Online sale -

What is a microsite? Real-world examples and how to create one with WordPress

Using a microsite can be an effective way to update your online identity. However, this does not necessarily mean that it is a widely known concept. If you are asking yourself, “What is a microsite?” you are not alone.

Fortunately, the answer may be simpler than you think. By familiarizing yourself with microsites and how they can benefit your brand, you can begin to take advantage of these useful tools.

In this article we will explain what a microsite is and cover some reasons why you might want to use one. We will also cover some key features of a successful microsite and show you how to create one in WordPress in five easy steps.

Let’s get started.

Table of contents view
What is a microsite?
Let’s start with the basics: what is a microsite? To put it simply, it is an independent extension of your site. It does not share the same URL and may not even share the same brand.

However, although microsites exist separately from the main domain, they are not completely disconnected. They usually support the main nrand in various ways.

Some examples of microsites include:

New marketing campaign promotions
Hubs for testing new site technology
Platforms for similar but distinct content

Also, it is worth noting that microsites are not the same thing as landing pages. Landing pages usually focus on a single purpose and are always on the main domain.

Why you might want to create a WordPress microsite
There are a few reasons why you might consider launching a WordPress microsite. First, it can help you focus on achieving a specific goal.

For example, imagine you want to promote a single product line. A microsite can track its success independently of the rest of your content.

Alternatively, you may not always want to link a site back to your brand. If you plan to test new stand-alone content before integrating it, a microsite helps you do so in an isolated environment.

Finally, microsites can also boost ‘search engine optimization (SEO) . This is because having a microsite increases your opportunity to include relevant keywords in the URL. This means that you can leverage these search terms to increase the visibility of your brand.

Fortunately, a microsite is also fairly easy to create. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about spending too much time or resources on it: taking advantage of this tool can be as simple as it is beneficial.

The main features of an effective microsite
We have seen some reasons why you might want a microsite. However, not all microsites are equally effective. You will probably want to be sure that certain elements are in place before you start your version.

Let’s use a couple of microsite examples to illustrate what you might want to target. We can start with Open , a New York Times microsite, which explores the design and creation of digital site projects:

First, branding is a crucial element of this microsite. Open mimics the classic black-and-white palette of the New York Times. However, the lack of any color allows it to stand out from its parent site.

Moreover, this difference also helps with targeting. People who target the New York Times for news may not want to see digital marketing information. Therefore, the Open microsite can serve as a home for this distinct content. In this way, it can focus on attracting a specific target audience.

So, let’s switch examples and look at The data found below . This is a microsite presented by Lucidworks :

This microsite takes a different approach: it brings to life a single infographic instead of serving as a hub for different content. Besides the interactive explanation, there is no other substance on this page.

Lucid highlights this focus with a long page. You don’t have to click on anything-you just have to scroll. This simple navigation tool makes using the site as easy as possible.

Another element you might want to imitate from this example is the in-depth focus on a single topic. Stand-alone content can then serve two types of visitors: those looking for specific information and those who find the microsite through the main site.

How to create a WordPress microsite in five easy steps
Now that you know what a microsite is, let’s talk about how you can easily create your own microsites with WordPress .

With the WP Landing Kit plugin , you can use a single WordPress installation to power an unlimited number of microsites.

If you already have a WordPress site , you can install the WP Landing Kit plugin to use your existing WordPress installation to create a microsite with its own separate URL/domain name.

Or, if you do not yet have a WordPress site, you can create a new WordPress installation to serve as the home of all your microsites. Remember, with WP Landing Kit, you will still be able to assign each microsite its own unique domain name.

Here’s how it works…

Step 1: Aregister a domain or subdomain.
First, you have two options for the URL of your microsite: a new domain or a subdomain. In either case, your choice will need a separate address.

A new domain name allows you to create a unique site. Visitors may not even know it is related to your brand. If it sounds interesting to you, it might be worth buying.

There are dozens of providers where you can register a domain name . We recommend using the same service as your original domain to simplify the process, but it is not necessary.

The other option is to acquire a subdomain. Subdomains are spin-offs of your current one. They share part of your domain but have a separate start.

We recommend a subdomain if you want to establish a clear connection to your main site. This way, visitors can recognize your brand regardless of how they found your microsite.

Once you have chosen what you want to name your microsite, go ahead and register your domain name. If you plan to add a subdomain, you will need to do so through your main site.

Step 2: Plan the content and design of your microsite.
Before we go any further, let’s talk about your content. The most effective microsites are created with clear intentions in mind. This means you will likely need to spend some time developing your content before launch.

Consider starting with a question: why do you want a microsite in the first place? Do you want to promote a single project or explore a new design before using it on the main site? By understanding your main goal, you can more effectively decide what steps to take.

After that, consider how much you want to connect the microsite to your brand. Consistent design can help visitors quickly understand the relationship. In any case, if you want an independent project, you might focus on a completely new approach.

So, we recommend that you consider the history of this microsite. If you want to create a long-term project, you might plan a content calendar in advance. This tool can help you populate the page from the beginning and maintain consistency in the future.

However, you might aim for a single-function microsite. In that case, we strongly recommend finding ways to promote it while it is most relevant. Consider some strategies such as:

Collaborate with other websites
Writing a companion article on your main site
Optimizing your microsite for SEO

Check that you are ready to go. Then, move on to the next step.

Step 3: Create your microsite content.
To create the content of your actual microsite, you can create a new WordPress page on your site ( Pages → Add New ).

To design the content of the page, you can use the native WordPress block editor or your favorite page builder plugin . It’s totally up to you.

If you want your microsite to have multiple pages, you can repeat the process to create multiple pages and link them together.

For now, your microsite pages will appear under the domain name of your WordPress site. Don’t worry because you will fix this in the next step by mapping the domain or subdomain you chose in the first step to your new microsite content.

Step 4: Map your domain
Next, we will look at the more technical aspects of creating your microsite. You can start by adding your new domain to your WordPress account using WP Landing Kit .

After adding your microsite content as one or more pages, go to Domains → Add New to start the domain mapping process:

From here, type in the domain you wish to add. Next, expand the Mapping section and click Map to Resource .

Then, select Single Page and type in the title of the page you wish to use as a microsite:

You can repeat the process under the first section to add more pages to the new website. When you are done, click Publish and go to the final step.

Step 5: Update your DNS records.
Finally, you will need to update your DNS records with your hosting provider. DNS records allow browsers to find your site.

You will need to update your DNS records with the provider where you registered your domain name. This could be your hosting provider if you registered your domain name through your host. Or it could be a dedicated domain registrar such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains OVH and other popular options .

The exact process will depend on where you registered your domain name, so we recommend consulting your host/registrar’s support documents if you need help.

However, there are some basic steps you can reasonably expect in most services.

Create your first microsite in 2022.
From better SEO to more targeted content, microsites can offer you a wide variety of benefits. Fortunately, setting one up is not complicated. By carefully preparing your design, you can start reaping the benefits of your new microsite.

In this article, we showed you how to create a microsite with WordPress in just five steps:

1.Acquire the desired domain or subdomain.
2.Carefully plan the content for your microsite.
3.Add your content as WordPress pages.
4.Map your domain using WP Landing Kit .
5.Update your DNS records with your hosting provider.

What is WHM and how it can help you in managing your websites

WHM (web Host Manager) is a control dashboard that gives the user the ability to manage multiple cPanel-based sites.

In this article you will find out why you should use WHM and how it can be useful in managing websites.

Let’s get started.

Table of contents displays
Why should you use WHM (web host manager)?
These are the key points why you should use WHM to manage multiple websites:

1.Increased security for sites . A different cPanel for each site means that if one domain is hacked, the others will not be affected, making them more secure.
2.Better management . You have the power to monitor all activity on your websites and easily switch from one cPanel to another. WHM also allows you to adjust the bandwidth and disk space of each account.
3.Hosting Reseller . You can monetize your hosting by creating new cPanel accounts that people can purchase.
4.Unique cPanels for branding . For resale purposes, a WHM interface can be modified to reflect your brand.
What does WHM do?

Here are some of the main functions you can perform with WHM:

Create, delete or suspend accounts with WHM

WHM allows you to add multiple cPanel accounts and set a default page for each.

To do this, go to Account Features and enter all the information including domain details, DNS settings and mail routing options. Then, click Create .

Also, if one of your clients is in breach of contract or their account has expired, you can delete or suspend it by accessing the Account List menu .

Server Monitoring
Through WHM all activity on your server can be monitored . The Process Manager, for example, records all processes running on the server.

With the Service Manager , the owner can manage services and their activities in the background.

And last but not least, the ‘current disk utilization will inform about the remaining storage space and what it is being used for.

Set up different hosting packages with WHM
As the WHM account owner, you have the freedom to decide how to divide the storage space. This is useful when you want to provide various hosting packages at different prices.

The great thing is that you can easily upgrade an existing domain without having to move all the files.

