But simply installing WordPress in its default state is far different from running a high-performing website with it – especially one with numerous plugins. So much depends on the size of your website, its functionality, and the quality of the code it utilizes.

Growth is also a big factor. A website that starts relatively small and grows exponentially will likely burn through its hosting resources rather quickly. With that can come a need to upgrade your web hosting package or potentially move to a new service provider.

How do you know when a change is needed – or at least something you should consider? Today, we’ll share a few telltale signs that can clue you in.

Slow Performance on the Back End

Admittedly, the WordPress dashboard isn’t always the snappiest performer. Even on VPS and dedicated servers, it can make you wait a little longer than you’d like.

But while a little lag here and there isn’t always a big deal, consistent slowness is. It is particularly concerning when it comes to tasks that rely on the database, such as loading or saving content. This could indicate that the web server doesn’t have enough horsepower to get the job done.

One way to measure performance in these scenarios is by utilizing the Query Monitor plugin. Once installed and activated, Query Monitor will provide a breakdown of a given task. You can see which queries and code are being run, listed by load times.

It may be that your site is running out of allotted memory or that the database has grown to the point where it no longer runs efficiently. Poorly-written code or a failure to load third-party resources could also be culprits.

The good news is that sometimes it’s just a matter of disabling a troublesome plugin to speed up your site. That would save you the hassle of upgrading your web hosting arrangement. However, you might just as well find that the server no longer meets your needs. Just make sure you have all the necessary data before taking action.

Lots of Internal Server Errors

What starts as lagging performance could eventually become the dreaded “500 Internal Server Error”. Once again, consistency is the key here. If you’re frequently seeing these errors when trying to navigate your website or perform tasks in the WordPress back end, something’s wrong.

The exact cause can vary. If you recently made a change to your site’s .htaccess file, for example, a buggy line of code may have done it. Another possibility is that your website ran up against the PHP memory limit and timed out.

Memory issues can be traced with the aforementioned Query Monitor. Learning the cause of the error is vital. You might find that it’s a poorly-written plugin that is bleeding you dry, or it may simply be a case of too much traffic and not enough resources.

If you do find that your server doesn’t have enough memory, and you can’t boost it further, it may be time for a move. Just be sure that your new server has more RAM than the old one.

Storage and/or Bandwidth Limitations

Perhaps this one seems a bit obvious – but still worth mentioning. A busy WordPress website can eat through storage space and bandwidth rather quickly. If you’re constantly wrestling with your hosting account’s limit, a change is probably in order.

Beyond the standard WordPress install, certain plugins and themes can be quite large. But the real challenge can be media files. Put enough audio, video, images, and PDF documents on your site, and they’ll take up significant space.

The other issue with media files is that you can’t just replace old versions with new ones – at least not without a plugin such as Enable Media Replace. This can lead to a lot of clutter in your media library. While you may be able to stay on top of it (or use a plugin to do it for you), not everyone’s going to make that effort.

Plus, sites with big files and numerous visitors may also exceed allotted bandwidth for a given period of time. This can result in extra charges on your bill and lots of warning emails from your hosting provider.

A full move to a new account may not always be necessary, though. Some hosts will gladly sell you a bit more storage or bandwidth if you need it. But you’ll have to judge whether or not it will be enough to allow for future growth.

Has Your WordPress Website Outgrown Its Hosting?

Part of maintaining a WordPress website is ensuring that it has enough server resources for stability and performance. And while you can certainly cut out unnecessary media files and plugins, that may only be a temporary fix. Eventually, you may find yourself running into the same issues once again.

It’s when you face persistent problems that you’ll want to consider leveling up your web hosting. When doing so, be sure an upgrade gives you the number of resources you’ll need. A boost to storage, bandwidth, RAM, and processing power should be at the top of your list.

How much will you need? One way to better understand your site’s requirements is to look at your current resource usage. If, for example, you’re running out of memory with 2GB of allotted RAM, then doubling up may make sense. The main goal is to allow for some breathing room so that you won’t find yourself in the same situation a few months from now.

