The Benefits of Hubspot CRM for Small Businesses

You Can Easily Manage All Customer Relationships from One Place.

With HubSpot CRM, you can easily manage all your customer relationships from one place. This means you can keep up with what’s going on with each contact, whether it’s a lead, a prospect, or a current client. You can even send automated emails to your contacts based on their actions within the system.

Do You Have A CRM System?

Is a CRM System (Customer Relations Management) a component of your small business? If not, should it be? If it is, how is it contributing to the growth of your business? I would love to hear how CRM is benefiting your business. Please use the comment box below to share. Or, you can contribute through our contact form. I acknowledge that there may be businesses that will not benefit from CRM significant enough to be worth the setup time and learning curve. But I also contend that in many instances, an assumption that CRM will not benefit may be unfounded.

Should You Have A CRM System?

To explore the benefit of a CRM app, Let's use my business as an example. I am an affiliate marketer. SEO is a big deal to me and my business. I'm continually looking for ways to improve it to bring more traffic to my site. Given my efforts to improve SEO and my obsession with analytics, putting all my eggs in that basket is tempting. If I can grow my traffic to enough visitors, I will attain the financial return I'm after, so it would seem. If this is my entire strategy, I'm playing a numbers game. I'm betting that a certain percentage of those who come to my content will make a purchase. The more I increase the traffic; the higher my income will be. While this can be true, I'm overlooking many contributing factors that could increase the percentage of my return, better known as ROI.

I'm overlooking an important factor in why people come to my site. I need them to click on an affiliate link and make a purchase. But is that why they came to my site? No. It is unlikely that anyone will come to my website to buy something.

In most cases, they came for information. It is possible that while they are reading, they will see an ad for a product they were considering purchasing or that has an incredible price. So on impulse, they click on the link to check out the product and may make a purchase. That scenario has considerably decreased the percentage of a visitor making a purchase. So if I relied on a broad statistic that says that a certain percentage of those who visit a site make a purchase, I might discover that the percentage is much lower for my scenario.

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What If I Could Change the Scenario?

So what if I could change that scenario? What if, for instance, I began to acquire an email list of those who read my blogs? And then, I used a CRM system to store and manage that list. And what if I keep track of the habits and behaviors of those on the list? Blogs they read and activity on the website? Now I have a means of building relationships with people who know what I offer. They are no longer strangers who happened by my website but followers or at least repeat users of my services. For these people, the scenario has changed. When they come to my website now, they are already open to taking advantage of what I offer. I have increased the ROI for those on my list. And the more I can grow that list, the greater my return will be.

Let me give a personal example of how this might work. A few months ago, I came across a reference to a blog written by Lisa Sicard, posted on her website, inspiretothrive.com. After reading her blog and exploring her website, I decided I was interested in her ideas and services and wanted her as a resource. So I subscribed to her email list. Now I receive her weekly newsletter with references to her blogs and other resources. When she recommends a product or an action that might help, I check it out because I consider her a competent resource. By signing up for her email list, I transitioned from a visitor to a follower, and when I read her blogs or go to her website, I am already receptive to what she might recommend.

Convinced that I need to pursue growing an email list, I will need help. I need a CRM system to help manage this effort.

HubSpot CRM

As a user of HubSpot CRM, I want to walk you through some of its features to acquaint you with ways the CRM can benefit your business. From the list of CRM systems below, you will notice that PCMag editors Gadjo Sevilla & Neil McAllister, in their article, "The Best CRM Software for 2022," rated HubSpot as the "Best for Easy to Use CRM for SMBs." They also gave it a 3.5 Good rating, which is not the highest rating provided for CRM choices for small businesses. So HubSpot may not be your pick. My purpose is to reveal some features, pointing out how they might benefit your business.

First, one of the reasons I chose HubSpot was the free features with no time limit on the free access. There are a few limitations on some of these free features, such as having HubSpot branding or no form or email automation. The free account allows 1,000 contacts and 2,000 emails per month. The startup business has the free tools it needs to grow and can phase into additional features as it is ready for them and more capable of paying.

As I move on to highlight some of the features in HubSpot, I want to emphasize that this is not a review of HubSpot. I do not intend to cover all segments of its features. This blog only introduces CRM software and how it can benefit your business. I will use HubSpot and its marketing features to outline a CRM marketing plan using an email list.

Introduction To A CRM System

Once I have set up my HubSpot free account, I have the choice of registering for tools in five different categories: Marketing, Sales, Service, Operations, and CMS. All are free. While I could sign up for tools in more than one of these hubs, I have only chosen Marketing.

I begin by importing a pre-existing contact list to get started with my marketing tools. I also have the option of manually creating new contacts. The importing process is simple. I exported a contact list I already had with another email service to a CSV file. I then imported the file into my HubSpot account. The free HubSpot account will allow me to store up to 1 million contacts in as many as five active lists and 1,000 static lists. The limit on emails sent each month is 2,000.

With contacts stored in my account, I will also connect my website to HubSpot through the HubSpot WordPress plugin. Through this connection, I can track the contacts' activity on my website by email, phone calls, and chat. The HubSpot plugin connection allows me to establish a chat feature on my website for interaction with website visitors. From my dashboard, I can turn the chat feature on or off depending on my availability to respond. With these tools engaged and the ability to track user activity, I can begin to interact with my contacts based on their interests. In other words, I can build relationships with them. Once I start sending targeted emails and newsletters, I will have additional information to help develop those relationships.

