Each of them has distinct advantages and disadvantages, which means picking one comes down to the needs of your website. Of course, this is true for just about everything when it comes to web design.

It’s all about what works best for your specific situation.

That said, if you run a typical website, they will have similar results to one another. The real differences show up on larger websites that deal with far more data than a typical blogging site.

Let’s take a look at what these solutions are and how they compare to figure out which one is the best for you.

Memcached vs. Redis: Overview

Before we start looking at the finer parts of each caching solution, let’s just do a quick overview of each. For greater detail, refer to the other sections listed below.

What Is Memcached?

Memcached is a free open-source caching solution that was invented in 2003. It stores data using strings, and the amount of data it can store is only limited by the hardware it is stored on.

Thus, it can be scaled easily by adding more hardware.

If it runs out of room to store the data, it will begin overwriting the oldest data that has not been used in some time. This can somewhat be problematic for some industries, thus, the proper procedures need to be taken to ensure important info is not lost.

What Is Redis?

Redis, or Remote Dictionary Server, is an open-source caching solution that prioritizes performance more than other solutions. It was invented in 2009.

It stores data using several types of data (string, hash, list, set, and sorted set) which allow it to quickly access the data stored. You can even edit said data without having to load it, which results in a faster solution.

If a memory limit is reached, then Redis will return an error instead of deleting old data. Overall, users get to enjoy a fast caching experience on their website.

Memcached vs. Redis: Data Storage

While Memcached and Redis both do an excellent job at storing data, they go about it quite differently. This gives each one an advantage in certain situations over the other.

Let’s take a look at how each one works.

Memcached: Data Storage

Memcached stores all of the data as string keys and keys up to 250B and values up to 1MB. The data stored takes up very little room when compared to other server-side caching solutions, which makes it attractive to larger websites.

It takes advantage of a “Slab.” This segments the memory into multiple chunks of varying sizes. The keys are then stored in the chunk that corresponds to their size, which prevents memory fragmentation from occurring.

In terms of storage capacity, you are limited by the amount of memory available on your hardware. This can be expanded upon as needed, which makes it very scalable for larger websites.

Memcached is used by some of the largest websites in the world like YouTube.

Redis: Data Storage

Redis stores data using five unique data types that include:

• String
• Hash
• List
• Set
• Sorted Set

The data types provide a unique advantage over other caching solutions that give you access to each field within one. This allows the system to carry out any CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) function as needed.

Redis supports keys up to values of 512MB. It also supports data type operations, which allow you to edit any data stored within without having to load it.

This saves time as you not only avoid loading the data but also avoid having to store the data again.

Redis utilizes a Master/Slave architecture, which helps add redundancy to the system. If a Master fails, then a Slave is promoted to take its place.

This makes Redis harder to maintain on larger sites due to the complexity of the architecture but is more secure.

Memcached vs. Redis: Setup

Many users are building a website for the first time, which means they are looking for the easiest caching solution to manage.

Let’s take a quick look at what each one entails.

Memcached: Setup

One of the main reasons Memcached has been a dominant force in the industry is due to its simplicity. It is really easy to get started with Memcached on any Windows or Unix device. It can also adapt to any language such as PHP, C, etc.

Due to how dominant it has been over the years, there are a variety of resources you can take advantage of to help you along.

In many cases, your web host will set this up for you upon request. And in some cases, some platforms will have additional tools to make it easier to set up and manage.

Redis: Setup

Redis is a bit trickier to set up, but it is not difficult for your standard sites. More and more web hosts support Redis and will help you install it on your web server upon request. That said, they do not help you manage it.

Resources are becoming more readily available, but there are fewer overall.

That said, tools are coming out that can help make the setup easier. For instance, in WordPress, the Redis Object Cache plugin can help you set up Redis in just a few minutes.

On more complicated networks, it is worth pointing out that Redis has far more flexibility in terms of setup. This can make it more complicated, especially if you need to run multiple nodes simultaneously.

Memcached vs. Redis: Persistence

Some websites will need persistence from their caching solution. This means when the web server is restarted for whatever reason, that the data stored is not lost. Only one of these solutions supports the function.

Memcached: Persistence

Memcached does not support persistence operations. When the server is restarted, the data is lost.

Redis: Persistence

Is Redis persistent?

Yes, Redis provides several options when it comes to persistence. These include :

• RDB (Redis Database)
• AOF (Append Only File)
• No persistence
• RDB + AOF

The official Redis documentation goes into great detail about the robust options you have available. To keep it simple, you can quickly restore data from any point. This allows you to get your website operating in seconds.

Memcached vs. Redis: WordPress Sites

Odds are your website was built using WordPress, which both of these caching solutions work on. However, these solutions are not quite equal anymore and one is beginning to outshine the other.

Though, results vary based on what kind of website you’re building.

Memcached: WordPress Sites

For a long time, Memcached was the go-to caching solution for WordPress. It offers users an incredibly easy setup and a great performance out of the box.

As such, there are a variety of caching plugins you can utilize Memcached with like W3 Total Cache.

Memcached excels as a caching solution when websites constantly deliver the same page to visitors. This is especially true for one-page business sites due to a fast response time. This drastically lowers page load times.

In many cases, it is still the default caching solution for many web hosts.

Redis: WordPress Sites

Redis has been gaining ground over the last few years and has really become the best caching solution for most WordPress sites.

It stores the data in memory using the server’s RAM. While the amount of data it can store is low, it is much faster than other solutions.

For the most part, the average WordPress blog will not come anywhere close to exceeding what your web server’s RAM can handle. This results in it being the fastest solution available, but it is not quite as easy to set up as other solutions.

The good news is that due to its explosive popularity, most web hosts have begun to support Redis and can help with the installation process.

If your website is focusing more on speed, Redis is by far the best option for a standard WordPress site.

Memcached vs. Redis: Which is Better?

While it largely depends on what kind of site you are running, on a general level, Redis will end up being the better option, especially in the WordPress ecosystem.

When set up correctly, it delivers the fastest caching experience and has more features to take advantage of.

This gives it far more flexibility with dealing with bigger sets of data. Of course, this flexibility does come at the price of complexity. Redis will be slightly harder to maintain and manage when compared to Memcached, but the performance boost is worth the effort.

That said, either solution will work for the majority of websites out there. It just depends on the data you are working with and your ability to properly configure each to fit the situation.

Which caching solution did you choose? Did you notice a performance boost when switching from one solution to another?

The post Memcached vs Redis: Which One is the Best for You? appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

As such, the font needs to be easy to ready, properly sized, and be a color that does not blend in with the background. While this may sound like the basics, so many websites still don’t get it right, and odds are you have probably run into a website or two that is hard to read.

Today, I will be covering everything you need to know about HTML fonts in WordPress.

What Are HTML Fonts?

An HTML font, or web font, is the style of text displayed on websites, which is written in CSS. In most cases, the platform you create your website on will only have a limited selection of fonts to choose from, but in reality, there are hundreds available.

However, using them comes with a pretty big trade-off. They may not be stored on the servers you communicate with.

Or in other words, your page may take longer to load if you are using an unusual font because the server and web browsers must locate the font you are using and then install it before the page can load.

This is why most websites actually use a very similar font.

Another aspect of HTML fonts is their ability to adapt to different screen sizes. Or in other words, responsiveness.

It’s also important to mention that each font is customizable in terms of its size and the color you choose. There are also other standard customizations like bold and italics that you can apply. These options are available for nearly every font.

How Do I Change Fonts in WordPress?

The fonts you have at your disposal are dependent on the theme you are using. Each theme will typically offer several standard fonts you can choose from. That said, like most things in WordPress, you can add more with plugins.

Let’s take a look at how to choose a font in WordPress.

Method 1: Theme Customizer

Before WordPress 5.9, virtually all themes within WordPress allowed you to change font through the theme customizer. This allows you to change the font in any area on your website. And it’s really easy to do.

The only problem is that some themes do not have the same options available. Thus, if you don’t see a typography option, skip to method 2.

On the WordPress admin panel, click on the Appearance and select the Customize option.

As I said before, this is different for every theme. Sometimes the typography option will appear in the top-level options. Other times it is buried in another location.

In my case, I am using the Astra theme. I first need to click on Global before I can select the typography option.

The options available are theme-dependent, but you will typically have options to change spacing, margins, font size, and more. You can use the font selector to pick from the defaults your theme offers. Some offer more than others.

You can see what the font looks like in the areas it changes. Sometimes they are global options, and sometimes they are for specific sections.

Method 2: Code

Not all themes offer typography as an option, instead, you need to actually code the fonts into the stylesheet. The good news is that this sounds way harder than it actually is.

Go into the backend of your website and locate your theme’s CSS stylesheet. To use one font throughout your website, add the following line of code to the top of the sheet:

* {font-family:”Name of font”}

You must replace the “name of font” with the actual name of the font (like Arial). Save the changes and that is your new font. The font must be a standard HTML font, otherwise, you need to download the font to use it.

In those cases, you can sometimes embed a line of code in your header area. A great example of this is Google fonts.

Method 3: Site Editor (WordPress 5.9)

The Site Editor is a new addition to WordPress as of the latest update 5.9. It is not available on most themes, and the ones it is are still in beta. However, going forward, this will slowly but surely replace the theme customizer.

In the coming months, themes will exclusively release with this editor and existing themes will add it as a replacement or in conjunction with the theme customizer from method 1.

TL;DR: The site editor is here to stay and allows you to make changes to your entire site at once. And yes, this includes typography options.

Click on Appearance and select the Editor option.

The first thing you should see is the Typography option on the right-hand side. Click on it.

You’ll then be asked to choose between Text and Links. Links refer to hyperlinks you create, while text refers to everything else. Select the Text option.

Use the Font Family drop-down box to select which font to use. Similar to before, the options at your disposal are theme-dependent.

And that’s it. This editor will surely be expanded upon in future updates, so there will definitely be more options to take advantage of in the future.

What About Plugins?

WordPress has a huge selection of plugins that you can use to add custom fonts, but custom fonts do not refer to the standard HTML fonts. These are unique fonts that you can access for free.

Now, this may sound inviting, but for the most part, there is a huge problem using these fonts. They slow down your website.

I mentioned this earlier, but for a page to load, the web browser the visitor is using must download that font from the server it is stored. This is an extra step and the more custom fonts you use, the longer it will take.

This is a big reason why HTML fonts are widely used. They are standard and can be found anywhere. And it’s also why most sites settle on a single font. The more you add the longer it takes to load.

The good news is that Google has been working on expanding the font selection you have available with Google Fonts.

What Are Google Fonts?

Google Fonts are custom fonts available directly from Google. And they offer over 1000 fonts to choose from. Most importantly, they avoid the problems that custom fonts run into because they are stored directly on Google servers.

It then delivers the font to all users in the most optimal way possible. The end result is that your website will load faster than otherwise using a third-party file.

