Tag Archives: traffic

How to Filter Spam Bots in Google Analytics [Step by Step Guide]

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Hosting

The post How to Filter Spam Bots in Google Analytics [Step by Step Guide] appeared first on HostGator Blog . You know how valuable Google Analytics is and you’re ready to take all the insights it can offer to improve your website’s performance. But as you pull up the Acquisition data to see how people are finding your website, you notice some strange entries.  Chances are, this means that you’ve become a victim of spam bots. What Is Google Analytics Referral Spam? Spammers will do anything to drive more traffic to their websites. One of the tactics they’ve employed to this effect is finding ways to show up in Google Analytics, hoping that website owners will click on a site to see why it’s sending traffic their way. Google Analytics referral spam used to be much more common, but Google works hard to keep those spammy sites from showing up in your data. Nonetheless, many websites will still see some results in their Google Analytics data produced by spam bots. If you care about getting accurate data about your website’s performance—and you should, because it’s the only way to understand what’s working—then you need to filter spam bots in Google Analytics.  Here’s a handy guide on how to do just that.   How to Filter Spam Bots from Your Google Analytics Results There are two main types of filters you should set up to capture most referral spam from bots. For both, you have the same first few steps.  Getting Started 1. Keep an unfiltered view. When you make any technical change, you always want to have a backup. In Google Analytics, that means keeping an unfiltered view . This provides you with data you can use for comparison with the filtered results you get, to make sure they’re working. And it provides you with a view you can revert back to if one of your filters doesn’t work right. To do this, go to the Admin section in Google Analytics by clicking on the Gear icon in the bottom left corner. Click on View Settings in the third column.  Click on Copy View, then name your view Unfiltered , or something similar.   2. Click on Filters under the View column. With that done, go back to main Admin page by either clicking the back icon or the gear icon again. Click Filters in the View section (Note: this is different than All Filters in the Account section). 3. Click +Add Filter.  Click the red “+add filter” button. Then move onto the next section for the specific filters to create.  2 Google Analytics Filters to Set Up Valid Hostname Filter A valid hostname filter is the best way to filter out ghost spam. These are the spam bots that manage to ping your Google Analytics without ever actually visiting your website. Ghost spammers use automated scripts to send traffic to random websites, usually using a fake host. By telling Google Analytics how to recognize a valid host, this type of filter cuts the ghost spam from your analytics view.   1. Find your hostnames in Google Analytics.  A valid hostname is anywhere that you’ve legitimately set up Google Analytics tracking. That includes your website, most obviously, but also services like marketing tools you use and payment gateways. You can find a hostname report in Google Analytics in the Audience section by selecting Technology , then Network . Select Hostname as your Primary Dimension . Set your date range to go back at least a year. Scan the list to identify your valid hostnames. You should be able to recognize these as your own domain name, and any tools you use and knowingly allowed access to your Google Analytics tracking. Anything you don’t recognize or don’t manage yourself is probably spam.  If there’s an entry you’re not sure about, do some Googling. For example, Google Web Light isn’t something I manage directly, but it’s a service Google provides to load speedier pages on mobile devices with slow connections. That makes it legit.  2. Create a filter listing your hostnames. Back over in our Add Filter screen (scroll back up to the Getting Started section if you need a reminder), name the filter something like “Valid Hostnames.” Select Custom under Filter Types , Include in the list of bullets below that, and Hostname from the dropdown menu.  Under Filter Pattern, list all your valid hostnames in this format: yourdomain.com|hostname2|hostname3|hostname4  You want to fit all of your valid hostnames into one filter here—you can’t create more than one filter that includes hostnames.  3. Test your filter.  Before you click save, take a few seconds to test the filter out and make sure you configured it right. You can use the Verify Filter option right there on the page to run a basic test and see how the filter would affect your data for the past 7 days. Note that, if your website doesn’t currently get that many spam hits, 7 days might not be enough of a sample set to show a difference. Once you’re confident your filter is accurate, click Save .  Crawler Spam Filter The other main category of spam bots that show up in Google Analytics is crawler spam . These are bots that actually do visit your site. They leave a correct hostname, so won’t get caught in your valid hostname filter. Instead, you need to exclude these from your analytics.  1. Find the crawler spam in your analytics. To start, identify the crawler spam that shows up in your analytics now. In the Acquisition menu, choose All Traffic , then Referrals . Change your date range to include at least a year. Now browse the list of websites to look for any that appear to be spammy.  