Capturing New Leads

Now that I have access to a free marketing account and a list of contacts added to it, I am ready to begin adding new leads to my CRM. I will use the following tools to achieve that goal:

- Landing Page Builder - I can create a landing page for a new promotion. For greater integration, I will use the HubSpot service to host it for free rather than including it along with my website. I could design a complete website with the CMS tools on HubSpot if I choose. I already have a website, so I will use only the landing page tools to channel results from my new promotion.- Forms - This tool will add a form to my landing page to capture new leads.- Ads - Using the ad tools, I can integrate with Facebook ads, creating and tracking an advertisement for my new promotion. Ad campaign activity will go into the contact records.- Marketing Email - Now, I am ready to send a marketing email or newsletter to target the various interests of both my new and existing leads. Tools for this are in my free marketing account.Why Not Use Only An Email Marketing Service?

You may wonder why you need a CRM system if you already use an email marketing service such as MailChimp or Constant Contact. One of the strengths of HubSpot and other CRM systems are their integrations. HubSpot, for example, has integration with MailChimp, enabling you to continue using your account there while importing the activity of your email blasts to your CRM in HubSpot. When I am ready to send a marketing email or newsletter, if I choose, I can integrate with MailChimp or another service to send the newsletter. My CRM system will receive the contact activity from that mailing to provide insights on my contacts. This information will help me segment my contacts and inform me of their needs and interests.

It is not necessary, though, to use MailChimp because HubSpot has all that is necessary for the task of mailing. Whether using an integration or working within HubSpot, your move to a CRM system will transition you from merely using analytics to having a comprehensive view of your contacts.

Video Overview

For another perspective on using a CRM system for marketing, this video will give an overview of inbound marketing at HubSpot.

Taking The Plunge

Whether you're ready to dip your toe in the CRM pool or take the plunge, here are some resources to help.

HubSpot

HubSpot is my choice and the system I have used to demonstrate the advantages of using a CRM system. If you want to check it out further, here is a link you can use for that purpose - HubSpot. The extensive array of free resources will help you get up and running before having any financial outlay. To be clear, as an affiliate, I may benefit if you choose HubSpot.

Choosing A CRM System

There are many options when choosing a CRM system. HubSpot is not the only option and may not be your best choice. As you browse through the list below, a good starting point is to match a system to the size and needs of your business. You will find systems designed for larger and smaller companies, along with other options.

This list is available from PCMag editors Gadjo Sevilla & Neil McAllister, in their article, "The Best CRM Software for 2022," which reviewed 13 of the best CRM software. Here is their summary:

- Zoho CRM  4.5 Outstanding | Best for Zoho Platform Customers- HubSpot CRM  3.5 Good | Best for Easy to Use CRM for SMBs- Freshsales CRM  4.0 Excellent | Best for Basic CRM- Zendesk Sell  4.0 Excellent | Best for Integration With Zendesk Products- Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional  4.5 Outstanding | Best Overall- Less Annoying CRM  4.0 Excellent | Best for Startups- Sales Creatio  4.0 Excellent | Best for Large Sales Teams- Apptivo CRM  4.5 Outstanding | Best for Small Business CRM- Insightly CRM  4.0 Excellent | Best for Growth-Stage Businesses- Act! CRM  3.0 Average | Best for Longtime Act! Users- Salesflare  2.5 Fair | Best for Very Small Teams- SugarCRM Sugar Sell  4.0 Excellent | Best for High Customization

Conclusion

HubSpot CRM is a good choice for small businesses that want an easy-to-use system with many free features. But there are many CRM systems available, and the best one for your business will depend on the size of your company and your specific needs. Use the resources above to help choose the best CRM system for your business.

If you are already using a CRM, you might want to make a recommendation describing the benefits of your system that you like best. Please do so in the comments box below or through our contact form.

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Digital Chowder: A Home Business Guide to Digital Resources

What sets Digital Chowder apart?

This blog is intended to get you up to speed on Digital Chowder. What exactly is Digital Chowder? We are "The home business guide to digital resources," as our slogan states. But what exactly does the name "Digital Chowder" imply? It's based on the notion of a "Digital Soup," inspired by Jon Gordon.

Soup, Inc is a soup company that has been around for decades. Nancy, the firm's new CEO, learns the secrets to resurrecting her company. It becomes her recipe for success. The term "digital Chowder" refers to the home business, particularly digital features. What are the components of a successful house-based business's online presence? To put it another way, what makes up the digital soup? Instead of soup, we use chowder to describe something richer and thicker in nature. As a result, our objective is to provide rich digital resources that may serve as "digital chowder" for your home business.

Digital Chowder is a community dedicated to helping home-based businesses develop and succeed. We want to make your job more efficient and effective. I combine decades of study with my experience managing a home-based business office. To learn more about the growing variety of digital resources available, please visit digitalchowder.com frequently. We provide a bi-weekly email delivered to your inbox with our latest findings. You may sign up for this blog by using the contact form in the right column of this page. My blogs will offer helpful hints while searching for new resources since they will be based on an objective and honest point of view. My aim is not to be a resource reviewer.

