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Tag: Website maintenance

Beat the Heat of Online Competition: Ways to Increase Your Website’s Traffic

As entrepreneurs, we aim to rise from the market competition. Having an online presence through a website is a good start but that alone doesn’t make much of a cut. It requires succeeding actions like increasing your website traffic to really be ahead of your competitors.

Website traffic is the amount of users visiting your site. It is frequently used as a metric by businesses to assess their efficacy and success in attracting a larger audience to their brand online. An increase in website traffic means increase in potential customers, conversions, sales, and brand awareness. If you want to level up your business and beat the heat of online competition, take this blog as a guide!

Create Audience Research

Understanding your audience is one of the first steps you can do to succeed in generating website traffic. By conducting audience research you can better understand your target market’s needs, problems, and goals. Knowing this will enable you to develop relevant, customized material for them. Remember, you won’t increase traffic to your site by producing content purely for the purpose of producing it. You must produce material that is audience-focused. 

Do a Keyword Research

The next step in gaining relevant and targeted traffic to your site is carrying out keyword research. This is the premise of your search engine optimization (SEO), a strategy used to organically elevate your rank in search engine result pages.

Keywords are words or phrases your audience uses to find content. You must include these in your headline, meta tags, and content to increase the likelihood of your content ranking. To identify these keywords, you have to invest in a powerful keyword research tool. But, of course, expect that this comes with a price.

Keep an Eye on Your Competitors

Watching your rivals is also a great way to improve website traffic. By looking at what other people do to increase their own organic search traffic, you can create an effective strategy of yours. To start, determine your competitors.

  • Direct competitors: Any company or individual who provides the same goods or services as you do.
  • Indirect competitors: Companies who do not necessarily provide the same goods or services as you do but aim to appeal to the same market as yours. 

Combining your observations on both direct and indirect competitors will give you a great and faultless gameplan. Just make sure that your data is accurate. You may use competitor analysis tools to help you on this. But, again, this could come pricey.

Produce High-Quality Content

Of course, if you want to attract the ideal visitors to your website you need to produce excellent content. Create content that sticks out among roughly 6 million blog entries that are generated every day. To achieve this, make sure your content is easy to read, well written and formatted, informative, and trustworthy. You could also check Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines to know more about content that ranks.

Take Advantage of Social Media

With over 4.6 billion users, social media is a forceful way of generating website traffic. Leverage from this by posting previews or teasers of your new website content. Hashtags are also popular in this channel. Using the right hashtags can connect you to your intended audience. Lastly, social media is a platform for user interaction. Take advantage of this to engage with your audience. 

Use Email Marketing

No one loves your content more than people who’ve enlisted for your newsletter. Use your email list to promote your content. Send some of your blog postings to your email list subscribers. This will serve as a reminder that your blog is a great source of information.

Don’t have an email list yet? Building one from scratch requires a lot of work. Luckily, there are tools available online that you can use. Take note that these come with subscription terms and fees, but are totally worth it.

Run Paid Ads

Running paid advertisements can be a good addition to content marketing. However, its primary goal is to increase traffic to your site. It yields quicker results and enables hyper-targeting, allowing you to concentrate your campaigns to people who connect with your content.

Website traffic is important and crucial in growing your business so better to work it out. Invest if you must. For an easier and cost-effective solution, hire a digital marketing team that can help you with these 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, is committed to providing our clients with innovative information technology, web, and digital solutions.

iManila is a full-service business web development company 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 needs. Aside from this, we are also an applications development company specializing in customized web systems for businesses in different industries and a digital marketing agency that provides a wide range of digital marketing services. Talk to us!

What is a Web Application and How Can It Help Your Business?

Web application has evolved into an integral component of modern business. When compared to desktop programs, they offer a wider range of business benefits. To be specific, it’s helpful in enhancing corporate operations, integrating complex systems, and getting the most out of your business. Instead of being installed, web apps can be accessed from any computer through the internet. They are stored on a remote server and delivered over the internet through a browser interface.

Whether you’re a small startup or a huge corporation, you could definitely benefit from this. Read further as we share how web applications actually work and how they can put your business on top!

How Do Web Applications Work

Web applications don’t need downloading since they can be accessed through a web browser. Typically, it only requires a small team to develop and has a short development cycle. Building the application’s front end is done using JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS. While, the back end uses languages like Python, Java, and Ruby for server-side programming. 