Transfer files with WHM
You can move files from the remote server to your hosting in case your new client has set up his or her own website in another location.

Customize your reseller brand

You may want your server to be unique even if you are reselling it from the original hosting company.

With WHM, you are free to have your own logo, links to documentation, cPanel style, and public profile of your business.

These settings can be found in the cPanel -> Customization tab.

Market vendor manager
This feature allows you to manage and display products that customers can purchase through their cPanel, such as a multi-year SSL certificate or package upgrade.

SSL certificate management
If you are a reseller, customers expect your hosting to have everything they need, including SSL . Fortunately, you will find the feature to install and manage it in the SSL/TLS tab .

Enable cPHulk for added security

Enabling cPHulk will protect all domains from external attacks by limiting the access that makes its way to cPanel.

File backup and restore
You can enable automatic backups to be performed on any or all accounts on your server. Then the data will be uploaded to remote storage, such as Google Drive , webDAV and so on.

The backup settings, along with the restore features, are found in the Backup tab .

Provide CMS for cPanel users.
We suggest that you provide several options to ensure that your users can install the content management system of their choice. This feature can be enabled in Manage cPAddons Site Software .

Changes
There are a lot of features in this section that can add or change many things on your server, including spam protection, default login theme, and notification alerts.

Plugins for cPanel
cPanel is compatible with plugins such as Munin (server monitor), ClamAV (virus protection), and Solr (text indexing), and if you find some of them useful for your clients, you can add them via the Manage Plugins menu.

Conclusion
WHM is a powerful tool for managing multiple websites simultaneously. In addition, WHM makes it possible to resell hosting.

To this end, there are many WHM features that allow you to have full control over managing multiple sites.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of WHM and how you can use it for website management.

How to add custom fonts to WordPress

There are countless ways to make your WordPress site more pleasing in the eyes of your users . One of them is adding custom fonts.

However, the choice of WordPress fonts can be limited and theme-dependent. In this article you will learn how to add custom fonts to WordPress either manually or using plugins.

Table of Contents hide
Where to download fonts for WordPress?
Converting fonts to a web-compatible format
How to add custom fonts to WordPress?
How to manually add fonts to WordPress
How to add fonts in WordPress using plugins
WP Google Fonts
Easy Google Fonts
Use Any Font
Conclusion
Where to download fonts for WordPress?
There are many sites where you can find free web fonts and Font Squirrel is one of them. You can easily find free fonts licensed for commercial work. In addition to that, Google Fonts has over 900 font families and Edge web Fonts, provided by Adobe, offers a large collection of web fonts.

If you are looking for something more suitable for personal use, check out sites such as Fonts.com , Dafont and 1001 free fonts .

Converting fonts to a web-compatible format
It is worth mentioning that not all web browsers support custom fonts. However, even if your chosen font is not supported, you can still convert it to a compatible format.

Before converting sources from one format to another, let’s take a quick look at the different font formats:

Open Type Fonts (OTF): the most commonly used web fonts and are a registered trademark of Microsoft. This format works well with almost all major browsers.
True Type Fonts (TTF) – developed by Microsoft and Apple in 1980. Widely used for both Windows and macOS.
Web Open Font Format (WOFF) – widely used format for web pages and recommended by the World Wide web Consortium (W3C).
WOFF 2.0 – considered a better option than WOFF 1.0 due to better compression capabilities. This format is not supported by Safari and Internet Explorer, but works well with Google Chrome, Firefox or Opera.
Embedded OpenType fonts (EOF): more compact fontOTFs used as embedded fonts in web pages. All major browsers support EOF.

If you are not sure if your font is compatible with your default browser, use the Web Font Generator . This tool allows you to easily convert almost any font into a web friendly format:

1.Go to webfont Generator .
2.Click the Upload Fonts button and choose a font you want to convert,
Check the box in the Agreement section to indicate that your fonts are legally eligible for web embedding.
3.Press the Download your kit button and save the .zipper archive to your computer.
4.Inside the archive, you will find fonts in WOFF and WOFF 2.0 format along with CSS files and demo HTML page .

How to add custom fonts to WordPress?
Here’s how you can add custom fonts to WordPress, either manually or using plugins.

How to manually add fonts to WordPress
If you don’t want to overload your WordPress with too many plugins, you can manually add fonts to your website. You need to upload your font to your hosting account and edit your theme’s CSS file.

You need to download the font you want to use to your computer and extract the .zipper archive .

Upload your font file to the wp-content/themes/your-theme/fonts directory . Create a separate fonts folder if you don’t have one yet. You can use an FTP client such as FileZilla or cPanel’s File Manager for this task. In our example, we uploaded the font AguafinaScript-Regular.ttf using the File Manager in cPanel.

Go to the WordPress administration area. Then, go to Appearance -> Theme Editor . You will be presented with the style.css file . Scroll down and add the following code:

@font-face {
font-family: aguafina Script-Regular;
src: url(http://test-site.com/wp-content/themes/twentynineteen/fonts/AguafinaScript-Regular.ttf);
font-weight: normal;
}
Don’t forget to change the font family and URL values to match your font.

Press the Update File button to save your changes.

Remember, the font-face cidice loads the font every time a visitor visits your website. However, the font is not yet applied to any element.

To assign the font for a specific element, you must edit the same style.css file . For example, the following code would apply the Aguafina Script font to our website title :

.site-title {
font-family: “Aguafina Script-Regular”, Arial, sans-serif;
}
How to add fonts in WordPress using plugins
Using plugins is probably the easiest way for this activity. Here are some of the most well-known and widely used options:

WP Google Fonts gives you the freedom to use custom fonts and apply them to particular CSS elements.

Install the WP Google Fonts plugin from the WordPress plugins directory and open the Google Fonts control panel via the WordPress dashboard. Here you can select fonts and change various settings such as font style, assigned elements, etc.

Easy Google Fonts

With Easy Google Fonts, you can use any theme and preview any font in real time. It is also easy to use since no coding knowledge is required.

Once the plugin is installed and activated, you can edit and manage your font settings by going to Settings -> Google Fonts . If you want to change the typography of your theme right away, access the WordPress customizer by clicking Appearance -> Customize . Next, you can start customizing in the Typography section from where you can manage the fonts for any part of your site.

Use Any Font

Use Any Font is another excellent plugin that can help you add different fonts to your WordPress website. Once installed, create a free API key and press the Verify button .

After verification is complete, you will be able to upload fonts in TTF , OTF and WOFF formats . Using another font allows you to assign fonts to custom elements as well.

Conclusion
In this post you learned how to download and convert fonts to a web friendly format. You also discovered two ways to add custom fonts to WordPress. Whichever font you choose, make sure it fits the theme and style of your site.

DNS server not responding: 11 ways to fix it

A Domain Name System (DNS) is a directory that translates domain names or hostnames into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses . Through this process, users can easily access Web sites on the Internet through Web browsers. Sometimes, some DNS error messages may be detected when accessing a website, one of them being the message “DNS Server not responding” .

This means that the web browser cannot connect to the site because the DNS server cannot correctly map host names to IP addresses.

There are several causes that can generate the DNS Server Not Responding error (or impossible to resolve server dns address.), from incorrectly configured network cards to incorrect DNS server addresses. Fortunately, most of these problems are the user’s responsibility and can be solved without much effort.

This article will examine 11 potential solutions to the error DNS server not responding on Windows and Mac and several common causes for this error message.

Table of contents displays

DNS server not responding: network troubleshooting
Running network diagnostics is the first step in correcting the “DNS server not responding” error. This method can help test and resolve all detected network problems and errors without too much trouble.

Here is how to run network diagnostics for Windows and Mac computers .

DNS server not responding: run Windows network diagnostics.
Follow the steps below to run network diagnostics on Windows 10:

1.On Windows, go to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center .
2.Select the Troubleshooting option under Change network settings .
3.Click Additional troubleshooting tools -> Internet connections -> Run the troubleshooting tool .
4.Wait for the troubleshooting process to complete. If a DNS error message appears in the window, follow the steps shown to resolve the problem.

Configure wireless diagnostics on Mac
Here’s how to run wireless diagnostics on macOS:

1.Close all open apps and connect to the network from which you are experiencing the problem.
2.While holding down the Option key , select the Wi-Fi status icon in the menu bar and choose Open wireless diagnostics .
3.Follow the on-screen instructions to examine your network connection.
4.Once the scan process is complete, click on the Information icon in the Summary window to learn more about each item in the list.

If this method does not solve DNS server problems, go to the next step.

Connect with a different device
Try connecting a different device to the same home network and access the site you are having problems with.

If the second device can access the web page using the same network, the problem is with the primary device.

In any case, if you still can’t visit the Web site with other devices connected to the same network, the problem may be your router.

Switch to a different web browser
Another simple solution to try when you encounter the problem “DNS server not responding” is to visit the website from a different web browser .

For example, if your main browser is Mozilla Firefox , try accessing the web page from other browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome .

If this method works, update the default browser to the latest version or reinstall it completely. Otherwise, if the message “DNS server not responding” is displayed again, the browser is not the source of the connection problem.

Restart the computer in safe mode
A malfunctioning operating system can cause the error message “DNS server not responding.”

To find out if this problem is preventing the DNS server from responding, you will need to restart the computer in Safe Mode , a reduced version of the operating system that can restrict the files, drivers, and resources used to run the device.

Here are the steps to start a computer in Safe Mode on Windows:

1.Go to the Start menu , select the power button , press the Shift key and select Restart .
2.In the Choose an option window , click Troubleshooting -> Advanced Options .
3.Select the Startup Settings option under Advanced Options and click Restart .
4.Press F5 on the keyboard to select the Safe Mode with Networking option .

If you’re using a Mac, here’s how to start your computer in Safe Mode:

1.Go to the Apple menu -> Shut Down . Wait about 10 seconds after the device shuts down.
2.Turn on the Mac and quickly hold down the Shift key until you see the login screen.

If your network connection is running in safe mode, it means that a third-party software may be causing the “DNS server not responding” problem. To solve this problem, you will have to find and delete the application from your PC.

Restart the modem or router
A malfunctioning modem or router may also be the cause of DNS not responding.

Therefore, consider restarting your modem or router to clear the cache, potentially solving the DNS server problem.

Press the power button on the router or modem or unplug the power cord from the power outlet. Wait at least 30 seconds before pressing the power button again to reboot.

If restarting the modem or router does not work, try restoring it to its default settings. Check the device’s instruction manual to reset the modem or router.

Disable antivirus and firewall
Antivirus and firewall programs aim to protect your device from malicious software. However, these tools can also block your Internet connection.

Try temporarily disabling your antivirus and firewall programs to see if they are the cause of the “DNS server not responding” error.

To access antivirus and firewall settings on Windows, select the Start menu and click Settings -> Update and Security -> Windows Security -> Virus and Threat Protection .

If you use a Mac computer, go to System Preferences -> Security and Privacy -> Firewall .

After disabling the antivirus and firewall programs, run network diagnostics again and reopen the Web site from the browser.

If this solves the problem, update or reconfigure the antivirus and firewall programs before reactivating them.

Disable other connections if the DNS server is not responding
Another solution to solve the “DNS server not responding” problem is to disable unused connections on the device .

Follow these steps to disconnect additional network connections on Windows:

1.Go to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center .
2.Click Edit Adapter Settings in the left column.
3.The Network Connections page will appear. Right-click Local Network Connection and other connections you are not using and select Disable .

Here’s how to disable other network connections on Mac:

1.Go to the Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Network .

Select each of the unused connections on the left side of the screen and click the minus (-) button to disconnect that connection.
After disabling all unused connections, restart the browser and try accessing the Web site again.

Change the DNS server address.
If you cannot access the website after the previous solutions, try changing the address of the DNS server .

Your home network is configured to automatically obtain a DNS server address from your Internet service provider (ISP) . However, if your ISP’s DNS server does not respond, your Internet service will also stop working.

To solve this problem temporarily, change your DNS settings and use a different DNS address. This allows your browser to still be able to load any website on the Internet.

Fortunately, many services such as Cloudflare and Google Public DNS offer DNS addresses to use for free.

To configure other DNS servers on Windows, follow these steps:

1.Access the Network Connections page by typing ncpa.cpl in the Windows search box. Press Enter .
2.Right-click the connection currently in use and click Properties .
3.In the Properties window , select Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4) -> Properties .
4.Select the options Obtain an IP address automatically and Use the following DNS server addresses on the Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties page .
5.Type the desired DNS server addresses in the Preferred DNS Server and Alternate DNS Server fields .
6.Check the Validate settings on exit box and select OK .
7.Restart your computer.
Here are the steps to change the DNS server address on a Mac:

1.Go to the Apple menu -> System Preferences – > Network .
2.Click on the main network connection and select Advanced -> DNS.

3.Press the plus button to add a new DNS server. Press OK and then Apply .
Restore your Internet connection and see if the “DNS server not responding” problem has been solved.

Clear the DNS cache
Another solution to solve DNS server connection problems is to clear the cache via a DNS flush . Clearing the router cache may help get DNS working properly.

Here are the steps to clear the DNS cache files on Windows:

Type cmd in Windows search and press Enter to access the Windows command prompt console.
At the command prompt, type ipconfig/flushdns and press Enter .
If the process is successful, a confirmation message will appear at the command prompt.
The steps to clear DNS cache files on a Mac are also relatively simple, but it is critical to run the correct command prompt based on your current version of the operating system.

On your Mac, open Terminal by pressing F4 and entering “terminal” in the Launchpad search box.

Once the app is open, run the appropriate command for your version of macOS.

On macOS Monterey , enter the following command:

1.sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
On macOS Big Sur , enter the following command:

2.sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
To clear the DNS cache on macOS Catalina , run this in the command prompt:

3.sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
Run this command to clear the DNS cache on macOS Mojave :

sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
Clear the DNS cache on macOS High Sierra with this command:

sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
For macOS Sierra, Mac OS X El Capitan, X Mavericks, X Mountain Lion, or X Lion , run the following command:

sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
If you are using Mac OS X Yosemite , enter this command:

sudo discoveryutil udnsflushcaches
On Mac OS X Snow Leopard , run the command to clear the DNS cache:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
If you are using Mac OS X Leopard and earlier versions , enter this command:

sudo lookupd -flushcache
After running the above commands, the network adapter will update its DNS configuration.

Read also: DNS flush: how to clear the DNS cache on various operating systems.

SSH: what is it and how does Secure Shell work

Secure Shell (SSH) is often essential for providing an encrypted channel over the Internet and as such is used in many web applications. Yet despite this, many developers do not know much about it. This is a problem because with just a couple of tricks you can save a lot of time and energy.

Learn this popular cryptographic network protocol and become much more efficient in its use with this quick SSH tutorial.

Table of Contents view
What is SSH
SSH, or Secure Shell, is a remote administration protocol that allows users to control and modify their remote servers over the Internet. The service was created as a secure replacement for unencrypted Telnet and uses cryptographic techniques to ensure that all communication to and from the remote server is done in an encrypted manner. It provides a mechanism for authenticating a remote user, transferring input from the client to the host, and forwarding output to the client.

The figure below shows a typical SSH window. Any Linux or macOS user can log in via SSH to their remote server directly from the terminal window. Windows users can take advantage of SSH clients such as Putty . You can execute shell commands in the same way you would if you were physically operating on the remote computer.

This SSH tutorial will cover the basics of how ssh works, including the technologies used by the protocol to provide a secure method of remote access. It will cover the different layers and types of encryption used, along with the purpose of each layer.

How does SSH work?
If you are using Linux or Mac, using SSH is very simple. If you are using Windows, you will need to use an SSH client to open SSH connections. The most popular SSH client for Windows is PuTTY.

For Mac and Linux users, go to your terminal program and then follow the steps below:

The SSH command has 3 distinct parts:

ssh {user}@{host}
The SSH key command tells the system that you want to open an encrypted Secure Shell connection. {user} represents the account you want to access. For example, you may want to access the root user , which is basically synonymous with the system administrator with full rights to modify anything on the system. {host} refers to the computer you want to access. It can be an IP address (e.g., 244.235.23.19) or a domain name (e.g., www.miodominio.com).

When you press enter, you will be asked to enter the password for the requested account. When you type it in, nothing will appear on the screen, but your password is, in effect, broadcast. Once you have finished typing, press enter again. If your password is correct, you will be greeted with a remote terminal window.

Understanding the different SSH encryption techniques.
The significant advantage offered by SSH over its predecessors is the use of encryption to ensure the secure transfer of information between the host and the client. Host refers to the remote server you are trying to access, while the client is the computer you are using to access the host. There are three different encryption technologies used by SSH:

1.Symmetric encryption
2.Asymmetric encryption
3.Hashing.

Symmetric Cryptography
Symmetric encryption is a form of encryption in which a secret key is used for both encrypting and decrypting a message from both the client and the host. In effect, anyone who possesses the key can decrypt the message being transferred.

Symmetric cryptography is often called shared key or shared secret cryptography . Usually only one key or sometimes a key pair is used where one key can be easily computed using the other key.

Symmetric keys are used to encrypt the entire communication during an SSH session. Both client and server derive the secret key using an agreed method, and the resulting key is never disclosed to third parties. The process of creating a symmetric key is performed by a key exchange algorithm . What makes this algorithm particularly secure is the fact that the key is never transmitted between the client and the host. Instead, the two computers share public data and then manipulate it to independently compute the secret key. Even if another machine acquires the publicly shared data, it will not be able to compute the key because the key exchange algorithm is unknown.

It should be noted, however, that the secret token is specific to each SSH session and is generated prior to client authentication. Once the key has been generated, all packets moving between the two machines must be encrypted by the private key. This includes the password typed into the console by the user, so credentials are always protected from network packet sniffers.