I'd want my blogs to go beyond my discoveries and concentrate on issues that you, as a reader, may be dealing with. I'd want to hear about readers' discoveries and the challenges they're attempting to tackle. As a reader, what would you want me to research about digital resources for the home-based business and include in a blog? I invite you to use the form in the right column of this page to send an idea or a research request.

Digital Challenges of a Home Business

Home-based businesses fall into two main categories: 

- Those with one employee: This category addresses businesses with one employee who must wear many hats. This individual is the entrepreneur, marketer, secretary, and so on. The list of hats may be endless, and it seems never-ending. Solo business owners are constantly looking for methods to automate or subcontract portions of their job to free up time for other responsibilities. They must identify those tasks they can only do and for which they are gifted. Then, learn methods to address additional tasks under a restricted budget. How do I know if the money is limited? Because the owner is flying solo. There would be other workers if the budget permitted. How can I assist those in this area with difficulties finding solutions to automate or outsource their work? It's an important aspect of my study.- Those with one or more employees: Employees of a home-based business with several people will operate out of home offices. On the one hand, these companies may have some of the same concerns as single-employee businesses. However, they will also have problems associated with enterprises that work in a single physical location. Such difficulties as integrating their digital assets are an example. How can I help those in this category? I'll be addressing some of these issues in my study. And for this need, I'd like to collaborate with you in finding answers to your digital difficulties. I will report what I learn and share it on my blog to benefit others.

Qualifying Digital Topics

Topics I plan to address include but are not limited to the following list. Keep in mind, though, that these topics only qualify as they apply to the home-based business:

- Software/Apps- Hardware such as computers, printers, networks, etc.- Electronic devices- Online solutions. I consider almost any online solution to be digital.

This list covers four main categories of digital topics I will address. Still, it isn't easy to list all the possibilities, especially with the continual development of new solutions.
With my emphasis on the home-based business, topics may come to mind that is not digital, and I would not include them in my blogs. Examples include:

- Personal development or Lifehacks.- Best business practices- How to's- A particular business model or type of business- Etc.

Personal Invitation

If you have checked my website, which is the home of my blogs, you will see that I am just getting started. So far, I have addressed only a few topics. I understand that this might discourage you from staying around or returning. But, I encourage you to return as I might address your need soon. On the other hand, my invitation is to offer you my services as a free 'personal assistant.' To submit an issue for which you want me to assist you or discover a solution, use this form in the right column of this page. My decades of expertise as a home worker has involved technical issues. These experiences include: 

- Web design and development, - Working in PHP and MySQL, - Working in Python, - Networking solutions, - Computer troubleshooting, etc. 

So, I may already know an answer but have not yet mentioned it in a blog. 

If I don't have a solution, I'll look into it for you. You can research as I do, but I may save you some time. Furthermore, because of my technical knowledge, I may be able to break through the jargon and understand the advantages and disadvantages of one option versus another.

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Solving the Inventory Management Dilemma of A Home Business

Assessing your inventory storage needs

So you are the owner/operator of a home business that is getting started. Since your business sells physical products, inventory storage is a growing concern. Initially, you may have stored inventory in your garage, basement, or even a spare bedroom. But fortunately, your business is growing, and storing inventory at home is no longer an option. So, what are you to do? Paying for more storage will present a hardship on finances. Now is an excellent time to assess your storage needs. What are the breakeven points of profit versus storage costs?

 In the beginning, there were so many details to traverse you took the most straightforward route to store your inventory. But now, your storage needs have outgrown your home, and it is time for a more comprehensive plan. Here are some thoughts to consider:

- You can't afford much, but you need something. Self-storage may be the best first step.- How long will the answer be if you choose self-storage as a first step? This is an excellent time to do some calculations and develop a progressive plan for storage.- What level of sales will take you to the limits of this first-step storage solution?- Will this level of sales afford a move to an adequate storage solution as a second step? A solution that will enable you to grow for a sufficient time?  - It would be wise to calculate the sales thresholds that push you to move to the next phase of storage capacity. Don't wait until you are at the limit of your current storage capacity.

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Inventory Management Software

To help protect and manage this growth plan, you need a good Inventory Management App (IMA). An IMA will help to determine the growth and storage thresholds.  

Before listing Inventory Management Apps, I want to emphasize that I am writing with a home business in mind. These are small businesses, and most, if not all, will have limited budgets. Each, however, has the wish to become larger. For the small business that sells physical products, storage is necessary that . . .

- . . . is within the limited budget - . . . will allow for significant growth before upsizing

To consider Warehouse Management Apps (WMA) would be overkill for the small business. The cost for WMAs would eat up the budget for storage, leaving nothing for storage facilities. Plus, warehouse management involves so much more than your inventory. What the small business owner needs to know is:

- What length of time can I go before having to restock products?- How much of each product should I have on hand for this period? - How much space will be adequate to store this much product?

An Inventory Management App can handle this information at a much lower cost. 

When considering an Inventory  Management App, I point to Adam Uzialko's article in the Business News Daily. He says, "most experts recommend cloud-based apps that do not require you to maintain servers or an IT staff . . . Instead, cloud-based software is managed by the software company." 

The following table lists Inventory Management Apps and compares features and costs.  

