It is worth noting Aweber Communication first started operations in 1998. It was founded by Tom Kulzer, and since then it has grown into a company with 110 employees. When it comes to AWeber itself, it is a modern and robust program for businesses that want to send their subscribers the same message. Basically, it is an autoresponder, which is easy to setup by the way. It is well explained and intuitive, giving users a ton of options to play around with.
If you are wondering whether Aweber is perfect for your business and its requirements, then this review will provide you the valuable insight needed to make an informed decision with ease.
Pros
Easy-to-use
Numerous templates
Customizable set of features
Excellent customer support
Cons
Expensive
Poor user interface
Is AWeber Right for your Business?
If you want to give AWeber a test run, you will be pleased to know they do offer a 30-day free trial. The trial is restricted to 500 subscribers though. Once the trial is over, you will have to pay up. If you pay for 3 months, you will save $8. If you opt the yearly plan, you will end up saving $34.
AWeber is cloud based, and support all popular browsers and operating systems. The service is easy-to-use. In fact, it finds a great balance between robust functionality and ease-of-use. There are some great features, more specifically in the autoresponder department. The navigation is intuitive enough so that carrying out basic tasks will be a breeze. If there is ever a time when assistance is required, AWeber does not disappoint with the amount of guidance it provides online.
As for its offerings, there is a plain text editor, drag-and-drop WYSIWYG editor and an HTML editor. There are 700+ templates to choose from, some of which are customizable. Before sending emails, they can be previewed, but it lacks options to see how it will look on various mobile devices or email clients.
Once you have started a mailing campaign, you will have to wait a while before you can get your hands on your stats. An hour after mailing, the results will start pouring in, enough to provide Quick Stats.
The customer support team is very helpful, they are friendly and prompt at solving queries. The response time can vary anywhere between 20 minutes to six hours. Support resources to look out for include phone, chat, email and live support.
Overall, AWeber has plenty to offer. It is particularly useful to companies that use autoresponders quite often. The autoresponder series set up is the simplest and most intuitive out of them all. Once it is running in the background, no further human interaction is required to keep the ball rolling.
The main weaknesses of AWeber is that it is not great for big companies. Small companies that can do without the bells and whistles should do without them and not pay for them. Also, while cancelling an account, make sure the account is not being temporarily suspended.
If managed WordPress hosting had a face, it would be Nestify. Why do we say that?
It is because not only Nestify has some impeccable features but it is also high on 24/7 customer support. If your managed WordPress hosting needs a fix, Nestify should be your go-to-hosting option.
What makes Nestify stand out of the rest of managed WordPress hosting services?
Giants such as Bluehost and Hostgator all offer managed WordPress hosting services, but for the following reasons, Nestify takes the cake:
1. Has Incredibly Fast Speed
Basing your website on a platform which has the best speed to offer is sound decision-making. In turn, your site gets faster load times and in the eyes of Google your rankings are improved. The real essence of Nestify lies in its servers which makes, especially your WordPress site a rewarding experience for visitors.
It has built-in CDN (Content Delivery Network), meaning the speed of your site is always optimal. It has a scalable infrastructure which makes it a reliable hosting platform.
According to hosting experts, Nestify makes your website run 4-6 times faster in comparison to other hosting providers. It has an advanced caching feature which decreases the overall website load time leading to a faster site.
2. Impenetrable Security
We all know how websites are susceptible to attacks from hackers. It is for this reason Nestify offers an impenetrable security to its users. Hackers have improvised their ways of hacking websites so not just any website security would cut it.
Nestify is known to keep millions of cybercriminals at bay, every day. That is no small number. In addition, it prevents brute force attack that allows the hacker to try several permutations and combinations of usernames/passwords to crack credentials.
The PHP tuning at the backend allows Nestify to block unsafe and threatening commands made by cybercriminals. Moreover, frequent vulnerability scans add an extra layer of security by updating you on the status if the site is really secure.
Although, if for some reason, the site still gets hacked, the personnel at Nestify will fix it for you at no cost. Usually, if any site is hacked, it could cost an owner a fortune but at Nestify, you can get it fixed for free!
3. Routine Backup Facility
What if we were to tell you that Nestify regularly backup your WordPress website data? It does so without fail.
Backing up of website data is crucial since it creates copies of your data, in the case if your site’s security were to get compromised or you lose access to your system in a fire, etc. Next time you get access, you can restore data to your website by simply running the restore functionality to travel back in time to the point where you left off.
Furthermore, you can create manual backups by clicking Backup Now option from your Nestify dashboard. A notification is sent to you intimating that your website data has been successfully backed up.
It is especially helpful if you aim to make major changes to your WordPress website. In this scenario, backing up data is the sensible thing to do.
Nestify – Pricing & Plans
Nestify plans are broadly categorized into three: Starter, Personal and Professional. Basic plan starts at 7.99 USD and goes on to 49.99 USD as you move further on the spectrum of high level plans.
● Starter
If you are new to managed WordPress hosting, Starter plan will do you just fine. You can subscribe to it for 7.99 USD a month, and you get 10,000 monthly visits, storage of 5GB and an unlimited transfer of data.
● Personal
If you are an intermediate user of managed WordPress hosting, Personal plan is for you. You are allowed 75,000 visits per month, a storage capacity of 10GB and a seamless stream of unrestricted data transfer. You can subscribe to it for 19.99 USD per month.
It is specifically meant for seasoned marketers, bloggers and anyone seeking to get their hands on the fastest experience possible.
● Professional
Last but not the least, Professional guarantees a huge spike in visitor traffic. It is intended for huge businesses and is going to be a perfect fit – offering you a visitor capacity of 150,000 each month as well as 40GB of storage. As usual, you get unlimited transfer of data. It costs users 49.99 USD a month.
Again specialized marketers and bloggers will benefit the most from it.
24/7 Customer Support
Remember how we mentioned Nestify has a stellar customer support, well it’s time to dive into that. The team behind are experts of WordPress who are there to serve you 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
No matter if it is troubleshooting you seek help with or have any query regarding Nestify which needs answering, the staff will be happy to assist. You can reach out to them via live chat or on email.
Free Migration Facility
Oh, and if you own another site that you wish to transfer current data to, team Nestify allows you to do that with zero downtime. Isn’t that remarkable?!
