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SendPulse Review – A Great MailChimp Alternative
SendPulse, ladies and gentlemen.

If you are looking for a good alternative to MailChimp, or have the question “is MailChimp good,” you’re going to love this post. This post will all about SendPulse, the latest email marketing service provider that I have come across recently.

It is important to understand that Sendpulse is exclusively email marketing platform would diminish its value since it also offers free unlimited web push notifications and SMS messaging. But for the sake of this review, we will focus on its emailing service.

Searching on Google, you may find a few thousand write ups about SendPulse and what it can do for you. I hope this write-up will give you even deeper insights, as well as some honest review for SendPulse.

What is SendPulse?

The tagline for SendPulse is ‘marketing made simple’. For me, what makes SendPulse unique is simply because it offers artificial intelligence (AI), hyper-personalization and predictive analysis to make your email go BOOM!

SendPulse features

Do you know why I said SendPulse is an alternative to MailChimp?

SendPulse is freemium email marketing service provider just like MailChimp.

For a free account, SendPulse allows you to have up to 2,500 email subscribers with 15,000 emails send out on a monthly basis.

And yes, the stats will automatically refresh once every month.

Email templates

With SendPulse, you’ll access to all their email templates and trust me; they are pretty well done!

Take a look at the image below for some samples:

Kind of cool, right?

SendPulse subscription forms

Another “wow” factor for SendPulse is the subscription forms. If you are a MailChimp user, you know that it has very standard, generic look for their subscription forms. While you can perform modifications on the forms, they require some coding knowledge which can be a pain in the a*s for beginners.

Now, take a look at what SendPulse can offer:

Now, it doesn’t take me long to be mesmerized with these! So many options and a form builder as well?

Perfecto, as what Italians always say!

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Autoresponders (the first ‘wow’ factor)

Keep the best for the last — this is what I always believe.

Let’s be honest here. I was surprised that SendPulse offers autoresponders on their free account.

As you can see from the image above, SendPulse provides three forms of automated series which are:
- Autoresponder
- Email triggered based on specific dates
- Email triggered based on action takes or predefined conditions
As email marketers, you probably heard how the big guns in nearly every industry use email automation to skyrocket their sales and visibility. You know, the soft sell, hard sell, etc.

In most cases, email marketing is always considered well used only when you have a good email automation that integrates with a sales funnel.

But the biggest challenge most people faced is that they are not leveraging email automation simply because of the price. And this is absolutely where SendPulse comes into play.

Email automation system that comes either super affordable or free in most cases.

A/B testing with SendPulse (the second ‘wow’ factor)

You might be thinking, “Okay, this is crazy. What is SendPulse doing? Are they killing the market?”

I would easily define the answer as they are revolutionary. With a freemium email marketing service that provides split testing features (also known as A/B testing) can be considered a home run.

Yes, this is just too good to be true.

Split testing can be very mind-boggling and complicated, but SendPulse makes it really, really simple.

All you need to do is to fill up the details such as:
- Naming the test
- Select an address book
- Choosing the right criteria for judging (opens or click through rates)
- Sending the finalized, winning email either through automation or manual
Allow me to I point out two important points on the final email sending.

When you select automatic sending, you can set the system to pick the best winner after a particular time. In this case, you can choose either days, hours or both.

Of course, the second point is the manual resend where you can decide to send the winning email at your pace. This option is excellent if you want to have more control over your email marketing strategy.

SendPulse Pricing

SendPulse comes with several different pricing structures. See below for better understanding.

When it comes to email marketing with SendPulse, the lowest plan is the free which comes with 2,500 email subscribers and is an excellent choice for beginners and small businesses.

If you require more features and services, you can purchase paid services instead which starts at $9.85 per month.

Don’t forget that you’ll get 3 months free when you sign up when you pay upfront for a whole year!

There is also Pay As You Go plans that start at $32 for 10,000 emails.

More SendPulse exciting features – Push campaigns

Wait! Do you know that SendPulse comes with push campaigns?

Push campaign can easily be said as an instant notification from your website on your subscriber’s desktops.

Looks familiar, right? You’ll see many websites doing that now (even those famous sites are using this technology as well).

Here’s how it works (credit to SendPulse) for the video.

SMS plans by SendPulse

SendPulse is one of those email marketing providers that provide affordable SMS (short messaging system) plans.

So, if your marketing goes beyond the standard usage of email and would want to engage using SMS, you should consider SendPulse for the matter!

Don’t forget that SMS messages are great when you want to send instant messages, discounts, and other offers directly to them instead of the emails.

Summary

I was lucky to be able to use SendPulse for a few weeks, and I got to say that it is really good. For the free account that comes with automation and split testing, there’s absolutely nothing to complain!

Plus, don’t forget that they have a lot of interesting email templates even in the free account.

If you are interested in using SendPulse, there’s another great offer for you!

