Web hosting is an absolute necessity for all businesses with a website. It allows businesses to store all the data needed for their website to run smoothly while keeping it all secured. 

With so many options to choose from, it is hard to decide which type of hosting service to invest in. For this reason, we are featuring two of the most popular hosting services – Shared and Dedicated Hosting. Read further to help you make the best decision regarding where, and how, to host your site!

Shared Hosting

Shared Hosting is one of the most used hosting services. As the name suggests, it functions by hosting multiple websites on one server. This is fairly inexpensive to use and involves sharing resources with other users. However, hosting hundreds or even thousands of websites on a single server can create a lot of advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of shared hosting

• Inexpensive- If you’re low on budget and looking for a quality hosting service, then Shared Hosting is perfect for you. A single server’s maintenance costs is distributed among its many users. In this way, it lowers individual costs to customers in the process. Moreover, you also have the option to pay more to upgrade your storage or resources to allow more website traffic, or bigger use of storage space.
• Easy to use- Another benefit of Shared Hosting is that it’s easy to use. New websites usually use this service since it requires little technical skill. Overall, Shared hosting comes with a control panel to manage the website, and pre-installed programs to accommodate most websites. Moreover, server setup is done by the hosting providers, so more or less the hosting is ready to use upon turnover to the client.

Disadvantages of shared hosting

• Joint server resources- Shared Hosting is a great option for new websites since it provides basic resources and is fairly easy to use. With that said, however, it does have its limitations. One of those disadvantages is the “bad neighbor effect.” Basically, this is where one website on a shared server takes over most of the resources. When this happens, it can cause other websites on the server to slow down. Luckily, the chances of this happening are low since professional hosting companies provide more than enough resources to accommodate their users.
• Security Risk- Another risk of using this hosting service is that your server’s IP address could be blacklisted if someone on the same server is sending out spam. To prevent this from happening, make sure you pick a web hosting provider with policies against this abuse.

Dedicated Hosting

Unlike Shared Hosting, Dedicated Server Hosting is a single server specifically for the use of your business website. This helps cut out the competition in the process and results in better overall website performance. In this hosting service, you have more control over your server, how fast it goes, and what to do. However, it does come with a price and requires more knowledge in order to maintain it. 

Advantages of dedicated hosting

• Full control of server resources- Since there is no server sharing involved, there are no bad neighbor effects. This means that all of your server’s processing power, memory, and disk space can be focused on your website. Moreover, there will be no other user who could expose your website to cyber threats and cause it to be blacklisted.
• Customizing capabilities- Another advantage of a Dedicated Server is its ability to use extensive customization, which helps you optimize your server settings. Not only that, but it also gives you root access so that you can modify software code.

Disadvantages of dedicated hosting

• Expensive- Although it offers a more secure hosting service, it does come with a price. Renting dedicated servers is expensive than a shared hosting. It can cost up to 10x more of the latter depending on the storage and resources your website needs.
• Requires technical knowledge- Dedicated servers require a high level of technical knowledge. This is especially true if you want to maximize your hosting server’s customizability. If you want to pursue this service, we recommend hiring a server admin or purchasing a plan that includes server management support.

Choose the perfect hosting service today!

Picking the right server is important especially if you want to maximize the performance of your website. For instance, shared hosting would be the best option if you don’t need immense bandwidth, memory, or control, then. On the contrary, if your website requires lots of server resources, and your team can efficiently manage a specialized hosting setup, go with dedicated web hosting. Whatever you decide to get, make sure to avail it from a reliable hosting provider and from one of the best hosting providers in the country, iManila!

With 27 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, a web development company and a top digital marketing company in the country, is committed to providing our clients with innovative information technology, web, and digital solutions.

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 update and maintenance, web hosting, email hosting, dedicated server, technical, desktop and remote support, and digital marketing services needs.  Talk to us!

