Business
Database Admins See Brighter Job Prospects Amid IT Challenges
Published
3 months agoon
The field of database administration is far from glamorous. Even within the uncompromisingly geeky domain of information technology, database administration would be among the last fields picked for a game of proverbial kickball.
However, the future employment landscape for tech jobs remains uncertain in these changing times. Despite its somewhat unglamorous reputation, database management and administration is an industry experiencing rapid growth, persistent talent shortages, and significant changes brought by AI. This field has much potential for those willing to cash in on its viable career path.
These watershed moments invariably present significant opportunities as well as challenges. Percona, an open-source database software, support, and services firm, optimizes how databases and applications run. Dave Stokes, a technology evangelist and database veteran at the company, is passionate about helping today’s aspiring database administrators (DBAs) find their way.
Stokes has decades of experience in the DBA field. He often speaks on a wide range of cutting-edge topics regarding database operations. With his finger on the IT pulse, he offers the knowledge and expertise needed to mentor effectively.
Reshaping the Business World’s Database Needs
Perusing any industry report on the role of DBA in 2024 confirms that emerging trends and data solutions make for an ever-changing IT landscape. Today’s data environment generates more than two quintillion bytes of data per day.
Demands for higher-quality data and real-time results push various database platforms to their limits. As a result, DBAs require increasingly sophisticated skill diversification.
Artificial intelligence is only one factor. Other challenges include managing on-premises operations and handling cloud migration and security. Evolution, adaptation, and innovation define DBA’s morphing trends.
Open-source databases are now more popular than their commercial counterparts. More organizations are dependent on PostgreSQL and MySQL, according to Stokes.
“This standardization on the choice of databases provides DBAs with more employment opportunities and gives employers a vast talent pool from which to fish,” he said.
Insider’s View of the World of Database Administration
We spoke with Stokes extensively about his view of the state of database management. He observed that the traditional DBA is virtually nonexistent “in the wild” today.
Dave Stokes
Percona Tech Evangelist
A significant portion of conventional work has been moved to site reliability engineers or cloud providers’ services. As databases have mushroomed in size and scope, some functions, such as query optimization, have been ignored.
“Much of what was handled by a DBA is now compensated for by purchasing ever larger cloud chunks,” Stokes told TechNewsWorld. “Institutional knowledge about an organization’s data was abandoned when the DBA role was supplanted.”
Until that impact escalates, trying to figure out how some data is structured and how it impacts ongoing operations is a tertiary consideration, he observed.
But there is good news about where DBA is headed. Some data workers are interested in the functions performed by a DBA, even if they do not have that title.
“Query tuning, defining data structures, server optimization, and administration of the instance itself have value,” he said.
Demystifying DBA Dilemmas: Q&A
Dave Stokes shared more insights on the latest trends, technologies, and challenges in the field of database administration. From the impact of cutting-edge technologies to the evolving role of DBAs, Stokes offered valuable perspectives on navigating the complex landscape of database management.
TechNewsWord: What cutting-edge database technology is impacting this field?
Dave Stokes: Vector data for machine learning will consume unprecedented amounts of disk space, processor cycles, and administrative time. Moving a copy of a model to another location for training will incur expensive transfer fees, require monitoring, and take up even more disk space.
JSON is the data interchange of choice for most. Storing data in a JSON format is not as efficient as storing it in traditional data types. Extracting some JSON values and storing them as a traditional data type can speed processing but add complexity.
Replicated data over several data centers is very common. Managing that data, spread out over a continent or globe, is tricky.
How are changing business and industry trends affecting database administration?
Stokes: The ability to add more processing power or disk space by clicking a checkbox on a webpage and paying for it with a credit card has revolutionized data administration. There is no more worrying about getting approval for a capital expenditure, capacity planning, or sweating the optimizations needed.
Lead time for expansion is now nonexistent. When a company may have had a dozen databases at the beginning of this century, they now can have tens of thousands of them.
Need to expand into AI? Then load billions of records into a cloud account and worry about the quality and quantity later. And as data lakes creep into data oceans, the data still needs to be managed, backed up, and monitored.
How will automation and AI impact changes in DBA?
Stokes: AI is needed in the database itself. However, general AI adoption by an organization means more disk space, processor cores, data migrations, and backups.
An optimizer that can spot data usage patterns and recognize the need to cache specific data or autotune buffer usage would be a big plus. Smarter query optimizations and user usage patterns could shift server capacities to accommodate data needs.
How is the shift in DBA from on-site to the cloud impacting business, or is it vice-versa?
Stokes: Those who could move their data to the cloud have found a big benefit in many cases. Scaling is now a function of using a credit card. Backups, server failovers, and software upgrades are handled by the cloud vendor.
For many, the need for an in-house DBA has been replaced by a dependency on their cloud provider. Some have found the cloud too expensive and have returned to on-premises operations. In these cases, they need to have staff to handle the traditional work of a DBA.
What role is cloud migration now playing in the cost and efficiency of DB operations?
Stokes: Costs are steadily increasing. Businesses used to be reluctant to spend money on capital expenditures, and upgrading servers was a complicated process, often taking months.
In the cloud, upgrades are an operational budget expense done on a credit card almost instantaneously. Why optimize data or a server when itemizing a bill is easier and faster?
Why is DBA still a relevant job in 2024?
Stokes: Although the title may not say DBA, someone will always be needed to monitor, tune, optimize, and guide database instances. These may be seen as hygiene factors, but the reliability of the data requires them.
How can young professionals find success in this industry?
Stokes: Learn Structured Query Language (SQL). There is a reason why it is the only computer language that survived from the 1970s. It matches business logic exceptionally well and is designed to deliver the information requested in a way it can be used.
Data normalization is also critical. Poorly defined data structures are slow and become challenging to manage over time.
Lastly, communication is key. The ability to express why a change to a table that seems simple to a requester can shut down a petabyte of information for hours can save an organization from disaster.
Where do you see DBA and its needs headed?
Stokes: Better data backup and faster data restoration are always needed. Much attention is paid to the time and financial costs of recovering data, and there will be a push to reduce these costs.
Security enhancements will be pursued. It is still too easy to have a minor slip-up, either in the cloud or on-premises, that leads to finding your data on the front page of a newspaper.
DBAs will need better tools to handle the explosive growth in the scope and scale of the instances they manage.
Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack.
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Business
ChatGPT: Here’s All You Need to Know About the AI Chatbot
Published
2 months agoon
September 30, 2024
The internet is abuzz with the hype around ChatGPT, one of the most recent advancements in technology. With the ChatGPT AI innovation gaining approximately one million users in just a few months from its launch in November 2022, it seems that its market is geared up to expand at an even faster rate.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT (Generated Pre-trained Transformer) is an AI-based chatbot system that uses NLP (Natural Language Processing) to generate conversations. It was developed by San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company OpenAI.
ChatGPT, a Large Language Model (LLM), has a remarkable ability to interact in a conversational dialogue form. It is trained to follow instructions in a prompt and provide a detailed response. The system’s dialogue format makes it possible to answer follow-up questions (if any), challenge incorrect premises, admit mistakes, and reject inappropriate requests.