There are a variety of symmetric encryption ciphers, including but not limited to AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), CAST128, Blowfish, etc. Before establishing a secure connection, the client and a host decide which cipher to use by publishing a list of supported ciphers in order of preference. The preferred encryption among those supported by the clients that is on the host’s list is used as the two-way encryption.

For example, if two Ubuntu 14.04 LTS machines communicate with each other over SSH, they will use aes128-ctr as the default cipher.

Asymmetric encryption
Unlike symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption uses two separate keys for encryption and decryption. These two keys are known as the public key and private key . Together, both of these keys form a public-private key pair .

The public key, as the name suggests, is openly distributed and shared with all parties. Although it is closely related to the private key in terms of functionality, the private key cannot be mathematically computed from the public key. The relationship between the two keys is very complex: a message encrypted with the public key of a machine can only be decrypted by the private key of the same machine. This one-way relationship means that the public key cannot decrypt its own messages, nor can it decrypt anything encrypted by the private key.

The private key must remain private, that is, for the connection to be protected, no third party must know it. The strength of the entire connection lies in the fact that the private key is never revealed, as it is the only component that can decrypt messages that have been encrypted using its own public key. Therefore, any party with the ability to decrypt publicly signed messages must possess the corresponding private key.

Unlike the general perception, asymmetric encryption is not used to encrypt the entire SSH session but is used only during the symmetric encryption key exchange algorithm. Before initiating a secure connection, both parties generate temporary public-private key pairs and share their respective private keys to produce the shared secret key.

Once a protected symmetric communication is established, the server uses the client’s public key to generate it, verify it, and transmit it to the client for authentication. If the client successfully decrypts the message, it means it has the required private key for the connection. Then the SSH session begins.

Hashing
One-way hashing is another form of encryption used in Secure Shell connections. One-way hashing functions differ from the previous two forms of encryption in the sense that they are never intended to be decrypted. They generate a unique value of fixed length for each input that shows no clear pattern that can be exploited. This makes them virtually impossible to reverse.

It is easy to generate a cryptographic hash from a given input, but impossible to generate the input from the hash. This means that if a client has the correct input, it can generate the cryptographic hash and compare its value to see if it has the correct input.

SSH uses hashes to verify the authenticity of messages. This is done using HMAC, or Hash-based Message Authentication Codes. This ensures that the received command is not tampered with in any way.

While the symmetric encryption algorithm is selected, a suitable message authentication algorithm is also selected. It works similarly to how the cipher is selected, as explained in the section on symmetric encryption.

Each transmitted message must contain a MAC, computed using the symmetric key, the packet sequence number, and the message content. It is sent outside the symmetrically encrypted data as the concluding section of the communication packet.

How does SSH work with these encryption techniques?
The way SSH works is to use a client-server model to enable the authentication of two remote systems and the encryption of data passing between them.

SSH operates on TCP port 22 by default (although this can be changed if necessary). The host (server) is listening on port 22 (or any other port assigned by SSH) for incoming connections. It sets up the secure connection by authenticating the client and opening the correct shell environment if the verification is successful.

The client must initiate the SSH connection by initiating the TCP handshake with the server, ensuring a secure symmetric connection, verifying whether the identity displayed by the server matches previous records (typically recorded in an RSA key archive file), and presenting the user credentials required to authenticate the connection.

There are two steps to establishing a connection: first, both systems must agree on encryption standards to protect future communications, and second, the user must authenticate. If the credentials match, the user is granted access.

Session encryption negotiation.
When a client attempts to connect to the server via TCP, the server presents the encryption protocols and the respective versions it supports. If the client has a matching protocol and version pair, an agreement is reached and the connection is initiated with the accepted protocol. The server also uses an asymmetric public key that the client can use to verify the authenticity of the host.

Once this is established, the two parties use what is known as the Diffie-Hellman key exchange algorithm to create a symmetric key. This algorithm allows both client and server to arrive at a shared encryption key that will henceforth be used to encrypt the entire communication session.

Here is how the algorithm works at a very simple level:

1.Both client and server agree on a very large prime number, which obviously has no common factor. This prime number value is also known as the seed value .
2.Next, the two parties agree on a common encryption mechanism to generate another set of values by manipulating the initialization values in a specific algorithmic way. These mechanisms, also known as cryptographic generators, perform large operations on the seed. An example of such a generator is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).
3.Both parties independently generate another prime number. This is used as the secret private key for the interaction.
4.This newly generated private key, with the shared number and encryption algorithm (e.g., AES), is used to compute a public key that is distributed to the other computer.
5.The parties then use their own personal private key, the other machine’s shared public key, and the original prime number to create a final shared key. This key is calculated independently by both computers but will create the same encryption key on both sides.
6.Now that both sides have a shared key, they can symmetrically encrypt the entire SSH session. The same key can be used to encrypt and decrypt messages (read: section on symmetric encryption).

Now that the symmetrically protected encrypted session has been established, the user must be authenticated.

Authenticating the user
The final step before the user is granted access to the server is to authenticate his credentials. For this, most SSH users use a password. The user is asked to enter the username, followed by the password. These credentials pass securely through the symmetrically encrypted tunnel, so there is no chance of them being acquired by third parties.

Although passwords are encrypted, it is still not advisable to use passwords for secure connections. This is because many bots can simply brute force easy or default passwords and gain access to your account. Instead, the recommended alternative is SSH Key Pairs .

This is a set of asymmetric keys used to authenticate the user without the need to enter any password.

Conclusion
Gaining a thorough understanding of how SSH works can help users understand the security aspects of this technology. Most people consider this process to be extremely complex and incomprehensible, but it is much simpler than you think. If you are wondering how long it takes a computer to calculate a hash and authenticate a user, well, it happens in less than a second. In fact, the maximum amount of time is spent in transferring data over the Internet.

Hopefully, this SSH tutorial has helped you see the way different technologies can be put together to create a robust system in which each mechanism has a very important role to play. Also, you now know why Telnet became a thing of the past as soon as SSH appeared.

How to recover abandoned shopping carts in WooCommerce

In general, when a customer adds a product from your WooCommerce shop to their shopping cart, they will buy it shortly after. Unfortunately, however, this is not always the case. Sometimes customers add items to their carts and then leave your site, spending days, weeks or even months without completing their purchases.

This is where abandoned cart retrieval comes in. This process reminds customers of the items they left behind and encourages them to return to your store and complete the check-out. With the right strategies, you can capitalize on the lead generation you have already done rather than losing potential customers.

This guide will tell you more about what abandoned carts are and how you can use them to attract customers again. We will also share eight plugins that can help you start the abandoned cart recovery process in WooCommerce.

Let’s get started!

Table of contents visualize
What is an abandoned shopping cart?
In short, an abandoned cart is the result of a customer visiting your online store, adding one or more products to their virtual cart and then leaving without making a purchase. It can also refer to situations where customers add items to their carts and then go an extended period of time without checking out, even though they don’t technically leave the site.

Although abandoned carts are obviously not ideal, they are not the worst thing that could happen. After all, you have already succeeded in the hard work of attracting visitors to your shop and getting them interested in your products. All you have to do now is encourage them to follow the checkout process.

This is where abandoned carts become useful tools instead of annoyances . They are opportunities to secure more sales, without having to start at the beginning of the process. Instead, you can re-engage customers who have abandoned their carts with some simple techniques.

Why do users abandon their carts?
The key to getting your potential customers to stop abandoning their carts is to first understand why they do so. Although there are several reasons why consumers might abandon their carts, research indicates that 63 percent of shoppers cite shipping costs as a primary factor. This could be due to unexpected fees or higher costs than they expected. Other common reasons why shoppers abandon carts are:

Forced account creation before check-out
Payment security issues
Lengthy or confusing payment process
Unexpected (real-world) distractions
Lack of payment options
Complicated return policy
Poor mobile payment experience

In addition, it has been found that different industries experience different cart abandonment rates. Also, if you examine abandonment rates on mobile devices , you will see that they tend to be higher than on any other type of device.

Ultimately, the checkout process is a multi-step process that unfortunately provides many opportunities for consumers to get frustrated or change their minds. Some of these situations cannot be easily resolved-you can’t stop a shopper from being distracted by a nosy friend, for example. But many of these reasons for cart abandonment can be addressed.

How to recover abandoned carts (5 methods)
Some level of cart abandonment is inevitable for an online shop. Fortunately, there are several ways you can use to recover some of those consumers and retain them. Let’s take a look at five key techniques you may want to implement for your WooCommerce shop.

Offer free or discounted shipping
As mentioned earlier, the cost of shipping is the main reason online shoppers abandon carts at checkout.

If your margins support it, offer free or discounted shipping (bonus tip: create a minimum order threshold to receive free shipping to increase the average order value).

