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A 6-Step Writing Process to Blog More and Stress Less
Posted by: | CommentsA 6-Step Writing Process to Blog More and Stress Less
Blogging is sucking the life out of you.
Every time you hit publish, it all just starts again.
Again… and again.
Like a never ending loop, you sit down to write and it feels like groundhog day.
Your brain is fried, you’re out of ideas and your audience is impatiently waiting for more content.
But it doesn’t have to feel like this.
There is a better way to do things, a smarter way to blog – without the stress and all that draining stuff.
I’ve been there and know how you feel.
But I’ve spent some time obsessing over my writing process, so I could systemize it.
What I came up with is a 6-step writing process that I will share with you today – before you know it you’ll be writing better content, more regularly without the pain of doing it.
Before we start
Before we dive into the writing process, there are a three things you will need to make this work for you.
1. A writing template – a writing template helps you re-create similar results over and over again. Every time you go to write, start with the same canvas – a base structure for how you will write your post. See an example of mine in Google Docs below;
2. A checklist – This is a tangible version of the template. It reminds us of what makes for an engaging post, and how to structure each section of our blog post. The best way to use a checklist is to print it off and physically tick off the things that are important for each section of your post after it is written. You will be surprised how often this process reminds you of things that you may have forgotten to include.
3. A repeatable writing process – Document the exact steps you use to write a post. From coming up with an idea, to researching and eventually writing. How long does it all take? How can you break each part into small components?
Now let’s get into the fun stuff.
Step 1 – Find an idea and nail your headline
Figuring out what you want to write about can be frustrating. Sometimes it feels like you’ve written about everything already.
So if you leave this to the last minute, you’re bound to get stressed out.
Try and come up with a bunch of ideas every month or so, and store them in an editorial calendar, spreadsheet or some other place you capture notes.
But what is even more important than coming up with a backlog of ideas, is to be deliberate about what ideas you are choosing.
What posts can you write that will complement your website’s target keywords?
If you have done this pre-work, all you are doing in this stage of the writing process is grabbing an idea from your calendar and getting ready to write.
Once you’ve picked an idea, come up with 4 or 5 headline options for the post.
What headline will grab your readers by the shirt and get them interested?
We will come back and pick the best headline later in the process.
But if you want help picking an engaging headline you might like to check out CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer.
This step shouldn’t take you longer than 5 minutes if you have done the preparation.
Step 2 – Research your idea
Step 2 is all about validating your idea and figuring out what you will eventually write about.
Take your chosen topic or keyword and head over to Google.
Sequentially click on any articles that turn up on the first two pages of your search – preferably the ones that sound interesting or are written by someone you respect.
For all the articles you find, paste their links into an appendix below your writing template.
You don’t need to read these articles right now, so don’t be too picky about the ones you choose.
This step should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 3 – Create a structure and fill it up with content
In this step you will be drawing inspiration from all the best content the chosen topic to come up with a post structure.
Literally read through all of the links saved in your writing template.
As you’re reading, take it old school.
Grab a pen and notepad, and write down the key points, themes or structures you are regularly seeing.
After a couple of edits these scribbles will become your blog post structure.
Your structure may be a step-by-step process or a list – something that makes sense for your topic.
Replace your generic headings in the writing template with this new structure, and start to get messy.
Fill up your template and structure with all the best content you have found in these articles. (I call this ‘Shaking’)
Make sure you do this in a different color font.
Literally copy and paste everything you can under each heading. (Don’t worry, we will edit this later so it’s not plagiarism)
The best content you will find useful during this process are compelling introductions, interesting stats and case studies you may like to include in your post.
As well as other people’s content, use this step of the writing process to revisit old ebooks, guest posts or other content you have written – don’t let these gems go to waste.
This part of the process should take you about 30 minutes.
Step 4 – Write without distraction
This is usually when we all panic, stress builds up and we decide to trawl through our Facebook feed rather than do what we should be doing – writing.
But because you have already come up with your topic, researched it thoroughly and created a structure based on that research; this step is way easier.
I like to call this part of the process ‘Baking’, because you are metaphorically baking all of the content you just collected into one well structured, highly engaging blog post.
Sit down, set yourself a timer – for however long you want – and start writing. I don’t care if it is 15 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour – give it a go.
Now that you have broken down your blog post into very specific sections, you can write them separately and bring it all together at once.
Not only will this help you overcome writer’s block when you sit down, but it will also allow you to write one post in multiple stints.
Note: As you’re writing, try and avoid doing anything else. And I mean ANYTHING. Don’t add links, images or any of that polish just yet. You are in a writing flow, so now is the time to capitalize on that.
When you’re in your flow, and want to include an image in your post, use a placeholder instead.
Disclaimer: Please don’t plagiarize other people’s work during this process. The content you have copied is for inspiration. It is there to give you ideas and help you create a post that is even better than other content on the topic.
This part of the process will take as long as you need it to. If you are genuinely ‘writing without distraction’ you should be able to write about 1,000 words per hour.
Step 5 – Iron out the kinks and make it visual
This step is a time sucker, but a necessary evil.
Now that you have a high-quality blog post you are probably desperate to get it out to the world.
But your work is not quite done yet.