Some will look immediately suspicious. For example, display-your-ads-hereti.info jumps out in the list above as probably spam. But for anything you’re not sure about, do a Google search for “what is ” and you can usually get your answer for whether or not it’s spam. If the list here is long, it’s probably not worth your time to try and filter out every single spam bot, but if there are a main few sending a lot of fake traffic to your site, make note of them to include in your filter.   2. Look up common crawler spam lists. In addition to the spam examples you find in your own analytics, you can find pre-created filters that list many of the most common offenders on sites around the web (such as here and here ). These will cover many of the spam bots that may not have hit your website yet, but could.  3. Create a filter (or multiple filters) listing the crawler spam. Back in our Add Filter screen, name your filter something like “Referral Spam.” Choose Custom as your Filter type, click on the Exclude button, and select Campaign Source in the dropdown menu.  For the pre-created filters you find, you can simply copy-and-paste them into your Google Analytics. For any you manually create, use the same format you did for your hostname filter: Spamname|spamname2|spamname3 Since you have a limited number of characters you can use for each filter, you’ll likely be creating several different filters in this step. Be sure to give them each a unique name. 4. Test your filter. For each filter you create, take a minute to test it. If you’re satisfied it’s accurate, click Save . Filtering Spam Bots on a WordPress Site Setting up filters within Google Analytics can feel pretty complicated. But if you have Google Analytics set up for your WordPress website, you have an easier solution you can take advantage of: plugins.  There are a number of WordPress plugins devoted to blocking referral spam, including: Block Referrer Spam SpamReferrerBlock WP Block Referrer Spam Stop Referrer Spam You can block a significant amount of spam from your analytics simply by choosing one of these plugins, installing it to your WordPress site, and activating it.  If you’re not on WordPress now, but liking the idea of a simpler process for filtering spam bots, the first step to setting up a WordPress site is investing in WordPress hosting . Many aspects of designing, managing, and maintaining a website are easier with WordPress, so for website owners without extensive tech skills, it’s worth considering.  Google Analytics Spam Bots FAQs Those are the main steps you need to know to filter spam bots in your Google Analytics. But if you still have questions about Google Analytics spam bots, here are answers to some of the most common questions people wonder about.  1. How do I detect spam in Google Analytics? First things first, don’t click on the link! If you visit the website itself, the spammers are getting what they want from their shady tactics.  Instead, either do a search for the website in quotation marks, e.g. “99-reasons-for-seo.com” or a search like “what is 99-reaons-for-seo.com.” That will ensure Google doesn’t take you to the spammer’s website—the thing we’re trying to avoid here—and instead you’ll see results from other websites about it. If the website’s a known source for analytics spam, someone’s probably written about it.  2. Why does filtering spam from my Google Analytics results matter? Website analytics are a rich source of information about what your audience responds to. They can show you what your website gets right now, and reveal areas for improvement. And they’re your best way to track the success of your online marketing activities so you know what tactics are worth the investment. Referral spam clouds the accuracy of your analytics. It puts you at risk of misinterpreting the data you have, because the data itself isn’t accurate. You don’t want to spend time and money on tactics that aren’t working because a spam bot makes you think a particular page is more popular than it truly is with your audience. By cleaning up your data, spam bot filters ensure your analytics deliver insights that are more accurate and useful.  3. Can I clean past Google Analytics data? These filters will mean you get cleaner data moving forward, but they won’t be applied retroactively. Your historical data will still include inaccuracies caused by spam bots. But, seeing the comparison between your analytics before and after applying the filters can help you make an educated guess about how much of your traffic was due to bots. You can take that into account when analyzing the data you have to help you get closer to an accurate picture.    Gain Clarity by Skipping the Spam Google Analytics is one of the most valuable tools available to every website owner. While you can’t completely avoid spammers online (they have an obnoxious skill for being everywhere), you can control the influence they have on your website data. Applying the right filters and plugins to your website analytics will rob spammers of their power, and give you back the accuracy you need to build a stronger website for your audience.  Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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5 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website from Social Media

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Hosting