Allow guest checkout
Forced account creation often discourages shoppers from completing the checkout. Allowing guest checkouts will likely reduce the abandonment rate. If account numbers are really important to your business, offer an incentive after checkout for account creation, such as a free digital download or expedited shipping.
Offer more payment options
To make it easier for your customers to checkout, you will need to create flexible payment options. Try offering more payment options and gateways, and make sure your site has an up-to-date SSL certificate and other security indicators. To learn more about payment options for WooCommerce, check out this article, the best payment gateways for WooCommerce .
Send abandoned shopping cart emails
One of the first recovery approaches you can consider is sending abandoned cart e-mails. These emails are sent to would-be buyers who have placed items in their carts but have not completed the checkout process.

In fact, abandoned cart e-mails have proven to be very successful. One study shows that half of the recipients who interact with this type of e-mail content eventually make a purchase. This means that of the reported 46 percent of recipients who open the e-mail, about 50 percent click and make a purchase.

Below, we will examine some useful plugins that can automate the abandoned shopping cart e-mail process. Statistics show that this particular tactic has a strong return rate, so it is highly recommended for most online shops.

Add shoppers to a promotion email campaign
In addition to specific abandonment emails, another key tactic is adding shoppers to a broader promotion email campaign or strategy. An email list is an excellent form of direct communication with customers and allows you to keep your business “on the radar” of your target audience.

After all, not all consumers want to use social media for retail engagement. In addition, e-mail communication gives you complete control over how your content will appear to customers. Sending periodic updates and letting your list know about new products and offers is a great way to bring back reluctant shoppers.

Remarketing buyers with Facebook Messenger
Facebook opened its messaging app to outside developers in 2016. Now, there are many ways the app can be used for e-commerce, including various remarketing and retargeting opportunities. This means you can automate messages to shoppers based on the specific actions they take through Facebook:

Considering that Facebook has about 3 billion monthly active users , that’s a lot of potential customers you can access through Messenger. Users must consent to receiving messages, but once they do there are several ways you can use the feature. The good news is that Facebook Messenger is very effective at engaging users, with an open rate of 88 percent and a click-through rate (CTR) of 56 percent.

Send push notifications to buyers
Push notifications are something most mobile users are familiar with and many rely on. These notifications inform users when they have a new text message, but also give them a heads-up when there is something going on with one of their apps.

Push notifications can also be implemented for desktop browsers , adding a useful tool to the shopping cart recovery toolkit . Because notifications are sent in real time, they offer a unique opportunity to interact with your shoppers at a crucial point in their customer journey.

In other words, you can use push notifications to remind customers of your business when they are in danger of abandoning their carts forever. In addition, because push notifications are sent through the browser, you can get a lot of data about them for segmentation and other marketing purposes.

Add social proof to the cart page
Social proof is a powerful psychological concept when used in marketing. Among other things, it uses the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) feeling that people tend to feel when they see all their friends enjoying something, and they also want to have fun.

Including social proof on the shopping cart page can have a positive impact on consumer decisions. Whether it’s a testimonial, a complementary Tweet feed or a snapshot of how many people are currently looking at a specific item, these elements can create a sense of urgency in your shoppers. Social proof can also help improve the credibility of your company and your website.

WooCommerce Plugin for Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery.
So how are you going to implement the techniques we have described? Although you can use some of them manually, it is much more effective to use the right tools. With that in mind, let’s take a look at eight abandoned cart recovery plugins that can help you encourage customers to return and check out.

Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce

A staple of the abandoned cart recovery process is the notification e-mail, an automated message that reminds customers when they have left products in their virtual carts. Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce allows you to send those emails an hour after a cart has been abandoned.

In addition, you can send them to both regular customers and guests who have entered their e-mail addresses on your site. This feature works immediately, as the plugin includes a default email template that you can use. Alternatively, you can also create your own custom templates if you prefer.

In addition to sending these reminder emails, Abandoned Cart Lite also provides valuable data. For example, you can see which products customers have abandoned and compare the total value of your abandoned orders with the value of recovered orders. In addition, this plugin is free.

Abandoned Cart Pro for WooCommerce

The Abandoned Cart Pro plugin for WooCommerce brings together a whole suite of tools in one plugin, all geared toward improving cart abandonment rates. Many of the techniques listed above are simplified with this plugin.

This includes setting up automated emails, sending text messages and remarketing with Facebook Messenger. Another advantage of this plugin is that you can set up these actions for logged-in customers as well as guest customers. You can get a single shop license for $119 per year.

WooCommerce Follow-up

WooCommerce Follow-Ups was developed by the WooCommerce team and includes many highly customizable features such as email templates, coupons, newsletters and more. Customers want personalized experiences, and you can give them that with the custom coupon feature.

For $99, you can start with a single shop license. You’ll have thousands of combinations of trigger actions to work with to set automation rules. You can also easily integrate this tool with Google Analytics and get even more value from your marketing data. In addition, the plugin has many built-in tracking and data collection features.

Metorik – Reports & Email Automation for WooCommerce

If you want a more comprehensive solution, Metorik – Reports & Email Automation for WooCommerce provides a variety of automated emails and reports related to several key aspects of your eCommerce shop. It generates detailed shopping cart reports that show not only abandoned carts but also open and placed orders.

You can also view product category sales reports, start a subscription service, and access various customer service tools. In addition, Metorik will send automated emails to customers with abandoned carts, as well as to high-value buyers, new customers, and a variety of other unique users.

It is important to know that you will need a Metorik account to use all the features of this plugin. Plans start at $20 per month for stores with 100 orders or less per month.

Jilt for WooCommerce

Jilt for WooCommerce is an email marketing-focused plugin that sends automatic messages for abandoned cart retrieval, new customer welcome campaigns, post-purchase follow-ups and more. The plugin also provides source content that you can use to create a series of personalized emails with a visual builder.

In addition, this plugin collects data on cart abandonment rates and revenue, so you can track both successful and incomplete purchases. You can use this information to improve the checkout process and future email marketing campaigns.

You will need a Jilt account in order to use the plugin, but you can choose to use the free plan if you want. Paid plans start at $29 per month and increase in cost based on the number of customers you email each month.

CM Commerce for WooCommerce

For a more comprehensive marketing tool that includes abandoned cart retrieval features, you can check out CM Commerce for WooCommerce . In addition to sending automatic abandoned cart recovery emails, you can use it to generate follow-up messages and receipts for your customers.

This plugin will also help you track conversion data, collect and display product reviews, and collect feedback from customers to help you improve your online shop. You can manage everything from the CM Commerce dashboard, so your data and campaigns will stay organized.

This is another plugin that requires an account to access its tools. You can register a CM account for free for 30 days. After that, the price depends on the number of clients you send messages to. For example, if you are working with a list of 500 clients, you can get the initial plan for 5,000 emails for $9 per month.

Push Monkey Pro

Push Monkey Pro is a plugin dedicated to providing browser-based push notifications for desktop and mobile users. Designed primarily to alert readers when new content is available, its integration with WooCommerce ende this plugin a powerful remarketing tool.

When used for notifications in the Chrome browser, you can also include images, creating an even more enticing marketing message for customers. You will need to create a free PushMonkey account to get started. The plugin allows you to connect your website to PushMonkey servers from which notifications are sent.

All features are available for free, until you reach a certain number of subscribers. Plans start at $19 per month for 2,000 subscribers.

WP Real-Time Social-Proof

WP Real-Time Social-Proof can help you bring a highly engaging marketing tool to your checkout process. You can create real-time social-proof pop-ups that motivate your customers to join the bandwagon and not miss out on items that other people like.

This is a plugin that does not require a third-party account and can be set up quickly. It is compatible with WooCommerce right out of the box. Also, you can configure it to display popups on certain posts and pages and exclude them from other parts of your website.

The free plugin includes some functionality, but if you want more integration options and advanced features, you will need to upgrade to the Essential package for $57 per year. This covers one website, but none of the “pro” add-ons. If you need to use it on multiple websites and want the extra add-ons, the Premium plan costs only $77 per year.

How do abandoned cart emails affect the digital experience?
The main purpose of abandoned cart emails is to convince customers to return to your shop and complete their purchases. However, they can also provide additional benefits if you use them well.

Like other marketing emails, abandoned cart notifications are an opportunity to interact with your customers and promote your brand. By using a plugin to create personalized emails with your brand and your consumers’ personal information, you can build trust with your customer base.

Customers abandon their carts for a variety of reasons, including simple forgetfulness. They may appreciate your reminder about products they left behind but still need. Also, by re-engaging absent customers and reminding them about your shop, you may get additional sales.

Telegram vs WhatsApp vs Signal: which is the best messaging app?

Many users are undecided about which messaging app is best for them. In particular, which one is the most secure. If you are one of those users and want to know the advantages and disadvantages of using Telegram vs WhatsApp vs Signal, read our comparison.

Why these three messaging apps? Because there has been a recent transition from WhatsApp to Telegram or Signal, which was mainly generated by privacy issues. In this post, we will shed light on the diversity of these messaging apps and help you choose the best one for your needs.

