If you opt for ConvertKit, you will get access to almost all features no matter what plan you choose. The only feature lacking in the lower tiers is free platform migration. By purchasing a plan for more than 5,000 contacts, your lists will be migrated into their system without any effort from your end. The only thing you have to worry about is the number of subscribers you have, according to which you will be able to decide what plan you should opt for in the first place.
Now, if you are looking into ConvertKit, there are numerous factors that need to be taken into consideration so you can make an informed decision. To learn everything about it, read on.
Pros
Landing Page Editor
Even if you don’t have your own website, you can create simple landing pages in no time. This is especially great for those that wish to create campaigns for social media platforms.
Responsive Customer Support
The customer support is not only helpful and quick, but they know how to tackle problems to offer effective solutions.
Flexible User Subscription Management
You can easily add or remove subscribers from workflows via the tagging system.
Cons
Not an Affordable Option
There are far more advanced tools that are comparatively cheaper. ConvertKit does not justify the price of admission.
Reporting lacks Depth
Here, you will only get the basics i.e. unsubscribers, click through rates and open rates. What is surprising is they do not give an option for bounce rate.
Templates with Poor Designs
When it comes to templates, you only get 3 to work with, which are text-based by the way. ConvertKit needs to deliver on design options with better visuals sooner rather than later.
Is ConvertKit Right for You?
+Great for Ultra-Targeted Campaigns
ConvertKit has a flexible segmentation and tagging system, meaning you can run focused automated campaigns to very specific groups of people. The built-in landing page editor does give you the ability to manage end-to-end campaigns within the tool itself.
-Not for People on a Budget
ConvertKit is aimed at bloggers and creators, but their prices are incredibly steep. The pricing is more suited for businesses. There are far better affordable options out there, with similar if not better features.
-Not for Visual Email Campaigns
As mentioned earlier, here, you only get access to 3 email templates, which are text-based. They are not limited, but you do not get the option to select your own email templates. For this reason, you would be better off with another email marketing tool.
ConvertKit works rather well in quite a few areas. It is friendly, effective and quick, so you can’t really complain much about here. The flexibility being offered to manage subscribers is great too. There is definitely something here for bloggers and digital marketers to work with to communicate with their target audience.
You do get a landing page editor with ConvertKit, allowing you to grow your subscribers despite the fact you may not even have a website. It is specifically for social media campaigns. However, it lacks greatly in the email designs department. Other tools offer much more at an affordable cost, which is not the case with this email marketing tool.
To top it all, ConvertKit is really expensive, which is becomes more apparent when comparing its offerings with its competition. For this reason alone, it would be better if you opt for another email marketing tool instead.
PureVPN was founded by its parent company, GZ Systems, in 2006. It is one of the oldest VPN providers out there, which started off with two servers but has expanded operations to such an extent where it has 2,000+ servers in 140 countries.
Even though there is a lot of talk about PureVPN, you really need to ask yourself whether the VPN will meet your expectations let alone exceed them. To come to a conclusion of your own, read on to see what PureVPN brings to the table.
Features
The VPN provider offers support for all major devices, which are:
Windows
Android
Mac
iOS
Linux
If you are looking for something different, more specifically support for your router, then you will be pleased to know PureVPN has you covered. You can set up the VPN service on your router by following the tutorials available on PureVPN’s support page.
Another interesting feature to expect from the service is the Split Tunneling feature, which gives you control over what internet traffic is sent where. This way internet traffic can be split as per your requirements, and also not to raise any red flags with your ISP.
To ensure your identity remains hidden, there is an Internet Kill Switch feature. It acts as a fail-safe, so your anonymity and privacy is never compromised.
One of the best things about PureVPN is that it supports all major protocols, and it even delivers on its promise of up to 256-bit military grade encryption.
A single subscription can be used on 5 devices simultaneously. The app itself can be customized to fit your description.
As for torrenting, there are P2P optimized servers so you can torrent to your heart’s content.
Unfortunately, PureVPN does not offer their own TOR, so you may have to check another VPN if that is primarily what you need a VPN for in the first place.
Speed
What is really disappointing about PureVPN is that it does not offer the best speeds out there. If not the best, the least the VPN provider could do is make sure the speeds are acceptable.
To put things into perspective, if you have a 100 Mbps internet connection, then you will get no more 35 Mbps.
User Security
Apart from the unacceptable speeds, PureVPN does not inspire confidence. Yes, it may have the features needed to keep you safe and secure, but what is the point if they are keeping logs?
On the surface, it may seem as though PureVPN keeps no logs, but in reality they do log your bandwidth and connection.
There are VPN companies that keep logs, but they are pretty clear about what information they keep track of. With PureVPN, they are not exactly clear about their logging activities, and even if they are, there are a lot of horror stories online about how the VPN provider has failed its customers time and time again.
Pricing
When compared to other VPN providers out there, PureVPN does come out on top to be the cheapest. Their subscription plans are as follows:
$3.33/month for 1 Year
$8.00/month for 3 Months
$10.95 for 1 Month
Customers can pay for the subscription plan of their choosing with almost every payment method you can think of. Aside from the pocket friendly subscription plans, customers do get a 30-day money back guarantee. But for those that opt for the monthly subscription that will not be the case.
Conclusion
The cons here clearly outdo the pros. For this reason, PureVPN is a bad choice.