The post 5 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website from Social Media appeared first on HostGator Blog . Everyone is spending time on social media. It’s the hangout spot for people to chat with their friends and get the latest updates on their favorite TV shows. It’s also a place for you to attract new customers to your brand. It’s important for people to engage with your website. However, social networks are doing their absolute best to keep people in-platform. But you can change all that! Here are five social media tips for your brand to get people to actually visit your website. 1. Optimize Your Profile It’s very likely for potential customers to learn about your brand on social media before they even land on your website. So, you’ll want to make a good first impression. You’ll need two key people from your team: a graphic designer and a copywriter. The designer will ensure your logo and profile images represent your brand well. You may need to adjust the color schemes or image sizes to maximize your brand’s visibility. Then, work with your copywriter to draft a creative message about your business. You can use your tagline or meaningful saying that will strike an emotional chord with your followers. Here’s an example from Califia Farms . Their Instagram profile shows a clear image of their logo. Plus, the copy sparks curiosity and spotlights their plant-based mission. Lastly, you want to lead people to your site with a link. Experiment with your homepage or a specific landing page. Your goal is to increase traffic and keep your new visitors’ attention. 2. Tease Exclusive Content Consumers love the velvet rope treatment. That’s when a few people receive access to a special offering. It gives people a sense of belonging and labels them as part of the “cool kids” group. Exclusivity can encourage more people to visit your site. Julie Neidlinger , writer, artist, and pilot from North Dakota, provides her perspective: “Exclusivity works because, frankly, people like to be in on the secret. Exclusivity makes people want something. If they can’t have it, they want it all the more. Some of us take a bit of pleasure when others are excluded (though we’d rather not admit that).” Use this strategy to your advantage by only posting links to specific content on your social media channels. For instance, let’s say you did an interview with a well-known expert. You can post the link to the video only on your Facebook account for 48 hours. That exclusivity will motivate your followers to click the link to your site. Another idea is to announce product releases on social media. It’ll prompt your audience to follow you on social media and visit the official announcement page. It’s a win-win for everyone: your fans get the exclusive perk and your brand gets traffic. 3. Engage Followers Directly Social media has earned a bad reputation because businesses like to rely on too many automated processes. This dependence on automation hinders brand engagement. Your customers want personal attention, not a bot sending them a canned response every single time they reply to your social account. To truly get people to your site from social media, you must engage them directly. So, invest in hiring (or outsourcing) a part-time social media manager to craft direct responses to your followers. Whether it’s a potential customer looking for a quick answer or a long-time customer needing assistance, you want someone to provide a unique reply in a timely manner. Footwear and apparel brand Vans offers a good lesson on how to connect with your social media audience. Below the company provides a friendly reply along with a recommended site for the customer to visit. When directing followers to your site, make sure it fits their needs. Matching the right page with their current issue ensures a positive outcome. 4. Connect with Influencers When building your marketing plan, don’t forget the power of relationships. Your team shouldn’t be tackling every task in a silo. Instead, recruit influencers to help you spread your message and get people to your site. Choose influencers within your industry that align with your brand’s values and goals. David Zheng, former contributor to The Daily Egg, offers his insight: “It can be excruciatingly overwhelming to track down influencers…The key to finding the right influencers is to remember that the more you know about your target, the better you can create a pitch that will engage and sell them on your idea.” You’ll want to draw up an agreement highlighting the expectations for the influencer partnership . Will the individual retweet specific posts? Or will the person post about your business three times a week on his account? Moreover, give influencers creative control to develop new social media ideas for your brand. Maybe they can post a series of funny videos or do a takeover on your Twitter account. These innovative approaches will earn your business more traffic. 5. Promote Special Deals A good deal is hard to find. That’s why customers are happy when they find a coupon for their favorite brand. Customers will even go the extra mile to locate a promotional code before purchasing products in their online shopping carts. You brand can leverage people’s need to save money. Start by offering special discounts on your social media accounts. It can be a one-time holiday offer or monthly deals just for your followers. These incentives will get people to your site, and it gives visitors a reason to buy from you now, rather than later. Check out this example below from Letterfolk . On Facebook, the brand is showcasing a special 20% discount on all their inventory for their Mother’s Day Sale. Like any good marketing strategy, don’t overload your customers. You shouldn’t post discounts every day. Also, state any restrictions about the coupon upfront. The last thing you want is followers upset because their coupon doesn’t apply to the items in their cart. Driving Traffic From Social Media to Your Website Social media is all the craze, but you need visitors to come to your site. From profile optimization to direct engagement, there’s an opportunity for your brand to get more traffic. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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What Is Drupal Hosting?