30-day Money Back Guarantee
Not satisfied? Think you made the wrong investment? Worry not because Nestify provides 30-day money back guarantee to its users. This is a no-strings-attached money back guarantee so if Nestify isn’t your cup of tea, you can ask for a refund. Make sure, the refund falls under the stipulated time frame or else you won’t qualify.
Nestify – Pros and Cons
We’ll now look to quickly summarize the pros and cons of having Nestify as your managed WordPress hosting provider.
Pros
First-rate customer support
No cap on bandwidth
Routine backups
A built-in CDN for faster website load times
Industry leaders have but praises for Nestify
Cons
Can prove to be a bit pricey alternative for users as opposed to Bluehost or Hostgator
Limit on number of visits per month
To wrap it up
Nestify is a viable option when selecting managed WordPress hosting provider for your website. It has the upper hand in terms of speed, reliability and best of all, security. The hosting provider is trusted by marketers and bloggers alike around the globe, so it is an investment as good as any.
If you are on the lookout for a seasoned website hosting platform for your business then Cloudways is a good choice. It allows users to garner immense power and helps them spearhead their projects.
You can easily create a cloud server with Cloudways and have it hosted on a cloud provider of your choice such as Amazon, linode or Google Cloud among other providers.
Also, you do not have to go through a lengthy setup process by creating accounts on these platforms. That’s the thing about Cloudways it does all of it by itself.
Shared hosting lets you host multiple servers whereas with Cloudways, dedicated resources are allotted to the user. Hence why you get increased performance and reliability. You can expect performance boosters with Cloudways technology such as PHP7, Varnish and HTTP/2 etc.
Let’s take a look at how you can set up your account with Cloudways and its other handy features.
Getting started
Cloudways is meant for professionals. So if you are looking to get started all you have to do is click on ‘Getting Started’ button and it will take you for a walkthrough on how to settle in.
With a Cloudways account you can log in to Github and LinkedIn with ease or you can always enter your credentials and log in manually.
The technology is high-end but it does not shy away from letting users creating the server as if it were a cakewalk. You can choose from applications such as Magento, Drupal or WordPress etc. and be on your way!
Next thing, it lets you choose the cloud provider of your preference (as already stated above). It also provides you with the liberty of selecting server size and location of your data center. The list of locations could range from anywhere between New York, Amsterdam, Toronto or Bangalore; you name it!
Pricing and server size will vary depending on the cloud provider, you decide on.
Assembling the site
When it comes to assembling the website, there are few things you can take advantage of with Cloudways. First off, you have the option of a custom control panel instead of a cPanel or Plesk-type setup.
It can prove to be a cumbersome job but with some speedy shortcuts courtesy of Cloudways, you can navigate this bit. You can quickly get to the setup page of your application in a matter of few clicks. For instance, if you find yourself without a domain, Cloudways will assign you one on a temporary basis.
From that point forward, you can work on the website like you would with any other site. The control panel previously referred to packs in some handy features such as a Monitoring tab. These are charts that detail your CPU’s usage over a period of time. It is an indicator of whether or not your system is heating up which can later cause performance issues.
Another standout feature is the Backup facility. It runs automatically in the background and lets you back up your data as per the demand. SMTP feature, on the other hand can enable you to schedule outgoing emails from your server.
With a Settings and Packages panel, you have the ability to configure PHP settings, MySQL versions and more! Furthermore, Security section helps you disable IP addresses which can leak your information to anyone who might be snooping on your data.
So if you have the necessary training and expertise, you will have no trouble playing with its features and in getting a website (especially WordPress) up and running, in no time!
The show it puts on
If you want to leverage Cloudways to the maximum, it might be a good thing to refer to the walkthrough manual every now and then. For instance, you need to tap the ‘Need a hand?” tab and you will be provided with user-friendly articles on troubleshooting issues you might be facing.
Though Cloudways is intended mainly for well-versed developers and users with advanced expertise of hosting but the articles in Help Center are pretty much understandable even by a novice user. Actionable steps are detailed in a couple of sentences and jargons are kept to a minimum.
Try looking up WordPress and you will notice that not only articles pertaining to troubleshooting are available but also, on how you can migrate if from other web hosting services are laid out in plain English such as from GoDaddy or HostGator etc. Furthermore, bearing in mind the example of WordPress only, expect guides on its caching schemes as well as other issues.
With Cloudways you get a dedicated community which is there to lend out help to fellow users of Cloudways service. This gives you an insight as to what people are talking about and what kind of problems they run into.
The option for 24/7 live chat option is available and there is also an option to create a ticket from the user dashboard for speedy resolution. Performance wise, results have proven to be optimal – time and again. Response times from all over the world have been consistent which an impressive feat.
Much will depend on the selection of cloud provider and your location, in terms of speeds. However, Cloudways is not at all a poor choice if you are eyeing top-notch performance at an affordable price.
In conclusion
Although, Cloudways doesn’t rank high when it comes to technical detail, nevertheless a user gets automatic installation of 12 of the most popular apps (WordPress, Drupal, OpenCart, PrestaShop, Joomla and SugarCRM etc.). With its generic PHP application, a user has the power to install other apps or you can always configure them manually.
If the website you are hosting isn’t too demanding, the installation of multiple applications is not at all difficult. Thus, each server can be assigned a different domain name with Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates as per the need. Cloudways comes with a 3-day trial and in order to bask in it you don’t have to enter your card details just your email address.
Kinsta is a managed WordPress hosting provider and was established back in 2013. If you happen to be a user who isn’t merely looking to run marketing campaigns or is on a budget, Kinsta is for you. It is both reliable and fast.
By being a managed WordPress hosting provider it means that not only Kinsta lets you manage your website rather it also facilitates an environment which is specifically aimed at optimizing WordPress sites.
What is that exactly? It includes aspects such as security, caching and backups. All of these operations are handled by Kinsta thereby saving you time allowing you to take care of other matters in the meantime.
Rest assured, simply nothing can wrong on your website with Kinsta service backing it.
Loading times are fast. Now that does not mean lightning fast but enough to make you visitor stay and engage with your website. In turn letting you achieve objectives such as sales, improved conversion rate or mere increase in traffic.
In terms of their customer support, they are adequately trained to help you with any troubleshooting issues you might run into. They are equally equipped in tackling software level concerns. So much so that the staff on the company’s CS team have actually contributed in the development of WordPress.
