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Cloud Hosting Vs Shared Hosting: Which is better?

Hosting is crucial when setting up your website and emails for the first time – but it can also be confusing. Shared hosting and cloud hosting have three things in common: web hosting provider, servers, and websites. Though shared hosting is deemed to be more popular than all hosting plans, understanding the new features of cloud hosting might give you second thoughts.  

In this blog, we will be looking into each of their key features like uptime, support, security, pricing, performance, and other benefits.  

Shared Hosting  

Shared hosting has long been part of the web history. Its main difference from cloud hosting is that multiple websites are hosted together and share all the resources available. Such resources shared includes disk space, storage, bandwidth, and databases all in one server. It generally requires a dedicated web server. Although this is cheaper and easier to use than cloud hosting, it may not be the best option for websites with a lot of traffic and that are content heavy.  

Cloud Hosting 

Since its inception back in 1996, cloud hosting services has been gaining attention – and rightly so! In comparison to shared hosting, cloud hosting allows your website to be hosted on multiple servers. What’s good about this is that if an issue comes along with one of the servers, you’re safe from downtime as multiple servers will allow your information to be accessible online. Cloud computing technology allows numerous machines to work in synchrony. Aside from its proven flexibility, its ultra-fast speed is also one to look out for.  

Features 

Uptime 

Shared hosting, in its very nature, may assure you 99.5% uptimes but you can expect that when you get a spike in website traffic, you’ll probably experience some downtime. 

With cloud hosting, on the other hand, you’re guaranteed impeccable uptimes despite surges in traffic. 

Support 

Cloud hosting has unlimited everything, from storage, bandwidth, and databases. It may only get more advanced in the following years. Shared hosting, in contrast, has many limits. Overusing its limited resources could cause suspensions.  

Bonuses 

Shared hosting could get the upper hand this time. There are always free bonuses waiting for you if you get shared hosting plans. This can range from free domain names to web transfers and website builders – this would all depend on your preferred supplier. But, cloud hosting, alternately, isn’t really that generous.  

Security 

The security protocols of shared hosting are often based on applications and databases as these are the most vulnerable to hackers. 

 

A hacker that has access to one shared hosting server automatically gives him access to all the websites on it. And once a website is hacked into, the intruder could invade the site time and again. 

That being said, you must keep your computers safe by using reliable antiviruses, strong passwords and keeping your cPanel away from any files on your account.  

Cloud hosting, on the other hand, has usually four major security controls: 

  1. Deterrent Controls 
  2. Preventative Controls 
  3. Detective Controls 
  4. Corrective Controls 

Cloud hosting incorporates encrypted algorithms to further protect your data. It also prioritizes data confidentiality, data access control, and data integrity to protect you from traditional security issues like network eavesdropping, invasion and cloud-specific ones.  

Performance  

Most shared web hosts often struggle in selling this feature to clients. Shared hosting’s limited features impede its speed. You also need to be ready with frequent downtimes and outages. 

With cloud hosting, you can guarantee ultra-fast, auto-scalable and customizable platform. High traffic doesn’t budge the servers. In fact, cloud hosting is highly recommended for sites with high traffic.  

Pricing 

Sharing servers always translate to cheaper costs. So naturally, shared hosting services are the most affordable type of hosting services there is around. This is recommended for start-up businesses or for simple informational or catalogue-type of websites that don’t expect too much traffic.  

While, naturally given the difference in technology and the speed as well as the guaranteed uptime, cloud hosting would generally be significantly more costly. Essentially with cloud hosting, you pay more to get more.  

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Shared hosting is definitely a go to for those who are on a tight budget. If you are a new industry player, shared hosting could be a start. But if you want to advance your security, features, performance and speed, cloud hosting could do that for you.  

If you have an e-commerce site or looking to expand your website into a full system, definitely cloud hosting is the best decision to make sure that you don’t get any downtime with spikes in traffic. With cloud hosting too, you assure users of a faster loading speed on your website.  

If you are having trouble choosing which is better, we’ll gladly guide you through. Drop us a line or shoot us a message today to know more about our hosting services! For more information, visit our website at www.imanila.ph/hosting/. 

How to keep your CMS safe and secure

Website security is one of the pillars of running a business online. Website hacks are not an uncommon phenomenon with 30,000 new small business website hacks a day together with corporation breaches. Rather than waiting for the inevitable, being prepared for such attacks is always a good preventive measure that can save you time from constant web debugging or worse – loss of income from your website and loss of company credibility. 

Hackers have targeted the top three open-source Content Management Services (CMS) such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal due to their popularity. As technology evolved, these three CMSs have evolved to be more secure through patching its loopholes. 

