Stop Hotlinking Your Email Signature Images! Why Hosting on Your Website is a Bad Idea

Are you thinking of hosting the image for your email signature directly on your company's website server? Stop right there! While it might seem like a simple solution, using an image file stored on your website hosting to hotlink (directly linking to a file hosted on another server) in your email signature can lead to a host of problems.

Here’s a breakdown of why this practice is generally discouraged and what you should do instead.

1. It Impacts Your Website Performance

Every time an employee sends an email, and every time that email is opened, the recipient's email client makes a direct request to your website's server to download the image.

Increased Bandwidth Usage: If your company sends a high volume of emails, this can quickly consume your allocated server bandwidth. Too many requests can lead to overage charges or even slow down your actual website for visitors.
Server Load: A sudden spike in email opens (e.g., following a mass mailing) can cause an unexpected surge in traffic, placing an unnecessary load on your web server. In extreme cases, this could cause your site to temporarily slow down or even become unresponsive.

2. The Image Display is Unreliable

Email clients are notorious for inconsistent image rendering, and hotlinking from your website's primary hosting can make it even worse.

Security Blocks: Many corporate email filters and security settings automatically block images that are loaded from external sources, especially if the source domain isn't recognized or is flagged as potentially suspicious. This means your carefully crafted signature might appear as a broken link icon or require the recipient to click a “Download Images” button.
Hosting Configuration Issues: Your website hosting might have security settings (like hotlink protection) enabled to prevent other sites from stealing your bandwidth. While this is great for your website, it will explicitly prevent the email client from displaying the image.

3. You Lose Control Over the User Experience

When you use your website's main hosting, you have less control over the image's permanence and the security of its delivery.

Accidental Deletion: If someone cleans up your website files or reorganizes a folder, the image could be accidentally deleted or moved, instantly breaking the signature for everyone who uses it.
Website Changes: If your domain name changes, or if you switch website hosting providers, all of your email signatures will simultaneously break until they are manually updated—a massive administrative headache.

The Better Solution: Use a Dedicated Image Host or CDN

Instead of relying on your website hosting, you should upload your signature image to a dedicated service that is built for image delivery.

Content Delivery Network (CDN) or Cloud Storage: Services like Amazon S3, Cloudflare Images, or dedicated image hosting platforms are designed to handle high volumes of traffic reliably and efficiently. They serve files faster and reduce the load on your primary website server.
Dedicated Email Signature Management Tools: Many professional email signature tools allow you to upload the image directly to their optimized servers, ensuring maximum deliverability and consistency across different email clients.

The takeaway? Save your website hosting for your website. For your email signature, choose a reliable, external image hosting service. Your website, your server, and your recipients will thank you for it!

Website Hosting: Your Website’s Home on the Internet

in Hosting

So you want a website for your business? That's fantastic. But before your website can be seen by anyone, it needs a place to live. Think of it like building a house. You can design the house, pick out the furniture, and paint the walls, but it still needs a piece of land to sit on, right?

Website hosting is basically that piece of land for your website.

What is Website Hosting?

In simple terms, website hosting is a service that allows your website to be available on the internet. When you “host” your website, you're essentially renting space on a special computer called a server.

These servers are powerful computers that are always connected to the internet. They store all the files, images, and content that make up your website. When someone types your website address (like “www.yourwebsite.com“) into their browser, their computer connects to that server, and the server sends all your website's files to their browser so they can see your site.

Why Do You Need It?

You need website hosting for a few key reasons:

Visibility: Without hosting, your website files would just be sitting on your personal computer, and no one else could see them. Hosting makes your website publicly accessible.
Storage: Servers provide the space to store all your website's data.
Always On: Hosting providers make sure their servers are running 24/7, so your website is always available to visitors, day or night.
Speed: Good hosting can help your website load quickly, which is important for a good user experience.

How Does It Work (in a Nutshell)?

You create your website: You have it designed, add your content, add pictures, etc.
You choose a hosting provider: There are many companies that offer website hosting services. We recommend https://myinternetwebsite.com for standard shared hosting. We also offer an upgraded full-service hosting option to select clients.
You upload your website files: You use tools provided by your hosting company to put all your website's files onto their server.
Your website is live! Once your files are on the server, and your domain name (your website's address) is pointed to that server, anyone can visit your website.