It’s a challenge that requires constant attention. But on the bright side, growth is good! If you find that your site has outgrown its current hosting arrangement, you might consider it a badge of honor.

The post Signs Your WordPress Website Has Outgrown Its Hosting appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

One such area is web hosting. While there is the potential to make some (fairly) easy cash, there are some serious considerations. To do things right, it takes a long-term commitment. Plus, it adds an extra layer responsibility to your workflow.

So, before you add hosting to your services list, think about the following:

Where Will You Host Client Websites?

The first thing to consider is where your client sites will be hosted. For instance, do you want to build your own server or lease one from a third-party provider?

Administering your own web server can be very time-consuming. You need a certain level of expertise to keep things safe and secure. That’s why freelancers typically go the route of leasing server space from an established company. It can be better on your stress levels and your wallet.

Still, there are some risks in going with a hosting provider. You’re giving up a certain level of control. In addition, you’re taking a leap of faith that this company will keep things running smoothly. And you’ll want them to be there for you when there are problems.

Therefore, it’s important to pick a hosting provider that you have experience with. It’s crucial to know what you’re getting into and who you’ll be working with. This doesn’t guarantee a problem-free experience, but you will have some extra peace of mind.

The Setup

Beyond that, the setup of your hosting space is also worthy of consideration. While the server’s OS, version of PHP, etc. is important, it’s only part of the story here.

Technical specs aside, you’ll want to think about how you’ll manage everything. Will the host’s control panel, for example, enable you to host multiple sites? Will it allow you to delegate access to individual clients, or is everything reachable only by a single admin? Is email included in the package?

All of these items represent the day-to-day maintenance you’ll be responsible for providing. You may be the one creating email addresses and tweaking account settings. In the short term, that may not be an issue. But over time, it can become a burden.

The Inevitable Losses

Clients don’t stay forever. They can move on for any number of reasons. This can be a bit of a problem when you provide hosting. If they no longer want or need you to maintain their site, should they stay on your server?

Sometimes this situation works itself out. In instances where your client moves on to another designer, they may decide to move their website as part of the transition. But that’s not always the case.

It may be wise to try and sever that relationship completely, rather than hanging on to their hosting revenue. The little bit of money you make isn’t usually worth the awkwardness of dealing with a client (or their new designer) after the fact.

If you do offer hosting, prepare yourself for those clients who come and go. It’s only a matter of time before you face such a situation. Therefore, it’s better to have a policy in place when it happens.

What if Something Happens to Your Business?

Nobody likes to think about these things, but life is unpredictable. Your business may not last or your life may change unexpectedly. Offering web hosting could further complicate your situation.

Again, this is where server setup is important. If clients don’t have access to their data and/or they pay you directly for service, you need to have a plan in place so that they won’t be left in the cold. This can be difficult if you’re a solo entrepreneur.

One possible solution is to have some documentation that a friend, colleague or family member can reference if needed. That way, there is at least some method for clients to get what they need and move on.

Providing Support

Let’s say that you’re reselling server space that you’ve leased from a provider. Then, one of your clients has an issue. Or maybe there’s a massive outage that has knocked out all of your client sites. Who do they call?

The most likely answer to this question is: You. Quite often, hosting companies only provide direct support to the person whose name is on the account. When there’s a problem, that means you are the one who has to act as a go-between.

The process of communicating back-and-forth between your client and the web hosts’ support staff can be frustrating. It’s the one area of responsibility that can make or break your decision to offer hosting. If you pick a host that runs into frequent problems, it can also destroy your profit margin. Think long and hard about what you want to do here.

There Are Rewards, Too

Reselling web hosting can provide you with a healthy source of recurring revenue. In turn, this puts you on more stable financial ground. Another bonus is that you’ll know exactly what kind of server environment your clients are on. This makes it easier to run your preferred CMS, plugins, etc. That continuity can lead to a more efficient workflow.

There are a lot of potential benefits to be had. However, this is not something you want to dive into without careful consideration. Think of the pros and cons and, if you decide to move forward, plan ahead to set yourself up for success.