ChatGPT is trained using Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), using the same method as InstructGPT, a sibling model of ChatGPT, but with minute differences in the data collection setup.
An initial model was trained using supervised fine-tuning: human artificial intelligence trainers provided conversations wherein they played both sides – as an AI assistant and as the user. The trainers were given access to model-written suggestions to help them in composing their responses. Then, this new dialogue dataset was mixed with the InstructGPT dataset, which was then transformed into a dialogue format.
What can you do with ChatGPT?
Aside from responding to human queries, ChatGPT can also be used to do the following:
1. Create Content
ChatGPT can be used for brainstorming content ideas on specific topics or keywords and creating content. It can quickly write content based on a prompt. This includes topic outlines, blog articles, social media captions, and anything content related.
2. Generate AI Art
Since the introduction of artistic AI tools like DALLE-2 and Midjourney, AI art generators are being leveraged for creating creative images. An AI Art Generator is a system capable of creating videos, images, or music based on a given text prompt. The system is then trained using various image-text pairs.
Moving ahead, ChatGPT has great potential to produce detailed AR (Augmented Reality) scenarios when prompted.
3. Write code and debug
ChatGPT can process and write codes and help the developers debug codes. For example, it can be used for generating SQL queries. As it is important for data scientists to be well-versed in SQL, they can use ChatGPT to enhance their SQL skills.
4. Manage and manipulate data
Usually, it is challenging to sort, manage, and organize unstructured data, making it redundant. ChatGPT can be helpful here. It can convert unstructured data into a structured format by manipulating the data.
For example, ChatGPT can add data to a table, make indexes, and understand JSON queries.
5. Explain and tutor
You would be surprised to see how well ChatGPT can explain code, words, and any other topics. As ChatGPT’s AI tutor capabilities develop and become refined, it could dramatically alter the way students would use the tool for academic purposes.
5 ways SEO professionals can use ChatGPT
We’ve outlined a few of the many ways SEO professionals can leverage their work using ChatGPT:
1. Keyword research and analysis
Practically, ChatGPT makes keyword research effortless. All you need to do is open the chatbot, type a few of your target keywords and ask for the related ones. ChatGPT will prepare a list of related keywords based on its understanding of the search results.
SEO professionals can also use it to determine the competition for various keywords.
2. Content strategy development
You can ask the ChatGPT tool to outline a content marketing strategy. While it does not give granular plans (though you can probably ask for the same), it does provide a high-level set of tactics for the content related to a specific field.
A concerning factor while employing a chatbot-created content strategy is that your close competitors may be doing the same thing. For example, companies in the AI domain may be creating nearly identical blogs about common topics like “the advantages of AI”, “how can AI SAAS companies improve efficiency”, etc. – which means that the risk of duplication is not impossible.
3. A better understanding of search intent
This is one of the most interesting SEO-related potentials of ChatGPT – its ability to understand the search query properly and look beyond the words to the intent of a specific search.
Google also tries to do this and has dramatically improved over the lifespan of the search engine, but to quote a tweet by Kieran Flanagan, “Google takes your query and attempts to answer it. ChatGPT takes your query and will often improve upon it.”
Moreover, ChatGPT’s learning ability will allow it to develop a greater understanding of every search’s intent, sometimes even providing the information the searcher wasn’t even aware that they were looking for.
And as most SEO professionals are aware, shaping content to answer a question in a better way will shoot up the rankings. ChatGPT can help you do that.
4. Composing and managing analytics reports
Providing data and preparing reports and spreadsheets are important for marketers and companies to prove that their efforts are making a difference. However, sometimes such tasks can get overwhelming. ChatGPT can be a real game-changer in cases like this. Moreover, its functionality can help you identify new ranking opportunities that might get missed out.
Let’s suppose you want to compose regular expressions (regex) for analytics reports such as Google Search Console or Google Analytics, but you do not have a strong programming and technical background. This can be difficult when done manually. This is where ChatGPT enters: it can do the job for you.
For example, you want to filter a report using specific words to identify opportunities to broaden your ‘how-tos’ or ‘what is’. All you need to do is go to ChatGPT and enter the correct prompt:
“Compose regular expression which starts with “How To” or “What is” case insensitive using RE2 syntax” and it will get the job done instantly.
ChatGPT allows anyone to use the chatbot to generate a list automatically.
5. Composing complex spreadsheet formulas
People often struggle with Excel and Google Sheets as they find it difficult to compose spreadsheet formulas. You need time to find the exact function name you need and then spend time figuring out how to make it work.
ChatGPT can save you from the headache of parsing data and writing formulas. You can simply enter a command like:
“Google Sheet formula which copies all rows from sheet1 where column “A” contains the word “iPhone” and voila, it will give you the solution.
READ: SEO 101: A Beginners’ Guide to Understanding SEO
Will Language Models replace Google Search?
In 2017, Google itself created an AI chatbot called LaMDA. The performance of this chatbot was so close to a human conversation that a Google engineer claimed that LaMDA was sentient.
Given how these LLMs can answer most questions, is it far-fetched that the technical giants will replace traditional search with an AI chatbot in the future?
Well, technology still has a long way to go.
Currently, the users are required to confirm the information from authentic sources before they trust the ChatGPT replies. And, verifying ChatGPT answer’s accuracy takes effort because unlike Google, it uses text without any citations or links.
Moreover, the current implementation of ChatGPT seems to be a tool that will need the purchase of credits to before it can be used.
Nonetheless, it is fair to envision a hybrid (search and chatbot) future for search. As ChatGPT is making progress, Google is also building LLMs of its own and using artificial intelligence extensively in search algorithms.
Is ChatGPT free to use?
Currently, during its “research preview” phase, ChatGPT is free to use. The chatbot is open for all users to try out and provide feedback on the accuracy of the responses.
The road ahead
While generative AI proves to be a game-changer in numerous tasks and areas, there is a strong need to govern these new innovations as well as their impact on society and the economy.
The discussions between controlled and centralized adoption with firm ethical boundaries on one hand vs. faster innovation and decentralised distribution, on the other hand, will be essential for the generative AI community in the coming years.
This task is not only reserved for private companies. It is equally important for the policymakers and the civil societies to weigh in on, including disruption of labour markets, licensing, legitimacy of scraped data, copyright, and the potential for either biased or otherwise harmful content, misinformation, and so on.
Only when solid checks and balances are in place, more thoughtful and beneficial expansion of generative AI products and technologies can be achieved.
You could say 2024 is the year of Artificial Intelligence (AI). With almost every industry leveraging the power of AI, one name is chanted more than others – Chat GPT.
GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest language model, is making waves in the world of artificial intelligence. It’s more advanced than its predecessor, GPT-3.5, and you can access it through a subscription to ChatGPT Plus.
The web is bombarded with discussions and information on GPT-4 prompts and how they can help evolve careers and industries.
Read on to understand the GPT-4 features and learn why it is a game changer.