As the world continuously shifts to digital, cyber threats are becoming robust and harder to distinguish. One good example of this is the newest email scam with the subject: “Attention Confirmation Update Password”. It’s a phishing email that tricks you into disclosing personal information, installing malware, or giving access to your online accounts. 

How does this scam work?

The modus of this scam is to pretend that the email is sent by an IT Support. It’ll claim that your password is expiring and that you have to click a link to resolve the issue. However, as opposed to the claim, your account is totally fine and has no issue at all. This is nothing but a scam that tries to scare you into opening an unwanted attachment. Do not fall for this con trick. If you happen to receive one of these emails, delete it immediately. Do not click any links or download any attachments. 

How to spot this email scam?

To give you a clearer picture of “Attention Confirmation Update Password” phishing emails, here are the signs to look out for:

• Generic greetings (like “customer”, “account holder”, and “dear”) are used instead of specific names.
• The sender’s email address is not linked to a legitimate domain name.
• The email will prompt you to click a link to fix the issue. Most reputable organizations don’t require users to click links and provide sensitive information. 
• There is a time constraint or an unusual sense of urgency sent via email. 
• Errors in grammar, spelling, and sentence structure may indicate that the email is not from a trusted source.

What to do if you already clicked the link?

In case it is too late and you have already fallen victim, there’s a big chance your device is infected by malware. This malware can corrupt your files, or worse, grant hackers the access to your private data. What you can do is to clean your device as soon as possible with anti-malware software. This kind of software can detect the type of malware your device has, safely remove it, and clean any damages that it may have caused.

How to protect yourself from malware attacks?

Taking proactive measures is always better than finding a solution to an existing problem. Protect your data and devices from possible malware attacks with these security tips:

• Use a high-quality antivirus program and keep it up to date.
• Maintain the most recent versions of your operating system and applications.
• When installing software, pay close attention to the installation screens and license agreements.
• Make use of a browser-based content blocker.
• Be mindful of what you download.
• Always be alert and on the lookout for anyone attempting to trick you into clicking on links or responding to messages, whether it’s through your email, phone, messenger, or other applications.
• Backup your data on a regular basis and ensure that your backup data can be restored.
• Select strong and unique passwords.
• Be careful when clicking links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.
• Never use pirated software.

Malware attacks and other cyber threats can cause massive damages especially if you’re running an online business. Ensure your safety by installing web security and hiring an on-call technical support team here in iManila!

With 27 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, a web development company and a top digital marketing company in the country, is committed to providing our clients with innovative information technology, web, and digital solutions. 

As one of the best web hosting and email 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 update and maintenance, web hosting, email hosting, cloud hosting, dedicated server, technical, desktop and remote support, and digital marketing services needs.  Talk to us!

A trait that many businesses need to have in order to succeed is adaptability. The market and environment are regularly changing, sprouting up new things to consider and new trends. With the challenges of running a business and dealing with clients, it can be difficult to do system maintenance on top of it. This is where the role of Technical Support comes in. They can ensure that the business functions smoothly through immediate system repairs and maintenance, and identifying issues before they arise.

Having the right IT support team can help give your business that competitive edge and streamline the rest of your operations and workflows. As a result, you can boost your business’s overall productivity. How? Let’s take a closer look!

Gain technical expertise

Technology is a great thing to have in any business, but they are not immune to glitches, bugs, and errors. Even a well-updated software can run into these issues, which can hinder your daily business operations. IT support teams have the technical know-how to do troubleshooting and solutions for each problem. It can save you the time of having to search online for solutions. 

Manage your data more effectively

Most businesses make use of data, so data management is a necessity. This encompasses things from customer data, order data, and product inventories — all of these should be stored and managed safely. This can be time-consuming if done yourself. It would be more efficient for everyone to have an IT support team who can ensure your data is regularly backed up and safe. 

Hands on monitoring and analysis 

IT support teams can help improve the overall internal auditing and quality control of your systems and websites. Things like website or email downtime can be lessened and fixed as fast as possible. This can prevent further loss of profits for companies. It’s important that a business is able to keep track of all operations which an IT team can help provide. 

