Skip to main content

Author: iManila Dev

cPanel 2020 Updates: Here’s What You Need to Know

Hosting automation platform giant cPanel, L.L.C. has recently issued a statement for its clients that there will be a massive update on their software. According to cPanel, “Due to various support and security reasons, cPanel, L.L.C. will automatically upgrade MySQL® 5.5 to MySQL 5.7 on customer servers that run cPanel & WHM version 78. We plan to perform this upgrade in the first quarter of 2020”.

Inline, the company has already blocked the upgrades to cPanel and Web Host Manager (WHM) version 80 for any server that is still running MySQL 5.5. This is also based on the company’s policy on blocking upgrades for various reasons like new memory requirements or new codes that cannot support a deprecated or disallowed software.

Due to the issued blocking, many customers are still running MySQL 5.5 on cPanel and WHM version 78.

What will happen if you continue using the old versions of cPanel and WHM?

The company indicated the issues that will be encountered if the current versions of cPanel and WHM will not be updated. These issues are: 

  • Components of their server may run deprecated or end-of-life versions;
  • cPanel, L.L.C. does not support end-of-life software. MySQL 5.5 reached end-of-life status in December 2018 and cPanel & WHM version 78 will reach end-of-life status by Q1 2020;
  • Compatibility issues with other software components;
  • Missing new features in cPanel & WHM that competitors provide;
  • Security issues, which will not receive patches because the software has reached end-of-life status.

cPanel further added that by proactively upgrading MySQL to supported versions, they can ensure that their customers will run supported software to avoid cases of having a dangerous vulnerability to hacks and malicious activities.

Make sure that your hosting platform and your website is always up to date to ensure better uptime and availability! Don’t lose your potential clients because of a down or poorly functional website. Here in iManila, we offer various hosting solutions, website maintenance services, or we can even do a full website revamp! (Learn more about our Lunar New Year promo HERE.)

If you need help with your hosting platform updates or with updating your WordPress version and plugins, don’t hesitate to call us at (02) 3490 0000 or email us at [email protected]. You can also directly send us a message through our Contact Us page. Our dedicated account managers would be more than happy to help! 

#iManila #WebsiteMaintenance #Hosting

iManila Lunar New Year 2020 Promo

Gong Xi Fa Cai! iManila, one of the country’s leading website development and digital marketing agencies, presents our Lunar New Year 2020 Promo! 

Get a 5-page WordPress Website for only P 38,888.00 (exclusive of VAT) plus the following inclusions:

  • One Year Free Web and Email Hosting
  • One Year Free US Domain
  • Choose from a variety of available website templates
  • Free use of up to 25 Stock Photos
  • Free One Page Content Writing up to 200 words
  • Free WordPress Training

This promo is perfect for businesses who need a catalog or informative type of website to showcase their products and services. These types of websites are also ideal for companies who are rushing to start their Digital Marketing campaigns by launching Google and Facebook Ads.

Boost your online presence and provide relevant content to your target market through a fully functional and well-designed website! If you’re ready, we can have your website up and running in 30 days!

Promo runs from January 24 to February 29, 2020. 

CONTACT US now to get this LIMITED TIME OFFER! 

 

Google Chrome to Block Websites that are “Not Secure”

Last October, Google announced that its famous browser, Google Chrome will no longer be accepting the legacy versions of TLS (Transport Layer Security) 1.0 and 1.1, the cryptographic protocol used to encrypt transmissions between browsers and website servers. This year, the Google Chrome team has once again notified website owners that a new warning will appear while browsing.

Image from 9to5Google

 

When Google Chrome 81 debuts in March of this year, in the lead-up, Google will start displaying a full-page interstitial warning, “Your connection to this site is not fully secured” to the left of the address box to users that will try to access a site protected by outdated security protocols such as Chrome 79. Though this blockage plan isn’t on the run yet, the Chrome team has already started alerting users about this major update as this could cause major effects on user’s browsing activities and may expose user’s information sent to the site.

Chris Thompson of Google Chrome’s Security Team wrote recently, “We’re announcing a pre-removal phase in which we’ll introduce a gentler warning UI [user interface] and previewing the UI that we’ll use to block TLS 1.0 and 1.1 in Chrome 81.”