Web apps also require a web server that manages the incoming requests from clients, an application server that executes the requested task, and a database that stores necessary information. 

Advantages of Using Web Applications for Your Business

Platform-agnostic

Web applications are highly flexible and accessible since they are not built for a specific platform. Users can use the app regardless of their operating system and device type. In return, it eliminates the need for developers to create different versions for each platform.

Low cost and easy maintenance

Popular coding languages are used in developing and maintaining web applications. Hence, it requires less development time, making them cheaper than other forms of applications. Furthermore, maintaining it is cost and time efficient as updates and patches can be done on the server side and automatically sent to all users. 

Secure live data

They provide real-time data security benefits by combining larger, more complicated systems and data sources, decreasing the need for separate systems. This blocks access to data and backend servers, adding safety measures.

No App Marketplace

Web app developers have more flexibility regarding when and how they release their apps. The reason behind this is that they don’t need to obey the operating system standards that typically traditional apps require. 

Automatic Update

Users don’t have to worry about managing updates or downloading patches to keep their web apps up-to-date. Instead, when they open a web app, they are always presented with the latest version. This can be particularly convenient for users who use multiple devices, as they can access the same up-to-date version of the web app regardless of their device.

Highly deployable

Once a web application has been installed on the host, the user can access it using the URL. It is ideal when bandwidth is limited, and users are remote from the system and data. In conclusion, this expands access to multiple systems, streamlines operations, and improves relationships by giving access to consumers, suppliers, and any third parties.

In today’s business world, web applications are essential for streamlining operations and engaging customers. Take advantage of the benefits – team up with a professional web development and applications development company to take your business to the next level. Get in touch with iManila today and find out how we 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, is committed to providing our clients with innovative information technology, web, and digital solutions.

iManila is a full-service business web development company 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 needs. Aside from this, we are also an applications development company specializing in customized web systems for businesses in different industries and a digital marketing agency that provides a wide range of digital marketing services. Talk to us!

10 Common Website Malwares You Should Be Aware Of

Malware is a massive threat to your computer that is constantly evolving. The more we access the internet, the more advanced cyber threats become. Malware is dispersing via websites, email messages, and malicious links that trick you into installing it without your knowledge. Individuals, businesses, and governments can all suffer major losses due to malware. In such a way it can steal personal and financial information, compromise security, and disrupt critical services. 

In this digital era, the most critical factor is safeguarding sensitive information. Educating oneself on these types of attacks can help reduce the risk of falling victim to this digital threat. 

Majority of individuals assume that only viruses are capable of infecting a computer. However, malware comes in various types, each with its purpose. Below we’ll take an in-depth look at some of the most common malware attacks and how they work.

Ransomware

Ransomware is malware that encrypts your files, then demands payment for the decryption key. The purpose of ransomware is to generate revenue for its creators, and it’s one of the fastest-growing types of malware. Since ransomware is designed to extort money from you in exchange for access to your data, it can be harmful if you don’t have backups or copies of your encrypted files. However, if you have backups, there’s no reason to pay up just because someone is threatening you with something they’re probably incapable of doing.

Viruses

A virus infects the computer and causes it to perform specific unwanted tasks. They do this by modifying or corrupting the operating system. Some types of viruses have other purposes. For example, some viruses may delete or move files from your computer or encrypt your files so that you cannot access them anymore.

Installing antivirus software is the only guaranteed way to keep your device virus-free. It will run periodic computer scans to detect and remove malicious software. If any viruses are detected, they will be removed immediately, preventing them from spreading to other files or corrupting your system.

Worms

Files on local and network drives are vulnerable to being corrupted by worms. It can cause severe damage to your computer and make it unusable. It replicates itself to infect other systems and spreads by moving from one computer to another across a network. To trick users into downloading and opening a worm, cyber attackers often disguise it as a seemingly harmless file or link. It can wipe data or grant hackers access to victims’ computers. It is essential to be familiar with worms and their prevention. Keeping your system up-to-date with patches will help prevent worms from spreading and new ones from getting in.

