You can turn that knowledge into a content strategy that ensures you’re creating content you know your audience needs. And then you can go back and share that content in the communities the next time someone needs it, driving people back to your website. But as with social media, it pays to spend time participating in the community and becoming a valued member before you start pushing out your stuff. Depending on where your audience hangs out, you could find worthwhile communities to join on Reddit, Quora, LinkedIn, Facebook, or in industry-specific forums. Decide which ones to join and start spending a little time in them each day or week to learn from your audience and start becoming a part of the community.   6.     Connect with influencers. A lot of getting your website in front of other people depends on other people wanting to share it. That’s part of what makes successful promotion difficult. You can share content on your own site all day, but people are more likely to care if someone else they follow and trust shares or links to it—giving it their endorsement in internet terms. And people who have a lot of authority or followers online are more likely to share content from people they know and trust. You want to be one of those people. You can pinpoint some of the influencers in your space by using tools like Buzzsumo or Followerwonk to find the people with the most followers in your niche. Follow those influencers and pay attention to the people and websites they share. Over time, you’ll become familiar with the top websites in your topic area and the personalities behind them. Look for ways to interact with them. Share their content, respond to their status updates, or leave comments on their blog. If you notice them participating in Twitter chats or social communities, join and participate as well. By interacting with them, you can start to get onto their radar and, ideally, begin to develop a relationship with them. This step takes time, and you need to be careful not to get pushy or ask too much—your interactions need to be genuine. But relationships are a crucial part of promoting your website and content, so this is an important step to incorporate into your strategy. Plus, you may get a few friends out of it!   7. Become a source. Journalists and bloggers often look for quotes and anecdotes from sources to add depth to the stories they write. If you can position yourself to be that source, you can gain a link back to your website and some attention from a new audience. The easiest way to become a source is to sign up for Help a Reporter Out . You can select the topics relevant to your expertise, and receive emails daily that collect all the requests writers around the web have for sources. When you see one that’s a match for you, follow the instructions and share your knowledge, along with the name of your website and a link. If the writer uses a quote from you, they’ll often (but not always) include a link back to your website in the piece.   8. Use expert sources. When you quote somebody in the content on your website, they’re more likely to take an interest in what you’ve written. Even better, they’ll often share it with their network of followers. When you’re working on a new piece of content, consider if it could be strengthened by a quote from an expert—bonus points if you can identify an expert on the list of influencers you’ve been working to connect with—and reach out to ask them for their insights. Try to keep your ask small. Most people that make a good expert source are busy. A quick answer by email or a 15-minute phone interview should do the trick. Work their insights into  your piece, and then let them know once it’s published.   9. Do email marketing. Email marketing isn’t exactly a strategy for finding new customers since it requires someone to have already visited your website and signed up for your email list. Keep in mind that people signed up for your email list because they already liked something on your website or something from your business. This is where email marketing comes in handy – getting them to come back to your website or business. Look for places around your website and in your content to encourage people to sign up for your email list. If you created an especially high-value piece of content like an ebook or course, you can put that behind a form that requires a visitor to provide their email address in order to access it. You can even promote your email list on social media . Once people start to sign up for your list, you can use your emails to drive them back to your website whenever you add new content or, if you have a business website, new deals and products. If you use email marketing, make sure you send emails consistently to keep your website top of mind for your subscribers. Make your emails as valuable and entertaining as possible. And, as with social media, don’t make them all about promoting yourself or your website. Fill your emails with information that will be genuinely valuable to your audience. A note on email marketing: many email marketing software services have a free version , but as your list grows, you’ll likely need to upgrade to a paid version. This is a tactic that can be free to start, but may require a budget with time.   10.  Do link building. This is part of SEO, but also worth mentioning on its own. Link building provides two key benefits: It makes your website look more authoritative to Google—links are widely considered to be one of the top ranking signals for the search engine. It drives more traffic to your website from people who follow the links from other sites. You have to be really careful with link building that you only use legitimate tactics. Links on low-quality sites could hurt rather than help you in the search engine rankings and wouldn’t drive much traffic your way anyways. But including some smart white-hat link building tactics in your strategy can help boost your rankings and raise awareness of your site to readers around the web.   Conclusion Creating your website isn’t enough. You need to make it easy for people to find. You don’t necessarily need to do everything on this list, but use it as a starting point to figure out the best tactics for you and put together a strategy that will ensure your website reaches more people. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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