Signup using this link to get a $50 discount for any monthly plan of your choice. The discount will be distributed equally for the first five months ($10 discount per month).
March 20, 2024
Navigating the Crypto Crash: Unveiling Opportunities in the Tempest
The realm of cryptocurrency is synonymous with unpredictability, where fortunes can turn with the wind. Recently, the crypto market experienced one of its many upheavals, reminding enthusiasts and investors alike of its volatile nature. However, within this turbulence, there lie hidden harbors of opportunity for the astute observer. Let’s dive deeper into understanding this recent phenomenon and explore how it could, in fact, be a gateway to potential investment goldmines.

A Turbulent Week at a Glance

The market cap of cryptocurrencies took a drastic plunge, descending more than 7% to rest at $2.55 trillion. Blue-chip cryptos such as Bitcoin and Ethereum weren’t spared, each shedding over 7% in value. The distress didn’t discriminate, dragging down both giants and minnows; meme coins like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu plummeted by nearly 12%. This widespread decline triggered reactions across the crypto community, raising eyebrows and concerns in equal measure.

But what led to this nosedive? Understanding the factors can provide clarity and direction in a market that often seems shrouded in mystery.

The Forces Behind the Fall
1. The Expiry Impact
  In the world of cryptocurrency, option expiry dates are akin to high tide days – they bring about significant volatility. Last week, the crypto market felt this impact distinctly. Over $3 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options reached their expiry, casting a shadow of uncertainty and prompting sharp sell-offs. These days often lead to strategic moves by investors, aiming to minimize losses or capitalize on expected fluctuations, hence stirring the market waters.
2. Economic Data’s Ripple Effects
  The Federal Reserve’s indications that interest rate decisions would hinge on new economic data sent waves across global financial markets. High inflation paired with a robust economic performance painted a complex picture. On one hand, such strength showcases resilience; on the other, it postpones potential interest rate cuts. As a result, we saw a domino effect: a strengthened US Dollar, weakened global equities, and a jittery crypto market, each influencing the other in a tightly interlinked financial ecosystem.
3. The Liquidation Cascade
  A noteworthy event was the massive wave of liquidations, with over $680 million evaporating from the crypto market. This was not a mere statistic but a harsh reality for over 192,000 investors who found their positions liquidated within a startling 24-hour timeframe. These liquidations significantly contribute to downward pressure on prices, as large quantities of crypto assets are sold off quickly, exacerbating the dip.
4. The ETF Dilemma
  Institutional interest, as evidenced by inflows and outflows from crypto ETFs, serves as a barometer for broader market sentiment. The precipitous drop in inflows into the U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETF – by over 80% – signaled a dramatic sentiment shift among institutional players. This cooling off is notably impactful as these entities often bring substantial capital, and their activity levels can influence market dynamics noticeably.
Capitalizing on the Chaos: Bitcoin & Ethereum Opportunities

The axiom “buy low, sell high” is never truer than during market downturns. The lowered prices of Bitcoin and Ethereum represent not a crisis but an opening for potential investors. This could be an opportune moment for Malaysians, particularly. Historically, such dips have been temporary, followed by rebounds that reward those who entered at a lower point. While past performance is not indicative of future results, it’s an observed pattern worth noting for anyone considering expanding their investment portfolio.

Luno: Your Secure Gateway to Crypto

In turbulent times, the choice of platform can make all the difference. Luno stands out as a beacon of reliability and ease for Malaysians venturing into or expanding within the cryptocurrency landscape. With its user-friendly interface and robust security measures, Luno offers both newcomers and seasoned traders a seamless journey from fiat to digital currency.

Whether you’re drawn to the potential of Bitcoin or Ethereum or exploring other cryptos, Luno provides the tools and resources to navigate your investment journey with confidence.

Sign up with Luno and get RM25 credit for FREE!

Embracing the Future

As we sail through these tempestuous markets, the foresight to recognize and act on potential opportunities becomes invaluable. Through platforms like Luno, Malaysian investors have a trusted companion to guide them. The recent crypto crash, while daunting, holds the seeds of future growth for those willing to look closely. Armed with knowledge, strategy, and a reliable partner in Luno, the path ahead is ripe with potential for those ready to embark on their crypto journey.

So, here’s to charting a course through the storm, towards the hopeful horizons of investment opportunities. Selamat berinvestasi!
March 16, 2024
CRM Malaysia: The Ultimate Guide for Business Owners in Malaysia
In the current climate of business in Malaysia, it’s crucial to harness the power of all available tools to gain a competitive edge. One such tool that increasingly takes center stage is the Customer Relationship Management system (CRM). According to a report by Grand View Research, the global CRM market size was valued at USD 40.2 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.2% from 2020 to 2027. But why this impressive growth? Let’s delve into our comprehensive guide.

What is CRM?