Since Google Fonts are not the focus of this guide, I’ll leave it at that, but if you are interested we already have a guide on how to host them locally in WordPress.

Tips to Make Your HTML Font Legible

One of the biggest problems beginners face is legibility. Half of the time, they don’t even realize it is a problem. If visitors cannot read your content, they won’t be coming back for more. And they will be less likely to share it.

Let’s take a look at the major considerations all websites should make when selecting their font.

1. Don’t Use A Cursive Style

There are a ton of fonts you can choose from, and many exist that use cursive as the style behind them. While it can be a good fit for some websites, like those that focus on history, it’s not the greatest choice for accessibility.

First, it’s important to address the major flaw of this design choice, a lot of people cannot read cursive.

In fact, in America, many schools have actually removed cursive classes, thus that group will only grow in size. And odds are, it won’t just be Americans that view your website.

Individuals who learn English as a second language also struggle to read cursive.

You might think it is stylish, but I can assure you, it will turn many away from the content.

2. Choose The Right Color

One of the biggest mistakes that beginners make is changing the color of the font. This can easily make text very difficult to see for regular visitors, and impossible for those with visual impairments.

Most notably, you should keep in mind that color blindness exists. In just America, over 12 million people have some form of color blindness.

However, it’s not just the text that you need to worry about here, it’s also the background color. For example, black text is a great choice for most sites, but not on a black or dark-colored background. Instead, white text works better.

Color is easily one of the biggest factors that make web content hard to read.

3. Don’t Make the Text Too Small

Now, I know what you’re thinking, people can just use the zoom function to make the text readable right? While this is very true, how many people are actually going to take the time to adjust the zoom levels? How many people actually know how to?

The truth is that if someone finds the text too small, they’re just going to leave.

The recommended text size to use on a blog is between 16 and 20 px. It’s important to not just consider desktop users either as mobile users are far more susceptible to small text. Again, even if it is easy to zoom in, most won’t or don’t know it exists.

Properly sized text is critical for success.

FAQ

How Large is the HTML Font Family?

While there are a lot of fonts to choose from, the actual HTML font family list only consists of five members:

1. Serif
2. Sans-serif
3. Cursive
4. Fantasy
5. Monospace

The families denote a specific style that all of the fonts within follow, at least for the most part. There are a few outliers, but you can expect the cursive family to produce fonts that look, well cursive.

Within each font family, there are hundreds of fonts to choose from and the list grows every year. However, most are not web-safe.

What Are Web Safe Fonts?

Web-safe fonts are the most used fonts on the internet. They are web-safe because all devices and browsers are accustomed to using them.

The total number of web-safe fonts is hard to determine, but there are about 20 or so. The list is growing due to more websites opting for fonts with different styles.

As a result, more web browsers will natively support the most popular fonts, hence the growing list.

Here are some of the most used fonts on the internet and the families they come from:

• Arial (sans-serif)
• Times New Roman (serif)
• Verdana (sans-serif)
• Tahoma (sans-serif)
• Trebuchet MS (sans-serif)
• Impact (sans-serif)
• Didot (serif)
• Georgia (serif)
• American Typewriter (serif)

Is A Typeface A Font?

By definition, a typeface is the letters, numbers, and characters that all share the same design. Whereas the font is the specific style that the typeface will use with a specific width, size, and weight.

That may still be confusing, so I’ll provide an example. Consider Times New Roman; it is a typeface by definition. However, once you give it a specific size, say 20px, and make it bold, it becomes a font.

The two are very similar and are often used interchangeably, but they’re not actually the same thing.

Is Bold A Font?

It’s quite common to use Bold, Italics, or Bold Italics to help keywords or phrases stand out. However, Bold is not actually a font.

Instead, it is a modifier for the font itself. It can dramatically help your content be more readable, especially as more users begin to just skim pages to find a specific phrase or term. And in this regard, it is highly effective.

However, it is not a substitute for an actual header.

What’s the Difference Between A Web Font and A Desktop Font?

A desktop font is installed on your computer with the intention of it being used within a specific application. For example, imagine installing a font to use in Microsoft Word or in Photoshop.

A web font is specifically made for websites and uses CSS to be displayed on web pages. Many fonts can actually exist as both a web and desktop font, like Times New Roman or Arial, but they are actually very different from one another from a code perspective.

Thus, the line between them has become blurred over time.

Should I Use the HTML Font Tag?

I didn’t mention the HTML Font tag because the classic editor is far behind us. However, if you are still using it, then you can use the HTML editor to manipulate the font. However, this is unnecessary as the visual editor exists.

For those curious, the font tag is “<font>” and you can use it to manipulate the font on a post or page. It is still used today, but that number is decreasing.

The HTML Fonts You Choose Really Matters

There’s no denying that for most websites, the majority of content on your website will be in the form of text. Or in other words, utilize a font.

Therefore, the font you choose can make or break your website. And it’s not just the style of it either. You need to make sure it is properly sized, is colored in a way that makes it visible, and matches the vibe of your website.

Many beginners just pick a generic font like Arial, which is actually a smart choice since it is the most popular. But being selective about it can dramatically enhance the experience you deliver to visitors.

What HTML fonts do you use on your website? Do you use a web-safe font?

The post Ultimate Guide to HTML Fonts and How to Use Them Well appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

Today, I am here to explain what it is and how it will impact web design.

What Is the MySQL Database?

By definition, MySQL is an open-source SQL relational database management system from Oracle. As a relational database, the data is stored in smaller storage areas called tables. This makes it easier to locate the data you need, but more importantly, it helps organize data.

For example, let’s say you store what your customer recently bought and also their contact information. It’s pretty basic stuff that you would be expected to store. In MySQL, each of these pieces would be stored in a separate table.

Thus, you could examine the table you want to get the information you need. If it wasn’t a relational database, then both pieces of data would be stored in the same location.

First, this makes it very hard to find the data you are looking for.

And secondly, there would be a lot of duplicate information taking up space. This makes relational databases like MySQL very efficient overall.

You can also view multiple pieces of data by using a key. This allows you to take data related to that key from multiple tables. The key is the unique ID assigned to that piece of data.

So for example, let’s say you want to view John Doe’s contact info and shopping history. You would take his unique ID number, and you would pull up all data related to it in another table.

How Do I Interact With the MySQL Database?

Knowing what MySQL is only half the battle. The other half is actually using it.

This database uses a client-server model. What this means is that the user will interact with the client to access the server where the data is stored. It’s quite simple, which is a big reason why MySQL is used widely across the industry.

So how does it work?

In the simplest terms, the user will send a request to the database (server). For example in WordPress, if a visitor clicks on a blog, they are actually sending a request to the server to display a specific post.

And this pretty much applies to everything in WordPress. Whenever you are trying to view any piece of information, a request is made to the database.

The other main way to interact with the database through the client is with scripts.

What Is A MySQL Script?

MySQL Scripts allow the user to send direct commands to the database.

Instead of making a standard request, like clicking on a post to view it, you are instead writing a direct command. This can be used to accomplish a variety of things within the database.

For instance, perhaps you create a script that will replace or insert new information into multiple files at once. This can save you a lot of time as opposed to doing it for each file manually.

However, this raises the question, do I need MySQL scripts?

Not really, everything can be done using other avenues, which beginners may find easier. However, veteran web developers can use scripts to save a lot of time.

The problem is that you need that basic understanding of MySQL scripts to use them. If not, you could easily send the wrong command and do some serious damage to the database.

Thus, while they are a powerful tool to take advantage of, they are not for everyone.

Why Is It Important For Web Design?

It should be relatively clear why MySQL is important when creating a website.

MySQL determines the speed of when things load on your site and how fast you can access that stored data. It has a direct impact on site performance, which makes it an integral part of web design.

Speed is king after all.

If your database is not optimized, it makes it difficult to find the information you are looking for, takes up larger amounts of space due to duplicate data, and ultimately slows down your website.

In many cases, you won’t have to do much to keep the database healthy. However, being able to identify when things go wrong can help you troubleshoot problems in an instant.

This is why many developers will use a tool that allows them to see all of the requests to the database in real-time. That way, the moment a request doesn’t go through, the developer can see what is causing the issue.

So to sum it up, MySQL allows users to diagnose problems within the database and improve load times throughout their websites.

FAQ

What Happens If I Cannot Connect to the Database?

You will encounter the “Error Establishing A Database Connection” error which will not allow you to see the information you are requesting.

This can happen for a variety of reasons, but by far the most common is that you have entered the wrong database credentials. Essentially, the login information is wrong and due to that, you cannot access the database.

If you use a shared web hosting environment, this error could result when there is a spike of traffic that the server cannot handle. Essentially, one of your digital neighbors is hogging the resources, which impacts your experience.

This is why shared hosting is only for websites just starting out. Having your own dedicated server ensures that you always get the resources you pay for.

Other causes could be due to file corruption within the database. Sometimes this can occur naturally, and using a backup to restore the files can solve the issue. In other cases, hackers may have intentionally done this to cover their tracks.

How Does phpMyAdmin Fit In?

phpMyAdmin is a free tool that uses the PHP language (the same as WordPress) to help manage the MySQL database.

By default, MySQL lacks a graphical interface, which most users are familiar with. This is where phpMyAdmin comes it. It provides that interface to help make it easy for web developers to interact with the database.

When I mentioned MySQL scripts earlier, I didn’t mention that those queries are actually made using phpMyAdmin. Essentially, this tool is the interface you will use to manage your database and send manual queries.

What Is A MySQL Fork?

MySQL has had multiple forks over the years. These are essentially copies of MySQL that occurred at specific points in time. These copies were then optimized in a specific manner and developed in a different direction than the main.

The most notable forks include MariaDB and Percona Server.

MariaDB is often referred to as the improved version of MySQL. It has more storage engines and a larger connection pool than MySQL, which results in MariaDB being faster than MySQL.

It’s for users that seek a faster experience.

Percona Server is a full replacement for MySQL. It put a lot of focus on improving the InnoDB and was successful in doing so. You can see a lot more of what’s going on in the workflow, which helps you catch mistakes.

How Can I See Each Database Request Made?

If your trying to troubleshoot problems, seeing the actual request list for the database is helpful. And in WordPress, this is easy to do.

Like most things in WordPress, all you need to do is install the right plugin for the job. In this case, that plugin is Query Monitor. Query Monitor is a free debugging tool for WordPress that allows you to see all database requests.

Essentially, it tracks every request made when a page is loaded and how long it takes for that request to occur. As a result, you can identify exactly what is slowing down your page and by extension, fix it.

It’s a powerful tool that is active on over 100,000 WordPress websites, so be sure to give it a try.

How Can I Optimize the MySQL Database?

You might think that optimizing a database is very complicated, but you would be mistaken. In reality, there is a built-in optimize command.