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Hosting

The post What Is Drupal Hosting? appeared first on HostGator Blog . You’re doing your due diligence as you start your new new website—doing all the research into your different web hosting options in order to make sure you make the right choice before you buy. That’s smart! While it’s always possible to switch to a new web hosting plan down the line, it’s a lot easier to stick with the same company if you make the right choice from day one. You may have come across an option called Drupal hosting , and now you’re wondering what that’s all about. What is Drupal Hosting? Drupal hosting is any web hosting plan that promises compatibility with the content management system Drupal. All of the hundreds of thousands of Drupal websites require a web server and hosting to be accessible to visitors on the wide web. Where Drupal provides the basic framework for building a website, Drupal hosting is the necessary component that makes that website available to the masses. For many of sites that use Drupal, choosing an application web hosting plan that specializes in providing hosting services for Drupal sites is the best choice,   What is Drupal? Drupal is an open-source content management system that powers hundreds of thousands of websites online. It’s particularly popular with professional developers, who appreciate how powerful and flexible it is, and by government and enterprise websites that choose it for the high level of security it offers. The Drupal core—the main framework it provides—consists of the main features and functionality common to content management systems in general (more on that in a bit) and can work as a good foundation for any kind of website. But while the core is powerful, where Drupal really sets itself apart is the customization options developers can tap into with the use of Drupal modules. As long as you, or someone you hire, has the skills to run a Drupal website, you can do just about anything with your website you could want. What Is a Content Management System? To really understand what Drupal is and whether it’s right for your website, you need to understand what a content management system is . A content management system, or CMS for short, provides a number of important functions to website owners. Some of the top features common to pretty much all content management systems include: 1. An intuitive interface for making website changes One of the main reasons individuals and businesses use content management systems is because it saves you from having to know and use coding languages when you’re building your website and then again every time you have to make an update to your website. For businesses, that can save you the cost of having to pay a developer for every time you have a minor update to make to a web page. A CMS gives you the power to publish new content to your website, change the layout of pages, add media and images to the website, and manage your menus—just to name a few functions—all through a user interface that’s easy for most beginners to figure out. It removes the headache of trying to get code just right every time or having to know a coding language to begin with. 2. Content management and organization options   As the name makes clear, a big reason websites have for using a CMS is that it helps you manage your content. For any website likely to have a lot of content—which includes government websites, enterprise websites, media sites, entertainment sites, and businesses doing content marketing—you’ll end up with a lot of different content pieces to keep up with. A CMS allows for collaboration on pieces of content, since you can control who has access to content in the system and what they can do with it (e.g. who has the power to view, edit, and schedule a piece of content). With a CMS, you can schedule out content in advance, making it easier to plan out and stay on top of a content calendar. And you can easily track which pieces of content are still in draft form, which are scheduled, and which are already published, which helps you keep everything better organized. If your plans for a website include the potential for a high volume of content, a CMS is an extremely valuable tool for managing it all. 3. Account management and permissions Business or media websites typically have a large number of people that will need some level of access to make changes and updates to the site. Content creators, editors, designers, developers—the more people using a website, the more risk you’re potentially opening the website up to. What if a writer with limited technical skills actually does something that breaks a page on your website? Or what if an angry employee you let go uses their access to make malicious, embarrassing changes to the site? A CMS reduces your risk by allowing the website owner and any administrators they trust to manage the accounts associated with the website and the levels of access each one is allowed. A writer only needs to be able to load the text on the pages they’re working on, for instance, and doesn’t need the ability to mess with your menus or plugins. Through this feature, a CMS increases the security of your website and gives you more control over it. How Does Drupal Measure Up to Other Content Management Systems? The features described above are common across the different types of content management systems, so can provide insights into whether you should use a CMS or not. But there’s still the question of deciding which one makes sense. Drupal is one of the three most popular content management systems, falling behind just Joomla and WordPress in popularity. The reason those two beat Drupal in market share is pretty clear to anyone familiar with the CMS market: Drupal’s harder to use. WordPress and Joomla are accessible for beginners with limited experience building or maintaining websites. They’re democratic software options that put website updates into the hands of almost everybody. Drupal, on the other hand, is mostly used by professional developers who come to it with some web design skill to begin with. Drupal requires more work to learn and