I think you already know a slow WordPress site is a terrible situation for anyone online.  Visitors wont spend more than a few seconds waiting and then they will leave…off to your competitors to see if they can find what they were originally looking for. There is also the potential of Google recognizing this pattern in visitor drop off – and deliver a lower search ranking.

So if you find your self with a slow loading website….what do you do?  Fortunately there is a simple solution that shouldn’t require hiring a developer to get the job done.  Today we are going to give some helpful advice to generally optimizing your website as a whole as well as some recommendations for several plugins to solve the most common WordPress slow loading issues.

• To begin, you should test each and every one of your installed plugins, as they alone can be the culprit and are potentially interfering with your site speed.  Some plugins do not work well with others and you may need to find similar replacements.  As you are re-installing each plug-in use a Speed testing tool, such as Google Page Insights to determine the effect on speed (if any) each plugin has.

• Also it is important to do a complete back up of your site before you begin.  That way its extremely simple to restore WordPress back to a earlier version if something goes array.  Check what services your hosting providers offers, some already have automated backups as part of your plan. (We do – check out PowerSurge’s WordPress hosting)

Now lets get onto the tips:

Minification

WordPress uses Javascript and CSS to make your themes more aesthetically appealing.  These files very often contain 1000’s of lines of code, sometimes with bad formatting and too much white space, which can really slow down page speed.

Minification takes these files and condenses them into something that is more manageable.  Most of the time caching plugins (see below) offer this bundled together however if you would like to manage this separately you can try a plugin like Better WordPress Minify

Caching

What is caching?  To keep it simple this is what helps your website load faster by serving up the more easily digestible pages.  For those that want to delve deeper into caching, here is a more in-depth explanation of caching.

In terms of WP Plugin solutions for caching, W3 Total Cache is one very popular WP plugin that will assist you with caching issues as well as minification.  It can also be a more technical set-up, so if you need a more user-friendly option you can look into WP Rocket however it is not free.

There are some hosts that do not allow caching in a shared hosting environment, which isn’t good.  You should consider switching to a host that utilizes its own caching which could be even more effective than any of the above plugin options.

Optimize your images

One could say website images are the single biggest reason for slow website speed.

If your images are not optimized correctly your website becomes almost unnavigable.  Have you ever looked up a product online but weren’t able to scroll down because the image just hung there and never loaded?  If so you know what we mean.

The solution to this critical issue it to optimize each and every image for your website as they are uploaded.  One such tool that is very helpful is WP Smush, which will reduce the image size while keeping intact the image quality.  Another option is EWWW Image Optimizer.
 

Dont overlook something as simple as image optimization for your WordPress site, this one can truly the most value/performance of all of the above!

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If you aren’t technologically minded or if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands then you may not see the point in downloading and installing software that will help you to build your site. Instead, you are going to want to go for one that is pre-installed so all you need to do is click on the one you want without any hassle or fuss. Of course, some of these are free to use and some of them aren’t but you will find that they are all very attractive and that they can give you the basics of what you need almost instantly. Some builders also allow you to drag and drop features such as contact boxes and even maps as well. On top of this, you can also add your own text and images to the page so you don’t need to worry about coding and you don’t need to worry about editing either. The first question that you need to ask yourself is what type of business do you own? For example, if you are in the photography business then you will need a site that gives you plenty of bandwidth and storage. If you want to run a traditional business then you need to make sure that you have a VPS or a dedicated server because this will help it to stay secure at all times. Another reason is because you may want to operate a business that is solely on the internet and for this reason you will need a shopping cart feature. This means that you’ll need more from your website builder and it also means that you’ll need to integrate payment platforms as well.

What Features Will You Need?

If you plan to run a blog or if you want to run multiple blogs then you will want to use WordPress. You also need to see if the host that you are going with has a specific plan for WP so you can get the speed and security you need. If you want to transfer your HTML site to another or different host then you need to see if they will let you have mobile visitors with an m. site. As you can see, there really are so many things that you need to think about and by keeping all of these points in consideration, you can be sure to make a difference to both your business and your site in no time at all.

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For the Best optimized WordPress web hosting experience check out PowerSurge.net’s multiple plan offerings.  We don’t skimp on package sizes, our servers are WordPress optimized and our experienced technical staff is very knowledgeable on WordPress and what you need to get the most from it.  (and we are available 24-7!)

