So, Does Website Migration Affect SEO? 

Any server change carries a slight SEO risk with or without modifications to your website,  but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You see, migrations primarily affect site speed. So if you’re migrating to a host like A2 Hosting, you’ll notice increased site speed. As loading time is a top SEO ranking consideration, this can only help you, not hurt you. Unfortunately, this means the opposite for migrating to a slower host (maybe it’ll make you think again about migrating to a cheaper host?). 

When users experience slow loading times, they’re less likely to revisit your site in the future, especially when more than 50% of visitors abandon a website if a page takes over 2 seconds to load. Since 2010, speed has been a ranking factor for desktop searches on Google. When researching new hosts, look for speed optimizations or determine how the web hosting company optimizes its servers for speed. 

For example, at A2 Hosting, we use only SSD and NVMe storage. “Our speed, your success” is our motto because we believe that speed is the most critical factor in attracting, maintaining, and increasing traffic and conversions. Additionally, our Turbo servers offer Litespeed caching, and specific servers also offer the AMD EPYC processors. When combined, these three elements contribute to lightning-fast speeds.  

Changing web hosting providers can also come with risks, especially if you lose certain functionalities at the new host or move from Apache to Nginx or IIS (Internet Information Services). If you’re wary about changing hosts, talk with someone on our sales team about the process and ensure your server needs match up with what we can offer you. 

Now that we’ve discussed how website migrations affect SEO, let’s review the migration process. Use our SEO checklist to prepare your website for its migration:

• 1. Set up a staging site on your new server. Before canceling your other web hosting plan, compare your existing site’s page load speeds against the new server’s load speeds. Hopefully, the new server improved your site speeds! 
• 2. Pick a slow time. After testing your new site on the server, pick a quiet time to perform the DNS propagation. Your site may be down for up to 24 hours as the DNS propagates around the world, but choose a time when you experience low traffic, so you’re not missing opportunities for leads and conversions. 
• 3. Perform checks on your site. For example, check the organic health of your website. Is there any penalization for spammy backlinks? Are your current backlinks relevant for the content? We recommend tracking your site’s domain authority with Moz Pro. 
• 4. Crawl your site. With Moz Pro or ScreamingFrog, you can crawl your website to receive a full URL and content inventory. Then, you can fix issues while you’re staging your site and map old URLs to new URLs in your 301 redirect map.  
• 5. Update Internal Links. Test your website and update internal links to avoid internal redirects or broken links. ScreamingFrog allows you to find internal links and their attached anchor text and their respective pages.
• 6. Create a custom 404 page. When visitors experience a broken page, engage them with a custom 404 page. It should direct them to your homepage or additional pages on your website. Otherwise, a blank 404 page frustrates users and makes them want to close the browser tab altogether and find a site that works. 
• 7. Update your Robots.txt file. The robots.txt file tells search engine crawlers which pages the crawler can or can’t request from your site. It lives at www.yoursite.com/robots.txt. 
• 8. Test your website on mobile. Is your site responsive or rendering correctly on a mobile device? Google offers a Mobile-Friendly Test tool to determine if Google views your site as mobile-friendly. 
• 9. Measure your performance post-launch. Once you’ve ensured your site launches appropriately, there are no broken pages or backlinks, your site is mobile-friendly, and you’ve updated your robots.txt file, analyze your performance after you launch your website. Check your ranking performance, organic traffic users/sessions, check for site crawl issues, and monitor your backlink profile. Track any 404 page traffic in your Google Analytics post-launch to catch and add any redirects to your 301 redirect file. 

SEO doesn’t need to be significant when migrating your website concern. With a few preparations, you can efficiently execute a website migration plan without worrying about lowering your website’s ranking. 

Related articles:

• How to Migrate a WordPress Website to a New Host
• Tips for Migrating to Joomla 4
• How to Switch Your Domain Name Without Damaging Your Site’s SEO
• A Total Beginner’s Guide to Website Hosting
• Who Has the Fastest Web Hosting? Matching Your Need for Speed

The post Does Website Migration Affect SEO? The Definitive Website Migration SEO Checklist. appeared first on The A2 Posting.

What is a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN)? 

A Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) is a domain name consisting of three parts: the hostname, the domain name, and the top-level domain. The hostname is the specific computer or device on the network that you want to use the FQDN for. The domain name is the section of the FQDN that uniquely identifies your network. The top-level domain is the highest level of classification for domains and is assigned by ICANN. For example, when you type “www.google.com” into your web browser, “www” is the hostname, “google” is the domain name, and “.com” is the top-level domain. 

Different computer types use different terminology for FQDNs like network names or full computer names. 

Why should I use an FQDN? 

FQDNs indicate unique addresses on the internet. If you don’t have an FQDN, you don’t have an accessible website. They’re required for installing SSL certificates, imperative to the security of your website. 

Apart from having an accessible website, FQDNs are also useful to have a discoverable computer on an internet network, like when you need to access a computer remotely. This is common in an office to track a computer’s activity. 

Also, FQDNs help you access domain services like FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and email. For example, if you want to connect your domain name’s email to an email app on your phone like Gmail or Apple Mail, you need to know the FQDN for the mail server, which is typically something like “mail.yourdomainname.com.” 

Here is an example of an FQDN:

1. www.a2hosting.com
2. mail.a2hosting.com
3. ftp.a2hosting.com

How to find your FQDN

If you’re not sure how to find your FQDN, please review the following links: 

Find your FQDN for Windows OS (operating systems).

Find your FQDN for macOS.

When you generate a domain name, it should contain three parts. The first part is the hostname which identifies the specific computer or device on your network that will be using this FQDN. The second part of an FQDN is the domain name and it uniquely identifies your company’s network. Finally, there is the top-level domain (TLD) which classifies domains as either generic or country-code TLDs such as .com for commercial purposes. If you need help viewing any of these components within your own FQDN contact our support team today!  

Related Articles:

• How to manage cPanel Mail Exchanger (MX) records
• How to use the DNS Zone Editor in cPanel
• How to verify site ownership with Google
• How to determine your account’s server name

The post What Is a Fully Qualified Domain Name? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

So, What is URL Masking? 

Masking a URL means disguising its true destination, making it harder for someone to track where you are going. This can be an important tool for privacy and security, but there are also some potential downsides to consider. Developers mask URLs to obscure the true destination of a link. In order to understand URL masking, it’s important to understand what URL redirects are. 

URL redirections send a domain to an alternative URL. The HTTP protocol categorizes the URL redirects. 

There are three major types of URL redirects:

• 301 (permanent) 
• 302 (found/moved temporarily)
• URL frame (masked)

301 redirects are used when the destination URL of any website’s page changes. It’s commonly used when a website needs to be migrated to a new domain. 

302 redirects direct traffic to a new URL for a brief period. This is common for A/B testing. 

When migrating your website to a new domain name, the new domain doesn’t have a search engine optimization (SEO) authority. However, a 301 permanent redirect eventually gives 90% of the old website’s authority to the new domain. 

Google, a search engine, must verify the new website, which can cause a delay as it ranks the new domain. Some developers use 302 redirects for migration to avoid Google’s aging delay, but the 301 redirect is the proper method to use in this instance. 

Both 301 and 302 redirects display the new destination URL in the address bar in URL masking. Masked redirects allow you to use content from another domain while maintaining the address bar’s original name. 

This way, you use your homepage as the URL for every page of your website. Masked redirects are also called URL cloaking or domain masking. 

In other words, the mask refers to how the URL displays in the address bar. So your user thinks they’re on one domain when, in fact, they’re on another. 

When to Mask URLs

There are specific instances when website owners might want to mask links, including: 

• Masking affiliate links: Some users prefer to link cloaking to hide their affiliate links so that users won’t see they’re making money off of a purchase.
• Link shortening: long links aren’t visually appealing. Some users choose to shorten their links instead of changing their domain names.
• Hiding free web hosting URLs: Some users use free subdomains provided by their host, like store.a2hosting.com. So, you can use domain masking to make it appear as though the website has its domain. 
• Tracking: Some link tracking software use URL masking to hide tracking tags in the original URL. 

If you are looking for a way to improve your website’s security, or if you are trying to keep your website visitors from seeing where your website is hosted, domain masking may be the solution for you. Our support team would be happy to help set up domain masking for your website. Contact us today and let us know how to help make sure your website is as secure as possible.