Common Security Threats to CMSs

  • Data manipulation: Changing parameters and SQL injections are common hacks used. Malicious SQL statements are being inserted in entry fields for execution. 
  • Accessing data: This means using SQL injections or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks as a way to jeopardize user data. A web application is used to send the malicious code using a browser side script. 
  • Code Injection: Causing lost or corrupted data, lack of accountability, or revoking access, this is the kind of attack that can affect the whole server that runs the website. 

With the common threats illustrated above, here’s what you can do to ensure your CMS stays safe at all times. 

Update your CMS Admin Password 

If you are the type to just use a common password for the majority of your sites or don’t update your administrator password in the past months, then take this as a sign that you need to start doing so. 

The chances of a hacker knowing one or two of your logins is not a slim one. Using a strong password together with a password storage vault can be handy in helping you keep track, organize, update, and manage passwords in one place. Taking an idea from password generators can come in really handy if you do not want the hassle of coming up with one from scratch. 

SSL Certificates 

With the encryption that an SSL Certificate can offer, users are protected from hackers and those attempting identity theft. It has become the PCI standard especially for e-commerce websites that accept sensitive information such as credit cards and personal data. Since 2018, Google has started ranking websites without SSL Certificates lower and most hosting providers provide free SSL or SSL at a low-cost option. 

Website Monitoring 

Constantly monitoring your website is one of the best solutions that can also help you understand common issues and threats. There is an abundance of online services that can offer a way for you to monitor your website 24/7 and help with security measures such as Google Search Console with their alerts and cPanel with their server error logs. 

Security Plugins 

Despite security updates and patches of CMSs, sometimes additional security measures are still important. While server configurations are one way to get security, not everyone can access or have the ability to secure a server properly. A plugin or extension proves to be the easiest way to ensure the server is configured correctly with the right security. Examples of the ways you can protect your site are through Firewall Protection which can help block brute force and DDoS attacks, restricting IP addresses, and more. Some of the available plugins are as follows Sucuri and WordFence (WordPress), Akeeba Admin Tools and RS FireWall (Joomla), and Security Kit (Drupal). 

While plugins can be helpful, it is worth noting that it is important to keep all plugins updated and to keep an eye out for security risks. It is important to download plugins from the official website and developers to face less security threats, malware, and other compromised data. 

Security should always be the utmost priority and thankfully there are a lot of helpful resources available that can help secure your CMS website. If you are new to CMS then don’t let that unfamiliarity get in the way of securing your website. Let a partner agency like iManila assist you with your website. We have a variety of website maintenance and server management services for your different business needs. Drop us a message and see how we can work together! 

Mobile App vs Mobile Website: Which is Better?

Reports show that 58% of website visits come from mobile alone in 2018. As for online shopping, 40% of users do online transactions on mobile. One can’t deny the importance of mobile in this time of business. The question then isn’t about whether your business needs a mobile strategy or not — but whether your business needs a mobile app or a mobile responsive website. 

There are many factors to consider whether a mobile app or mobile website is better suited for your business needs. We’ve made the choice easier by weighing out the options for you. 

 

Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are the ones that can be accessed natively whether Android or iOS. This offers a much faster and responsive experience compared to a website. Here are some of its key features: 

An Interactive Experience 

Apps are generally more interactive and let users interact and experience more value through this new engagement channel. Instead of just displaying words or text the users can interact with its specific components. An example is with Instagram and how users can post their photos on the app while they are limited only to viewing through the website. 

Customization

This allows the user to get the most out of their app experience. From the get-go users are given the freedom to customize and tailor the app to their tastes. Apps can also track user engagement and allow it to offer recommendations to the user which helps better their experience. Businesses can experience being able to send out tailored notifications to its users based on their location, interests, and behavior. 

Intuitive Interface

Apps have their own interface which allow users to have a more immersive experience. Users of certain operating systems also get to experience the same tailored functionality with the app that meets the same characteristics and functionality that they expect. This is a limitation of responsive websites as it offers the same functionality and experience across different devices. 

Offline Accessibility

While a great majority of apps cannot function without internet use, information already loaded can still be accessible for its users. Some apps still offer some type of functionality while offline. This allows the users to still be able to make use of the app with or without connection to the internet. 

Device Capabilities

This allows the app to make use of capabilities users have in their smartphones such as GPS or a camera. Using these capabilities makes for a better experience for its users. For example the app would need to access the location of the user in order to better tailor the restaurant coupons that it offers the users. 

 

Mobile Responsive Website 

This is essentially your website that is customized so that it can be viewed and accessed the same across different devices with different screen sizes. 