Comparison of Inventory Management Apps

The following table lists Inventory Management Apps and compares features and costs.  Click on the table image for a better view. You can also use this link to download a PDF of the table. below - (Download PDF of Inventory Management Apps)

Here are the links for each of the apps:

- Katana- Shipstation- Zoho- Boxstorm- Salesbinder

It is difficult to make an item-by-item comparison with these apps. There are too many variations with each. Consider the table a starting point for your research. It gives five affordable apps for small business and an overview to help kick-start your research.

In my next article, we will consider storage alternatives.

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My Top Five Favorite Apps for Maximum Productivity

These are my personal best productivity apps. Although they might What is a productivity app or software? A common understanding of productivity software assigns them to tasks such as producing documents, worksheets, and similar tasks. Not all the apps I am discussing fit that definition. Regardless, they all contribute to my personal productivity. Though the tasks I undertake vary, each app contributes to my productivity.

My five best productivity apps:

Ditto Clipboard

Ditto Clipboard is a Windows clipboard manager with advantages over Windows Clipboard. A key difference is an ability to store copied or cut content, saving as many items as you wish. You can then paste any copied content wherever you want at any point in the future. If you do many copy-and-paste functions, you will recognize how this can speed up your work.

A small example of this functionality gain is logging onto an online account. Using Windows Clipboard, you copy the username and then switch to the webpage to paste it. Next, you copy the password and then change to the webpage to paste the password. Using Ditto, you can complete this task in one step. Copy both username and password, then switch to the webpage and paste both to log in.

But another feature of Ditto speeds up my work even more. Have you ever pasted content into a document and had a big reformatting job? What a huge loss of time! With Ditto, there is little, if any, needed reformatting.

The best part yet maybe that Ditto is a free app.  While Ditto is a Windows app, Mac has a similar app called Clipmenu. You can use the buttons below to check them out.

Ditto Download for WindowsClipmenu Download for Mac

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Evernote

Evernote describes itself as a way to: "Tame your work, organize your life." Note-taking is fundamental to what Evernote is about. You can install the app on any of your devices, and it will sync with all your other devices. This is helpful for me when doing a presentation. I can write the presentation notes in Evernote using my computer. When I give the presentation I can view the notes on my tablet.

So far, I could also say that I have described any number of apps. But the feature I like best with Evernote is one I know of no other app that provides. Using the Evernote browser plugin, I can capture the content of any web page I wish to save.

Three formats are available for saving content from most web pages:

- Full page- Just the article displayed on the page- A simplified version of the article

Capturing the article will reduce the page to the article plus graphics. Choosing the simplified article option will reduce it to text only. I most often use either the second or third option.

This web-clipping feature is a huge time saver for research. I clip an article on a web page and choose within the browser plugin the folder to which I want to save it. When ready to compile the research findings, they are ready and waiting for me in the saved folder. I can access them on any of my devices. They will all be in editable Evernote pages with powerful editing tools at my fingertips.

Besides taking notes, Evernote will also allow audio recordings and hand sketches. Further options include tasks and calendar features.

The last feature I will highlight is one with which I only recently became acquainted. This feature allows me to connect Evernote with my WordPress website. Now I can write my posts in Evernote, which will appear in my WordPress posts.

Go to Evernote

Snagit

Number three among my five best productivity apps is Snagit from Techsmith. Snagit is a screen capture app that will do much more than screen captures. It will also do a video capture of my actions on the screen. This makes it an excellent tool for creating 'how-to' videos. I like to use this feature for help videos on websites. I have also used it as a support tool with clients. It will record my voice so I can include audio with these helpful videos.

Snagit has elementary video editing tools to use in cleaning up your videos. If you need a more robust video editor, TechSmith offers Camtasia.

Snagit has four selection options for screenshots:

- Full Screen- An open window- Drag over an area to select- Scrolling a document

A feature not to be overlooked is converting Captured graphics to animated GIFs.

Check Out Snagit

Todoists

Todoist is what the name implies – A To-Do List. I use Todoist to keep me organized. I recommend choosing an organizational app that will allow us to work most efficiently. Todoist is that tool for me. The screenshot below illustrates how it works. Notice the options in the left column. Select "Today" to view tasks for the current day. Select the "Upcoming" option to display the view to the right.

Using the "Upcoming" view, you can select a particular date and add tasks for completion. The default view is the current week, listing scheduled duties for each day that week. Do you have a project to manage with many tasks? Todoist can handle it. Todoist also allows the scheduling of recurring tasks.

Each day there will be a list of uncompleted tasks from previous days, which you can reschedule. Reschedule these to the next available date. You can schedule your tasks for a specific time of day and also assign them a priority.

As for any such app, it takes time to discover how it might work best for you or whether it will work at all. A free version is available to allow this experimentation before buying. Or, you can stay with the free version and work without the benefit of certain features.

Go to Todoist

Keeper Security

The last of my best productivity apps is Keeper Security - an app without which I cannot function. Not only does it manage my passwords, but also my:

- software keys- credit cards- driver's license- health insurance cards- and much more

Keeper Security is another app that crosses over to all my devices. So I can access passwords from any device. And, if I am on a computer that does not have the apps, I can always use the browser for access.

