Category: Archive

When Should Bloggers Upgrade From Free To Paid Email Marketing?

June 3, 2024
Web Hosting For Demanding Website Owners

If you looking for the best web hosting for demanding website owners, you are going to love this article.

The term “good thing isn’t cheap and cheap thing isn’t good” constantly rings in my ear. When it comes to web hosting, I have quite a fair share of using the best, along with the not-so-good web hosting which resulted in hacking and super slow website loading speed.

I’m not going to lie — I’m annoying and demanding as hell. My goal in web hosting is all about getting the best out of what I’m paying and making sure my website visitors are happy (which I’m sure you have the same goal too).

So, here’s a list of the best web hosting for demanding website owners like me.

Kinsta Hosting

I recently moved all my websites to Kinsta hosting because of two things—performance (speed) and customer support.

Kinsta WordPress hosting isn’t your average Joe when it comes to web hosting. It is priced within the ranged of many managed WordPress hosting services which starts at $30 per month.

If you are demanding (as hell) like me, you are going to love Kinsta hosting.

Kinsta Web Hosting Management Dashboard

For starters, it is powered by Google Cloud Platform which pretty much guarantees ultra fast website loading speed. When it comes to datacenters, you can choose from a massive 15 locations around the world, thanks to Google Cloud Platform. You can also activate the Kinsta CDN (which is powered by KeyCDN) to make your website even faster. If you hate configuring cache plugin like I do, then Kinsta inbuilt cache system is going to save you hours (and sweat).

Looking for staging environment? Don’t worry as Kinsta hosting got you covered! All Kinsta hosting plans come with staging environment to cater for your web development needs (without additional costs).

Last but not least, Kinsta support is available 24/7 through live chat. At anytime you need help, just pop your question and you will get your answers within minutes (not hours).

WP Engine

The WP Engine brand is no stranger to many in the web hosting world. WP Engine offers both affordable and high end plans to fit the needs of website owners (especially demanding ones like me).

Unlike other web hosting companies, WP Engine offers 100% website security and in the case where your website is exposed and being hacked, WP Engine will offer complete website restoration at no cost.

While WP Engine is often considered as enterprise web hosting service, it also offers entry level managed hosting which starts at $35 per month.

Here’s the new WP Engine pricing.

I have no problem recommending WP Engine because it offers live chat support which solves reduces the ‘waiting time’. Of course, you know how annoying it is when it comes to waiting for an answer, don’t you?

Besides that, WP Engine offers shared web hosting environment which is still very powerful and small to mid size websites. Also, don’t forget that WP Engine comes with staging area which allows you to perform changes to your website without having to worry about breaking anything.

Liquid Web

While Kinsta and WP Engine are great managed WordPress hosting providers, what happens when you are NOT using WordPress?

Introducing Liquid Web for demanding website owners. As website owners, you don’t have the time to work on the never ending ‘server issues’—and you rather get your web hosting company to sort those out. You don’t even mind paying them extra just for that!

Don’t get me wrong. I totally get it. Time is money, and by wasting precious time on these petty stuffs, you can make more money by focusing on your online business.

This is where Liquid Web comes into play. Liquid web offers managed dedicated hosting and servers—all in all to make your website loads faster and you can focus on things (your online business for example) that matter most to you.

Here’s a list of web hosting services offered by Liquid Web.

You can also use the button below to take a look at what Liquid Web can offers today.

Now it is your turn!

Do you have experience with bad web host? If yes, tell me what you think and your current web hosting service provider in the comments below.

May 19, 2024
Top 10 Tools Entrepreneurs Use When Working From Home

So, you want to be an entrepreneur who works from home. Wonder what are the tools used by entrepreneurs to scale their business right from the comfort of their coach?

Carry on reading and tell me what you think!

Best note taking app: Evernote

There is no doubt Evernote is the best (and highly recommended) note taking app for entrepreneurs.

I use this all the time to keep notes and ideas — and as an entrepreneur, ideas worth a whole lot of money and more than you can imagine!

More about Evernote here.

Best blogging software: WordPress

Blogging is a greta way to showcase your talent and skills in the online world. While there are many blogging software in the market, WordPress is definitely the best option for you to get started on the right track.

Free Tutorial

Want to start a blog but no idea where to begin? Click the button below to learn more about blogging and how you can start a blog under $30.

Best web hosting service: BlueHost

If you are just starting out, you don’t need to spend hundred of dollars in web hosting. Getting a shared web hosting from reliable web hosting providers such as BlueHost will get your home business started in no time and minus the massive startup cost.

Disclaimer: BlueHost web hosting services starts at $2.95 per month and comes with unlimited bandwidth, 1-click WordPress installation and website builder (at no cost to you).

Get started with BlueHost (or check out their web hosting offers).

Best email marketing service: AWeber

Starting an email list as early as possible is an important step to grow your audience. As a matter of fact, it is one of the best investments you can do for yourself especially when you are working on a side hustle like blogging and website creation.

AWeber is highly affordable (starts at $19 per month), comes with awesome visual builder, hundreds of email templates and a cool support team to help you get started without any hassle.

More about AWeber and professional email marketing solution.

Best website analytics tool: Google Analytics

Google Analytics is undeniable the most used tool for entrepreneurs who have a website. With Google Analytics, you get important information of your website visitors including geolocation, time spend on site and many more information.

Plus, the free tag is definitely a no-brainer for anyone!

Register for a free Google Analytics account.

Best webmaster tool: Google Search Console

If you have a website, it is obvious that you want to rank well on search engine result page. However, the first step is to ensure that your website is known to respective search engines such as Google. This is where Google Search Console comes into play.

With Google Search Console, you will be able to notify Google on changes done to your website so that it can start indexing your site. Once your site is indexed, your website will be visible on the search pages.

