REWARDS at right edge of screen
All Frequently Asked Questions on one page.
Services: What I Do
I have been working with technology for nearly two decades. My journey in this field began in 2004 when I obtained my first major certification, the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). Since then, I have pursued various other certifications, including:
– Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) – 2004
– Microsoft Certified Systems Associate (MCSA) – 2004
– Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) – 2005
– Microsoft Certified Database Engineer (MCDBA) – 2005
In addition to my certifications, I have gained extensive experience working with various technologies over the years. I have worked on projects involving operating systems, databases, networking, and security, to name a few areas. I have also kept up with the developments in technology and continue to expand my knowledge and skills in this field.
Yes. However, to ensure a productive and successful video consultation, I recommend the following:
– Prepare your questions or talking points in advance to ensure that all important topics are covered and the conversation flows smoothly.
– Familiarize yourself with Google Meet or Zoom. This will help you feel more comfortable and confident during the call.
– Test your equipment and internet connection prior to the consultation to ensure that everything is working properly.
– Strive to be in a quiet, distraction-free environment, free from loud noises, interruptions from family members or pets, or other distractions that could interfere with our discussion.
– Please be punctual and log in to the video platform at least a few minutes before the scheduled start time to avoid any delays.
See you then!
Yes. WordPress is a powerful content management system (CMS) that dominates over 35% of the web, and this fact speaks for itself. Additionally, its exceptional flexibility and user-friendliness make it easy for end-users to manage their content.
While I don’t offer phone support, I have optimized my pricing structure to ensure efficient and effective support through email. My customer service is committed to providing fast, responsive, and friendly support via email. You can expect excellent assistance from me.
Yes. Please see my Website Maintenance page.
Google Analytics
According to a statement by Google in March 2022, Universal Analytics will stop collecting new data on July 1, 2023, with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) set to replace it. Users can continue using Universal Analytics until the deadline, but no new data will be added after that.
Google Analytics provides crucial data on audience interaction with your website, including geographical location, browser usage, screen resolution, and more. This information can be used to optimize your website design and content strategy.
– Connecting WooCommerce to Google Analytics allows you to gain valuable insights about your website visitors and their behavior.
– It helps you optimize your products, content, and online store for better performance and increased sales.
– With Google Analytics, you can track metrics like the number of visitors, page views, referral traffic, and more.
Google Analytics uses a tracking code, which is a snippet of JavaScript code that website owners add to every page. The code runs in the client browser and collects visitor data, which is then sent to a Google data collection server.
Google Analytics tracks visit via IP addresses, but the IP address can be anonymized to meet privacy requirements. Google also provides a browser plug-in to opt out of data collection, although it is not available for mobile browsers. Users can also employ alternative analytics solutions hosted on their own machines to mitigate privacy issues.
Some of the popular metrics tracked in Google Analytics include:
– Users: The number of unique or new visitors to the website.
– Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who leave the website after viewing only one page, without interacting further.
– Sessions: The group of visitor interactions that happen in a 30-minute window.
– Average session duration: The average time each visitor stays on the site.
– Goal completions: The number of times visitors complete a specified action.
– Page views: The total number of pages viewed.
Metrics are quantitative measurements of data, such as average session length or page views. Dimensions, on the other hand, are qualitative attributes used to describe and organize data, such as language, browser type, or user age group. Metrics are used to compare measurements across different dimensions.
Yes, there are limitations to Google Analytics. Some limitations include ad filtering programs and private networks that can block the tracking code, users deleting or blocking cookies that affect data collection, and sampling of reports for large websites.
Data Visualization
In October 2022, Google officially rebranded its Data Studio product to Looker Studio. This move was part of Google’s strategy to unify its business intelligence product family under the Looker umbrella. Looker Studio offers the same features as Data Studio but with additional enhancements and capabilities. Google’s rebranding unifies Looker, Data Studio, and Google’s AI and machine learning technologies, demonstrating their commitment to delivering innovative solutions.
One of the key differences between Looker Studio and Data Studio is the way data is modeled. Looker Studio uses LookML (Looker Modeling Language), which provides a more flexible and powerful way to model your data. Additionally, Looker Studio offers improved data merging features, making it easier to merge data from different sources. This results in a faster and more meaningful way to visualize data from all your marketing sources.