I need my passwords when online more than at any other time. So the browser plugin is my most used Keeper app. If I have stored the web page URL in Keeper and the password, Keeper will pop up, ready to do its thing. Entry of my credentials will be automatic when I give permission. But I can also choose to allow automatic entry, and the procedure happens without any further action on my part.

What about security? Keeper Security has a high level of encryption and security measures in place. As a user, though, I need to use good sense. To help with this, Keeper apps will all time out after a few minutes of inactivity. The use of the master password is then required to regain access. An exception to this will be the browser plugin. It is wise to close the browser when leaving the computer or other device.

I don't like creating passwords. So I am glad for Keeper to create a password when signing up for a new account online. I can set the parameters of the password to meet the need of any website.

Go to Keeper Security

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How to Clean Up Malware Infections in Your WordPress Website

Small business owners rely heavily on their websites for their online presence. Malicious activities or malware attacks on their website can damage their reputation and make their business untrustworthy. WordPress websites are especially vulnerable to such attacks, and knowing how to handle malware infections can be challenging. However, cleaning up malware infections is essential for maintaining the security of your website and keeping it functional. In this post, we will provide a comprehensive guide on how to clean up malware infections in your WordPress site.

Step 1: How to Detect Malware on Your WordPress Site

The first step to cleaning up malware infections on your WordPress site is to detect the presence of malware. There are several ways to detect malware on your site. One of the easiest ways is to use a malware scanner. A malware scanner will scan your site for malware and identify malicious files. There are several free and paid malware scanners available that you can use to scan your WordPress site. I will give more information on these below.

Another way to detect malware on your WordPress site is to look for unusual behavior. Malware can cause your site to behave unusually, such as redirecting visitors to other sites or displaying pop-up ads. If you notice any unusual behavior on your site, your site may have been infected with malware.

You can also check the access logs on your server to see if there have been any unusual requests to your site. Malware can cause your site to receive unusual requests from specific IP addresses. If you notice any unusual requests, your site may have been infected with malware.

Checking server logs may not be an option for you, but the security plugins we suggest later in this article offer activity logs you can view. The plugins will even alert you to unusual activity.

Step 2: Understanding the Types of Malware Infections on WordPress Sites

Several types of malware infections can affect WordPress sites. The most common malware infections are backdoors, trojans, and phishing scams.

Backdoors are a type of malware that allows hackers to gain access to your site even after you have removed the malware. Backdoors can be challenging to detect because they are often hidden in legitimate files.

Trojans are malware that disguises itself as a legitimate program or file. Trojans can be used to steal sensitive information or gain site access.

Phishing scams are malware that tricks visitors into giving up sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords. Phishing scams can be disguised as legitimate login pages or forms.

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Step 3: Backup Your Website

Before proceeding to the cleaning process, you must back up your website to avoid any data loss. You can use plugins like UpdraftPlus, VaultPress, or BackupBuddy to back up your website's content, theme files, and databases. These plugins offer automated backups, and you can back up your website content to the cloud or through a download link.

While backing up your website is vital in cleaning a malware infection, an even wiser practice is running regular backups before an infection occurs. Though a good backup app should check for malware, one might slip through and be included in the backup. Obviously, this would perpetuate the infection.

As a backup tip, a quick fix for a significant website malfunction can be to have two critical files downloaded to your computer for quick access. If you have FTP access to your WordPress installation, download the index.php and wp-config.php files to your computer from the installation's root directory. This can assure a fast recovery if your site goes down entirely due to an infection or other cause.

If you don't have FTP access or don't know how to work with FTP, the hosting panel of your website host may have a file manager. You should be able to find and download those files using the file manager. A third alternative to downloading the two files is to use the WordPress plugin "Filester - File Manager Pro."

As with many other insights, I learned this insight the hard way through personal experience. As a web developer/designer, I started my day not too long ago with a notice of unusual activity on one of the websites I manage. I went to the website and got nothing except an error message. The whole website was down.

Within a few minutes, I learned I had eight websites down. When a whole website is down, my mind goes to those two essential files: index.php and wp-config.php. Because I had backups of those two files for all my websites. I had all eight websites back up and running within a few minutes. This is not to suggest that every website crash is due to these files, but they are an excellent starting point. And often, as in my case, you will have to go no further to get your site operating again.

I still had an infection problem, but it isn't easy to do anything when you cannot even access the wp-admin dashboard. Once the sites were operational, I could take positive steps to eliminate the infections.

Step 4: Cleaning Up Malware Infections Step By Step

Now let's walk through a step-by-step process to clean up an infection:

1. Isolate affected files: Once you identify the problem, it is necessary to isolate or locate the affected files to prevent further damage. Two free website scanners are:

- Securi- Sitelock

In addition to these two tools, a WordPress plugin for scanning and security is MalCare WordPress Security Plugin. It is a Malware Scanner, Cleaner, and Security Firewall.

2, Remove malicious files: Once you have identified them, remove the malicious files from your site. You can do this manually by deleting the files or by using a plugin that will remove the files for you. The plugin MalCare will not only identify malware files but will also remove them.

Even after using a plugin to remove harmful files, a personal scan of your files is a good idea. You can do this using one of the three methods mentioned above to access your WordPress installation files. (FTP, dashboard file manager, or WordPress plugin Filester)

As you scan, you will be looking for anything that looks unusual. For instance, the recent infection I referred to above kept dumping files in the root directory of my WordPress installations that looked like this: aeda1d3cbabf291bbd35dd20106509d8. There was no file extension, just this long string of letters and numbers.