CRM or Customer Relationship Management is a technology or system used to manage all your company’s relationships and interactions with potential and current customers. Its primary goal aligns with driving customer retention, enhancing sales growth, and facilitating meaningful customer relationships.

In essence, a CRM tool helps businesses stay connected to their customers, streamline operations, and improve profitability. It encompasses a combination of robust practices, strategies, and technologies that corporations utilize to manage customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle.

CRM Malaysia: A Localized Business Game-Changer

Gone are the days of cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all solutions. Consumers today demand personalized experiences, making it essential for businesses to consider local tastes and preferences. CRM Malaysia does just that.

CRM Malaysia comes tailored to meet the unique demands of local Malaysian businesses. It helps strategically navigate customer behaviors, purchasing patterns, cultural nuances, and communication tendencies inherent to the Malaysian market. Integrating these local factors into a CRM system can significantly enhance the customer experience, leading to increased customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Introducing the Key Players of CRM Malaysia

In the world of CRM Malaysia, several players lead the pack:
- Zoho CRM: Known for its multichannel communications, AI-driven predictions, and data analytics, Zoho CRM offers a versatile platform for businesses.
- Salesforce: With its customizable features, Salesforce’s CRM services allows businesses to effectively manage their customer relationships and interactions.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365: This unified CRM platform integrates sales, customer service, and marketing to streamline business operations effectively.
- HubSpot CRM: Ideal for businesses looking to generate leads, HubSpot CRM offers excellent customer service features and tools for tracking sales pipelines.
Features of an Effective CRM Malaysia

Selecting an apt CRM solution involves carefully examining its features, which should ideally include:

Customer Data Management: This feature involves profiling customers, tracking their interactions, and deriving insights on their behaviors. An effective CRM system should provide a comprehensive understanding of the customer through data, informing future marketing strategies and sales efforts.

Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface is crucial. A system that requires extensive training or technical knowledge will likely lead to user errors or non-utilization.

Scalability: As your business expands, your CRM needs will evolve and increase. Therefore, look for a CRM solution that is flexible and scalable to match your business growth and fluctuating volumes.

Integration: Seamless integration is essential to ensure your CRM connects properly with your existing systems including email, apps, and websites. A CRM that poorly integrates can lead to loss of data and malfunctioning business processes.

Local Customer Support: An effective CRM software needs to have a responsive, local customer support that offers real-time assistance during system interruptions or when you need guidance.

To summarize, a CRM Malaysia solution can greatly enhance your understanding of your local audience, provide valuable consumer insights, and facilitate efficient customer service.

When choosing your CRM, consider your unique business requirements and the crucial features listed. The right CRM system will offer these functionalities in a way that seamlessly blends with your business model, setting you up for continued success in today’s ever-evolving digital landscape.

ZappyCRM: Marketing Lancer’s Comprehensive CRM Solution

Marketing Lancer proudly introduces ZappyCRM, a custom CRM service meticulously crafted for the ever-evolving demands of today’s businesses. ZappyCRM isn’t just an ordinary CRM—it’s designed as a Full Suite Platform for Marketers that incorporates all the tools needed to not only capture but also nurture leads and close more deals effectively.

Learn more about ZappyCRM

Unique Selling Point (USP) of ZappyCRM

The seamless integration of a full-featured Page Builder sets ZappyCRM apart. Users enjoy the creative freedom to construct entire websites, sophisticated sales funnels, and compelling landing pages. Our no-code, intuitive platform empowers business owners to create, edit, and publish without needing technical expertise.

Benefits of ZappyCRM for Clients

Capture New Leads

Optimized Lead Capture: ZappyCRM facilitates the creation of fully functional websites, sales funnels, and landing pages designed to maximize lead capture.

Drag & Drop Surveys and Forms: Interactive forms and surveys are essential for capturing information, and with ZappyCRM’s drag-and-drop functionality, setting up these lead capture tools becomes hassle-free.

Streamlined Appointment Scheduling: The platform integrates a calendar application for clients to book appointments directly, enhancing customer experience and increasing conversion chances.

Nurture Leads Into Customers

Follow-up Campaign Tailoring: Flexibility in following up ensures that every lead is nurtured through multi-channel campaigns, tailored to automate engagement and prompt responses.

Multi-Channel Reach: From email to Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, ZappyCRM ensures that clients can maintain communication across all platforms, breaking down barriers between businesses and potential customers.

Omni-Device Communication: With a full-featured mobile app, communication continuity is maintained across all devices, ensuring no lead is left behind.

Fully Automated Booking

Automated Conversations for Booking: The CRM’s automation capabilities allow it to carry out conversations that aim to achieve booked appointments, minimizing the need for constant human oversight.

Personalized Messaging: Flexibility in message customization ensures that clients can make the communication seem as personalized and human-like as possible, despite the automation.

