5 Reasons Website Maintenance and Hosting Plans Keep It Running Smoothly

5 Reasons Website Maintenance and Hosting Plans Keep It Running Smoothly

by | Jun 2, 2022 | Web Design

5 Reasons Website Maintenance and Hosting Plans Keep It Running Smoothly

Web design is an evolving process, with new changes constantly taking place. This often requires updates to existing code. It is important to have a host that is able to manage updates to your website, which also requires website maintenance. Some hosting companies charge for updates and maintenance, which can be quite costly. It is important when owning a website that you have a host that will be able to manage the updates and keep your website secure.

1. What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is a service that allows you to host your website on a remote server and provides you with the ability to manage your site and content. Web hosting can be offered in the form of a shared hosting plan or a dedicated server. A shared hosting plan is where many websites share the same server and is generally cheaper. A dedicated server is where you have your own server with more processing power and storage, but it’s more expensive.

2. What is Website Maintenance?

Website maintenance is a process that involves keeping your website up to date with the latest technology. This process can be done by updating your website’s software, making sure it has the latest security, updating the website’s content, and much more. If you are not sure how to maintain your website, you can hire a web maintenance company or even do it yourself with a little practice. To keep your website running smoothly, you need to keep it properly maintained. Without proper maintenance, your website will experience a slow down in performance, leading to poor user experience.

3. What are some of theHeartWired Hosting and Maintenance (1) benefits of web hosting?

Web hosting is a service that allows websites to be created and hosted online. There are many benefits of web hosting, including the ability to manage multiple websites, run a blog, and having your website be accessible from any device. Web hosting can be used for personal use or business use. The cost of web hosting is not only affordable but also can be paid monthly or yearly. One of the benefits of hosting your website on a web hosting service is that it is easy to manage. When you host your website on a web hosting service, they take care of the hardware and software, which means that you don’t have to worry about any of that. This means that you will save time and money. Another benefit is that you have the ability to use your website anywhere in the world where a connection is available. You can use your website on your phone, laptop, tablet or even your television. You will also be able to use your website from multiple devices at once. You can also use your website from multiple countries. This will make your website accessible for users around the world. You won’t have to worry about having to translate your website.

4. What are the steps to hosting your website?

If you want to host your website, there are a few steps that you will need to take. First, you need to choose a domain name. This is the name that people will type into their address bar to get to your website. You can either buy a domain name or if you have your own, you can use that. Next, you need to find a hosting company. This is where your website will be stored and run from. This company will have servers, bandwidth, and storage space. There are many different hosting companies out there so you can choose one that fits your needs and budget. After choosing a hosting company, you will need to sign up for an account. This is where you will give them access to your website and all its information so they can help you with any technical issues that may arise. Finally, you need to upload your website files on the hosting company’s servers.

5. Why is website maintenance important?

Websites are a huge part of our lives, they are used to access information, make purchases, and to do many other things. Websites require regular maintenance in order to remain functional and without maintenance, a website can become useless. Regular website maintenance is important for a number of reasons. Some of the main reasons are that websites need to be updated to keep up with new technology and trends, websites need to be checked for malware and viruses, and websites need to be checked for broken links. Every website needs to be maintained for the site to be successful. If you don’t keep your website up to date, people may not use it and it could lead to potential damage to your business. By updating your website, you are helping it reach more people and get more traffic. Maintaining your website is also important because it keeps your website current and up-to-date with the latest trends.

If you are looking for a website, you should probably get it designed by someone who knows what they are doing. Web designers can do a lot of things for you, like create your website, design your logo, and make sure your website is mobile-friendly. Yet, many web designers offer hosting for your website for free or at a low cost. Hosting your website with a web designer will give you the best service and the most professional appearance. There are some other benefits of hosting your website with a web designer too. For example, they can create SEO strategies to help improve your website’s ranking on search engines.

Conclusion: There are many benefits of web hosting and maintenance, make sure you take advantage of them.

If you are unsure about your current plan or like to learn more about the hosting and maintenance plans we offer at HeartWired, we would love to chat! Schedule a complimentary consultation today!

