Why Websites will be must for local businesses in 2019?

65% local business marketers agree that Google is becoming the new “homepage” for local businesses.

Websites are more mobile responsive and affordable in 2019 than ever. However, small businesses still face difficulties that restrict their online presence. Websites help small businesses in attracting new customers, building a brand presence and managing the reputation of their brand.

Why it is important to have a Website as a Business?

Here’s the required information you’ll need to make a decision on whether investing in a website for your business would be good or not:

1.     You’re Already Late!

• Almost 64 percent of small businesses have their websites in early 2019.
• Websites help small business for attracting new customers and engaging their existing customers.
• Websites also give information about a business being genuine by listing out its address, mission, and contact information to the public.

2.     Zero-Click Attention

• These days it is common to search a query on Google and find the answer straight away.
• There is no need to click on anything else as you will find the information right in the search results. Due to this, there has been a substantial rise in zero-click search query results. You do not have to click on another link because Google interface shows that you do not have to dig further.
• The users of mobile have experienced a 20% increase in delivery of search engine results that don’t require them to go any deeper than Google’s own interface.

 3.    Google is being called the new “homepage” for local businesses

• Any person who is looking for services opts for the Google Search which gathers the business information like get directions, making a phone call, take a tour, book tickets, read reviews, check busy times etc. Without clicking through to a brand’s domain, the user may be fully fulfilled. Almost 64 percent of the marketers shall agree that Google is the new homepage for a local and small business.

4.     Google becoming a lead gen agency

• Google Local ads are becoming more prevalent. They stay at the top of a local search engine result within specific industries.
• Whenever a user searches for something on Google, it displays a list. User can click on anyone and then call him. The User does not have to visit the website of a service provider.

5.     Even your branded SERPs don’t belong to you

• When a user particularly searches for the Query or Google Knowledge Panel you can deal with the issue What users are actually searching for.

6.     The encroachment of paid ads into local packs

• While using a local search you will find the list of the local businesses. Local Pack is a search result that displays the list of three local businesses. Ads appear in the search results of Local Pack.

7.     Voice Search is Dominating Day by Day

• Users can search for the query without touching a keyboard. Now, almost 50 percent of the query searches are done by voice. People are using voice-enabled assistants such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home, for 30 percent of the voice searches

8.     Enhances Brand Image

• Ratings and reviews are important factors for the building trust among the potential and existing customers. However, one negative review on Google My Business listing can stop a customer to do business with you. With the help of websites, we can resolve the complaints of customers in an effective and quick way.

Conclusion

A local business without a website does not have a base. Business platform and brand-controlled publishing that can influence the organic rankings very strongly. In the lack of a website, the possibilities of ranking in the competitive market will be very less. Why has website as a business? Because a small or local business can grow substantially if it invests decent money on its website.

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Web Design / Security Trends for 2018

WordPress Security

Every year we find new reports of hackers hacking important websites to target a given business or even governments. Not only does this have disastrous consequences to your reputation, the damage to your business maybe irreparable after this breach of trust.

Are you aware of the dangers that poor security can land your website in? Is your website susceptible to hackers?

What are the risks of poor security for your website?

• Damages your business reputation– As mentioned earlier, if your website is hacked even once, it can ruin the reputation of your business and your customers would prefer to stay away from your website.
• Puts your data at risk– A breach can put the sensitive and important data like your customers’ personal information and passwords at risk.
• Malware distribution– Some hackers are notorious for installing malicious software on a target website, and you may distribute malware to the users unknowingly.
• Loss of revenue– Hacking of your website costs you a lot as you lose the trust of your customers, and as a result, your revenue reduces gradually.

 No website is 100% secure, but when you use WordPress, you can certainly reduce the possibility of hacking.

Why is it important to secure your WordPress website?

1. To prevent your online business from losing reputation and revenue.
2. To protect your customer’s sensitive and personal information.
3. To reduce the risk of spreading malware on other websites.
4. To build a strong business image and staying on the top by offering a secure web experience.

How vulnerable is your WordPress account?