All you need to do is enter and execute the following SQL query:

OPTIMIZE TABLE 'wp_posts'

Yet, this isn’t the only built-in method. There is actually an optimized option you can use by selecting all items in the database. This is more beginner-friendly as it doesn’t involve any lines of code, but there’s still an even easier way: WordPress plugins.

That’s right, you can actually optimize the database from your website without any coding. In this case, you have a few options, but one I can recommend is WP-Optimize.

As the name implies, WP-Optimize is an optimization plugin for WordPress. It can be used to optimize the database in just a few clicks, but it goes beyond just the database. It will also optimize things like images, allow you to cache pages to improve speeds, and more

If your looking to optimize WordPress, this plugin is one of the best ways to do it.

How Can I Keep My Database Small?

Another way to help optimize your database is to keep it small, but how can you do that?

Well, it’s actually pretty simple. You need to get rid of what you don’t need.

Not only can this help shrink your database, but it can help shrink web hosting costs. After all, you are paying for that space.

So, where to start?

The first thing I would recommend is to limit the WordPress revisions feature. By default, WordPress will save every change you make to a post or page. While this is a great recovery tool, there’s no reason to hold onto revisions from several years ago.

Instead, limit the revisions to 3 or a more reasonable number. You also have the option to disable the feature entirely.

If you have a ton of comments that have built up but never checked, that is another excellent spot to clean up. Delete the spam comments and approve the rest. Larger websites can generate thousands of spam comments in a day. It adds up fast.

Delete any plugins or themes that are currently not in use. These can take up a surprising amount of space. Sometimes you may be able to remove plugins because the feature is available in another you already use.

Not only does this help the database, but it is just a good practice in general.

There’s No Avoiding MySQL

MySQL is the most widely used database engine in the world and just about every web hosting company uses it. There are a few exceptions, but even in those cases, they’re just using a MySQL fork like MariaDB.

While you can certainly limit your direct usage with the database, it is there and it will have a huge impact on your website. Taking the time to understand and optimize the database for your website is a surefire way to boost site performance.

Thus, every website owner should work towards understanding the basics of the MySQL database.

What steps have you taken to optimize the MySQL database? Do you use any plugins to help you manage the database in WordPress?

The post What is MySQL and Why Is It Important to Web Design? appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

SSH dates back to 1995 but has gone through several evolutions since its inception, yet it still remains one of the most important aspects of IT. Today, most devices use either SSH-2 or OpenSSH (Windows 10), and web developers need to be aware of it.

This article will discuss what SSH is and its importance in web design.

What Is SSH?

The meaning of SSH is very complex, and in truth, it would go over most people’s heads. The good news is that you don’t need to fully understand it, you just need to know the basics unless you are an IT major.

By definition, SSH is a network protocol that enables users to gain remote access to a computer, or another device, by providing SSH Keys as credentials. In the majority of cases, SSH is only implemented for highly sensitive data and devices that need encryption.

The most common uses of SSH include:

• Remote Access Devices to Perfrom Maintenance or Provide Support
• File Transfers From One Device to Another
• Execute Commands Remotely
• Update Devices in An Office

Due to the numerous security advantages SSH offers, more on that later, it has become the standard for remote access. Let’s discuss how it works.

How Does It Work?

This can get pretty complicated on more advanced networks, so let’s keep it simple.

Let’s say you want to transfer a file from your computer to a server for storage. It’s pretty standard stuff. If you did not use SSH, that file would be readable to anyone who knows where to look during the data transfer.

As you can imagine, it is problematic for sensitive data.

This is where SSH comes in. To access this data, you would need the SSH Keys to read it, which only the user and the server know. Thus, if someone tries to read the file while it is transferring, they won’t be able to due to its encryption.

Again, SSH is typically reserved for more sensitive data, so there is a good chance you have never used the SSH Keys when using remote access.

The Three Layers of SSH Protocol

If we dig a bit further and examine the interworkings of this protocol, you will realize there are three distinct parts. These are known as layers and consist of:

1. Transport Layer
2. User Authentication Layer
3. Connection Layer

I will cover what each layer does in its simplest form.

Transport Layer

As the name suggests, this layer is in control of key exchange between devices. It also handles encryption and compression that occurs between these devices for the duration of the interaction. Only plain text is transported within this layer.

User Authentication Layer

This layer is the real meat and potatoes of the protocol, as it is in control of authentication throughout the process. There are four main authentication methods that are used. These include:

1. Passwords: Passwords is the method most are familiar with. The user enters a password and if it is correct, they gain access. While it is straightforward and easier for users, there are more secure options that exist.
2. Public/Private Keys: On the surface, these are similar to passwords, but are strictly managed by an organization’s IT team. Public keys are created in pairs, with the other being known as a private key. The public key is shared to whoever needs it, while the private key is only known by a few individuals.
3. Keyboard Interactive: In its simpilest term, this can be compared to 2FA where the server will ask a question, and if the answer is correct, it will provide a one-time password the user can use to access the connection.
4. GSSAPI: GSAAPI, or Generic Security Service Application Programming Interface, is a common interface you can use to access the Kerberos security system used by Microsoft Windows.

The Authentication Layer is that which the user will interact and input their passwords and whatnot.

Connection Layer

Finally, this layer is all about connecting your devices together using channels. One connection can have multiple channels of communication, and those channels are not one-way. They can send data back and forth at the same time.

It also controls some other minor things like the appearance of the connection (terminal) window.

The Different Types of SSH Encryption

SSH is encrypted, but there are multiple ways this can be accomplished. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, which is why different methods are used in different situations. Let’s take a look at the three most common encryption methods.

Symmetrical Encryption

To put it simply, symmetrical encryption is when there is only one encryption key that can be used to encrypt and decrypt. Or in other words, anyone who has access to the key can encrypt or decrypt any data that uses this method.

This method can be used to encrypt the entire process, not just the data. The key is generated with a process known as a key exchange algorithm, which is quite complicated. Essentially, both parties provide a bit of info and the key is generated.

Overall, this type of encryption is quite popular and encrypts everything from data to the passwords entered.

Asymmetrical Encryption

If you remember back to the User Authentication layer, I mentioned private and public keys. If you were to use that authentication method, you would also be using Asymmetrical encryption because it requires these two keys.

In its simplest form, asymmetrical encryption happens within symmetrical encryption (since it encrypts everything) and the two devices use the public key to which acts as the secret for symmetric encryption.

This is only one possibility as there are multiple ways to use this encryption.

This has a wide arrange of uses and is always used alongside symmetrical encryption.

Hashing

Hashing is different from the last two encryption methods. In this method, a hashing algorithm is used to create a unique hash string. The machine will then send that hash string along with the hash value needed to open it.

The machine that is receiving the data knows the algorithm and can apply the value to open the data. If the values do not match, then the data was corrupted and cannot be read. Ultimately, it protects all types of data but has one drawback.

It is very difficult to achieve. However, this standard encryption is far more common.

So How Does This Impact Web Design?

We’ve talked a lot about what SSH is, but haven’t really connected it to web design yet, have we?

Clearly, SSH is not going to impact actually creating a website or designing content for it. No, instead this is more of a back-end thing that many beginners overlook. One of the main components of running a website is purchasing web hosting services.

You are essentially renting out a server to host your website. When someone accesses your website, they are really connecting to that server. Now depending on the plan you purchase, you may be sharing that server with other people, or have a dedicated one to yourself.

In a shared environment, you cannot set up SSH because your access is typically limited by the web hosting company. However, if you rent a full server, that restriction is gone and you can set up SSH. This gives you more control over the webserver.

Remember, you can use SSH to issue and execute commands on a code level. That is an invaluable tool to a talented web developer.

That said, for simple websites, setting this up may be overkill. It really comes down to the situation and what you’re trying to achieve.

FAQ

Who Should Be Using SSH?

Organizations that need to transfer sensitive data between devices may want to invest in SSH, but this does require an IT team.

As such, small websites or businesses probably won’t need to incorporate such technology, at least in their early days. However, if they deal in particular industries like consulting, you may be forced to set this up to ensure confidentiality between clients.

Is All Remote Access Secured By SSH?

No.

Most remote access on a home network does not use the SSH protocol. Instead, you are vulnerable to anyone who knows how to steal data.

That said, the odds of your local network being compromised are extremely low. The risk is when you remote access a device from a public space.

A great example of this would be going to the library and accessing your desktop at home. If the network is not secure, remote access should be avoided if sensitive data is available on the device.

Does That Mean Remote Play Services From Steam or PlayStation Are Not Safe?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that when you are streaming a game, it is the same as remote access to the device.

It is not.

In both the case of Steam and Playstation, you are streaming the device’s output on another device. You are not transferring data.

Thus, it is completely safe to use remote play for gaming. That said, be sure to enable 2FA for additional security.

Are There Any Drawbacks to SSH?

Absolutely.

As I have mentioned, there are multiple authentication and encryption methods, and they exist because SSH is not impenetrable. If there was only one way to do things, hackers would have figured out a way to get into any company’s server.

One example of this is SSH tunneling, which is a process in which someone can use port forwarding to access their computer from work. Most commonly, IT members do this, and they shouldn’t because it creates a back door into the network.

Especially since anyone can use port forwarding.

Is An SSH Key Generator Safe?

Absolutely!

They simply generate random key sequences that you can use. Just keep in mind that you should update your keys on a regular basis. This ensures that only the people who need them have access to the latest version of the key.

Again, it’s all part of the IT team’s job.

The Internet Isn’t A Safe Place

It’s no secret that the internet is not a safe place, which is why every website needs to use security plugins and set up firewalls to stay safe. Even just viewing the web isn’t safe.

Most devices run anti-malware and virus protection for a very good reason.

SSH is designed to help organizations keep sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands, and it does an excellent job in doing so. However, it’s a rather complex process that is often handled by experienced IT teams.

As hackers become more talented and resourceful, the value of SSH will only grow.

Does your business incorporate SSH in any form? If so, what type of encryption do you favor?

The post What is SSH and How Does it Help in Web Design? appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

While you can look online to quickly find that the average cost of building a website is somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000, it can be hard to finalize a price. Yet you have to, and customers won’t wait very long for you to set that price.

Today, we will cover what factors to consider when deciding the price of your web design services.

Website Design Pricing: Hourly vs Fixed Rates

There are two main ways that freelance web developers charge their customers, hourly and fixed. With that in mind, let’s take a look at each one of these to see their pros and cons.

Hourly Rates

Websites, like anything else, take time to make. But the amount of time a web developer may spend on a project can vary wildly. For this reason, a web developer may try to work at an hourly rate and on average charge $75 per hour.

This ensures the web developer is paid for every second of time they spend on a project. This also helps make the customer aware that any changes they decide to make to the scope of the project or last-minute additions will add to the total price.

After all, that takes time.

