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The Benefits of Website Hosting on a Dedicated Server

The Benefits of Website Hosting on a Dedicated Server

22 Sep 2022 | Digital Marketing, General, Webdesign

Reading Time: 4 minutes

A website needs somewhere to live on the internet, and unless a business has its own dedicated server for website hosting, it will need to decide exactly where it will lie.

Indeed there’s no shortage of options available, with a deluge of website hosting companies advertising to companies with varying packages of server support. At Woya, we host all of our clients’ websites on a dedicated server – but this is just one choice available to those looking to secure their digital presence.

Find out more about the ins and outs of business website hosting and to help make an educated decision on what may be the right decision for your organisation.

What is Website Hosting?

Hosting is a space to house a website being rented or bought online.

All of the content that makes up a website – the HTML and CSS coding, images, videos, downloadables and all other components – must be housed on a server in order to be viewable online. When a user visits this content, it is downloaded from this server to be displayed.

What is a Server?

A server is a computer that acts as the connection between a website and those who use it, presenting the data to them.

It is a high-powered piece of machinery specifically built to store, process and manage network data, devices and systems, so it holds a lot of information and processes lots of pieces of data simultaneously. A server holds the website and its content and when accessed, displays it for the web user.

What is a Website Hosting Service Provider?

Website hosting service providers are companies who own servers, connectivity services and other associated services to host websites for other organisations.

Through the offering of a variety of hosting plans, they are able to sell and/or rent space on their servers to cover a spectrum of hosting needs that businesses may require; from small one-person blogs to large corporation’s websites. Website hosting service providers usually differentiate their services from one another on the pricing of packages and the reliability of their service.

The latter should be considered priority as if the servers of a website hosting service providers fail or malfunction, the website of the organisations hosted on it will be unavailable for visitors.

What Do Website Hosting Companies Offer?

Of course, every website hosting company is different and all will have varying service packages. However, generally speaking, most offer a space on their shared server for a website to be hosted, usually amongst hundreds if not thousands, of other sites.

Many also offer some degree of tech support, a choice of URLs and sometimes personalised email addresses.

Website Hosting on a Shared Server Differ vs a Dedicated Server

Not all website hosting companies operate by hosting more than one website on their servers – some dedicate specific servers to one website or organisation at a time.

The operation of shared servers presents different service levels to those of dedicated servers, and it’s important that businesses understand what is available to them in order to make an informed decision before they purchase a website hosting service.

Website hosting on a shared server is usually cheaper, but this cost factor often presents a compromise with site speed. As the nature of shared servers mean that more traffic passes through them (as more than one website will be accessed through it), site speed can be impacted. This is particularly a risk if one website on the server is spammed or subject to malicious traffic, as it can take a while for the website hosting company to identify where the issue is occurring and correct it. On a dedicated server, site speed will not be impacted by others’ traffic and service will be faster as a result.

Businesses looking to build up their SEO rankings need to consider that the risk of shared server unreliability needs to be weighed up with their SEO presence, as websites that are often down or slow may be ranked down in the Google algorithm as they are considered to not deliver a great user experience (UX) considering Google Core Vitals.

Shared servers don’t require the website owner to have any degree of technical skill, as no knowledge of servers, security or other hosting services is needed – everything is managed by the website hosting service provider with no individual intervention required, so you can self manage via their portal.

A business managing their website hosting through a dedicated server may need to understand a little more technically and often use companies offering dedicated hosting that can still manage the technical aspects. Then the organisation doesn’t necessarily need a tech or web expert in-house.

Dedicated servers do give a higher degree of control for those using them as opposed to shared servers as they are not limited by the customisation options offered by set packages. This allows for bespoke configuration setup in order to best tailor the website hosting to business requirements.

All considered, this makes shared servers a cost-effective option for personal websites but often not the preference for professional companies and businesses. Particularly large businesses with lots of content on their websites should consider hosting on a dedicated server as they will want to control the traffic levels and not be at risk from other shared hosting websites, in fact they should even consider mirrored servers to secure their online presence.