In Google Looker Studio, you can add various charts and graphs to make your reports more engaging and informative – aka data visualization. The tool breaks down complex data into simpler components that can be displayed using graphs and tables.
Looker Studio is best suited for businesses or individuals who want to gain insight into their key metrics without being an expert in data analytics. It is a valuable tool for beginners in web analytics and can also be used by advanced users to share data across multiple departments or projects.
Yes, Looker Studio can be used for web analytics. With its advanced data visualization and analysis capabilities, you can analyze web data, track key metrics, and gain valuable insights into your website’s performance.
Yes, Looker Studio can connect with Google Sheets. You can easily import data from Google Sheets into Looker Studio, which enables you to incorporate calculated fields and perform more advanced calculations and analysis.
Yes, Looker Studio can be used to calculate CTR (Click-Through Rate), CPC (Cost Per Click), and ROAS (Return on Ad Spend). By connecting Google Sheets and leveraging Looker Studio’s capabilities, you can perform calculations and analyze these important metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns.
A/B Testing
A/B testing allows you to solve visitor pain points, optimize your existing traffic for better ROI, reduce bounce rate, make low-risk modifications, achieve statistically significant improvements, and redesign your website for future business gains. It helps you improve user experience, increase conversions, and maximize the impact of your website.
A/B testing can be applied to various elements of your website, including copy, design and layout, navigation, forms, call-to-action (CTA) buttons, and social proof. You can test headlines, body content, subject lines, product page design, home page layout, navigation structure, form optimization, CTA variations, and the inclusion of social proof to determine what resonates best with your audience and drives conversions.
Yes. In fact, it is a common practice to conduct A/B tests in email marketing campaigns to optimize their effectiveness and improve results. Here’s how A/B testing can be applied to email marketing:
– Testing different subject lines
– Testing different email content
– Testing different sending times
– Testing different offers or incentives
– Testing different email formats
Virtual Private Server
VPS hosting, or Virtual Private Server hosting, is a hosting solution where websites are hosted on virtual servers created through virtualization technology. These virtual servers function similarly to dedicated servers but are more cost-effective and scalable, offering greater control over hosting environments.
VPS hosting works by using virtualization technology to create multiple virtual servers on a single physical server. Each virtual server operates independently, with dedicated resources and its own operating system, ensuring isolation and customization options.
– Customization: With VPS hosting, you have the freedom to customize your server’s operating system and software according to your specific needs.
– Control: You have full control over your hosting environment, allowing you to make changes and configurations without impacting other users.
– Cost-effective: VPS hosting offers the advantages of a dedicated server at a lower cost, making it a more affordable option for businesses and individuals.
– Dedicated resources: Unlike shared hosting, where resources are shared among multiple users, VPS hosting provides dedicated resources, ensuring consistent performance for your website.
– Scalability: VPS hosting allows you to easily scale your resources as your website grows, ensuring that you have enough capacity to handle increasing traffic.
VPS hosting offers customization, control, dedicated resources, and scalability, and is more cost-effective than dedicated hosting.
VPS hosting requires technical knowledge, is more expensive than shared hosting, involves responsibility for server maintenance, and still operates within the physical server’s limitations.
You should consider VPS hosting if your website has outgrown the limitations of shared hosting and requires more resources, scalability, and control. If you anticipate significant growth in traffic or plan to host multiple websites, VPS hosting can provide the necessary capabilities and flexibility.
VPS hosting provides dedicated resources and more control compared to shared hosting, making it suitable for websites with higher resource demands. Shared hosting shares resources among multiple websites, which can lead to performance issues when one site receives high traffic.
– Unmanaged VPS: With unmanaged VPS hosting, you have complete control over the server and are responsible for managing and maintaining various aspects, such as software installation, security patches, and backups.
– Managed VPS: Managed VPS hosting is suitable for users who prefer to have technical tasks managed by professionals. The hosting provider takes care of server setup, software updates, security patches, monitoring, and backups, allowing you to focus on your website.
Managed VPS hosting is an alternative to self-managed VPS hosting. It provides full technical support and is ideal for those who don’t want to manage their entire server environment.
– Shared hosting is like apartment housing, where tenants share services such as parking, laundry rooms, and swimming pools.