It’s absolutely essential that you read your post from start to finish and iron out any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes.
Then you will need to add in any links you have mentioned and all those fancy images you have written about. (As you can see I use a lot of screenshots, it helps the reader engage with what you are saying)
As you are reading through your post, have your blog post checklist on your desk – ticking things off as you go.
Once you are happy with the post, copy and paste it into your publishing platform. (For me this is taking the post from Google Docs to WordPress, which is a seamless transition)
Adding in images isn’t too challenging, because you have clearly marked where you want them.
Note: When you put a placeholder in your blog draft for an image, make it descriptive. This way when you get to this step it will jog your memory.
I would recommend using Skitch to capture screenshots, it allows you to add in annotations, arrows and boxes.
Once you have all your images, links and editing done – you’re ready to move onto the next step.
This part of the process can be a little tedious, especially if you use a lot of screenshots and images like I do. I would put aside about 30-60 minutes for step 5.
Step 6 – Don’t forget about SEO, then hit publish
Now for the last step – you made it.
This one is pretty simple but it’s super important for the long-term SEO benefits on your blog.
Pick your blog categories and tags. Then link to other internal posts or pages on your site. This will up your SEO juice for every post.
Finally, optimize your post for SEO using something like WordPress SEO by Yoast.
Yoast reminds you of where to include keywords, how many to include and how to make your post look nice in search engines.
See below;
This shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes.
Now… that glorious moment you’ve been waiting for.
Hit publish!
via A 6-Step Writing Process to Blog More and Stress Less
7 Best Managed WordPress Hosting Providers Compared (2022)
Posted by: | Comments7 Best Managed WordPress Hosting Providers Compared (2022)
Looking for a managed WordPress hosting provider to start your blog or launch a new website?
Or maybe you’re frustrated with your current provider and want to explore other options.
With so many enticing choices, it’s hard knowing which platform outranks the competition.
While we believe the “best” WordPress hosting service is the one that best suits your specific needs and requirements, we also believe that some companies are better than others.
In this guide, we’ll compare the 7 best managed WordPress hosting providers.
We’ll cover everything you need to know like:
- Cost
- Speed
- Security
- Customer support
- Uptime
- Lots more
And by the end of this guide, you’ll have the knowledge and know-how for finding the best website host for your needs.
We’ll also spill the beans on our top hosting provider choice (and explain why we recommend it).
But before we slide into our list, let’s start with a quick definition…
What Is Managed WordPress Hosting?
With unmanaged WordPress hosting, you only get access to a server and an operating system. All other aspects involved in optimizing and managing your website are up to you.
Now, a managed WordPress hosting solution offers fast, secure servers, customer support, and manage administrative tasks like WordPress installation, automated backups, software updates, and file access restrictions.
The Top 7 Managed WordPress Hosting Providers For 2022
1. SiteGround
Pricing
- StartUp: $4.99/mo.
- GrowBig: $7.99/mo.
- GoGeek: $14.99/mo.
Customer Support
Customer support available 24/7:
- Phone Support
- Live Chat
- Helpdesk
- Community Forum
- Knowledge Base
Performance
- 99.99% Uptime
WordPress Installation
Free WordPress migration & installation.
SiteGround Pros
Fast Page-Loading Speed
Using a combination of effective hardware and software, SiteGround’s servers deliver some of the fastest page-load speeds of any hosting provider. Page speed is critical for increasing page views, generating conversions, and ranking in Google.
99.99% Uptime
SiteGround uses redundancy routines and multiple power feeds for all critical network components, resulting in an impressive uptime. Review site Bitcatcha, which hosts on SiteGround, has had an unfailing uptime since 2014.
Affordability
With a starting plan at $4.99, they’re one of the most affordable WordPress hosting options. Though their month-to-month plans are significantly more expensive than yearly plans.
Quality Service Worldwide
No matter where you are in the world, SiteGround can deliver optimal service for your website and visitors. They use Cloudflare Content Delivery Network — which has 200 distribution nodes in 100 countries around the world — to deliver content anywhere in the world as quickly as possible. They also have 6 ultra-fast data centers around the world that deliver speedy server response times no matter where you are.
Environmentally Friendly
SiteGround is committed to green hosting and sustainability. Their headquarters is in compliance with LEED design requirements, they optimize their server software to be more energy-efficient, they partner with carbon-neutral partners like Google Cloud Platform, and more.
Great Customer Support
SiteGround offers phone support, live chat, and helpdesk tickets, all available 24/7. Live chat resolves 90% of inquiries and the average helpdesk ticket gets a response within 15 minutes. They received a 97.7% customer satisfaction rate and won 2 Stevie Awards for customer service in 2020.
Transparency
SiteGround is committed to transparency in many ways. They display their monthly and yearly uptime percentage on their website. They provide the IP addresses of their data centers so you can test and pick the best one for your site. And they’re open and honest about what you get with each of their plans.
Easy-To-Use, Intuitive Dashboard
Rather than cPanel, SiteGround uses a custom dashboard called Site Tools. Site Tools is arguably easier to understand and navigate than cPanel. And users can customize Site Tools by pinning frequently-used functions at the top of the menu for easier access.