Evolution from GPT-3.5 to GPT-4
Moving from GPT-3.5 to GPT-4 represents a big leap in advanced language models. GPT-3.5, released in 2022, stuck to the same parameters as its predecessor but stood out by following guidelines based on human values, using Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF).
Now, GPT-4 by OpenAI takes the spotlight, showcasing extraordinary abilities in understanding and generating text from both prompts and visuals.
Unlike earlier versions, GPT-4 uses dual-stream transformers, handling visual and text info at the same time. This upgraded setup makes GPT-4 great at making sense of documents with images and diagrams.
Although specifics about GPT-4’s training data are not fully disclosed, its knack for contextual text from visuals suggests a diverse knowledge base, marking a significant evolution in language models.
READ: ChatGPT: Here’s All You Need to Know About the AI Chatbot
The Incredible GPT-4 Features
1.Multimodal Capabilities
This is one of the most essential GPT-4 features as it allows it to understand and respond to both text and image inputs. This means it can interpret various types of images and texts, including mixed documents, hand-drawn sketches, and screenshots.
This new capability expands GPT-4’s usefulness across a wide range of tasks, making it a versatile tool for understanding and generating content from both text and images. Whether it’s creating responses based on written prompts or interpreting visual information, GPT-4’s enhanced capabilities open exciting possibilities for applications in various domains.
2.Better Steerability
Users can now enjoy next-level customization with improved steerability. Now, users can guide the AI’s style and tasks using specific ‘system’ messages. This means you can tell GPT-4 how to behave, tailoring your interaction for a more personalized experience. Whether you want a formal tone, a specific focus, or a particular task, GPT-4 adapts based on your instructions, making it a versatile tool for various needs.
3.Advanced Creativity
GPT-4 exhibits enhanced creativity owing to its superior language capabilities, surpassing its predecessors in generating imaginative content. This heightened creativity opens up possibilities for applications in various domains that demand adept creative writing skills.
This GPT-4 feature helps in crafting content for specific use cases, including:
- Screenplay Writing: The model can generate engaging and imaginative dialogue, plotlines, and scenes.
- Blog Post Creation: GPT-4’s advanced language understanding allows it to produce compelling and well-structured blog posts on diverse topics. It can adapt its writing style to suit the tone and theme of the desired content.
- Essay Writing: With its nuanced grasp of language nuances and contextual understanding, GPT-4 can proficiently compose essays that adhere to specific guidelines.
4.Code Generation
GPT-4 revolutionizes code generation, surpassing its predecessors with critical enhancements. Its multimodal capabilities enable understanding of both text and image prompts, translating visual ideas into precise code.
Notably, GPT-4 exhibits context-awareness by aligning code output with specified layouts. Creative problem-solving is evident as it transforms jokes within code, showcasing versatility. These advancements position GPT-4 as a powerful and versatile tool for code generation, offering improved accuracy in addressing various coding challenges.
5.Problem Solving
GPT-4 is a great problem solver in conversations. It can understand complex questions and provide helpful solutions. For instance, it can assist users in troubleshooting issues, answer inquiries effectively, or even offer creative suggestions.
The model isn’t limited to known problems; it’s good at adapting and generating solutions for new challenges. In practical terms, if a user asks for advice on fixing a technical issue or needs creative ideas for a project, GPT-4 can provide relevant and thoughtful solutions, showcasing its versatile problem-solving abilities within the context of a chatbot.
The Power of GPT-4 Prompts
GPT-4 has the potential to transform content creation and marketing significantly. With a growing number of marketers leveraging AI-generated content, the impact could be substantial.
GPT-4 prompts, serving as inputs for the AI model, can elevate marketing campaigns by delivering pertinent, personalized, and instantly available content. This not only boosts customer engagement but also helps brands distinguish themselves.
The standout features of GPT-4, including unprecedented accuracy and nuanced understanding, driven by sophisticated AI-generated prompts, signal a new era in AI interaction. This expansion of possibilities holds promise for businesses, developers, and users, shaping the future landscape.
READ: How Ai Can Help You Start a Business On A Budget
Effective GPT-4 Prompting Tips:
1.Set Clear Goals:
Define specific objectives for each prompt, such as boosting traffic, enhancing engagement, or gathering feedback.
2.Understand Your Audience:
Research your audience’s interests, pain points, and preferences to create prompts that resonate with them.
3.Diversify Formats:
Mix up prompt styles with open-ended questions, fill-in-the-blanks, polls, quizzes, etc., for variety and engagement.
4.Provide Value:
Ensure prompts offer meaningful insights, tips, or thought-provoking questions, avoiding superficial content.
5.Align Voice:
Maintain consistency by ensuring prompts match your brand’s personality and tone.
6.Optimize for Platforms:
Tailor prompt lengths to fit the unique styles and audiences —shorter for social media and longer for blogs.
7.Monitor Performance:
Regularly track engagement metrics like click-through rates and shares. Analyse data to refine prompts and content strategies based on performance insights, continuously improving engagement and results.
Here’s an example of a prompt you might use for generating content for an SEO blog:
Generate a blog post about SEO trends in 2024. Highlight key strategies and best practices for improving online visibility. Include info on emerging technologies, search engine algorithm changes, and practical tips for optimizing website content. Make the content informative, engaging, and focused on helping businesses navigate the evolving SEO landscape in the coming year.
READ: Step-by-Step Guide: Using ChatGPT to Build a WordPress Website and Create Content
To conclude, GPT-4 emerges as a game-changer in the landscape of advanced language models, evolving from its predecessor, GPT-3.5, with significant enhancements. The power of GPT-4 prompts elevates content creation and marketing, offering personalized and relevant outputs.
One should only look towards exploring it further for innovative applications and solutions. GPT-4’s ability to understand both text and images, its creative problem-solving skills, and its personalized steerability make it a versatile tool for a wide range of tasks.
By exploring and adopting GPT-4, industries can harness its cutting-edge features to enhance efficiency, creativity, and adaptability, paving the way for new and ground-breaking applications across diverse domains.
In case you have any doubts, queries or feedback for this article, please share them in the comments section below.
Business
ICANN Reserves ‘.internal’ Domain for Private Use—Here’s Why
Published
2 months agoon
September 30, 2024
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) recently agreed to reserve the new Top-Level Domain (TLD)— ‘.internal’—for private use.
The domain registration body has been on a hunt to find an IPv4 private address block like 10.0.0.0/8 equivalent for Domain Name System (DNS) for some time, and their search ended with ‘.internal’ TLD. By using a TLD for private use, ICANN aims to clearly separate internal domains from public ones, making it easier to manage private DNS without affecting the public internet.
Here are more details on the ICANN move.
Why Did ICANN Agree to ‘.internal’ Domain Extension for Private Use?
In January 2024, ICANN released a statement announcing that it would be moving ahead with ‘.internal’ TLD taking on the same role as the 192.168.x.x IPv4 block in DNS.
The need for a top-level domain for private use arrived after ICANN and Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) realized that private network operators may want to use their own domain name for internal use without making them accessible on public DNS.
