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Author: iManila Dev

What Is Web Hosting And How Does It Work?

If you are a new business owner and planning to make a website to sell your products and services online, a web hosting service is definitely needed to help you achieve that goal. Want to know more about web hosting? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Here in this blog, we’ve put together this article to help you understand all about web hosting and the different types you can use.

What is web hosting?

If you’re not familiar with Web Hosting, it is basically a service that gives you permission to publish your website files online. With this, it basically lets online users have access to your website. Depending on your preference, however, it actually has different types you can choose from. 

Types of Web Hosting

Shared Hosting

This is a type of web hosting where you can host a number of websites on the same server. Shared Hosting is definitely an affordable form of hosting because you share the same server, so you split costs. So, if you are just a start-up business, then this is definitely a cost-effective option for you.

WordPress Hosting

As the name suggests, WordPress basically means hosting that is specifically optimized for WordPress on a server level to ensure smooth sailing. With that said, however, the WordPress Hosting packages vary among different providers. Here are some of the services they might have: 

  • Auto-mitigation
  • Visitor overage protection
  • Pre-screened plugins
  • Google blacklist monitoring and removal
  • Advanced security monitoring
  • Automatic backup to a secure cloud
  • Safeguard against system crashes
  • Your backup copies within your reach

VPS Hosting

Also known as Virtual Private Server, this is a service that is similar to shared hosting. Basically,  websites that run on VPS also share a physical server with other websites. The only difference is that with shared hosting, you get a package already configured and ready to use, limiting your customization options, while with VPS you’re free to set it up however you want.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated Hosting is a type of web hosting service that gives you full control of the server. Moreover, it also gives you access like a VPS, but you don’t have to share the server with other sites or apps. Overall, it is a type of remote server that is dedicated to an entire customer and functions as an in-house server but is owned and operated remotely.

Cloud Hosting

Compared to other types of hosting, this is the latest and most popular service that business owners use nowadays. One of the main premises behind cloud hosting is its “Divide and Rule” concept. This basically means that the resources of your website are spread across a cluster of servers that work together which we call “the cloud.”

Moreover, through the use of the Cloud, your website is hosted on several servers connected to work together. This gives owners the ability to handle high spikes in traffic and virtually minimize their downtime.

With tons of benefits that web hosting provides, it’s definitely worth trying if you want to grow your business. Not only does this service help you boost your website visibility, but it also helps you build trust and long-lasting relationships with your customers as well. Let iManila help you get started!

With 26 years of experience in the industry and an IT company at its core, iManila – a digital marketing agency, having been one of the first Internet Service Providers in the Philippines, is committed to providing our clients with innovative online marketing services in the Philippines that can help convert your website visitors into quality leads or potential customers. 

As one of the best web hosting providers in the Philippines, iManila is also a full-service business web development company and digital marketing agency in the Philippines ready to help you with your web design and development, web hosting provider, email hosting, technical support, and digital marketing services needs. Work together with top advertising companies in the Philippines like iManila and make your brand goals become reality. Talk to us!

5 Tips for an Outstanding Website

A successful website can be attributed to many things including first and foremost, its design. A website’s design is not just for aesthetic purposes but also showcases the company’s credibility which in turn affects its conversions and other metrics. 

While design can be subjective, there are universal tips that can be applied across different designs that separate well-designed and functional websites from the rest. Here are some tips to get an outstanding website. 

Prioritize optimizing your website’s speed 

One of the baselines of good design is having a design that can allow for fast speeds. This can affect many factors from bounce rate to conversions and even revenue. There is no faster way to get users to leave the website than if it is loading at an abysmal rate. Google and search engines also factor in the page loading speed into who they choose to rank at the top of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). 

Grab their attention through the fold

A study in 2018, has shown that people spend 57% of their time above the fold and 74% of the viewing time was spent in the first two screen fulls. This tells us that prioritizing what goes into the fold matters a lot, that the key is grabbing their attention early on to ensure that they stay longer on the page. 

How you can do this is through a clear and descriptive headline making use of powerful words that can explain what your site can offer its visitors and shows their value and other benefits. The main Call-To-Action (CTA) should be as clear and as visible as possible to improve the chances of conversion. Lastly, topping it off with eye-catching visuals such as images or videos can help bring down the point of what your website is trying to communicate. 