The service is not only slow, but the company is quite shady to say the least. If that is not enough, its customer service is plain deplorable. If you tried accessing Netflix, that will not work with PureVPN either. So you really are better off opting for another VPN, more specifically one that at least does not keep logs on its customers.
Mailigen is an easy to use yet powerful email marketing tool that comes with some interesting features. If you opt for this platform, you will be able to send unlimited emails, build a list of contacts, import email addresses and run tests for different campaigns. But is all of this enough to warrant purchasing a subscription? If you wish to learn more about the marketing tool and its usefulness in general, then read on.
Pros
30-dayt free trial without the need for payment information.
Flexible and scalable premium plans.
Integration of email marketing and SMS.
Can be used to create online surveys.
Allows customers to partake in its affiliate program.
Duplicate emails are deleted automatically.
A/B split testing capabilities and Google analytics available at no additional cost.
The email tool can be used to create responsive templates, while their HTML code remains editable.
Integration with over 100 CRM and social media applications.
Cons
Built-in reporting tools do not provide valuable insight about customer behavior.
No pre-designed sign-up forms or email templates. The email editor does not come with a spam checker or the ability to preview messages before they are sent.
List segmentation lacks functionality.
Is Mailigen Right for You?
As mentioned earlier, with Mailigen, you can send as many messages as you want. This applies to all its list-based plans, which is specifically handy for companies that need to reach their target audience frequently.
Mailigen is incredibly easy-to-use due to its automation features. For instance, the auto-responder can schedule messages that need to be sent at a later time or date. Additionally, you can auto-post campaigns or add RSS feeds to your email campaign. Once everything is scheduled and set up, the RSS-to-Email newsletter automation feature will alert subscribers on your list to receive updates about new blog posts.
Unlike most email marketing tools out there, Mailigen does not offer pre-designed template forms. Fortunately, the form creation process is not all that complicated. All you need to do is to specify design elements for your signup form. Said aspects include button position, title, and background colors and so on.
If you are more concerned about managing and growing your email list, you feel right at home with Mailigen. The tool makes it incredibly easy to do so. You can add email addresses via signup forms, individually, or by importing .XLS, .TXT and .CSV files. List segmentation features are basic, as you can only segment them based on their activities, opens, opt-ins, clicks and contact information.
Apart from email, phone and live chat, Mailigen has a useful resource center for marketers to sink their teeth into. The resource center acts as a hub of knowledge with white papers, marketing planning tools, video tutorials, how-to-guides and data sheets. This feature will be particularly useful for small business owners that wish to learn and grow.
The reporting tools are quite limited too. You can use the application to generate reports on forwarded emails, number of unsubscribers, opened emails, bounce rates and link clicks. The reports can be downloaded in PDF format or Excel spreadsheets. But the good news is it can be integrated with Google Analytics, which will allow you to gather more detailed stats than what you could have extracted from the built-in reporting tools.
Mailigen’s auto-responder is easy-to-use and comes with plenty of features. You can send unlimited emails, build a list of contact, and schedule automated message delivery of the same campaign for different audiences. The platform can be integrated into Google Analytics and mobile marketing for you email campaigns, while the email creator is intuitive despite having drawbacks. All of these features make Mailigen a great email marketing system which can cater to businesses of varying sizes.
SSnagit is a reliable and easy platform for recording videos and capturing screenshots. It can also be used to record audio files. Not only is it robust, but it has plenty of features that will keep users coming back for more. Individuals and businesses alike can use the tool to get their message across without having to spend a considerable amount of time and resources to prepare traditional presentations. But this is not going to be enough to determine whether the tool is of any use to you or not. To learn more about it, read on.
Overview
Snagit makes it possible for individuals and businesses to capture images, record video and audio files. This way they can demonstrate complicated procedures, convey their message, and provide feedback to their stakeholders, clients and colleagues. Simply put, the tool simplifies collaboration and communication to make business growth as simple as 1-2-3.
Benefits
Why should anyone use Snagit at all? Individuals and businesses can use the tool’s screen capture and recording features to create impressive presentations. Video and audio can be captured and integrated into presentations that serve as educational videos, product guides and more.
People that are all about creativity will enjoy Snagit, as it will inspire them to start their next big project. A lot of users can simply use Snagit to capture images from different sources to drive innovation and fuel their creativity.
Once the tool is up and running, users can choose what to capture thanks in part due to its drag and drop capability. Images captured do not suffer from pixel inaccuracy either, which also applies to videos as well. Users can trim down, narrate and create videos from their screen to use them for demos, reviews and feedback.
Features
Screen capture for Mac and PC
Skye and Google Hangout Audio Recording
Video Capture
Image Capture
Mobile Capture
Text, Shapes, and Callouts
Resize and Combine Images
Special Effects
Magnify
Library
Snagit Stamps
Video Trimming
Webcam Recording
Pricing
Snagit is available for download in German or English. There are several enterprise pricing packages to be had. The licenses available are as follows:
Free Trial
1 License for $49.95
5 to 9 Licenses for $39.46/license
10 to 24 Licenses for $34.96/license
25 to 99 Licenses for $29.97/license
100 to 249 Licenses for $24.97/license
For 250+ Licenses the vendor will need to be contacted
Conclusion
All in all, Snagit is an efficient, reliable and beautifully designed app. It does everything a screen capture tool should do, and it does it right. What is interesting is that rival products like Microsoft Snip and Ashampoo Snap do not perform this well nor are they this stable.