Yet, we have only looked at this from the freelancer’s perspective. What about as a customer? Well, hourly is not a desirable option. Why?

Customers like to know exactly how much a job is going to cost them. And when a project will likely cost several thousand dollars, knowing that price is very important. It’s also very difficult for them to actually know how long it took you to set up a website.

Seriously, you could say it took 100 hours, but they really have no way to verify that.

Fixed Rates

Instead of looking at the amount of time you spend to complete a project, a fixed rate is where you decide the price tag at the start. Thus, before you begin writing a single line of code, you need to decide how much it will cost to build a website based on what the customer asks.

This is by far the most common method that freelancers use as a basis for web developer rates. An experienced web developer has a solid idea of how long any given project will take and knows the questions they need to ask before coming up with a figure.

Of course, the main problem is if you get a customer that keeps making changes. Since you already agreed to a specific rate, well, you’re locked in.

However, while that is a negative for the freelancer, it’s a positive for the customer. They know exactly how much a job will cost, and they have more freedom to make changes without influencing the price.

And because it favors the customer, that is why fixed rates have become the standard.

Factors That Should Determine Your Website Design Pricing

Building a website is complicated. There are a lot of moving parts, and each one will have a direct influence on website design pricing. Figuring out what should influence web developing pricing and what shouldn’t isn’t always set in stone.

Let’s take a look at a variety of factors to consider.

1. Experience Level

While there are certainly exceptions to this rule, the longer you’ve been in an industry, the more money you should be making. That’s true even in the freelance market to a certain extent. And let’s face it, having a lot of experience is a great selling point.

But the real question is, how much extra is that experience worth?

Well, it really depends. If you are targeting a niche market without much competition, a lot of experience can easily tack on an extra 10% to 50%. The fewer options customers have, the better the position you are in to charge more. Yet, the opposite is also true.

The bottom line is someone with 10 years of experience should charge more than an amateur. But in a crowded market space, the amount can’t be drastically that much higher because of the sheer amount of competition.

And that’s exactly the kind of market web design is in.

2. Scope of the Project

The next biggest factor is the project itself. This is the most obvious component of determining web design pricing, but it’s far from simple. Obviously, building a website from scratch with HTML vs using a platform like WordPress are completely different animals.

However, sometimes the project isn’t building a new website. Instead, you may just be updating an older one. You can try to argue that updating an older website with a fresh design still requires a similar amount of work, but customers won’t buy it.

You also need to factor in what is accepted as the norm.

For instance, we are well past the days of being able to charge extra to make a website mobile-friendly (responsive). That is a given in 2022, thus, it needs to be included in the base price.

Other similar things include setting up the Google Search Console or additional integrations.

3. Your Customer

This might be the most important factor you need to remember; the value of the work you provide is not worth the same to every customer. You might think that your service is worth X, but the customer will not believe that for a second.

For instance, there’s clearly a difference in value between building a restaurant website that allows customers to order online and building a personal blog. The restaurant owner will be able to use the website you build to make a lot more money and expand their business.

Yet, a personal blog is not likely to earn any money for months or even years. Thus, the price tag needs to be different.

However, this isn’t a bad thing. This gives you a better excuse to charge more for business sites that will earn the customer a lot of money in the long term. Trust me, you are going to need to take on big and small projects, so understanding the earning potential matters.

4. The Current Market Rates

This should go without saying, but your freelance service is a business. And as all business owners know, you need to make sure your prices are in line with the competition. You can try and charge $10k to build a website, but if others are willing to do it for $5k, that’s where customers will go.

And unlike a local business, you really can end up competing on a global scale. This might sound like an exaggeration, but it’s the truth.

You do not have to meet clients to discuss business in person. Most of this is conducted through emails, phone calls, or even video chats. And with websites like Fiverr, Upwork, or even the Facebook Marketplace, it’s easy to see what others are charging.

Your prices need to match the competition. Always be open to negotiations, especially when starting out. Figure out what others are charging for a website at your experience level and what they are including.

5. Is It A Niche?

You can definitely argue that considering the niche is part of understanding the scope of the project, but I think it warrants its own consideration.

Let’s face it, there are some pretty niche websites out there. For instance, there is really a blog about basket weaving, including the underwater variety. Now, this wouldn’t differ from a standard blog, but many can, and that is a factor to consider.

How many web designers are familiar with the niche? Not many, then you can definitely charge more. The point is, when the customer doesn’t have many options, you have a lot more freedom when it comes to price.

However, the point about market rates still applies.

Website Design Pricing: When to Ask For Payment

As a freelancer, you are free to make your own rules, but there are three main ways this will typically go down.

1. Upfront Payment

By far, the most common practice is to have the customer pay you the full amount upfront. Obviously, you must decide on a fixed amount for this to be applicable.

There are multiple advantages to this. First, it ensures that the customer pays you. Unfortunately, as a freelancer, your payment collection options are limited. Getting the money first is very important because the customer could try and renegotiate later on.

And since the work is already done, you’re not in a very good position.

Another advantage is that some features may cost you money. For instance, if part of the project was picking out a web host or installing a premium tool on the website, well, you need to pay to have that covered, which is typically included in the full price.

Wasting your own funds to build someone else’s website is unacceptable.

2. Payment Upon Completion

This really only applies when a web developer chooses to use hourly rates. Obviously, the number of hours you work on a project can’t be determined until it is over.

That said, sometimes you can still require a downpayment for working the minimum amount of hours the project may take. And that is a very good practice to consider if you are set on working hourly.

The real issue with this is that the customer could simply take the work and run. That doesn’t really leave you many options. You could try going to court, but then you would have to pay for legal help, and the result isn’t guaranteed.

3. Half Now, Half Later

This is really more for amateurs or smaller projects, but some customers are not comfortable paying everything upfront.

And to be fair, everything that applies to customers running away without paying works on the flipside with contractors taking money and skipping town. This is not a bad arrangement, but it’s ultimately up to you.

No matter what option you decide upon, make sure you discuss payment before starting any work.

Remember It’s Not Hard For Customers to Build Their Own Website

Now, I know what many of you are thinking,”there’s no way a customer can build a website on par with what I can do.”

However, think about what you just said, “on par with what I can make.” You just acknowledged they could make a website. And frankly, it’s not hard to do. In fact, that’s a big reason why the overall cost to design a website has shrunk over the years.

There is an abundance of tools and tutorials online that can help anyone build a website. And even more pressing, business owners and enthusiasts are becoming more tech-savvy.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that a middle-schooler could build a website with WordPress. In fact, a lot of schools are pushing for this in certain classes.

Today, you can build a website without writing a line of code, and it can still look pretty good. As good as a professional? Probably not, but good enough that a small business will choose to do it themselves and save $5k.

In reality, many are beginning to lay the groundwork themselves to hire a professional down the road to make the website more presentable. That said, web design isn’t a dying career.

It’s the opposite, businesses that are doing well will splurge to improve their website.

Fair Website Design Pricing Means More Customers

Creating a website pricing system that is fair is a sure-fire way to attract more customers. And if you do a great job, they will most likely use your services again in the future. So not only is it directly related to your success, but it’s also a marketing tactic.

The good news, or bad news, depending on how you look at it, is that web design is a very crowded industry. You can easily figure out what other freelancers are charging and attempt to match the price.

And frankly, you should.

Getting customers is always more important than getting them at a specific price point. The only way you can really lose money is if your acceptance of one job means turning down another.

How much extra do you charge for having a lot of experience? Are there any other factors that you consider when deciding on website design pricing?

The post How Much Should You Charge for Website Design Pricing? appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

Not to mention the products you actually have to buy to sell to customers. Thus, it might not be possible to get an exact figure. But the good news is that we can get pretty close to the actual cost.

Today, I am going to cover the cost breakdown of building an eCommerce website.

What Do I Need to Build An eCommerce Site?

Before we can calculate the cost of building an eCommerce website, we need to figure out what goes into one. Regardless of the type of website you are building, they all share common parts, which include:

• Web Hosting
• Themes
• Plugins

So the real question is how does an eCommerce site differ from a normal one?

The first main difference is the sheer number of plugins you will need to make an eCommerce site. Building a blog doesn’t take much, but a fully-fledged eCommerce site does, and picking free options isn’t always an option.

Without a doubt, you are going to need WooCommerce. You are also very likely to purchase multiple extensions for it that can help increase business. You might also need other things like live chat support, email subscription, and other plugins.

The good news is that the price of themes stays pretty much the same, and both free and premium versions are on the table.

However, there are some unique costs to doing eCommerce that we must figure out.

For starters, you are selling goods, which immediately adds two costs that are hard to pinpoint: transaction fees and shipping. A transaction fee depends on the payment gateway (PayPal, Stripe, etc.) you use.

The good news is that this comes out of the purchase but can range from 1-3% of the total acquisition.

Shipping is far more complicated and dependent on what you are selling. For instance, shipping a mattress is very different than shipping a book. We will cover this in greater detail below.

The main cost of starting an online shop is actually filling it with products. If you choose to sell hardware equipment, you need to buy that equipment from a distributor, store it, then sell it on your website.

We will examine all of this before looking at the price, although feel free to scroll down to the chart to see the cost breakdown.

Are Free Tools An Option?

In many instances, free tools are absolutely an option, especially for a brand new store. This can help lower the cost of building an eCommerce website.

For instance, you are going to want to send customers weekly store updates in a newsletter format. While email marketing can get pricey, it’s also free when you are starting out, at least for the most part.

That said, sometimes picking the free option can come back to hurt you.

For instance, while we will be using WordPress and WooCommerce, other eCommerce platforms may charge an additional transaction fee, or higher fees, depending on the plan you choose. It can easily cut into profits.

Typically, the cheaper the plan, the more you are going to pay in fees.

I’ll try to mention the availability of free options whenever possible, but sometimes saving a few bucks can cost you more in the long run.

Web Hosting

Web hosting is a cost that every website shares, but this has resulted in it being pretty affordable.

A web hosting company is responsible for renting out server space for your website and maintaining that server. Websites are active 24/7, thus maintenance is important. The quality of the server also dictates your website’s performance.

As a result, web hosting is one of the most important choices you need to make as an online store owner.

Luckily for you, the web hosting industry is extremely competitive with a ton of options to choose from. That said, you need to make sure the quality of your web host matches what customers expect from an online shop.

Here at GreenGeeks, we offer customers affordable rates, an environmental commitment, and most importantly, the best hosting services in the industry.

Now I know what you’re thinking, what does it actually cost?

In most cases, web hosting services cost less than a single coffee for a month. The issue is that every plan is different because they offer different amounts of server space, support, and other factors.

Thus, pinpointing a price isn’t easy.

Refer to the table to see a range of prices from the cheapest to the most expensive for a new online store.

Domain Name

The domain name is the name of your website or your website’s URL.