 

Image from 9to5Google

With this, Google encourages site administrators to update TLS legacy version 1.2 which was released over a decade ago, ahead of the TLS warnings. On the bright side, site administrators can still re-enable TLS 1.0 or 1.1 and disable the warning using the SSLVersionMin but only until January 2021, Google said.

Is your website ready for the new Google Chrome updates? Research shows that Google Chrome is one of the most used browsers not just in the Philippines but also in parts of Asia, Europe, and the US. Don’t scare away your visitors with a website that is not secure. We can help install your SSL in a matter of hours. Get in touch with our Sales Team through our trunkline at +632 3490 0000 or drop us an email at [email protected]. #iManila #WebsiteSecurity #SSL

5 Effective Strategies in Marketing to the Gen Z

Each year another Digital Marketing trend is being discovered and we have to keep up in order to maintain our brand awareness. It’s a fierce competition among brands in the digital world but we have stick to our core – which is to be organic while staying relevant and always adapting to the rapidly evolving digital marketing world.

When we open the internet, it’s hard to determine which trend is on the rise and which trends we need to keep up with especially since consumers’ interest and behavior are unpredictable. Hence, we present to you 5 effective strategies for 2020 that will help give your brands maximum exposure.

  1.       Artificial Intelligence

This 2020 is the year where artificial intelligence is the next right-hand in securing data. It may help global businesses and industries in the next decade but it’s taking the simple job of what humans usually provide. Using AI can help brands gather data to review consumer behavior and search patterns and provide what’s best to increase sales. Soon, AI will be the driving force you will see it in other services such as:

–          Basic Communication

–          Product Recommendations

–          Content Creation

–          Email Personalization

–          E-commerce transactions

  1.       Programmatic Advertising

With the help of Artificial Intelligence, Programmatic Advertising is also one of the big trends in terms of tracking because it is easier for the younger generation as they are more active online. Under Programmatic Advertising comes Real-time bidding. This type of automation is more efficient and typically gives higher conversions while lowering customer acquisition costs.

  1.       Chatbots

Chatbots will continue to be an important digital marketing trend this 2020. Chatbots are AI-based technology that provides instant messaging to customers in real-time at any time. This trend will continue as 80% of businesses use chatbots to connect. At the same time, research shows that 63% of respondents prefer messaging a chatbot when it comes to communicating with brands.

  1.       Conversational Marketing

With the use of Chatbots, we can say that customers prefer more conversations in a way that allows them to interact and connect with their favorite brands. Long before the traditional type of marketing, this type of marketing is available to multiple channels to create relationships between brands and customers because the goal of this trend is to enhance user experience that will provide higher engagement and long-term loyalty.

  1.       Video Marketing

Gone are the days when consumers are pleased to see marketing ads through images and GIFs. Thus, Video Marketing is making its way to increase brand awareness of any brands because customers want to experience first-hand product preview even just through a video. According to surveys, a higher percentage of consumers want to watch a video to get information in order to make online purchase decisions. And with the rise of YouTube, this paved the way to bring videos to other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. One thing’s for sure, video marketing will be one of the most important trends in the next 5-10 years.

Want to know how your brand can reach Gen Z? Ask us how! Drop us an email at [email protected]. 

2020 Technological Trends You Should Know About

In the digital landscape, adaptation is equivalent to survival. 

Having a fast rate of adaptation and a strong foundation for SMAC (social, mobile, analytics, and cloud) are all necessary when working with digital technologies. As a business owner, having a workforce that can navigate digitally and are able to adapt to the changing landscapes is valuable. 

Moving into the new year, we will be faced with a lot of new technologies. 

The question is, as a business owner, are your products and services relevant even with all these technological trends? Having to be able to adapt to rapidly changing customer needs is of the utmost importance. Worry not for we have rounded up the latest trends in technology to watch out for this 2020. 