If you are using Windows, it already does come with a built-in snipping tool, but that will just not be enough for those that are serious about their screen capturing endeavors, which is where Snagit comes in the picture.
Bluehost is a notable hosting company. It was established in the year 2003, and is currently operating from Utah. The owners of Bluehost are those who own the Endurance International Group. The same group is behind the names such as HostGator and Domain.com etc.
When it comes to Bluehost, the packages start with their ‘basic’ plan. A basic plan usually comprises five email accounts and merely offers 100MB of storage. In addition, a user gets 50GB of website space, free Website Builder and 1-click installation setup for WordPress among other things.
With a ‘plus’ plan, offerings multiply and are in abundance compared to basic such as unlimited websites, subdomains and storage space etc. But there’s more. There is a ‘premium’ offering as well –courtesy of Bluehost. Consider it as plus plan with backup functionality and domain privacy.
Let us now delve into how you can get started with Bluehost hosting and learn about its features that has made it a renowned name in the website hosting industry.
Gearing up for Bluehost account
You can begin by entering your desired domain that you would like to register for. In the case, where you already own a domain name, simply enter it when asked. You also have the option to transfer a particular domain to Bluehost, if you’d prefer although, that is not a requirement. You can always update the name at a later date.
What follows is an account creation page, where you will be required to enter your personal details including name, email address and contact number. Upon scrolling down a little you will be provided with the option to select the desired plan and this is the part where you are able to scan for pricing and decide the plan which suits you the best.
No matter which plan you opt for, remember Bluehost accepts payments for 36 months in advance. So there’s that. Next, check to see which payment method is more appropriate to you. By default, ‘Pay by credit card’ is selected. Under ‘More payment options’, you can select the desired payment method such as PayPal.
The best part, however, is that you can choose, whether you want a particular plan to be renewed automatically. Choose ‘do not renew’ and by the end of the term, you can either select a new plan or cancel – it’s all up to you. In order to cancel, a user is required to call on the phone number +1 855 984 4546 to schedule the account for deletion or request termination.
Putting it to practice
Now that the account is set up, the following step is to move towards creating the website. You will be immediately taken to the screen where you can set a new password and access the customer management panel.
Welcome email fills you in with all forms of relevant information such as mail server info, FTP logins as well as a temporary URL is assigned to you. You can bask in the temporary URL until you get a domain and DNS for yourself, up and running (if you don’t have it in place, already).
That way a user is able to access his files, use Bluehost control panel for a wide array of website management functions such as management of FTP, email and so on. Where a site is already live, it will naturally save user the time plus, you don’t have to manually look up for control panel in Bluehost. Simply utilize the FTP for uploading files whenever you need to.
Ever heard of Weebly? Yes, Weebly – a free website builder. Bluehost has a similar Website Builder in its arsenal. Although, it’s pretty basic but you can employ the WYSIWYG browser-based editor to develop a website that can contain up to six pages and that’s saying something! More functionality is expected in future.
Furthermore, Bluehost bring its users a Mojo Marketplace. What’s that now, you ask? It is a power system that asks for minimal details and in turn, lets you install your desired app without dragging it out in the form of lengthy steps. You also get automated WordPress installation with a Bluehost subscription.
An entire dedicated cPanel area is available for users, especially the experienced ones. If it’s AWStats or Cron Job or PHP Config – you’ll find everything here. Not the perfect website hosting service but Bluehost has proven itself as among the leading hosting provider that is both power-packed and simple to navigate.
How well it fares when it comes to performance?
Performance wise, Bluehost provides effortless integration of help as well as of hosting control panel. When clicking Support button, it opens up a new panel with a search bar embedded therein rather than opening a new page altogether which can become annoying for people.
In the search bar above, enter your query and you will be provided with the list of guides/articles which you can then refer to for troubleshooting any issues you might run into. Though, each article opens up in a new tab.
When compared with competitors in the market, Bluehost’s support centre is well organized and is aimed at speedy resolution of the problems. Search can display articles from between 5 to 50 per page, giving you the option to sort by relevance or most viewed/helpful allowing you to narrow down results.
Resort to live chat if there isn’t anything on the topic that you are searching for which is unlikely because even a vague search such as ‘PHP’ will dish out some very useful articles at your disposal. Where live chat is not available, telephone (as previously stated) is the best way to get in touch with their team.
Bitcatcha and related performance benchmarks have resulted in excellent speeds specifically when connected via the US. Ping timings from other regions can be a bit slow but don’t hold that against Bluehost.
Final word
With average performance, handy features, excellent support and no BS site management tools – Bluehost is a winner. Can be a pricey option for those on a budget, but with company’s 30-day money back guarantee and resourceful online help, it is not at all a bad bargain.
GoDaddy doesn’t need introduction as it is easily the hosting platform giant. The biggest in the US and boasts more than 63 million domains. The user base has grown exponentially and presently stands at 14 million. However, just because it has huge numbers that does not automatically makes it a worthy contender for you.
Here’s why, in this review we will try to establish whether or not GoDaddy is best for business. First and foremost, let’s find out about some of its plans.