Spyware

Spyware is designed to spy on a user’s activities. It covertly monitors and gathers information from a user’s computer or device without their knowledge or consent. It can collect a wide range of personal data, including login credentials, browsing history, keystrokes, and even webcam or microphone recordings. Spyware can often go undetected for extended periods, which is one of its most alarming characteristics. Users may only realize that their personal information is being harvested or that their online activity is being monitored once it is too late, which can lead to serious privacy violations and even financial losses.

Bots

Bots are programmed to imitate human behavior by executing duties like web crawling, data scraping, and social media automation. They are software programs that automate tasks on the internet. Bots come in a variety of types, ranging from helpful to malicious. For example, search engine bots help make the internet more accessible and efficient by indexing and organizing content. On the other hand, malicious bots can steal personal information, spread spam and phishing messages, and launch cyberattacks. The threat posed by these automated programs can take various forms, including DDOS, spam, content duplication, and so on. It can also be used to mine cryptocurrency, generate fraudulent ad clicks, and engage in other illegal activities.

Adware

Adware is a type of malware that displays unwanted advertisements on your computer and can create substantial disruptions to the user’s browsing experience and a slowdown in device performance. Additionally, it may collect personal information and track your browsing history, allowing them to target their ads more effectively and increasing the risk of identity theft and other types of fraud. Adware can be installed on your computer without your knowledge, often during the installation of another program that is frequently bundled with free downloads. Once the adware is installed, it will automatically display ads or pop-ups on your computer.

Trojans

Trojan malware enables unauthorized access to a computer or network. They can steal or delete data and gain access to confidential files and programs. Many trojans are created to imitate other programs so that they can corrupt a system without being noticed. Once they have gained access, some trojans will remain dormant on your computer to await further instructions from their host hacker or immediately begin their malicious activities.

Fileless malware

Fileless malware does not require a file to run. Instead, it remains in the main memory (RAM) and never touches the hard disk, and then uses the user’s software and programs against them. In addition to being undetectable by standard means, it has no recognizable code or signature. It utilizes legitimate tools and functions of the host operating system to evade detection. While traditional antivirus software may detect files containing malicious code, they cannot identify some types of fileless malware because they don’t have any files. This makes it easier for an attacker to avoid detection by antivirus software, as most of these programs rely on files to determine what to protect.

Rootkits

Rootkits are designed to evade detection by antivirus and other security tools. Attackers produce and disseminate them to obtain access and manipulate compromised systems. A rootkit may be packaged as a standalone application or masked within another software so that it cannot be easily detected. Rootkits are incapable of self-replication. Therefore, they rely on hidden methods to infect systems. Rootkits are implanted until an attacker activates them by granting access to rootkit installation software.

 

Mobile malware

Mobile malware is transmitted through downloading applications from unreliable sources. Malicious applications may appear legal, but they may conceal malware that might damage the device and steal important data. It can also spread through phishing scams, including fake messages or emails claiming to come from a reputable source, such as a bank or government agency. The messages may request personal information or a click on a link that installs malware on the user’s device.

 As they say “prevention is better than the cure”. Keep your servers and websites secured and efficiently working by taking proactive measures. This entails installing web security and hiring a reliable technical support team. Find it 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!

The Importance of Server Management in Your Business’ Success

In today’s online platforms, server management plays a big role for any business that works with computers. As we already know, servers are responsible for storing and sharing of important files, and hosting applications, among others. With this, having the right personnel to manage your server is important in order for businesses to increase their productivity. Learn more about server management here in this blog.

What is server management?

As the name states, server management basically involves the monitoring and maintenance of the IT system’s hardware and software. It also helps with its security and backups in order to keep the IT environment operational and working effectively. Some of the main objectives of Server Management include:

  • Preventing server slowdowns and downtime while maximizing reliability
  • Helping secure server environments
  • Helping scale servers and related operations to meet the needs of the organization

Basic functions of server management

Now that we’ve tackled what server management is, let’s take a closer look at some of the basic functions of this service:

 

  • Server Provisioning

 

Server provisioning refers to the process of providing a server with the necessary elements and components needed to perform its intended functions. This process usually begins with gathering information about the server’s expected purpose. Afterwards, the IT specialist will set up the operating system that will control the server and install required softwares to meet the intended functionalities. 

 

  • Performance Monitoring

 

IT specialists monitor all the components and software that are performing during day-to-day operations. Some of the functions include checking for any downtime, unexpected issues, etc.