Related Articles:

• How to set up URL frame forwarding
• How to rewrite URLs in Apache with the mod_rewrite module
• How to configure redirects in cPanel
• What Is A Parked Domain (And How to Use It)

The post What Is URL Masking? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

What if we told you that WooCommerce can do all that for you? With the free and open-source plugin, maintaining your website instantly becomes so much easier.

Keep reading to find out exactly what WooCommerce is and how it can help your WordPress website.

What Is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is an e-Commerce plugin used by over 3 million online stores. It was developed to be used as an extension to WordPress, which is why it integrates perfectly into any WordPress site. A simple but powerful platform chock full of features, it is a fantastic solution for anyone looking to sell their products online.

We highly recommend that you use WooCommerce as an extension for your shop, as it contains everything that you need for your business to run smoothly.

What Are the Benefits of WooCommerce?

WooCommerce exists to make managing your online shop simpler. It is incredibly user-friendly and offers dozens of helpful features right at your fingertips. If you’re about to open your own online shop or just want to upgrade an existing site, we’re certain that you’ll find all of the features of WooCommerce to be extremely helpful.

Customization Options

You can make changes to your store page any time you like with no additional costs, thanks to WooCommerce. You can either customize everything yourself or choose from a wide array of stylish, functional themes.

Built-In Analytics

Even if you have no experience in tracking implementation, WooCommerce comes with a built-in data analysis tool that will give you more insight into your growing business.

Integrated Payment Gateways

An efficient payment process is essential for any store. With WooCommerce, you can give your customers the option to choose from several platforms, such as Stripe, PayPal, debit or credit cards, bank transfer, or even cash on delivery.

Various Shipping Options

WooCommerce allows you to provide any variety of shipping options for your customers’ orders, like a pickup from nearby stores, local delivery, or international shipping. You can even restrict shipping options as you see fit.

Automatic Tax Calculation

WooCommerce makes it easy for anyone to calculate taxes for their online shops. All you need to do is configure the settings to automatically compute taxes on every order.

Order and Inventory Management

The built-in inventory management system of WooCommerce allows shop owners to handle and track everything in their supply. Plus, you can oversee the entire order process, from tracking orders to shipping them out.

All these amazing WooCommerce advantages will pair perfectly when used with a Managed WordPress platform, which is another worthwhile investment for any WordPress user.

What Is Managed WordPress?

Managed WordPress is a hosting platform that is fully streamlined and optimized for easy creation and management of your website. As its name implies, the web host manages your WordPress for you, taking over all the server responsibilities.

Our platform, A2 Hosting, revolves around making your site run as fast and secure as possible. We will handle all the administrative tasks, from installing WordPress, to security checks and updates, and even caching your web page. If you have any questions you can speak with our sales team for more information on our new and improved Managed WordPress plans!

WooCommerce is an incredibly powerful tool for WordPress users. When paired with our efficient Managed WordPress platform, managing your online shop will be fast and hassle-free. For an optimized eCommerce shop, get started on managed WordPress today with A2 Hosting!

The post What Is WooCommerce? Explaining the Features and Benefits appeared first on The A2 Posting.

What does it mean to “optimize” your website?

Optimizing your website is the process of using tools, strategies, experiments, and analyses to improve your website’s performance with the end goal to drive more traffic to your website, increase conversions, and grow revenue. 

You may have heard of SEO or search engine optimization. SEO is only one aspect of optimization (albeit the most critical). 

Optimization combines a variety of dimensions for optimal website performance like

• SEO
• Your website’s content and landing pages
• Analytics
• UX (frontend)
• Web development (backend)

What is A2 Optimized?

A2 Optimized is a WordPress optimizer. It combines various ideal WordPress configurations to enhance website performance and increase security.

Performance-enhancing

A2’s motto is “our speed, your success” and A2 Optimized is no exception. Our plugin enhances speed with:

• Page caching – storing copies of your web pages in a temporary storage location for quicker access.
• Object caching – storing database query results in a temporary storage location for quicker access.
• Minifying (minimizing code) for HTML, CSS, and Javascript) in your web pages and script files.
• GZip data compression – takes chunks of data and makes it smaller.

Secure

Secondly, A2 Optimized is secure by:

• Denying direct access to configuration files.
• Preventing bots from submitting to comment forms.
• Cutting off the file editor in wp-admin.
• Preventing plugins and themes from wp-admin tampering.
• Disabling other bot-targeted services like XML-RPC.