If you find an unusual file but aren't sure if you should remove it, rename it. For instance, with this file, you might rename it to "aeda1d3cbabf291bbd35dd20106509d8_ARC", showing it as an archive file. If you find issues with the website or admin panel after renaming the file, change it back to its original name. No harm, no foul.

When viewed, the files on my sites contained a URL designed to redirect visitors to a porn site. Of interest is that the redirection was only triggered when a visitor clicked on a URL for the website from a Google referrer. If the site URL was entered directly, no redirection took place.

3. Update your site: It's essential to update your site to the latest version of WordPress and all plugins and themes. This will ensure that any vulnerabilities exploited by the malware are patched.

4. Change your passwords: Change all passwords associated with your site, including your WordPress login, FTP, and database passwords. This will ensure that the hacker can't regain access to your site.

A word about changing the database password. This can be daunting for the novice user, but WP Reset, a WordPress plugin, will step even the novice through the process.

5. Check your site: After cleaning up the malware infection, it's essential to check your site to ensure everything is working correctly.

Step 5: Harden Your Website Security

Once your website is clean, you must harden your website's security to avoid future malware attacks and improve your website security. For this, I recommend the WPMU DEV packet of plugins. The packet has seven primary plugins, one of which is Defender Pro. Defender Pro monitors your WordPress site's vulnerabilities, detects any malware activity, and removes the villains.

By using all seven plugins, you cover most of your plugin needs while assuring they are compatible with one another and safe against vulnerabilities. And the cost of using all seven pro plugins is less than many individual plugins.

Suppose you choose to use a stand-alone plugin for security while using a variety of other plugins to cover the remaining tasks. This practice can increase your risk of vulnerability to infections.

Read my article, "Why Choose WPMU DEV for Your WordPress Projects?" for more about WPMU DEV plugins.

Additionally, you can implement best practices such as strong passwords, periodic backups, and limited login attempts.

Conclusion:

Cleaning up malware infections in your WordPress site is crucial for maintaining your website's security and functionality. You can follow the above steps to identify, remove, and prevent future malware attacks. Remember to back up your website before the cleaning process and update your website's core, theme, and plugins. Lastly, follow the best security practices and use security plugins to harden your website security. By doing so, you can keep your website safe and keep your small business running smoothly.

https://digitalchowder.com/how-to-clean-up-malware-infections-in-your-wordpress-website/

Choosing The Perfect Web Hosting Service for Your Business

Introduction

In my article, "6 Steps to Building A Website for Your Small Business," I gave six simple steps to launch your business's online presence. In that article, I touched on selecting a host for your website. In this article, I will go into more detail about Choosing The Perfect Web Hosting Service for Your Business.

Where Do I Start?

If you are new to website building and hosting, "where do I start?" may be your most daunting question. Where do you start? Do not start by researching web hosting services, what they charge, and what they have to offer. From this research, you will only learn what is available and what it will cost. You could then make the mistake of choosing a hosting service based only on cost.

So, where do you start? Start with your business.

- What is the nature of your business?- What do you want an online presence to do for your business?- Promote your business?- Capture a reasonable margin of the market share?- What will be your market reach (local, regional, national, global)?- Provide legitimacy for your business?- Sell products?- What will be the nature of the content for your website?- Information?- Blogs?- Media (images, videos, etc.)?- Data?- eCommerce?

There is more that could be listed here, but these questions will give a good start at identifying the requirements of a website for your business.

What Next

Based on your answers to the questions above, you will have vital information to use in selecting a web host. You can then identify which category you fall into below :

Less than average usage - The following website content will result in less than average bandwidth and storage:

- Basic information about the business- Informational blogs- Low to moderate traffic (less than 30,000 users per month)- Storage needs primarily consist of website images and a few files for download.- A low amount of file downloads or uploads

Average usage - The following content will have moderate bandwidth and storage usage:

- Medium to medium-high traffic (30,000 to 150,000 users per month) - 100Mbps is needed for every 1,000 users.- One or two of these activities in moderation:- Streaming music- Video conferencing - Large image files- A moderate amount of data- A moderate amount of one or two of these items:- Audio files- Video files- Image files- Databases- eCommerce

Higher than average usage - Increase everything under average use to high rather than moderate amounts. As traffic increases, bandwidth will increase regarding every activity on your website.

What Kind of Hosting Will I need?

Assuming you have worked through the questions above, you now have enough information to consider the hosting you need.

To address hosting options, I will draw on the help of the staff at digital.com, referencing their article, "How To Choose a Web Hosting Provider."

Using the information you have gleaned to this point, you have a general idea of your storage and bandwidth requirements. With this knowledge, consider the three hosting options: shared, virtual private, and dedicated, described in the digital.com article, "How To Choose a Web Hosting Provider."

Shared Hosting

With shared hosting, multiple sites use the same IP address and reside on the same server. This is the most economical form of web hosting, as the hosting company splits the cost of a physical server among multiple sites.

The main advantage of shared hosting is its price. However, you are also at the mercy of the bandwidth other sites on the same server use. If a large amount of traffic goes to another location on the same server, it slows your site considerably.