While many organizations have been using IANA designated special blocks of IP addresses (like 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16) for internal communication, ICANN and IANA realized it’s time to choose an IP address equivalent for DNS.
The ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) recommended that ICANN reserve a top-level DNS label specifically for private use, ensuring it does not interfere with domains in the global DNS root zone. ICANN and IANA evaluated many TLDs, and in January, IANA came up with ‘.internal’ as the TLD for private use at the DNS level. A few days ago, ICANN accepted IANA’s proposal of reserving ‘.internal’ TLD for private use.
Here are some issues that ICANN aims to tackle with the proposal of the ‘.internal’ TLD:
Preventing Conflicts
ICANN aims to keep your internal network safe and separate from the public internet by reserving `.internal` for private use, ensuring you don’t run into conflicts or confusion with public websites. Moreover, your internal network stays secure and organized, without overlapping with global domains.
Clarity for Internal Applications
The `.internal` domain works like private IP addresses (like 192.168.0.0) used in home or office networks. Just as those IP addresses are kept private and don’t show up on the public internet, the `.internal` domain is set aside for private use. Thus, making it easier for you to divide applications and resources, leading to less confusion.
Avoiding Ad Hoc TLD Creation
Some companies were reported to be making up their own domain names for internal use, which sometimes caused problems and confusion. By officially ‘.internal’, ICANN aims to offer a standardized domain extension for internal use. This way, everyone can use the same domain name for their private networks.
Support from Major Players
Companies like Google have been using ‘.internal’ for their internal networks for years. This widespread use showed the need for an official and conflict-free domain for private networks. By formalizing ‘.internal’, ICANN plans to make managing internal networks easier and improve the stability and security of the global DNS.
How Will This Decision Impact Website Owners and Users?
Website Owners
For website owners, the ‘.internal’ domain offers a way to manage their internal communications securely and separately from public websites. For example, a corporation might use this domain for internal resources like employee directories or confidential project documents. This ensures that sensitive information remains protected and is accessible only to authorized personnel.
This can impact:
- Compliance Costs: New regulations may require website owners to invest in compliance measures, such as updating privacy policies or implementing new security features.
- Traffic and Engagement: Changes in search engine algorithms or social media policies can affect how easily users find and engage with websites. For instance, an algorithm update might prioritize certain types of content over others.
So, once ICANN’s proposal is implemented, website owners will soon be able to use a ‘.internal’ domain name for their internal networks and private communications.
Do consider DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
To avoid encountering a DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error with the new ‘.internal’ domain, website owners should:
- Configure Internal DNS: Ensure that your internal DNS servers are correctly set up to handle ‘.internal’ domain
- Access Domains Internally: Use the ‘.internal’ domain exclusively within your private network. Attempting to access these domains from outside your network will lead to resolution errors since they are not meant for public use.
- Update DNS Settings: After implementing the ‘.internal’ TLD, check and update your DNS settings to ensure that internal domains are properly routed and recognized within your network.
- Confirm Domain Setup: Verify that the ‘.internal’ domain has been correctly integrated into your internal DNS system. Ensure all relevant DNS records are in place to avoid resolution issues.
For more information, check out our guide about How to Fix the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN Error.
Internet Users
For internet users, the implementation of the ‘.internal’ TLD means they won’t be able to access business-related information, as it will be reserved for private use only. It’s similar to trying to access a company’s internal portal or intranet from outside the organization; only employees with the right credentials can view this information. This setup helps keep internal communications and data secure and confined to authorized users.
This can impact:
- Access to Information: Changes in regulations or policies can affect how easily users can access information online. For example, stricter data privacy laws might limit the availability of certain types of data.
- User Experience: Decisions related to website design standards, accessibility, and performance can enhance or degrade the user experience. Improved standards can lead to faster, more user-friendly websites.
Conclusion
ICANN’s acceptance of ‘.internal’ TLD for private use influences users by limiting their access to information, security, and content availability. For website owners, on the other hand, these decisions affect compliance costs, changes in traffic and engagement and new technical requirements, such as domain registration. Understanding these potential impacts is crucial for navigating the evolving digital landscape and ensuring a balanced approach that benefits all stakeholders.
Still have questions? Drop in a comment below!
Business
5 Things To Look For When Choosing An SEO Friendly Theme
Published
2 months agoon
September 30, 2024
Your website theme plays a crucial role in the overall performance of your website. The choice of theme can vary depending on the website of type and design. One of the most important things to consider is the SEO friendliness of the theme. A theme that is SEO friendly can help boost your search engine rankings and improve website traffic.
Although there might be several themes under the category ‘SEO friendly’, however, it can be a daunting task to figure out which theme is best suited for your website.
To simplify your task we’ve listed down the 5 key features that you should consider when choosing an SEO friendly WordPress theme for your website.
1. Speed
Your website loading speed is of utmost importance, if your website loading speed is slow then it could invariably impact your website traffic. Apart from your web hosting, the theme of your website plays a critical role in determining the success of your website.
A theme that is heavy with innumerable elements can slow down your website, which in turn can affect the overall SEO and page ranking.
When choosing an SEO friendly theme check out the size of the theme, and the elements that are installed. An optimised theme with minimal page load speed can help boost your website’s ranking.
2. Responsiveness
Aside from desktops several users these days access the web over their mobile phones, tablets, portable laptops and other hand-held devices. To provide a seamless experience to your customers irrespective of the medium of viewing your website, it is important that your website is responsive.
A responsive website typically means that the layout of your website is automatically adjusted based on the device it is used. A non-responsive website can hamper the performance of your website. To avoid this, it is important that your website code is written in accordance with being responsive.
A simple solution to having a responsive and mobile-first website design is by choosing the right theme. Most themes these days are built in a way that they are responsive. Moreover, several SEO friendly themes are both responsive and mobile-first design-friendly. A responsive theme eventually helps in improving your website page ranking and SEO on the search engines.
3. Plugins compatibility
Plugins are an essential part of any website, not only do they add functionality to your website but also reduce your coding efforts. Although installing too many plugins can slow down your website speed, it is important to install plugins like Yoast SEO, contact form plugins etc.
Prior to selecting a theme make sure that it supports popular plugins. Mostly, all popular themes support plugins, it is always better to check beforehand. If it isn’t mentioned in the documentation, you can check reviews or get in touch with the developers directly.
4. Browser compatibility
Aside from being compatible on various devices, your website should also be compatible when viewing them on different browsers. If a particular browser doesn’t support your website theme’s code then it might not load properly and the design may appear skewed.
This may happen even if your website theme is responsive and has a mobile-first design. If your theme isn’t cross-browser compatible then it will invariably affect the website traffic as users may abandon your website soon after it loads, this will eventually impact the SEO of your website.
To ensure this doesn’t happen it is crucial to check the theme on popular browsers like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, and more.
5. Support
If you make a mistake in your theme’s code it may lead to a messed up theme on the front-end which could affect the website’s performance. If you’ve chosen a free version of a theme there is no guarantee that support will be offered. However, this is not a deterrent as most theme providers offer plenty of documentation on their website and even support via chat/email.