Employ focus on your website 

Typically, people who are given more choices are less likely to make a purchase or come to a decision, as stated by Hick’s Law. How this applies to your company’s website design is the same—you can boost your conversions by giving fewer choices to the users. How you can do this is to—reduce the items in the menu, limit the form fields, focus on one CTA with one goal per page, and only display social network buttons for sites you are active on. 

Use the right order of lists 

Having lists makes websites and information accessible, but no matter if they are ordered or unordered, people are most likely to remember the items at the beginning and end. So when it comes to listing certain features or sections of your website, ensure that the most important ones are in the places where they can be seen and remembered. 

Scrolling over clicking 

While carousels, tabs, and accordions can be tempting, they can often go ignored when it comes to having a functional website design when most people usually scan for content. This is why putting everything on one long page can work as people would rather scroll than click. So if you are thinking of spreading your product information across different pages, think of how it can fit if inserted on one long page instead. 

Get started with a good website design

There are many factors that make for an outstanding website and design is just one of them. Having the right research to back up your website choices can certainly help make for a more effective site. Turn to the experts who can utilize the industry best practices and techniques to ensure that your website fulfills your business goals. 

As one of the best web hosting providers in the Philippines, iManila is also a full-service business web development company and digital marketing agency in the Philippines ready to help you with your web design and development, website hosting, email hosting, technical support, and digital marketing services needs. Work together with top advertising companies in the Philippines like iManila and make your brand goals become a reality. Learn more about iManila and what we do through our website http://www.imanila.ph

How To Improve Google Rankings: Tried And Tested Ways

Everyone is interested in improving their visibility on the web. Many are looking for shortcuts. The fact of the matter is that SEO is more of a long game and anyone promising quick results should be greeted with a high level of skepticism. Follow these suggestions to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) and watch your website rise the ranks to the top of search-engine results.

Build a Strong Site Foundation

Poor website structure and information architecture can doom even the best SEO campaigns. If your website is difficult for users to navigate and Google to crawl, your rankings are likely to suffer. Think about “usability first” on a mobile platform. That is the pathway to success.

Optimize for Mobile

With Google rolling out the mobile-first index, your website needs to pass the Mobile-Friendly Test. Think about what users want to do on your site, once they land on it. They need to be able to perform those basic tasks smoothly and without difficulties, even while multitasking.

Optimize for Speed

For both mobile or desktop, you must continuously monitor your website’s speed and move towards improving it. When a web browser loads a page, it loads a number of resources. Browser caching stores these resource files locally on the users’ computer. That way, when a user navigates to a new page, those resources need not be loaded again.

Work on the Links

Both internal and external links continue to have a huge influence on how your website ranks. Many website owners have a habit of ignoring broken links. This can create a less than ideal user experience.  As with anything, don’t be spammy, but if it’s relevant – use it.

On-Page Optimization

Google wants to help you out here. They have produced a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide meant for anyone interested in promoting online content via Google search. As with website architecture, just doing the basics will put your head and shoulders above many of your competitors.

As Google continues to close the door on spammy techniques and schemes, anyone serious about digital marketing needs to take a long view. The strategies mentioned above aren’t easy or new. They do, however, require work and a continual investment of resources.

With 26 years of experience in the industry and an IT company at its core, iManila, having been one of the first Internet Service Providers in the Philippines, is committed to providing our clients with innovative online marketing services in the Philippines. iManila is a full-service business web development company and one of the top digital marketing companies in the Philippines ready to help you with your web design and development, web hosting, email hosting, technical support, and digital marketing service needs. Talk to us!

Social Media Marketing Strategy: The Secret Behind Successful Companies

As you already know, Social Media Marketing or SMM is the new norm. It is the most effective and proven marketing strategy to obtain quality traffic and increase customer engagement and conversion. Thus, marketers begin to worry about the competition being stiff. With this, we gathered some tips to elevate your Social Media Marketing Strategy to survive the intense competition. Sounds interesting? Read now!