Imagine the prowess on these guys!
And that’s not it, here some other offerings by Kinsta.
Google Cloud Platform
You know what separates Kinsta from other managed hosting providers; it’s the company’s ability to employ Google Cloud Platform. This means that your website is managed and hosted on a Google infrastructure which is a feat in itself!
Why?
Come to think of it your website shares the same infrastructure as sites like Spotify, Coca-Cola and Snapchat etc. does.
To be hosted on Google Cloud Platform means that your website is getting a first-rate treatment. You can have it hosted on 17 different locations as a result. At the time of writing this, Hong Kong and Switzerland are currently not available for hosting.
Since GCP is scalable by definition so should your website proves to be groundbreaking in the future, the scalability factor will accordingly adjust to cater the huge spikes in user traffic.
Auto Backups
As already stated, Kinsta supports automatic backing up of your website data so by default from the onset Kinsta is performing backups of your site. The backup is kept for 14 days minimum after which it is disregarded. But that is just for basic Kinsta plan. On higher plans, the minimum mark can be changed.
Also, restoring of backups is fairly simple. When restoring backup, you are provided with the option to either deploy it in the test or live environment. Moreover, if you have the cash you can speed up daily backups to every six hours or hourly by paying a monthly fee. As a user, you can always create manual backups and download them for later retrieval.
The Staging service
Staging as the word implies means playing around with plugins, various customizations and edits in test environment without disrupting your live website. This lets you gauge which option best suits your website and which themes/plugins/code edits doesn’t.
From developers’ point of view, they can benefit from switching between different PHP versions, restarting them, and by accessing the New Relic PHP monitoring mechanism. It further enables the user to utilize the search-and-replace facility which helps him to modify contents of database to WordPress website.
Other Kinsta features
If you thought that that was all, here’s why you should rethink. Following technical features highlights the dominance of Kinsta in the hosting services industry.
1. Website caching
Users are provided with four kinds of caching including in-house WordPress caching plugin and that of server-level caching.
2. PHP
As previously mentioned, with Kinsta you can switch between different versions of PHP at any given point in time – no questions asked. This includes versions 5, 6, 7, 7.1 and 7.2.
3. SSL
You have the ability to either settle for SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt or you can have your own SSL certificate installed.
4. Server file manager
SFM isn’t available at this time only FTP when accessing server space.
5. Email service
No email service either with any of Kinsta plans. We recommend relying on G Suite in the meantime.
6. CDN or Content Delivery Network
With basic Kinsta plan you get 50 GB KeyCDN usage but if you move on to higher plans more usage venues show up at user’s disposal.
7. HTTP/2.0
HTTP or 2.0 can be used on servers as well as on the CDN.
8. Plugin restrictions
Many hosting providers keep a ‘banned plugins list’. This is done to prevent website performance issues. These plugins range from security, optimization and caching.
9. Security measures
You can never be too safe in the current cyber sphere which is why security measures are already in place with Kinsta. Measures such as GeoIP blocking, proactive malicious code detection and DDoS scanning etc. are all present to ensure a safer website experience.
10. Post-hack clean up services
Yes, you guessed it. If for some reason, your website is hacked, guys at Kinsta will fix it for free!
11. WordPress website management
Updates to different plugins are installed through Kinsta dashboard but an automatic update feature is lacking. No way to update WordPress software either.
12. WordPress website migration
You can transfer data from your old website to Kinsta platform with its easy to use WordPress website migration tool. On premium packages the feature is available for free but folks with basic plan aren’t so lucky. Though for an extra $100, they too can have it.
13. Uptime checks
Status of your website is constantly monitored. Some say every five minutes so that the customer support team can keep tabs on how your website is functioning and in case of reported downtime, the matter is accordingly addressed.
14. Visitor analytics
Let users view the visitor activity on the website via Kinsta dashboard.
15. Support channels
A 24/7 live chat option is available, in addition to creating a ticket or contacting support over phone.
And much more!
Setting up account
With Kinsta’s custom dashboard, creating your account is as simple as 1, 2, and 3! It’s easy to navigate portal allows you to set up new WordPress site, update plugins and manage backups in no time.
Furthermore, you are provided with ‘resource usage stats’ that show how much bandwidth you have consumed and list down visitor activity on your site. After the account is created, installation of WordPress is another run-of-the-mill procedure. If you are hosting more than one websites, they can all be managed by means of a single Kinsta dashboard.
Now, that’s saying something!
Performance and Final Word
Kinsta is a ‘built for WordPress’ hosting platform which promises impeccable site speed which is why loading times with Kinsta are fast. Therefore, it will be safe to say that Kinsta is worthy of your time. With reliable managed WordPress hosting, Kinsta is one powerhouse of a hosting provider.
If all else fails, you can avail its 30-day money back guarantee so there’s nothing to lose here. What are you waiting for then, Christmas?
For those of you who do not know what Shopify is? It’s an ecommerce platform that enables its users to develop and scale their online store. You get a template based site builder alongside an easy payment processing option, inventory management, and a powerful analytics tool among other things.
If you are newbie and want to set up your ecommerce store on Shopify, you can do so right away with its basic installation process. It has over a 100 top-notch templates which is an edge over the competition, however there’s a catch. Only 10 of these are free.
Shopify has a built-in theme browser which allows you to apply filters and lists designs either by industry or layout. Any single theme is found in multiple styles that can be viewed with a click.
OK, but why so popular?
For more seasoned users, the professional Shopify account features customer account support, abandoned checkout recovery, automatic calculation of tax and shipping charges, option to list product reviews, over a 100 payment methods and more.
When it comes to store management, tools such as inventory management and refund mechanism is available. You can capitalize on marketing campaigns with Shopify by enabling gift cards and discounts to attract more customers.
If linked to Google Analytics, you can track and see detailed reports of conversion funnel. This is essential because no business can move if there isn’t a system that provides feedback. Moreover, with Shopify, you get a tailored mobile app to keep tabs on your business activities, no matter where you are.
There isn’t a cap with Shopify because you can sell as many products as your heart desires, and of all kinds while other platforms may restrict users in terms of number of products, disk space or bandwidth. Moreover, there is no SSL certificate cost for you to worry about as it’s included for free.