– Dedicated hosting is similar to single-family home ownership, where everything, including the property itself, is dedicated to a single owner.
– VPS hosting is comparable to townhouse or condo living, where each occupant has their own services but still shares common physical infrastructure like town greens and health clubs.
Businesses in e-commerce, SaaS, media and content distribution, and software development have benefited from VPS hosting. It is also valuable in data analytics, web hosting services, and supporting remote desktop and VDI solutions.
1. Choosing the Wrong Hosting Plan:
Selecting a hosting plan with either too many or too few resources for your needs can lead to performance and cost issues.
2. Ignoring Security:
Neglecting security measures, such as using weak passwords or not updating software packages, can make your server vulnerable to cyber threats.
3. Overlooking Regular Backups:
Failing to set up regular backups can result in data loss and website downtime in case of issues or data corruption.
4. Neglecting Routine Backup Testing
Neglecting routine backup testing puts your investment at risk and can lead to unreliable VPS recovery. Regular testing ensures your backups work when you need them.
5. Not Monitoring Performance:
Neglecting to monitor performance can lead to slow loading times and downtime, affecting user experience.
6. Selecting a Provider Solely Based on Price:
Choosing a VPS provider based only on price, without considering reliability and customer support, can lead to issues with availability and assistance when needed.
Hostinger. This is because…
VPS Management
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to make a website, server, or network unavailable by overwhelming it with a flood of fake traffic from multiple sources. It’s like a massive crowd of people simultaneously storming a store, blocking the entrance and preventing genuine customers from entering and conducting their business.
Rate-limiting is like a traffic signal for requests to a server. Just as a traffic signal controls the flow of cars on the road, rate-limiting controls the flow of requests to a server. It sets a limit on how many requests can be made within a certain time period. If the limit is exceeded, the server may temporarily stop accepting new requests or delay them. This helps prevent the server from becoming overwhelmed and ensures fair and efficient usage of its resources.
To migrate your website to a VPS, you need to:
– Transfer your website files and databases to the VPS.
– Update your domain’s DNS settings to point to the new server.
– Test the website thoroughly after migration to ensure proper functionality.
To enhance VPS performance, consider:
– Optimizing server configurations and resource allocations.
– Caching frequently accessed data.
– Utilizing a content delivery network (CDN) for faster content delivery.
– Minimizing resource-intensive processes or optimizing their usage.
– Implementing load-balancing techniques for high-traffic websites.
When troubleshooting network connectivity issues in VPS management:
– Check network configurations and ensure correct IP settings.
– Test connectivity with diagnostic tools like ping or traceroute.
– Review firewall rules to ensure they’re not blocking necessary connections.
– Contact your ISP or hosting provider if the issue persists.
Yes, by following these steps:
– Set up the new VPS with the desired hosting provider.
– Transfer your website files, databases, and configurations to the new VPS.
– Update your domain’s DNS settings to point to the new server.
– Monitor the DNS propagation process to ensure a seamless transition.
– Once the DNS changes have propagated, cancel your previous VPS hosting service.
Yes, you can by utilizing virtual hosts or setting up separate directories for each website. This allows you to manage and allocate resources efficiently among multiple websites.
Common control panel options for VPS management include cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin. These control panels offer user-friendly interfaces to manage server configurations, domains, email accounts, databases, and other aspects of VPS administration.
WordPress Website Development
Not necessarily. Some of our clients who have their own dedicated teams or larger websites may choose not to have ongoing support for their websites. However, following any website development, we recommend having ongoing website support for businesses that don’t have enough time or resources to take care of their website. If a website is not properly maintained, it can pose security risks, lead to a poor user experience, and decrease visibility.
This can vary depending on a number of factors, including the complexity of the site and the size of the team working on it.
Assuming that you have all the necessary content and material ready, a simple website with a few pages could potentially be created in a matter of days to a week. However, a more complex website with custom design, functionality, and integrations could take several weeks or even months to complete.
It’s important to note that your availability and readiness can also impact the timeline. If you are slow to provide feedback or material, or if you change your requirements midway through the project, this can cause delays, extend the timeline and may attract a penalty.
Ultimately, the timeline for creating a website will depend on the specific project requirements and the ability of both the development team and the client to work together efficiently and effectively.