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But that brings around the question, why is WordPress so popular? It’s all because it’s easy to set up and you only need to do a few clicks in order to get your site up and running. It is incredibly powerful and it has plenty of themes as well so it is true when they say that you will never run out of options. With WordPress you can publish content with ease and you can also create administrators as well and these will have access to your site when you want them to. Of course, another reason why WordPress is so popular is because of the plugins. These offer you many different functionalities and they also offer you different features and the best thing is that you can install all of this on your site without any coding required.

WordPress does come with some security concerns and there are concerns about its compatibility as well. Hackers often target WordPress because they know how popular it is and they also know that a lot of people don’t update their sites as much as they should. If you want to avoid being targeted by hackers then you need to make sure that you continually update your software as well as making sure that you have a very strong password in place. You should also note that even though you don’t need to know about coding to have a WP site, you do need code if you want to make any specific changes and if you don’t know how to do this properly then you could cause errors in the navigation of the site and you could also compromise it in general in terms of your usability.

So as you can see, WordPress isn’t without its flaws but it is still one of the best website building platforms out there. You will also find that there is plenty of information as well and this is because so many people use it on a day to day basis. One place that you could check for information would be on the WordPress forums and this is a great way to get the answers you need.

For the Best WordPress web hosting experience check out PowerSurge.net’s multiple plan offerings.  We don’t skimp on package sizes, our servers are WordPress optimized and our experienced technical staff is very knowledgeable on WordPress and what you need to get the most from it.  (and we are available 24-7!)

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By now you may have heard of the term “mobilegeddon”. This term relates to the amount of hassle that website owners have to go through if their site is not optimised for mobile use. In fact, Google has even gone as far to remove sites that are not suitable so if you notice that your traffic has taken a sudden dip then this could well be the reason why. Luckily Google has uploaded a very simple tool that shows you if your site is suitable for mobile use or not, but failing this, you could just go on to your site to see if there is a mobile friendly button. If your site isn’t mobile friendly after all however, then you’ll be glad to know that there are things that you can do. For example, if you are on WordPress or Joomla then you could install a plugin that gives you an instantly usable mobile version of your website.

If you did not make your website by using a CMS then you still do have plenty of options available. For example, you could just create a brand new website that arranges the content to fit the size of the screen. One disadvantage of this is that you would need to replicate the functionality of your old one and this can be incredibly difficult. Failing this, you could just create an M site. This only appears when someone is browsing on a mobile and it is very different to your standard desktop site. You may find that it has a different look and feel and you may also find that you can duplicate any updates that you might need to make to your original site as well. On top of this, you will also find that you can have it coded and that you can take content from your site before converting it for your mobile alternative. If you want an easier option then you could just go for the app. This is ideal if you have online ordering or anything else that is related, not to mention that they are great for taking your business to that very next level.

Of course, mobile apps are more expensive when compared to the above options but they can be submitted to both the Google Play and App store with ease so you really don’t have anything to worry about.

For the best and most up to date WordPress web hosting experience check out PowerSurge.net’s multiple plan offerings. We don’t skimp on package sizes, our servers are WordPress optimized and our experienced technical staff is very knowledgeable on WordPress and what you need to get the most from it. (and we are available 24-7!)

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Domain Theft

A recent issue is domain hacking. This is when a criminal steals the name of your domain by changing the information found on Whois. The thief can access your name if you have a password that is weak and this is normally done by phishing. If you want to protect yourself from this then you need to make sure that you change your password on a regular basis and you may want to invest in some domain locking as well. On top of this, you may also want to consider two factor authentication as well. Another way that a thief can steal your password is if they do it via social engineering, which can be found below.

Social Engineering

This is when criminals call your bank or your domain registrar pretending to be you. They try and gain access to your accounts and they use the information found on your social media profile to do it. They can find out your pets name, your mother’s maiden name and so much more and this is just one of the many reasons why it is now more important than ever to make sure that you don’t post personal information online.

WordPress

If you use WordPress then you need to make sure that you keep it updated because if you don’t then you could be a target for theft. You will also find that you can protect the data of your clients by having software that helps to check for malware and security breaches. You may also want to take a look at your webmaster tools as well to see if you have any malicious code on your site already, and this is especially the case if you allow your customers to purchase through your site. If you want to boost your SEO ranking, it is always a good idea to purchase an SSL certificate as this will also enhance your security levels.

If you are looking for all-inclusive web hosting with premium security and 5 star support for your business website, try PowerSurge.net.

PowerSurge.net doesn’t skimp on package sizes, all servers are WordPress optimized and their experienced technical staff is very knowledgeable on WordPress to help you get the most from it. (and they are available 24-7!)