use, but the tradeoff to that is notable: it also provides more flexibility and power. Anyone with especially specific or complicated plans for a website will need a solution that enables them to make their vision a reality, and Drupal is better for that than the other top CMS options. Who Should Use Drupal? Drupal is most commonly used by companies and organizations that: Have professional developers on staff Care about security Have complex and specific needs For the most part, small businesses or individuals aiming to create a fairly basic website will be better off with either WordPress or Joomla. But enterprise companies and government entities that have more advanced needs and the budget to hire the right talent to realize the potential Drupal can offer will benefit from the greater flexibility and higher level of security it provides. The Benefits of Drupal Hosting Plans Choosing the best CMS for your website is an important early step in building a website. But a CMS doesn’t usually provide web hosting on its own. If you decide to use Drupal to build a  website , you’ll still need to purchase a web hosting plan separately. Most web hosting plans you consider will work for a Drupal website, but you can benefit from specifically seeking out an application web hosting plan  that supports Drupal. Here are a few good reasons to go with Drupal hosting specifically. 1. Drupal hosting will offer easy installation. Working with Drupal requires skill, but adding a Drupal site to your web hosting account shouldn’t. A Drupal hosting plan will offer one-click installation that you can complete within minutes. You might have to hire developers for some of the other updates and specifics you want for your website, but linking your CMS to your web hosting plan is something anyone on your team will be equally capable of getting done in a matter of minutes with Drupal hosting. 2. There’s no cost for adding Drupal to your web hosting account. Because the Drupal platform is open source, using it is free. You’ll likely pay for the developers you hire for it, and you’ll need to pay for your web hosting plan. But with a Drupal hosting plan, you can avoid one more cost because you’ll know for sure that using Drupal with your web hosting account won’t cause any additional fees. 3.  Compatibility is assured. One of the biggest annoyances of the technology age is finding yourself with two tech products that aren’t compatible with each other. After you’ve put money and resources into developing a website on Drupal, you definitely don’t want to face compatibility issues with the web hosting plan you choose. When you start by choosing a web hosting plan that specializes in Drupal, then you’ll know with absolute confidence your web hosting plan will work well with your Drupal site. 4.  You have two sources for helpful support. The Drupal community is well known for being large, devoted, and supportive. A large, skilled community means a huge library of modules and extensions—many of them available to the larger community for free (although some for pay). But it also means access to many people willing to offer support and guidance on using Drupal. The Drupal community gathers online in Slack channels and on other chat tools. Regional groups meet up in person around the world to commiserate over using Drupal, and you can find conferences and other events that are all about Drupal. In addition, many members of the community work hard to develop resources and documentation to help other Drupal developers. Choosing Drupal taps you into this thriving community, but choosing a good Drupal hosting plan also gives you access to a helpful team providing customer support. While web hosting customer service professionals won’t necessarily be experts in using the Drupal platform, they’ll often be able to provide helpful information on a large number of other issues or questions you’ll encounter when working on your website. And if you choose a web hosting company that provides customer support around the clock, you can count on getting those answers at the moment you need them. Ready to Find a Drupal Hosting Web Plan? If everything in this blog post has convinced you that you should use Drupal and specifically seek out a Drupal web hosting plan, then you’re probably wondering now how to find the best plan for you. Here are the main features we recommend looking for: Room to grow. If you’re using Drupal, it likely means you have big plans for your website. You need to know that as your traffic grows and as you add new functionality to your website over time, the web hosting provider you choose will still work for you. Don’t just look for the web plan you need now, also look at the other plans your provider offers to see if they match up to what you’ll need down the line. Security. Drupal is one of the best options for building a secure website, but you can never be too careful in our era of frequent data breaches and website hacking. Choosing a web hosting provider that values security and does their part to keep your website safe is one of the best choices you can make to avoid vulnerability. Uptime . Anytime your website’s unavailable you run the risk of losing trust or angering your attempted visitors. For businesses, it also means lost money and a blow to your reputation. Make sure you find a Drupal hosting provider who can not only provide at least 99.9% uptime, but also backs that up with a money-back guarantee. Web hosting is a service every website depends on. To make sure your Drupal website can do its job—remaining accessible to your visitors at the moment they need it and keeping any information they provide secure—choose a Drupal hosting plan that covers all the most important bases.At HostGator, we offer a variety of different hosting plans. Whether you are looking for a cloud hosting service or a dedicated server hosting package, our online resources are ready to help. To learn how to build a website , register a domain , or for any other web hosting questions, please contact our support team at HostGator today. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Which Is Better for Your Small Business?