Study Your Target Audience Profoundly

Your social media strategy should revolve around your target audience. They are the key to everything you need to figure out ranging from the social media platforms to use to the kinds of content to publish. Know their questions, needs, and pain points. Define their demographics. From these, craft your content.

Choose the Right Social Media Platform

In SMM, being present in all social media platforms doesn’t mean more chances of winning. Select the platforms that your target audience prefers and focus on that. It is such a waste of time and effort to create content to a specific platform that your audience doesn’t attend to. Keep in mind that it is not the quantity of platforms that matter but the quality of content you are publishing. 

Take Advantage of Storytelling

In most businesses, if not all, it is the story that sells, not the product. This is because through stories people can connect and relate. It creates an emotional appeal that triggers people to move.

Humanize Your Brand

Another way of making your audience connect with your brand is by humanizing it. Show your audience what your business is made of. Display your culture and values. Make them feel that your brand is beyond and not just about capitalism.

Play with Emojis

Since we are talking about conveying emotions to connect, try to apply emojis or emoticons on your next content. Emojis depict facial expressions that help in conveying emotion. In using these, it will help in setting the mood and tone of the message. It will save you from getting wrong interpretations especially if the text is not formatted correctly.

Optimize your Post Frequency

Aside from having quality content, it is important to know the perfect time to post and your posting frequency. In knowing these, consider when your target audience is online. Know the average time they consume using the social media platforms that you are using. Different platforms could mean different user times and frequencies.

Treat Each Social Media Platform Differently

There is no such thing as one size fits all in SMM. If you are using more than one platform, you cannot and should not post the exact same thing on different channels. Each social media platform has its own unique purpose and attack. Let’s just take Facebook and Instagram as an example. On Facebook, people are more into information so give them informative contents. While on Instagram, people are much more focused on aesthetics so better to post more eye pleasing images.

Use Social Media Analytics

Analytics help you understand your audience and what generates more traffic. It focuses on statistics like followers’ growth, page impressions, number of visitors, likes, shares, etc. By knowing these things, it will help you strengthen your marketing strategy for the next following months and years.

Social Media Marketing is an essential part of your overall marketing plan as social media is the most accessible channel to your target audience. If you find these tips too much to digest and difficult to put into action, iManila can definitely help you! With 26 years of experience in the industry and an IT company at its core, iManila, having been one of the first Internet Service Providers in the Philippines, is committed to providing our clients with innovative online marketing services in the Philippines that can help convert your website visitors into quality leads or potential customers. 

As one of the best web hosting providers in the Philippines, iManila is also a full-service business web development company and digital marketing agency in the Philippines ready to help you with your web design and development, web hosting provider, email hosting, technical support, and digital marketing services needs. Work together with top advertising companies in the Philippines like iManila and make your brand goals become a reality. Talk to us!

Social Media Advertising: How To Get The Most Out of Your Budget

Social media advertising helps you get more bang for your marketing buck while reducing the amount of time you personally have to spend on social media. It takes time and effort to build your brand, engage your prospects, and increase sales. In this guide, you’ll find the steps, solutions and goals to help you maximize your social media profits with advertising — even with a small-business budget.

Pick your platforms

You have a variety of social networks to choose from, but not everyone will deliver the same return on investment for your small business. Zero in on the platforms your target audience is spending time on, but double your effort on the two platforms they’re spending the most time on. To find the best channel, consider each platform’s demographics and how consumers interact with it.

Start organically

Make sure to find a baseline by starting with your organic content. Facebook, for instance, rewards you with more reach if you perform your post organically and then put money towards that content. However, it’s important that you only put money towards organic posts you know are already performing well. 

Use pictures, videos and GIFs

Using pictures, videos and animated GIFs in your posts and ads can give your brand more of a personality online. Photos, videos and GIFs are more likely to be shared and draw more attention to your site than posts with text alone. Some popular social news and entertainment companies use pictures, videos or GIFs to draw attention to their site.

Use hashtags

Hashtags can brand a social media post and act as a tracking device. One way you can measure the success of a social media campaign or get a good idea of how many people are talking about your product or service is by tracking how often a specific hashtag is used.