Free Daily Backup
SiteGround offers free, automatic daily backups of your site content in case of data loss. Shared hosting plans backup data for the past 30 days. And cloud hosting accounts backup data for up to 7 days.
Free Optimization Plugin
WordPress users rejoice, for every SiteGround WordPress plan comes with an exclusive (and free!) optimization plugin, SG Optimizer. Whether you’re using a fancy paid theme or a free WordPress theme, SG Optimizer works like magic to speed up your website. But remember, it’s ONLY available for SiteGround customers.
SiteGround Cons
Limited Data Storage
SiteGround offers limited storage space for each WordPress plan — 10GB for StartUp, 20GB for GrowBig, and 40GB for GoGeek. If your plan doesn’t offer enough storage space, you have no choice but to upgrade to a higher plan.
High Renewal Price
While their prices are enticing for new customers, the cost of service renewal goes up significantly. Renewing your SiteGround website will cost from $14.99 – $39.99 per month.
No Ad Credits
Many WordPress hosts offer freebies to new customers, usually in the form of advertising credits. Free ad spend is always nice to have, but can be especially useful to new websites trying to gain traction. SiteGround offers none.
Customer Support (Caveat)
As SiteGround has grown in size, it’s become more difficult to reach a customer service representative. And accessing customer support is a bit more complicated than it should be. Rather than clicking a simple button, you’ll have to click through multiple pages before prompting live chat or ticketing options.
Closing Thoughts
In addition to great customer support and transparency, SiteGround’s greatest feature is the quality of their service. If you want a managed WordPress host with lightning-fast speed and unfailing uptime (particularly if you’re based outside North America), SiteGround is for you.
If you want a deeper dive into SiteGround, check out our fully fleshed-out SiteGround review.
2. Bluehost
Pricing
- Basic: $2.95/mo.
- Plus: $5.45/mo.
- Choice Plus: $5.45/mo.
Customer Support
Customer support available 24/7:
- Phone Support
- Live Chat Support
Performance
- 99.98% Uptime
WordPress Installation
Free WordPress migration and installation.
Bluehost Pros
Affordability
With plans starting as low as $2.95/month, Bluehost is one of the most affordable hosting options. To get the lowest monthly rate for your plan, you’ll need to buy 36-month terms. Otherwise the monthly price increases.
Lots Of Storage
Bluehost provides customers with lots of data storage. For their Basic plan, you get 50GB of storage space. The Plus and Choice Plus plans come with unlimited storage space.
Solid Uptime Performance
Uptime testing done by WebsiteToolTester showed that their Bluehost was available 99.8% of the time. Most uptime tests performed by other websites have also performed in this range.
High-Performance Servers
With their Plus plan, you get access to Bluehost’s High-Performance servers. For their High-Performance servers, Bluehost allocates fewer users per server providing each user with more computing resources and consistent uptimes and load speeds.
Security Features
For additional costs, Bluehost provides excellent security features. They offer CodeGuard for daily website backups and restorations. SpamExperts is their advanced email filter that blocks out email-related attacks with 99.98% accuracy. And for enhanced site security, you can purchase SiteLock which protects against malware and DDoS attacks (depending upon which service tier you buy).
(Almost) Unlimited Everything
With their Plus and Choice Plus plans, you can host unlimited websites and get access to unlimited SSD storage, unlimited parked domains and subdomains, and unmetered bandwidth.
Great Customer Support
While we’ve come across some complaints, the overall perception of Bluehost’s customer support is positive. Customer support is available 24/7. And many users report Live Chat responses in as little as 5 minutes. They also offer Blue Sky, an add-on service that gives you access to a team of WordPress experts who can assist you with design, marketing, and WordPress security.
Bluehost Cons
Just One Data Center
Bluehost sites load impressively fast considering they have just one US-based data center. But if your visitors come from outside the US, they may suffer from slow site speeds and you may want to consider an alternative host with more data centers on other continents.
Site Scaling/Performance Issues
Bluehost will perform well for most small to midsize websites. But for larger, media-heavy sites, performance may slow to below average.
No Uptime Guarantee
Unlike most other hosting providers, Bluehost doesn’t provide an SLA that guarantees a minimum uptime. Uptime is critical to generating traffic, converting visitors, and ranking in Google. While Bluehost performs well on most tests, not offering a guarantee is a red flag.
Poor BackUp For Entry-Level Plans
Entry-level Bluehost plans don’t provide a good backup solution. If you want to protect your site data, you’ll need to pick a higher-tiered plan or another hosting provider.
High Renewal Costs
Like many other hosting providers, Bluehost lures users in with low-priced startup plans. But the price jumps significantly upon renewal.
Closing Thoughts
Bluehost will work well for most small to midsize websites. But if you expect lots of traffic and site performance is important, then you may want to find an alternative host.
3. WP Engine
Pricing
- Startup: $30/mo.
- Professional: $59/mo
- Growth: $115/mo.
- Scale: $290/mo.
Customer Support
Customer support available 24/7
Performance
- 99.95% Uptime
WordPress Installation
Free WordPress install and migration.