How to get started
Getting started is not a problem. All you have to do is enter your name, email address and you are good to go. You will then be taken to the admin console page of Shopify. The interface is minimalistic in design which means less clutter.
On the left hand you will find categories such as Orders, Customers, Discounts, Apps, Analytics and Products. On the other hand, the Shopify Dashboard will highlight sections such as on adding products and customizing the store.
However, a minor downside to this minimalistic interface is that you won’t immediately realize where to begin but if you are not sure which task to take up first, you can use the handy search system therein which is meant to pave your way into the right direction.
Just as you would in Google, when you start typing the suggested searches can be seen. For instance, if you were to type in ‘PayPal’, anything pertaining to the said payment method will be shown in suggestions and in the subsequent search results when you hit Enter key or click on search.
It is not intended for everyone – the design and would be unfair if we were to say that it did. Although suffice to say that the design is aimed at providing comfort as well as a clean no-nonsense ecommerce experience to the customers, and for the user to work with.
Setting up the store
On the dashboard, the first step to setting up your shop online is by adding a product or a number of products. So begin by clicking on Add after which you will be asked to manually input product details.
These would entail: images, description, weight, pricing and shipping among other things. Product description has basic tables that you can use and there is even an Insert Video box that can be put to use by entering simple embed codes.
If you would prefer to import product catalogs from another platform, you can do in Shopify. The import option may not be visible to you right away but we promise you it is there. You need to look under Products to find as it is not accessible from the sidebar.
Given its minimalistic design, the option to import is minimal too. You can only export a CSV file which should not exceed 15 MB. Moreover, the import feature does not allow a user to link custom fields in the CSV file for specifying product attributes.
When it comes to its Shipping support, it is better compared to other features and can be quickly located under Settings. Default settings are good enough for any user starting out in the ecommerce field.
For an experienced user there is option where you can add a number of shipping zones as you deem fit. Default selection mainly comprises the address where you are shipping from, single shipping zone and will list shipping rates for that region only.
By adding multiple shipping zones, you can open up new venues for generating revenue since shipping rates will vary from country to country. Also, these rates are calculated based on price or weight of a particular product. In other cases, rates are calculated by referring to a specific shipping provider/app.
As a user, you can add item’s dimensions but as previously stated its weight can be entered in product details. There is also a Package system which enables user to set up different prices for products of different sizes and kinds that are to be shipped.
Variety of payment providers are supported under Shopify platform including PayPal (which is default), Stripe (accepts credit card), Amazon Pay in addition to routine payment alternatives but not limited to Cash on Delivery and bank deposit etc.
All of them can be set up in no time due to its minimal design and you can commence your business operations by accepting orders from customers. But you already knew that.
Running the store
The hardest part is over. It is time to get that store of yours up and running. First things first, get Shopify mobile app for both Android and iOS so you can control activities on-the-go! The app offers general site management, allows processing of orders or refunds (if any), customer support.
Furthermore, you can take up inventory driven tasks (editing products, browsing reports) with the app. Meaning, waiting times for customers are considerably reduced. Speedy service and resolution of queries is as real as it gets with Shopify at the helm.
Built-in analytics lets you view important business aspects in a jiffy. These include sales, orders placed, online sessions by device or location, traffic source and so on so forth. You can access individual reports too for in-depth study of, say, top referrers or landing pages.
That’s not all. With Shopify App Store, a user can integrate third party services that will take care of every aspect imaginable in your business; marketing, social media, sales, inventory, customer support, accounting and reporting.
What more do you want?!
You can use your social media to leverage benefits from Shopify by easily logging in with social networking channels. That way all of your social media accounts including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter will display feed, for instance, whenever you add a new product or when a customer leaves a positive review or to promote a list of best-selling products on your store and you name it.
Best of all, it’s available with Shopify at no additional cost. Simply put, with Shopify the possibilities are endless!
To wrap it up
A first-rate eCommerce platform service which is quite frankly, very easy to navigate, offers wide array of features as well as apps integration. Icing on the cake, Shopify comes with a 14-day trial and does not ask for your credit card details to avail it. So if you are not satisfied (somehow), you are free to choose any other service.
The Romanian-based VPN has made quite the name for itself since its inception. It has been part of the VPN industry for seven years now, but was acquired a few years ago, after which it exploded into something bigger.
CyberGhost comes with all the features you can expect from a good VPN provider, and its subscription plans are also quite affordable. But is it worth your time and money in the first place? Let’s find out.
Features
As mentioned above, CyberGhost offers all essential features you can expect from a VPN provider, they are:
Kill Switch
Multiple Login Support for up to 7 devices
3500+ servers in 60 locations
Public Wi-Fi Security
Netflix Unblocking
P2P servers for Torrenting
CyberGhost has been designed to anonymize your IP, encrypting your internet traffic to keep you safe, even on public Wi-Fi networks for that matter.
The VPN service comes with support for all major platforms:
Android
iOS
Mac
Windows
If you so desire, you can also set up CyberGhost on your router or Linux devices.
It is worth noting CyberGhost supports all major protocols like IPSec, L2TP and OpenVPN. So if you want the best, you will be pleased to know the VPN provider’s 256-bit military grade encryption will not disappoint.
Speed
Whenever you look for an affordable VPN, chances are you will have to compromise on speed. This VPN too is no exception.
So if you have a 100 Mbps connection, you will get an average of 50 Mbps at best. This should never be the case with a paid VPN service.
User Security
The VPN provider operates out of Bucharest, Romania. It currently boasts 15 million users, which is an impressive number. As for user security, since CyberGhost is outside 14 Eyes, even if they had any data, they are not obliged to share it with government and intelligence agencies from around the globe.
Even though CyberGhost has a no logging policy, a Google search will show that the company is not known for keeping its promise. The VPN provider may be innocent, but there are far too many allegations to take it lightly.
Pricing
One of the best things about CyberGhost is the fact that you get a true month-to-month plan. But if you really want to save, you are better off opting for their longer plans.
The subscription plans available for your choosing are as follows:
$2.5/month for 3 Years
$3.69/month for 2 Years
$5.25/month for 1 Year
$12.99 for 1 Month
Apart from the standard credit and debit options, you can pay via a wide array of payment methods i.e. BitPay, PayPal and even cash!
If you are not satisfied with the service in any way, the VPN provider does give you the option to take advantage of its 45-day money back guarantee.