Plans and offerings
GoDaddy has a couple of plans up its sleeves. Obviously there is a basic one and other high end plans. Its Economy plan is available on either a three-month basis or for an annual (paid monthly) basis.
Economy plan naturally has limited resources such as support for one website, 100 GB storage and no SSL certificate etc. On the other hand, GoDaddy also offers a Deluxe plan. The plan supports unlimited number of websites, MySQL databases and 25 x 1 GB of storage space which is 10 times that of Economy.
Furthermore and for more premium users, GoDaddy has an Ultimate plan. It is the ultimate offering by GoDaddy as the name implies. As a user, you get double CPU and RAM allocation, DNS coupled with DNSSEC security and a 1-year SSL certificate.
Linux users are especially in luck because those who are well-versed can take advantage of GoDaddy’s cPanel as they are allowed low-level server access, raw access logs plus, year-long trial of Office 365 Outlook with mail and shared online calendar support.
Next, we’ll look into setting things up with GoDaddy.
Setting up an account
You can set up your GoDaddy account by selecting from a variety of payment terms: these ranges from 1-month, 3-month to 12, 24 and 36 months. Choose whichever is convenient for you.
At the time of signing up, you are provided with some starter addons.
What are they?
These include backup and restore, routine malware scanning or any free trial products which come pre-selected when registering for the service. You always have the option to unselect the boxes for the products you don’t need.
Once the payment is made, the rest of the steps are as easy as 1-2-3. You will first be asked to enter a domain name for your site. After that, you are required to choose the data center (location) where you want your site to be hosted. Lastly, you will be asked to create a cPanel login.
For any newbie, it might be a lot to digest but it’s best to continue with any selection for the time being and proceed towards completing the process. Elements such as choosing of data center or deciding on a domain name (which if not already) can be changed later as well.
It is now time to create that website of yours. So read on.
Establishing a web presence
When it comes to creating a website with GoDaddy, its Linux based hosting presents you with a cPanel frontend to manage your site. Although, this can be a cumbersome exercise especially for novice users but with time and effort, you can grasp it.
For those of you thinking, “who has the time to learn how to navigate a cPanel?” Well, learning is never wasted. Familiarizing yourself with cPanel can help you traverse many other hosting providers, should a need arises in future as it is used by most.
With a basic GoDaddy plan, you do not get a Website Builder but what you do get is preview sites. Preview sites let you quickly create a professional looking website, in no time. So for whatever the basic plan’s worth, it is enough to get a beginner by.
Moreover, the cPanel and GoDaddy’s Installatron can be used to set up a blog or install CMS (content management system) in place. It could also be used for developing any other web application.
When hosting a WordPress site (given it’s the most widespread platform) with GoDaddy, you will see options such as on auto-update policies and blog admin. But if it proves to be too overwhelming, simply hit install and as stated previously, you can deal with the settings later on.
Hosting provider performance
GoDaddy has three tier customer support; a knowledgebase with articles including walkthroughs and troubleshooting guides. Secondly, a customer forum or can be referred to as GoDaddy community where other users talk about what’s latest and put forth their concerns. Lastly, a 24/7 contact support number is available for any GoDaddy related queries.
So the provider has its users well covered, from all ends. If you delve into the knowledgebase a little, you will notice a limited number of FAQs. But do not be turn off by this since when you actually search about a particular topic, a list of technical articles will show up in your results. If you know what and where to look for in those articles, knowledgebase is for you.
Customer forum does not get many questions answered, perhaps because much of it is handled at the first tier level support. On an average, some 25 people may come looking for answers or answer questions posted therein. The downside is if you are actually waiting on an answer, it might take several days before a solution is proposed or the matter is resolved.
Contacting the team on their provided phone number can be a bit of hassle. Not only the navigation is confusing but you will be asked to enter customer ID, select the service you are calling for, phone PIN and so on so forth. This inadvertently increases wait times and can be a challenge for people low on patience.
In terms of server performance, GoDaddy fares positively on Bitcatcha Speed Checker and WebPageTest is reported to be around 0.4 seconds and that’s just for the ‘first byte’. The results are indeed good and considering these are for its basic hosting account – is not short of a feat!
Final word
(And) that’s all she wrote.
Amidst wide array of product offerings, optimal uptime and above average performance, GoDaddy has cemented itself as a leader in the hosting industry. It may be that you have to spend premium for addons such as Website Builder and extra features (Managed WordPress hosting) but in the end, it’s worth it.
Furthermore, a 30-day refund option is at your disposal. Therefore, you don’t have a lot to lose if things don’t turn out for you the way you had hoped. However, there’s a catch. Conditions vary. If you happen to be subscribed to a plan which is of less than a year, the grace period allowed is only 48 hours.
Whether or not it’s best for your business, we leave it up to you.
To be able to drive traffic to your website is no easy feat. It takes endurance and a lot of effort to achieve that goal. Agree?
Most of all, it is the task of getting to know what your competitors are doing. In an online business, your competition is only a few clicks away, literally.
So how can you stay ahead of the curve? You do so by way of SEMrush – a versatile SEO and PPC tool. If you know how to use it then nothing can stop you to fast track your site’s success.
What Is So Great About SEMrush?
Think of SEMrush as a person who feeds you intel on your competitor as if he were present at their floor office. What’s left for you is to capitalize and enact a strategy in place to win.