A2 Optimized configures difficult settings so you don’t have to. If you’re not technically savvy, installing the W3 Total Cache plugin may prove challenging. But when Memcached is enabled for WordPress, A2 Optimized automatically installs the plugin for you. 

A2 Optimized combines the best caching features and enhanced security configurations making it the ideal WordPress plugin. And an extra bonus, it’s free and just as easy to install as it is to uninstall, so give it a try today to see if it’s right for you! 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is A2 Optimized free?

Yes, it is! 

Can I use A2 Optimized with any host?

Absolutely! A2 Optimized works with any WordPress-supporting host. However, A2 Hosting provides some of the fastest servers in the business, and also includes additional tools to speed up your site on our servers. 

Will A2 Optimized make all of my sites faster? That’s a guarantee?

A2 Optimized does speed up sites the majority of the time, but not all plugins and themes are created equal. 

If your site is slower after enabling caching in A2 Optimized, ensure you’re using the best plugins for your website by speaking with a developer.

Can I use A2 Optimized with WordFence?

A2 Optimized is compatible with the majority of features in WordFence, but we recommend disabling caching and logging in WordFence. Otherwise, if page caching in A2 Optimized is enabled, some WordFence features may not respond.

Related Links:

• Everything You Need to Know About the WordPress 5.7 Esperanza Update
• An Introduction to WordPress Toolkit Deluxe
• How to Install a WordPress Theme on Your Website
• WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com | What’s The Difference?

The post What is A2 Optimized (and how does it help your WordPress site)? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

This year, our new WordPress plans are getting a makeover with new features to boost it above and beyond our other Shared Hosting packages. Keep reading to learn what sets them apart. 

What’s the difference between Managed WordPress vs Shared Web Hosting?

To boil it down, Managed WordPress plans offer services and performance tweaks specific to WordPress whereas Shared Web Hosting plans are generalist plans that host anything from WordPress to Drupal. But Shared Web Hosting and Managed WordPress hosting are more similar than they are different. 

You see, both plans are managed and come with 24/7/365 support on phones, tickets, and LiveChats and both plans are on shared servers. 

To summarize, 

• Shared Web Hosting plans share resources with other sites on the same server.
• Managed WordPress plans offer additional WordPress-specific services and tweaks to performance in a shared environment.

Why Use Managed WordPress Plans?

Managed WordPress Hosting offers WordPress-specific services, performance optimizations, customizations, and other valuable add-ons and performance tweaks including:

• Jetpack: Jetpack is an all-in-one WordPress plugin. Even the free version of Jetpack is powerful. They have 1-click site speed optimizations to increase your SEO, brute force protection by blocking unwanted login attempts from malicious botnets, and automated spam filtering. 
• Less users per server.
• Faster plans (with 4x more physical memory than our Shared Hosting packages)
• A2 Optimized and LSCache settings to speed up your website. 
• WordPress Toolkit for easier site management.

Why Use Shared Hosting Plans?

Shared Web Hosting is an affordable option to hosting your website. It’s especially beneficial for new or lower traffic websites. With a typical shared hosting plan, to keep the costs low you’re sharing the server with other users. This means if something happens to one site on the server, your site may be affected. Luckily here at A2 Hosting, we don’t overload our servers with thousands of users on one server. This mitigates that risk. 

The Pros and Cons of Managed WordPress Hosting

Pros of Managed WordPress Hosting

• Server architecture finely tuned specifically for WordPress 
• Auto-testing any new updates to find potential issues before the updates go live.
• Automatic updates for WordPress. 
• Built-in server-level caching
• Free Jetpack license for your primary domain
• Site staging 
• cPanel
• LsCache, one of the fastest caching agents on the market
• A great in-between plan if you aren’t ready to upgrade to a VPS yet

Cons of Managed WordPress Hosting

• Managed WordPress plans are inherently more expensive due to more features
• Stricter limits/caps on resource usage
• Limited to hosting only WordPress sites 

The Pros and Cons of Shared Hosting

With everything, there’s a pros and cons list. Here are a few for Shared hosting:

Pros of Shared Hosting

• Less expensive way to host WordPress
• The ability to host unlimited websites
• Still has significant performance perks like our Turbo Boost and Turbo Max plans
• Easy to seamlessly upgrade within the Shared ecosystem
• Site staging
• cPanel

Cons of Shared Hosting

• Can be slower than their Managed WordPress counterparts 
• Jetpack isn’t included
• Lack other performance-tweaking WordPress customizations

Which plan is better for WordPress?