One Size Fits All

Responsive websites can be accessed with devices of any operating system (Android, iOS) as long as there is internet connection. This means that they come completely free of charge unlike some apps. But while it is compatible, factors such as internet connection, quality, and speed are still factors that can affect the mobile web experience. 

No Updates 

Unlike apps that need to be constantly updated, websites do not interrupt the user’s experience as websites are easy to update, support, and fix bugs. The best part is that the users would not even notice when a website is being updated, and they can get right into the website experience without any hiccups. 

Cost Effective

This is more of a benefit to businesses but should you wish to establish your business in more than one platform, cost is an important consideration. However, it still depends on the complexity of the responsive mobile design as a complex one can cost just the same as a mobile application. 

With both options presented, the right choice still depends on the company and their business objectives. Should you wish to interact and engage with customers on a deeper level then mobile apps are your best bet but if you aim for mobile-friendly content for a wide range of people then mobile responsive websites should do the job. 

If done correctly, they can be an invaluable tool at helping get your brand out there. If this sounds like something you want but are not sure where to start, then let a partner agency help you achieve your business goals. iManila has been in the industry for more than two decades and has helped thousands of clients improve their work through technology. Let us help you take your business one step further with a mobile strategy, drop us a message to learn more.

6 Benefits of Remote IT Support During the Pandemic

An agile and flexible workforce became all the more important with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic that took the world by storm this 2020. With most companies turning to work from home measures, it became ever so important to integrate the use of online networks and cloud services to do the day’s work. 

When working remotely, maximizing all the resources available is an utmost priority. This is why businesses looking for professional IT services for both consultancy and support can bank on remote IT support at a time like this. 

Remote IT support can offer technical computer assistance even with a geographical distance as everything is done remotely whether over the phone, email, or live chat with the technicians gaining remote access to your computer. There is a wide range of services they can help with such as product support, cloud support, managed services support, and installations and set up to name a few. Here is why remote IT support can be your best bet at IT services during the pandemic. 

Cost benefit

One of the costs being cut out entirely would be the travel expenses incurred during on-site visits. With communication easily available online, this is one of the costs that can be cut down. 

Can do work remotely; no need for face to face interaction 

In light of the pandemic where social distancing practices have to be maintained, a lot of companies have opted for a work from home set up. Having remote IT support can be a huge gain for the companies now utilizing work from home not just for convenience but for safety as well. 

Fast responses & better efficiency

When it comes to technical issues, it is vital that they be attended to immediately so it would not affect the workflow or cause bottlenecks. Remote IT support can be counted on in these scenarios, saving you the time it would take to call IT personnel. 

Moreover, experts say that as much as 90% of IT issues can be dealt with remotely, most especially software solutions. As remote IT support can offer faster solutions, it has become a preferred option for most companies. 

Better focus and productivity

Employees can get easily affected by distractions that can reduce their productivity. Taking out these issues as quickly as possible can mean less distraction for employees, leaving the staff to focus mainly on their tasks at hand to ensure productivity. 

Wider access to IT professionals

Having an in-house IT team or individual can mean that their expertise is limited to what they know. By using IT support services online, there is a bigger chance that there would be more skills and knowledge available as the technician can easily pass it to someone who is better trained for the scenario. 

Knowledge sharing 

Unlike with an IT personnel doing the troubleshooting alone, using remote IT personnel can take your employees through every step of the maintenance or repair. This can help them learn new knowledge and skills and may allow them to learn how to do it themselves should the same problem arise again. 

 

Many organizations often overlook remote IT support being readily available online. With the recent disruption in the status quo of the workplace due to the pandemic, it is the best time to reconsider the efficiency that comes with being online. 

With everyone going remote, don’t let your business get disrupted when you can get more connected. There is no better time to better your business online than now. Get a team of experts to help you get started in navigating through the digital landscape. iManila is contactable despite the pandemic. Reach us through our website, and drop us a question.

How a Hacked Website Can Impact your Business

Your website is your company’s primary asset in the digital age, and the last thing you want to happen is to wake up one day with a hacked one.

With the sudden shift in consumer behavior and increased use of online channels brought about by the pandemic, many businesses are now understanding the importance of having a website to pivot their business in the digital age.

While this is a good start to kick-off your digital presence, many are still neglecting a key element – website security.  This is especially common among small businesses as we tend to focus more on big companies and enterprises whose websites have been hacked before.

But did you know that small business websites are also at risk of getting their websites hacked too? In fact, according to a Verizon 2019 report, 43% of cyberattacks are aimed towards small businesses.