Many may take this for granted, but sometimes getting the correct domain name can get pricey. For example, if you own a physical store, you probably want your domain name to be “YourStoreName.com,” But, what if it’s taken?

Well, you have a few options. You can change the extension “.com” to “.net” or something else. Try to buy the domain name from another owner. Or, pick a new name that is available and relevant to your store.

In most cases, picking something else is recommended.

This is because buying out a particular domain name that is taken can cost thousands of dollars. In fact, many individuals buy out domain names in the hope they can sell them for ridiculous sums.

Changing to a “.net” for an eCommerce store is not recommended. The “.com” extension means that your website is a commercial one, which is what an eCommerce site is. While some may find success this way, I don’t recommend it.

The good news is if you are picking a unique domain name, it’s actually pretty cheap. In fact, at GreenGeeks, it’s free! You get a free domain name for the first year. After that, you just need to pay a small fee each year to keep it.

Themes

A WordPress theme is a collection of style sheets that dictates the appearance of your website.

Every website needs a theme, and to be clear, only one theme. Luckily, themes come in both free and premium options. The main difference is the level of support you can expect to receive and how many options you have available to you.

So the real question is, should I use a free or premium theme?

Well, to be honest, it depends on you. If you are brand new to web development, the extra support a premium theme offers is well worth the cost. Premium themes typically come with templates, which can dramatically speed up the design process.

In some cases, you may only need to do a few minor edits and add your own content before it’s ready to go.

Free themes are a great option and can save you a few bucks. That said, you typically need to do some extra work to get them looking as good as premium layouts. It’s not hard, but for beginners, it can prove time-consuming.

The good news is that premium themes are not that expensive. Typically, this will only set you back around $50. Some are more expensive and some are cheaper, but they are a one-time purchase.

This won’t have a huge impact on the final price, though.

Plugins

Plugins are small pieces of software that add specific features to your website. They’re basically like apps for your smartphone.

They are the primary reason you can build a stunning WordPress website without ever writing a single line of code. Luckily, just like themes, there are free and premium versions available.

Since you are building an eCommerce store, you will need the WooCommerce plugin, which will cost you nothing. It allows you to build an online store in mere moments. While it is free, most developers that are serious purchase some of the add-ons it offers.

For instance, there is a premium add-on that improves the cart feature to show recommended items. This can dramatically increase sales. And there is a lot of other useful add ons that range from $30 to $100.

In general, premium plugins exist around that price point. Odds are you will want to stick with the free versions of plugins and slowly upgrade to premium as your site grows.

This will help lower your initial costs, but sometimes free is not a viable option.

Transaction Fees

A transaction fee is a fee that occurs every time a purchase is made using a payment gateway.

Unlike everything else on this list, a transaction fee is not an initial cost, but it is something you need to consider because you will need to pay it on every purchase. The fee is determined by the payment gateway you use and is subject to change.

This can heavily influence the pricing of products in your store. Especially if the profit margins are extremely small. For example, if you only make a 2% profit, you would end up losing money due to the transaction fee.

I will not be including transaction fees in the grand total because you do not have to actually pay anything until a sale is made. Additionally, every payment processing system is different, so the fees are subject to vary quite a bit in some cases.

That said, this is something that will affect your business and you need to keep them in mind.

Buying Stock

Without a doubt, the real cost of opening an online store is buying the products you are going to sell.

The problem here is that every store sells different products. One store might sell T-shirts, while another might be focusing on video games. The prices are going to be different.

This is also where a lot of new online stores fail. They simply buy too many products for a store with zero visitors. It’s highly recommended to buy conservatively to lower the initial cost.

The worst thing that can happen is that you run out of stock.

Now it’s also worth mentioning that this point could be null for a variety of reasons. For instance, if you run a small business with a physical location. You probably already own the stock and are looking to cash in with online sales.

You could also be running a dropshipping business model. This is where the store purchases products from a distributor after they have made a sale. The distributor is responsible for storing and shipping the product. You are the middle man in this scenario.

It’s impossible to estimate the costs without more information on a specific business type.

Storage

Storage is another problematic factor to consider that has a lot of variables.

Let’s face it, if you are purchasing products to sell for your eCommerce site, you need to actually store those products until they are sold. Pretty basic stuff, but this can be really expensive if you have a large online store.

In some cases, you might need a warehouse to manage it. In other cases, you might just need a spare room in a house or apartment.

And similarly to buying the stock, this could already be taken care of.

If you own a physical location for your business, well, your storage is right there. It’s still a cost, but not specifically for your online store. It’s for the business in general.

Dropshipping businesses also do not face this problem. Instead, the distributor is in charge of storing the product.

Shipping

The main component of selling products online is shipping the product to the customer after a sale.

This means you are going to need boxes, tape, protective materials (bubble wrap, etc.), and most importantly, paying postal fees. Shipping is a real cost and will deeply cut into the profits, which is why smaller businesses cannot offer free shipping.

Of course, some stores will just bake the shipping into the price and advertise free shipping.

Even if you are using dropshipping, you are still usually responsible for paying delivery costs. This can be in the form of a fee. In some cases, the price already includes the shipping.

What’s worse is that shipping prices are subject to change. For consideration, they have been increasing steadily throughout the pandemic.

Marketing

Even if you have everything else in place and your website is online and ready to go, you still need customers.

Welcome to marketing.

There are a thousand different ways to go about marketing, and the vast majority of them are actually free. This includes things like social media marketing, using Google My Business (physical location required), free advertisement credits (Facebook, Google Ads, etc.), and more.

You can also go the paid route and purchase ad space. Marketing is extremely important when starting out because you need to get a customer base or your store won’t do anything.

The Cost of Building an eCommerce Website

Starting an online store is a big undertaking, that’s why figuring out the true cost of building an eCommerce website is challenging.

That said, with some general estimates, you will most likely spend under a thousand dollars if you are using a dropshipping business model.

The Returns Can Be Many Times Over

There’s no denying that starting an online business is risky. You are competing with very established brands and unless you have a dedicated following, it has a high failure rate. But if it works, you are looking at some real profits.

While it may cost more in some cases to start your eCommerce website, it’s often well worth the cost.

Did we miss any factors to consider? Care to share what the cost of building your eCommerce site was?

The post How Much Does it Cost to Build an eCommerce Website? appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

Why Design a Writing Portfolio Website?

Freelancing continues to become a more popular way to make money than ever before. With a current shift to work at home, one of the best ways to make extra money is by becoming a freelance writer.

Now, there are several things you will want to think about on the path to becoming a successful freelance writer. One of the most important things is figuring out not only how to get jobs, but also how to get your work and name out there.

One of the best ways to do this (if not the best way) is to design a writing portfolio website. This will allow you to get the word out about who you are, what type of freelance writing you do, and most importantly, allow you to show off a writing portfolio.

This is important because it allows potential clients to see the quality and type of work you do. These representations of you not only save time and questions from a possible client, but they also justify your pricing and timetables of your work.

So basically, when thinking about reasons to build a writing portfolio website, the three main ones should be:

• Help get work
• Sell work (when applicable)
• To build an online presence

How to Start the Process?

Aside from the tips I am going to give you below. This may be the very best question to ask. Not only are there a ton of different options to choose from when it comes to web design, but there are also different web hosting options as well.

A portfolio website can be tricky because you want to push your content and brand without seeming overly aggressive. Not only is that an issue, but trying to decide how to lay out a portfolio and what to put in it can be daunting as well.

The best place to start might be with a simple writing blog. However, even with this type of thing, you need to have a lot happen for it to fall in place the right way.

With that being said, the very best place to start is finding a web host and choosing a CMS. I recommend WordPress and everything that comes with it. This will definitely help get your writing portfolio website off on the right foot.

Not only is it very user friendly, but there are also a ton of tutorials and resources that you will be able to access at any time. These will help you get through any issues you may have while you build your portfolio of writing.

Once you start the process, the issue may become what exactly you should put into your writing portfolio. Let’s take a look at some suggestions.

What to Add in Your Writing Portfolio Website

One of the main obstacles people face is figuring out what exactly to add into their writing portfolio website. The answer to this will depend on what kind of writing you are actually doing, or willing to do.

However, let’s take this from a standpoint of a freelance writer who writes about anything, and performs a number of different writing jobs. You can pick and choose from this list, as this will give you some good ideas about what to add.

Remember, this is going to showcase your work and help get you more jobs. We want it to be clean, crisp, clear, and professional. You want to try to add a wide range of items to showcase your abilities. Here are some writing portfolio items to consider adding:

• Blog Posts
• Community Writings
• Press release
• Promotion Material
• Essay on Controversial Topic
• Profile on Interesting Person or Place
• Short-Form Piece
• Breaking News Articles
• Long-Form Piece
• Research Paper
• An Editorial and/or an Op-Ed
• Personal Essay
• Multimedia Story (storytelling structure)
• Collaborative Piece
• Content Marketing
• Resumes
• eBooks
• Business Plans

Remember, many of the above will be in the “if applicable” category for your writing portfolio. However, they are all excellent things to add.

Extra Tip: Adding a spreadsheet of all your published works could add even more to a writing portfolio. You can include all sorts of items like articles, eBooks, documents, and more. Include all titles, publication dates, links, and any other relevant info.

Always show real work, and it doesn’t hurt to even add and show your prices when relevant. Possible clients like detail, so the more you have in your writing portfolio website, the more likely you are to land the job.

15 Tips for Your Writing Portfolio Website

Now, you have a lot of the process in place from above, and you now have a pretty good idea of the types of things you should add to your writing portfolio website. Here are 15 more tips to think about using during the build process.

These will all help you put forth the very best writing portfolio website possible.

1. Make it Easy For Clients

Simply put, one of the most important aspects of a writing portfolio website is how easy it is for clients to access and navigate. You want to make sure the site is clean, smooth, flat, mobile-friendly, and easy to understand.

You also want to make sure your site page speed is fast, otherwise you run the risk of people leaving your site. The average page speed load time should be 2-5 seconds. Anything more than that is too slow.

Furthermore, the actual portfolio part of the site should also be easy to view and understand. Keep in mind, less is more. So, think minimalism when it comes to how easy you want to make it for clients.

2. Use a WordPress Portfolio Plugin

Earlier in this article, I wrote a little about where to get started with your website. That included finding a host and using WordPress. One of the main reasons I suggest WordPress is because they have a plugin repository that includes over 50,000 plugins.

In this case, you should use one of their portfolio plugins to help build your site. Not only will this make the process of building the actual portfolio easier, but it will also allow you to show a dynamic and clean portfolio to possible clients.

There are a lot of good portfolio plugins to choose from, so get one and use it.

3. Choose Quality Over Quantity

This can get tricky, especially if you are new to the game and don’t have a lot of content yet either way. That being said, if you do have quite a bit of content to choose from, then always make the right choice of selecting quality over quantity for your writing portfolio website.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t add a lot of content for potential clients to view. It simply means if you have 1,000 different things to choose from, don’t put them all in. Choose all the top of the line items and use those.