There isn’t a single answer for this question. Only you know what’s best for your website and your needs. The best way to decide is to analyze what you need. Which plans will help you get to where you need?

To help you decide, consider the following:

• Are you going to host websites other than WordPress? If so, the decision is easy–stick with Shared Web Hosting packages. 

• Do you need all of the WordPress-specific customizations or is your site simple enough to get by on a Shared Web Hosting plan?

• What is your budget? Shared hosting plans are less expensive, but Managed WordPress plans have additional power and features that may be worth the investment. If the features sound nice enough to pay a little extra every month, consider it.
• Do you need automatic updates? WordPress updates automatically on our plans. Installing the latest versions of software means your site is as secure as possible. If you don’t need automatic updates, Shared hosting packages may be the better choice.
• How much traffic do you have? If your website is small and discreet, starting out on a Shared server is probably the best option, at least for a while. You can always upgrade to a Managed WordPress plan at any time. Smaller is always better to start. Then, scale up your needs as your business grows.

Also, consider this: the Managed WordPress plans are the best in-between plan if you need more resources than a Shared hosting package, but less than a VPS. If you’re unsure, as always, contact our sales team today to find out which plan is best for your needs. 

Whatever plan you decide is best for you, it’s a personal decision and we support you either way.

Related Articles: 

• How to Find the Right WordPress Plan (and Why It Should Be with A2 Hosting)
• How to Get Started with WordPress
• How to Install WordPress on Managed WordPress Hosting
• A Complete Guide on Navigating Your WordPress Dashboard
• How to Become an Expert WordPress Site Owner (3 Key Tips)

The post Managed WordPress vs Shared Web Hosting: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Ann Arbor, MI—January 17, 2022—A2 Hosting, a provider of high-speed web hosting solutions, announced the availability of its new and improved portfolio of Managed WordPress plans. Modernizing its prior WordPress offerings, the new plans run on the company’s high-performing Turbo servers and introduce advanced features and tools—innovations that collectively increase website speed and security as well as ease of management for customers. The plans are available in four distinct packages to support various business requirements from single or multiple website deployments to basic corporate or eCommerce site configurations. 

“Last year, 70 percent of businesses chose to invest more in their digital presence. In parallel, over 60 percent of websites currently use WordPress as their content management system,” said Bryan Muthig, CEO, A2 Hosting. “We have a highly regarded track record of staying in step with our customers’ wants and needs which is why we released an extensive WordPress survey. The results guided us in creating our new Managed WordPress solutions that maximize, secure, and simplify the use of WordPress.” 

Run, Jump, Fly, Sell

As stated above, A2 Hosting’s WordPress experts developed the four different levels of WordPress plans based on feedback from current and prospective customers. All plans include cPanel’s WordPress Toolkit for easy site management. The tiers are defined as: 

• Run: The first tier plan is for WordPress beginners and hobbyists to quickly and easily get sites up and running. Run best fits the needs of users who are beginning on WordPress and need a strong foundation optimized with security and features that can be built on.
• Jump: The second tier plan is designed for professionals whose businesses need more resources and/or have up to five websites to host. Jump includes extras like Jetpack’s Daily Backup License and 250 GB of NVMe performance storage.
• Fly: The third tier plan is designed for experienced web professionals and developers who host a number of sites for themselves and their customers. Fly provides users with unlimited websites, unlimited NVMe storage, and free daily malware scans with Jetpack’s Security Daily License. 
• Sell: This tier is specifically crafted for eCommerce professionals, with WooCommerce pre-installed and optimized. Sell is also bundled with a premium RapidSSL certificate and a site seal to demonstrate enhanced security to customers. This plan is ideal for buying and selling using WordPress.