Think of it this way:

Your Website: Your house (the design, content, etc.)
Website Hosting: The land your house sits on
Hosting Provider: The company that sells you the land
Server: The actual plot of land
Internet: The roads that lead to your house

Different Types of Hosting (Very Briefly!)

Just like there are different types of land or houses, there are different types of hosting, each suitable for different needs:

Shared Hosting: Like living in an apartment building. You share a server with many other websites. It's affordable and good for beginners.
VPS Hosting: Like living in a duplex. You share a server, but you have more dedicated resources than shared hosting.
Dedicated Hosting: Like owning your own house. You have an entire server to yourself. It's powerful but more expensive.
Cloud Hosting: Like a flexible, expandable neighborhood. Your website is hosted across multiple servers, making it very scalable and reliable.

Don't worry too much about the different types right now. For most new websites, shared hosting is a great place to start! If you're working with us, we will handle everything.

Ready to get started?

Now that you understand what website hosting is, you're one step closer to getting your website online! Contact us to get started on your great website!

Time to Level Up: Why Weebly Users Should Migrate to WordPress Now

in Hosting, Web Design

For years, Weebly has been a go-to platform for individuals and small businesses looking to quickly and easily create a web presence. Its drag-and-drop interface and all-in-one solution made it a popular choice. However, recent developments suggest that Weebly's future is uncertain, with an increasing focus from its parent company, Square, on their own “Square Online” platform. While Weebly isn't officially “shutting down” as of July 2025, the lack of new features, declining support, and the clear push towards Square Online make it a wise decision for Weebly users to start planning their transition. And when it comes to a new home for your website, there's no better choice than WordPress.

The Shifting Landscape: Why Weebly's Future is Unclear

While Weebly support has stated they have “no plans to discontinue” the Weebly website builder, the writing is on the wall. Reports indicate a significant slowdown in new feature development, a closing of its App Center to new apps, and an effective abandonment of its mobile applications. The consistent redirection of the Weebly blog to Square's “The Bottom Line” blog, with no new Weebly-specific content, further reinforces the notion that Weebly is no longer a priority. This lack of ongoing development and potential “soft” end-of-life means your website could be stuck on an outdated platform, hindering its growth and performance.

The Power of Open Source: Why WordPress Reigns Supreme

One of the most significant advantages of migrating from Weebly to WordPress is the shift from a proprietary platform to an open-source one.

Proprietary platforms like Weebly:

Limited Control: You're often tied to the platform's features and functionalities, with little ability to customize beyond what's offered.
Vendor Lock-in: Migrating away can be incredibly challenging, as you don't own the underlying code or have easy export options. You're dependent on the vendor for updates, security, and even the platform's continued existence.
Higher Long-Term Costs: While some proprietary platforms offer seemingly low entry points, additional features, storage, or transaction fees can quickly add up.

Open-source platforms like WordPress:

Unrivaled Flexibility and Control: WordPress gives you complete ownership and control over your website. You can modify the code, customize every aspect of your design, and add virtually any functionality imaginable through its vast ecosystem of themes and plugins.
Community-Driven Innovation: WordPress is developed and maintained by a global community of developers. This means constant innovation, regular security updates, and a wealth of free and paid resources.
Cost-Effective Scalability: While you'll need to pay for hosting, the WordPress software itself is free. You can scale your website from a simple blog to a complex e-commerce store without being forced into expensive upgrades by a proprietary vendor.
Portability: Your WordPress website and all its data are truly yours. If you decide to change hosting providers or even move to a different platform in the future, the process is far more straightforward.

SEO Prowess: WordPress's Unbeatable Advantage

For any business or individual aiming to be found online, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is paramount. This is where WordPress truly shines compared to Weebly.