4. Keep Your Portfolio Design Clean, Smooth, Simple, and Mobile-Friendly

This may seem like a lot, but it actually isn’t. This is kind of a combination of some of the items above. If you are using WordPress and a plugin, then automatically you will have a mobile-friendly writing portfolio website.

Not overloading it with items will keep it professional, and having a user-friendly layout with plenty of minimalism and whitespace will keep it clean.

5. Don’t Display Full Articles

Don’t display full articles inside your writing portfolio website. Instead, provide links, images, and samples that open into other pages that are free from distraction. This is how someone can properly view your work.

6. Keep Portfolio Up-To-Date

Your portfolio should always be treated as a work in progress. This isn’t a bad thing at all. You will need to add new items periodically, clean it up from time to time, and make sure all articles and links are still relevant and working.

It doesn’t get much worse than someone trying to click through and view an outdated portfolio where half the content is old and/or missing.

7. Tailor Your Portfolio

By all means, add as many types of writing samples as you like. However, more than likely, you do have some sort of client base or a niche that you are good at. Tailor your writing portfolio website to that niche.

Are you better at content writing than you are and resume writing? That’s great, tailor your portfolio to show that and you will land the type of clients you enjoy most.

8. Use Thumbnail Images

This may be something you haven’t even thought about since this is a portfolio built around writing samples. However, it is still important to use thumbnail images as part of the layout.

Proper use of thumbnails will encourage site users to click through items, read content, and explore your writing portfolio. Plus, they add a level of professionalism and help tremendously with the layout.

9. Add a Portfolio Description

Whether you have one singular writing portfolio on the website, or several different ones broken down into different types of writing, it is always a good idea to add a description.

You can do this at the top of each portfolio page. This will give the user a better idea of what type of writings they may find on the relevant page.

10. Make Sure Portfolio Navigation is Simple

We spoke a little about navigation earlier in the article. However, it is definitely important to remember that you want to make portfolio navigation as easy as possible.

All links should be working properly, and it shouldn’t take a site user 3 or 4 clicks to get to a portfolio item. That is just too many and you will lose a lot of interest that way.

11. Don’t Treat Your Portfolio Like Your Blog

Try and limit certain types of writing samples to just a few. This is especially important if you have a lot of different types of writing on display. 3-5 pieces in each writing niche is plenty.

You don’t need to have 20-30 of the same type of content pieces laid out in your portfolio. It isn’t a personal blog roll. Keep the content tight and smooth.

12. Show Paid and Pro Bono Work

Just because you did something for free does not mean it isn’t good. Matter of fact, this can be some of the best material a freelance writer produces. Go ahead and show both paid and pro bono jobs in your portfolio.

Personal and pro bono projects usually have a lot of passion behind them. Show them off!

13. Let the Work Do the Talking

Earlier in this article, we talked about adding a portfolio description. That is a good thing. However, that is about as detailed as you need to get about portfolio items. You may want to add a sentence or two within each item, but try not to oversell or overcrowd the layout.

Instead, let the work do the talking for you. That is the whole point of building a writing portfolio website.

14. Use a WordPress Page Builder

We touch on the importance of using a WordPress portfolio plugin above. The same can be said for page builders. If you are having a tough time with design and layout, then use a WordPress page builder to help you put the writing portfolio website together.

These offer a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) layout design. This makes it much easier to put out something that is clean and smooth.

15. Add a Call to Action

Last, but definitely not least, add a call to action (CTA) to your writing portfolio website. After all, the whole point of doing this is to gain clients and showcase work.

Make sure you have something in place that is easily accessible and will help you close the deal. Having a call to action will also act as a little push for the site user to get in touch with you.

Final Thoughts

If you haven’t yet built a writing portfolio website, then now is the perfect opportunity to do so. You have a lot of the information above, along with some great tips on how to make your site a success.

This will act as a terrific marketing tool for your services, and will help to get your name and work out there to clients who may be interested in hiring you.

While it may take a little elbow grease to get your portfolio how you want it, the final product will definitely be worth the effort. Remember, always keep the portfolio updated and fresh as well. This is important.

Finally, have fun with the process. Use some of your own personal touches along with the above. Good luck!

The post 15 Tips for Designing Your Own Writing Portfolio Website appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

First off, if you are willing to put in the work, publish content, and build a site over time, then you will make some money. The issue is dedication. Stick with it, you will reap the rewards over time.

Why Websites and Blogs Fail

That being said, not everyone is able to maintain a blog over time. Matter of fact, most people start out strong and give up. It is estimated that around 99% of all blogs fail. Why? This can be contributed to a number of things:

• Overselling
• You make it all about you
• Not listening to experts
• Information and content you produce is not useful
• Hard for people to share
• You are not engaging people
• No reason for people to return
• You don’t produce enough content
• You don’t stick with it

Yes, some of those reasons are hard to swallow, but they are often true. It takes more than finding the right niche to make money on a website.

With so many choices, it can be tough to narrow down the best types of websites. You can also look at this from a few different perspectives.

• What are the most popular types of sites?
• Which types of websites make the most money?
• What are the most popular niches?

For this article, we are going to take the perspective of website types that will make you the most money. So, whether you are interested in the particular site niche or not shouldn’t matter.

If you are looking for something that will make you money, then the sites on this list are the best types of sites to start.

Some of the topic areas we are going to cover for these websites may surprise you. However, when you look closely, you will see why these sites are primed and ready for you to cash in on.

Money Making Points to Remember

As is the case with anything that someone tries to make money doing, there are always certain things you want to remember. Making sure you put in time and work will allow for success. You don’t want to get caught up in the whole, “sit back and make money on autopilot with this niche website” scam.

Remember, if something is too good to be true, then it probably is. You want to make sure you use proper tools and follow a solid work and posting schedule when building any type of website.

It won’t always be fun, but you can have a fantastic time doing it either way if you are dedicated, put in the time, and make sure you are utilizing the right tools.

There are always things to consider when choosing from different types of websites to build. Third-party help from tools like WooCommerce can really take the eCommerce section of your website to the next level.

You also want to make sure you are using affiliate links to make money from the website you build. There are different ways to integrate and use this type of money making tool, so make sure you familiarize yourself with them.

Remember, you can always use the standard advertising methods like Google Adsense, private ads, and sponsored posts. All of these things will help your site make money.

Finally, you want to make sure your site is set up properly and has all the right SEO and optimization in place, along with a content schedule and the ability to produce relevant, unique content.

All of these things will act as direct contributors to the money you make with the type of site you build.

With that, let’s take a look at 15 types of websites that will help you bring in the money. Remember, some of these may surprise you.

The Best Types of Websites to Make Money

1. Language Website

You may not know this, but English is only the first language of around 31% of the world’s population. The fact is, in 2050, more people in America will speak Spanish than English. You can tack on other languages as well. Chinese is now taught in numerous schools.

It is expected that the online language learning market will be worth north of $5.13 billion by 2024. That means you can build a language-based learning site and get in on the action now.

A massive market already exists for language tuition software, online language coaching services, and just about everything else related to learning a new language.

2. Pet Related Website

The pet market isn’t going away anytime soon. Think about it, these days many people treat their pets just like their children. And this trend doesn’t stop with just dogs or cats.

People love all sorts of animals and are willing to pay top dollar for items and services related to the industry.

The generation of people not having kids and raising pets instead can be used by you to make money. There are different ways to go about this.

You could start an authority site on pets and animals and use affiliate marketing and eCommerce. Or, you could start a site related to pet sitting and pet boarding.

There are people willing to pay a good amount of money for pet sitting services. So, if you enjoy animals while bringing in the dough, then this is one of the best types of websites to build to make money.

3. FBA Websites

Some of the most profitable are sites that don’t even sell their own products. You may have heard the term “FBA” before. If not, it stands for “Fulfillment by Amazon.”

An FBA site works in two different ways. You are selling items through affiliate links, or you are selling your own products and having Amazon fulfill the orders. Either way, there is a ton of money to be made when building this type of website.

As recently as 2019, someone took a private label FBA business and sold it for $425,000. So, you can see that these types of sites can generate some very nice revenue for you.

4. Relationship & Dating Websites

Some things will ever change. It seems like since the beginning of time people have been trying to figure out how to meet each other, develop relationships, and have lives together.

The dating and relationship market continues to grow online, and now is a great chance for you to be a part of it. Recent studies have shown that there are over 8,000 dating sites online and that over 50 million people have tried online dating.

Don’t worry about the saturation in the market. There is a lot of money to be made with these types of websites. In reality, a lot of them are niche-specific. You can even find gamer and farmer dating sites.

The global online dating market was valued at $6.55 billion at the end of 2019. That number is expected to reach $9.39 billion by 2026.

5. Personal Finance Website

We all know and understand that personal finance is not only important, but a huge money maker online because of the sheer interest in the topic. It seems like everyone these days are turning to low-cost advisors and looking for new and unique ways to invest and make money.

This is where a personal finance website can make you a lot if you handle it correctly. There are some people like Jeff Proctor who are making over $100,000 per month using this particular website niche.

This is all done through SEO traffic and smart keyword targeting. He created the sites Dollar Sprout and Breaking the One Percent.

Imagine if you could get to that level, and even add subscription services, or other offerings on your site? The potential to make money in the personal finance sector is massive, so consider building this type of site.

6. Baby-Related Website

There are over 360,000 babies born every day. And with that come parents looking to spend money on all things baby-related. From eCommerce sites to review sites for baby products, toys, and more, these types of sites are exploding in popularity.

Also categorized under baby-related sites, you will find “Mom Blogs.” Without a doubt, Mom Blogs have exploded over the last decade and many of them are serious money-making machines.

The overall market value for baby-related sites and products is expected to reach 109.13 billion U.S. dollars worldwide by 2026.

7. Weight Loss / Dieting / Fitness Website

Weight loss, dieting, and fitness have long been huge money-making generators whether there is a website involved or not. That being said, over the last 15 years, the introduction of online marketing and instant access to products has allowed this industry to grow at a phenomenal rate.

Everything from personal trainers, to websites selling vitamins and minerals, have a way to make money in this arena. Weight loss may in fact still be one of the top types of websites you can build.

While I would never promote someone making money off someone else’s failures, there is a major obesity problem in America. Provide a solid weight loss and helpful tips website, and you will be making more money than you know what to do with.

Weight loss and fitness now carry a market value of more than $72 billion.

8. Home Security Website

Another great type of website to build to make money from is a home security-based website. The home security market has exploded and a large number of niches have emerged.

You can pursue one particular niche in the home security field, or present a site that deals with all sorts of things.

It is expected that the home security market will be worth $74.75 billion by 2023. This means there is still plenty of time for you to create and build your own site and start making money from it.