Through SEMrush you gain access to the most comprehensive keyword research tool providing you with rankings, backlink profiles and ad copies.
If you are worried about increasing search engine traffic to your website, well, with SEMrush you are in safe hands.
Without further ado, let’s find out how you can beat the competition and etch your name in the history with SEMrush.
1. Search Engine Optimization
SEMrush provides an organic search function that helps you explore the wide field of SEO. Here you get to mine for possibly the best ranking keywords in your niche. In other words, these will be the keywords that your target market is actually searching for when they Google, Bing etc.
The tool lets you dig deep letting you analyze a particular keyword based on its competitive density, CPC, search volume, traffic, and trend. Furthermore, you are able to see which other domains are taking advantage of this keyword.
Additionally, you can take advantage of their Keyword Magic Tool, which can come in handy. Not only it will list down the most searched keyword driven questions but will also point out the impact they have had over SERP elements.
You can also equip yourself with keyword difficulty and organize various keywords into groups. On the technical front such as hreflang attributes and link building, SEMrush carries out a site audit.
Its crawler will scan your website thoroughly like an antivirus would your system and display the findings. It can take into account up to 120 different errors that might be affecting your site’s performance in search engine rankings.
If a problem is identified you will be promptly asked to resolve the matter. SEMrush goes a step further by suggesting you possible solutions. So yeah, there’s that.
This is not a one-time process though. On a periodic basis, SEMrush will scan your website for possible errors to let you know if you are doing well online. Audit reports are subsequently generated to give you in-depth analysis or findings.
With tracking function of SEMrush, you can keep tabs on both your desktop site as well as mobile site. You can even compare this with your competitors to check how they are faring in this aspect.
Any drop in site ranking or gain, for that matter – the owner is immediately intimated.
2. Content Marketing
‘Content is King’ – we have all heard that but the distribution of that content is equally essential. SEMrush can help you with your content marketing practices. Read on.
There is Topic Research feature which will help you figure out issues your target market is facing. All you are required is to enter a phrase or a keyword you are trying to look into and SEMrush will generate a list of topics on that subject for you to ponder.
It will also suggest headings with attention grabbing hooks to entice your readers. Of course the piece shouldn’t be a clickbait or else both, your business and authority will become questionable.
Moving on, you can refine your searches and can search for actual questions people are asking concerning a specific subject. Combine all these, and you have an adequately prepared blog at your disposal.
Once published, you can further count on SEMrush to help you monitor blog’s performance and that it reaches the right audience by way of its Brand Monitoring tool.
What does it do?
This will highlight distribution opportunities that are relevant to your keyword, in addition to locating brand mentions on varying channels across the web.
If you find any channel’s authority as dubious, SEMrush displays a score for you to gauge its trustworthiness. In the case where a channel does not meet your standards, at least you can report that mention or request for it to be taken down.
Oh, and SEMrush helps you choose the right backlinking partner for boosting your promotion strategy. The idea here is to connect you with (potential) partner(s) who are already linking to your competitors.
Social media marketing is another branch of content marketing. The tool at your disposal this time is SEMrush’s Social Media Tracker. It serves as a mole by bringing you latest on your rivals such as the type of content they are using to capture the target market or what is their posting frequency etc.
The information above is no short of a gem. If used correctly you can learn of about your competition’s best engagement posts. Coupled with the hashtag tracking you can have your hands full with the social media strategy that can outrun your competitors.
When ready, strike by employing the Social Media Poster for distributing your posts on Twitter and Facebook etcetera.
The tool tends to align all your social media platforms whereby you can post simultaneously with a single click. Moreover, you can schedule your posts and integrate interesting bits into your articles (from third parties) via RSS feed.
And that’s not all. To see if your social media posts yield desired outcome, SEMrush tracks progress with its analytics feature. The reports can be accessed in PDF.
3. Paid Advertising Analysis
Organic results, according to one study, drives 70-80% of the website search traffic but wait, what about the remaining 20-30%? Well, that is why we have paid advertising.
Paid ads rank at the top of the SERPs and are marked as such. 65% of those with the intent to buy click on paid ads. To fully capitalize on this, SEMrush offers its paid functionality whereby you can create a stellar marketing strategy.
An ad builder comes in as part of its paid functionality. You can draft catchy ads related to your products. Not just any, but ads laden with keywords and are thus, optimized to rake in traffic. With some expert editing skills your ads will be created in no time!
The same ad builder keeps an eye out for ads which are similar in nature (especially of competitors) so you have a better grasp of what works. Ads from your rivals are saved as templates enabling you to craft ads with only minor tweaking. Interesting, eh?
And if you thought, this process is a cumbersome job? Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. On the contrary, it is quite easy. The ad builder has a sleek interface and design, meaning you can view the options clearly without them ever becoming cluttered.
SEMrush also has PPC Keyword Tool which very much like site audit tool (refer to point 1), analyzes your website for paid ads shortcomings (if any). It is important to learn whether or not you are on track or has deviated from the plan.
For example, it will help you identify if your keyword based ads are cannibalizing each other as that would adversely affect your online presence.
In addition to eliminating any underperforming keywords, PPC Keyword Tool will ensure only the most bankable keywords are up for grabs – in turn, minimizing your marketing budget.
It will list down recommendations for you to polish your keyword(s) selection. Consider it a little icing on the cake.