There will undoubtedly be challenges along the way. But the more prepared you are, the better your outcome will be.

The post Should You Sell Web Hosting Services to Your Clients? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

But bad things can still happen. Your website might face downtime or security issues. And technical support may not be able to fix every problem. That’s OK – nobody’s perfect.

Still, we place a lot of trust in web hosts. We trust that they have our best interests in mind. And that they have fool-proof processes in place.

That could be a mistake. Assuming that everything will be perfect can bite you. It’s then that you realize you could have done more.

Here’s a look at areas where it pays to be proactive. It could save you from a disaster.

Keep Website Backups on Hand

Any web host worth their salt should back up their servers. Some providers also offer on-demand site backups via a control panel.

It’s worth taking advantage of these services. But what if something goes wrong? What if a server outage renders your backup unreachable?

Having redundant copies of your website provides peace of mind. And it enables you to move quickly in case the worst happens.

There are several ways to accomplish this. Remote backup services will store your site in the cloud. Or you could use a WordPress backup plugin that ties in with a cloud service.

How often should you run a backup? Much depends on your website. A busy eCommerce site will need more frequent backups. However, an old-school brochure site could get by with daily or weekly snapshots.

Remember to back up the entire website. That includes files and databases. It’s helpful when you only need to restore a specific component.

Stay On Top of Your Website’s Security

Web hosts work hard to keep their servers secure. It’s a non-stop pursuit that requires investment. There’s no guarantee of perfection, however.

Every website is a target. Malicious actors will use every trick in the book to get inside a system. And they’ll wreak as much havoc as possible.

Your host will try to secure things at the server level. However, you should also fortify your website. You’ll have a better chance of avoiding a malware infection.

Again, there are several avenues to take. Installing a security plugin is a step in the right direction. And keeping your content management system (CMS) updated is another. Use strong passwords and implement two-factor authorization (2FA) when possible.

Those are the basics of website security. You can go further, though. A content delivery network (CDN) with a Web Application Firewall (WAF) blocks suspicious traffic before it reaches your site.

The bottom line: don’t take security for granted. Be proactive and make your website as secure as possible.

Optimize Your Website for Performance

Websites tend to get dragged down by bloat. Things like database calls and JavaScript libraries impact performance. Calls to third-party APIs can also kill performance. Web hosts can only do so much in this area.

The cost of your hosting plays a role. Cheap hosting will have more limitations. You’ll have access to fewer CPU cycles and less memory.

But even expensive plans can’t save a poorly built site. Features like object caching and CDNs can help. Still, resource-intensive pages will be slow to load.

A solid hosting platform and an optimized website are the ideal combination. Following best practices is still important. Doing so will allow your site to take advantage of that extra horsepower.

As such, take time to test your site’s performance. Use the information to make things as lean as possible.

Troubleshoot Website Issues Before Contacting Support

The odds are that your website will experience issues. It happens to all of us at some point.

Your first instinct may be to contact your host’s support. But it may be worth waiting in a non-emergency situation. Hastily sending an email stating that “It’s broken” won’t help.

Try to understand the problem first. Spend a few minutes troubleshooting the issue on your own. Look at your browser’s developer tools. Peruse the server’s error logs.

You might find the root cause and be able to fix the issue. That could save you from contacting technical support. And it will save everyone’s time.

If you’re still experiencing issues, then it’s OK to contact support. You can share what you found during troubleshooting. It may help them diagnose and repair the problem.

It’s worth remembering that support representatives work with a lot of people. Each has a different website configuration. And they may not instantly recognize the source of a problem. Give them as much good information as you can. That will speed up the process.

Treat Your Web Host Like a Partner

Your web host can make a difference in your site’s health. But they can’t do everything for you. Therefore, it pays to be an active participant in each item above.

Take the initiative to create backups, improve security, and optimize performance. Troubleshoot any issues before contacting support. Always take the most proactive path.

Web designers often know their sites better than anyone. That knowledge will come in handy when working with a host.