While Weebly offers basic SEO settings like meta descriptions and responsive design, WordPress provides a robust and comprehensive toolkit that empowers you to dominate search rankings:

Powerful SEO Plugins: WordPress boasts an incredible array of SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math. These plugins provide granular control over every aspect of your on-page SEO, from optimizing titles and meta descriptions to creating XML sitemaps, managing redirects, and implementing schema markup.
Clean Code and Structure: WordPress is built with SEO best practices in mind, featuring clean, well-structured code that search engines love. This makes it easier for crawlers to understand and index your content.
Unparalleled Customization for Performance: WordPress allows for extensive performance optimization through caching plugins, image optimization tools, and content delivery networks (CDNs). A faster website not only improves user experience but also positively impacts your search engine rankings.
Blogging Powerhouse: WordPress started as a blogging platform and remains the undisputed leader in this area. Its superior blogging features, including categories, tags, comments, and easy content management, are crucial for driving organic traffic through content marketing.
Scalability for Growth: As your website grows, WordPress's ability to handle increasing content, traffic, and features without sacrificing performance or SEO is a major advantage.

Making the Move: Your Path to a Brighter Web Future

The signs are clear: Weebly's future is uncertain, and staying on a potentially stagnant platform could hinder your online success. Now is an excellent time to consider migrating your website to WordPress. While the process might seem daunting, there are numerous resources and professional services available to help you make a smooth transition, preserving your existing content and SEO rankings.

Embrace the freedom, flexibility, and SEO power of WordPress. Your website, and your online presence, will thank you for it.

WordPress vs. Wix: Why WordPress Self-Hosted Wins for Serious Websites (Especially When It Comes to SEO!)

in Hosting, SEO, Web Design

Listen to this post…..

So, you're ready to build a website, and you've narrowed your choices down to two popular platforms: WordPress (self-hosted) and Wix. Both can help you get online, but for anyone serious about growth, long-term flexibility, and especially top-tier search engine optimization (SEO), self-hosted WordPress is the clear champion.

While Wix promises ease and speed, it often comes at the cost of genuine control and the advanced features that drive true online success. Let's break down why WordPress reigns supreme, with a special focus on its undeniable SEO advantages.

Wix: The “Drag-and-Drop” Dream (with a Catch)

Wix is famous for its intuitive drag-and-drop builder. It's incredibly user-friendly, allowing even complete beginners to create visually appealing websites quickly. This makes it a great choice for small businesses or individuals who need a simple online presence with minimal fuss.

However, Wix's simplicity can become its biggest limitation:

Limited Customization: While Wix offers many templates, you're largely confined to their ecosystem. True design freedom and the ability to tweak code are severely restricted.
Vendor Lock-in: Once you build a site on Wix, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to migrate it to another platform. You're essentially “stuck” with Wix.
App Market Limitations: While Wix has an app market, it's smaller and less diverse than WordPress's plugin ecosystem.
Scalability Concerns: For highly complex websites, e-commerce stores with extensive product catalogs, or sites expecting massive traffic, Wix can hit its limits.
Pricing Can Add Up: While a free plan exists, serious features quickly push you into paid tiers that can become quite expensive for what you get compared to self-hosted solutions.

WordPress Self-Hosted: The Unrestricted Powerhouse

WordPress.org (self-hosted) is fundamentally different. You download the free WordPress software, purchase a domain name, and get web hosting. This gives you complete ownership and unparalleled control over every aspect of your website. It’s like building your dream house from the ground up, with no limitations on design or functionality.

Here's why WordPress is the superior choice, particularly for its SEO capabilities:

Unmatched Customization & Flexibility:
- Themes Galore: Thousands of free and premium themes allow you to create any look imaginable. Don't like something? Change it.
- Plugins for Everything: With over 60,000 free plugins (and countless premium ones) in the official directory alone, WordPress can do anything. Need advanced e-commerce? SEO optimization? A booking system? There's a plugin for that. This extensibility is vital for adapting to future needs and SEO best practices.
True Ownership & Portability:
- Your website, your data. If you decide to switch web hosts, you can easily migrate your entire WordPress site. This peace of mind is invaluable.
Superior Scalability:
- From a simple blog to a massive e-commerce store handling millions of visitors, WordPress can scale with you. You control your hosting environment, allowing you to upgrade resources as your traffic grows.

The SEO Showdown: Where WordPress Truly Shines

This is where WordPress leaves Wix in the dust. While Wix has made strides in basic SEO features, WordPress's open-source nature and robust plugin ecosystem give it a commanding lead for serious search engine optimization.