WPEngine Pros
No Long-Term Commitments
Unlike most other hosts which require you to pay for 12-36 month plans, WPEngine allows you to pay month to month. The lack of commitment can be great if you want to test out their service before investing heavily.
Incredible Speed
WPEngine has too much speed-boosting technology for us to describe in-depth here. They utilize single-click CDN integration, a custom NGINX extension, SSD technology, and more to deliver unrivaled site load speed. The point is, they’ve invested heavily into the speed and performance of the sites hosted on their platform.
Advanced Security Features
WPEngine takes website security seriously. Their platform inspects all incoming site traffic for malicious behavior to detect and block bad actors. They identify and patch web application attacks before they affect your website. They also protect against DDoS attacks and work with 3rd-party security firms to ensure their security remains up to snuff. And if your site is hacked, they’ll fix it for free.
Free Access To WordPress Genesis Framework
With all WPEngine plans, you get free access to the Genesis WordPress framework and 35+ premium StudioPress themes. Each theme is beautifully designed, SEO optimized, and enhanced with optimal speed and security features.
WPEngine Cons
Expensive
With their most basic plan starting at $30/month, WPEngine is one of the most expensive WordPress hosting providers.
Lots Of Limitations
For such an expensive service, WPEngine comes with lots of limits. For example, their Startup plan limits you to 25,000 visitors per month, 10 GB of local storage, and 50GB of bandwidth. You can always upgrade if you need more access, but the plans quickly become pricey.
No cPanel
WPEngine has its own custom dashboard. While it’s easy enough to use, people who’ve become accustomed to cPanel or are migrating from another host may have difficulty adjusting.
Controlled Environment
WPEngine believes that their platform has all the security and optimization features your site will need. As a result, they have a host of disallowed plugins that they believe interfere with their servers. This can be great for users who want everything handled for them. But for people who want more control over their site security and performance, this may be an adjustment.
Closing Thoughts
With their advanced features and high costs, WPEngine is perfect for experienced website developers, enterprise WordPress applications, and anyone seeking a premium managed WordPress hosting plan. But new site owners and small businesses would do better to find a different hosting provider.
4. DreamHost
Pricing
- Shared: $4.95/mo.
- DreamPress: $12/mo.
- VPS: $30/mo.
Customer Support
Customer support available:
- Email (24/7)
- Live Chat (Daily from 3:00am – 9:30pm)
- Community Forum
- Knowledge Base
Performance
- 100% Uptime
WordPress Installation
Free WordPress installation and migration
DreamHost Pros
Unmetered Bandwidth
Most hosting companies that promise unmetered bandwidth actually come with an inode limit – a limit to the number of files located on your hosting account. But DreamHost offers truly unmetered bandwidth.
Affordability
With accounts starting at $4.95/month, DreamHost is one of the most affordable hosting solutions available.
Environmentally Friendly
For those who care, it’s good to know you’re doing business with an environmentally friendly hosting company. Their offices are designed to be energy efficient, they use power-efficient processors, and they use power from renewable resources.
100% Uptime
DreamHost has multiple data center locations and uses redundant cooling and emergency generators to ensure a 100% uptime for your website.
Solid Customer Support
Though DreamHost’s Live Chat is available for limited hours each day, their customer support is still more than adequate. They have knowledgeable staff on their tech support team, a community forum, and an extensive Knowledge Base.
DreamHost Cons
No Phone Support
Customer support can only be accessed via email and Live Chat. If you want to talk to a live person, you can request a callback from technical support for a fee. Or you can pay a monthly fee to receive 3 callbacks a month.
Custom Dashboard
DreamHost is another hosting provider that doesn’t use cPanel. Instead, they have a custom dashboard that can be a bit difficult to learn. It can also be difficult to find what you’re looking for and, as mentioned earlier, getting help from support can be a challenge.
US Servers Only
DreamHost only has servers in the US, which can lead to slower site speed for visitors in other regions.
Missing Advanced Features
DreamHost is missing some of the advanced features offered by other providers. For example, it offers no staging and no advanced backup solutions.
Closing Thoughts
While DreamHost isn’t the most impressive WordPress hosting solution, they offer competitively priced hosting packages with great features and solid performance.
5. GoDaddy
Pricing
- Basic: $6.99/mo.
- Deluxe: $9.99/mo.
- Ultimate: $12.99/mo.
- Ecommerce: $15.99/mo.
Customer Support
Customer support available 24/7:
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Community Forum
- Help Articles
Performance
- 99.9% Uptime
WordPress Installation
Free WordPress installation and migration
GoDaddy Pros
Affordability
With a 3-year term, GoDaddy hosting can cost as little as $6.99 per month.
Value
Every GoDaddy hosting plan provides great value for the price you pay. Each plan comes with a free SSL Certificate, domain name, business email, site backup protection, and automatic daily malware scans. And while only their Ultimate and Ecommerce plans provide unlimited storage and bandwidth, the storage and bandwidth on their Basic and Deluxe plans are generous.
Strong Site Security
As stated earlier, all GoDaddy plans come with automatic daily malware scans. But their Ultimate and Ecommerce plans also come with unlimited malware removal and hack repair.
99.9% Uptime Guarantee
GoDaddy hosting comes with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Though some users have found that they frequently underperform, they will credit you 5% of your monthly hosting fee if they fail to maintain it for the month.