This partnership will help you get the most out of your website. That benefits everyone involved.

The post Understanding What Your Web Host Won’t Do for You appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

And while we’d all love to have access to enterprise-grade hosting, that’s unlikely to fit within most budgets. Sites for small businesses, blogs, and non-profits often have to settle for something less.

Lower-tier (i.e., cheap) web hosting simply won’t carry the same computing power as those expensive accounts. And some providers make bold promises (unlimited storage and bandwidth, to name a couple) that deflect from flawed performance and limited support.

However, this doesn’t mean you’re stuck in the mud. There are providers out there that offer stable, low-cost hosting. From that foundation, there are things you can do to squeeze every bit of performance from your setup.

Today, we’ll share some tips for getting the most out of your cheap host.

Find the Best Hosting for Your Money

With so many hosting providers to choose from, it can be difficult to discern between them. And just because multiple companies offer similar pricing, it doesn’t mean their level of service is the same.

This especially holds when it comes to cheap hosting. Quality isn’t easily identified. And big, recognizable names don’t necessarily translate into competence or performance.

Plus, the information a provider makes available on their website doesn’t tell the whole story. You can find out the monthly cost and how much storage space is included. But the finer details – things that aren’t often published – are what make the difference.

Therefore, it’s worth looking into independent reviews and asking other web designers about their experiences. Speaking directly with the host is also recommended. Taken together, these items paint a clearer picture than sales pitches.

While we can’t tell you which host or plan to choose, we can say that there are solid low-cost options on the market. In the end, it’s about finding a host that offers an acceptable level of resources and support. Oh, and it will also need to fit within your budget.

Look For Ways to Reduce Server Load

Shared web hosting is generally on the lowest rung on the pricing ladder. The server may have plenty of resources, but you’re sharing them with other users. Thus, your site will have limited access to key performance enhancers such as CPU cycles and memory.

One way to stretch the available resources is by reducing the load on the server. And several things can help:

Make Your Site as Lean as Possible

A bloated website won’t perform at its best – even on top-flight hosting. Put it in a shared environment and your key metrics will look even worse.

That’s why it’s important to build the leanest website possible. That means including only the scripts and styles required to get the look and functionality you need. For example, you may opt for a barebones WordPress theme as opposed to one that offers extra features you’ll never use.

Database calls are another resource hog. Therefore, utilizing static HTML or headless CMS technology can be a boon to front-end performance.

In short: if a feature isn’t necessary – leave it out.

Offload Media, Scripts, and Stylesheets

A typical web page could have dozens of files to load. Calls to JavaScript and CSS files not only cost you in terms of server requests, but they can also be render-blocking resources that slow down load times. Image, video, and audio files also take their toll.

One cost-effective way to minimize their impact is by using a content delivery network (CDN). This offloads your site’s files into the cloud. Strategically placed servers deliver these assets as close as possible to a user’s geographic location.

While most CDN providers charge a fee, you often get a lot of performance for the money. In the long run, it may end up being cheaper (and potentially more effective) than upgrading your hosting account.

Consider SaaS Providers for Key Functionality

Serving up files impacts performance. But parsing code and writing to a database can grind a low-powered server to a halt. The more complex the code, the more burden on the host.

That makes running key functionality on your server more difficult. Any sort of data-intensive site, like eCommerce or membership, can become sluggish in this situation. Even relatively simple tasks like a user search may cause a slowdown.

This is where software-as-a­-service (SaaS) providers can be beneficial. By employing a hosted shopping cart, for example, the heavy lifting is done by a third party. Once again, this frees up your server to handle other jobs.

And yes, there are fees involved. But consider that upgrading to slightly more expensive hosting still may not provide enough horsepower to run these features efficiently. The level of service needed to do so could cost more than paying for a SaaS.

Use Caching

If you’re using a content management system (CMS), smart use of caching can do wonders for performance. It takes your site’s dynamic content and turns it into static HTML files. That results in fewer calls to the server – including those expensive database requests.