9. Membership Websites

If you haven’t noticed, membership websites are all the rage right now and probably into the future. It seems like companies big and small are all going to membership-based formats.

This is becoming a much more popular approach to selling products and services than what the typical one-off payments are.

By 2022, 53% of all software revenue will be generated from subscription models. A good example of this is when Adobe moved from direct software sales to monthly subscription fees.

All the big boys have been doing this, and you see that thousands of smaller sites are doing it as well.

Memberships to things come in all forms. So, if you have a product or service to sell, then putting it into a membership-based website is a great way to bring in money.

10. Renewable Energy Website

You figured we would hit on this sooner or later. Renewable energy and green-related sites are popping up all over the place. One of the best web hosts around has a strict focus on this as well.

The supply of fossil fuels seems to be dwindling, and the overall demand for renewable energy sources has increased.

Even countries like Saudi Arabia are taking renewable energy seriously. Their goal is to become the world leader in solar energy by 2030.

Since the market share for this type of product and website is estimated to reach 1.512 trillion by 2025, you could say that there is plenty of money to be made building this type of website.

11. eCommerce Websites

A good old fashioned eCommerce website is still one of the very best ways for websites to make money. In reality, eCommerce is a wildly popular way to sell physical and digital products of any sort online.

There are a ton of tools available to help you build an eCommerce site and make money. Currently, retail is in a bit of a decline because of some of the things that have happened over the past year.

That being said, eCommerce sales have jumped 18% in 2020, showing us that while people are staying in more, they are still ready to burn up the online shopping cart.

12. Blogs and Personal Websites

I touched on this a little above when we talked about how “mom blogs” are taking off in the baby website section. However, starting your own blog or personal website can make you money no matter what you choose to write about.

Remember the beginning of this piece when I told you that hard work and dedication would pay off? This is what I was talking about. You can create a personal blog to make money if you know the steps involved.

Remember, the personal site or blog doesn’t necessarily have to be about you. It can be about something you are interested in. This just means the blog topics are all written by you and you run the site.

You can find a great niche and start a personal blog site right now, actually.

13. Portfolio-Based Website

The way you make money on a portfolio site may differ slightly than the way you make money on other websites. If you are going to build a portfolio site, then chances are, this is part of your business and you are doing it to create opportunities and get clients.

To do this, you want to make sure your portfolio site is clean, smooth, professional, and up-to-date. This will allow you to gain more clients and recognition, Remember, you can also add a portfolio section to your business website as well.

14. Coupon Website

Coupon websites are wildly popular and have been for some time. Not only can you pull and display coupons from outside sites, but you can create your own affiliate link coupons for just about anything imaginable.

A fantastic example of a money-making coupon site is The Krazy Koupon Lady. Perhaps the best part of a coupon website is that there is the chance to make money from multiple types of income streams, all in one place.

15. Podcasting Websites

Let’s close this list out by touching on podcasting websites. Podcasting websites are becoming more and more popular because of the fact that they offer a new and unique way to take in content.

Instead of reading articles or watching videos, these types of websites allow users to simply listen to the content.

They are also a great way to make money, as podcasts can be very profitable. Many of the top podcasters are bringing in over $1 million per year. Yes, you will have to put in work and time, but you can definitely make money with a podcast website.

Conclusion

In reality, there are dozens and dozens of website types and niches that can make you money. The 15 above are some of the biggest moneymakers out there. Commit yourself to the work, and they are well worth the effort. All of these types of websites can be built on a solid web host.

As long as you work hard and stick with it, you should be able to come away with some profit. Hit the right niche with the right site, and you could be someone who ends up running a massively successful website.

Now is the time to cash in on all the action and build a website that will help you bring in the money. Good luck!

The post 15 of the Best Types of Websites to Make that Will Bring in the Money appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

What is it about blogging for money that attracts so many different people? Well, be honest, who doesn’t want to sit and write about the topics they enjoy and get paid to do it?

I know I do.

That being said, in order to earn money blogging, a lot of things have to fall into place. Sure, you may be able to earn some money here and there, but if making real money for a blog is something you want, then you need to make sure you are dedicated. 

Listen, you can build a personal blog, but that is only the beginning. From there, you need to understand how to create dynamic content that draws readers in. You also have to learn how to monetize your blog and make money.

Let’s take a look at these things together before going over 10 stats that tell us “yes,” you should create a personal blog and make money.

Creating Content

So you have your personal blog up and running. Now it is time to figure out how to create content. There are a number of ways to create effective content that really do work when used correctly.

You may also want to consider creating dynamic content for your personal blog. This type of content is more interactive and changes over time, staying up-to-date and relevant as you move forward.

Another solid type of content to consider is long-form content. Yes, a quick piece or a 250-500 word article is always good. However, long-form content that is 1,000 words or longer and is more in-depth, and can be very interesting to your reader.

Finally, consider ways that you can add user-generated content to your site to drive traffic. For one thing, the content is already there. So, figuring out how to utilize it better is an option.

User-generated content is content like comments, reviews, testimonials, and other relevant content that has been created by your website users. Think about it, an article with 20 comments becomes not only a piece to read for your visitor, but also a piece to comment and interact on with others.

So, there is the first part of being successful when creating a blog to make money. Now, let’s talk about how to properly monetize your blog.

1. The Use of Affiliate Links

We touched on affiliate links above as a great way to monetize and make money on your blog. As I stated, you don’t need as much website traffic to make a decent amount of money through affiliate links.

There are actually several reasons behind this.

• It is easier to get approved for affiliate programs
• Affiliate marketing pays more than Adsense
• You can find affiliates for all niches
• Google controls Adsense alone, whereas companies big and small have affiliate products
• Affiliate products are more attractive and earn more per click than Adsense.

So while Adsense will make you a small amount of cash without much maintenance, affiliate marketing will give you a better opportunity to make more money with less traffic.

2. Grow Your Email List

If you have a large email list, then chances are you are going to make a decent amount of cash. Even if you are in the midst of growing your list, keep at it. Remember, Adsense and other types of advertising are directly affected by traffic.

If a post you have isn’t ranked well, then you are probably not making any money from it.

However, if you are blasting that same content out to a massive email list, then it is going to be seen no matter what. If you are selling something through eCommerce or have a couple of affiliate links inside the content, then everyone on your list is going to see that.

The most successful bloggers can make $0.50 – $2.00 a month from an email subscriber. So even if your list only has 1,000 subscribers, you are already making a decent amount of money.

3. Find a Profitable Blogging Category

When you decide to blog to make money, you want to research the most profitable blogging categories. You may be surprised at some of the most popular ones.

They include in this order:

1. Finance / Wealth
2. Product Reviews
3. Travel and Lifestyle
4. Fashion
5. Health Products / Supplements

Sure, product reviews can be boring. But when the money starts rolling in, you will be singing a different tune.

The 5 least profitable blogging categories are:

1. Music
2. Politics
3. Cooking and Gardening
4. Toys/Games
5. Religion

So, when you start a blog to make money, keep in mind that categories can be very important.

4. Have a Podcast on Your Blog

One of the top-earning blogs for a long time is called “Entrepreneurs On Fire.” As a matter of fact, the very first year the blog was online, it made $69,879. And $26,143 of that was profit.

As the years passed, it only gained steam making over half a million dollars in 2016 and continuing forward.

The moral of the story is? It is probably a very good idea to integrate a podcast on your blog to make money.

5. Content is Key

So, how much a year do you think you can make blogging for money? Well, a lot of this will have to do with the amount of work you are willing to put in. If you do a span of ten years, the amount of money you can make really jumps up.

Naturally, there is a very high correlation between time, effort, and money. Most bloggers quit within the first year. However, if you were to stick with it, money is there.

If you are willing to post solid, strategic content 3 times a week without fail, then in year one you can make anywhere from $1,000 – $10,000. That number jumps to $500,000 – $1,000,000 in year ten if you continue on without fail.

So, solid content and dedication will help you earn a tremendous amount of money blogging over time.

6. The Importance of Guest Blogging

If you want to make money from a blog, then you are going to have to master several different things. One of the most important ones is guest blogging or link building.

Usually, blog marketers have the most trouble in this area. However, if you are able to perfect it, then the results really do speak for themselves.

As a matter of fact, the results from one guest blogging study are simply incredible and they prove how important it is in order for your blog to make money.

Consider how 57% of business-to-business marketers admit to struggling when it comes to producing consistent content. Guest blogging is a way to help your site as well as others, so it’s a win-win scenario.

7. CTAs

CTAs. Ever heard of them?

You may know them as “Call to Action” buttons or banners. If you want to increase revenue on your blog up to 83%, then CTA placement is very important. Google research shows us that above the fold is the most ideal spot for a CTA.

However, you can experiment with yours. The fact of the matter is you need them, and you need them working the right way. These CTAs are money makers for your blog, so research them some.

8. Incorporate Social Media

There is an old saying that rings very true in many aspects. It states:

“You have to spend money to make money.”

This point is true even in the world of blogging. If you want your blog to make money, then you probably need to spend some money on marketing. One of the best ways to do this is through the use of Facebook and other major social media sites.

If you can make your blog and social media accounts work together the right way, then you will get more eyes on your content, more traffic to your blog, and more conversions.

9. Cater to the Masses

Remember, blogs make money because they cater to the masses. This isn’t a bad thing, you just need to remember there is a massive audience out there and tons of money to be made, so don’t give up.

If you are new to the game, just remember that 409 million people view 20 billion pages of content every day. So the people and traffic are there. When you blog to make money, just remember that.

This is one of the best reasons to start a blog and make some money. You have millions and millions of people waiting to find your content.

10. American Consumers Make Purchases Based on Bloggers

That’s right, a staggering 1/5th of American consumers have made a purchase based on a blogger or influencer suggestion. That means that affiliate links you put in your content, product reviews you give, and the products you sell on your site are all getting bought up by consumers after they read the content.

This is yet another reason why you should at least try your hand at blogging for money.

11. Turn Your Blog Into Video Content

If you’ve done any research into the world of blogging, you may have realized that video content is outperforming written content. Don’t just take my word for it, 45% of people spend over an hour watching Facebook or YouTube videos each day.

They could be doing it on your website instead.

To stay relevant, many blogs have started converting existing blog content into video format.

For instance, you can turn a review of a video game or other media content into an accompanying YouTube video. Google and mobile users love video content, and that means advertisers do too.

12. Be Interested in What You are Writing

Out of the 1.7 billion websites on the internet, 600 million of them have a blog. If you want to survive in this crowded market, you need to be passionate.

However, many blogs don’t survive more than a few months, and one of the primary reasons for this is that the writer picks a topic that they are not interested in. Trust me, if you don’t enjoy the topic, writing content on a daily basis can be mind-numbing.