Closing More Deals

Workflow and Pipeline Management: Knowing where leads are in the funnel is vital, and ZappyCRM’s pipeline management assists in tracking and moving deals forward, increasing efficiency and closure rates.

Seamless Payment Collection: Through a direct integration with Stripe, payments are effortlessly processed, enabling transactions within the CRM environment.

Consolidated Analytics and Reporting: An overarching dashboard provides crucial insights on lead statuses and monetary progress across different phases, facilitating strategic decision-making.

ZappyCRM is fashioned to cater to the multiple facets of the marketing and sales processes. It assists in not just accumulating leads but effectively nurturing and converting them into loyal customers. It scales with your business, offering powerful automation and integrative features that save time and boost productivity.

Adopting ZappyCRM could signify a transformative shift for businesses seeking a comprehensive, all-in-one CRM platform. With the combination of an easy-to-use interface, robust automation, and detailed analytics, ZappyCRM is poised to redefine how Malaysian businesses engage with their customers and manage their sales pipelines.

Get in touch with Marketing Lancers now
March 16, 2024
How To Make Money With Email List
Do you know that most of the articles you find on the Internet on ‘how to make money with email list‘ actually teaches you nonsense?

Forgive me for my rant, but I think that it is about time where someone stands up and put some serious facts on using the email list to put real money into your bank account.

For starters, there are just too many articles telling you how to make money using email list, but I realized they missed some seriously, crucial factors in it.

Now, don’t take my word for it. To justify the matter, take a moment to think about this.

Are you making $100 a month from your email list?

If the answer is ‘yes,’ you probably know what you are doing, and you can safely skip this post. However, you may want to continue reading to find some quick hacks to double your income generated from the email list.

If your answer is ‘no,’ please carry on reading and bookmark this! I promise you that you will find a lot of beneficial information from this post and it doesn’t take you more than 10 minutes.

1-minute recap: What you should know about building an email list?

Everyone who has a blog or website need to build an email list. While most email services providers charge you money, there are some who are offering free accounts such as MailChimp and Benchmark Email.

An email list goes a long way because he will help you generate money in a long run. Of course, more on how to make money with an email list is after this little segment.

Building an email list is also important because it is going to help you connect with your audience. You will connect with them in more ways than just psychological emotions with them, especially when your posts and writing resonate with them.

The result from this will be explosive:

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- They are going to help you boost your traffic
- They will share your content if they love them
- They are going to be your friends
- They are going to be your loyal fans
- They are going to look for you when they face challenges (usually within your niche)
- They are going to trust you so much that, they will buy anything you promote to them!
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Ladies and gentlemen, these are the exact reasons why you should build an email list.

How to make money with email list?

The million dollar question that you can find over a thousand tutorials on the Internet but yet, only a handful make money with email list.

The problem is fairly simple.

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- It is NOT because you are not using a paid email service provider
- It is NOT because you have a small email list
- It is NOT because you are not sending weekly newsletter
- It is NOT because you are not using an autoresponder
- It is NOT because you are using a free email service provider
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And the answer is this.

The simplest way to make money with email list

Segment your email list.

Yes, you read that right. If you want to generate real money from the email list, you need to start to segment your email list.

The biggest mistake you can ever do is to put everyone on the same email list. Here is a simple way to segment your email list:

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- General newsletter – Everyone goes in here once they sign up for your email newsletter
- Segment 1 – People with specific interest (example content marketing) only
- Segment 2 – People with specific interest (example social media) only
- Segment 3 – People with specific interest (example search engine) only
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When you send a weekly newsletter, send them by batches based on the segments. So, each newsletter can easily be custom made and be extremely focused on topics they interest them the most.

Do you know what happens when you do the above?
1. You will have low unsubscribing rate (with Google loves)
2. You can send highly targeted emails to the right audience which improves with click-through rate (CTR in short)
3. You resonate with your email subscribers and this build trust
Now, imagine doing this.

You send weekly emails to all these segments trying to provide tons of value. As a result, they love it and thank you for them.

Then, once every month, you send a newsletter that has some promotional items in it. For example, you can promote online courses, recommending an affiliate product or even upselling your services.

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Takeaway: Because there are a deep trust and understanding between you and your email subscribers, they are not going to be pissed off with you. Instead, they might even thank you for the promotional email and make some purchases!

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What’s next is simply, cha-ching!

How to start segmenting your email list?

Most free email service provider such as MailChimp doesn’t provide you with tons of options for segmenting. At least, in the point of view of a complete non-developer.

If you are interested to know the method to create tags using MailChimp, here’s an excellent article found on their knowledge base. Read more here.

The easier way is to create multiple signup forms and lists on MailChimp. This step allows you to send traffic to the right signup forms and ultimately helping you to segment your target audience.

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Important tip: Do not compile all your email subscribers under one email list!

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When you are sending your newsletter, make sure that you create different types of email based on your segment and always avoid recycling!