The Next Big Thing, Five Years and Counting

The Next Big Thing, Five Years and Counting

by | Sep 16, 2021 | Business

The-Next-Big-Thing-Five-Years-and-Counting

September 16, 2016 will mark a day that I will personally remember forever. It was the day I filed official paperwork for our business to do business in the beautiful State of Florida. It was the day that our first fictitious name was filed. It marks the day our original and still existent domain name was purchased from GoDaddy. Five years ago today so many milestones were only ideas, and with the help of our HeartWired family they have become a reality.

As a small business that works with other small businesses and nonprofits, we realize the importance of recognizing the small achievements we have made along the way. We are well aware (sometimes a little more than we care for) that we cannot succeed alone. Today we celebrate us being supported by you. Whether you are a client, a friend, a business partner or a passerby… Thank you for supporting us!

Five years feels like forever ago and yesterday at the same time.

Things we would like to recognize that we have experienced over the last five years (this list is only part our/your story)

We have also had the pleasure to serve many local and global clients throughout our journey. Some of the clients only came to us for a season, while others have been here since the beginning. Whether you still receive services from us, or moved on for one reason or another. Once a client, always a friend and part of the HeartWired family. We are thankful every single day for the trust that people put in us to serve their business or organization.

On this special even of our anniversary, we want you to know that your trust and support has always been the biggest drivers for our continued growth!

So what does the next five hold in store?

Currently we are expanding our staff as well as resources. We just brought on new contractors who will be helping provide the level of service you have grown to expect. We are exploring new partnerships in order to be able to serve our clients better. We envision becoming a household name in the local Jacksonville community and beyond for providing purpose driven design and marketing for years to come. We look to the next five years as we did the last five years, with bold dreams, wide-eyed inspiration and the desire to do more to help others.

If you would like to become a part of our mission minded journey to become an agency that makes a difference reach out to us, we are always looking for great (preferably local) talent. If you know someone who can use our services, we love referrals, they are and always will be our favorite kind of marketing. If you would like to discuss your business or organizations goals and develop a strategy to help reach them, let’s talk, our discovery sessions are complimentary. Lastly if you have been positively impacted by us over the past five years we would love to hear about it. Lastly if you would like your voice to be heard, we love Google and Facebook reviews.

May the past five years be a drop in the bucket on the lessons learned, skills achieved and difference we have made. We are truly blessed and look to the future with anticipation on the joys and triumphs it will bring for you all!

Book a discovery session today!

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What Makes for Affordable Web Design?

What Makes for Affordable Web Design?

by | Jun 23, 2020 | Web Design

We cannot tell you how many times we get inquiries for “affordable web design” for a small business website. The funny thing is, what is affordable for you might well be unaffordable for someone else.

So what makes for affordable web design?

web-designer-laptop, affordable web design, lady with microsoft surface

Let’s start with the basics.

  1. Determine YOUR budget – keep in mind generally you get what you pay for.
  2. Investigate the current market. – what is the going rate for the type of website you want?
  3. Do your research. – there are a lot of web designers and agencies, check them out.
  4. Shop around. – your first choice might very well not be your best choice.
  5. Scope your project- having an idea of what you want helps you find who can do the work within your budget.

Establishing a budget for a website takes more than setting a dollar amount on what you can afford today. Websites require things like hosting, maintenance, and some sort of marketing plan.

All of these should be topics when discussing your website with an agency or marketing consultant. If they are unable to provide a consultation along with their affordable web design, you likely will want to pay more. Otherwise, you will pay more in the long run anyway fixing the things they did not offer to begin with.

After you have a better idea of your budget, you now need to decide what features you want on the site. Features can increase costs exponentially if you don’t have a plan.

Website features can include:

digital marketing agency, marketing, web design, marketing agency

  • Forms
  • E-commerce
  • Social media integration
  • Landing pages
  • Content creation
  • Custom functionality
  • and so much more

So how does any of this help you figure our what makes for affordable web design?

We think that is a loaded question actually. Affordable web design is simply what you can afford. Many times what you can afford is outside of your current budget. However, the cost of not stretching your budget can cost you much more than the investment of a professional website.

Ways cutting corners can hurt you long after a larger investment could have been paid for.

  • Building a site yourself well makes about as much sense as painting your house with no ladder and watered down paint.
  • Hiring your cousin is likely not a good idea unless he is a web designer, then you may want to consider whether you really want to hire a family member.
  • Lack of web-savvy will reflect in lack of traffic and likely longevity as your clients look for someone that cares about their business and them.
  • Cost of fixing a website can many times be more expensive than doing it right from scratch the first time. Affordable can be costly.
  • Spending money on the online portal to your business is vital. Skimping due to cost will make your business look like the local bodega rather than a boutique.