Conclusion
Should you opt for this service? Well, there are a couple of things going for it.
The service was not great months ago, but CyberGhost has turned things around in a short amount of time. They have taken customer complaints and feedback very seriously, which is always a good thing.
You get all the essential functions to stay safe and secure online, and you can also use it to unblock content from different regions too. If that is not enough, the VPN is leak-free while using torrenting, TOR and Netflix services.
Agreed, there are quite a number of customers that have a terrible experience with CyberGhost, so you will need to take that into account while making an informed decision.
When it comes to email marketing, MailerLite is new to the industry. But that is not necessarily a bad thing, as its youth reflect throughout its features and design. It is not fun, crazy or young in any way, but is more simple, clean and modern. This could be one of the biggest reasons why it has made quite the impression, and continues to do so for office going individuals.
MailerLite’s staff and values make it out to be an international tool than other options out there. The interface comes with support for 8 languages, which is more than any other email marketing tool out there.
Despite MailerLite’s simplicity, they still manage to deliver a myriad of options for things like form options and newsletters. If that is not all, it also features a simple and fast editor, which is really a steal if you opt for their “Free Forever” plan. Even though everything looks hunky dory, let’s take a closer look at whether or not MailerLite will meet your expectations let alone exceed them.
Pros
Free Plan
You will be pleased to know the free plan has a lot of features to keep you coming back for more, not excluding marketing automation. It does lack some useful features though, like newsletter templates for instance.
Ease-of-Use
One of the best things about this service is its simple and clean interface. It works well for advanced and new users alike.
Landing Page Editor
The landing page editor is a unique feature, it allows users to design and create their own landing pages on your own domain hosted by MailerLite.
Cons
Lacks Pro Features
The prices may be great, but MailerLite does lack a few pro features, such as advanced automations, design/spam testing and full reporting.
Is MailerLite Right for You?
+ Perfect for Freelancers and Small Businesses
MailerLite is perfect for those that are on a budget, and it manages to do more than just newsletters. Features to expect include contact tagging, automation workflows and segmentation. As mentioned earlier, there is even a landing page editor, so you can run the most sophisticated of campaigns imaginable.
+ For Bloggers and Creatives
Apart from its reasonable pricing plans, MailerLite comes packed with features specifically designed for bloggers, including video marketing, WordPress integration and RSS campaigns.
+ New to the Scene
The interface is simple, the navigation is intuitive, and the email editor is easy-to-use. Basically, MailerLite is a great choice for anyone who is getting started with email marketing for their very first time.
– Lacks Comprehensive Reporting
When it comes to reports, don’t go expecting something out of the ordinary. You will get the standard reports you would expect from just about any email marketing tool i.e. stats for clicks, opens etc. and purchase tracking for WooCommerce and Shopify. It does not offer social tracking, though.
– Automations is a Requirement
Automate workflows can be set up based on a few triggers, but it lacks automatons for advanced triggers, which is essential in this day and age.
When it comes to user experience, MailerLite shines through and through. It is perfect for small business needs, and is a lot cheaper than other tools out there. It does have its drawbacks though, as automations are not as many as they should be. The “Forever Free” plan was a favorite, not anymore though as they have limited some of their features.
All in all, MailerLite is simpler than most tools available out there, and if that is all you are looking for, then you need not look any further.
When it comes to VPNs, a lot of people consider ExpressVPN to be the absolute best there is. Most websites you will come across will claim the VPN provider in question is the fastest, most secure and completely anonymous. But the real question here is whether these tall claims are true in the first place. If you landed here in the hopes you will get an honest review of ExpressVPN, then you will not be disappointed.
Features
In the features department, ExpressVPN does not disappoint. You get access to the following:
P2P Servers
2000+ Servers across 94 Countries
Supports Netflix Unblocking
Kill Switch
Multiple Device Support for 3 Devices
Apart from offering an impressive number of servers, internet users will be pleased to know they can go about their daily activities online without having to worry about being compromised or monitored. If the protection does fail, the kill switch feature will disable the internet connection before things turn for the worst.
The VPN works across a multitude of devices, which are:
Android
iPad and iPhone
Mac
Windows
Routers
Web Browsers
Speed
One of the best things about ExpressVPN is the fact that you actually do get blazing fast download and upload speeds. To put things into perspective, if you have a 100 Mbps connection, you will get download speeds of 83 Mbps without breaking a sweat.
Even though tests have revealed that ExpressVPN does deliver on its promise for unparalleled speeds, don’t take speed testing all that seriously because it depends on many variables i.e. computer specifications, internet connection, physical locations and so on.
User Security
First and foremost, it is important to note ExpressVPN is located in the British Virgin Islands. There is no information about the owners or employees, which does raise a few red flags for those that are extremely cautious. But this kind of secrecy should not be a cause for alarm.
Due to the nature of the service ExpressVPN provides, the company needs to hide its identity to evade unwanted investigations. Rest assured, you will not have to worry about being thrown to the dogs since ExpressVPN has been successful in avoiding investigations requiring their users’ information.
On the other hand, ExpressVPN assures internet users that it does not keep any logs whatsoever. The VPN provider does not collect any of the following information:
IP addresses
Browsing history
DNS queries
Metadata or traffic destination
Unlike other VPNs, ExpressVPN is crystal clear about not keeping any information, so you are free to use their service without having to worry about giving them your information without consent.
Pricing
Seeing how many features and benefits ExpressVPN offers, it should not be alarming that the company charges a premium. The plans available for purchase are:
$12.95/month – Monthly Basis
$9.99/month – 6 Months
$8.32/month – 12 Months
If you do not want to pay a premium, then you should keep a check on ExpressVPN’s website, as they has massive discounts every now and then.
Conclusion
Is ExpressVPN worth recommending to other? Yes, it is!
The VPN provider delivers on its promises and has some amazing features that will appeal to tech savvy and non-tech savvy users alike. Once connected to ExpressVPN’s servers, you will be secure, safe and fully anonymous.
Taking into account how you have 2000+ servers to choose from, you can access any and all content without having to deal with geo-restrictions.
Building an optimized landing page is not exactly a piece of cake. As a designer, you will need to review the page time and time again, and make changes even if necessary. Things do not have to be this way anymore, as there are numerous tools online that will help you create a great landing page, that too without having any knowledge about coding at all. One of those tools is Instapage, which lets you build landing pages with amazing optimization features and useful integrations.