When choosing a theme whether free or premium make sure that there is customer support available to help you if at all things go wrong.
The Choice
Although there are several SEO friendly themes available in the themes marketplace, make sure that the theme you choose matches the niche of your website, and is SEO friendly. Also, make sure that the theme satisfies the above five-point criteria.
After all, an optimised SEO friendly website is the first step to being a successful website.
In case of any questions or suggestions, please feel free to drop a comment below. Also, check out more articles that can help you navigate the digital world as a Beginner!
WordPress is the simplest and the best platform to create a beautiful site with properly laid out pages. It can be set up in a few clicks and without any coding know-how.
Thousands of WordPress themes are available. Some of which are suited for small businesses, while others have a generic appeal. There are themes to create a blog, host a portfolio of artwork. Premium themes are also available if you want to spend more on the website.
It is easy to get lost in the overwhelming choices of available WordPress themes if you are unsure about the purpose. However, when you choose a theme, ensure that it supports any WordPress plugin that you may install.
Multi-purpose WordPress themes are flexible templates that can be used to create any kind of website. The popular themes include a range of features that will upgrade the website from a normal blog to a publishing site.
Moreover, if you want to create a fully functioning online shop or list a few items for sale on the website, most WordPress themes come with good e-commerce capabilities. Here are the 5 best themes.
1# Hestia
Small business owners, start-ups, and firms need a theme that’s packed with functionalities. This theme scores well here, and it is popular because users don’t have to pay for it. Installation is simple and can be done quickly; precisely, this theme comes with the following features:
- Slick material design
- All done within the customizer
- Page builder compatibility
- Starter sites included
- Uncompromised speed
Moreover, this multi-purpose one-page design comes with an easy to edit background. The blogs and news sections are in the Footer. The theme works well with Flat Parallax Slider, Travel Map, Photo Gallery, and the Elementor Page Builder. It is a responsive, WPML, Retina ready and SEO-friendly theme that opens appropriately on any device. WooCommerce integration makes the website ready for online business. You can post listings quickly for the customers.
2# Astra
It is another hugely popular and blazing fast WordPress theme that supports all kinds of websites. Use the theme to create a blog, a business website, an online store, and the site will look great. Some key benefits of using this theme.
- Pre-Built Websites. It significantly reduces the design time using pixel perfect ready to use website demos from the template library.
- No Coding Required. Change the design through a wide range of options in the WordPress customizer.
- Build Pages with Freedom. The theme comes with the ability to turn off the page title and sidebar.
- Super-Fast Performance. It is a lightweight theme and offers unmatched performance. It is meant for speed.
- Easy Customizations. Manage layout, header options, colours and typography, blog & archives.
- It is designed for SEO and helps the site to rank well in various search engines.
Register a domain to get WordPress hosting by BigRock and create a website using this theme.
3# Divi
It is a theme that comes with a “drag-and-drop” page builder. You can use it to design the site by making changes in the front-end editor. Some features of Divi are listed below:
- Drag and Drop Builder. Choose from the library of pre-made layouts and customise the site using drag and drop builder. It even allows you to start from scratch and build a completely custom theme.
- Responsive Editing. The layouts are mobile responsive by nature and give you complete control over how the website looks on mobile devices.
- Many Design Options. With dozens of unique page elements and thousands of design options, the theme gives you complete control over the website.
- Inline Text Editing. Click on the page and start typing, which means editing the page has never been so easy.
- SEO friendly and responsive feature to serve well on any device.
4# X- Theme
The theme comes with a live page builder that allows you to “build in the browser”. It means you can see the changes live.
- Cornerstone Experience. The theme comes in two parts, the Work Area and the Preview Area. It means you can build the site as you see it.
- Live Text Editing. From fonts to formatting and everything in between, the online editors make changing the text easier.
- Supports WooCommerce integration. Use the unique shop designs that offer ultimate selling versatility.
5# Ocean WP
The theme offers several powerful features. It has a companion plug-in and recommends installing a free page builder plugin upon activation. This fastest growing theme is popular amongst hobby users and developers alike. The advantages of using this theme:
- Responsive. Your website looks great on any kind of screen, smartphone or desktop.
- Built-In SEO. This theme has been created with SEO best practices in mind.
- Fastest Page Load Time. The theme achieved the highest grade in most top speed testing tools.
- Translation Ready. The theme supports RTL languages, and you can translate it into the desired language.
- Integration with WooCommerce effortlessly.
How BigRock Helps to Install and Use These WordPress Themes?
- Register a domain name
- Choose a WordPress Hosting plan based on your budget and need
- Install the theme
- Make the customizations for your brand or like
- Write content and post it
Contact BigRock to know more details about the WordPress Hosting plan that suits your budget and needs and bring your thoughts to reality with these multi-purpose WordPress themes.
Also, check out more articles that can help you navigate the digital world as a Beginner!
Business
How Web Hosting Can Impact Your SEO Rankings: Know the Reasons
Published
2 months agoon
September 30, 2024
In this digital era, having a website has become a key aspect of every business. Irrespective of the industry or the size of the business, everyone wants their website to rank on the first page of the search engines. It is understandable that websites that are listed on the second pages of search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc., are likely to receive less traffic. So, in order to be listed higher on the search results, businesses spend a considerable amount of time and money in improving the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of their website.
There are a lot of factors that impact the SEO of a website, and addressing each of them will certainly take time. And for your SEO efforts to yield noticeable results, it’ll take you even longer. However, one of the significant factors that may immediately help your SEO ranking is a fast and smooth operating website. Users today want a website to be fast and reliable, so search engines are obviously not going to show websites that aren’t.
The factor that can positively impact the speed, reliability, security, and other key elements of your website is your web hosting service provider. Let us look at our web hosting provider can impact your website’s SEO ranking.
Here are the key factors that affect the SEO of a website:
Website Speed
No one really likes waiting for a web page to load. In fact, waiting is so loathed across the internet that major search engines such as Google factors a website’s loading speed into its SEO score. Thus, websites that load instantly are given a boost in the search results. Also, if your website takes longer than 2 seconds, your users are likely to bounce off your site hampering your SEO score. However, you can improve your website’s speed by reducing the number of media files or by compressing the images on your site, but nothing can impact its speed as your web hosting.
So, choosing a website hosting service provider that can provide visitors with a speedy experience is vital for your web page ranking. Also, it can be difficult to reach that 2-seconds goal with the standard Shared Web Hosting. It is better to consider Virtual Private Servers or Cloud Hosting as it can help significantly with improving the loading speed of your website. A faster loading site not only delights the users but it’ll also have a significant impact on your SEO ranking.
Website Downtime
The only thing that can be worse than a slow website is that it won’t load at all. Website downtime is usually caused due to hardware failure, an overloaded server, a security breach, or something else. Unfortunately, even if your website is offline for just a few minutes at a time, it can drop your website’s SEO performance. Moreover, Google and other search engines can also flag your website as unreliable. If this downtime lasts for days instead of minutes, Google may de-list your website from the search results altogether. Thus, frequent downtimes flag your site as unreliable and lead to your site’s ranking being downgraded. So, it is better to choose a web hosting provider that is reliable and can ensure uptime.
