It's important for every business to install security patches in WordPress (WP), given the growing number of cyberthreats targeting businesses. Apart from defending your website from threats, patches guarantee that your business stays intact and your data remains in safe hands. But sometimes a security update can cause issues. Why does this happen, and can it be prevented? Be cautious with updates In 2017, WP issued 21 updates and 33% of these focused on security. Despite their many benefits, these updates caused some sites to crash and caused downtime related plugin incompatibilities. To take advantage of updates without experiencing any drawbacks, our technicians shared the following tips: Check plugin compatibility A typical WP site has anywhere from 10 to 50 plugins installed that enable additional functionality. Some are supported by developers who constantly update these plugins while others are not. For a fully functional website, always choose plugins that are backed by certified development teams, and be wary of error-prone free plugins. We know how difficult it is to designate a portion of your business expenses on improving your site, but in the long run, you’ll realize that relying on free plugins will generate more website crashes than website leads. Choose how you update Every time WP releases a new version, you get a notification in the dashboard. There, you are given an option to select a manual or automatic one-click update. Consider the effect of e ... [Read More]
How to Leverage Social Media for your Business
Do you, as a new or even a very experienced business owner, know how to take advantage of social media exposure, especially if no one has any idea what your new business is all about? The truth is, this is one of the best uses of social media that I can think of. Even you can succeed with social media, even if you have what could be perceived as a small, newbie brand. Read on to learn more. #1 Prove you’re an expert It’s important to know everything there is about your product/brand, and often it's a good idea to know even everything beyond it. According to PR firm founder Heather DeSantis of Publicity For Good, one needs to “transition from being a business owner and someone selling a product to a thought leader. You have to have actionable tips that other small-business owners can take action on”. #2 Establish profiles on major social media sites Take time to figure out which social media sites your target customers frequent. Then set up pages or profiles on those sites -- and post content regularly, at least once a week. To post to multiple social media platforms at a time, consider using a service such as Hootsuite. Once profiles are up and running, don't let them fall behind. Outdated profiles are almost as bad as nonexistent ones. #3 Create fresh, shareable content Google loves original and valuable content. By creating informative articles, people will share links to your site and you'll notice a difference in Google's search results. Just remember: Write for yo ... [Read More]
5 tips for effective social media posts
Regardless of your company's size, social media marketing is a fickle tool you can't afford to ignore, especially if your business targets Generation Z customers. Read on to discover five simple tips to create effective social media posts and some ways to get the most out of your social media posts. 1. Choose the right platform Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn to choose from, you may be tempted to sign up for more social media accounts than you’re ready to manage. It may not seem like much at first, but you'd be surprised by how quickly you can be overwhelmed by statuses, commenting on existing posts, and answering inquiries on every platform, which is why it’s better to adopt only a few platforms that can effectively attract your target customers. Ask yourself these questions before deciding which platform to use: Who is my target customer and what channels do they use? What do I hope to gain by opening a social media account? What kind of content do I want to share and create? How much time can I devote to social media management? 2. Know when to update Are most of your customers online at 8am or 8pm? With a better understanding of your target users' habits, you can schedule your posts so they create more traffic, increase brand engagement and, eventually, generate new leads and customers. Depending on which platform you choose to invest in, you should post a new update during these times for maximum engagement: Fa ... [Read More]
How Facebook’s News Feed Tweaks Affect You
Facebook’s newest action can mean bad news to businesses. The company had announced its decision to screen its News Feed to include less content from publishers and businesses and more from your loved ones. This comes after the allegations of how social media has unconsciously shaped people’s opinion and mental well-being. Potential Outcome for Facebook One of the main sources of revenue for the social media giant is from its advertising program. But with the changes set to take place, there’s a high possibility that users will spend less time on its platform. This would mean comparatively less effective advertising than before, thus fewer advertisement signups from businesses. While they do admit this move may potentially hurt profitability, Facebook hopes this change will improve user experience, which in the long-run may translate into higher profits. Reason for News Feed Change Users enjoy learning about what’s happening in their social circles. Whether what's shared is as mundane as what someone recently baked, or as momentous as a wedding, every day millions of users like and comment about each other's lives. For this reason, Facebook has decided to spotlight images and videos that are more meaningful to people on a personal level. Such posts have greater power to deepen human bonds. Weighing the Pros and Cons of the News Feed Change However, research has found that constant use of Facebook can cause people to feel alienated and inadequate, reducing people’ ... [Read More]
Google Search Tips To Make your Life Easier
What would we do without Google? Sure, there are other search engines out there; but let’s face it, Google has left its competitors in the dust, thanks to its speed and ease of use. What’s more, the search engine is packed with advanced search features that make life a lot easier. Here are a few of them! Include and Exclude Keywords Google will understand most of the search terms you type into it. However, at times the search engine will match only some of the words you typed, showing limited results. To avoid this, just point out which keywords are the most important by adding a plus symbol (+) in front of words you would like Google to include in the search results. And if the results you’re looking for get pushed off the page by similar yet irrelevant articles, adding a minus symbol (-) in front of keywords you don’t want to see will avoid them popping up in the first place. For example, “+cloud services -hybrid cloud” will provide search results about different cloud services while excluding results related to hybrid cloud. Additionally, searching a phrase within double quotation marks guarantees to retrieve results that include only the exact phrase that matches your query. Do a Website Search Ever need to look for information from a specific website? Instead of visiting that website and sifting through different pages, Google makes it a breeze by allowing you to add “site:url” to the end of your search query. For example, if you want to find what F ... [Read More]