If you are wondering how Instapage works, and if it is worth your time and money, then read on to learn more about it.
Instapage Offerings
First and foremost, it is important you find out everything there is to know about Instapage and its offerings, which are:
Drag and Drop Landing Page Builder
The drag and drop landing page builder is not the same as WordPress’ builders – it is not grid-based. But the tool will help you drag and drop each element precisely where you want it.
Widgets
With the help of widgets, you can insert elements like countdown timers, CTA buttons, and much more.
Customizable Templates
With 200+ customizable templates, you will not need to start from scratch.
Access to Bigstock Images
Since you have access to a staggering 33 million Bigstock images, you can insert these images as you desire. Do keep in mind though; you will need to pay for each image individually.
Useful Analytics
If you want to track your progress based on numbers, you will feel right at home with Instapage. You will get everything from Google Tag Manager, A/B Testing, Heatmaps, and more.
Detailed Asset Delivery and Form Builder
No matter what type of form you want to create, you can create them all, not excluding multi-step forms. You can connect them to a number of different integrations as well.
AMP Support
With the help of the drag and drop feature mentioned above, design Google AMP landing pages with ease.
Highly Detailed Attribution Data
Apart from analytics, you can connect Instapage to Google AdWords and other similar services for integration attribution data like price data or AdWords campaigns.
Instapage Benefits
Seeing how integrations are important for websites these days, you will get numerous integration options with Instapage. This way, you can stay connected to all your customers through all possible venues. You can integrate over 20 marketing tools, which may be more than you actually need.
With Instapage, you will have designs that will respond well to mobile devices. This is important because a huge portion of internet users use smartphones and tablets than desktop computers or laptops. Due to this, you will see your conversion rates increase considerably in a short amount of time, because your customers will get a better online experience while browsing your website after all.
To work with a particular template, you can import it from any landing page you find interesting within minutes. Instapage will automatically replicate the design for you, but in a way that you can customize it as you see fit. If you dish out limited time offers every now and then, you can even add countdown timers. This is a great marketing strategy to ensure customers make the most of the limited time offer before they lose out on the unique opportunity for good.
By opting for Instapage, you will not be limited to a certain number of visitors that can visit your website on a monthly basis. Once your website starts doing well, and you gain more visitors, you will not be limited in any way.
In case you do run across a problem, Instapage’s customer support team will be more than willing to help you out. You can get your queries sorted so that your website does not have to suffer in the long run.
Instapage Pricing & Plans
Before you check out what pricing plans Instapage has to offer, it is worth noting that you can take advantage of its 14-day free trial before you actually commit to them for a longer duration. Only when you are satisfied, you can opt for either of Instapage’s four enterprise and SMB plans, which are:
1. Core – $69 or $79 per month
Collaboration in real time
20+ integrations
Mobile-responsive landing page builder
2. Optimizer – $99 or $129 per month
Includes all Core Features
Heatmaps
Dynamic Text Replacement
Advertising Attribution
Unlimited A/B Testing
3. Team & Agency – $179 or $229 per month
Includes all Optimizer Features
Branded Lead Notifications
Audit Log
15 Private Sub-Accounts
4. Enterprise – Contact Instapage for a Quote
All Team & Agency Features
Advanced Publishing
Professional Services
Migration Services
Customer Success Manager
Is Instapage Worth It?
There is no doubt Instapage is a powerful tool. In fact, it is even better than most WordPress page builders that you will come across.
Instapage is not only powerful, accessible and easy-to-use, but it is especially great for beginners. With this tool, you actually have the power to place things where you desire.
The tool is by far not the cheapest one out there, but you will not be disappointed if you wanted an optimization-oriented and high-powered landing page builder.
Wix by far is the largest website builder. The company has over 1800 staff members and is reported to have around 110 million users. On a daily basis Wix receives 45000 average new sign ups.
If you use a website developed on Wix platform you will immediately notice why it is the best out there. For starters, it has an attractive appeal in terms of design for both businesses and seasoned web developers.
Services other than Wix usually have a few templates to begin with but here you get 500. That’s saying something! You get a built-in image editor with 40 Instagram-esque filters. You can set up your blog in almost 26 different languages with Wix.
Wix’s own App Market brings to your disposal 200 widgets which can be employed for enhancing your website experience as well as in order to integrate third-party services.
Are you seeking to build an ecommerce store?
If you are looking to set up shop online, as stated, Wix has some astounding templates that you can bask in. moreover, as a platform, the company does not charge any transaction fee on sales.
Beginners can leverage these benefits for free but for more experienced users they can take it to the next level with Wix. Through Wix Code, experts can manipulate database collections, can create dynamic pages and design tailored forms.
Furthermore, using their own JavaScript, accessing APIs and more are some other Wix benefits.
How effective is Wix?
If truth be told, the templates can be a bit unresponsive on occasions. Also, with Wix you can see a separate mobile version of your pages but the view suffers a similar fate i.e. can prove to be a bit unresponsive.
Other aspects such as form building are available in the form of apps that require additional payments to make use of. Still, Wix is an all-inclusive website builder catering to varying user classes.
Wix plans
A free plan of Wix will provide a user with a drag and drop editor which tends to support a great many number of pages. However, when put to practice, you will get 500MB storage and 500MB data transfer that is enough to meet any small site’s requirements.
If you prefer higher options, a Connect Domain plan will have your offering scale up. Up to 1GB in storage and it further enables you to use your own domain name with a wee bit of Wix’s branding.
Another plan – Combo offers 2GB bandwidth and 3GB of storage. Here, you can get rid of that Wix branding and truly personalize your website. Naturally, this comes at a higher price.
Oh wait, there’s more.
Unlimited plan as the name implies is intended to give you an unrestricted amount of bandwidth. In addition, 10GB of storage, a premium form building with a Site Builder app thrown into the mix for driving increased traffic to your website.
How to get started with Wix?
If you are new to website creation process, Wix will quickly bring you to speed. Simply enter your email address and a password to get going after which you will asked for the type of site you wish to create. Choose from business, photography, music, blog and so on so forth.
Next up, you will be asked if you would like the Wix Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) to build website for you or would you prefer to do it yourself via its code editor.