Database Connection Failure
Suppose you and your visitors are getting a warning message that says Internal Server Error or Database Connection Failed while visiting your website; it could be because your server has been overloaded with traffic. However, this won’t hurt your SEO score as much as your site being fully offline, but it can push your website’s bounce rate way up.
As a short-term solution, you can create a cached copy of your website or popular pages, so you’re your visitors don’t really need to connect to the database stored with your web host.
For a long-term solution, you should consider upgrading your web hosting plan. Database errors often result from the fact that you simply don’t have enough bandwidth to handle all your website traffic. Ask your hosting provider about scaling up to a VPS or Cloud Web Hosting plan if you’re not already using these hosting types.
Security
Apart from your website’s speed and reliability, security is also a crucial factor that impacts your website’s SEO ranking. Google and other search engines typically give preference to websites that are more secure. Google gives an edge to sites with SSL certificates, which is basically an example that shows the extent to which your website security is crucial for your SEO. The security features offered by your hosting provider are critical for the overall security of your website. Thus, you should opt for the best web hosting for SEO, the service providers that have a good track record and provide you with the latest security features.
Tech Support
Irrespective of whether you have an in-house technical support team or not, a 24*7 tech support availability offered by your web hosting service provider is an absolute necessity. If your domain gets hacked or your website is down due to some issues in your account, you will need readily available support from your service provider. A fully dedicated and capable team will provide you the best assistance and will ensure that your website is up and running in no time. A well-functioning site with no glitches will undoubtedly have a positive impact on its SEO performance.
Conclusion
In this competitive business environment, it has become imperative to rank higher on search engines. There are a lot of methods that can boost your website’s SEO performance, but most of these methods take time before having any real impact. Yet, every business needs to do whatever they can to have a positive effect on their overall SEO performance to ensure better rankings and web authority. Having a reliable web hosting service provider can certainly be the first step in the right direction for improving your website’s SEO score.
If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Also, head to our Hosting category on the blog to know more and stay updated.
Many people have heard of reseller hosting, but they might not know what it actually entails. It is the process of taking a company’s web hosting service and then selling that same service to other companies.
The idea behind reseller hosting is that if you are able to offer a better product at a lower price than your competitors, you will be able to grow your business more quickly. In this post, we’re going to cover some key tips for how you can make money with reseller hosting but before that, let’s take a quick look at what reseller hosting is and how reseller hosting works.
What is reseller hosting?
Reseller hosting is a type of web hosting service where the reseller (be it an individual or a company) purchases a larger hosting block with larger disk space & bandwidth and rents it to its customers.
Depending upon the number of existing/potential customers and their requirements, the reseller needs to decide how many resources to buy from the parent company. Based on this, the reseller can then create multiple packages and sell them to its customers.
How does reseller hosting work?
Most Reseller Hosting service packages operate on a wholesale basis, allowing resellers to purchase hosting services at a discounted rate and then resell them under their own brand to their clients. Depending on the web host, the reseller might be charged a flat monthly fee plus service fees, or they might operate on a pay-as-you-go model.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how reseller hosting works:
- Choose a web hosting provider: Select and sign up with a reliable web hosting provider.
- Set up a reseller account: Establish a reseller account to access wholesale prices.
- Customize hosting packages: Tailor your hosting packages to meet the needs of your clients.
- Brand your services: Add your own branding to the hosting packages.
- Sell hosting services: Resell web hosting services at a markup to your clients.
This model can be highly profitable for companies with substantial computing resources. While they can sell web hosting packages directly, reselling allows them to reach a larger customer base.
For end users, the best reseller hosting plans offer reliable hosting services, especially when resellers use well-known providers, along with additional services or solutions from a trusted source.
ALSO READ- What Is Reseller Hosting? A Beginner’s Guide
Tips for how to make money with reseller hosting
Finding the perfect niche
As a reseller web hosting business, you’ll be competing with thousands of other players in the market, including the big boys. To enter successfully into this business and sustain consistent growth, you must understand the market situation beforehand and launch a product/service that people need or will look forward to. Instead of catering to the masses, it is better to be specific in your offerings. Pick a niche where you can serve better than your potential competitors.
In order to determine where to start, you should check the search volume, competition (in terms of both SEO and PPC), price range, CPC, and similar metrics. If you’re already serving clients in a particular vertical, then it is easier for you to take action.
Position yourself in the market
Once you have found your niche, you need to identify what they want from a web hosting provider. To understand the needs of your target audience, you should examine the existing providers already operating in your chosen niche. Wherever possible, try identifying at least five competitors who are targeting your future potential customers. You can then examine the products & services they are offering and their price points.
These will be your direct competitors. In order to stand out from the crowd, you can either offer a hosting solution that is more budget-friendly or present yourself as a premium option. Of course, the latter option will involve offering unique features, more resources, or a higher standard of customer service.
Additionally, you should also gauge your direct competitors’ size and the resources available to them. It is quite possible that established hosting providers may already be targeting your chosen niche. In this scenario, you may choose to further refine your target audience.
Choose the right hosting provider
As a reseller of web hosting, your services are completely dictated by your web hosting provider. Choose the right hosting service provider for your business that can give you a strong start.
For the best results, you should look for a hosting provider that closely matches the resources and features your existing/potential customers need. Also, it’s not enough just to look for hosting providers offering the latest features or uncapped resources such as memory, bandwidth, disk space, or data transfer speed, but you must also pay attention to choosing the hosting provider that will help your online business flourish.
Additionally, make sure to look for 99.99% uptime. If your hosting provider’s servers face downtime, it will certainly take all of your customers’ websites down with it and it’ll be very difficult for them to get much traffic as their visitors won’t be able to access it only. Thus, opt for a hosting provider that offers an uptime guarantee.
Create a strong brand
There are certain misconceptions surrounding web hosting resellers. Some customers feel they can get a better experience and offer by cutting out the middleman and purchasing directly from your hosting provider. And some may believe that reseller hosting is more expensive, as both the provider & the reseller have to earn a profit at their end. Therefore, it is important for your branding to reflect your chosen niche and communicate what makes you unique. By creating a consistent message that runs through all the platforms such as social media, website, emails, etc, you can clearly communicate who you are targeting and what you have to offer.
Having a clear & consistent brand message now will make it easier for you to market your business in the future. Strong branding also helps obscure your identity as a hosting reseller.
Promotion
Once you’ve set up your web hosting reseller business, the next step will be capturing leads and closing the maximum sales.
Depending upon your budget, skills, and experience, you can decide which marketing channel(s) will be a suitable choice for you. SEO, email, social media, and SMS marketing are useful media channels to deliver your marketing message to potential customers. Moreover, with some marketing budget, you can also try PPC or other advertising available options to generate quick business.
Finally, WOM (Word of mouth marketing) and affiliate marketing are the best way to drive referrals to your web hosting reseller business.
Excel at customer support
As a reseller hosting provider, your customer support has the potential to make or break your business. Provide them with a high level of customer support; this will help you stand out from your direct competitors.