5G Network

Though LTE use is far from waning, the rise of the new 5G network is something to look forward to. Huawei says that 5G could “support 1,000-fold gains in capacity, connections for at least 100 billion devices and a 10 Gb/s individual user experience of extremely low latency and response times.” The rise of this new network means that network providers would have to ramp up their services and increase their bandwidth to lower the costs. 

Personal Profiling

With the integration of digital technology becoming more seamless in our everyday lives, data has been able to come up with information that goes beyond just a basic demographic check. Profiling allows examining how people interact with technology such as what social media apps they most frequently use, how they curate it, how often they use it, and what pictures or content do they post. 

For businesses, this is a huge opportunity to get to know your customers and really tap into the market. Knowing how to integrate and adapt to an individual preference is key. Consumer analytics is the priority and with the constant shift in technology, it has become more valuable than ever. 

Automation

Each year we get new technologies that further make our lives easier, and automation is to thank. It is aimed to augment people and combines software, machine learning, and various automation tools to deliver such results. In the coming years, it is to be expected that more advanced analysis can be put out due to the automation of data. 

It is automation that is to thank in welcoming cashier-less transactions from retail stores and further improving the assembly or production lines. Automation is also expected to displace jobs that needed human presence for better efficiency. 

Online Debit

With everything made easier and more seamless online, it is no wonder that cryptocurrency is becoming more credible as time goes by. Digital payment systems are foreseen to grow in use and traditional banking will also slowly lose its ground. Businesses can take advantage of this by having an array of payment options to make payment as convenient as possible to all types of clientele. 

Technology is changing every day and it is essential to make sure that your business is suited to ride the wave of change. Don’t be intimidated by all the technological jargon by letting a partner agency like iManila help you! With years of experience under our belt, you can trust us to give you the support and solutions you need to keep you up to date in this digital world. 

Drop us a message at [email protected] and let us help you! #iManila #DigitalMarketing

Increase Your Company Revenue with Search Ads

You may have heard of the buzz about Google Ads, particularly Google Search Ads in helping a business drive growth. If you haven’t heard, going into the digital advertisement realm may sound daunting.

Here we will break down this claim, can you really increase your company’s revenue with Search Ads?

What are Google Ads?

To set things straight, it is important to know first the basics. Google Ads is actually an umbrella that comprises three ad networks namely: The Google Search Network, the Google Display Network, and the YouTube Network. Clicking any of those will bring you to the seller’s landing page which is any page where they hope you will ‘convert’ and buy their products.

The search network is the most popular network on Google for advertising. This deals with user intent as people usually go on Google to search for something they already have in mind. Your goal here is lead people to convert instead of just raising brand awareness.

It is here that the term Pay-per-Click comes in because you pay for each click that you get from the searchers. The concept of Cost-per-click or more known as CPC is used which is the average that you will pay for clicks. These vary per industry and usually have different benchmarks. Why is CPC important? That is because keywords on the search network are based on the price during bidding. You can set limits to how much you are going to spend and that will determine what keywords you can bid in.

The goal for the search network is to have your ad rank in the first page ideally. This is determined by ad rank which is made up of a variety of factors that include bid amount, quality score, and more. Given this, bidding higher or having a better quality score can greatly influence your ranking on the Google Search Engine Results Page.

What Numbers Say

While it may be difficult to make a decision to jump on the Google Ad train, a lot of other businesses have made it work on their favor. Statistics show that 88% of consumers use the Internet to find a local business and that 29% of consumers search for local businesses at least every week. This shows a huge potential to tap into the market actively using the Google Search platform as your future customers.

Why is the search network the best strategy instead of Search Engine Optimization? Well 89% of the traffic generated by search ads cannot be replaced by organic clicks when the ads are paused. For high commercial intent queries on search, the top three ad spots take about 40% of the clicks on the page. On top of that, 98% of searchers choose a business that is on the first page of the results they get, which shows the importance of not just being able to be part of the search network but also ranking on the top.

Do they work?

Once properly set up and managed, you can find a strong return on investment by using Google Ads. Businesses in fact, can make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they spend on Google Ads. For the businesses already using Google Ads, 72% of them plan to increase their PPC budgets which is another indicator that they are seeing good ROI. As for the mobile users, 70% of mobile searches call a business directly from Google Search.