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Hosting

The post Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Which Is Better for Your Small Business? appeared first on HostGator Blog . Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Which Is Better for Small Business? Small business owners must make the best advertising decision for their bottom line. It’s a daunting task that requires patience and market research. With so many possibilities, you’ll want to consider your business goals and customers. YourStory contributor Sromona Bhattacharyya , shares her insight: “Selecting the perfect platform for advertisement requires a lot of prior research and efforts… Your customer’s attention is constantly changing from one platform to another… It’s important for any company to decide where their customers pay attention and get back to basics.” Ready to evaluate your advertising options? Here’s a guide to show you when to use Google Ads versus Facebook Ads.   When to Use Google Ads   1. You Want To Reach Local Audiences Most small businesses cater to distinct audiences within their geographical locations. You’re selling winter coats to consumers in Chicago and not folks in Miami. In addition to eCommerce, some businesses have a local storefront. Google Ads makes it easy to become a resource for your local consumer base. With local search ads, you can earn more foot traffic and get more phone inquiries from consumers. Plus, you can provide your audience with critical information, like your address and store hours. If you own multiple stores in a local area, you’ll want to build unique landing pages specific to that area. These pages should highlight the different services and include local testimonials. This strategy ensures site visitors receive information that match their needs. Another idea is to run an ad promotion. Buyers are more likely to visit your store if they know you’re offering a sale. You’ll gain local visibility with Google Ads as part of your plan. More consumers entering into your store means more chances to increase your sales.   2. You Want To Generate Leads Bringing in new customers is key for your small business. But you don’t want every consumer, you need qualified leads that resemble your target audience. Lead generation comes with its own challenges. Acquiring new leads can be expensive. Research shows it costs 7 times more to get a new customer than to retain an existing one. If you don’t want to spend your entire budget on gaining new leads, then Google Ads may be the right solution for your small business. Matt Ackerson , founder of AutoGrow, explains: “If you have a micro budget, you’re going to pinch your pennies. With a Google AdWords account, you can generate more leads without spending a ton of cash. You can then focus your efforts on creating a product or service that will maximize your AdWords ROI.” Google Ads allows you to reach customers with highly-targeted keywords. With lead generation, specificity works in your favor. It’s better to connect with an audience that’s searching for “college basketball shorts,” rather than just “basketball.”   3. You Want a Variety of Ad Types Online shoppers peruse multiple places on the web. You can find them looking for a solution via a search engine or watching endless cat videos on YouTube. It’s important for your advertising to reflect their whereabouts. Google Ads offers your small business various avenues to connect with your audience. Depending on your goals, you want to select a campaign type based on your desired actions from potential customers. For instance, you may develop a Search Network campaign to increase your leads. Then, your team may create a Video campaign to secure sales. Check out the video below to learn which ad campaign type is right for your business. After selecting your ad type, it’s time to think about the actual ad. You want it to speak to the consumers’ needs. It should be specific and build an instant connection. If your team doesn’t possess visual branding expertise, it’s recommended to outsource the task to a design professional . Hire a freelancer to create your graphics or edit your video footage. All these details help attract the right consumers.   When to Use Facebook Ads   1. You Want to Reach Niche Audiences Selling to the masses is a difficult endeavor; it’s hard persuading everyone your product fits their needs. Instead, some small businesses stick to niche audiences—a unique group of consumers in the market. Facebook Ads gives you the flexibility to serve niche audiences. Sherman Standberry , COO and cofounder of LYFE Marketing, explains: “Facebook advertising can help you expand into new markets. If you are bringing a new product or service to market, you can use Facebook advertising to increase its exposure. Facebook advertising will help you test the market, at your own pace.” To advertise to niche audiences, you should collect detailed information about your consumers. You’ll want to target a specific age range, gender, and location. Then, take it a step further by pinpointing their purchasing behaviors, mobile device usage, languages, and connections. Personalization is crucial when developing your first Facebook Ad campaign . Explore ways to develop a brand lifestyle that relates to your niche audience.   2. You Want Brand Awareness Without advertising, small businesses can go unnoticed by consumers. Your marketing campaigns become simply background noise for your large competitors. Facebook Ads helps level the playing field. It can draw awareness to small brands by reaching your targeted audience. The purpose of brand awareness varies based on your customer lifecycle journey. For some companies, it means introducing a brand to a new audience. Other businesses use it as a way to bring their brand to the forefront for interested consumers. With Facebook Ads  awareness campaigns , your team can set its own objectives. The platform focuses on helping you expand your reach, whether it’s a carousel of images or a video. Before launching your ad, consider how you want to tell your brand story. Each ad should build a bridge between your business and the audience. Work with a copywriter to hone your brand’s voice and tone. Learn which words will appeal to your consumers’ emotions and compel them to learn about your products. Your business deserves the attention. Facebook Ads helps you target the right consumers.   