Happy customers can certainly be the best way to advertise your business. The best customer experience starts as soon as they land on your website. If they have any questions, then it should be easy for them to get answers. This might involve taking their questions via live chat or making it easy for them to research the answers themselves using self-help resources such as FAQs. Ideally, you should provide multiple ways for your customers to contact your customer support.
However, it is important not to over-promise and under-deliver. It is far better to offer a few customer support options and provide excellent customer service across these limited options than to offer inconsistent support across all channels.
Plan for future expansion
Targeting a niche audience can reduce costs and improve customer experience, but being too specific can limit future growth opportunities. Even if you’ve chosen your niche, consider future expansion before fully committing. One approach is to transition into new niches as your business grows, potentially expanding into related industries or geographical areas. Diversifying product lines or services can also help in reaching broader markets. Additionally, investing in scalable infrastructure and technology will facilitate seamless growth. Building strategic partnerships and alliances can open new avenues for expansion, ensuring your business remains adaptable and competitive in the dynamic market landscape.
Create tailored web hosting packages
Once you’ve selected your niche, developing custom, unique, and personalized web hosting packages tailored to your niche clients is an effective way to grow your business and increase revenue.
With Reseller Hosting, you can adjust hosting plans and provide customized services using tools like Web Host Manager (WHM). This allows you to sell packages that best meet your audience’s needs and preferences. Additionally, this approach helps generate positive word-of-mouth, attracting more clients to your web hosting reseller business.
Develop a marketing strategy
Promoting your web hosting business through a well-crafted marketing strategy is essential for scaling your business.
Leverage various marketing channels, such as social media platforms, email marketing campaigns, advertising banners, and Google Ads, to reach your audience. Identify the platforms most frequented by your target audience and use them to showcase your services, expertise, and experience. Engaging with your audience and addressing their concerns can strengthen your social media presence, boost your brand’s credibility, and turn your business accounts into lead magnets, attracting potential clients.
ALSO READ- Reseller Hosting Vs. VPS Hosting – Know the Difference
How to start your reseller hosting business
1. Find a dependable hosting company
Research web hosting providers to find one that meets your needs. Check customer reviews and the expertise of their support team for reliability. BigRock is a strong option, offering affordable reseller hosting with robust support and comprehensive features. They provide user-friendly tools like cPanel and WHMCS for efficient management and scalable plans to grow with your business. With 24/7 technical support and a solid reputation, BigRock lets you confidently build and expand your hosting business under a trusted brand.
2. Acquire reseller hosting packages
Evaluate the available reseller packages, comparing their bandwidth and storage options. Select the package that best fits the requirements of your reseller business.
3. Identify your target audience
Determine your main audience, such as startups, web designers, and web developers. These groups typically seek cost-effective solutions with lower bandwidth and storage needs due to minimal website traffic.
4. Design your custom packages
Once you’ve obtained reseller packages from your hosting provider, create and display your personalized packages for your clients on your website.
5. Set up technical support options
Choose the type of technical support you will provide. Offering 24/7 phone support is highly appreciated by customers but necessitates a larger staff compared to email support. If you do not plan to offer in-house tech support, consider outsourcing to resolve client issues efficiently.
6. Choose a payment processing solution
Examine the costs and features of bank merchant accounts and online payment options. Ensure the service can handle various credit card brands and supports recurring billing for monthly subscriptions.
Is reseller hosting profitable?
Yes, reseller hosting services is a profitable web hosting solution for several reasons:
1. Meeting demand for personalized solutions
There is a growing need for affordable, convenient, and personalized web hosting solutions that small websites and businesses can rely on. As a hosting reseller, you can provide tailored hosting solutions that larger companies with extensive customer bases may struggle to offer, helping you build a credible business over time.
2. Low initial investment
Unlike large hosting companies that require significant investments in infrastructure, as a hosting reseller, you start without the overhead of hardware and infrastructure expenses. This allows you to focus resources on business growth rather than managing physical infrastructure.
3. Remote management capability
Reseller hosting enables you to manage your business from any location, reducing costs associated with office space and physical server maintenance.
4. Efficient management tools: WHMCS, WHM, cPanel
Reseller hosting packages include tools like cPanel for website management and WHMCS for automated billing, streamlining service delivery and customer management.
5. White label service
Sell hosting plans under your brand name, establishing a distinct identity and credibility in the industry.
ENDING NOTE
Turning reseller web hosting into a profitable business is not always easy. However, many people have successfully added web hosting to their offerings and have even launched entire businesses dedicated to reselling web hosting services.
The above tips will help you make money with reseller hosting. Just remember to set clear goals and work towards achieving them.
As said earlier, as a web hosting reseller, the service you provide to your customers is ultimately dictated by your web hosting provider. Contact BigRock to become a reseller hosting partner as your hosting plan will come with an uptime guarantee, performance as the top priority, and 24/7 customer support.
FAQ- Reseller Hosting
How much can I earn from reseller hosting?
The earnings from reseller hosting can vary widely depending on factors like pricing strategy, customer base size, and service quality. Typically, as a reseller, you earn through the margin between the wholesale price you pay for hosting packages and the retail price you charge your customers. Successful resellers can generate significant income by attracting and retaining clients through personalized service, reliable hosting, and effective marketing. Ultimately, your earnings potential is scalable based on how well you manage and grow your hosting business over time.
Do I need technical skills to become a reseller hosting provider?
While having technical skills can be beneficial, they are not strictly necessary to become a reseller hosting provider. Many hosting companies offer user-friendly management tools like cPanel, WHM, and WHMCS, which simplify tasks such as account creation, billing, and customer support. Additionally, reliable hosting providers offer robust technical support to assist with any complex issues. However, having a basic understanding of web hosting concepts and customer service can greatly enhance your ability to manage and grow your reseller hosting business effectively.
How do I choose the right reseller hosting provider?
Choosing the right and best reseller hosting provider doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by looking at reliability and customer support. You want a provider with good reviews and a solid reputation for uptime. Make sure they offer the tools you need, like cPanel, WHM, and WHMCS, for easy management. Compare their pricing and packages to find something that fits your budget. Don’t forget to check their support services—you’ll want quick and helpful assistance when needed. Find a provider that matches your business goals and can grow with you.
What are the challenges that I might face in reseller hosting business?
In a reseller hosting business, you might face several challenges.
- Managing customer expectations can be tough, especially if technical issues arise.
- Ensuring reliable and consistent service is crucial, as downtime can lead to customer dissatisfaction.
- Competition in the hosting market is fierce, requiring effective marketing strategies to attract and retain clients.
- Staying updated with the latest technology and security measures is essential to protect your clients’ data and maintain trust. Balancing these aspects can be demanding but crucial for success.
Business
10 Tips to Stop Your Emails from Being Marked as Spam
Published
2 months agoon
September 30, 2024
First things first, no one wants to be marked as spam!
Whether you run a business in the service industry or retail, email marketing should be at the top of your priority list. Marketing professionals have identified email marketing as a successful lead-generation strategy. Efficiently crafting your message in an email has proven to be a key for developing a noteworthy campaign that will retain customers in the long run.