Bonus: Should you use email automation to make money with email list?

Yes, if you can afford it.

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What is email automation?

According to BigCommerce, email automation is the most effective way to engage in email marketing because it enables you to send out messages to your customers at designated times. … Using automation, they can save time by setting up the email platform to send messages when customers take specific actions.

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There are many email automation services that you can choose from in the market, but most of them cost above $15 a month. And I totally get it!

As a blogger or content writer, you might think that email automation system just adds more weight to your monthly budget.

I had the same mindset as well, and with having over 2,000 email subscribers, it gets pricey very fast. Recently, I move from a prominent email automation system to ActiveCampaign.

The result? I’m surprised!

Let me share with you some details here about ActiveCampaign. It comes with a free trial of 30 days which you can try out (using this link), and that’s not yet the kicker since every email marketing solution in the world provides that.

The kicker was the value and the price. For only $9 a month, you get a complete email automation system and trust me, a good email automation costs a lot more than $9!
- GetResponse starts at $15 a month
- AWeber starts at $19 a month
- ConvertKit starts at $29 a month
And yes, I was surprised and tested it out (thanks to my curiosity nature).

Here’s what you need to try on Active Campaign using their free trial.

1. Create an email list

2. Import contacts to the email list you have just created

You can either upload a CSV file using the default button (green button) or manually add into Active Campaign.

It would take around a few minutes to upload the contacts.

3. Create an automation for your email list

The above is the drag and drop automation system found on ActiveCampaign. You can choose from several pre-made templates or you can create one from scratch.

Why did I choose Active Campaign?

The email automation system is so powerful that I can easily create proven automation without creating one from scratch.

What?!

Yes, Active Campaign thought about this and kudos to them. I don’t have hours to create a good sales funnel, and this is exactly what Active Campaign does for me. It gives me some awesome pre-made templates, and I can easily duplicate them into my email list.

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The results: 100+ hours of time-saving (testing, modification, and A/B testing), 30% of improving results, 90% of satisfaction for my email subscribers, 25% improved in revenue generated from the email list.

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Now, go figure!

Quick Guide: How to use Active Campaign tagging feature and make money with email list

Tagging works when email subscribers perform a specific task. In this case, it can be clicking on a link in the email, being subscribed to a newsletter or being added to a new email list.

Here’s a quick GIF on how to use Active Campaign tagging feature.

Once the above is done, you’ll find email subscribers that are tagged accordingly based on their preferences or journey in your sales funnel.

You can find the tags allocated to each email subscriber when you check on their profile.

Summary

I hope you find the guide, ‘How to make money with email list’ useful and do tell me what you think about it. Feel free to reach out to me if you need help and looking forward to seeing you in the comment section below!
March 5, 2024
Cloudways Managed Cloud Hosting Review 2017
You found this article because you are interested about the Cloudways managed cloud hosting review 2017. I’m not going to disappoint you, you’ve come to the right place.

I promised to make this article as detailed and informative as possible. Therefore, I’ll be covering a wide range of topics related to Cloudways such as:
- What is managed cloud hosting?
- Introduction to Cloudways
- Cloudways managed cloud hosting review for the year 2017
- Advantages and disadvantages of Cloudways
- How to migrate a website to Cloudways?
I hope you find this article useful and I will appreciate it if you can share this on social media.

What is managed cloud hosting?

According to Techopedia, managed cloud hosting is a process in which organizations share and access resources, including databases, hardware and software tools, across a remote network via multiple servers in another location. In managed cloud hosting, servers are purchased in slices or as a virtual server.

If the above sounds geeky for you, don’t worry. Here’s a simplified version for the meaning of managed cloud hosting.

Managed cloud hosting is not like your average shared hosting service (example, Bluehost). In shared hosting service, you will most probably share the same hosting environment with over a thousand or other users.

Compared to cloud hosting, you can utilize the entire server allocation for your usage. The server is also hosted on a virtual server where accessing it would require a remote network connection.

The term ‘managed’ simply means that the server or servers are maintained by one or more support team. Thus you don’t have to worry about server maintenance.

I’m a huge fan of managed cloud hosting and to be extremely honest with you, cloud hosting services aren’t the cheapest in the market. However, they are probably one of the best especially when it comes to server performance.

Searching for the cheapest managed cloud hosting platform? You don’t have to look far as Cloudways is the best (and cheapest) managed cloud hosting platform you can find in today’s market.

Introduction to Cloudways managed cloud hosting platform

Cloudways has long been in the industry of virtual servers. I’ve used them several years back, and they are affordable.

Back in those days, Cloudways only have Digital Ocean and Amazon Web Services (AWS) as their provider. Now, Cloudways is working with several other partners such as Vultr, Google Cloud Platform Live, and Kyup.