Some hosts offer server-level caching – which is definitely worth using if available. However, there are other options available, such as WordPress cache plugins. Even a little bit of effort can make a difference here.

Cheap Hosting Doesn’t Have to Slow You Down

Not everyone can afford top-tier hosting plans. Besides, bumping up to the next level doesn’t always mean better performance. You may just be paying for extra hard drive space. Great if you need it, but it won’t make your site run faster.

Regardless, it’s quite possible to have a high-performing website that resides on cheap hosting. The first step is to find a host that provides a baseline of stability.

From there, it’s about building a lean website that prioritizes performance. This is good practice for every website – even those on dedicated servers. Thankfully, modern languages and tools can help you along the way.

But the optimization doesn’t stop there. Employing methods to reduce the load on your server, such as CDNs, caching, and SaaS providers, will help to keep things running smoothly.

In the end, cheap hosting doesn’t have to mean poor performance. While it may not be the ideal environment, the right approach can produce excellent results.

The post Squeezing the Most Performance from Cheap Web Hosting appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

When it comes to hosting companies, there is no shortage of providers. Some of them offer a variety of different plans and some of them offer highly specialized services like WordPress managed hosting.

One such company is Kinsta. Although a relatively young company, it’s already making strides in the managed WordPress hosting arena.

In this review, we’ll take a look at what makes it different from others and the powerful features it has to offer.

A Brief History of Kinsta

Kinsta was founded in 2013 by WordPress developer, Mark Gavalda. The company developed out of the need to provide a reliable and affordable hosting company to business owners who want to focus on running their business instead of worrying about maintaining their site.

They work with some of the biggest brands such as Mint, GE, Intuit, and AdEspresso and serve their clients from three locations in Los Angeles, London, and Budapest.

Furthermore, their support team is made up of WordPress developers so you can rest assured your website will be in good hands.

Kinsta Features

Kinsta offers managed WordPress hosting with some interesting features that makes the company stand out among the competition.

The first is the fact that the company uses Google Cloud Platform, which allows them to take advantage of Google’s private Fiber network.

The network in question features a distributed backbone between all data centers, which makes it possible for Kinsta’s servers to process more data in a lot less time.

You can also choose between several different physical server locations, allowing you to serve your site from a server that’s close to your customers and clients. All of this combined has a huge benefit on the loading times of your website as it decreases latency.

Secondly, all of Kinsta’s plans offer unlimited pageviews, unlimited visitors, and very generous bandwidth caps.

If that’s not enough, your site will be monitored every minute – 1440 times a day – for downtime and you’ll also get the benefit of daily backups and a free SSL certificate.

In terms of security, Kinsta implements both active and passive measures that protect your site from malicious attacks. Aside from the aforementioned uptime monitoring, they have DDOS detection, hardware firewalls and software restrictions, and continuous malware scanning in the background.

It’s worth mentioning that you can migrate your site to Kinsta for free with the help of their support team and in the event the worst happens, the company will fix your site for free.

Plans & Pricing

Kinsta offers eight plans divided into two tiers as well as custom pricing.

Business plans range in price from $100-$400 and include unlimited visitors, pageviews, staging areas, free SSL certificate, multisite support, the ability to use your own CDN, automatic daily backups, and continuous uptime monitoring.

The plans differ in the amount of disk space, allocated bandwidth and the number of WordPress sites you can install.

Enterprise plans start at $600 and go up to $1500 which offer the same features as the business plans but offer considerably more in terms of disk space, bandwidth, and the number of sites. The enterprise plans are geared towards large and high-volume sites.

It’s worth mentioning that all plans can be paid on a monthly or a yearly basis.

Developer Features

Since Kinsta offers managed WordPress hosting, they offer features that cater to developers.

Staging

As a WordPress developer, you know you need a reliable way to test new tweaks and options.

While you can always run a local installation, having the ability to create a version of your live site allows you to test different environments and find the one that provides the best experience.

You can also use it to test new themes and plugins without affecting your site and ensuring nothing goes awry once you install them on your live site.