That is why as business owners, it is important to understand the possible impacts of a hacked website to your business, and what you can do to secure your website.

What will happen if your website’s hacked?

Your website is at risk of the following consequences if it gets hacked:

  1. Personal or financial data loss

Most hackers are after these things – personal and financial information. Cybercriminals fish for sensitive information (like your credit card information) often to sell it or use it for themselves.

  1. Slowed Down Website

It is also common for cybercriminals to hack into websites to store and run files on your server. This often leads to a slowed-down website, which can later affect your SEO ranking, as Google’s algorithm takes website speed into account in ranking pages.

  1. You will probably lose your customer’s trust too

No customer would like to hear or see their trusted brand’s website get hacked. Your hacked website not only puts your information at risk, but it also risks having your customer information stolen for can be used by cybercriminals for identity theft.

Additionally, you get possibly be held accountable for stolen customer data, and most customers will probably not be confident to visit your website anymore.

 

What can you do to make your website more secure?

  1. Make sure to get an SSL Certificate

A trusted website should be equipped with an SSL Certificate. This is essential for ALL websites, as it ensures that the data shared between your website and visitors are safe, encrypted, and secured from potential hackers or intruders.

  1. Choose a trusted Web Hosting Provider

The type of hosting you choose for your website can help determine your website’s security. It is important to know how well your hosting provider can protect your website from possible cyberattacks, and how they can respond to hacking incidents when it happens.

 

Conclusion

Website hacking is a real threat to businesses in the digital age. With this, keeping your website secure should be a priority for all businesses to ensure that your company and your client’s information are always safe.

Looking for the right web hosting partner for your business? Check out our website hosting services at iManila.

With over 20 years in the industry, iManila is one of the most trusted web hosting companies in the Philippines. Whether you are looking for a domain, security, or hosting solutions, contact us and we’d be glad to help!

Things to consider when Choosing the Right Web Hosting Provider

Reliable web hosting is essential when building a website for your business. Your website files are all stored in a remote computer server which is called a host. It works when a certain online user wants to view your website and searched for your domain name or website address into their browser. Then, their computer will connect to your website server and your website content will be delivered to their browsers.

Easy as it may seem but web hosting involves various technical processes and technologies. Thus, a web hosting provider or company is a business that has the technologies and services needed for your website or webpages to be seen on the Internet.

To help you out, here are the important factors to consider when choosing the right web hosting provider for your business:

Type of Web Host

With the prevalence of digital media, it’s much easier to get hosting services today from both local and foreign providers compared to how it is a few years back. However, before you get one for your website, you must first know the different types of hosting services that are available and what suits your business.

Here are the three different types of website hosting that you can choose from:

  • Virtual Server Hosting – This is also dubbed as a virtual private server (VPS) that is available for your web hosting needs. It is actually a virtual server that a user perceives as a dedicated or private server even though it is installed on a physical computer that runs multiple operating systems. This kind of hosting is a shared system and has lesser user traffic but provides good speed. Web contents are loaded faster in this type of hosting system.
  • Cloud Shared Hosting – This hosting system is one of the most common and usually the best option for small and medium enterprises. In this kind of hosting, the web space is being shared with multiple business entities while the maintenance and cost of the web hosting service are also being shared by the users. With this, you only get charged for the space that was allocated for you.
  • Dedicated Hosting – In this kind of hosting system, excellent performance can be guaranteed. Dedicated hosting is where a business entity leases an entire server to provide their clients with their own data center. While this type may cost more than the other two, it promises great speed and full control over the server.

Correct Bandwidth and Security

Make sure that the provider whom you are coordinating with can provide the right bandwidth and disk storage space that you require. It is also ideal to go for a provider who can also offer Security Sockets Layer or SSL Certificate that can add protection to your website from potential hackers. (Read our previous blog about why it is important for you to have an SSL Certificate.)

Customer Support

It is ideal for you to get a web hosting company that can provide you with 24/7 Technical Support. When it comes to website maintenance and making sure that your website is always up and running, your provider must have a reel time helpdesk through live chat, mail or call to resolve your queries on the dot.

Now that you have an idea on the various factors to consider when choosing the right web hosting provider, the next step is to look for the best and most reliable company that will not just cater your needs but will also exceed your expectations.

Turn to iManila and see our excellence as it happens! Experience the best web and email hosting in the Philippines with powerful features engineered to provide 99.95% uptime and availability, day-in, day-out.

Contact us now or send us an email at [email protected]!