Here are some reviews on Cloudways:

“Cloudways is an interesting company because it is in the process of moving from a service offering, where every deployment is essentially a custom one, to a far more productized approach.” – Ben Kepes, Forbes

‘Cloudways takes care of the management of open-source tools for hosting websites, like Magento, WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla.’ – Jordan Novet, Venture Beat

“Cloudways indicates the emphasis is on simplicity, targeting SMBs that have little to no desire to operate or administer the infrastructure themselves.” – Liam Eagle, 451 Research

“There’s a lot to like about Cloudways. The Web host has flexible plans, killer Web-based customer support, and excellent uptime. It’s a company that you can count on to keep your site up and running.” – Jeffrey L. Wilson, PCMag.com

“Cloudways is always a fun company to test. It showed major performance improvements in this round (2015) and earned an honorable mention. It was by far the most improved provider between tests.” – Kevin Ohashi, Review Signal

Cloudways managed cloud hosting review for the year 2017

In all my reviews, I am always very strict about performance, scalability, cost and support. Coming from the customer service industry, these are just values that I cannot overlook and are often considered the core of any business.

1. Cloudways managed cloud hosting server performance review (rating 9 out of 10)

For starters, I want to be straightforward to say that I am not testing on their smallest package, 512 MB server. Instead, I’m using two servers of 1 GB and 2 GB respectively. Therefore, my review will be based on both of them.

Of course, 512 MB server would probably be enough to host a brand new website or smaller ones. With the websites that I manage, I need more firepower of course.

Regarding performance, Cloudways exceeds my expectations by miles apart. Due to traffic and security concerns, I always use managed WordPress hosting as my go-to web hosting service. If you are wondering, I’m using WP Engine, and the package was Professional.

Here are the stats when I was still using WP Engine:

Here are the stats when I am using Cloudways managed cloud hosting:

Now, take a look at the top. The stats are very clear and straight forward.

It certainly looks like Cloudways is really good and could easily consider as overperforming since I’m comparing it head-on with one of the world’s best WordPress hosting, WP Engine.

Cloudways comes with Varnish feature as well, therefore, works like a charm and allows your website to load faster than most web hosting services could.

Plus, being a managed cloud hosting platform, there are more allocated resources for your website which will directly affect the loading speed.

Bear in mind that I’m using Cloudways 2 GB ram on Digital Ocean that costs me $34 a month compared to WP Engine Professional plan at $99 per month.

A critical Cloudways managed cloud hosting review is not complete without sharing the information of Let’s Encrypt and RackSpace’s email feature. According to Google, websites that have SSL would rank higher than most websites that don’t. When you use Cloudways, it is easy to apply for an SSL certificate (for free). The entire process takes around 5 minutes and can be done only when you have the domain pointing directly to the allocated IP address on Cloudways.

As for RackSpace email feature, it is chargeable at $1 per email (per month) and trusts me; this is an awesome feature compared to others. Bear in mind that you can easily have this service by clicking on the “Addon” button to purchase the service.

2. Cloudways managed cloud hosting scalability (rating 10 out of 10)

Need to scale your website because you are growing? No problem!

With Cloudways, scalability is never an issue. As a matter of fact, you can easily do so by just dragging the scale up to the designated value, and the billing will automatically be reflected.

Managed cloud hosting such as Cloudways allows you to scale down your website as well easily. This can be done by creating a clone server and selecting a lower tier cloud hosting package that fits your need.

Noticed the ease of upgrading and downgrading on Cloudways?

When it comes to scalability, I would give Cloudways scalability of 10/10 because it is just that simple and can usually be completed in 10 minutes.

3. Cloudways managed cloud hosting pricing/cost (rating 10 out of 10)

At this point of writing, I’m residing in Malaysia, and my exchange rate for USD is approx 4.46. So, let’s take the instance that I’m using WP Engine $99 per month.

USD 99 x 4.46 = RM 441.54

This means that I should be paying approximately RM 441.54 every month just for web hosting!

Now, when I use Cloudways, I’m being charged at $32 per month.

USD 32 x 4.46 = RM 142.72

That’s approximately 67% saving every month!

Let’s do us all a favor and think hard on this. We all talk about web hosting speed, security, performance and probably a dozen more features but at the end of the day, the price matters the most.

When you use Cloudways managed cloud hosting platform, you are doing yourself a favor by getting the best performance as well as easy on your wallet.

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Oh by the way, do you know that Cloudways doesn’t tie you down with prepayment? All subscriptions are based on month to month basis.

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4. Cloudways managed cloud hosting support (rating 8.5 out of 10)

When it comes to supporting, Cloudways go a long way in making their customers feeling happy and satisfied.

For starters, you will receive a telephone call from their support team a few days after signing up for their service. And on top of that, you have the ability to hop onto their ‘live chat’ sessions for any help. Until date, the waiting queue for live chat is always fast and usually, the wait time is under 30 seconds.