And this is especially hard when you start out because you won’t see a penny for quite some time.

However, most writers in this situation don’t realize that readers can pick up on this. If your content doesn’t sound like you like it, why should the readers?

13. Niches Are Your Friend

A niche helps your blog focus on one specific topic and it can be anything. By focusing your blog on one specific topic, it is easier to come up with content ideas, ensure that content is always relevant, and many more advantages.

They can range from very broad topics like Food, which has a medium monthly income of over $9000.

Or you can focus on a much smaller niche group. After all, if your the only content creator covering a specific topic, the readers don’t have much choice.

In fact, visitors who are happy to finally find content about a topic they’re invested in are generally more willing to support you financially. Add a buy me a coffee button or a Patreon account and you can make some decent money.

Monetizing a Blog

You have seen it. You go to a website and you see random ads popping up in different places. Maybe it is the banner on the top middle or the square box on the right. Maybe even the mini banner within the content.

The point is these ads are there as part of a monetization process the drives how to make money from a blog.

There are a number of great ways to monetize your website. Some of the most popular money-making techniques on a blog include:

• Using Adsense
• Setting Up Affiliate Marketing
• Selling Through eCommerce
• Allowing Sponsored Posts

There are also several more uncommon ways to monetize your blog that you may not be using.

Google Adsense

This is probably the most common way to earn money blogging. Simply set up a free Adsense account and then add that tracking code to your website.

Google will display relevant ads, and when your users provide you with page impressions and clickthroughs, you make money. While extremely popular, you do need to have a very high traffic count to make any serious money with Adsense.

Affiliate Marketing

Another very popular way to make money on a blog is to incorporate affiliate marketing. Basically, affiliate marketing is a way for you to make money on products that are not yours. You display products, talk about them, or link to them.

When a website user clicks on your link and purchases the product, you get a cut of the sale. It is a great way to really hit a niche and a specific audience and make a decent amount of money without needing to have thousands and thousands of website visitors daily.

Selling Through eCommerce

If you have physical and digital goods you can sell from your blog, then this is a fantastic way to earn money blogging as well. You can blog and write about your products. Then offer them in your online store that is being handled by WooCommerce.

Using eCommerce can be a big moneymaker if you have a decent size following.

Sponsored Posts

Finally, this section wouldn’t be complete without the mention of sponsored posts. This is a great way to generate revenue from your blog. Other individuals and companies may want to submit an article to your site that directs people to their products.

You simply charge a fee, get the content, and publish it. This is also a great way to get content from other users on your site. Just make sure the content is relevant, even if the product link may not be.

So, with the above info in place, at least you understand a few of the important steps it will take in order to create content, drive traffic, and make money off your blog.

That being said, is it actually worth creating your own personal blog to make money? Here are 10 surprising stats that tell us yes, it is!

Final Thoughts

If you have thought about creating a blog to make money, but you were not sure it is worth it, then the info above should give you a much better idea of how much money there is to be made blogging.

No one says the road will be easy. However, if you stick with it and do things the right way, then you will definitely make money from your blog.

Don’t give up, press forward, implement everything that was talked about, and keep blasting out solid, relevant content.

Over time you may see that you can blog to make money for a living and do it from anywhere. Good luck!

The post Should You Create a Personal Blog to Make Money? 13 Stats that Say, Yes appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

In the realm of digital marketing and SEO, this situation can result in what is known as a “high bounce rate”, whereby visitors to your webpages hit the back button faster than a speeding bullet.

Although this may be alarming to uncover, it also presents an opportunity to improve your site, the user experience, and overall, boost the metrics that mean most to you, such as conversion rates, lead generation, sales, and revenue.

In this guide, we’ll explore the underlying reasons why bounce rates are important, why some sites have higher bounce rates than others and the steps you can take to remedy this situation on your web properties.

Let’s dive right in…

What is a Bounce Rate?

A “bounce rate” is typically defined as a percentage of visitors who reach your site, then leave that webpage without taking any further action.

This bounce rate demonstrates a disconnect between the content on your page, and the intent or needs of the visitor who reached that page, prompting them to quickly exit stage left.

What is the Significance and/or Importance of Bounce Rates?

Although the bounce rate can be an indicative measure of performance or a means of identifying a problem with your content or web pages, there are circumstances where it can be misleading.

For example, a web page detailing hours of operation may be a page that DOES generate sales and walk-ins from visitors that quickly find the hours and then “bounce”.

That said, more often than not, bounce rates can be used to identify how well your website is meeting the needs and demands of your target audience.

According to KasAndz, a leader in digital marketing and conversion optimization, this mismatch can have a lasting and significant impact on the bottom line of businesses both large and small.

Why The Bounce Rate is Important:

A high bounce rate almost always correlates to a lower conversion rate

• Bounce rates may be an SEO signal that Google utilizes to determine how well your page should rank for specific keywords or phrases.
• A high bounce rate is indicative of a low-quality web page or one that fails to resonate and connect with your audience, or one that provides little value.

All of the above results in lower performance across virtually every KPI that is important to your business. From building relationships with your audience, to gaining trust, earning sales, and bolstering your bottom line.

How is the Bounce Rate Calculated?

The bounce rate can be easily calculated in Google Analytics (GA), which provides each web page’s performance represented as single-page views.

Google Analytics will also provide you with an overall average bounce rate for the entirety of your website, a figure that is calculated by taking the summation of bounces across each web page and dividing this total by the number of visits during that time.

GA also provides you with other insightful (and related) metrics such as:

• Total visitors to your site
• The average number of pages per visit
• Dwell time on site
• And more…

These can be used in conjunction with your bounce rate to uncover opportunities to better serve your audience.

What is a Good Bounce Rate?

Average bounce rates vary tremendously across both industries and types of site (i.e. an informational blog vs. an affiliate site vs. a landing page).

However, research demonstrates that the overall averages typically range between 26-70%, and there is always room for improvement.

Generally speaking, the following applies:

• 80%+ = horrible rate
• 70-80% = poor rate
• 50-70% = average rate
• 30-50% = very good
• Less than 20% (possibly a tracking error)

How to Improve Your Bounce Rate

Is your bounce rate higher than expected? Do you feel like you can do better? You probably can and that’s why we assembled this list on how to improve a website bounce rate. Consider the following proven strategies to reduce your bounce rate, improve the user experience, and convert more sales.

1. Enhance the User Experience

Although a basic “no-brainer”, taking an objective look at the ways you can improve the overall user interaction with your website, pages, brand, and services is a solid place to start building a foundational approach to tackling a high bounce rate.

Tips:

• Utilize screen capture software to track how users explore your site and to identify any bottlenecks
• Re-evaluate the ease and intuitiveness of site navigation
• Consider an independent site survey for feedback

2. Optimize your “Call to Action” and On-Page CRO

Ensure that your call to action is clear, concise, and meaningful. You likely only have seconds to connect with your visitor. And most importantly, make sure the content matches that call to action. If the content is not what users are expecting or looking for, consider that back button pressed.

Tips:

Make sure that your key impact statements and “hook” is front and center without the user having to scroll

• Don’t give them too many options
• Keep the page laser-focused on the designated topic
• Focus on solutions and benefit statements early on, saving the “features” for further down on the webpage

3. Audit Page Load Speeds

Utilize tools such as Pingdom, GTmetrics, or Google PageSpeed Insights to find out which pages of your site are taking too long to load. Research has demonstrated that sites taking up to 3 seconds to load may lose up to 40% of visitors to “bounce”, with every 1 second of load reducing sales by up to 7%.

Tip:

• Remember, many of your visitors may be on slower mobile connections. So while desktop speeds might be 2 seconds (for example), that same 2 second load time might take 6 or more seconds on a 3G connection.

4. Don’t be afraid to A/B Test Page Content

Although the main content of the page should be adjusted with caution if SEO is a concern, it is prudent to test headlines, calls to action, buttons, colors, and layouts, especially above the fold. Just make sure you have data to compare the changes to.

Tips:

• Test one variable at a time
• Make sure you have enough data/visitors to make your decisions statistically reliable
• You may find simple tweaks result in a major impact

5. Incorporate Multi-Media

In today’s digital age, visitors are hungry for high-quality multi-media. Some studies have demonstrated that incorporating media such as high-quality images and video can increase conversion rates by up to 34% (Aberdeen Group).

Tips:

• Hire a graphic designer to create meaningful unique imagery
• Consider adding an introduction, explainer, or video testimonial
• Ensure that all video content is related to the topic you are discussing

6. Take Customer and Visitor Feedback to Heart

Sometimes the customer IS always right. Don’t let ego or lack of follow up get in the way of giving your audience what they need, demand, and deserve. Eventually, if you do listen, your audience may just give up on you.

Tips:

• Feedback from visitors and customers alike should be shared across all departments to create a synergistic approach to better serving your audience.
• Collect feedback from email, chat, social media, review platforms, and other channels
• Read your comments section

7. Mobile-Friendly Design

With over 50% of all web traffic coming from mobile devices, ensuring that your website is mobile optimized and responsive is imperative. If it’s not, mobile users are sure to immediately leave the page when they see images not loading.

Tips:

• Test responsiveness across several devices
• Ensure CTA is easily readable and actionable on mobile
• Test and optimize page load speeds for mobile devices

8. Improve the Readability of Content

Did you know that the average US citizen is only at an 8th-grade level? Thus, smart content creators are targeting this reading level with not just their vocabulary usage, but also their sentence structure and length. If you confuse the reader, they are going somewhere else.

Tips:

• Break up large paragraphs into smaller and easier to digest ones
• Separate your content with subheadings
• Use simple examples to help illustrate complicated concepts or topic points

9. Take Advantage of Exit-Intent Popups

Exit-intent popups are triggered when it is detected that the user is about to leave your page. When triggered a popup will appear typically with a message telling them to wait or providing a link to their email subscriptions. These can make some visitors think twice, they can also be somewhat annoying.

Tips:

• Make the popup easy to close, otherwise, users press back to escape
• Ensure that the popup contains useful information
• Don’t take up the whole computer screen

10. Make External Links Open in a New Tab

External links are important for every website because they typically show visitors where a certain piece of information is from or may lead visitors to a fun site or useful tool. Regardless of why you have them, if they replace your own page, your bounce rate will suffer.

Tips:

• Test all links on every page to ensure all outbound links open in a new tab
• Check for broken links
• Ensure that the links you add are safe for visitors

Reduce Your Bounce Rate and Reap the Rewards

Considering the impact bounce rate can have on the success of your business, taking measured and well-meaning approaches towards reducing it can have a serious impact on your bottom line.

By following the steps and tips in this guide, you can quickly assess the health of your bounce rate and map a tailored plan to address any areas of opportunity.

What does Google say about your bounce rate? What steps have you taken to improve your bounce rate?

The post The Significance of Bounce Rate and How to Improve It appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.