ADI relatively gives you sleeker experience when it comes to designing your website. Since the process is much easier and automatic. All you need is to tell ADI the type of website you want or the features you’d need and watch ADI bring your site to life.
Other than that you have the option to use regular editor but which uses manual creation process such as starting off with a template then using the drag and drop feature to customize different areas on your website etc.
Of the two approaches, ADI gives you more liberty to play around with elements on your website.
A disadvantage of using regular editor is you cannot switch selected layout after you have decided on the template at a later stage. That’s not very flexible in this day and age, so yeah.
Thus, it is recommended to use Wix ADI for website building. It not only saves you time but has well-designed features that can be of immense for beginners.
The code editor
If we talk about ADI editor, it has a very minimal interface and only a couple of buttons are reflected. Furthermore, a menu bar is displayed which lists down Add, Site, Design and Manage functions. Point being, it has less clutter which allows for (as mentioned previously), sleeker experience when using ADI.
Things such as sidebars or color palettes are nowhere to be found so that nothing gets in the way.
Website can be edited in a myriad of simple ways. For example, when hovering the mouse over a section, buttons for editing and/or for changing design are displayed. You can always click on a desired option to view and edit text or replace an image and so on.
Although, drag and drop controls are limited to regular editor alone. So you cannot manually change colors or alter fonts with ADI.
All in all, you don’t have to be an expert. If the website is even intended for a featuring a blog and not a full-fledged ecommerce store, you will do just fine with Wix. You can test your webpages as well before going live with them.
And mind you, when creating the website, you can either choose ADI or regular editor. There cannot be a hybrid of the two and in case where you have settled for the latter, you can’t go back to ADI.
You may be thinking that at this point regular editor is worthless compared to ADI. That is not the case though. With regular editor you have control of the complete layout to your website.
You can micro manage such as objects can be adjusted or positioned in line with the pixel-level placement. As opposed to ADI, here objects cannot be automatically aligned in blocks or columns.
Since it offers the ability to drag and drop, get ready to play around. Complex blocks such as contact forms with headings etc. can be bundled with text or buttons. You can then modify alignments and ungroup items in any way you like.
Visual modification can be done by way of neat animations and you can use different color filters for all your images. A variety of actions can also be assigned to most objects.
Elements including text blocks, menus, galleries and social media buttons among other things can be added to your page within a few clicks.
As part of the code editor you get the ability to preview the added elements and how would the page look like in the actual (live) environment. Therefore, you can fix anything out of place and move along whilst keeping track of what fits and what doesn’t. The process is referred to as WYSIWYG.
The fundamental editing functions are designed better than an average website builder. Upon right clicking you will notice various commands for different controls such as for alignment and the option to set height and width.
A floating toolbar usually comes in handy as it provides speedy access to some key functions.
Keyboard shortcuts are equally supported for deleting, copying and pasting. Commands for selecting all items at once, sending items to front/back or to undo (redo) action can also be controlled through keyboard shortcuts.
That pretty much sums up Wix’s code editor.
Media support
Media wise Wix packs support for images, slideshows and both audio/video files in all major formats. You can import as well as directly play media from leading sites including Facebook, Dropbox, Google Drive, YouTube, Dailymotion and you name it!
Under “My Uploads” section you can manage your entire cloud-based media library. Up to 25MB file size is supported on Wix so keep this in mind when uploading high resolution PNG files.
If you don’t happen to have any images at hand, you can get free images and clipart from Wix’s own media bank. Enter a search query and related images will be displayed for you to choose from. However, there is a downside. Searches returned are often fewer and of low quality.
Still enough to get you started.
If you are willing to pay top dollar, you can get more addons from the Wix App Store. These include playback features, higher bandwidth and document viewers in addition to user stats.
Wix for blogging
You can use Wix for blogging purpose by accessing the platform from its left-hand toolbar. Within a matter of few clicks you will be able to create a new blog post, customize its layout and much more!
A simple editor for setting up blog is available at user’s disposal. It has all the functions such as option to view gallery, add images/videos, customize HTML and include GIFs. For customizing blog posts, you can choose from a variety of ways to do so: add tags, assign categories, add meta titles and descriptions etc.
Comments plugin by default is Facebook but you can also choose to integrate Disqus comments plugin or any other standalone comments plugin app.
Moreover, with Wix blogging platform, posts can be automatically published to Facebook, snippets of any new posts can be shared with your subscribers on email, Insights feature lets you view the basic stats and traffic analytics, and Google AMP support will help you rank better in search engines and improve load times for mobile.
It’s no WordPress but is at par with it, if not better.
Ecommerce store
Building an ecommerce store with Wix is also easy. Select from numerous templates and components to get going. You can choose to preview your web store as well as check out sample images to gauge the overall feel of it.
Both digital and physical products can be listed with Wix ecommerce platform at the helm. You can list products with their images and videos. You can set custom options such as size, color, weight and SKU (product code) so that in future the inventory is automatically sorted with respect to above parameters.
Plethora payment providers are supported: Stripe, PayPal, Moolah, Worldpay and Wirecard. Wix does not charge any fee on the transaction. As a user you are only liable to pay commission (%) to your provider.
It’s not the best, although small businesses can greatly benefit from it and start selling online.
Support team
Built-in support comes with your Wix subscription. Help menu is visible in editor toolbar. Blog Manager for instance, has a separate Help section.
There are dedicated support pages available which can be accessed for any troubleshooting assistance. Articles therein are okay and will mostly address the needs of beginners and experts, alike.
Searching the Help can bring up old articles which can be outdated and can prove to be nuisance for users. The idea is to keep the section updated with fresh guides and walkthroughs. The knowledgebase is riddled with overlapping titles, does not yield results pertaining to the entered query or against the desired keyword.
It’s not only confusing but takes longer.
Support is also available via a ticketing system but on average it takes about 36 hours for your query to be answered. Again, the response time is slow as with the Help section above. If you are an owner of large business this can become a real problem should a downtime is experienced.
In conclusion
Wix provides lucrative templates and has a powerful editor that will help both novice and advanced users in their respective pursuits. Big businesses are at a disadvantage with Wix for reasons highlighted in the text above. Small businesses can however leverage its potential and core features to the maximum.
There is a 14-day money back guarantee that comes with Wix’s premium plans and while free services are well, free.