Typically, their support team is very well trained in most scenarios, but from time to time, you will meet up with a few who are less experienced. While they will try to help out as much as they could, it would be a little annoying when you have to repeat yourself a couple of times!

Now, when it comes to rating the level of support provided by Cloudways, I would give them a nice 8.5 out of 10. If they could have more experienced staffs working throughout the clock, it will probably further increase the satisfaction level of the customers.

5. Simplicity in managed cloud hosting (rating 9.5 out of 10)

Simplicity and user experience are two vital components for any web hosting service. As most beginners or webmasters don’t want to spend the entire day getting the server up and running, both of these are more important than ever.

Here’s a screenshot of my dashboard:

As you can see, it is very straightforward and pretty for the eyes.

Managing a cloud hosting server is not an easy task. It often requires experience and certain knowledge before you can have a fully running service. With Cloudways managed cloud hosting platform, it is extremely easy to create and manage your cloud servers.

Cloudways allows you to:

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- Create managed cloud servers quickly
- Manage servers easily
- Scale up or down the server
- Turn on and off Varnish
- Reboot the server
- Purge the cache
- Clone the server
- Install SSL certificate under 5 minutes
- Change PHP settings
- And much more
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The above can be done on all Cloudways managed cloud hosting servers without any coding. You can either turn on or off specific services with just a few clicks.

It is so easy that you can even migrate your website using Cloudways’s migrator tool!

In the scale of 1 to 10, I would give Cloudways simplicity and user experience at the score of 9.5.

Yes, Cloudways managed cloud hosting is seriously that good!

How to migrate to Cloudways managed cloud hosting platform?

Do you remember paying hundred of dollars just to migrate your website from one web host to another? Yes, those days.

With today’s technology, you are no longer bound for that. Instead, you can use migration tools provided by some hosting companies to ease the job. Currently, Cloudways is the only managed cloud hosting platform that offers such service.

The process of migrating to Cloudways is simple. Here are the steps:

[step_graphics style=”4″ color=””][step style=”4″ text=”1″ headline=”Create%20a%20new%20cloud%20server%20on%20Cloudways”][/step][step style=”4″ text=”2″ headline=”Install%20Cloudways%20Migration%20Plugin%20from%20the%20WordPress%20repository”][/step][step style=”4″ text=”3″ headline=”Complete%20the%20information%20required%20and%20click%20on%20the%20’Migrate’%20button”][/step][step style=”4″ text=”4″ headline=”Typically%2C%20the%20transfer%20would%20take%20at%20least%2030%20minutes%20to%20a%20few%20hours%20for%20completion”][/step][step style=”4″ text=”5″ headline=”Check%20your%20newly%20migrated%20website%20using%20the%20temporary%20URL”][/step][step style=”4″ text=”6″ headline=”If%20everything%20is%20ordered%20and%20you%20are%20satisfied%2C%20change%20the%20IP%20address%20to%20point%20back%20to%20Cloudways%20managed%20server”][/step][step style=”4″ text=”7″ headline=”In%20Cloudways%20domain%20tab%2C%20add%20your%20primary%20domain%20name%20to%20the%20server”][/step][step style=”4″ text=”8″ headline=”Install%20SSL%20certificate%20using%20Let’s%20Encrypt%20for%20free%20version%20or%20upload%20your%20custom%20one”][/step][step style=”4″ text=”9″ headline=”Setup%20W3%20Total%20Cache%20plugin%20for%20better%20performance”][/step][step style=”4″ text=”10″ headline=”If%20you%20are%20crazy%20for%20speed%2C%20consider%20enabling%20Redis%20for%20your%20Object%20Cache%20on%20W3TC%20(ensure%20that%20you%20install%20Redis%20on%20your%20server%20before%20enabling%20this%20option)”][/step][/step_graphics]

IP propagation takes time. Therefore, do not panic if your website doesn’t load or shows 404 error.

Advantages of using Cloudways managed cloud hosting

Cloudways is still one of the best managed cloud hosting platforms you can find on the market today. It is highly affordable, and the server performance is better than most web hosting services.

When you use Cloudways, you will get powerful servers all to yourself as well as excellent customer service. Another plus point is that Cloudways is a fully managed cloud hosting platform. This means that you don’t have to go all the way to learn how to manage a server. Cloudways teams will take care of the maintenance for you.

As Cloudways is very affordable, it makes all the sense that Cloudways is more popular than most VPS or cloud hosting platforms within the industry. While most VPS and cloud hosting services would cost above $50, it only costs as low as $10 with Cloudways.

Disadvantages using Cloudways managed cloud hosting

Cloudways is not created to fit everyone’s needs. After all, there is no product in this world that fit everyone in the market. One of the biggest disadvantages using Cloudways is the price.

Allow me to explain.