WordPress Premium Support
For a monthly fee, GoDaddy’s WordPress experts will help you fix problems with your site, manage administrative tasks, and optimize site performance. This is a great value for new and inexperienced users.
GoDaddy Cons
Poor Customer Support Quality
While GoDaddy offers plenty of customer support options, the overall quality of support is lacking. It can be difficult to find and access Live Chat (it’s on their Product Support page). In fact, in a WordPress Hosting Survey, GoDaddy received a 3.3/5 for customer support. Not great.
Confusing Control Panel
While GoDaddy gives you the option of using cPanel, installing it on your account can be confusing. And many GoDaddy customers complain that their control panel isn’t user-friendly.
Average Performance
Overall, GoDaddy’s performance isn’t anything to get excited about. Their server speed is average. And though they promise a 99.9% uptime, some users have found that they frequently underperform. While they’ll compensate you if a server falls short of that promise, they only credit you with 5% of your monthly hosting fee (unlike other hosts like HostGator which credit 100% of your monthly hosting fee).
Closing Thoughts
The best appeal of GoDaddy hosting is the great value you get at competitively low prices. But if site performance and customer support are important, you may want to choose another host.
6. HostGator
Pricing
- Starter: $5.95/mo.
- Standard: $7.95/mo.
- Business: $9.95/mo.
Customer Support
Customer support available 24/7:
- Phone Support
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
Performance
- 99.9% Uptime
WordPress Installation
Free WordPress installation and migration (within 30 days of sign-up).
HostGator Pros
Fast Servers
Even though HostGator only has 2 US-based data centers, they still have fast server response times. Of course, responses are the fastest in the US, but they still perform well elsewhere.
99.9% Uptime Guarantee
HostGator provides a 99.9% uptime guarantee. If a server falls short of that promise, they’ll generously compensate you with one month of credit for your service package.
User-Friendly Dashboard
HostGator’s dashboard is visually appealing and user-friendly. All links and buttons are prominently displayed in intuitive places, making it easy to navigate. Alternatively, you can also use cPanel if you prefer.
User-Friendly Site Builder
HostGator’s site builder is also user-friendly. They offer a host of attractive themes and templates. And with one-click installs, you can quickly install any apps, widgets, and other features you desire. It’s easy to get your site up and running in a matter of hours.
Affordability
With managed hosting plans starting at $5.95/month (for 3-year terms), HostGator is one of the more affordable hosting options available.
HostGator Cons
Poor Customer Support Ratings
It’s difficult to gauge the quality of a hosting provider’s customer support without dealing with them yourself. While they offer 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and Live Chat, their customer support rates poorly across review sites (3.5/5 here and 4.5/10 here).
US Servers Only
HostGator has just 2 US-based data centers. Though their response times are still adequate outside the US, you may want to choose a different provider if response times are important to you. And unlike other hosting providers, they don’t allow you to choose which data center you use.
Poor Backup Options
Unless you pay for add-ons, you only have access to 1GB, 2GB, and 3GB backups for each plan respectively.
Missing Advanced Features
HostGator is missing some of the advanced features other hosting providers offer. There are no staging areas, server side-caching systems, or dedicated speed features (like NGINX server setup).
Closing Thoughts
HostGator is a great option if you’re looking for a hosting provider that’s affordable, easy to use, and has fast server response times in the US. But their slower response times outside the US and poor customer support may turn some away.
7. Liquid Web
Pricing
- Spark: $9.50/mo.
- Maker: $39.50/mo.
- Designer: $54.50/mo.
- Builder: $74.50/mo.
- Producer: $149.50/mo.
- Executive: $274.50/mo.
- Enterprise: $499.50/mo.
Customer Support
Customer support available 24/7:
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Helpdesk
- Knowledge Base
Performance
- 99.998% Uptime
WordPress Installation
Free WordPress installation and migration
LiquidWeb Pros
100% Uptime Guarantee
LiquidWeb guarantees an uptime of 100%. If a server falls short of that promise, they’ll credit you for 10 times the amount of downtime whether they’re directly responsible for it or not. That means if your site is down for 1 hour, you’ll get 10 hours of credit.
High-Speed Performance
LiquidWeb has just 3 data centers (2 in the US and 1 in Europe), which means, depending on where you are, page load speed will be different. Still, they have an impressive average page-load speed of less than 1 second. They also provide built-in optimization solutions, redundant cooling and networks that ensure consistent uptime and speed, and experts who monitor network performance 24/7.
Specialized WooCommerce Hosting
LiquidWeb’s managed WooCommerce hosting is loaded with performance-enhancing features. It’s optimized to reduce query loads by 95%, mobile responsive, comes with more than 20 performance tests you can use to prepare for traffic increases, and more.
Excellent Customer Support
LiquidWeb customer support is available 24/7 and staffed with knowledgeable WordPress experts. They also promise a 59 support guarantee: live humans will respond to phone and Live Chat requests within 59 seconds and helpdesk tickets within 59 minutes. If they fail to meet this guarantee, you’ll receive a hosting credit of 10x the amount of time that passes (i.e. for every hour that passess, you’ll receive 10 hours of credit on your hosting plan).