Follow the Rules

Social Media Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are known for constantly changing their feed algorithms. This causes a shakeup in how people receive information on their feeds and how businesses reach their audiences. Businesses that are apprised of these changes when they happen and can adapt quickly are rewarded with more reach than those that don’t.

Follow these social media advertising tips for small business in this article, and you’ll be ahead of your competition in no time.

A Facebook Partner, iManila, is committed to providing our clients with innovative online marketing services in the Philippines. iManila is a full-service business website design and website development company and digital marketing agency in the Philippines ready to help you with your web design and development, web hosting, email hosting, technical support, and digital marketing service needs. Talk to us!

Google Ads 101: Guide That Takes You From Zero to Hero

It is undeniable how strong the competition is in the field of digital marketing and advertising. You really have to take your game high or lose your efforts by being at the bottom of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Luckily, Google created a quick way up through Google Ads.

For starters, Google Ads is a paid advertising platform. It is a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing strategy in which an advertiser pays every time the advertisement is clicked on. Google puts paid advertisements at the top most part of SERP, allowing it to receive more website visitors and boost traffic with less hardship and waiting. Who doesn’t want that? So, if you are planning to get started on Google Ads, here are some tips to guide you.

Create a PPC Planner

To begin, create a PPC planner. This is essential to keep your projects organized and in one place. There are a lot of PPC Planning Templates available online like the one in Google and HubSpot where you can view your character count and how your ads will appear online. Using a planner makes managing your PPC projects easier.

Narrow Your Keywords to Target

In any Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaign, it is important to narrow the keywords you want to target. This is to avoid the chances of Google serving your ad to the wrong audience. With Google Ads which is a pay-per-click marketing platform, you would really want to adjust the keywords to best match your audience to avoid high ad spend with fewer clicks and conversion.

Make Relevant Ads

Make sure that your ads are relevant to your audience. If it doesn’t match the user’s intent, you would still not get enough clicks. Check your headline and ad copy. Ensure that it matches the keywords you are targeting. It is also important that your ad clearly shows a solution for your audience’s pain point.

Fix Your Quality Score

Quality Score (QS) determines how your ad should rank on Google. The higher the QS, the higher the rank will be and the better placement your ad will get. So, if you are getting a low quality score, follow Google’s instructions on how to improve it.

Improve Your Ad Landing Page

It is not enough to focus on ads alone. You should also take into account your ad landing page or where the user will go after clicking your ad. Give them a great user experience to increase the chances of conversion. To do this, check your page’s loading time, design, feature buttons, etc. Make sure that your page is optimized.

Starting and actually running Google Ads can be extremely complex and overwhelming. That is why iManila wants to do it for you! With 26 years of experience in the industry and an IT company at its core, iManila, having been one of the first Internet Service Providers in the Philippines, is committed to providing our clients with innovative online marketing services in the Philippines that can help convert your website visitors into quality leads or potential customers. 

As one of the best web hosting providers in the Philippines, iManila is also a full-service business web development company and digital marketing agency in the Philippines ready to help you with your web design and development, web hosting provider, email hosting, technical support, and digital marketing services needs. Work together with top advertising companies in the Philippines like iManila and make your brand goals become a reality. Talk to us!

Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging Today

One part of digital marketing that has been consistent over the last several years, but has changed quite a bit in strategy, is blogging. With the rise of social media and influencer marketing, it seems like blogging is no longer limited to niche hobbies. But the question we always receive is, “why does my business need a blog?” The answer is: it doesn’t matter what kind of company you run. You still need to maintain a blog. Here are five reasons why you should start blogging today (if you haven’t already started): 

To Attract New Prospects and Clients

Blogging with relevant content is one of the most essential facets of your marketing strategy to increase traffic to your website. With the help of SEO strategies like keywords, titles, and meta descriptions, blog posts become a powerful tool for gaining visibility for your brand. In addition, every new blog you post adds a new page to your website that gives Google and other search engines a reason to re-crawl your business website to find new content to index.

To improve your writing ability

As you get into the swing of blog writing, you’ll notice it getting easier. The words will flow with greater efficiency and you’ll develop a style that’s uniquely you. Through writing often, you’ll also get a good idea of what people respond to. This stretches your creativity, helping you write more about what people love to read that translates into a larger audience.