WordPress accounts are typically subject to below vulnerabilities:

Do not worry though, follow a simple WordPress security checklist to be followed to prevent WordPress hacking:

1. Take Regular Back-Ups for Content

i.e. New Content Development & Website Developed.

A. Even if any website is secured, one should always take a backup for any critical and sensitive business information.

B. Set the backup at regular intervals of each day or maybe one day of the week, this depends on how frequently you there is website content development.

C. One can use tools like BackupBuddy, BlogVault, etc. to set automatic backups. Ideally one should take database backup from hosting servers.

2. Regularly Update Your Website:

A. The websites developed should be updated regularly.

B. WordPress also notifies users in case of pending updates.

C. If you are concerned about the compatibility issues arising out of automatic updates, you can always update your website manually.

3. Use Appropriate File Permissions:

A. File permissions are very important to keep files safe. You can restrict the user access through permissions because wrong permissions are dangerous. For example, you if directories have 777 permissions, these permissions give a reading, writing, and execution access to everybody and are especially dangerous.

B. You can use a User Activity Log Pro WordPress plugin to check your file permissions.

4. Turn Off Directory Listings for the Website Developed.

A. If a folder on a Web server does not contain an index.html or index.php file, visitors to that part of your website can sometimes view the folder contents.

B. This means that the server allows directory browsing, which may be helpful in some situations but, especially for public-facing websites, is something that allows hackers to search around for files with known vulnerabilities.

C. The easiest way to prevent this is to make sure you have an index.html or index.php file in your root folder.

5. Change your Login URL of WordPress Website

A. wp-login.php, the usual WordPress login page, is continuously bombarded with hits,mostly from automated bots hoping to find a WordPress installation with a weak password, allowing them to hack and take control of it.

B. So, please make sure that you rename your WP Login URL. You can use Re-name WP Login plugin for this purpose.

6. Limit Login Attempts

A. An actual user can enter the right credentials in maximum three or four attempts.

B. You should limit the login attempts based on this fact to eliminate the possibility of your password being guessed by a hacker.

C. When you limit the failed attempts, you add another level of safety to your WordPress-based business website.

7. Use 2-Factor Authentication for Website Security

A. Your password always had a risk of being known to the smart hackers.

B. Therefore, you should use a 2-factor authentication for login. Also, never use “Admin” as the username because it is the default name!

C. That’s not all. Just a strong password or a unique username may not be enough to secure your website.

D. You should use iThemes security WordPress plugin to enhance the login security.

8. Get Plugins From Known Resources Only

A. One of the biggest benefits of the WordPress platform is its huge treasure of plugins.

B. The official repository of WordPress has over 55,000+ plugins.

C. But, it is always essential to check comments or reviews and support info before downloading any plugin because a plugin may come as a malware for your website.

D. Therefore, always remember to trust only known and dependable resources to get plugins.

9. Go For HTTPS

A. When you change the WordPress website to HTTPS, you ensure its fortification from hackers and any untrustworthy hidden scripts.

B. Also, you can get a higher ranking on Google SERPs because WordPress has made it compulsory to have HTTPS for considering the website on search results.

C. Your tech-savvy customers will see HTTPS and put trust in your website.

10. Use Security Plugins

A. You use plugins to boost the performance of your website. You must also use them to improve the security of your site.

B. A few of the plugins mentioned already mentioned are iThemes Security, WordFence, User Activity Log Pro etc. They are a few of the most popular security plugins for WordPress website.

C. Such plugins monitor every suspicious activity and shield your website through locking any susceptible areas.

Ad2Brand Media Private Limited is a company for website Development in Pune that specializes in building the websites with great security.

At Ad2Brand Media Private Limited, we believe in providing our customers the best value. This means using the latest technology to safeguard the client’s data. Please call us today to get a fair-price quote!

Conclusion:

1. Website security is a multifaceted topic, made more difficult by the fact that the landscape is continuously changing.
2. Partnering with an expert in website security like Ad2Brand will keep your website out of the radar of hackers and this, in turn, will help you rest easy.

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