What of Google Product Listings Ads?
Good question but did you honestly think, SEMrush will leave you high and dry in that department? Of course not! Its PLA Research feature is meant for figuring out which advertisements can hamper your reach on the internet.
Therefore, it spies for you and brings in information comprising how ads from competitors look like, their corresponding positions, keywords used – you name it.
4. Competitive Intelligence
If it is the details on your rivals’ traffic you desire, look no further since here too, SEMrush has got you covered.
Through its Traffic Analytics function you can monitor different domains on the basis of their respective paid searches, link building, and social media as well as SEO game plan.
As a result, you can set a reference point that whether or not your website is ranking higher or lower in relation to the competition. These metrics could be bounce rate, pages per visit, average site duration and the likes thereof.
All in all, SEMrush’s tools are your eyes and ears for staying two-steps ahead of your rivals in terms of keywords, trends and PPC advertising.
What MORE can a site owner ask?!?
Plan and Pricing
Ah, to the question if SEMrush falls within the affordability bracket or that if it’s pocket-friendly? Its plans and pricing structure vary as per the need of a particular user and/ or business. Take a look at the table below and pick one which suits you best.
Final word
To sum up, SEMrush can prove to be a costly affair for small businesses. But, a cost-benefit analysis tells that benefits will outweigh the cost – every time. Several tools are available under SEMrush umbrella which is a plus. Although, can become overwhelming for users and trickier to navigate with so many features imbued in it.
Advanced marketers may be the only ones who can leverage its potential to the maximum. Complaints by users, so far have been far and few. SEMrush offers a 14-day free trial so if you are not impressed by the end of it, you can always switch to whatever your heart desires.
Camtasia is a high-end video editing program available for macOS and Windows. It comes with support for a multitude of media formats while offering great control over the videos you can create. It is incredibly easy-to-use, and even comes with a free mobile app for iOS and Android app.
Once you have finished editing, the videos you have created can be shared on platforms like Screencast.com, Google Drive, Vimeo and YouTube. But the real question here is whether or not it is great for you, since there are numerous other video editing programs out there. To find out, read on.
Overview
The video editors for Mac and Windows is professional-grade, offering great balance between a well-designed user interface and control. The tool is perfect for web content producers and videographers that want their content to look unique and professional.
Camtasia was previously known as Camtasia Studio, and its success only prompted the team behind the program to develop an app for Mac as well.
Features
First and foremost, the program is safe to use, so you do not have to worry about being compromised once the installers does what it is supposed to do. You do not have to worry about third-party apps being installed on your system.
When it comes to the features, Camtasia has plenty to keep you coming back for more. Upon accessing the program for the very first time, the user interface may seem busy. The good news is that it is carefully designed, so you not feel like Alice going down the rabbit hole. There is a sample project for you to play around with, and there is even a video tutorial that will get you up to speed with the program and its offerings in no time.
The interface has three main areas:
Media and effects library in the top left
Preview area in the top right
Track timelines at the bottom
To import media, you will not have to do much, as it functions just like any other “File Open” feature you have come across in other programs. You can even import videos from Google drive, which is always appreciated.
If you use your smartphone to record a lot of videos, then the mobile app will come incredibly handy. It can be used to connect to your desktop computer to transfer images and videos you need to edit.
Working with media is simple and precise. You can add media you want to work with by dragging and dropping, or by using the timeline. You can create as many tracks as you need, and then arrange and rename them as required. The cutting and pasting sections are incredibly fast, no different from how it is with a good word processor.
Adding overlays is no rocket science, as it is just as simple as adding media files. Simply select the effect or object needed from the list on the left, and then drag and drop it on the appropriate timeline.
The audio features are not many, but they are enough to for most purposes.
Pricing
If you are considering getting Camtasia, you will have to shell out $249 for the 2018 version for both PC and Mac. If you have purchased the program before, then you will only need to pay $99.50.
The program may not be free, but it does offer a 30-day free trial for those that want to take it for a spin before making an informed decision about it. Do keep in mind though, any and all content will be watermarked.
Conclusion
Users that need a professional video editing program with a simple interface will feel right at home with Camtasia. The program is great in every way, making it possible to create and upload high quality videos in an hour tops. The mobile app makes it easier to transfer files, which adds more value to the overall package. The price is where things get a little fuzzy, as there plenty of industry-standard video editing programs out there that cost less – but you will have to spend more time learning to use them for best results.
NordVPN is one of many VPN providers that make it easy for internet users to stay secure and anonymous online. The service is great for unblocking Geo-restricted content, streaming and torrenting.
Even though most people are all praises about the service as a whole, is it really worth your time? If you wish to find out, read on.
Features
NordVPN has an impressive array of servers. If you opt for this VPN provider, you can choose to connect to any one of the 5,000+ servers in 61 countries available for use. You also get up to 256-bit military grade encryption, but that is not out of the ordinary since it is an industry standard these days.
Some other features you can look forward to are as follows:
Supports up to 6 simultaneous connections at the same time
Supports P2P/Torrenting
Connect to Double VPN servers for improved encryption
Unblock Netflix
Kill Switch
DNS Leak Protection
SmartPlay
Onion Over VPN
The VPN provider has applications for each and every popular platform you can think of i.e. Android, iOS, Windows and Mac. If need be, you can also set it up on routers and RaspberryPis.