You do. My clients are the experts on their own business, and therefore, the content comes directly from them.
There are many web hosting providers available, each with its own set of features and pricing. They offer a range of hosting options, such as shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and VPS hosting, among others. When choosing a web host, there are several factors to consider. For example:
1. Reliability and uptime: Look for a web host that guarantees at least 99% uptime and has a reputation for reliability.
2. Speed and performance: Choose a web host that has fast server response times and uses solid-state drives (SSDs) for storage.
3. Scalability: Ensure that the web host can accommodate your website’s growth and traffic requirements.
4. Security: Look for a web host that provides robust security features, such as SSL certificates, firewalls, and regular backups.
5. Customer support: Choose a web host that offers 24/7 customer support and multiple communication channels, such as phone, email, and live chat.
6. Pricing and features: Compare the pricing and features of different web hosts to find the best value for your budget.
By considering these factors, you can choose a web host that provides reliable, secure, and high-performing hosting for your website.
Personally, have a VPS with Hostinger.
A beautiful website is visually appealing with a good design and color scheme. A functional website, on the other hand, prioritizes ease of use and efficiency in achieving its goals. The ideal website combines both beauty and functionality to create an engaging online presence.
As a professional, I prioritize functionality over aesthetics because a positive user experience is more important than eye candy. Why reinvent the wheel? With many beautiful templates already available, we can focus on creating a website that meets your goals and provides a seamless user experience.
WordPress Administration
The amount of time required to maintain a website can vary depending on the scale and complexity of the tasks involved. If you would like to obtain an estimate for your project, please feel free to contact me.
Furthermore, I have provided the pricing details for all maintenance plans.
1. Click on “Pricing” in the menu to view a comparison table of plans. Then select “Choose” for the plan you prefer.
2. Once selected, you will be redirected to the checkout page to proceed with the purchase of your chosen plan. Provide the necessary information to complete the checkout process and create your account with us.
3. After the checkout is completed, you will receive a series of onboarding and introductory emails from me. The first email will guide you on how to grant me secure access to your website(s). Subsequent emails will provide detailed instructions on requesting edits effectively, recommended screen capture tools, updates on plugin optimization and speed enhancement progress, and other valuable tips to maximize the benefits of your chosen plan.
4. I value the success of my clients. That’s why I am dedicated and focused on client success, which includes assisting you in getting started with your maintenance plan. Reliable customer support is available.
Once you have signed up for your website maintenance plan, you can securely share your login credentials with me by replying to the welcome email you receive after completing the checkout process. Inside the reply, include all the necessary login credentials you have created for your website.
To ensure the security of your information, the onboarding email will provide you with a self-destructing link. By using this link, only I will be able to access your usernames and passwords, ensuring maximum privacy and protection.
Unlimited edits service includes the following:
– Edits to content on any page
– Changing banners, headers, or footers
– Adjusting plugin settings
– CSS adjustments
– Blog content or context edits
– Adding new landing pages
– Formatting landing pages
– Changing images or text
– Improving shopping with coupon codes and cart updates.
With unlimited edits, there are no restrictions or limits on the number of edits you can request.
However, the following services are not included in my unlimited edits:
– Custom development involving PHP, plugins, themes, etc.
– Updating custom code
– Any software or tools outside of WordPress
– Graphic design
– Building full pages to match specific designs
– Creating or rebuilding websites or subdomains
Here are some examples to illustrate what is included and what is not:
– Edit Example 1:
Included: Uploading blog content that you created, including attached images, and formatting it for WordPress based on your instructions.
Excluded: Creating a blog post, finding images, and uploading them to WordPress without providing formatting instructions.
– Edit Example 2:
Included: Adding a new product to your WooCommerce store using the content you have provided.
Excluded: Developing a tailored checkout process for your WooCommerce store.
– Edit Example 3:
Included: Installing and configuring a plugin to make the most of its built-in functionality.
Excluded: Creating new functionality that does not exist in a plugin (requires custom development, which may be available at an additional hourly development rate).
– Edit Example 4:
Included: Replacing the current content on your About page with the text you emailed to us.
Excluded: Writing content for or designing your About page.
If you require assistance with custom development, I am more than willing to help. Such projects will be covered under my hourly work and can be discussed separately.