Site Cloning

Kinsta also allows you to clone any of your live or staged sites so you can develop a custom theme for your client.

Anything that can speed your workflow is a positive thing and with Kinsta, you can do just that.

Next Gen Technology

Kinsta’s service uses LXD container technology that allows each site to “live” in its own virtual server.

The benefit of this approach is that your site is protected in the event one of the sites on the same server gets compromised. It also makes backups easier.

Programming Features

Lastly, when it comes to programming features, Kinsta plans come with PHP 7 which helps your site use less resources.

However, you can easily switch to PHP 5.6, 7.1 or HHVM should you need to.

You’ll be able to use WP-CLI, Composer, and Git out of the box and you can use SSH to access those tools so you can speed up your workflow. When it comes to databases, you can manipulate them with HeidiSQL or Sequel Pro.

Is Kinsta Right For You?

For a young company, Kinsta offers a lot of bang for your buck. While their hosting plans are more expensive than those offered by similar companies, keep in mind that Kinsta aims to provide top-notch service without sacrificing quality or the ability to deliver on their promise.

That said, it’s worth mentioning that you cannot host your email or register a domain through Kinsta so you’ll have to find different providers for those specific services.

Kinsta is a great choice for growing businesses as well as high volume enterprises that need a reliable service and want the technical details of website maintenance handled by someone else.

If you’re convinced Kinsta‘s plans are a sound investment, we have a special discount for our readers. If you sign up at any time during the next 30 days, just mention Speckyboy, and you can get 50% off your first month’s bill so give it a try.

The post Blazing-Fast Managed WordPress Hosting with Kinsta <span class="sponsored_text">Sponsored</span> appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

For over seven years now, Pagely has been committed to not just being a technically advanced hosting provider, but one that also brings that same level of commitment to the people they work with. They value their personal relationships both with each other and with customers.

You see, Pagely is not your ordinary startup. Their employees aren’t saddled with the pressure of pleasing venture capitalists or shareholders. Instead, they come to work each day constantly looking to improve a product they love (after all, they built it). It’s that focus on their product and customers that make Pagely different.

Always There When You Need Them

So often, accessing support on the web means filling out a ticket and waiting – sometimes for hours or more – just to receive a canned response. The Pagely team monitors their service 24/7 and is available for live, friendly support anytime. That means they’re working when you are and can provide the help you need on your schedule.

Plus, you’ll be interacting with real WordPress experts. These folks both use and deeply understand the world’s most popular CMS. They know how to get the most out of it and are happy to help you achieve optimal performance, security and stability.

Listening to Clients, Creating Real Solutions

Pagely has an interest in supporting their clients’ vision and helping them reach their goals. Over the years, they’ve listened to their clients and have developed solutions based on their needs.

One such solution is Pagely PULSAR™, designed specifically to support the scale, security and traffic needs of the world’s largest brands. It’s the most powerful and comprehensive managed WordPress solution to date. PULSAR™ will ensure that your hosting is ready to handle your company’s growth and its resulting demands on your website.

Pagely’s Managed WordPress hosting stack is built upon Amazon Web Services. This means that they have the ability to scale up their resources and provide you with unparalleled performance. Your site will be able to withstand massive amounts of traffic without taking a performance hit. And, your data can be stored at any of Amazon’s 11 data centers to ensure close proximity to your customers.

And, when we mention the “world’s largest brands”, we’re talking about companies like Comcast, Disney, Virgin Atlantic and VISA – they all put their trust in Pagely.

Experience the Pagely Difference

The quality and performance of your web host is crucial and shouldn’t be compromised. It’s not enough to simply go with a company who claims to have great equipment. You want to be associated with a company that’s going to treat you right and take the time to put your needs first.

That’s exactly what Pagely does and it’s why they’re different from the rest. Learn more about Pagely’s managed WordPress hosting solutions and see how they can benefit your business.

The post Pagely is Managed WordPress Hosting Powered with the Human Element <span class="sponsored_text">Sponsored</span> appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.