Unrivaled SEO Plugin Ecosystem:
- Yoast SEO and Rank Math: These are just two of the industry-leading WordPress SEO plugins that provide an incredible suite of tools:
  - On-Page Optimization: Easily optimize titles, meta descriptions, headings, and content for target keywords.
  - XML Sitemaps: Automatically generate and submit sitemaps to search engines, helping them discover your content faster.
  - Schema Markup: Implement rich snippets (like star ratings, recipes, FAQs) to make your search results stand out.
  - Readability & SEO Analysis: Get real-time feedback on your content's quality and SEO-friendliness.
  - Internal Linking Suggestions: Improve your site's structure and distribute link equity effectively.
- Beyond Yoast/Rank Math: Thousands of other plugins exist for specific SEO needs, like broken link checkers, redirection managers, caching for speed, image optimization, and more. Wix's built-in tools simply can't compare to this depth and breadth.
Clean Code & Optimal Structure:
- WordPress, by design, generates clean, semantic HTML code that search engines love. This makes it easier for crawlers to understand your content and index it efficiently.
- You have complete control over your URL structure (permalinks), allowing you to create SEO-friendly, descriptive URLs.
Speed & Performance Optimization:
- Website speed is a critical SEO ranking factor. With self-hosted WordPress, you have control over your hosting, can implement advanced caching plugins (like WP Super Cache or LiteSpeed Cache), optimize images, and use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to ensure lightning-fast load times. While Wix has its own optimizations, you don't have the granular control that WordPress offers.
Analytics & Tracking Freedom:
- Easily integrate Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other advanced tracking tools directly into your WordPress site to monitor your SEO performance and make data-driven decisions.
Community & Resources for SEO:
- The vast WordPress community means endless tutorials, forums, and expert advice on how to optimize your site for search engines. This learning ecosystem is incredibly valuable for staying ahead in the ever-evolving world of SEO.

The Verdict: Choose Control, Choose Growth, Choose WordPress

For a quick, simple online presence that doesn't need to rank highly or grow significantly, Wix can suffice. However, if you're building a business, a brand, or a content-rich website where long-term growth, flexibility, and strong search engine visibility are paramount, self-hosted WordPress is the unequivocal choice.

Work with an experienced website developer like TheSitecrew.com who specializes in WordPress, and you'll unlock a powerful, future-proof platform that empowers your business with total control over your website and its SEO destiny. Don't settle for less when your online success is on the line.

WordPress: .Com vs. .Org – Why Self-Hosting Reigns Supreme

in Hosting, SEO, Web Design

So, you've heard the buzz about WordPress, and you're ready to dive into the world of website creation. Fantastic! But as you start your journey, you'll quickly encounter two distinct paths: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. While they share a similar name, understanding the fundamental differences between them is crucial, and as we'll explore, WordPress.org and the power of self-hosting offer a far more robust and flexible experience for serious website owners.

Let's break down why going the self-hosted WordPress.org route is the smarter choice for ultimate control, customization, and long-term growth.

WordPress.com: The Easy Button (with Limitations)

Think of WordPress.com as the “hosted solution.” It's incredibly user-friendly, especially for beginners. You sign up, pick a theme, and start publishing. It's like renting an apartment – you get a place to live, but you're bound by the landlord's rules.

The perceived ease comes with some significant trade-offs:

Limited Customization: While they offer various themes and some customization options, you're restricted to what WordPress.com provides. Want to tweak the code? Install a specific plugin that's not on their approved list? Good luck.
Monetization Restrictions: Depending on your plan, there can be limitations on how you can monetize your site, including advertising.
Third-Party Advertising: Unless you're on a higher-tier plan, WordPress.com may display their own ads on your site.
No FTP Access: This means you can't directly access your website's files, which severely limits advanced development and troubleshooting.
Scalability Concerns: As your site grows, you might find yourself hitting limitations or needing to upgrade to increasingly expensive plans to gain features that are standard with self-hosting.
Ownership & Control: While your content is yours, the platform itself is not. You're building on someone else's property.

WordPress.org: The Powerhouse of Possibilities (Self-Hosted)

Now, let's talk about WordPress.org. This is where you download the free WordPress software and install it on your own web hosting account. It's like owning your own house – you have complete freedom to build, renovate, and decorate as you please.