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Write Down a Couple of Words That Describe Your Website

When you start to search for your domain name it is always a good idea for you to write down a list of 5 words or phrases that you will then use to describe your future site. You can take these words and you can add words around them as well so by the end you’ll find that you have a completely new name that is probably not taken. By doing this, you can also make sure that your domain is completely reflective on the services that you provide.

Make Sure That Your Domain Easy To Type

If your domain name isn’t easy to type then you may as well be turning customers away at the door. If you are actually spending money on marketing then you want your customers to remember your name and you want them to come back as well. Your domain name is a great way to make sure that this happens but you should do everything that you can to avoid using slang and other misspellings. This is because your customer will be more likely to misspell them as well, causing them to go to other sites instead of your own.

Targeting Your Location

If your business is local, for example, if you own a local coffee shop then you need to make sure that you include your city or the state that you live in. For example, Boston Florists would be reflective of Boston and New York Daisies would be reflective of New York. This will help your customers to instantly identify your location and you’d be surprised at how much it can help you with your SEO as well.

Avoid Using Hyphens or Numbers

Numbers should be avoided where possible and the same goes for hyphens as well. Imagine that you are trying to read out the site to a friend, you can see how it is harder to read something with hyphens, numbers and letters when compared to something that just has letters. Another problem is that your customers won’t know whether your site contains two or 2 or not, so you want to do everything you can to keep it simple.

Your Extension

Your domain name will have an extension at the end which is called a TLD, or a Top Level Domain. There isn’t really a difference between TLDs but it is always a good idea to use one that actually reflects your business or your site. For example, using .info is great if you have an informational site, but it isn’t the best option if you are trying to sell a product. You will also find that .org is great if you have a charity, but not if you have an e-commerce site, so there are things that you need to keep in mind when designing your site.

Of course, there are other domain extensions available as well, such as .co.uk and .au and this is great if you are based in any of those specific countries. It may also help to tell your users where you are based and it can also help you in your search results as well. If you can’t access the domain that you want, don’t worry but don’t choose the wrong domain just so you can target your customers. For example, if your website is BostonFlorist but BostonFlorist.com is taken, don’t go for BostonFlorist.co.uk instead because this will really confuse your customers.

Avoid Copyright

It is always a good idea to see if your website infringes any copyright issues because the last thing you want is to get a letter stating that you need to remove your domain or face legal consequences.

For the best WordPress web hosting experience check out PowerSurge.net’s multiple plan offerings. We don’t skimp on package sizes, our servers are WordPress optimized and our experienced technical staff is very knowledgeable on WordPress and what you need to get the most from it.  (and we are available 24-7!)

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If you’re not quite sure whether a shared server is right for you or not, you need something to compare it with. Take a look below to see what your shared hosting service will come with as a standard.

A Free Domain

Your shared hosting service should give you a free domain. This is incredibly important because you don’t want to be stuck with a domain that you can’t customise to your own needs. It can also be difficult to take your domain elsewhere as well so this is really something that you need to think about. You will also find that if you don’t pay for a subscription, you need to be prepared to spend more money further down the line because the expenses can really add up. If you want to avoid this then try and find a site that offers you a free domain with a subscription service.

Storage

Your hosting provider should also provide you with unlimited storage. Of course unlimited doesn’t really mean unlimited, but it means that you can store as much as you want as long as it doesn’t go over their own “fair use limit”. This may not be a problem for most sites but if you want to host thousands of files at any one time then you may need to talk with your provider about this.

Emails

Your host should also give you around 5 free email accounts that will be associated with your site.

For the best WordPress web hosting experience check out PowerSurge.net’s multiple plan offerings. We don’t skimp on package sizes, our servers are WordPress optimized and our experienced technical staff is very knowledgeable on WordPress and what you need to get the most from it.  (and we are available 24-7!)

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The most popular plugins can help you with SEO and analytics. They can also help you with the rate that your page loads and your sales as well, with new plugins being added every single day. All in all, WordPress remains to be the ideal place to go if you want to build a site and it won’t cost you any extra once you have the hosting costs covered either!

You will also find that WP is a great tool if you want to build your own site. You may find it slightly confusing at first if you don’t know how to use plugins or if you don’t know how to use WP but eventually you’ll certainly get the hang of it and the end result is well worth it. Of course, unlike other website builders, WordPress sites are normally paid for and you’re going to have to pay out some money if you want to get an original template. You could easily opt for the free templates but this could put your site in a bad light so it really is something that you want to avoid.