Also, if another site on the same server is engaging in nefarious behavior and has its IP blocked by spam filters, your site may be affected as well. Reliable hosting providers prevent this but you should take this possibility into account.

Virtual Private Server Hosting

Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is the next step up in web hosting technology. While you still share the same physical server with other sites, you are set up with a unique virtual server and a unique IP address. This unique IP address keeps your site separate from other sites on the server.

If you choose VPS hosting you have the advantage of being able to manage more features on your server yourself and eliminate blacklisting risks like those with shared hosting. There are some limitations on how much traffic a VPS can handle, but most sites for individuals or small businesses will never come close to exceeding these limitations.

Dedicated Hosting

With dedicated hosting, your physical server or servers are for your website only. This is a more expensive type of hosting, but it is also the most reliable.

Large companies require the use of dedicated hosting services to guarantee uptime and to secure their site. This option is best for efficiency; but, again, it is far more expensive. There are options that help deflect the cost. Through Amazon Web Services (AWS), for example, where you can pay as you go to maintain better control over the costs.

The Top Web Hosting Providers

In addition to the information about types of hosting, from "How To Choose a Web Hosting Provider," digital.com offers their three picks for top web hosting providers:

Bluehost

Best Overall Hosting

For individuals or companies who decide that shared hosting fits their needs, you can’t get a better deal than Bluehost. It provides one of the least expensive starting packages for web hosting and includes a full 50GB of storage space at its lowest level plans. It also boasts an impressive 99.99% uptime. We found that its rates and support are among the best in the business for first-time users.

SiteGround

Best Hosting for Customer Support

Siteground provides a suite of excellent services, including reliable web hosting and fully managed WordPress hosting. Their hosting also comes with useful addons for e-commerce, including WooCommerce.

While SiteGround tends to be slightly more expensive than some of its competitors, it consistently provides some of the best service and fastest speeds available on the internet. It is ideal for beginners (it has several easy-to-use drag and drop tools), and established companies. They are a solid choice for a web host.

Hostinger

Best Budget Hosting

Hostinger stands out as an especially good option for hosting users who are on a tight budget. While Hostinger’s plans are exceptionally affordable it doesn’t mean they’re missing any key features. It provides a wide range of services that will satisfy most small businesses. Its entry-level packages are very affordable and can scale up to meet the needs of more demanding sites. Even the lowest-level shared hosting plan includes SSD storage, a free SSL certificate, and managed auto-updates for WordPress.

More on Hosting

Have your questions on hosting not yet been answered? You can take a deeper dive by checking out these other articles at Digital:

- https://digital.com/web-hosting/- https://digital.com/web-hosting/what-is-web-hosting/- https://digital.com/best-web-hosting/how-to-host-a-website/- https://digital.com/best-web-hosting/how-much-does-it-cost-to-host-a-website/

Other Considerations

Once you have settled on a hosting plan, it is time to consider additional features you will need for your website. These include Email, SSL security, and web builders.

Email Accounts - You will likely want multiple email accounts based on your business domain. For instance, sales@mybusiness.com. You will want to be sure the service you select includes email accounts in your hosting package.

SSL Security - SSL security assures that data transferred to and from your website is safe. Having this safeguard has become a must on today's internet. Most browsers will either warn you or block you when you are about to enter a website that does not have SSL. Receiving an unsafe warning in your browser about the website you are about to visit does not engender confidence in the business that operates the website.

Whether or not a hosting service includes SSL in its hosting package, you can purchase and install a certificate yourself. But it is a nice perk if included in the package, saving you approximately $50 annually.

Web Builders - You will need an application to build your business website. What does the hosting service you are considering offer? Many include a website builder app with drag-and-drop features. These can be relatively simple to learn to use, but will they offer you the flexibility you need?

Apart from a web builder app included in a hosting service package, there are two main options: build an HTML website or use a CMS app such as WordPress. A significant percentage of websites on the internet are run on WordPress sites.

A WordPress website can offer greater flexibility than drag-and-drop builders, especially when using a custom theme. It is helpful to use a professional designer to get the most out of a WordPress site. I recommend Elite Web Presence services for a custom WordPress or HTML site.

Should you choose WordPress to power your website, consider selecting a hosting service that specializes in hosting WordPress sites. Such hosting services will usually offer additional tools to enhance your WordPress-powered site.

Conclusion

It can be challenging to decide on a web hosting provider with all the available options. To help you narrow down your choices, we've put together a list of factors to keep in mind and some top providers. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below!

Is there a topic you would like me to address? Please let us know in the comments below or on our contact form.

Clockify: The Time Tracking Tool For Increased Productivity

If you are a home or small business owner needing to track billable hours, Clockify might be your answer. Clockify is an online time-tracking tool that lets you track your work hours and monitor your productivity. You can use it to track your time, no matter the activity or the project you’re working on. Whether you’re a freelancer, a remote worker, or manage a team, Clockify will help you stay focused and achieve your goals.

To help you decide which time-tracking tool best suits you, we will quickly compare Clockify with two other tools, pointing out the pros and cons. Then I will do a short video demonstration of Clockify so you can see it yourself.