While they are a multitude of other factors that leads to the success of a Google Ads campaign, its success still greatly depends on how its set up and managed. This is why it’s vital to have a great team to work on such a campaign. If you do not have a team that can do such, fear not for you can always leave it to the experts to manage your campaigns for you. Let a Google Partner agency like iManila be your partner in running your Google Search campaign. With many years of experience in the industry, you can count on us to deliver and give you an impactful campaign. Feel free to drop a message at [email protected] and see where we can help you! 

 

Poor Web Design Can Cost Your Business

Most of you are probably planning next year’s marketing strategies by now. But you might be forgetting about one important and mostly overlooked platform–your company’s website. Yes, a website may not be as interactive and as cost-efficient as social media but what businesses tend to overlook is that – websites are quite important! If you utilize it right, it might even bring you more revenue. How?

For starters, you already know that a well-designed and curated website is good for Search Engine Optimization, or in layman’s term, for ranking higher on search engines’ results pages. Nowadays, it’s not so hard to build your own website, but doing so may risk your business to have an unclear brand message and an unprofessional website. If you visit a company’s website with unruly information on its page or barely has information on it at all. Would you see that as a credible company? Probably not, right?

 

You Can Lose Potential Customers with an Unorganized Website

If your web design is all over the place, then the user will have a hard time finding what they’re looking for, making them exit your site unhappy. If you notice you have a high bounce rate, or that users leave your site after only visiting two pages, then check if they are having problems navigating from point A to point B. You may want to consult with UI/UX expert to see how else you can improve your user experience. A user-friendly website invites users to freely and easily move from one page to another – giving visitors the ease of finding what they’re looking for, while getting them more interested in the products and services that you offer. 

 

 

You Can Lose Brand Credibility With a Crappy Website

If your web design and overall aesthetic don’t have a coherent theme, it can hurt your brand perception. A well-put-together website that matches your print collaterals will help consumers connect your brand with references they’ll see later on. If you have an icon for your brand, and that icon is present on your website, visitors who may have seen your icon offline will now think, “I’ve seen this…” when they visit your site. Make sure you have a company background or an FAQ page for your website as this is useful for visitors that are interested in your business!

Search Engine Optimization is Important!

When you built your website, did you consider good SEO? Because you definitely should have! Good design and aesthetic can come and go. But a website with a good SEO ranking ranks higher on search engines’ results pages and makes it easier for consumers to find. You should also check if your website is compatible across all devices and loads fast. There are still a dozen other factors to consider for Search Engine Optimization. (You can read our related blog: SEO and SEM: The Perfect Online Marketing Tandem)

Colors Affect Purchasing Behavior

“Color is 85% of the reason you purchased a specific product,” says Neil Patel.

Research from QuickSprout indicated that 90% of all product assessments have something to do with colors. Although colors are subjective, at least use the right ones. Research states that big fonts, red colors in bold are good for headlines in your web design. On the other hand, the color blue generates a feeling of trust. “The Internet is a colorful place, and there is a lot that can be accomplished by using color in the right way, at the right time, with the right audience, and for the right purpose.”

 

All in all, don’t lose possible consumers because of a terribly designed website. Drop us a message to request for a free website audit from one of our dedicated Account Executives. We can help identify areas of your website that can be improved on! Email us at [email protected] or talk to us here. #iManila #WebsiteDevelopment #WebDesign #SEO 

 

 

 

Risks of running your own digital campaign

Marketing is essential to expose your brand name and stand out. With the right practices, technique, and optimization, you can definitely make the most out of your marketing budget.

Now that a lot of marketing tools like Google ads and Facebook ads are available to anyone, you’ll probably think that running your own digital marketing campaign is a piece of cake. While it’s a good thing that you can market your own product, it also poses a lot of risks. A successful campaign can be achieved through the right practices, techniques, proper optimization, and updated market insights. Doing all these while also running the whole business can compromise the other areas in your company.