Advanced Plan Features and Benefits

The new Managed WordPress plans are supported 24/7/365 by A2 Hosting’s in-house Guru Crew. This team provides hands-on assistance with server and plan maintenance. The plans take a focused approach to help users increase their success rates with the popular CMS: 

•  Security Enhancements

Also included is extensive security, including features like a web application firewall, real-time antivirus protection, a network firewall, and patch management that detect, fix, and protect these hosting plans. The Fly and Sell plans also include Jetpack Daily Secure that addresses specific WordPress vulnerabilities through malware scans, brute force protection, automated spam filtering, and more to remove the guesswork from deploying the most secure website possible today. 

• Speed Optimization

The plans are hosted on A2 Hosting’s Turbo servers. The servers’ integrated NVMe storage, advanced LiteSpeed caching, and A2 Optimized plugin (which uses Memcached and TurboCache to accelerate website performance) to increase server speeds up to 20x faster than stock installation with 204% of standard disk performance.

• Managed Server Benefits

All plans come with complete server management. This includes features like 24/7 server maintenance, security, resource upgrades, malware scanning, and more. 

• WordPress-Specific Site Management Tools  

The plans also include newly introduced tools designed to aid and automate the speed and security of WordPress websites. The tools offer daily back-ups and malware scans, site speed scores, 1-click optimizations, optimized CSS, and other features. They are also bundled with cPanel’s Deluxe WordPress Toolkit, which helps users easily manage, update, back up, clone, stage, and secure WordPress websites.  

A2 Hosting’s New Managed WordPress plans are currently discounted, ranging in price from $11.99 to $41.99 per month.  

About A2 Hosting

Recently awarded Leader in Web Hosting for Summer 2021 by G2 and Best Cheap Dedicated Web Hosting by Digital.com, A2 Hosting, Inc. is a high-performance hosting services provider located in Ann Arbor, MI. The company delivers ultra-reliable solutions and 24/7/365 US-based support from its Guru Crew team. Since 2003, A2 Hosting has offered innovative, affordable, and developer-friendly hosting for small- and medium-sized businesses as well as web development agencies worldwide. Customers seeking the fastest hosting options in the industry can host websites of any size on A2’s Turbo Performance server platform featuring page load speeds up to 20X faster compared to competing solutions. To learn more, visit https://www.a2hosting.com.

### 

Press Contact:

Heather Ailara

211 Communications

+1.973.567.6040

heather@211comms.com

The post A2 Hosting Launches Next-Generation Managed WordPress Hosting appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Step 1: Purchase a Web Hosting Package

The first step to using A2’s SiteBuilder is finding a hosting package. If you’re unsure how to choose the best plan, please consult our guide. Selecting a package comes down to three main questions:

1. First, how many unique daily visitors does your site have?
2. What resources do you need? (disk space, bandwidth, CPU)
3. Do you need a managed or unmanaged solution?

We offer shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting plans with options for dedicated WordPress hosting and reseller hosting. 

Upon checkout, select which A2 SiteBuilder plan you want. 

We offer four tiers of SiteBuilder: (all prices reflect USD)

• Free (1-Page Site)
• Basic (10-Page Site) $6/monthly
• Business (10 Pages & Unlimited Templates) $12/monthly
• Enterprise (Unlimited Pages & Templates) $16/monthly

The hosting plan you need depends on answers to the above questions. If you’re still not sure, contact our sales team today. They’ll assess your hosting needs and set you up with an appropriate plan. 

Step 2: Log in to your cPanel to access A2 SiteBuilder

Once you purchase your website, log in to your cPanel to access A2’s SiteBuilder. 

Follow these instructions: 

1. In cPanel, locate the Software section and click the A2 Website Builder icon.
   
2. On the A2 Website Builder page, click the Create Site button.
   

Additional controls appear. Click Login under Actions. Then, it transfers you to the SiteBuilder. In this SiteBuilder, you can pick a theme, edit every page aspect, and add a blog or eCommerce integration.

Now you’re ready to design! Only three more steps until you’ve created the website of your dreams.

Step 3: Choose Your Template

We offer various pre-designed templates to customize to your liking. You can edit every aspect of the template, from the layout to the color schematics. 

Step 4: Add Content

You can’t sell a piece of a blank canvas at an art exhibition just as you can’t advertise your website without content. With A2’s SiteBuilder, you can add text, logos, headlines, videos, pictures, and any additional content to your website. 

Step 5: Publish Your Site

Once you’ve chosen a template and added your first content, you’re ready to publish your website. 

