drupal hosting australia

Drupal Hosting Australia

A free and open source content management framework, Drupal is written in PHP and is distributed under the General Public License.

Drupal Hosting Australia is also a popular choice among developers, companies, and marketers because of the many features and perks that it offers users. It also provides a back-end framework that covers at least 2.3% of all the websites in the world.

These range from personal blogs to government sites and corporate websites. Drupal also handles business collaboration through knowledge managing.

Drupal Hosting Australia

As recorded in September 2018, the Drupal community consisted of over a 1.3 million users, of which 112,500 were actively contributing to it.

This resulted in more than 41,500 free modules that helped to expand and customize the functional aspect of Drupal.

The attractiveness of Drupal is enhanced by the 267- free themes that help users change the look and feel of Drupal and at least 1240 distributions that are completely free and allow users to set up a complicated and personalized Drupal site in a matter of a few minutes.

Best Drupal Web Hosting for Australian Sites

Here are the best web hosting providers that offer Drupal hosting:

1. Justhost

One of the featured solutions by Drupal, Justhost is one of the leading shared hosting providers. You can use the MOJO 1 click installer to get Drupal and then start using Justhost through Drupal right away.

2. Siteground

Siteground is very popular thanks to their expertise and efficiency, consistently offered 24/7. They also offer Drupal migration and installation. Siteground will also help you fix up any issues in your Drupal application or website.

3. 1&1

You can use 1 click installation to add Drupal to your web hosting package. The CMS that you require will also come with an SSL certificate.

4. Hostpapa

Hostpapa comes with Drupal optimized servers that are powerful, fast and highly dependable. You also get to enjoy a whole lot of perks like the no risk 30-day money back guarantee, free SSL, all day everyday support, free CDN and so much more.

5. Godaddy

Godaddy is one of the biggest brands in the industry. Of course they offer 1 click Drupal and WordPress installs. Read our Godaddy Australia review.

Shared Hosting

As the name suggests, shared hosting allows for multiple websites to use a single server.

You will not usually be aware of what websites you are sharing the server with or how much traffic each will be generating. You will also have a limit on the number of server resources that you can use and this will be decided by the hosting package that you decide on. However, it must be said that this is easily the most cost-efficient way in which you can fulfill your hosting needs.

The only downside to shared hosting is that the speed could be affected since you will be sharing. So you should definitely go with a company like Drupal that has earned the trust of users worldwide.

Managed/Enterprise

This is typically an extension of the dedicated hosting category. Here the hosting hardware is owned by the provider and will be leased to a single client only.

It deviates from the regular type of dedicated hosting because, in this case, the daily management and maintenance of the server are handled by the service provider.

Cloud

In this type of hosting, the service is provided on virtual servers. The hosting site gets its computing resources from a massive underlying network of actual physical web servers.

Usually, clients can use their services as much as they need to, depending on the requirement at any point of time. This gives you the advantage of saving money because you will only pay for what you use. Moreover, you are guaranteed easy access. You will also not need to pay for any added capacity.

VPS

VPS is a relatively new type of hosting that has become extremely popular recently. Why? Because it acts like a dedicated server without the cost of the dedicated server. VPS stands for Virtual Personal Server and it offers a server that consists of its own bandwidth, operating system, and disc capacity.

Dedicated

Here the server will be dedicated to a particular organization or purpose, like a website, for example. It gives users the advantage of having the flexibility of personalization and good uptime. However, it can be slightly higher in cost than other varieties because of the extent of services provided.

Reseller

This is a form of hosting where the account owner has the ability to utilize his or her allocated hard disc space and the bandwidth to provide hosting services to third-party users. The reseller will basically buy from the hosting service and offer hosting services to their customers.

Why Should You Choose Drupal?

  • Drupal has amazing standard features such as convenient and efficient content authoring and highly dependable performance.
  • Excellent security for your data.
  • Flexible and modular at its heart.
  • The tools that come with it will help you create web experiences that are versatile and well-structured.
  • Great for creating integrated digital frameworks with.
  • Powerful and scalable.
  • It is open source and anybody can download, work on or with and use or share data with others freely.
  • Built on principles such as globalization, innovation and collaboration.
  • You will never have to worry about any licensing fees

The Community Powering Drupal

If you are going to be working with Drupal Hosting Australia, you should also know about the community powering it. It is by far one of the largest open source communities the world has seen.

There are over 1,000,000 developers, trainers, designers, strategists, editors, coordinator and sponsors who collaborate to make Drupal what it is today. They are focused on building, improving, providing support and creating documentation while also offering networking opportunities and so much more.