Yes. I specialize in managing WooCommerce websites. I can provide further insights into how I handle WooCommerce sites.
Please note that websites with advanced functionality like WooCommerce require a Woo Intermediate or Woo Advanced Plan. This plan is also suitable for membership sites, multi-language sites, and sites with on-site payments. These types of websites require additional resources to ensure security, speed, and smooth operation. By choosing the right plan, I can dedicate the necessary resources to effectively manage your WooCommerce website.
No, the hosting provider you choose doesn’t affect the outcome. I am capable of working with websites hosted on any platform.
I understand that different websites have unique needs, and I respect the budget constraints of my clients. While I can work with any hosting provider, it’s important to note that achieving your desired speed and security goals may be challenging on shared hosting environments. If you wish to upgrade your hosting, I can provide you with a list of recommended and trusted hosting partners. Please see my “Tools” page.
Once you sign up for the care plan that suits your requirements, you will receive a welcome email containing information about your plan. This email will also provide instructions on how to securely share your login credentials with me.
Once I receive the login information for your WordPress dashboard and hosting provider, I will implement your chosen plan within 24-48 hours. I follow a comprehensive 200+ item checklist to ensure your website is fully optimized.
Please note that speed enhancements may take up to a week. I take the necessary time to optimize your core files, theme, and plugins in a manner that avoids any potential downtime or compromises to your website’s functionality.
Throughout the process, I will keep you informed of our progress via email, ensuring complete transparency. Your first weekly report will be delivered on the first Monday following your sign-up. If you sign up over the weekend, I may send your first report on the subsequent Monday to ensure I have all the necessary data for an informative report.
No problem at all! I can manage multiple websites for you, whether it’s one or ten.
Each of my care plans covers a single website, domain, subdomain, or WordPress installation. For example, if you have three websites that you want me to manage, you will need three plans, one for each site.
You are welcome to choose different plans for each website based on your individual needs. I understand that different websites may require varying levels of support and attention.
– Understanding PHP syntax: Familiarize yourself with the basic syntax and structure of PHP code, including variables, functions, loops, conditional statements, and data types.
– Template hierarchy: WordPress uses a template hierarchy system to determine how different pages are displayed. Understanding the template hierarchy and how to create and modify template files in PHP can give you more control over the appearance of your website.
– Hooks and filters: Hooks and filters are essential concepts in WordPress development. They allow you to modify the default behavior of WordPress functions and plugins. Learn how to use actions and filters to add, remove, or modify functionality in your theme or plugins.
– Understanding of database structure: Familiarize yourself with the structure of the WordPress database. WordPress uses a MySQL database to store all the site’s content, including posts, pages, comments, settings, and more. Understanding the tables and their relationships will help you navigate and manipulate the data effectively.
– Backup and restore: Learn how to perform backups and restore the WordPress database using SQL commands. This skill is essential for safeguarding your data and recovering from any unforeseen issues.
– Database optimization: Optimize your WordPress database regularly to improve performance. SQL commands like “OPTIMIZE TABLE” and “REPAIR TABLE” can help you remove overhead and fix any corrupted tables.
– Data manipulation: SQL allows you to manipulate data in your WordPress database. Basic skills like selecting, inserting, updating, and deleting data using SQL queries can be useful in certain scenarios. For example, you might want to update multiple posts at once or delete spam comments directly from the database.
– Search and filtering: SQL queries can help you search and filter data more efficiently. You can use “SELECT” statements with conditions and operators to retrieve specific data based on criteria like post type, author, date, or custom fields.
– Understanding of joins: Joins are used to combine data from multiple tables based on related columns. Understanding different types of joins (e.g., INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN) will enable you to retrieve data that spans across different tables, such as retrieving comments along with their associated posts.
– Troubleshooting: In some cases, when encountering issues with WordPress plugins, themes, or specific functionalities, you might need to analyze the database directly. Basic SQL skills will allow you to inspect and troubleshoot database-related problems.
– Editors are responsible for managing content on the site. They can create, edit, delete, and publish pages and posts, moderate comments, and manage categories and links.
– Authors can create, edit, delete, and publish their own posts, as well as upload media files. They cannot edit pages or modify other users’ content.