We will provide relevant context for each tool and present some key information: a list of key features, advantages and disadvantages, and customization options. Most importantly, we will focus on security and privacy.

Let’s get started!

Table of contents displays
Telegram vs WhatsApp vs Signal: how do they differ?
In this post, expect several insights into security and data privacy, as this is the main reason why most people choose to use one app at the expense of the others.

Let us briefly clarify why many users have switched from WhatsApp to other messaging apps. Recently, there was a notification on WhatsApp asking for users’ consent to share their personal information with Facebook . The news sparked a heated virtual debate about the privacy issues of WhatsApp, an app owned by Facebook.

Therefore, more than 25 percent of WhatsApp users said they would switch to other apps that provide better privacy (such as Telegram or Signal). “Privacy” means not sharing data with other companies that track your online activity for marketing purposes.

If you are not even sure which messaging app you should use, regardless of your reasons, read on to learn about the pros and cons of Telegram vs. WhatsApp vs. Signal.

WhatsApp has been the most popular messaging app in the world in recent years. If we look at the numbers, it does not look like it will cede much of its market share to its competitors. WhatsApp belongs to the company Facebook, which acquired it in 2014.

The app also offers a business alternative, created specifically for companies that need an instant messaging tool for their teams. WhatsApp Business offers company profiles, chat/contact labels, automated messages, and quick replies to respond promptly to your customers.

If you use WhatsApp, you should not expect privacy. Although it encrypts your messages and group chats, the company collects almost all necessary data about you for use in advertising and marketing. There is no transparency about WhatsApp’s privacy policy and where your personal information is used.

Other than that, it is an interesting app to use when chatting with family and friends and is definitely a good contender for the best instant messaging app, in terms of functionality.

Features

Available on Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac
Free messaging, audio calls and video calls
Group chats of more than 250 users
Alternative web and desktop apps
Document sharing
Integrated camera
Voice messaging
End-to-end encryption

How customizable it is

When it comes to interface customization in WhatsApp, you only have a few options. You can customize your chats by changing the backgrounds to preloaded images, solid colors, patterns or personal images. You can also customize the way you appear online to your contacts.

What user data does WhatsApp collect?

Phone number, location, contacts, habits, browsing history, purchase history, advertising data, user and device ID, email address, payment information, performance data, and other user content.

Pro

Being the most popular app, you will find most of your contacts here, which is very convenient
Fingerprint unlocking when you open the app
End-to-end encryption (only you and users in a chat can read messages)
Cons
Compared to the other two apps, WhatsApp has fewer privacy settings
WhatsApp supposedly collects data about you and your online activity for marketing purposes
Cloud-based backups that are not encrypted

Use WhatsApp if you need the most convenient app for finding contacts and quickly initiating conversations. If you need a way to contact many people on a regular basis, chances are you will find them on WhatsApp.

Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging app whose main focus is security and speed . It provides passcode and two-factor authentication to access the app, along with some other security settings. You can also set the app to delete your account if you don’t use it for a certain period of time.

The interface is modern, friendly and easy to use. One great thing about Telegram is that it allows you to share files of any size because it stores the content on the cloud. You literally have no limits to what you can send through Telegram.

On Telegram, you can pin messages to the top of the chat if you want to check them later or use them for different purposes. It also allows you to add up to 200,000 people to a group, while in WhatsApp and Signal you can add up to 250+ and 1,000, respectively.

As far as privacy is concerned, this app raises some questions. Although it offers end-to-end encryption for secret chats, this feature does not exist for individual messages and predefined group chats. This is problematic because it breaks one of the fundamental principles that a messaging app should stand for.

Features

Available on Android, iPhone , iPad, Windows, Linux and Mac
Web and desktop app
Group chats of up to 200,000 members
Self-destructing messages
No limit on media and chat size
Fast message delivery
Security against hacker attacks
Customizable messenger

How customizable it is

Telegram is also flexible when it comes to customization. It is even more flexible than WhatsApp in the sense that you can also change the size of the text, the shape of the message balloon, the color, and almost every aspect of the design of your chats. It also has several more security and privacy options.

What user data does Telegram collect?

IP address, devices, username history, and contacts.

Pro

Secret chats protected by passcode
No limit on the size of files you share
Automatic data deletion from bots and websites you access via Telegram
Automatic deletion of your Telegram account

Cons

A huge drawback is the lack of end-to-end encryption for one-to-one messages and group chats. This means that third parties may be able to read your messages
Another disadvantage is cloud chats that use client-server encryption. This means that the company has access to your messages.
It has a GPS-enabled feature that allows you to find people near you, which can be a security weakness

Use Telegram if you want to share unlimited files, create large groups of people, and benefit from good privacy and security. However, for maximum privacy, you must always create secret chats

Signal

Signal is an independent non-profit team that has no affiliations with any major technology company. Therefore, it does not sell their users’ private data for marketing purposes. Signal exists and receives updates through user donations and grants.

If you look at the testimonials on the site, you will notice famous names who trust this app as the most secure and private of all. Signal is also used by many large companies for the same reason.

It is completely open-source, community-supported, and the most transparent app of the Telegram vs. Whatsapp vs. Signal trio. Signal is an app that offers better privacy for your chats by providing detailed setting options. At the same time, you have a modern interface that is easy to use and customize.

It also allows you to create widgets for conversations. If you have a chat that you want instant access to, you can create a widget with that particular chat and place it on the home screen.

Features

Free messaging, video calls and audio calls
End-to-end encryption
Multimedia and document sharing support
Voice messages
Group chats
Personalized stickers
No advertising, tracking cookies or affiliate marketing
Available on Android, iPhone/iPad, Windows, Mac and Linux

How customizable it is

In Signal, you can customize chat colors, shades, and backgrounds. You can use a unique background for each chat or a global one for all chats. You can also choose to keep your information private to your contacts.

What user data does Signal collect?

The only information you introduce into the app is your phone number, and the developers are currently working on eliminating this requirement as well in the near future.

Pro

Screen lock and fingerprint access to apps
Disappearing messages. You can set the app to delete messages in a chat after a period of time
Typing indicators. You can choose not to allow people to see when you are typing
End-to-end encryption

Cons

You cannot send files larger than 100 MB
Because the app is not yet as popular worldwide, it will be difficult to find all your contacts there

Use Signal if you are specifically looking for the most secure and private instant messaging app out there.

WhatsApp vs. Telegram vs. Signal: the verdict
While WhatsApp may not be without protection when it comes to privacy, it offers the comfort of end-to-end encryption. This means that no one has access to your chats except you and your recipients.

On the other hand being a subsidiary of Facebook, the reputation of using people’s information for advertising is nothing new. If you have a Facebook account, the company already has all your data, so the argument about WhatsApp sharing your data is fragile.

If you are a security/privacy fanatic who values these aspects more in life, then Signal is most appropriate for you. It is open-source, independent and unaffiliated with third parties. It allows you to remain as discreet and secure as possible while using the app.

Last but not least, Telegram which has good security and comes with many great privacy settings, does not provide end-to-end encryption by default. You have to create secret chats if you want your messages to remain private. If this small detail does not bother you, then Telegram is a good alternative.

To conclude:

Choose Signal if you want complete privacy as much as possible.

Use WhatsApp if you don’t mind that your data is likely to be used for marketing. The app is secure and encrypted.

Try Telegram if you need unlimited file sharing and the ability to chat with sizable groups of people at the same time. However, keep in mind that third parties can read your messages because it does not provide end-to-end encryption by default.

SEO copywriting guide

SEO copywriting is a technique used to produce content that is highly valued by visitors and search engines. It focuses on producing valuable and interesting information for your readers by following certain search engine algorithm guidelines to appear higher in SERPs.

SEO copywriting is extremely important for online businesses that want to consistently increase their organic traffic. It does not require a large financial investment or a highly specialized skill set. As long as you are aware of what the process entails, you can start producing SEO-friendly content that will convert.

Table of contents hides
Step one: research keywords
Step two: decide on a specific search intent
Step three: work out the structure of your article
Step four: write the text with SEO in mind
Step five: optimize the content
Conclusion
Step one: keyword research
Before you begin the writing process, you should perform keyword research. This is how you will find out what keywords you should use to rank competitively on search engines.

These are some of the best tools for keyword research:

Google Keyword Planning Tool
Afrefs Keyword Explorer
Moz Keyword Explorer
SEMrush
SEOZoom

Use these tools to find out what keywords people enter into search engines to find the information they are looking for. Then, choose those that are relatively popular but have low competition.

Step Two: Decide on a specific search intent.
Search intent refers to the specific type of information the user is trying to find on the search engine. For example, the search term “Hairdressers near me” will produce very different results than “What qualifications are needed to become a hairdresser.” Both search terms revolve around the topic of hairdressers, but the intent is very different.