Woya Digital Dedicated Server Website Hosting

We host all of our customer websites on dedicated servers. These are premium quality servers which our team hold complete control over; offering the best in security, site speed and service – without our customers having to know the ins and outs of server technology.

Get in touch with our team to find out more about what we have to offer your business!

 

5 Top Small Business Website Tips

5 Top Small Business Website Tips

7 Sep 2019 | Digital Marketing, SEO, Webdesign

Reading Time: 3 minutes

If you are a small business or start-up, one of the most powerful tools in your marketing armoury is your business website. This mainstay of your online presence is the destination of all your digital marketing engagement and without it, you can’t hope to make more sales, get more clients or convince customers you’re the company to do business with.

The key to a successful website is not only the graphics and slick design (though these are important, of course). It’s the UX. This stands for User Experience and has become increasingly important as our digital technology has developed. What it means is actually giving your customer all the opportunity possible to engage effectively and easily with your business at all times.

Most people will be accessing your website on their mobile phones rather than a traditional desktop. If you do not have a mobile-friendly website that shows up clearly on a smartphone, you’re likely to lose out because people will become frustrated and search elsewhere.

With this in mind, here are our 5 top tips for improving your small business website so that it works most effectively for your customers, and for your business:

1. Click to Call Phone Number

Potential customers may want to call you directly. The last thing they want is to have to remember your number in order to key it into their mobile.

Your phone number must be clearly displayed on your website and must be a click to call link that automatically dials your business. This is quite a simple point, however you won’t believe how many business websites we come across that do not have this functionality!

2. Boost Your Mobile Business Website Speed

Many things can slow down your website. The truth is that Google and other search engines are likely to penalise your rankings if your website is taking too long to materialise in front of customers. If you’re not sure how fast your website is, you can use Google’s website speed tester to check things out.

We’re far more impatient when it comes to download speeds nowadays. If we don’t get a response in a few seconds, we’re likely to click away. Our advice is don’t risk losing customers because of slow mobile download speeds, find out what the problem is and fix it asap.

3. Link to Social Media Platforms

Want your visitors to share your content on their social media platforms or follow your social media accounts?

It’s amazing the number of businesses that don’t have sharing tools and their social media links highlighted on their website. And those that do, often hide these away at the bottom of pages. Make them front and centre to ensure more engagement!

4. Invest in a Business Website Chatbot

There are lots of benefits to using chatbots, AI software that can do the heavy lifting when it comes to the standard questions people often ask about your business. Not only does it give customers answers they are looking for immediately, it greatly improves UX (It doesn’t have to be expensive either!)

5. Claim your Google Business Profile

Google offers a range of different services aimed predominantly at local small businesses. Claiming your business profile means that your location and business information appears on searches. Having accurate profile information, and by adding products and services, you can get additional promotion and visibility online.

Making the most of your website is vitally important if you are a small business. These simple tips will improve the user experience, help promote better engagement, and boost your business growth.

If you would like to find out what else you can do to supercharge you small business website, why not take advantage of our Instant FREE SEO Site Audit and we’ll send you a report to highlight all the things that can be improved on your website!

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8 Awesome Benefits of a Website Chatbot

8 Awesome Benefits of a Website Chatbot

8 May 2019 | Chatbots AI, Digital Marketing

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Technology continues to develop at an astonishing pace, helping businesses progress, develop and thrive. One area of focus currently attracting a lot of attention is the use of artificial intelligence or AI. AI is having a massive impact on business by not only cutting down on admin workload, but also allowing companies of all sizes to achieve a level of customer service to rival larger organisations. Cue the website chatbot!

So What is Website Chatbot …

… we hear you ask. A chatbot is an AI software programme that basically simulates having a conversation with another human being. The chances are, if you have gone onto a website and used their live talk or chat service to find information, you have engaged with a chatbot. It is usually a pop up window of speech bubble on the bottom right hand corner of a website screen that will ask you if you would like to engage.

The AI software which currently being developed is becoming so advanced that it can be difficult to know whether you are talking to a real person or an actual robot!

How Website Chatbots Work

Chatbots, or at least the software which makes them work, have actually been around for a long time. It’s only in recent years, however, that they have reached their current level of sophistication.