Don’t dismay there are web design agencies for any budget. Many of the lesser expensive 299.00 websites can be a great start. If you want to take your online reputation and your business to the next level it will likely cost you a bit up front. Long outliving the expense will be its benefits for years do come.

Things you want to check for no matter the budget, else you might as well play the lottery when choosing an agency. Just because they offer ‘affordable’ web designs, that does not mean you can afford to choose them.

  1. Do they guarantee their work?
  2. Hosting and maintenance should be essential, not optional
  3. Are they personable? If you don’t like one another the next few months can be very long for everyone.
  4. Communication is vital, this starts from the first contact. If they use big words to confuse you, they likely studied web design via Google search.
  5. Is your best interest in their best interest? Every design agency is not for every customer and vice versa. Make sure the partnership makes sense.

These of course are just the tipping point on how to find a web agency that fits your budget. While affordable web design is preferred, it is not always practical.

We at HeartWired offer web design packages to fit almost any budget, but honestly not all budgets. We think you will make a great client, and quite possibly even our client!

The only way to find out if we also are affordable is to have a conversation. If you or someone you know needs website design or redesign, or simply would like some guidance on your current site, share this article with them or simply give us a call.

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How To Use Your Website To Make A Lasting Impression On Your Customers

How To Use Your Website To Make A Lasting Impression On Your Customers

by | May 4, 2020 | Web Design

So you run a small business or perhaps you are looking to start one. Want to know one of the best ways to make a lasting impression on your customers? It is not just your logo or your website, its how you use your website that matters.

There are some changes, many times simple ones that can make the world of difference to your customers. We will share some ways you can tweak your current website so that it resonates with your customers.

Ways to use your website to make a lasting impression:

Storytelling – We are not talking about your about page, or even your bio. Truth be told your customers many times never even read those pages. Your story should be transparent as well as compelling. Sharing your company’s story should be weaved throughout your website in a way that it is remembered even if your site is not.

Credibility – A website many times is the first ‘impression’ a customer will have of your business. Making your website visually attractive and professional will go a long way. When your website message is clear and compelling with great content visitors will begin to trust you. Provide content that is relevant to your industry and leverages your expertise will make a lasting impression as you become their go-to resource.

Call to Action – Your customers come to your site for a purpose. With that purpose in mind, it should align with your ask. Your ask should be clear and placed appropriately where they are looking. Your call to action should be in several places on the homepage of your site. Make sure you place your call to action at the top of the page, the middle of the page as well as towards the bottom. Doing so will give your customers different opportunities as well as reminders to take action.

Homepage – Unless you are utilizing landing pages for promotions or lead generation, the most visited page of your site is your homepage. You have only a few seconds to make a lasting impression on your homepage. It needs to be clean, eye-catching. Your homepage should provide relevant information that your customers are looking for. This is your place to really shine and set yourself apart from your competition. You should use your homepage to briefly tell them the solution you are providing that solves their problem.

Make it Easy – No one wants to visit a website that is hard to navigate. Make it confusing or cumbersome and they will never stick around for your compelling message or anything else. Use the navigation menu appropriately and keep it simple. Your customer is looking for information about the products or services that you sell. They are not interested in being bombarded with popups or irrelevant information that does little beyond confuse and irritate the visitor.

Put in the Work – Make your website one that stands out from others. This will entail more time, budget, and effort. Planning the design in an insightful user-friendly way will make a lasting impression. It should be an enjoyable experience for your customers rather than a task. Use the latest in design features, don’t be afraid to adjust, do some A/B testing to see what works. Your website represents you and your brand and you put so much hard work into creating your brand, your website should also represent the same level of work.

Accessibility – Everyone says that ‘everyone is not your client’ right? That does not mean that everyone should not be able to use your website. When you make your website accessible and user-friendly to everyone, you show that your business cares. Even if your customer does not have an accessibility issue, they will take note that you put forth the effort to make the website usable by anyone of any capability.

Interested in learning more about how to use your website to make a lasting impression on your customers? We at HeartWired are happy to discuss ways that you can improve your website and its messaging. Schedule a complimentary discovery session today to discuss. If you are completely happy with your website and its message that is great as well.

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