When you use Cloudways, you need to understand that Cloudways works as an intermediary between you and the cloud provider. Therefore, you are required to pay slightly more when using Cloudways.

Take a look at Digital Ocean pricing structure:

And here’s the pricing structure for Digital Ocean on Cloudways:

Do you see the differences?

I know for a fact that many people consider it as a huge cost disadvantage. Well, it depends on how you see it.

Creating a droplet on Digital Ocean is easy and price efficient. However, you are required to do all the server maintenance yourself. Compared to Cloudways, the dashboard and systems are setups for you. Instead of using command code to get the droplet in Digital Ocean running (which could take hours if you are inexperienced), you can opt to pay slightly more for a full-fledged service through Cloudways.

Now, can you consider this as a disadvantage for Cloudways? Go figure!

Summary: Cloudways managed cloud hosting review 2017

If you are looking for a good and affordable managed cloud hosting service, you should consider using Cloudways. After all, the entire operation system is set up to ease your burden, save you more time and ensuring that your website is up and running the short time possible.

On the other hand, Cloudways is less effective if you know about coding and server management as there are many Cloudways competitors such as Digital Ocean, Amazon Web Services and Linode to choose from. Of course, those are an unmanaged cloud hosting compared to Cloudways managed cloud hosting platform.

To end my Cloudways managed cloud hosting review for 2017, allow me to stress that I highly recommend Cloudways because it is highly scalable, user-friendly and a high-performance cloud hosting platform for both beginners and advanced users. With affordability in mind, there is absolutely no doubt that Cloudways is the best managed cloud hosting you can find in 2017.

Click here to try Cloudways for free and judge Cloudways by yourself!
March 5, 2024
How to Serve Static Content From a Cookieless Domain
Want to know how to serve static content from a cookieless domain?

You came to the right place. In this article, I’ll be sharing with you how to solve the irritating “serve static content from a cookieless domain” warning.

If you are using Pingdom, this sight is just too common for many:

Disclaimer:

Due to the latest changes with the web and new protocols such as HTTP/2, it is safe to ignore this warning for now. However, I’m still a strong believer that we should find a solution to fix the “serve static content from a cookieless domain” warning if we can.

And yes, this article will show you how.

if we can.

And yes, this article will show you how.

How to fix the “serve static content from a cookieless domain” warning?

Here’s the quick and direct response to your question. In order to serve static content from a cookieless domain, you can either re-configuring your WordPress website or use a Content Delivery Network (or CDN in short).

Solution 1: Re-configure your WordPress website to serve static content from a cookieless domain

This method is free but at the cost of some work and knowledge.

For starters, you need to understand that the way your website is being configured will play a crucial role in the success of this method.

If you use a top-level domain such as domain.com, then you would need to actually use a separate domain altogether. If you are using www.domain.com then you could simply set up a subdomain such as static.domain.com.

As most websites are configured on www.domain.com, the method below is strictly for websites with www:
1. Create a subdomain
2. You can use any name and I’m using static.domain.com. This is where you will be delivering your files from (and ultimately solving the server static content from cookieless domain warning.
3. Point your subdomain to your wp-content directory with a CNAME.
4. Not sure what is CNAME? Here’s a quick source for you.
5. Edit your wp-config.php file to reflect the following:
define(“WP_CONTENT_URL”, “http://static.domain.com”);
define(“COOKIE_DOMAIN”, “domain.com”);

Not sure where to find wp-config.php file?

The configuration file of your WordPress script is located in the WordPress installation directory and its name is: wp-config.php

You can edit it through cPanel –> File Manager. Find the file, click on it and from the top menu choose “Edit”.

Solution 2: Using CDN to serve static content from a cookieless domain

The fastest solution to serving static content from a cookieless domain is by using a Content Delivery Network.

Here’s the concept: If you offload all your static content to a CDN or a file storage service like MaxCDN, keeping the static file requests cookie-free should be easy as long as you haven’t set up a CNAME record on a subdomain that receives cookies from your top-level domain.

For Google and other search engines, it doesn’t matter the files are hosted on 3rd party servers or your own.

Remember that it is all about the domain that the request is made to and making sure nothing on that domain sets any cookies.

Why use Content Delivery Network such as MaxCDN?

The answer is simple. It is easy and hassle free. You don’t have to crack your head or mess with confusing codes just to serve static content from a cookieless domain.

Besides that, MaxCDN is seriously affordable and apart from solving your static content serving, it also helps you to speed up your website loading speed by the seconds!

Don’t forget that Google gives higher ranking to websites that load faster (and under 1.5 seconds).

Learn more about MaxCDN and click here to get MaxCDN discount.

How to know if you have successfully serve static content from a cookieless domain?

Once you have completed either of the steps above, you would need to clear your browser cache and empty the cache plugin. You may also decide to leave it for a few hours before checking on Pingdom Tools.

You will know it is successful when you see the following:
March 5, 2024