Great Security
LiquidWeb offers free DDoS protection through CloudFlare CDN. The protection blocks malicious traffic while still allowing legit traffic through to your site. And if you want even more, you can purchase their Premium DDoS protection for $99/month.
LiquidWeb Cons
Expensive
With packages starting at $9.50/month, LiquidWeb is one of the more expensive hosting options available. And starting prices are only available for the first 6 months. After that, prices increase significantly.
No Shared Hosting
LiquidWeb doesn’t offer shared hosting options. While this leads to better performance, it’s also one of the reasons they’re so expensive.
Lack Of Freebies
LiquidWeb offers little in the way of freebies. No free domains, SSL certificates, ad credits, or other gifts that most hosts provide.
Closing Thoughts
If you want WordPress web hosting that’s fast, consistent, secure, and has great customer support, you can’t do much better than LiquidWeb. And they’re especially good for Ecommerce sites. But be prepared to spend a lot of money.
And The Best Managed Website Host Is…
As you can probably tell by now, SiteGround is our top choice for hosting a WordPress site.
While other companies may offer cheaper solutions, there’s no competition for the service you get with a SiteGround hosted website.
SiteGround offers:
- Award-winning customer support
- Speed and reliability
- Cloudflare CDN network with over 200 distribution nodes in 100 countries around the world
- 99.99% uptime guarantee
- Free daily backups
- A host of security and optimization features that make your site faster and more secure.
For a full breakdown of what we love about SiteGround and why it’s the best hosting option, check out our SiteGround review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Managed WordPress Hosting For Me?
While unmanaged WordPress hosting is cheaper, the choice between the two really comes down to two questions:
Are you a website developer?
Or are you tech-savvy and knowledgeable about website development? If you want to go with unmanaged hosting, then you’d better be.
As we mentioned earlier, all aspects involved in optimizing and managing your unmanaged WordPress website will be up to you.
But if you’re new to web development and have no idea how to run your own site, you’re much better off with managed hosting.
Do you even want to put in the time?
Even if you know how to perform every aspect of managing your own website, would you want to?
Managed WordPress hosting offers convenience and peace of mind. All you have to do is pick a top provider with great features and a solid record… The rest is taken care of for you.
Is WordPress Hosting Free?
No. While you can host for free on WordPress.com, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee for WordPress hosting and a yearly fee for a domain name if you want the full capabilities and features of a WordPress website.
What Is The Cheapest WordPress Hosting?
If you want a cheap managed WordPress hosting provider, try:
- Namecheap: starting at $1.44/mo.
- Hostinger: starting at $0.99/mo.
The cheapest WordPress hosting providers on our list are:
- Bluehost: starting at $2.95/mo.
- DreamHost: starting at $4.95/mo
- SiteGround: starting at $4.99/mo.
Your Future Starts With Your WordPress Hosting Platform
You’re ready.
You’ve got a great idea for a money-making blog or website…
And now you have all the information you need to pick the best managed WordPress hosting provider to launch it with.
All you need to do now to make a decision is to:
- Get clarity on the features and performance requirements for your website.
- Pick the option above that best suits your needs.
Regardless what you choose, the important thing is that you stop dreaming and start doing!
Your digital empire awaits…
via 7 Best Managed WordPress Hosting Providers Compared (2022)
Virtual Presentation Best Practices: A Guide for Online Entrepreneurs
Posted by: | CommentsVirtual Presentation Best Practices: A Guide for Online Entrepreneurs
A Guide for Online Entrepreneurs
Whether you’re pitching to potential partners or introducing a new product to customers, a presentation can make or break your online business.
If you’re used to in-person presentations, you’ll realize that virtual presentations have their own set of challenges.
For a start, stage fright can still happen even though the stage might be your own home office.
In addition, your audience is more likely to tune out and disengage from online presentations because they’re not physically present. Plus, there are too many distractions for most people at home or in their remote office.
As a presenter, it’s also harder to “read the room” when you’re presenting online.
What now?
In today’s post, we’ll cover virtual presentation do’s and don’ts to help you win over distracted audiences, keep their attention, and get your message across clearly.
via Virtual Presentation Best Practices: A Guide for Online Entrepreneurs
18 Assonance Examples to Give Your Words that Razzamatazz
Posted by: | Comments18 Assonance Examples to Give Your Words that Razzamatazz
Remember reviewing about assonance examples in English class?
Or how about this gem taken from the classic film, My Fair Lady: “The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain”?
Assonance, along with other literary devices like similes, metaphors, alliteration, consonance, and hyperbole, help make reading and writing a magical experience.
So let’s dust off the ol’ English lessons and add some glitz and glamor into your present-day writing.
And to help you do that, we’ve provided plenty of stellar assonance examples to help your writing shimmer and shine.
Let’s go!
What is Assonance?
Assonance is a literary device that focuses on repeating the same vowel sounds in consecutive or nearby words.
It’s a technique that, when used well, can help enhance the mood of your writing, creating a sense of fear, romance, action, suspense, playfulness, and more.
Assonance can also speed up and slow down the pace of writing, further intensifying the overall mood.