Speed
This is one of those factors that play an important role in determining whether or not a VPN is worth your time and money in the first place.
After testing the VPN service, the speeds are not all that great, but they are not bad either. Suppose you have a 100 Mbps connection, you will easily get about 74 Mbps with ease.
User Security
Firstly, after elaborate tests it can be safely said that with NordVPN there are no IP or DNS leaks to worry about.
Secondly, NordVPN operates out of Panama, and is run by Tefincom co S.A. Due to its location, and also because it has been in the industry for quite some time now, since 2008 to be more precise, it has mastered the art of avoiding sharing its customers’ information.
Lastly, the VPN provider does not keep any logs, which has been clearly stated on its website as well. The only things NordVPN keeps track of are:
Email addresses
Payment data
Performance data
This is the kind of stuff VPNs normally collect, so there is really nothing for you to worry about.
Pricing
One of the best things about NordVPN is that its subscription plans are not expensive. They are quite reasonable to say the least.
Customers can choose any one of the following subscription plans:
$6.99/month – 1 Year Subscription
$3.99/month – 2 Year Subscription
$2.99/month – 3 Year Subscription
$11.95/month – Monthly Subscription
With NordVPN, you will save a lot more if you choose to stick to the VPN provider for long. If you really care about your anonymity, you can get a subscription by paying via Bitcoin.
Conclusion
So should internet users get NordVPN? There is no reason why they should not.
The VPN is easy to use, so there is no learning curve for users to get accustomed to, unlike AirVPN or TorGuard. NordVPN also manages to offer the largest number of servers.
NordVPN may not be the fastest service out there, but it is consistent and fast enough to get the job done. If they keep up the good work, they will be up there with the big players in no time.
When it comes to VPNs, IPVanish is recommended quite often. But is it really that good for internet users to use it as their daily driver? Does it deliver good download and upload speeds, enough to keep them coming back for more? To learn more about the VPN provider, and whether or not it is suitable for internet users that require internet freedom, security and anonymity, then read on.
Features
It is worth noting IPVanish is a US-based VPN provider, and it claims to be the best VPN service in the world. IPVanish has a ton of sponsorships and endorsements, guaranteeing the service is feature-rich, and there is some truth to it. The VPN provider offers 1.100+ servers in 60 locations, most of which are located in North America and Europe.
IPVanish is compatible with all popular platforms you can think of i.e. Mac, Windows, Android and iOS. Tech-savvy users can also set up the service manually on routers and even Linux. Additionally, it also supports all major protocols, and even gives users the ability to benefit from the SOCKS5 web proxy. The protocol gives internet users the benefits of a standard VPN without needing a separate third party tool.
Other features that come with an IPVanish subscription include:
Netflix Unblocking
Customer Support 24/7
Zero Logging Policy
256-bit Military Grade Encryption
P2P Optimized Servers for Torrenting
Multiple Login Support for 5 Devices Simultaneously
TOR Compatible
Speed
After running a few speed tests using a 100 Mbps, here are the results:
US Server – 34 Mbps Download Speed – Ping133ms
EU Server – 82 Mbps Download Speed – Ping 38ms
Asian Server– 7 Mbps Download Speed – Ping 341ms
UK Server – 80 Mbps – Ping 56ms
On average, IPVanish offers respectable speeds. But then again, there are VPN providers out there that do are able to do much better without breaking a sweat.
User Security
After going through the fine print in IPVanish’s privacy policy, you won’t be entirely satisfied. Even though the provider claims they keep no logs on any of its users, they have been on the news on more than one occasion for handing out information to Homeland Security, although this happened back in 2016. Since then, the VPN provider has been taken over by a new company, and they give full assurance of security and privacy.
On the other hand, IPVanish offers 256-bit military grade encryption, as already mentioned earlier. With the number of brute force attacks increasing on a daily basis, the VPN provider does manage to keep its users safe, secure and anonymous.
Pricing
What is interesting about IPVanish is that they do not offer the traditional subscription plans other VPN providers do. Simply put, there are no tiers, so every customer gets the exact same service. The only difference lies in the duration for which the service is available to each customer. That being said, the subscription plans are as follows:
$6.49/month for 1 Year
$8.99/month for 3 Months
$10 for 1 Month
Customers not satisfied with the service can avail the 7-day money back guarantee, which applies to all plans. Moreover, they can pay for the plan of their choosing from a myriad of payment options including Bitcoin and PayPal.
When compared to other VPNs, IPVanish is not the cheapest. You will be surprised to know you can get an even better VPN without paying so much!
Conclusion
If you are wondering whether IPVanish is worth your time and money or not, it actually depends on what you are looking for.
IPVanish does provide a reasonable service at a relatively fair price, but it does not offer anything extraordinary. Certain features like the SOCKS5 protocol are appealing, but they are not enough to justify opting for them over their competition.
Constant Contact is not new to the industry, and has been around since 1995! Since its inception, the service has established itself as one of the premiere email tools provider, serving over 650,000 customers.
What is really interesting about this service is that it boasts several great features, the kind that its competitors have failed to deliver. This includes features like social campaigns, surveys and an event management tool. These features add value to an already diverse email service. If that it is not enough, it also boasts an elaborate marketplace featuring 400 integrations and apps. Despite these flash features and numbers, Constant Contact’s popularity is on a decline, as evident from Google Trends.