To ensure that your content ranks well on search engines and provides valuable information to readers, decide the exact search intent you want to respond to. Enter the keywords you want to use in the search engine and observe what results tend to come up. Check what kinds of questions are asked most often and choose the one you can use as a guideline for your content.

Step three: work out the structure of your article.
Once you have set your keywords and research intent, it is time to create a brief for your content. This will not only help you cover all the information you want to share with your readers, but it will also encourage search engines to rank it better.

Start with a header (H1), which will be the main title of your article, page or whatever type of content you are working on. Next, divide the content into logical sections and assign each one a subheading (H2) of its own.

Be sure not to include overly full paragraphs: 3 to 4 lines of text is sufficient. People prefer to skim through content rather than read it thoroughly, so you need to adjust if you want people to stay on your site.

Step Four: Write the text with SEO in mind.
Steps one through three are for preparation. Once they are completed, you can start writing your content. However, be sure to keep SEO in mind at all times.

Set up a list of keywords that you need to include in your content and use search intent as the main goal of your text. To help you with this, you can use these tools:

Surfer SEO
Clearscope
Dashword
SEOZoom

The above tools are equipped to help your content respond to search intent and rank better on search engines. They all provide a clear list of keywords that should be included in the text and also specify how many times they should be repeated.

Although these tools are paid, this is a worthwhile investment that can make SEO copywriting a much easier process.

Step five: optimize the content
This step involves optimizing all other aspects of the content along with the text. A tool such as Rank Math can be extremely useful at this point in the process, as it will clearly indicate what still needs to be improved .

Here are the aspects needed to fully optimize your content:

Key Phrase Focus . This key phrase indicates the intent of your content and can be used to see how well you respond.
Alternative text for images . Including alternative text for all your images is important for two reasons: it makes your content more user-friendly in terms of accessibility, and it also makes it easier for search engine crawlers to understand your content.
Meta description . A brief summary of what the page or article is about. This summary will show up in search results, just below the title and link to your website.
External and internal links . Include external links to high-level Web sites relevant to your content. Also, include links to other content on your Web site, as this will help search engine crawlers index your Web site faster and easier.

Conclusion
SEO copywriting is easier than it sounds when you understand how it works and what you need to focus on. The process is also made much more accessible with a wide selection of tools that can help you.

Whether you are planning to write SEO-friendly content for your business website, your personal blog or an e-commerce site, this guide will help you make sure you attract both your visitors and search engines.

How to edit the hosts file: guide for beginners

As we all know, DNS (Domain Name System) is the rubric of the Internet. However, did you know that the hosts file on your computer can also be used as a directory for domain names? This article will explain what the hosts file is and how to modify it in Windows 10, Linux and Mac to emulate DNS change.

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents hide
What is the hosts file?
Why edit the hosts file?
Edit the hosts file Windows 10
Edit the windows hosts file manually
Using the hosts file editor tool
Editing the hosts file in Linux
Editing the hosts file Mac
Conclusion
What is the hosts file?
In short, a hosts file is a local file that contains domain names and their corresponding IP addresses. It is found in all common operating systems and acts as a map, identifying and locating hosts on IP networks.

Whenever you visit a website, your computer will first check the hosts file to see what IP address it connects to. If the information is not there, your Internet service provider will look in the DNS for resources to load the site.

Why change the hosts file?
You can take advantage of the above situation when you have just purchased a domain. Or, when you migrate your Web site to a different hosting provider and your domain needs to point to the new server. It usually takes 24 to 48 hours for your domain to start working, and during this time you will not be able to access your site.

By modifying the hosts file , specifically by adding a custom IP address pointing to your domain, you will be able to open your Web site. This is useful if you want to edit your site after migration and see how it will look on the new server

The hosts file is written in plain text format. Therefore, you can use any text editor such as Notepad, for example, to edit it.

However, keep in mind that the changes will only affect the system where the hosts file is located.

Editing the hosts file Windows 10
Before you begin, you will need an IP address for your domain:

1.Log into your cPanel, then look up the details of your hosting plan, server, and IP address.
2.Copy the IP address of the server:

Now let’s edit the hosts file . There are two methods for Windows 10: manually or using the Hosts File Editor tool . Generally, you can use the guides below in any version of Windows.

Edit the windows hosts file manually
Press Start and find Notepad . Right-click Run as administrator .

Once in Notepad, go to File -> Open . Go to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc and be sure to select All Files to find the hosts file .

Now you can edit the hosts file . Add the custom IP address you created earlier, followed by a space, then your domain name.

When finished, do not forget to save your changes.

Using the hosts file editor tool
There is an easier way to edit the hosts file in Windows 10, and that is by using the hosts file editor .

1.Once you are in the hosts file editor , enter your target IP address and domain name under their columns.
2.Save the changes.

Edit the Hosts file in Linux
In Linux, you can use your favorite text editor to do the job. Here, we will use Gedit in Ubuntu . Open the Terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T .

1.Type the following command, then type the administrator password: sudo su
2.To open the hosts file using Gedit , type the following command and press Enter: sudo gedit/etc/hosts
3.Add the destination IP address followed by a space, then the domain name at the bottom of the hosts file , just like in the Windows 10 tutorial.
4.Save the changes.

Edit the Mac hosts file
If you are using macOS from Leopard (10.6) to its most recent version, follow these steps for editing the Mac hosts file :

1.Click on Launchpad and open Terminal .
2.We will use the Nano Editor . To run it as an administrator, enter the following instruction and press Enter : sudo nano /private/etc/hosts
Type in your password. You will be directed to the hosts file .
3.Add your chosen IP address, followed by the domain name, separated by a space.
4.Be sure to save your changes using the shortcut Ctrl + O.

Conclusion
You have just learned how to edit the hosts file on three different operating systems.

However, keep in mind that these changes require administrative rights on each system and will only take effect on the computer where the hosts file is located.

Here is a brief summary:

Windows 10 use any text editor, such as Notepad, to edit the file or use the Hosts file editor .
Linux – use Gedit or any other text editor you prefer.
Mac use Nano Editor via Terminal.

The best WordPress plugins to compress images (free and premium)

Are you looking for ways to improve the performance of your website? One of the keys to reducing your site’s page load time is to optimize images. That’s why in this article we’ll show you some of the best WordPress plugins for compressing images.

Table of Contents hide
Why use plugins to compress images?
The best 7 WordPress image compression plugins.
1) ShortPixel
Features
Pricing
2) reSmush.com
Features
Pricing
3) EWWW Image Optimizer
Features
Pricing
4) Optimole
Features
Prices
5) Imagify
Features
Pricing
6) TinyPNG
Features
Pricing
7) Kraken.io
Features
Pricing
How to compress images without a WordPress plugin

Select the image compression approach
Download the compressed images
Conclusion
Why use image compression plugins?
Image compress plugins are tools that help you reduce image size and improve page load time we .

Google considers website speed as a search engine ranking factor, so loading speed is the key to outperforming your competitors and attracting more traffic to your site. There are several ways to optimize the speed of your site. You can use a premium hosting service such as Siteground, a lightweight WordPress theme, reduce the number of active plugins, and optimize your images.

Images make a post more attractive, but they can also slow down your site if they are not optimized. in any case, by reducing the size of your images, you can achieve better page loading speed, which will help you rank better in search engines. This is where photo compress plugins come in.

Overall, image compress plugins are great tools for reducing the size of images on your site without compromising image quality. This results in better loading times, which help you rank higher in search engines and get more traffic to your site.

Now that we have a better understanding of the benefits of these tools, let’s take a look at some of the best plugins for compressing images .

The best 7 WordPress image compression plugins
The best WordPress image compression plugins are:

1.ShortPixel (free and premium)
2.reSmush.it (free)
3.EWWW Image Optimizer (free and premium)
4.Optimole (free and premium)
5.Imagify (free and premium)
6.TinyPNG (free and premium)
7.Kraken.io (free and premium)
Without further ado, let’s see what each of these plugins has to offer.

1) ShortPixel

If you are looking for an all-in-one plugin to compress your media files and convert them, ShortPixel is one of the best options. Whenever you upload new images to your site, this tool automatically resizes and optimizes them and can even replace the original images with optimized ones to improve the speed of your site.

In addition to compressing JPG, JPEG, JPEG 2000, JPEG XR, PNG and GIF images, ShortPixel also works with PDFs. Plus, you can convert all your existing image formats to WebP and get a boost in search engine results. And the best part is that there is no upper limit for file size, so you can compress any image.

Another cool feature is the ability to bulk optimize images in your media library. You can scan all existing media files and optimize them in just a few clicks. Finally, you can run ShortPixel on multiple websites with a single license key, making it a great option for those who want to optimize their images on multiple sites.