Build Your Brand and Increase Thought Leadership

Blogging makes an essential investment in building a solid reputation because it allows you to share your perspective with your audience. Your blog is your way to share your ideas and thoughts on a specific topic. From there, you can share this blog on email, social media, and to third-party sources with the end goal for users to come back to your website to get some industry-leading information.

Create new opportunities for yourself and your business

When you become known for a certain topic, you could get picked up by the search engines, and people who are looking for expertise in that area will eventually reach out to you. This will result in new and interesting career and business opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible.

Advertise While Sharing Meaningful Content

Companies prefer to have an advertisement in the form of a series of articles instead of the traditional “buy now” agenda. Customers are also getting tired of the conventional ways of commercials and advertising, so the creative ways to present your services are crucial to the modern business environment.

Even with the emergence of other creative tools to support your visibility and push forward your services, it does not diminish the value of what a blog can do for your brand. Whatever your needs are, a blog post is an essential tool for creating a steady stream of website traffic, a growing audience, and new prospects.

With 26 years of experience in the industry and an IT company at its core, iManila, having been one of the first Internet Service Providers in the Philippines, is committed to providing our clients with innovative online marketing services in the Philippines. iManila is a full-service business web development company and digital marketing agency in the Philippines ready to help you with your web design and development, web hosting provider, email hosting, technical support, and digital marketing service needs. Talk to us!

Google Ads Vs. Facebook Ads: Which One Should You Be Using?

Google Ads and Facebook Ads are two of the leading pay-per-click platforms and are often pitted against each other. But what some businesses don’t know is that In fact, these two platforms are complementary to each other and offer unique benefits to marketers and users. You can target prospects by location, gender, and age across both platforms. Many businesses are utilizing the strengths of each to achieve maximum visibility, increase leads in sales, and gather a wider reach of audiences, all for a remarkable return of investments. 

These two advertising platforms serve different business objectives making it way harder for brand owners to identify which one is best for them. In this blog, we have summarized the things that should be considered to help you determine whether you should be utilizing Google Ads or Facebook Ads. 

When To Use

Facebook ads are best for businesses that are looking for an increased awareness of the products and services it sells, especially among new audiences. Facebook allows brands to reach out to their target audience by means of text, image, and video ads. In addition to its large audience base, the platform offers granular targeting capabilities, allowing marketers to reach users based on demographics, behaviors, life events and interests.

On the other hand, Google ads are best for businesses with products or services that people are actively searching for. In order for your ads to succeed, and since your target users are looking for something, your content should be clear, concise, and easy to access. With Google Ads, it’s much more detailed in who you’re able to target for your ads.

Functionality

With billions of users worldwide, Facebook provides businesses the capability to advertise using pay-per-click ads. These ads were created using the Facebook Ads manager platform and are being shown to a targeted audience according to demographics, interests, behavior and engagement patterns. Ad creation process includes selecting an ad budget, ad placement, and run time. However, conversions in Facebook usually take more time since customers are not actually seeking your product or services. 

Google, on the other hand, gives businesses the ability to advertise with just keywords. The intention of the audience is what sets Google apart from Facebook Ads. With Google, users are actually searching for a particular product or service, or an answer for their specific question in mind. Providing them the information they need could boost their engagement with your brand. 

Pricing and Performance Data

Facebook Ads cost lower than Google Ads. However, the conversion rate in Facebook has a lower average compared to Google. When considering cost-efficiency, price needs to be considered in relation to click-through and conversion rates. Google Ads have a higher average cost-per-click and a higher click-through rate giving you a higher return of investment than Facebook Ads. 

Campaign Features

Campaigns in Facebook Ads and Google ads only vary on how audiences are targeted. Facebook Ads offer more all-inclusive targeting options, but offer little to no search or buying intent. Facebook Ads have a broader offering of campaign features and options from ad platforms such as Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram, with ad placement such as feeds, stories, and chat. While google ads give fewer options on audience targeting, its users are actively looking for a particular product or service. In addition, Google Ads give advertisers the choice to make their own content that appears in the same format as organic search results with just keyword searches and basic targeting options.