If you were wondering whether Constant Contact is worth your money and time, then you are at the right place. This review will aim to answer all your questions, so read on to learn more.
Pros
Niche Features
There are some interesting features that here, like event management, that will come in handy for businesses in particular.
Exceptional Deliverability Rates
Based on deliverability test results, Constant Contact offers exceptional deliverability rates.
Cons
Poor Price to Performance Ratio
The price for the newsletter tool is too high compared to what is being offered.
Limited Automation
When it comes to automation, you will get the basics. It misses the mark by failing to provide flexible and sophisticated workflows.
Is Constant Contact Right for You?
+ For Individuals and Businesses that Run Events
Constant Contact is unique in terms of how it is one of the few email marketing tools that gives you the ability to manage registration, tickets and invitations. Although you will need to opt for the Email Plus Plan.
– For those that Require Advanced Automation
Even though Constant Contact charges a premium, it does not offer the kind of automation you would expect from such a service. They do offer abandoned cart campaigns, autoresponders and triggered campaigns, but you will find cheaper tools offering the same kind of automation.
If you take a look at Constant Contact’s website, you will realize it is a tool for small businesses, for which reason it should be evaluated as such. As already mentioned earlier, the service does cover the basics, which is great for small businesses only.
The problem these days is that there are dozens of email tools that offer a lot more than what Constant Contact brings to the table, and they are quite cheap as well. If you are willing to pay for this email tool, you will fare better sticking to more powerful tools like GetResponse and ActiveCamapign.
The email tool does score a few points for its deliverability rates, social media integrations and giving users varying levels of access. But with recent enhancement to marketing reporting and automation, it does not seem as though the team behind Constant Contact is determined or willing to put in the effort required to improve the product. Considering the price point, Constant Contact is not easy to recommend.
When it comes to VPNs, Private Internet Access is the most popular of them all. Even though it is the cheapest VPN you can get your hands on, there are still questions about its service as a whole. If you are wondering if this VPN is worth your time and money, then this review will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision regarding using it as your daily driver for all your activities online.
Features
Private Internet Access has a ton of features that will keep you hooked, which are:
A single subscription can be used across 10 devices simultaneously
Access to 3245 servers in 33 countries
Kill Switch
P2P optimized servers for torrenting
Military grade encryption and beyond
One of the best things about Private Internet Access is that the encryption options go all the way to RSA-4096. Although, 128-bit encryption is enabled by default, you can switch to highest option whenever you want. It is advised that you utilize the highest encryption setting so that you get the best security. This does come at a cost though, you will be sacrificing speed. So if you are torrenting or streaming content online, it would be best to stick to the default setting instead.
Speaking of torrenting, you can download any and all content you want, without any restrictions whatsoever. Your account will not be blocked, even though the VPN provider does not state that it supports torrenting.
To benefit from Private Internet Access and all your devices, you can download the app which is available across all popular platforms. This includes platforms like Android, Mac, iOS and Windows. They even offer dedicated browser extensions for Opera, Firefox and Chrome. If you want to set it up on your router, that is doable as well. It will require some labor though, but it will be worth the effort.
Speed
When it comes to VPNs, you simply cannot compromise on speed or security. If you are wondering what speeds you will get with Private Internet Access, you will be disappointed to know you will get terrible speeds. If you have a 100 Mbps connection, you will get no more than 20 Mbps to play around with.
There are VPNs that are far worse, so Private Internet Access is not all that bad, but you will need to consider getting another VPN if all you want to do is to stream or download your favorite content.
User Security
Some VPNs are pretty clear about what data they are logging. They keep certain information for support and whatnot. But in the case of Private Internet Access, they have a no logging policy. They keep no communication logs or traffic logs. The only information they keep on file is:
Email address
Payment data
A temporary cookie for those that opt for the optional control panel
The VPN provider is located in the US, which is not a good thing for those that truly care about their anonymity and privacy. The good news is that Private Internet Access passes all tests with a clean installation and zero leaks.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, Private Internet Access offers a single plan distributed into three tiers. So the pricing really depends on how long you wish to commit. This way it is easy to determine how long you wish to stick around. But if you stick for longer, you can save a lot of money.
The plans are as follows:
$3.49/month for 2 Years
$5.99/month for 1 Year
$9.99 for 1 Month
If you are not happy with your purchase, and if the VPN provider lacks in any way, you can take advantage of its 7-day money back guarantee.
When you are sure Private Internet Access is the right VPN for you, there are a variety of payment methods for you to check out. If you really want to keep a low profile, you can pay using Bitcoin. But that is not all; you can even pay using gift cards from Best Buy, Target, Costco and Starbucks.
Conclusion
Is Private Internet Access a good VPN? Yes and no.
Private Internet Access has plenty of servers in Europe and North America, but it does not have great coverage in other parts of the world. The VPN provider offers all major protocols, not excluding state-of-the-art encryption. Their plans are the lowest you can come across, along with a 7-day money back guarantee. However, Private Internet Access does operate out of the US, which means there is always a risk your information could be shared with government agencies without your authorization. Additionally, they do not have a 24/7 public live chat, which can be quite the turn off. But users logged in to their website can get support via live chat from Monday to Friday between 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM MST; so at least there is this option.