3. You Want to Capture Mobile Traffic According to analytics firm Flurry , Americans spend up to five hours per day on their mobile devices. It’s a significant indicator for companies to spend more resources on mobile ads . The experts at Matchcraft offer this perspective: “Mobile traffic is important as smartphone penetration continues to increase and 4G data networks expand. Plenty of people break up their work day by glancing at their phones for some social media time, giving you access to your mobile audience.” Facebook suggests running your ads within its family of apps and services, including Audience Network, Instagram, and Messenger. That way, your advertising spreads across various platforms, earning your business better results. You also can manage Facebook ads on the go. Your team can now pause campaigns, edit budgets, and view insights directly from the mobile app. There’s no excuses for getting key data to operate your small business. Consumers aren’t stationary; they live and shop on the go. So, integrate Facebook Ads into your mobile outreach strategy.   What Works for Your Small Business? Advertising is a huge opportunity for small businesses to attract customers. But with so many different options, it’s overwhelming to choose the best platform. For starters, examine your goals and customers’ behaviors. Google Ads offers better results for local audiences and lead generation. Facebook Ads is useful for niche audiences and brand awareness. Choose your platform. Get the results. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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VPS vs VPN

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Hosting

The post VPS vs VPN appeared first on HostGator Blog . VPS and VPN are two commonly confused terms. Their acronyms are similar, so it’s common for the two to get mixed up. However, they each refer to two very different types of services. Essentially, a Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a form of web hosting , while a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a service and technology that allows you to remain completely private and anonymous when using the web. Even though these are very different services, they’re commonly grouped together due to their names. Mixing up these two terms can be confusing, especially when you’re just starting your journey online. Below we explore what a VPS is and how it works, along with how it differs from a VPN in our VPS vs VPN comparison. What is a VPS? Before we can do our comparison, it’s first important to identify what VPS hosting is and discuss how it is unique from other platforms. Like we mentioned in the introduction, VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. It’s a form of web hosting offered by hosting companies that provide you with a virtual server environment to host your website. If that’s a bit confusing, we’ll break it down a bit further. A server is a computer that’s used to store website files and data. When you type a domain name into a browser the browser communicates with the server and renders all of the stored site files. There’s a multitude of different forms of web hosting , including dedicated hosting, shared hosting, managed hosting, WordPress VPS hosting , cloud hosting and more. VPS hosting uses virtualization technology to split a single physical server into multiple different virtual servers. This makes it so you have greater access to server resources, along with the ability to expand the virtual server when your needs arise. Since it’s a virtual server you’re not tied to the limitations of a single physical server. Also, since it’s a private server environment you won’t be sharing server resources with any other users. Now, you will be sharing actual physical servers, but with the employed virtualization technology there won’t be any overlap of server usage. How Does VPS Hosting Work? Let’s dig into what happens behind the scenes that allow VPS hosting to work. At the core, it operates similarly to software like VMware. This style of software enables you to run multiple virtualized operating systems from a single machine. So, if you currently have a MacBook running MacOS, you can quickly switch over to Windows 10 without having to restart your computer. A VPS server uses similar technology to run a virtual server environment. Let’s say you have a standard dedicated server. On top of that dedicated server, you can create several virtual servers that act as their own dedicated server environments.    Typically a VPS server will pull from multiple different dedicated servers as well. That way if one goes offline, or is undergoing routine maintenance it won’t affect the performance of your site. Each VPS server is completely isolated and private from any other virtual server that’s using the same physical server. Pros of VPS Hosting VPS hosting is a solid choice for users who need more than a shared server but aren’t quite ready for a dedicated server. Here are some of the biggest advantages of using VPS hosting: It’s cost-effective. With VPS hosting you basically have access to a dedicated server, without the cost of a physical dedicated server . Greater server customization. Generally, you’ll pay for what you want and be able to only add features that you require to run your website. Easy to scale your server. With VPS hosting you can gradually expand the number of server resources you have access to, and won’t have to pay for server resources you don’t require. Greater server control. When you compare VPS vs. shared hosting , you’ll get a higher level of access to your server, plus root access, and the ability to run certain server scripts. Solid technical support. With VPS hosting you’ll generally have access to improved technical support staff and will have more hand-holding when compared to a standard dedicated server. Cons of VPS Hosting Still, VPS hosting isn’t perfect for every kind of website owner. In fact, you should probably only consider VPS hosting once you’ve “graduated” from a shared hosting plan. When it’s time to migrate your shared hosting to VPS , you’ll be given more space and flexibility for managing your site. ,. Still, there are some disadvantages you’ll want to be aware of. Here are the biggest drawbacks to VPS hosting: It’s comparatively more expensive. If you’re coming from shared hosting, then know that VPS will be more expensive than shared hosting. It’s not as expensive as dedicated hosting. But the price will depend on your overall resource requirements. Overall, it’s cost effective, but you will be paying a higher monthly rate. You can run into resource allocation issues. In some cases, you can run into resource allocation issues. This is when another site running a VPS uses too large a volume of physical server resources and your site’s performance will slow down. However, this typically only happens if you’re using a low-quality VPS host.   