Your Online Brand Starts with a Reliable Hosting Service

 

I heard this a lot from potential clients asking our tech support about our hosting packages. These potential clients are looking for a reliable hosting service provider. However, some of them are not quite knowledgeable. Perfect examples are those who are hesitant to know more about the hosting service they’re inquiring about. Most of them are marketing professionals believing that they need to focus more on growing the brand and creating a solid marketing strategy online. That is why they are passively asking inquiring because they simply need it – or just because they’re asked by their IT peers.

This is usually the pitfalls for some marketing executives. Not being able to understand the parameters and limitations of your hosting server usually lead to disaster.

As we always say, your brand online always starts with a reliable hosting service. And here are the reasons why.

  • Hosting server is your primary business data repository

All the information and files you upload to your website (and the website itself) are all housed inside your server. Whatever happens to your server will definitely happen to your website and your web applications such as your in-house CRM and ERP (if there are any).

Even if there are other factors affecting your website performance, your hosting server also takes a crucial in dictating its performance.

Your server’s specifications have something to do with the efficiency in retrieving data from folders in your server going to your website. Factors such as the bandwidth and processing speed have something to do with the loading time. If you are really uploading large media files such videos, you might need a better and bigger server.

Your business brand online is dependent on the content you upload online. Interactive mediums are usually bandwidth and space-hogging files. Often times, good marketing branding depends on the authenticity and creativity of the content created and uploaded on your online assets. And usually, the most effective content format these days are motion graphics and videos.

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  • Security of your hosting server says a lot about your data’s longevity

This digital age treasures, not just paper bills and bonds, but also data. Whatever we post online about our business, plus the things that we gained from it such as lead list, mailing list database, client lists, and even transaction histories are undeniably valuable business assets that should be protected.

Negligence and complacency can open doorways for hackers to get in and mess up with your valued database.

Find a hosting service provider who can give you security options to keep your peace of mind is the next best step that your company needs to do.

 

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No matter how we try to justify that hosting servers don’t matter that much in online marketing – it will always come back to haunt us just like our past mistakes. A server keeps everything visible online, it is, in fact, the foundation of all online efforts. Undermining it is like claiming to build a tower without a solid foundation.

iManila is a trusted provider of both reliable hosting services and tech support service that surely covers small and medium businesses IT concerns. Our lines are open 24/7 and our sales executives are available Mondays to Fridays to assist you with your web, IT, and digital marketing queries.

Emails: [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]

Telephone numbers: (02) 490-0000, 01, 03 or at (02) 959-4807

Mobile number: (+63) 917-8476005

Website Hosting Features You Should Know

 

We have mentioned it many times, and we think, we became very repetitive about it – your hosting service needs tighter security because your primary online presence depends on it.

Imagine your website that took a lifetime to load, or sections of your websites that are vulnerable to attacks and malware – are these the kind of situation that will give you peace of mind? NO, it is not, and it never will. Everything your company owns online is your digital assets. These are the building blocks that you need to mobilize and protect, to keep your digital marketing going.

Now, to kick start your website hosting security feature knowledge, below are the basic web server features you need to be familiar with:

The truth is, your website is potentially under attack 24/7. And as your business flourishes and keeps on growing online, you are becoming an attractive prey to lurking malicious online criminals. With a malware detector feature, you get to secure your website by putting a reliable line of defense against security breaches and attacks.

iManila’s web hosting service provides a malware detector that monitors your website 24/7 for vulnerabilities and attacks. When we say monitors, that means that it screens every aspect of your web presence daily to identify security gaps. It not only checks your website, email, and applications, but also search engine blacklists and spam filters. It doesn’t just monitor; it also notifies your IT personnel about the findings with corresponding fixes to boost your security. That is one less burden on your back, enabling you to focus more on pressing matters concerning your business and the day to day operations.

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Securities are your first line of defenses. But as businesses like yours evolve, so are the hackers. Day by day, these people are working as hard as your online security to find fault and gaps that they can breach. And I mind you, they never stop, and probably they never will.

So iManila is integrating website backup feature to secure the latest backup version of your website. In this way, when your security features couldn’t keep up with these hackers, you can easily restore your website the way it is before the hacking incident.

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You and your company are working round the clock, so should your hosting server. We in iManila understands the worries and pains of businesses like yours – because we are also like you – driven to serve clients and grow as an organization. And all these things in mind will surely stretch you thin.

Important things like your hosting servers should always be secured even if you are not focusing on it all the time. That is why we at iManila has made it easy for businesses to secure the most important data and information in their websites by integrating these security features on our hosting services.

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Need some help? Contact Us right now!

Want some good news? If you do website revamp and transfer your hosting to us, your first year of hosting service is free with these security features.

Sounds good to you? Go ahead and email us at [email protected]