Let’s say you go onto a retail website and want to find a particular product. Usually, you would click into a search panel and type in what you need or select it from a group of menus. If there is a chatbot on the website you can ask questions and get immediate answers, refine your decision on what you want to buy and get more information.

The website chatbot will be programmed to understand your intent and respond appropriately with relevant answers. The more sophisticated the software, the more likely you are to get the answers you are looking for.

Perhaps there are some complexities and issues regarding your product or service that you know you are always going to have to answers questions on. Your website is open 24/7 but you and your office isn’t. If you have chatbot software loaded to answer the main queries, it not only reduces the amount of time you will need to spend answering emails and telephone calls, but also reduce the cost in time (and potentially staff)  to your business. At the same time, your customers get instant answers and responses – we all like happy customers!

Many consumers now accept chatbots as a standard part of the online world. They don’t mind (or know) if they are talking to a computer as long as they get the answers they are looking for, and get them immediately. A recent survey by Drift showed that:

  • 64% respondents saw a 24/7 service as an important reason for chatbots
  • 75% expected to get an instant response

While baby boomers might be a little reticent about chatbots, younger generations such as millennials are far more welcoming. According to the research, 40% of us don’t care if we are talking to a bot or a real person. For customers it’s all about getting service on demand and any queries answered quickly and effectively.

The Real Benefits of Website Chatbots

So, if you are going to invest in a website chatbot, you want to know what the real benefits are for your business. From improved customer service to lower costs and better lead generation, there’s certainly a lot to take advantage of:

1. Improved Customer Service

The modern customer is more discerning and demanding. If they have a question to be answered, they want it answered now.

Chatbots allow you to provide immediate engagement and give immediate answers to questions. That not only saves time for your customers and keeps them satisfied, it also streamlines your business while improving the potential for a conversion.

2. Your Business is Always Available

Catching customers at just the right time when they are looking and ready to buy, hire your services or need support is key. Chatbots basically ensure that your business is open 24/7, 365 days a year and available to answer the most important queries, take a quote request, or encourage a sale.

3. Customer Satisfaction

With effect website chatbot software setup you should expect increased customer satisfaction and engagement. There’s nothing worse from a customer point of view than to have to wait for a response or not get accurate information when they want it. If you can remedy these frustrations, your customers are likely to stay loyal and engage more often. It definitely gives you an advantage over your competitor who is not immediately customer responsive!

4. Chatbot Personality

The sophistication of chatbots means that they can be tailored to reflect your business personality and create an emotional connection with present and future customers. Responses can be tailored so that individuals feel they are talking to a real person and this will help your business create a stronger rapport. Not only that, chatbot software can expand, learn (yes really!) and develop over time.

5. Customers Prefer Chat

It’s easier and faster to use a chat or messaging service to get answers than sending an email or picking up the phone. Consumers are now becoming used to seeing chatbot software on websites or on social media and have no reservations about using them. As the survey above highlighted, 75% of customers expected to get an instant response

6. Business Perception

Consumers love to do business with companies that are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to keep them happy. While your competitors are still using a search box or menu to guide consumers to their desired solution, you’ll certainly be identified as modern, cutting edge and more effective business if you provide a chatbot.

7. Better Lead Generation

If you are responding immediately to your customer’s needs, it stands to reason that you are going to generate a lot more leads than if they have to wait for your support team to get back to them. Buying decisions are often time sensitive so an immediate response to any queries can only stand in your favour!

8. Cost Saving

As all business owners know – time is money! Spending less time answering calls and emails will free you up to focus on other important tasks. There is also the potential to spend less on employing customer care staff to answer queries and deal with calls. In addition you won’t have the need for out of hours staff to be on hand 24/7.

Redefining how you support customers who visit your website by introducing a chatbot can make a huge difference to the operation of your business.  According to Gartner, by 2020 25% of customer support facilities will use at least some form of virtual helper or chatbot – we suggest you don’t wait any longer!

Woya is a digital marketing agency providing amazing online marketing packages across the UK. We can assist companies of all sizes, anywhere, promote themselves online. Our fixed price packages are straightforward and yield results! We can add chatbot functionality to your business website for as little as £100/month!

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