18 Examples of Assonance
Let’s get this show on the road, and dive into a series of assonance examples from celebrated literary works, songs, and a few famous examples you might recognize!
Assonance Examples in Literature
Here’s an example of assonance you’ve probably heard a million times before:
“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Notice how the repetition of the “o” sound creates a rhythmic, woeful effect that adds to Juliet’s complaint about her lover being the son of the enemy’s family.
Next, we have Edgar Allan Poe, who wrote a beautiful piece called “Annabelle Lee”, containing this alluring assonance example:
“And so all the night-tide, I lie down by the side of my darling — my darling — my life and my bride…”
See how the repetition of the “i” sound adds to the romantic mood of the piece.
Poe also wrote the line, “Hear the mellow wedding bells” in the poem called “The Bells” and the repeated short “e” sound helps ring a melody from those bells in your imagination.
Now let’s look at William Blake, whose famous poem, The Tyger, starts off like so:
“Tyger, Tyger burning bright in the forest of the night”
Not only do Blake’s powerful sensory words draw you into the scene, but the repetition of the “i” sound creates a lovely rhythm and sense of action.
What a way to start off a poem!
Another poet, Carl Sandburg, wrote in Early Moon:
“Poetry is old, ancient, goes back far. It is among the oldest of living things. So old it is that no man knows how and why the first poems came.”
The repeated “o” sound somehow just adds an aura of “ancientness” to his statement.
Can you hear it?
Or better yet, can you feel it?
Examples of Assonance in Poetry
Assonance is also a dazzling poetic device that adds liveliness, rhythm, and rhyme to verses.
See this piece by Kelly Rogers, The Cold Wind Blows:
“Who knows why the cold wind blows
Or where it goes, or what it knows.
It only flows in passionate throes
Until it finally slows and settles in repose.”
The repeated “o” sound makes you feel as if the wind is coming right past you, leaving you to wonder at where it comes from and where it’s going.
In William Wordsworth’s poem Daffodils he uses two groups of vowel sounds to create and emphasize a peaceful mood:
“I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o‘er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze…”
Another example is Robert Frost’s poem, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening:
“He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
The groups of repeated vowel sounds create a sense of rhythm and movement, making you feel as though you are traveling along with it.
Examples of Assonance in Song
Rappers like use assonance all the time.
For example, take these lyrics from the song, Loud Noises, performed by Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″:
“On the real, it’s a wrap, how could you possibly stop the Apocalypse
When I’m atomic bombing the populous…”
Billie Eilish also uses assonance and rhyme in her lyrics, like in this excerpt from her song, Bellyache:
“Thought that I’d feel better
But now I got a bellyache…”
The repeated “e” sound adds to the mood of the song.
Disney songs like Aladdin’s, A Whole New World, use assonance to create a melodic rhythm:
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide?”
OneRepublic wrote a song called I Lived, where the repeated “i” sound in the chorus emphasizes the point the singer is making in having done it all:
“I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
With every broken bone, I swear I lived…”
Katy Perry’s popular song Firework also contains assonance, repeating different sounds throughout:
“Do you ever feel already buried deep?
Six feet under screams, but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there’s still a chance for you
‘Cause there’s a spark in you…”
Other Famous Examples of Assonance
Some of the most well-known tongue twisters and proverbs also contain assonance.
Not only does assonance help improve their memorability, but it adds a touch of playfulness that’s hard to ignore!
For example:
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers — note the repetition of the short “e” and long “i” sounds.
- Sally sells seashells beside the seashore — see the repetition of the short “e” and long “e” sounds?
- The early bird catches the worm — the repeated “i” sound in “bird” and “worm” adds emphasis.
- The squeaky wheel gets the grease — the repeated “ee” sound almost allows you to hear the wheel squeaking in your head!
Catchy, right?
The quick, repeated sounds flow off your tongue and deliver “sticky” sentences that you’ll never forget!
Switching gears, let’s end strong with another famous example:
The last few lines of William Wordsworth’s poem The World is Too Much With Us:
“Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.”
The long “a” and long “o” sounds finish the poem with a moody and rhythmic ring to it.
Why Use Assonance?
Using assonance – repeated vowel sounds in successive words – makes your writing more interesting.
Don’t overdo it though, because then your writing will make it seem like you’re trying way too hard to be a clever, rhyming poet.
Make your writing an experience
Assonance is like a spice that, when used well and in moderate combination with other literary devices like similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and consonance, can add flavor to your writing.
It adds rhythm and makes it more memorable and enjoyable because the reader is rolling the words around in their mouth to see how it feels, how it sounds, and how it comes out.
Slow sown or speed up the pace
Aside from adding flavor, assonance relieves the monotony of reading content that is stuffed with information and no “hooks” by which to organize and remember it.
A ton of content is like a stuffed closet – miserably messy. Assonance breaks it up by making the reader feel a sense of urgency in a scene full of suspense or slowing the reader down with more moody words.
Set the scene before it unfolds
Assonance is a brilliant way to show, rather than tell, your reader more about what is happening.