When Should I Use VPS Hosting? VPS is a common next step after your site has outgrown the limits of a basic shared hosting plan. It’s a nice in-between for those who don’t want to upgrade to a fully dedicated server but can no longer use shared hosting. So, what is VPS hosting used for ? Take a look at the situations below: You need speed and performance. If your site is growing in size and you’re experiencing a higher volume of traffic, then you’ll need a hosting plan that can keep up. VPS hosting is scalable and can support large and high-traffic sites. You need a custom server setup. With a VPS server you get more control over your server environment. Not only do you get root server access but you’ll have the ability to choose your own operating system and make other customizations as well. You want flexible server resources. With VPS hosting you can more easily scale up your server resource needs as your site grows, or you’re experiencing a large volume of traffic. Since you’re not constrained to a single physical server it’s much easier to expand your resource requirements. Essentially, a VPS offers you offers you the same benefits that a private server will give you, all while sharing the cost of hosting services. What is a VPN and How Does it Work? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Essentially, a VPN creates a private and secure network, which then extends across your entire network connection. It offers you a way to remain anonymous online, while securing any data that passes over the connection. Once you fire up your VPN software of choice your VPN client will automatically encrypt any data that are sent over a network connection. Before any data passes over a network connection first it’ll pass through the VPN. The VPN will then encrypt the traffic and pass it on. Any online portal you end up on will see the transmitted data as originating from the VPN server, not your home (or coffee shop) network. When you connect to the internet without a VPN enabled, any data you’re transmitting is essentially open to anyone with the right tools. For most situations, this will be perfectly fine, but if you’re sharing sensitive information, like your banking details, emails, or anything else, then you might want another layer of protection. When you’re using a VPN any data that you transmit over the internet goes directly from your ISP to the VPN server, then the VPN connects to the internet for you. This helps to diminish or completely reduce a lot of the most common security risks you’ll run into online. For example, when you’re using a VPN it’s very difficult to connect your computer back to any data that you’re transmitting. Plus, all of your data will be encrypted, so if your information is intercepted no one will be able to interpret your data. Pros of Using a VPN When you use a VPN you’ll help to keep yourself more secure while using the web. But, beyond achieving a higher level of security there’s a myriad of other benefits you’ll receive when using a VPN too. Here are some of the biggest benefits of using a VPN: Access georestricted content. A VPN allows you to get around certain content restrictions. For example, you might want to watch a Netflix show that isn’t available in your country. You can bypass this with a VPN. Protects your data. Since VPNs encrypt your data before sending it over the network, your data will always be safe and secure from prying eyes. Keeps you safe online. If you routinely access wi-fi networks that are unsecured, you can use a VPN to bolster your security and ensure you stay safe online. Not only will using a VPN give you all of those advantages above. But, it’s also surprisingly affordable. The monthly cost of a VPN is usually on par with a cheap shared hosting plan. Cons of Using a VPN Even though using a VPN is a great step to take towards protecting yourself online it isn’t without its drawbacks. Here are some of the most common drawbacks you’ll experience when using a VPN: Slower internet connection. Since a VPN adds layers of encryption to your data this will slow down your internet connection. If you already have a slow internet connection, this could make your internet connection virtually unusable. Security issues can still arise. VPNs aren’t perfect. Often achieving a high level of security will rely upon configuring your VPN properly. There have also been circumstances where DNS and IP leaks occur, exposing your once secured data. Your VPN connection can drop. If your VPN connection drops you lose any existing anonymity. Although some VPNs employ a kill switch feature which will disconnect you from the internet if a drop occurs. When Should I Use a VPN? Most people can benefit from using a VPN, especially if you’re concerned about your online privacy. You can use a VPN whenever you connect to the internet. Since it runs in the background it won’t impede any existing online activities, however, it might impact your internet speeds depending on your connection, and the VPN software you’re using. Basically, if any of the following circumstances sound like you, then consider using a quality VPN: You want to get around content blocks. Some countries censor their internet content. To access this content you’ll need a way to get around country-specific blocks while remaining anonymous online. Beyond a censored internet, you can use a VPN to get around country geo-restrictions on streaming content like Netflix.    You want secure data and network connections. With a VPN behind you, your internet connection will be incredibly secure. Any private data you share over the internet will be encrypted and safe. You want to remain anonymous online. Since you’re using the VPN IP address, your IP and other personal information will be fully anonymous. You’re using unsecured wi-fi networks. Accessing public wi-fi networks can put your information at risk. If you regularly access wifi from outside of your home, a VPN will keep your information safe. VPS vs. VPN VPS hosting is a service that allows you to host your website on a virtual server environment, while a VPN is a user-oriented tool that lets you browse the web safely and securely. Probably the only thing that a VPS and VPN have in common (beyond a closely-related acronym) is the virtualization aspect of each of the services. They both serve completely different needs, although as a user you can rely upon both services. For example, if you have a large and high-traffic website you can use VPS hosting to host your site. Then, you can use VPN software while you’re accessing the internet to manage your site, to protect any data you’re sending over the internet. Hopefully, you have a better understanding of how VPS hosting and VPNs work, along with the unique purposes they serve. Whether you want to learn how to build a website or register a domain name, our HostGator experts can help you with all your web hosting questions. Contact us today to learn how to build your dream website. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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