Although promotional emails may seem like a simple way to increase interest in your business, some emails get marked as spam. Your carefully crafted content might not have the desired effect on your recipients because they might delete the email without even reading it.
When you send an email, you want to make sure it’s being seen and opened the way you intend. If emails end up in Spam or aren’t being opened at all, this can have a huge effect on your conversion rates. In fact, almost 86% of global email traffic is unsolicited junk mail (with approximately 400 billion spam messages sent every single day). So how do you avoid emails being marked as spam? Here are some best practices for avoiding being marked as spam when sending out an email campaign.
Tip 01: Avoid Purchased Email List
As a website owner with amazing products or content, you may want to spread your words to as many people as possible, but your email list is lacking. However, when you purchase a list of email addresses from another site or company and send your message to them without their permission, this is considered spamming. If they don’t know who you are then it’s likely that they will mark the email as spam.
Buying an email list of prospects harms your reputation. Spam traps and dead emails are among the many dangers associated with maintaining a list of email addresses you purchased since mailbox providers typically scorn this practice quickly.
It is necessary to grow your user base naturally (rather than spamming), emailing willing participants and not randomly.
Tip 02: Write Email Content that doesn’t look like Spam
Marketing has its own language, full of overused buzzwords. It may be difficult to avoid using some common expressions when pitching your product or service.
With the rise of technology, spam filters have become more advanced in recognizing the language used in emails. They scan your message for keywords that describe its content and categorize it accordingly.
What does this mean for you? Consider these valuable pointers next time you craft an email campaign:
- AVOID ALL CAPS
- Limit the use of exclamation marks
- Avoid hyperlinks unless they are highly relevant
- Avoid “free,” “bonus,” or “sale” words
- Try to avoid short catchphrases that seem cliché, such as “Act now!”
- Avoid long paragraphs
Tip 03: Include Text Only Version in Emails
You can avoid emails from going to spam by adding a text-only version of your email. This will also help if the recipient can’t read HTML emails.
If you want your images to show up in the email, make sure that you send a text version of them as well. Here are some simple tips that will help protect your images from spam filters:
- Avoid using attachments in emails.
- Make sure your email has valid HTML.
- Avoid image-only emails
- Include two lines of text or an accompanying graphic for each image you use in the email.
Tip 04: Verify Your IP/Domain Reputation
Reputation is incredibly important! Once the spam filters notice something fishy about your IP or domain, your emails will land in the Spam folder. The error message you’ll see at this point references the reputation of your IP or domain.
You can use a number of online tools, such as MxToolBox, MultiRBL, and AntiAbuse to check your domain or IP address against blacklists like Real-time Blackhole List (RBL) and Domain Name System-based Blackhole List (DNSBL).
Tip 05: Choose a reliable email service provider
Email providers are evaluated on the reputation of their clients’ IP addresses and domains. If the provider deals with spammers, they will eventually be blocked and can easily end up in spam folders.
Choose a company with a good track record to host your email. Do not rely on any sales pitches, no matter how enticing they may sound. Only work with companies that have a generally positive reputation in the market.
Tip 06: Choose “from” name or address wisely
When a message is received, the “from” name and email address are displayed for quick identification of where it came from. This will allow people to know who the sender is before they open an email that could be spam or just trash.
Your domain may include multiple email addresses. For instance, if a customer sends in a complaint or requests help via your website; they might get an automated reply from support@yourdomain.com.
Carefully choose what emails are sent from which address. If possible, stick with one that’s been working well with your promotional messages and change it as little as possible.
Try to avoid obscure email choices, such as donotreply@yourdomain.com or 372as2y9@yourdomain.com.
No matter how trustworthy your company may be, it can cause confusion when you frequently switch email senders. For the best customer experience, always use their main contact address in all of your marketing emails.
Tip 07: Use Crisp & Appealing Subject line
The subject line is the first chance you have to grab your reader’s attention; don’t waste it. Keep your subject line as short and crisp as possible. Emails with subject lines between nine and sixty characters are most likely to be opened.
Emails are unpredictable; it can be difficult to know what will happen when you send an email. However, there are a few key points about an email that all professional marketers need to know. The first thing is that 55% of emails are opened on mobile devices–which means an important subject line needs to stay visible and not get cut off by the phone.
Avoid emails being marked as spam by personalizing your subject lines. Personalized subject lines increase website traffic and drive sales, but they also have higher open rates and click-through rates because people tend to be more interested in receiving personalized messages.
If you want to be sure your email is not marked as spam, create a sense of urgency with your subject lines. Make the offer that will expire in just a short time and make it evident in the subject line.
Provide breaking news or stimulate curiosity: these are great subjects which many people would rather read instead of deleting them from their inbox.
Tip 08: Self-test to ensure your email is not spam
When creating an email campaign, it’s important that you subscribe to your own emails. This will ensure your legitimate messages aren’t being marked as spam by the receiver’s settings.
It’s important to assess the effectiveness of your email campaign in order to ensure it is successful. This includes email specials and other large-scale campaigns you have planned for the near future.
If your emails are getting caught by spam filters, you’re losing a high chance of reaching out to new audiences and opportunities with your campaign. Premium services that improve email campaigns can be wasted if all messages get caught in spam filters.
To avoid emails going to spam, you should always self-test and make changes to your settings according to the results.
Tip 09: Get Whitelisted
Another way to ensure your email won’t be ended up in a spam folder is by asking users to add your email address to their whitelist. Avoid sending your email to spam by including a call-to-action in the text or making it prominent somewhere in the body. Though spam may be inevitable, it does not have to be a relentless plea for action. Making the case that if your fans want to continue hearing from you, then whitelist your email will help immensely.
Tip 10: Be Honest and Stay Relevant
Make sure your email’s subject line accurately reflects its content and do not use any misleading words such as “Click here!” or “You must read this!” These phrases will only serve to have the recipient open and delete your email.
One email tactic to avoid is disguising your routing details. For example, faking an address and creating a fraudulent pseudonym creates an unethical practice that could ruin a business’s reputation as a spammer.
Your email content has to be relevant. Even if you are sending emails only once or twice a month, your content could still get flagged as spam if the subscriber doesn’t find it valuable enough.
Let’s say you run an eCommerce website for home furniture. A marketing email that updates your subscribers about their local weather probably would not be useful to them or to your brand.
If you own a restaurant, you can share some strategies that your restaurant uses to manage waste. Sharing the recipe of one of your most popular dishes is also an excellent way to make the email marketing campaigns for your restaurant more impactful.
Try to maintain a consistent communications strategy, like staying on brand or sending messages with discounts and offers. You can also try other strategies such as running contests or conducting giveaways.
Ending Note
As with any other form of digital marketing, handling email campaigns is always a formidable task. But if you take a good look at your current strategy and tactics there are ways to make sure that your emails will never get sent to spam.
When you change your email style and messaging, it will improve the likelihood of coming from spam. It can also help create curiosity in your business that leads to an improved customer base.
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