Get started using free Google Search Console.

Best free SEO plugin: Yoast SEO

I have been using Yoast SEO for ages and it has never failed me — not even once.

Once the plugin is installed on your WordPress site, you can easily configure it to start ranking well on search engine. Here’s the Yoast SEO guide I’d published sometime back.

Best WordPress theme: Thrive Themes

Thrive Themes is perfect and I mean P-E-R-F-E-C-T. Thrive Themes comes with tons of features that allows you to create custom website designs without hiring a website developer (and potentially paying thousands of dollars).

Website templates are built from ground up with speed, conversion and security in mind. Plus with the Thrive Membership (review) that costs you as low as $19 per month, you get 9 powerful Thrive Plugins to make your entrepreneurship life much easier when you are working from home!

See why more than 17,338 entrepreneurs use Thrive Themes and products in their every day life.

Best live chat module for website: Tawk.to

Let’s face it. What are the chances that website visitors will search for your contact form, open up the link, fill up the form and press submit? Wouldn’t that be easier if you have a live chat module that allows them to talk to you directly?

This is where Tawk.to comes into play. It is a free live chat module for websites and you can opt for paid version if you require additional features. I even use Tawk.to for my digital marketing website.

More about Tawk.to.

Best payment gateay/service: PayPal

Okay, I hear you — PayPal is expensive and bla, bla, bla. True enough!

However, PayPal is a great option especially when you are living in countries where Stripe is not available. PayPal allows you to receive and send money in just a few clicks, and it works perfectly well with most banks in the world.

It is also very secure and you don’t have to worry about hackers (unless you share your password)!

Get paid working from home using PayPal. Learn more here.

What are the tools and software you are using as an entrepreneurs?

Leave a comment below and share with me the tools you are using daily in your entrepreneurship life.

May 19, 2024
6 Freelance Business Ideas That You Can Work From Home Today

Make money. Freelance business. Work from home.

These are just the few things that are constantly lingering in our mind. As a freelancer, you are always finding for more freelance business you can work from home.

Well, we can’t say no to those extra income, right?

In this post, you will discover some of the best freelance business you can start right now (with minimal or no cost at all).

1. Freelance writing

Do you like to write? If you like writing (and a taste for additional income), freelance writing is the best freelance business you can start right now.

You can sign up for freelance job portals such as this one, and getting started is easy — like dead simple and no investment cost.

You can easily earn at least $3 per article and scale all the way up to few thousands in just a few months.

Read: The complete guide to freelancing

2. Freelance graphic designer

Do you like Photoshop or editing images? If yes, this is a great freelance business you can start from home.

Again, it is very simple to get started and the cost of starting ip is literally zero.

With freelance graphic designing, you can easily earn at least $10 per image creation.

3. Freelance data entry

If you are fast with typing and keyboard stuffs, data entry is a great place to start your freelance business from home.

Freelance data entry are calculated based on number of hours you work and at the very least, the charges is around $5 per hour.

With zero cost of investment, consider freelance data entry to earn some extra income.

4. Freelance editor

If you have eyes of a predator, freelance editing could be an excellent fit for you.

Editing is what you will do on a daily basis and this is a very lucrative freelance work indeed!

From video to manuscript, you can earn at least $50 per project and cost of investment is zero.

5. Freelance proofreader

Freelance proofreader is very similar to freelance editor. You are required to proofread documents, content and many heavy content-based matters.

Usually, you can earn around $50 (or more) per project and just like the rest of the freelance business, there is no startup cost required.

6. Freelance marketer

Freelance marketer is easy to start and takes literally no cost for startup. When I first started my digital marketing agency for small businesses, I was skeptical on the success level. And little did I know, it is now a big consultancy agency in Malaysia that is striving very well!

You don’t need a lot of money (or any money at all) to become a freelance marketer. You can work on the side while waiting to start your own enterprise.

Want to know how to start a digital marketing agency (minus the cost)?

Talk to me today and I’m happy to help!

Are you ready to get started with freelancing?

There is a lot of freelance business that you can work from home — pick one and try it out. Give it a few months before deciding if it is the right one for you.

Tell me what you think in the comments!

P.S. Photo credit: Edubirdie

May 19, 2024
Why Should I Start An Email List?

May 5, 2024
MailChimp Subscription: What is the MailChimp pricing?
Is MailChimp really free? If MailChimp is free, why is there MailChimp subscription?

MailChimp is free for 2,000 email subscribers and 12,000 emails delivery per month. After that threshold, you are required to subscribe to MailChimp to continue using it to deliver email.

How does the MailChimp subscription works?

MailChimp pricing is very simple and straightforward. You can register for a free account and you have unlimited access to all the features (except for MailChimp Pro) including the email autoresponder sequence.

MailChimp subscription works on a subscription model — you are billed based on number of email subscribers you have in your list or the number of emails you are sending out on a monthly basis.

MailChimp subscription model is divided into:
- Monthly payment based on number of email subscribers
- Credits based on number of emails you will be delivering
How much does MailChimp costs?

MailChimp paid email marketing costs $10 per month for 500 email subscribers and unlimited email delivery.

You can also opt for MailChimp Pro which priced at $99 per month for detailed analytics and reports. This option is best for companies, high traffic website and large enterprises who want to make use of the email marketing strategy.

Is MailChimp worth it?

This is a great question. MailChimp offers one of the best email delivery rates and it is used by bloggers around the world.

MailChimp is a great email marketing solution if you are not an affiliate marketer.

Should you get MailChimp subscription?

MailChimp is a good option if you are looking for excellent delivery rates and tons of features to enrich your email marketing strategy.

If you are affordable (or making enough from your website) and not using affiliate links, you should definitely get MailChimp subscription for better email marketing results.
May 4, 2024