If you have a way with computers then you will be glad to know that you can edit the HTML of the site that you are creating. This means that you can customise it in just about any way that you want and WordPress is truly unique in this aspect. The main reason for this is because other website builders don’t give you the chance to do this, so if you are a serious designer or if you want to have your own creative input on display then this is certainly something that you can play around with.

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We don’t skimp on package sizes, our servers are WordPress optimized and our experienced technical staff is very knowledgeable on WordPress and what you need to get the most from it.  (and we are available 24-7!)

As a content management system, WordPress is by far one of the most powerful (and popular) platforms of its type available on the market today. Many people don’t realize, however, that the service itself is not necessarily a means to an end – in many ways, it is only the beginning. It is an important first step on the road to building the perfect website you’ve always wanted, but it is exactly that – a first step. Picking the right WordPress host is just as important, but no two WordPress hosts are created in quite the same way. Only by taking a look at what features a particular host offers, along with how those features align with your own unique goals, will you be able to find success in picking the right one to meet your needs.

Diving Deeper into the Options

When you begin your search for a WordPress host, one of the first choices you’ll have to make involves the TYPE of provider you’re looking for. You have a number of distinct options available to you, all of which service some very unique goals. These options include:

• Free Hosts
• Shared Hosts
• VPS Hosts
• Dedicated Hosts
• Managed Hosts

A free host is exactly that – free. It’ll give you access to the essentials you need to get your site up and running, but most of these deals come with some kind of stipulation regarding your relationship with the hosting provider. Some may require you to put a banner ad for their service on your site, for example. Others may require you to put a text link in the footer of your site to their own company. Under this arrangement, you give up a certain amount of control over the type of ads that run on your site in exchange for that “free” price.

A shared WordPress host is one where you will share space on one large server with a lot of other different sites. Doing this creates something of a “win-win” situation for everyone – the host gets to expand their client base AND they get to drive down costs for users. The biggest thing to consider about this, however, is that the resources you’re allocated are not unlimited – after all, there is only so much server space to go around. Someone who is using the lion’s share of a server’s resources will likely have to pay more than someone who isn’t. One mistake by the hosting provider can also negatively impact all sites in a shared arrangement, as well.

VPS hosting is also referred to as a virtual machine. Even though you’re sharing server space with other websites, you get all of the control you would have if you were running your own dedicated server. The issue here, however, is that this type of provisioning requires a large degree of technical know-how to properly deploy. If you know what you’re doing, VPS hosting is great – if you don’t, it may be more trouble than it’s ultimately worth.

Dedicated server hosting is exactly that – you get a physical server from your host to call your own. This is an ideal option for businesses that are seeing increasing amounts of traffic and want to be able to make sure that their site can handle it all without crashing. This also requires a significant amount of technical expertise in order to properly deploy.

Managed hosting is likely the ideal solution for all medium to large sized businesses who need a large amount of resources but who also do NOT want to have to run everything themselves. Essentially, you’re paying for your host to do all of the “brunt work” when it comes to your server. You pay for the resources and a monthly maintenance cost and the host takes care of things like upgrades, performance issues, maintenance and more. It’s more expensive than other options, but it’s also a great solution for businesses looking for as little hassle as possible.

Other Considerations

There are also a number of other considerations you’ll want to make during your search for the best WordPress host. One of those is speed – you’ll need to know that your host is providing you with adequate RAM, processing power, hard drive space and more to help guarantee smooth performance from your website.

You’ll also want to take a look at their support options. If something goes wrong, how difficult is it to get someone on the phone to fix the problem? This leads directly into the idea of “uptime,” or what percentage of the time your host can guarantee that your site will be online and working properly with no issues whatsoever. This number should be as close to 100% as it can possibly go.

In the end, the most important question to ask yourself when looking for a WordPress host is not “how do I find the best host, period?” Instead, it should be “how do I find the best host that is right for me?” Only by framing your search in that particular way will you be able to find a trusted provider who can give you the features you need and the flexibility you desire, all in an effort to ultimately empower you with the site your business needs when it needs it the most.

For any of the above server options and the Best WordPress web hosting experience check out PowerSurge.net’s multiple plan offerings.  We dont skimp on package sizes, our servers are WordPress optimized and our experienced technical staff is very knowledgeable on WordPress and what you need to get the most from it.  (and we are available 24-7!)

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