Click the Publish button and your website is off to the races! You can further edit your website at any time, whenever you need to add content or change existing content. 

And that’s all there is to it! A2’s SiteBuilder offers:

• A plethora of pre-designed templates 
• Easy drag and drop editing
• eCommerce capabilities 
• SEO (search engine optimization)
• Social sharing across social channels
• Easy image uploads
• Easy video integrations

In only 5 steps, you no longer need to worry about WordPress complications. A2’s SiteBuilder gives you WordPress power in a simple form!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is the A2 SiteBuilder included in my web hosting package?

Yes, you can add SiteBuilder to any one of our plans, but the cost depends on how many pages you need to design. We offer a free SiteBuilder package for one page, but if you need to design additional pages, we offer higher-tiered packages. 

Do I need technical expertise to use the A2 SiteBuilder?

No. We designed it for ease of use and for users of all experience levels. Even seasoned developers like it because of its ability to help you customize your website quickly and affordably.

Can I change my template after publishing my site?

Yes! You can change the website’s template at any time without losing any of the content. 

Related Resources:

• Build A Website Fast & Easy With The A2 Website Builder
• How to Design Your Site with A2 Website Builder
• 3 Ways Using a Website Builder Can Save You Time
• Should I Use A Website Builder Or Hire A Web Developer?
• Can You Build a Website for Free?

The post How Do I Create a Site Builder Website? The Step-By-Step Guide appeared first on The A2 Posting.

Why do you need WordPress Under Construction Pages

You need either Coming Soon or Maintenance mode page prepared for your site for the following reason:

• Inform your potential visitors about your new site, and its launch date
• Collect information about your visitors with a contact us or subscription form
• Inform visitors about launch promotions
• Keep your site users on the maintenance duration and its duration
• Avoid losing SEO traffic by having the right response page.

Types of Under Construction Pages

When you create a new WordPress site and want your visitors to be aware of the launch date, a Coming Soon page is displayed. The maintenance mode page, on the other hand, is displayed when you are updating or performing routine maintenance tasks on your WordPress site. The Under Construction or maintenance mode page should clearly state the duration of the site’s downtime and include a 503 response code. The 503 response code informs search engines that the site will be restored, preventing any SEO issues.

Popular WordPress Under Construction Page Plugin

There are numerous WordPress plugins available that allow you to easily create both of these pages for your site while maintaining a professional look and feel. The following are some of the most popular WordPress Under Construction page plugins.

Seed Prod

SeedProd is a freemium plugin available in the WordPress plugin repository. This plugin allows you to easily create professional-looking and customizable “Coming Soon” and Maintenance Mode pages without any scripting knowledge.

The premium version of the SeedProd Coming Soon, Maintenance Mode, and Landing Pages plugin supports custom 404 errors. The free version templates are more than enough for a starter website, and the free pages can be further customized with SeedProd’s built-in page builder.

Refer to this article for a step-by-step tutorial on how to create a Coming Soon or Maintenance mode page with the SeedProd plugin.

WP Maintenance Mode

DesignModo’s WP Maintenance Mode is a free plugin that allows you to create fully customizable maintenance mode pages. It is suitable for multisite installations and includes useful features such as a countdown timer for maintenance duration, contact forms, and a subscription form to collect visitor information that can be downloaded later.

The maintenance mode can be activated immediately after installing the plugin. For more information on the extensive feature set available, go to the official plugin page at https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-maintenance-mode/.

Under Construction Page

The Web Factory Ltd Under Construction Page plugin is a specialized plugin that allows you to quickly and easily create under-construction pages using a drag and drop builder. The free version of this plugin includes unique features such as Google Analytics page visit tracking, the ability to load custom CSS to customize the page, and maintenance mode timers.

Conclusion

Have any questions? Contact our team today and we will be happy to answer them!

The post Why You Need a WordPress Under Construction Page appeared first on The A2 Posting.

That is the question. And we don’t blame you for asking it. With dozens of web hosting packages available, choosing the correct plan is a daunting task. Plus, on top of it all, you’ll have to choose between a managed or an unmanaged plan. But what are they really and which option is right for you? We’re going to review the key differences to help you make the best choice for your needs. 

In this blog we’re going to review:

• What is VPS hosting?
• How does a VPS work?
• What are the key differences?
• How to choose the right management level

What is VPS Hosting?