Ease of Use

Both Facebook Ads and Google ads can be frustrating to use and setup at first glance. While Facebook Ads are easier to navigate especially for beginners, Google Ads offers a more data-focused interface. Facebook has a lot more ad types, ad placements, and advanced audience targeting options than Google Ad Manager. The Google Ads interface may seem more complex to use at first as it is a text and data-heavy platform, but once users become familiar with Google Ads, it becomes easier to use than Facebook Ads.

It may sound easy to begin with a simple ad with these platforms but it also involves in-depth expertise to build effective ads that drive clicks and conversions. Get the most out of your ad investment by leaving it to the experts at iManila. iManila is a certified Google Partner and Facebook Managed Agency. 

With 26 years of experience in the industry and an IT company at its core, iManila, having been one of the first Internet Service Providers in the Philippines, is committed to providing our clients with innovative online marketing services in the Philippines that can help convert your website visitors into quality leads or potential customers. 

As one of the best web hosting providers in the Philippines, iManila is also a full-service business web development company and digital marketing agency in the Philippines ready to help you with your web design and development, web hosting provider, email hosting, technical support, and digital marketing services needs. Work together with top digital marketing companies in the Philippines like iManila and make your brand goals become reality.

Work together with top advertising companies in the Philippines like iManila and make your brand goals become reality. Talk to us!

Shared Hosting Benefits: Is It Right for You?

A website hosting service that divides server resources between multiple domains is called Shared Hosting.  With this, your website lives alongside others, which are neighboring users utilizing the same server.  Shared Hosting is best recommended for small websites, brands, and other digital platforms that do not require high bandwidth. It provides minimum features and support, making it the perfect hosting for budget-conscious website owners. 

For starters, choosing between different web hosting services could be a very tough job. Different hosting offers different features and services. One could offer something that the others could not. It is indeed frustrating to determine whether a shared hosting is the right one for you. To simplify things, we have gathered the benefits of shared hosting to give you insights on how these fit you and your business website. 

Cost-Effective

A huge factor why first-time website owners go for shared hosting is its low cost. A single server’s maintenance costs can be distributed amongst its many users. Since it is shared across multiple website owners, individual costing may be driven down to a smaller cost, making it more cost-effective. In addition, shared hosting gives you the option to eventually upgrade to hosting services that allows you to get more traffic, and greater online presence – of course bigger resources come with higher costs. 

Flexibility

Many business websites first launch their digital platforms with shared hosting because it doesn’t require too much complexity in skills and knowledge to operate. Shared hosting offers plans that provide control panels that are easy to navigate for website management and other pre-installed programs. Server uptime, availability and settings are handled by the hosting provider making it easier for the owner to manage and easily install updates and patches. 

Professionally Managed

Utilizing shared hosting services gives you insurance that your server is well taken care of by the hosting provider, thus ensuring that administrative tasks are functioning accordingly. Aside from being low maintenance, shared hosting provides you professional technical support for network outages, server malfunctions and maintenance, if needed.

Easy Email Hosting

Providing an email associated with your domain is very significant in the web development process. With shared hosting and its built-in cPanel, adding and setting up your email are now easier. You can now run a secure, spam-filtered mail server for your personal or small-business use. This way, you can set up your own disk drive and fully control how your emails are accessed, managed and stored. Aside from emails, you now have control over databases, add-on domains, and more.

Choosing the right web hosting plan can save you lots of time and money. If you don’t need immense bandwidth, memory, computing power, or control, then save your money by going with a shared hosting service.

With 26 years of experience in the industry and an IT company at its core, iManila, having been one of the first Internet Service Providers in the Philippines, is committed to providing our clients with innovative online marketing services in the Philippines that can help convert your website visitors into quality leads or potential customers. 

As one of the best web hosting providers in the Philippines, iManila is also a full-service business web development company and digital marketing agency in the Philippines ready to help you with your web design and development, web hosting provider, email hosting, technical support, and digital marketing services needs. Work together with top digital marketing companies in the Philippines like iManila and make your brand goals become reality.

Work together with top advertising companies in the Philippines like iManila and make your brand goals become reality. Talk to us!