Features
Automatically resizes and optimizes images
Compatible with JPG, JPEG, JPEG 2000, JPEG XR, PNG, GIF and PDF files
Preserves or removes EXIF data
Optimizes images in bulk
No restrictions on file limits
Optimized for WooCommerce
WebP conversion
Compatible with WPML plugin

Pricing
ShortPixel is a freemium tool. The free version is available in the WordPress repository and allows you to compress up to 150 images per month. If you wish to increase the quota, you must subscribe to one of the premium plans that start at $3.99 USD per month. In addition, there are one-time purchase plans at 9.99 USD that allow you to compress up to 15000 images.

2) reSmush.com

If you need a solution with compatibility with multiple CMSs for image compression, you can also use reSmush.it . The plugin is completely free and has minimal configuration and customization options. However, it uses several advanced algorithms to find the best optimization for you. Thus, it is also one of the popular WordPRess plugins for compressing images among bloggers and small business owners.

With resmush.it you can optimize file types including PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP and TIF. They can be optimized automatically when the file is uploaded and manually from the dashboard. In addition, you can save up to 80% in image size by using after they are optimized. In addition, the plugin also removes EXIF data from all images but can still be saved within the compressed images if necessary.

You can also exclude image files that you do not need to compress from the plugin settings. But when it comes to the plugin’s limitation, you can compress images down to a size of only 5 MB.

Features
Multi CMS support
Compatible with multiple file types
EXIF data handling
Several algorithms to choose from
Easy to configure
Minimal customization options

Pricing
reSmush.co.uk is a free tool.

3) EWWW Image Optimizer

EWWW Image Optimizer can be a good solution if you need a WordPress plugin to compress images without a maximum file upload size limit. It offers you great features like pixel-perfect optimizations, smart conversion options and so on. With this plugin you can even compress all JS and CSS files available within your WordPress theme with static file optimization.

In addition, website speed audit is also another interesting feature offered by the EWW image optimizer. After enabling it, you can see the website speed and performance improvements. In addition, it has an integration with GTmetrix premium, so any speed test and its results will be crystal clear.

With this plugin, you can enable lazy loading to publish images when the user scrolls down to that specific part. To improve the image service, it also has a global CDN. In addition, you can also mention your custom domain for the global CDN.

Features
Automatic compression
Lazy Load
Image resizing
JS/CSS Optimization
US and EU CDN
Site Speed Audit
Unlimited image compression

Pricing
The main version is free and you can download it from the repository . If you need more unique features, you need to invest in a premium subscription . The monthly subscription will cost you 7 USD and the annual plan will cost you 70 USD.

4) Optimole

If you need a cloud-based tool to optimize your image files, you should check out the Optimole image compression plugin . With this plugin, you can automatically compress your images, serve images through a faster CDN, and display an image on the front-end based on the visitor’s device type. All images will be served automatically and instantly in the front-end.

The customized CDN service has more than 200 different locations in data centers around the world, so image publishing will always be faster. In addition, when your user has an unstable Internet connection, Optimole will also automatically reduce the image quality so that the page will load faster. You can view all the detailed insights from Optimole’s dashboard.

Because it uses cloud-based technology, Optimole will not consume your server resources or add additional load. Therefore, by using this plugin you can get the maximum performance boost on your website. In addition, the plugin is also compatible with most page builder plugins such as Elementor , Beaver Builder and so on to reduce plugin conflicts.

Features
Lazy loading
Automatic image optimization
Custom CDN servers
Image tracking feature
Multiple compression methods
Faster processing
Compatible with multiple devices

Pricing
Optimole is a freemium WordPress plugin. With the basic version, you can optimize unlimited images and serve them for 5K monthly visits. The premium version will unlock more meaty features and cost EUR 18.08 per month.

5) Imagify

If you’re looking for a plugin with a one-click image compression option and an intuitive dashboard , check out Imagify . Created by WP Media (the same company behind the WP Rocket caching plugin), Imagify is one of the WordPress plugins for image compression. With this plugin you will have an easy-to-use dashboard from where you can optimize images with just one click. The plugin also supports automatic image compression which can save you a lot of time.

You can also convert your existing or new images to the webP format. Just enable the function from the plugin settings page and all photos will be converted to webP. Imagify is also fully compatible with major e-commerce plugins like WooCommerce and gallery plugins like NextGen gallery.

Image files such as JPG, PNG, GIF and media files such as PDF . can also be compressed with Imagify. Once the plugin has completed the compression process, the original image can be removed from the server or stored within a backup location if necessary.

Features
Lightweight
Image resizing
WebP image generation
Detailed dashboard
Image backup option
Multiple levels of optimization

Pricing
Imagify is a freemium WordPress plugin. From the repository you can get the free version of the plugin. The free version has a monthly compression limit of 200 images or 20 MB. In contrast, the ‘premium subscription starts from 3.49 USD per month. The 3.49 USD per month plan will allow you to compress 5000 images per month (or 500 MB).

6) TinyPNG

If you are looking for a plugin with multisite support, you should check out TinyPNG since a single plugin API key can be used on multiple sites. TinyPNG is one of the best WordPress plugins for image compression with minimal configuration options. It also includes useful optimization features such as bulk compression, animated PNG compression, image resizing, and so on.

To continue working with your current tasks, the plugin also includes a background optimization function. Once enabled, it will scan all images in the library and optimize them in the background.

TinyPNG is also compatible with WPML and WooCommerce. So if you are running a multilingual blog with any translation plugin or an online shop with WooCommerce, there will be no conflict. Once image compression is completed using the plugin, you can see all the statistics in the dashboard such as optimized images, space saved, etc.

Features
Compatible with WP Retina 2X
No maximum file size limit
Detailed insights within the dashboard
Mass optimization
WooCommerce ready
WPML compatible

Pricing
TinyPNG is a freemium solution. The free version of the plugin is available within the WordPress repository and you can download it from there. In contrast, a subscription to the premium version can be purchased here .

7) Kraken.io

If you need a high-end tool to compress your images and optimize them, you can also take a look at Kraken.io . It is one of the advanced WordPress plugins for image compression that can also be used with Magento. The plugin has a smart lossy optimization technique to maximize the results of image compression.

Another interesting feature of Kraken.io is its ZIP upload tool. If you have many images to optimize, you can add them to a ZIP file and upload them to the Kraken.io tool. Within a few minutes or seconds (depending on the file size), the tool will generate compressed versions of the uploaded images.

In addition, you can also use their custom cloud storage to store your optimized images if you need them. You can also see how many images have been optimized in a given day from the web interface. In addition, you also have the ability to resize images to suit your needs with this plugin.

Features
High availability
Image resizing
Freedom to choose your CDN partner
Cloud storage
The best support team
Optimization for generated thumbnails

Pricing
Kraken.io is a freemium plugin and you can download the free version from the WordPress repository. The lite version plugin has several limitations such as compressing 50 MB per month, and if you need to upgrade the limit, you need to subscribe. Premium plans start at 9 USD per month and that particular plan will allow you to optimize 2 GB of images per month.

How to compress images without a WordPress plugin.
Sometimes, you don’t even need to use WordPress image compression plugins within your site. It can be done directly from some of the official image optimization tool websites. And here, we will show you how to compress images without using a WordPress plugin.

Of course, we will use a web tool to complete the task. For this demonstration, we will choose ShortPixel’s online image compressor (many tools are available). ShortPixel’s online image compressor tool has multiple choices for selecting compression and a clean user interface.

Let’s see how to complete the task.

Select the image compression approach.
The first thing you need to do is to go to this website .

You can release up to 50 images at once and optimize them with a single click. The compression levels available within the tool are:

Lossy (Lossy)
Glossy Glossy
Lossless (Lossy)

The most effective image optimization is performed at the Lossy level, where the image size is drastically reduced without affecting the image quality. The image quality is at its best at the Lossless level, but the image size is reduced by a very small margin. As a result, the Glossy layer fits in the middle of both.

After selecting a compression layer, release the images within the wizard. Within a few seconds, the tool will begin compressing them automatically.

Download the compressed images
After the compression process is complete you will be able to download the compressed files.

As you can see, we achieved a huge reduction of over 48% in size which is very impressive considering the quality of the image in the Lossy layer. You can compare both the original and the compressed image at the same time by clicking on the images as well. This way, you can compress the images and upload the optimized ones to your WordPress installation.

Now, click the Download icon to download the compressed images.

The disadvantage of this method is that you have to compress all the images manually . Also, there is no autopilot mode.

That’s it!

In this way, you can compress images without a WordPress plugin.

Conclusion
Image compression is no longer optional. Since Google and other search engines consider website speed as a ranking factor, you need to make sure that performance is not compromised. These are the best WordPress plugins you can use to reduce image size:

1.ShortPixel
2.reSmush.com
3.EWWW image optimizer
4.Optimole
5.Imagify
6.TinyPNG
In addition, all these plugins come with an automatic compression feature. So, you can always focus on your work instead of wasting time compressing files manually. ShortPixel, EWWW Image Optimizer, Optimole and Imagify, Kraken.io are advanced plugins for image compression in WordPress. They have more features and optimization opportunities.