 

  • Updates

 

As the name suggests, this server software as well as the operating system receives updates to add new features, improve the existing features, work on issues that may arise, and many more. Overall, this helps keep the software up to date and is an essential part of server management.

 

  • Server Security

 

This server management service functions as a way to secure all the data in the server. The IT specialists usually install security monitoring programs to know whether there is a breach in the server. These can result in data leak prevention to unwanted users.

 

  • Backup & Restoration

 

Another key component of a server management service is backup and restoration. This keeps your system backed up with several restoration points. For instance, if an unexpected outage happens, you can restore your data and track down the cause of the issue.

In order to do everything mentioned above, aside from expertise you will be needing tools such as softwares. These tools are costly and have a huge learning curve to begin with. It would be best to just hire a team that has both expertise and tools like the experts 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 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!

7 Unique Features of Cloud Hosting You Should Know About

Traditionally, when it comes to hosting solutions there were only two major options people go for. These are the affordable Shared Hosting and the powerful yet expensive Dedicated Hosting. But with the advent of virtualization, the web hosting sector developed Virtual Private Servers. And with the evolution of the cloud and the applications of cloud to hosting, Cloud Server Hosting came to life.

Cloud Hosting allows applications and websites to be accessible using cloud resources. In this hosting set-up, solutions are not installed on a single server, as opposed to traditional ones. Instead, the application or website is hosted on a network of connected virtual and physical cloud servers, ensuring greater adaptability, security, and scalability.

Being the latest and most innovative web hosting solution, Cloud Hosting has a lot to offer. Read further as we uncover seven unique features of Cloud Hosting!

High on security 

First and foremost, hosting your site to a cloud server guarantees your data’s protection from accidental loss and malicious activity. And since it’s in a cloud server, you are also safe from disasters like fire, floods, and earthquakes. In addition, with a Cloud Hosting solution, your data is handled and taken care of by experienced IT professionals. They install interconnected security tools, acquire needed resources, and offer additional security layers all just to keep your data safe.

Redundancy

As mentioned earlier, in a cloud set-up, your site is hosted on multiple servers. If something happens to one of the servers, a backup will take over without causing any downtime to your site. Also, in the event of data loss, it’s easy to get your data back since it is duplicated and stored in multiple servers.

Low exposure to cyber threats

With a Cloud Hosting solution, even if one of the servers is under attack, your data will not be at risk. This is because it has been distributed between multiple servers. Additionally, since your data is constantly moving from one server to another, it would be impossible to plan a hack.

Faster website speed and performance

Again, since your site is hosted on multiple servers, there is an instant increase in your site’s capacity. You can add a lot of images and features without slowing your load speed. Also, having multiple servers balances out the pressure or demand of a single servers’ resources giving your site better performance.

Easy to scale server resources

Scaling refers to upgrading or downgrading your servers’ capacity (RAM, storage, CPU core, etc.). For instance, your website will grow and receive huge traffic. When this happens, you will be needing more resources. With cloud hosting, it is easy, simple, and takes just a couple of minutes to upgrade.

Simple to use and manage

With everything that is happening on a cloud host – multiple servers, constant movement and mirroring of data, and so on – it can be overwhelming. However, none of these are something you should worry about. All complexities are handled by the hosting company. Usually, you will just be given an easy to use software like cPanel where you can manage your site. This software is designed for non-tech savvy so even if you’re new to Cloud Hosting, you can still manage it.

Exceptional website uptime

In a traditional hosting where your site is hosted on a single server, when that server goes down, your site goes down as well. It’ll not just cause downtime but will also affect your SEO and lowers your ranking in the search results page. However, when you are hosted in a multiple server like in a Cloud Hosting, you can expect 99% uptime. A non-functioning server will not really affect you.

Cloud hosting is gaining popularity for several good reasons. Aside from its great features, it is affordable. If you are ready to give Cloud Hosting a try, make sure to get it from the best web hosting provider in the Philippines, 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!

Shared Hosting vs. Dedicated Hosting: Which is Right for Your Business?

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!

Beware of the newest email scam with subject "attention confirmation update password" iManila

iMANILA ADVISORY: Beware of the Newest Email Scam with subject “Attention Confirmation Update Password”

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!

The Crucial Role of Technical Support in Business Growth

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!

Ways to Catch Your Customers’ Hearts Through Brand Awareness

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!