My viewpoint is that of a home business owner needing to track billable hours for website development. If this is your perspective, I think you will lean toward Clockify, as do I. However, if you work with a team and need to track more than billable hours, such as more complex project management, you may find yourself drawn to one of the other tools.

First, here is a comparison of Clockify with Toggl and Harvest.

Toggl

Clockify and Toggl are both popular time-tracking tools. While both tools share some similarities, they also have some differences that set them apart.

Interface

Regarding user interface and ease of use, both Clockify and Toggl have their strengths. Clockify has a simple and intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, making it an excellent option for beginners or those who prefer a more streamlined experience. Toggl, on the other hand, has a more complex interface with more advanced features, which may take some time to learn but can be more powerful in the long run.

Integrations with Other Tools and Platforms.

Clockify and Toggl offer integrations with various other tools and platforms, making it easy to streamline your workflow and save time. Clockify integrates with popular project management tools such as Asana, Trello, and Basecamp and accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero. Toggl, on the other hand, offers integrations with a broader range of tools, including CRM software like Salesforce, communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, and even social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. When choosing between the two, consider which integrations are most important to your workflow and which tools you already use.

Time Tracking Features and Functionality.

Clockify and Toggl offer a range of time-tracking features and functionality to help you manage your time more effectively. Clockify allows you to track time by project, task, or client and offers a range of reporting options to help you analyze your data. Toggl, on the other hand, offers more advanced features such as billable rates, team management, and project budgets.

Pricing and Plans.

Regarding pricing, Clockify says it “is the only time tracker free for teams of all sizes. You and your team can use Clockify without ever paying a cent, even if you have hundreds of users! Use it as much as you want, for as long as you want, and we won’t charge a cent.” Toggl also offers free plans for up to 5 users. From there, with an annual plan, Clockify starts at $3.99 per user per month. Toggl starts at $9 per user per month.

Harvest

Clockify and Harvest also have similar features, but some key differences exist. One key difference is pricing. Whereas Clockify and Toggl have free plans, Harvest offers a 30-day free trial. Following the Harvest trial, the cost is $12 per month per user if paid monthly and $10.80 per month per user if paid annually.

If you are a solopreneur, as I am, this pricing difference might make the difference without reading further. As solopreneurs, we are not looking for additional user availability and probably do not need more advanced features. However, there could be a functionality difference that could make the cost difference worth it. So keep reading.

Features and functionalities of Clockify.

Some of the key features of Clockify include time tracking, project management, reporting, and integrations with other tools. With Clockify, users can track time for multiple projects and clients, set hourly rates, and generate reports to analyze their productivity. Clockify offers integrations with popular tools like Trello, Asana, and Slack, making tracking time across different platforms easy.

Features and functionalities of Harvest.

Some of the critical features of Harvest include time tracking, invoicing, project management, and reporting. With Harvest, users can track time for multiple projects and clients, set hourly rates, and generate invoices to bill clients for their work. Clockify offers invoicing, but not in the free version.

Harvest also offers integrations with popular tools like Trello, Asana, and Slack, making tracking time across different platforms easy.

Pros and Cons Of Each Tool

To summarize, we will consider the pros and cons of each time tracking tool.

ClockifyPros:- Clockify is free for teams of any size, making it an ideal solution for small businesses or freelancers with a limited budget.- Clockify offers valuable features like time tracking, task management, invoicing, and reporting. These features make it a versatile tool that can help you streamline multiple processes at once.- Clockify is user-friendly and has a clean interface, making it easy for beginners.- Clockify offers a mobile app that makes tracking time on the go easy.- Clockify supports integrations with tools like Trello, Asana, and Jira.Cons:- Clockify’s free plan has some limitations, which might require upgrading to a free plan.TogglPros:- Toggl offers simple and intuitive time-tracking features, making it an excellent tool for freelancers or individuals seeking an easy-to-use time-tracking solution.- Toggl offers a mobile app, making tracking time on the go easy.- Toggl provides a dashboard and reports that give a detailed overview of the time spent on different projects and tasks.- Toggl supports integrations with popular tools such as Asana, Trello, and Google Calendar.Cons:- Toggl’s pricing plans can be expensive, especially for larger teams or businesses.- Toggl’s reporting feature may not be as detailed as needed for some users.- Toggl doesn’t have a task management feature, which limits its functionality.

Harvest:

Pros:

- Harvest offers comprehensive features, including time-tracking, invoicing, and project management.- It has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate.- The tool integrates with various third-party applications, such as Trello and Asana.- Harvest provides robust reporting and insight tools that allow users to track their team’s productivity and monitor their progress easily.

Cons:

- Harvest can be more expensive than other time-tracking tools, particularly for larger teams.- The interface is more customizable than some users would like, which can be limiting for those who want to track specific information.

Video Overview of Clockify

Here is a short video overview of Clockify. Get an introduction without having to register for an account.

Ready to take the next step? Sign up for Clockify:

(We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.)

Conclusion

Overall, Clockify, Toggl, and Harvest are great tools to consider if you need help tracking time. Each tool has advantages and drawbacks when deciding which is right for your business needs. Whether it's free pricing plans or detailed reporting options, there's something out there to fit everyone’s requirements. With the right research and analysis, we're sure you'll find the perfect time-tracking solution for your team!

https://digitalchowder.com/the-time-tracking-tool-for-increased-productivity/