Dedicated customer support

The experience of a customer impacts how they view your brand and whether they’d be a return customer. It is important to ensure that they have a smooth experience and that any query can be handled in a prompt and professional manner. The IT support team can set up multiple channels like social media bots, emails, calls, and automated website replies to customer satisfaction. 

Proactive security 

There can be worse things than profit loss when things like customer data can get compromised through cyberattacks. Thus, an IT support team can help protect your company’s online presence and systems from viruses and such threats. Things like encrypting your data and setting up the right antivirus systems are some of the common security measures that IT support can do. 

Get help from an experienced partner that specializes in offering businesses tech support like iManila! 

With 27 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, a web development company and a top digital marketing company in the country, is committed to providing our clients with innovative information technology, web, and digital solutions. 

As one of the best web hosting providers in the Philippines, iManila is also a full-service business web development company ready to help you with your web design and development, website update and maintenance, web hosting, from cloud hosting to dedicated server hosting, technical, desktop and remote support, and digital marketing services needs.  Talk to us!

Brand awareness is a common term if you’ve been around the marketing space for some time. But, what does it exactly mean, and why are companies obsessing over the next brand awareness campaigns? 

In simple terms, brand awareness is how well people are able to recognize your brand. This cannot be measured by just one metric alone as it encompasses things from reach, traffic, engagements, and the like. 

The more aware your target market is of your brand, the more synonymous your products or services are when people consider the category they belong to. This is a requirement for any brand, especially new ones before they can properly build brand loyalty. Contrary to belief, brands do not have to be the most recognizable to everyone. It just has to be recognizable to your target audience. 

Here are some ways your company can use brand awareness:

Show the human behind the brand

People gravitate to brands that have unique personalities. However, this doesn’t mean that all brands can benefit from the witty social media personalities of other brands. It doesn’t mean though that you shouldn’t put a personality behind your brand voice and image. 

Customers can tell when a brand is more “human” than others. This shows not just in the posts but in how your brand engages with its audience. Remember that when it comes to social media marketing, communication is often a two-way street. 

You can interact with your audience by asking questions, polls, or simply by replying to their comments. By doing so, you’re letting them know there’s a person behind your company account. This goes the same way when it comes to posting things that may not entirely be related to the product or service, such as posting about current trending topics. Show your audience that you are updated with what’s happening around you, just like them!  

Make sure your brand tells a narrative 

Storytelling is one powerful tool as it gives the audience something to hold onto. Even if not properly articulated, every brand has to have a story whether it’s the story of the founder, how the product came about, or how the business was able to break through. The important part is to communicate this to your audience. The narrative can be about anything as long as it is authentic. 

Recognize the value beyond your product 

One way to deepen your brand awareness strategy is to go beyond the product and see what value you can offer. The point of this is not directly for sales. But, it can lead to relationship building that creates opportunities for your audiences to get to know your brand in a different way. 

This can come in many ways from educating, informing, or even entertaining through blogs, podcasts, newsletters, and social media posts. If the team or company has a pool of expertise, then it might be the best way to share it with others. 

Create shareable content 

Word-of-mouth marketing should not be underestimated as it is a surefire way to develop familiarity and build trust with customers. This is about seeing what impact you can create in your content to make it shareable to audiences. 

This may be a way of indirect marketing as you’re not directly selling the product. But, it can offer big returns on your overall awareness and impact in the long run if paired with a good strategy. 

Creating an effective brand awareness strategy could be a daunting task as it requires a lot of work from strategy to execution. But, don’t be discouraged, iManila can help! 

With 27 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, a web development company and a top digital marketing company in the country, is committed to providing our clients with innovative information technology, web, and digital solutions. 

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 update and maintenance, web hosting, email hosting, dedicated server, and technical, desktop and remote support. Talk to us!