Here's why self-hosting your WordPress.org website is the undisputed champion:

Unrestricted Customization: This is the biggest differentiator. With WordPress.org, you have 100% control over your website's design and functionality. You can:
- Install any theme you desire, free or premium.
- Modify your theme's code to create a truly unique look.
- Install any of the tens of thousands of free and premium plugins available. This opens up a world of possibilities for SEO, e-commerce, contact forms, security, performance optimization, and virtually anything else you can imagine.
Full Monetization Freedom: Want to run your own ads? Integrate affiliate links? Sell products directly? With self-hosting, the sky's the limit when it comes to monetizing your website.
Complete Ownership and Control: You own your website and all its data. You have full access to your server, databases, and files via FTP. This means you can back up your site, migrate it to a new host, and implement advanced security measures with ease.
Superior Scalability: As your website grows in traffic and complexity, self-hosting provides the flexibility to scale your resources (e.g., more server space, RAM) as needed without being tied to a specific platform's arbitrary limitations.
Enhanced SEO Capabilities: While WordPress is inherently SEO-friendly, self-hosting allows you to leverage powerful SEO plugins (like Yoast SEO or Rank Math) and implement advanced strategies that give you a significant edge in search engine rankings.
Thriving Community & Resources: The WordPress.org community is massive and incredibly supportive. You'll find endless tutorials, forums, and developers ready to help with any challenge you encounter.
Cost-Effectiveness in the Long Run: While you pay for web hosting, the cost per month is often quite affordable, and you gain an immense amount of value in return. When you factor in the limitations and potential upgrade costs of WordPress.com, self-hosting often proves to be more economical for serious projects.

Making the Leap to Self-Hosting

The idea of self-hosting might seem a little daunting at first, but it's far more accessible than you think. Here's what you'll need:

A Domain Name: Your website's address (e.g., https://www.google.com/search?q=yourwebsite.com).
Web Hosting: This is where your website's files will live on the internet. Our preferred hosting providers offer optimized WordPress hosting plans that make installation a breeze (often with one-click WordPress installs).

Once you have these, installing WordPress and getting started is a straightforward process, and the benefits you'll reap in terms of control, customization, and future-proofing your online presence are immeasurable.

In conclusion, while WordPress.com offers a convenient starting point, if you're serious about building a professional, scalable, and fully customizable website, then embracing the power of WordPress.org and self-hosting is undeniably the superior choice. Unlock your website's true potential and take control of your online destiny.

Improve Website Security with SSL

in Hosting, Web Design

SSL certificates provide increased protection against spoofing, cyber-attacks and data breaches.

By providing enhanced security, SSL certificates can help you stay ahead of the curve in today’s digital world.

What is an SSL Certificate

A SSL certificate is an important piece of security for online transactions. It authenticates the sender and recipient of a packet of data, helping to prevent spoofing, cyber-attacks and data breaches. A certificate is also used to authorize access to a site or service by a specific person or organization.

How SSL Certificates Protect Your Data

SSL certificates protect your data by verifying the authenticity of the sender and recipient of the packet of data. They also help protect against third-party attacks, which can occur when someone attempts to view or use your data without proper authorization. By using a secure certificate, you can reduce the chances of your information being compromised in any way.

How to Get a SSL Certificate

SSL certificates provide increased security against spoofing, cyber-attacks and data breaches. To purchase a SSL certificate, you will first need to find an SSL certificate vendor. You can do this by visiting an online site that sells SSL certificates. We recommend https://www.myinternetwebsite.com/products/ssl

How to Use SSL Certificates

When using SSL certificates, it is important to be familiar with the different types of certificates and how they work. In addition, it is also important to make sure that the information on the certificate is correct. By following these tips, you can protect your data and ensure that your transactions are safe when traveling abroad or storing sensitive information online.

How to Protect Your Data With SSL Certificates

SSL Certificates are a means of protecting your data from being accessed by unauthorized individuals. By buying a SSL Certificate, you can help ensure that your data is not accessible to anyone without your consent. Additionally, using SSL Certificates can help protect your online privacy.

Create Strong Passwords for Improved Website Security

in Hosting

Several new clients have come to us because they have a hacked website. One factor that greatly affects the security of your website is your password. Hackers can (and will) get into a website that uses weak passwords.