– Contributors have limited permissions and can only read all posts, delete their own posts, and edit their own posts. They cannot publish posts or upload media files.
– Subscribers have the ability to read all posts on the site and manage their own profiles. They have limited capabilities and are typically used for subscription-based sites.
– The Super Admin role is specific to Multisite installations. Super Admins have control over the entire network of connected WordPress sites. They can add and delete sites, and manage users, themes, plugins, and more.
When assigning user roles, it’s best to give users the lowest level of permissions necessary for their tasks. Consider the specific roles and capabilities needed for each user. For example, authors can write and publish their own content, while contributors can only submit content for review. Limit the number of administrators to maintain site security.
Email Marketing Automation
Deploying a self-hosted CRM on WordPress allows you to manage your leads and customers, email campaigns, automated email sequencing, learner and affiliate management, and monitor user activity in one place; without ever having to leave your WordPress dashboard!
The benefits of using a self-hosted WordPress solution are:
– Full control over your data: You own your data and have full control over it. You can choose where to store it and how to use it.
– Customization: You can customize your website and email templates to match your brand.
– Scalability: You can scale your website as your business grows.
– Cost-effective: Self-hosted WordPress solutions are generally more cost-effective than others.
Automated email marketing is personalized and triggered based on qualifying thresholds met by each customer, tailored to their unique needs and interests.
A drip campaign, on the other hand, sends generic, scheduled emails to all customers regardless of their position in the sales funnel or previous interactions with the brand.
– Send an onboarding series: Welcome new subscribers with a series of emails that introduce your brand, provide helpful information, and guide them on how to make the most of your products or services.
– Birthday and anniversary emails: Automated emails that are triggered on a subscriber’s birthday or anniversary, allowing you to show appreciation and offer special promotions.
– Create multiple list segments based on customer data such as location, gender, interests, or devices used.
– Use custom fields and integrations with e-commerce platforms and CRM systems for dynamic segmentation.
– Implement an email preference center to allow subscribers to control how their information is used and enable more accurate segmentation.
While automated emails offer personalization through segmentation, there are situations where individualized communication is necessary. As customers progress through their journey with your brand, personalized communication becomes more crucial. Therefore, it’s important to identify when to address people as part of a segment and when to treat them as individuals.
Website Demo Templates
A WordPress theme alters the appearance and functionality of a WordPress website, allowing users to make design changes without extensive coding efforts. It enables users to modify the display and appearance of their website, including some functional aspects.
Is there any point in reinventing the wheel? WordPress themes eliminate the need to start from scratch when building a website, making it easier for developers and designers to create websites with as minimal custom coding as possible. This is akin to resume writing using templates. Teams of professionals have already done the work to ensure that their creations are user-friendly, responsive, and compatible with the latest WordPress updates. Using a template-based approach, themes save time and effort, resulting in a much shorter Time-To-Market (TTM).
Although it is technically possible to create a WordPress website without using a theme, it is not a practical approach for most users. Themes simplify the design process and provide a starting point for customization. The only scenario where not using a theme is recommended is when using WordPress as a testing platform for learning how to code.
Customizing a WordPress theme is crucial for creating a unique website that stands out from the competition. Customization allows users to remove or add elements, such as the sidebar or CSS, that can help showcase their brand and create a distinct look and feel.
Flexible WordPress themes are designed to be easily customizable, providing users with a range of tools to modify or remove website elements. These themes are highly adaptable and enable users to create a website that matches their vision by using simple and intuitive customization tools.
It depends on your needs and budget. Free themes can be a good option if you’re just starting out and have limited resources, but they may not offer the same level of customization and support as premium themes. Premium themes often come with more advanced features and professional support, but they can also be more expensive. Consider your business goals and budget before making a decision.
When choosing a WordPress theme for your business, it’s important to consider factors such as your brand identity, target audience, and website functionality. Look for a theme that aligns with your business goals and provides the features and customization options you need. It’s also a good idea to read reviews and check the theme’s compatibility with your plugins and other tools.
It’s possible to use the same WordPress theme for multiple websites, but it may not always be the best choice. If you’re running multiple websites for different brands or purposes, it’s important to choose themes that align with each site’s goals and branding. Using the same theme for all your sites may make them look too similar and could detract from their distinctiveness.