You can create a crackly, electric atmosphere of anger in a scene long before the reader has read any words that describe a character as angry.
via 18 Assonance Examples to Give Your Words that Razzamatazz
How to Bolster Your Brand’s Reputation By Giving A Damn
Posted by: | CommentsHow to Bolster Your Brand’s Reputation By Giving A Damn
How to Bolster Your Brand’s Reputation By Giving A Damn
At the risk of stressing something that marketing professionals well know, your product is only as good as your brand. But we need to take a moment and reflect on why this axiom is as important now as ever.
Just as the pandemic has upended our lives, it has upended our businesses. Businesses have been burdened by the same pandemic realities everyone is going through. They are trying to figure out how to not just survive but thrive amid the uncertainty.
Businesses need a partner, not just a product. And in an era of trust and transparency, they need a partner they can count on.
The values you stand for, delivering on what you promise, doing what’s right because you care are all critical to your brand’s reputation.
The Power of a Brand That Actually Really Cares
In short, you give a damn.
Doing anything less is a gamble. Research indicates that corporate reputation has a significant influence on price, perceived service quality and brand preference.
You can lose customers to bad experiences and aggressive competitors. Your credibility can get dragged through the social media gauntlet. If you don’t actively work to bolster your brand’s reputation, you are exponentially at risk from negative PR.
Without a strong brand, you can’t recover as quickly, while customer loyalty and affinity can weather nearly any storm. Here are some ways to bolster your brand’s reputation. They aren’t particularly difficult. But they do require courage and commitment.
Be True To Your DNA (aka “Transparency and Genuineness Are Key”)
Be true to your core values in what you do and what you say. What do you stand for? And how do you demonstrate that each day?
Businesses want to work with businesses that are transparent and genuine. If a business outwardly projects itself one way — say a creative, outside-the-box trailblazer — yet inwardly operates much differently — a buttoned-up corporate plodder — your clients will pick up on the ruse. When your external image accurately reflects your internal self, on the other hand, you build trust.
It is no surprise that Patagonia, a company with a global reputation for high-quality products and corporate and environmental responsibility, is atop the 2021 Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings.
Even the words you use matter. Be bold and authentic in what you say because it signals what you really mean. At Ceros, one of our core values is, “We give a s***.” At Ceros, we regularly go above and beyond just selling our product to providing creative inspiration throughout the process, from hands-on training to community support. We have a team of people who can help a business with what it needs even when doing so requires going beyond “the contract.” We make this investment because we care. We give a damn.
Being true to your DNA also proves invaluable when a public relations crisis erupts. Remember when Starbucks received widespread criticism in 2018 after two Black men were arrested on suspicion of trespassing after asking to use the bathroom? Starbucks didn’t press charges and later reached a financial settlement with the men.
But the coffeehouse chain that has consistently advocated corporate social responsibility didn’t stop there. The company apologized publicly, fired the employee who called police, and announced it would close its U.S. stores for a day to give anti-bias training to 175,000 employees.
Starbucks practiced what it preached.
Don’t Be Lame (aka “Be a Trusted Business Partner, Not Just a Product or Service Provider”)
Businesses need an ally, not just a product or service provider. Think of the challenges they face: supply chain troubles, labor difficulties, the pace of technological change, the pandemic.
They need a business partner they can trust to help them navigate their needs and bring solutions to their problems. You need to deliver on exactly what you say you would, and if for some reason you can’t, you need to roll up your sleeves and help. Customer service is not a status page.
Your reputation also extends to your own business partners and how they do business. How they treat their own employees and think about the world can reflect back upon you.
Don’t Be Thanos (aka “Win The Battle For Hearts and Minds”)
Humanize your brand. Businesses have become too transactional in their relationships with customers. But customers are people, and people are emotional. Emotion influences their buying experience.
Show how your brand has a broader impact on society, whether it’s environmental, social or other causes. Research indicates that corporate social responsibility can elevate a brand’s equity and reputation.
Take AIG, for example. The global insurer stresses the importance of diversity, philanthropy and volunteerism and makes deep financial and other commitments to those causes. Earlier this year, it released its first Environmental, Social and Governance Report to measure and manage its efforts in these endeavors. AIG isn’t just making promises. AIG is holding itself accountable, as well.
Become An Advocate For Someone Who Needs One
I once worked for a diagnostic company that made blood glucose testing strips at about a third of the cost of the popular brand-name version. The brand-name manufacturer, a multibillion-dollar company, filed a patent infringement case, which made national news. During the case we heard stories from people with diabetes who with our strips could afford to test themselves at recommended frequency levels to avoid complications and live a better life.
We knew we faced an uphill battle in this David versus Goliath legal dispute. And yes, we had a business interest in the outcome. But we became emotionally invested in the lives of the people who were going to be most affected. We unintentionally became advocates in a way that we had not been before. We were their collective voice.
Your reputation isn’t just about your business and how you solve problems for customers. It’s also about how you can represent the voices of other people who matter.
Who Are You Fighting For?
Your brand is a powerful yet fragile thing. It can boost profits, customer goodwill, company morale, and the communities we live in, or if too largely ignored, can begin your organization’s slow march toward irrelevancy. By being true to yourself, a valued business partner and an advocate for others, you can help your brand stand out.
via How to Bolster Your Brand’s Reputation By Giving A Damn