A password is your first and last line of defense in computer and website security. Typically people choose bad passwords because they are easy to remember. However, you wouldn't leave the door to your home unlocked because it is too much of a hassle to unlock it before you open the door, would you? A weak password is the same thing.

Using words that appear in a dictionary, in any language, make cracking your password that much easier. Adding numbers to dictionary words doesn't increase the password's strength at all if it is based on a dictionary word. Even with character replacements like capital letters and non-alphanumeric symbols, you're not getting a stronger password.

A true strong password should consist of 8 or more characters and be part of a “passphrase”. A passphrase consists of a phrase that has special meaning to you, therefore making it easier to remember. For example:

Mickey Mouse for President. It would be awesome!

One simple approach to create a better password is to take the first letter of each word in your passphrase, giving you:

mmfpiwba

That looks seemingly random, and it's a fairly hard password to crack. But why not make it harder by using the punctuation from the sentence?

mmfp.iwba!

Now that is a much harder password to crack. Why stop there, though? Let's make it even stronger by capitalizing some letters and adding numbers.

MM4P.Iwba!

Now you have truly difficult password to crack; but is still fairly easy to remember. To make it even stronger, you can salt it with non-alphanumeric character replacements for greater difficulty. For example, replacing an “a” with a “@” leaving you with:

MM4P.Iwb@!

Do's and Do Not's of Password Security:

Do:

Combine letters, symbols, and numbers that are easy for you to remember and hard for someone else to guess.
Create pronounceable passwords (even if they are not words) that are easier to remember, reducing the temptation to write down your password.
Try using the initial letters of a phrase you love, especially if a number or special character is included.
Take two familiar things, and then wrap them around a number or special character. Alternatively, change the spelling to include a special character.

Do not:

Use personal information such as derivatives of your user ID, names of family members, maiden names, cars, license plates, telephone numbers, pets, birthdays, social security numbers, addresses, or hobbies.
Use any word in any language spelled forward or backward.
Tie passwords to the month. For example, don't use “Mayday” in May.
Create new passwords that are substantially similar to ones you've previously used.

Note: No password is 100% secure. You still must take basic security precautions such as not sharing your password with others, changing it frequently and changing it immediately if you believe it may have been compromised.

My website was hacked. What should I do?

in Hosting

First off, if your site was hacked, you have our sympathy. It's really frustrating – not only because it's troublesome to your visitors, but it's really difficult to completely remove the hack.

We offer website scanning for malware, adware, and signs of hacking. We offer malware removal and firewall installation for WordPress websites.

Are you sure it's hacked?

Unless your website has obviously been defaced, go to http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=your domain name — if your website has been hacked, it should show a warning here.

If this doesn't show an error, it's possible your website has still been compromised, but it's less likely. We can perform a thorough scan of a WordPress website and install a firewall to help protect from future attacks.

Change your passwords

If your site's been hacked, you need to immediately change all of your passwords. We recommend using strong passwords.

Restore from backup

If you have a backup of your website (and database) that you know wasn't corrupted, you should re-upload it to your hosting account.

Remove the hack

You're going to need professional help with this. We offer malware removal for HTML and WordPress websites.

Identify & fix the weakness

To prevent your site from getting hacked again, you should identify how your site was compromised. There are two types of weaknesses: passwords and structural problems.

Passwords

Most hacks happen because the attacker was able to guess your account's password by brute force. By simply changing your password (and using a stronger one this time), you can prevent these attacks from succeeding in the future.

Structural

These types of weaknesses require thorough testing to identify and professional help to resolve.

How does an SSL certificate work?

in Hosting

An SSL certificate ensures safe, easy, and convenient Internet browsing and shopping. Once an Internet user enters a secure area — by entering credit card information, email address, or other personal data, for example — the website's SSL certificate enables the browser and Web server to build a secure, encrypted connection. The SSL “handshake” process, which establishes the secure session, takes place discreetly behind the scene without interrupting the consumer's shopping and/or browsing experience. A “padlock” icon in the browser's status bar and the “https://” prefix in the URL are the visible indications of a secure session in progress.