Keeping your focus clear on what you do best – which is essentially running the whole business – is important. That’s why, in reality, having a digital marketing agency just might come handy. By having someone else do the marketing for you, you’ll be disburdened by tasks that will require a lot of your time. In this manner, you can pay more attention on achieving business growth holistically without doing the groundwork and avoiding the risks that might compromise your company.

To help you out, we have listed down the risks of running your own marketing campaign:

You might miss the technicalities

A marketer’s task involves a lot of time and effort. From conceptualization, crafting the copies and graphics, up to implementation, monitoring, optimization, analysis, and reporting, this has to be carefully done step-by-step in order to achieve good results. Doing all this simultaneously with your other business management tasks can really be excruciating and might also affect the results that you want to achieve. Letting an expert from an agency do the work will save you time and effort so you can focus on more important things. After all, you can always check on the progress from time to time so you can still be updated on the project. The technicalities and complexities of running digital campaigns are mostly done by those who are seasoned and experienced, hence, it will be better to ask someone who specializes in the job.

You could be less objective

Marketing specialists are trained to foresee the perspective of a business’s target audience through market insights and estimation tools. Even though you know your product really well, it may not be true that your market sees what you see. The basic understanding of your target’s preference can be hard if you cannot be objective and separate yourself from your business. It is very crucial that you know the people to target or drive your ads into, but if you already have a lot of things on your slate, then you might have no time to do enough research for this.

You could spend more or less than the ideal budget

A major risk when running your own digital campaign is that you can easily be convinced to spend more and more to get the results that you want. Or, it can also be the other way around whereas you would think that spending less is a better option. This is when both expertise and the objectivity of an expert marketer comes into practice. Since the recommendations of agencies, like iManila, are based on historical data and premium market analysis tools, you can be assured that you can get the right estimates for your campaign with the ideal budget. This will prevent your campaign from overspending or throwing away your hard-earned marketing dollars. By also acquiring the service of an expert, you can easily track and manage your return on investments and have a detailed report on what went well and how you can improve more in terms of your marketing assets.

Need help from an expert marketer? Contact iManila and see how our digital marketing services can help your business grow! #iManila #DigitalMarketing #GooglePartner

Hire Web Developers or Use DIY Web Builders?

“Should I hire a web developer or should I just do it myself?”

The rise of DIY web builders is undeniable. In fact, some DIY web builders even claim that you can create your website in under just 5 minutes. This trend makes it tempting to go rogue on your website and just wing it instead of hiring professionals. Sure, it is your choice to make, and we have no problem with that.  But the question is…

Which is really the right path for your website? Here are a few things you can consider when starting a website:

Budget:

To be honest, hiring a web development company can be costly.  After all, these are professionals who studied and honed their skills through years of experience. You simply tell them your ideas and vision and they will craft it for you, sometimes, even suggest ideas that can make your website even better.

Design & Function

Visualize your website. Are you fine with generic themes you can find online or do you want something made custom for your brand? Using web builders give you an array of options to choose from. You can pick a theme you like and voila – you’re a step away from launching your website. However, professional web developers tailor their designs depending on how their client wants it – making it unique compared to the thousands of other websites out there! (You may also want to read: What Makes A Good Web Design!)

Another important thing to consider is the features you want to integrate into your website. Think about the features you would like your website to have. People who only want a website for their blogs often do it themselves. But, people who are starting a business or expanding their business online prefer to hire web developers as there are certain functions that are just too complicated for someone to do on their own. 

Domain & Hosting

Now here’s the more complicated stuff. When building a website, you need a domain name and a hosting account to make everything work. A domain name is your website’s address on the internet, whereas, a hosting account is where your website (including files and data) is stored. You can do it all your own through research OR find a company that can package everything for you. 

But, if you have the budget and aren’t fond of the idea of doing all the work yourself or just don’t have the time to create your website, you can simply just call a web development company. A lot of companies still find it best to trust the professionals, especially when it comes to building a custom website for you or your business.

 

iManila is a web development and web hosting company that has been in the industry for more than 20 years. Staffed with talented professionals, iManila can help build your dream website. Call us now at +632 3490 0000 or drop us an email at [email protected]. 

 

#iManila #WebDevelopment #WebDesign