WP Engine is a managed WordPress hosting service and that’s it. You will find no ecommerce offering neither VPS nor dedicated servers therein. It is only meant to provide users with a good old fashioned WordPress service.
It greatly enhances the experience of managing your WordPress website. When you sign up to WP Engine, you are rewarded with some sign up bonuses such as a service test. The service tests WordPress for updates and any other patches before applying them to your site.
This is done to reduce hassle later on. If anything incompatible is discovered, it is immediately disregarded rather than being applied. Moreover, a tailored custom caching system is in place that overhauls the overall performance.
Real-time detection comes bundled in so if you are hacked while in the process of setting things up, the remedy of fixing the website is provided for free. What more is there to ask for?
The generosity is brought to you by none other than SLA (Service Level Agreement) of WP Engine. You can expect 99.9% of uptime, going in. If it is any less, 5% of your monthly fee is credited against your account. That’s how the team behind WP Engine make up for every lost by the user. Sounds too good to be true, right?
So you might find a majority of WordPress based website hosting providers which offer one-click installation, still none compares to WP Engine. Why? Even in addition to above? Well, for other providers WordPress is just a small bit of their overall product offering. For WP Engine, its entire product offering revolves around WordPress.
Setting up the account
After you have signed up and basked in its offering at the onset, WP Engine provides you with a table which is basically meant for users to compare its various plans and so that you, as a user, can carefully make a selection which one suits you the best.
Once you are done with the selection, you will be asked about where you wish to host your site. If you know where you want your site hosted, good. If you don’t then know this that WP Engine has data centers in most parts of the world including Belgium, Australia, Germany, UK and Taiwan among other countries.
Next, you are directed to a section where you are required to choose the payment method. You can choose from monthly billing, if you are low on cash. On the other hand, an annual option is available which gives you two months of free hosting service (should you opt for it). Oh, and you only make payments via credit card. No other payment modes are accepted.
After this, a welcome page opens up where you will see WP Engine account, the admin page of your WordPress site and the default URL that will have been assigned to you. You can always redirect this to your own domain later.
It will only take a few minutes before your website is created. An email detailing your password to WP Engine account can be found in your inbox. Follow the link therein and voila, you are all set! The email also happens to provide you with a summary of your site, the plan and pricing options you have opted for, in addition to resourceful links which can prove to be handy should you face issues later down the road.
Establishing a website
Now that everything’s in order, it is time you bring your WordPress website to life. How? Read on.
On the dashboard you will notice a section of alerts such as messages and news items. It can be somewhat annoying to the user since its cluttered. But if you navigate to the settings you can always redecorate the dashboard or you can just ignore that there is a cluster present.
When you click on the WP Engine plan, you will be shown your IP address, domain name, the version of WordPress/PHP under use and so on so forth. Also, there are mini-graphs that further elaborate on your website history such as bandwidth, visitor activity and the use of storage etc.
Traversing the interface can become a cumbersome job especially for newbies since the language is comprised of hosting jargons like CNAME records and Git push or domain-level redirects that can scare the s*** out of a user. But with some beginner knowledge beforehand, a user can safely get ashore.
Setting up DNS is even more complicated because it may be that your website is being relocated to an optimal server. WP Engine categorically states that they are “constantly ensuring your site is running to its fullest potential”, and “may migrate your site at any time”. This is to ensure 99.9% of uptime promised (as outlined above).
Past the DNS set up, everything becomes easier to tackle. A BlogVault-based Automated Migration helps you transfer an existing WordPress website to the one on WP Engine. A handy plugin and it does so by merely employing source server FTP credentials and destination URL.
Please note that the plugin won’t work with providers such as Wix.com and SquareSpace etc. since they do not support SFTP access. As for more expert users, phpAdmin lets them import their existing WordPress site, manually.
If you are getting too overwhelmed by the information here, maybe you can try an alternative method which is to run the standard WordPress admin page. Although simpler but does not pack any default support for additional plugins or themes – all you are required is to click and it takes care of the installation business for you.
However, there is room for incorporating them (plugins/themes) if you are familiar with the environment meaning, by design, WP Engine doesn’t limit its users.
How does it fare performance wise?
You cannot put a label on WP Engine if it’s the best or worst. There are different aspects which need to be borne in mind for gauging the performance side of the hosting platform. Let us see some of them in turn.
WP Engine comes with automatic backup facility. As opposed to other hosting providers, it’s comes bundled in with your purchased plan and not as an addon priced separately. These backups run daily or you can run them as per the demand. You can only create backups for last 30 days, just so you know.
A Staging feature enables you to test your website before it goes live. You can test waters in this environment and identify any issues. It is also an opportunity to play around with different themes or plugins and see if they work for the site. None of what you do here affects your actual website.
There are built-in processes embedded in WP Engine which evaluate your website performance and assign it a score. Thus, you can figure out which areas require improving. It will also make suggestions for you to capitalize on. You will be able to monitor the changes in real-time and whether or not they bring desired results.
Furthermore, WP Engine can create a custom page for your WP Admin console. That way you are able to access the tools and certain settings with greater ease. You can configure your CDN or purge cache for WP Engine as well – very useful in the event of troubleshooting.
Advanced features comprises of HTML Post Processing which can help you tweak the HTML for a website once it’s rendered. Did you know WP Engine automatically keep plugins, which might in any way hamper your overall site experience such as slow load time, at bay? Simply put, you won’t be allowed to install them. That’s extraordinary, no!? Can pose problems if there is something on that list you need, so yeah, there’s that.
Speaking of support, there is a support site specifically meant for providing users with walkthroughs on how to carry out installation and other guides meant to help you troubleshoot issues such as optimizing or speeding up your site and the likes thereof.
You can bank on their search engine to lookup articles on a variety of topics. The company’s 24/7 live chat option is another hit and can be relied on for help at any time. So on the whole, performance is decent.
In conclusion
It is a premium based service, no question about that but with its backups facility, Staging feature, caching and CDN integration, among other things it’s worth the price (hands down). With reliable offerings and performance better than most of its competitors, WP Engine has registered itself as a force to be reckoned with in the field of hosting platforms.
If you are still not convinced, remember its generosity also extends to a 60-day money back guarantee. Therefore, plenty of time to make up your mind and decide if this is the service to settle for.