By contrast, if a user attempts to submit personal information to an unsecured website (i.e., a site that is not protected with a valid SSL certificate), the browser's built-in security mechanism triggers a warning to the user, reminding him/her that the site is not secure and that sensitive data might be intercepted by third parties. Faced with such a warning, most Internet users will likely look elsewhere to conduct business or make a purchase.

If your site doesn't use SSL, please contact us. We'd be happy to help you secure your site!

Does My Website Need a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate?

in Hosting

An SSL certificate creates an encrypted connection designed to protect sensitive information. You know you are on a website that has an SSL certificate when you see https:// in the URL bar.

We always recommend SSL certificates for websites that process financial transactions or collect personal information. This includes all e-commerce websites. Because of recent changes by Google, we are now recommending SSL for every business website.

As of July 2018, the web browser Google Chrome will more prominently identify websites that do not have an SSL certificate. Visitors will now see the words “not secure” next to the URL of websites that do not have a properly configured SSL certificate.

Because this could act as a deterrent to anyone visiting a website using Google Chrome, we recommend that all websites have an SSL certificate, even if they do not process financial transactions, sell products or request personal information. Although Google Chrome is the only browser that is changing the way it handles websites without an SSL, we expect the rest (i.e. Safari, Firefox, Edge, etc.) to eventually follow suit.

If your website does not have an SSL certificate, don’t worry, we can completely set it up for you. The cost to implement SSL is usually less than $100 per year.

Have additional questions about an SSL certificate or websites in general? Feel free to call or e-mail us.

What is a Wildcard SSL certificate?

in Hosting

Wildcard SSL certificates secures your website URL and an unlimited number of its subdomains. For example, a single Wildcard certificate can secure www.coolexample.com, blog.coolexample.com, and store.coolexample.com.

Wildcard certificates secure the common name and all subdomains at the level you specify when you submit your request. Just add an asterisk (*) in the subdomain area to the left of the common name.

Examples

If you request your certificate for *.coolexample.com, you can secure:

coolexample.com
www.coolexample.com
photos.coolexample.com
blog.coolexample.com

If you request your certificate for *.www.coolexample.com, you can secure:

www.coolexample.com
mail.www.coolexample.com
photos.www.coolexample.com
blog.www.coolexample.com

Wildcard certificates secure websites just like regular SSL certificates, and requests are processed using the same validation methods. However, some Web servers might require a unique IP address for each subdomain on the Wildcard certificate.

Purchase A Standard SSL (Wildcard)

What is an SSL certificate?

in Hosting

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a website and encrypts information sent to the server using SSL technology. Encryption is the process of scrambling data into an undecipherable format that can only be returned to a readable format with the proper decryption key.

A certificate serves as an electronic “passport” that establishes an online entity's credentials when doing business on the Web. When an Internet user attempts to send confidential information to a Web server, the user's browser accesses the server's digital certificate and establishes a secure connection.

An SSL certificate contains the following information:

The certificate holder's name
The certificate's serial number and expiration date
A copy of the certificate holder's public key
The digital signature of the certificate-issuing authority

1. It Impacts Your Website Performance

2. The Image Display is Unreliable

3. You Lose Control Over the User Experience

The Better Solution: Use a Dedicated Image Host or CDN

What is Website Hosting?

Why Do You Need It?

How Does It Work (in a Nutshell)?

Think of it this way:

Different Types of Hosting (Very Briefly!)

Ready to get started?

The Shifting Landscape: Why Weebly's Future is Unclear

The Power of Open Source: Why WordPress Reigns Supreme

SEO Prowess: WordPress's Unbeatable Advantage

Making the Move: Your Path to a Brighter Web Future

Wix: The “Drag-and-Drop” Dream (with a Catch)

WordPress Self-Hosted: The Unrestricted Powerhouse

The SEO Showdown: Where WordPress Truly Shines

The Verdict: Choose Control, Choose Growth, Choose WordPress

WordPress.com: The Easy Button (with Limitations)

WordPress.org: The Powerhouse of Possibilities (Self-Hosted)

Making the Leap to Self-Hosting

SSL certificates provide increased protection against spoofing, cyber-attacks and data breaches.

Do's and Do Not's of Password Security:

Are you sure it's hacked?

Change your passwords

Restore from backup

Remove the hack

Identify & fix the weakness

Passwords

Structural

Examples

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