If you’re already deciding between management levels, chances are you already know what a VPS is. In case you don’t, we’ll give you a quick refresh. 

A VPS (Virtual Private Server) uses virtualization technology to allocate the resources of a server into smaller servers. In other words, it’s one physical server functioning like several separate servers. It’s called a private server because your server’s resources are reserved solely for you so you won’t share resources like RAM, CPU, or any data with other users on the physical server. 

How Does a VPS Work?

VPSs are mini dedicated servers. They simulate the experience of a dedicated server even though you’re sharing the physical server with other users. 

We install a virtual layer (our older Managed and Unmanaged VPSs use OpenVZ virtualization while our newer VPSs use Virtuozzo) on top of the operating system (OS). This separates the server into its individual compartments. Picture an apartment building. Every apartment in the building shares the same building, but each is separated by walls and doors with locks. VPSs are split by virtual walls. By separating the server into separate compartments, the layer allows every user to install their own operating system and software. 

In a VPS environment, your website lives within a secure container with its own resources. 

So let’s take a look at the key differences between management levels

Managed vs Unmanaged VPS Hosting

Managed VPS 

With a managed VPS, we give you the keys to your own fully furnished server. 

Managed = additional resources. We provide these additional services free of charge including: 

• 24/7/365 support on chats, phones, and tickets
• server configuration
• server maintenance
• server security
• server upgrades
• malware scanning
• and more

Built with CentOS 7 and cPanel, it’s a stress-free solution for users wanting to design their website but not worry about server-related issues. 

Important: We don’t assist in matters related to your website’s design including CMS applications, so you’ll need to speak with a developer. 

Root Access Option

With managed VPSs, you have the option to add root access upon checkout. With root access, you have administrative-level access to install and configure files on your server to your liking with access to our 24/7/365 support on chats, phones, and tickets.

Root access is intended for experienced users, engineers, and developers in the event of server misconfiguration, deletion of critical files, and certain server customizations not supported or able to be corrected by our staff.

Unmanaged VPS

You have the keys to your own unfurnished server.

Unmanaged = few additional features. These servers don’t include 24/7/365 support on phones, chats, and tickets.

We only provide the physical infrastructure, the initial installation of the server, and manage hardware issues and uptime only. 

You are solely responsible for installing software as well as 

• your own control panel
• script installation
• database installation
• software upgrades
• maintenance
• security
• and migrations.

How to Choose the Right Management Level

Now that we’ve defined each, let’s review how to choose which is best for you. You may be scratching your head, still confused between management levels, but hopefully, this section clarifies which one you should choose.

Because Managed VPSs come fully managed with many additional resources, they are best for: 

• Beginners who need the power of a VPS but aren’t too technically savvy
• Intermediate developers who know how to design websites but don’t have server-side knowledge
• Businesses without a server technician
• Advanced developers who don’t want to worry about the server configuration

They’re more expensive plans, but you’re paying for our 24/7/365 technical support and access to extra resources like security. 

With Unmanaged VPSs, you have full root access to configure and install the server in any way you choose. Unmanaged VPSs are intended for:

• The most experienced users with knowledge of and experience with servers
• Users wanting to fully customize their VPS to their liking
• Developers familiar with server functionality

These plans are less expensive because they don’t come with the extra services guaranteed with a VPS. You don’t get any access to our support team, no security guarantee, and no help with your server beyond the initial installation. 

To review, there are differences between management levels, and choosing the best plan for you is tricky. Just remember:

• Managed VPSs are hands-off servers for those with little to no experience with server functionality. 
• Managed VPSs are more expensive but include a host of additional services like advanced technical support, security patches, server upgrades, and more.
• Unmanaged VPSs are intended for advanced developers only or individuals who are experienced with server functionality.
• Unmanaged servers are the cheapest VPS option but come with nearly ZERO additional services. 

Related Articles: 

• Managed vs Unmanaged Hosting Plans: Which Is Best for Your Website?
• Managed VPS vs Unmanaged VPS
• What Is VPS Hosting (And When Should I Choose A VPS Server)?
• How a VPS Works: A Beginner’s Guide

The post Should I Choose Managed or Unmanaged VPS Hosting? appeared first on The A2 Posting.