Bottom-Line

Overall Drupal is without a doubt the largest open source community available today. It is highly credible and known for its extensive services. It is also completely free, which means that you will be saving a lot of money. Since hosting is something that can really make or break your business depending on its quality and features, choosing Drupal for your web hosting is an investment as it will help promote the growth and progress of your company.

cheap web hosting australia

Cheap Web Hosting Australia

Many web hosting providers claim to offer budget-friendly or affordable packages. However, what you see in those marketing messages may not necessarily translate into your ideal cheap web hosting Australia plan.

Don’t assume the advertised price tag is all you have to pay for the package. Some companies offer really low price tags in the beginning, only to force you to sign up for long-term contracts with heftier price tags later on.

How To Pick a Cheap Web Hosting Australia

There are two main payment methods for Australian web hosting plans:

  • Monthly plans where you pay a fee every four weeks
  • Annual plans where you sign up for a contract lasting a year or more

Most buyers prefer monthly payment plans. Signing up for a multi-year plan can be cumbersome. You may not be able to cancel after purchasing it either.

However, annual plans are well suited for business buyers. If you don’t want to keep switching the web host, consider an annual plan.

Annual plans may seem expensive compared to monthly plans. But this is not always the case.

Some per-month price tags can be misleading. There are long-term annual contracts where the price you pay per month is surprisingly low.

Australian buyers should be aware that web hosts charge for essential features offered with packages, such as security tools. That means the amount you pay per month goes up.

Not all web hosts resort to such tactics to sell you a plan. The best-known brands in the industry offer genuinely affordable hosting packages.

Here is a list of affordable but feature-rich web hosting packages you won’t regret purchasing:

Bluehost

Bluehost is a famous name when it comes to web hosting. This provider is best known for offering highly affordable shared hosting packages.

You can buy Bluehost plans on a per month basis to keep overall costs low. The price for starter packages can be as low as $3.

Despite the low price tag, Bluehost offers a variety of features with packages. Each package comes with a single free domain name and 24/7 customer support.

New users will also benefit from the free website builder included with the plans. Bluehost makes it extremely easy to build a site.

What’s more: Bluehost ensures a 99.99% uptime guarantee for all plans. With certain plans, you can enjoy unlimited bandwidth too.

Though known for its shared plans, Bluehost offers a variety of plans suited for growing or large websites. Their dedicated, cloud, VPS, and reseller hosting plans may cost more, but you will get great value for money overall.

There are some downsides to consider as well. Bluehost noticeably offers only a limited number of Windows-based servers. The vast majority of their servers run Linux.

Bluehost has been accused of unwanted upselling by some users. That means that you are lured in with monthly plans but the web host makes you commit to long-term contracts later.

The bottom line is that Bluehost plans are highly budget-friendly. You won’t lose a lot of money just to check out this web host. Bluehosts alternative is Godaddy.

SiteGround

SiteGround is one of the most popular web hosts in Australia. That’s mainly because of the supremely affordable shared hosting plans the company offers.

You can subscribe to a basic SiteGround plan for around $4 a month. The company offers a variety of packages that you can upgrade to as your website grows.

Their cheapest options are shared and VPS packages. Dedicated packages can be a little costly with SiteGround.

Affordability is not the only reason to get on the SiteGround bandwagon. The company has a data centre in Singapore, which means Australian customers can enjoy some of the speediest pinging times locally.

SiteGround guarantees a 99.99% uptime. You can enjoy benefits like unlimited bandwidth with higher-end packages.

Each plan includes a free website builder, 24/7 customer support, and a free domain name. That’s a bargain if there ever was one.

HostGator

HostGator is another famous brand name in the hosting field. They offer plans starting at around $4 a month to Australian buyers.

HostGator plans are best described as budget-friendly. The cheapest plans offer some of the essentials such as site-building software, customer service, and a reliable uptime guarantee.

However, if you want extra features like more RAM, email servers, or security tools, then you would have to pay more.

This provider is typically recommended for newbie website owners. HostGator is a great provider for those just starting out. When your website gets bigger, you can easily make the switch.

HostGator has some downsides, notably the lack of Windows-based servers. The company offers no Windows-based VPS hosting.

If you are a Linux user, HostGator should be one of your top choices as a hosting provider. Thanks to speedy delivery and reliable packages, this is definitely one of the most affordable providers for cash-strapped Aussies.

GreenGeeks

GreenGeeks offers 300% eco-friendly hosting services. Their plans in Australia start as low as $4 per month.

What exactly does the company mean by being “green”?

The web host powers their servers using wind energy. The company also uses superb energy-efficient Intel Xeon processors.

GreenGeeks offers a valuable deal to Australian buyers. The company promises their customers these perks:

  • 9% uptime
  • Complete customer satisfaction

It may sound like a marketing gimmick, but GreenGeeks does offer uptimes that can reach 99.94%. There are several other tools that ensure speedy services, such as SSD storage acceleration.

The affordable price tag also includes a free domain name and unlimited space. The company assures users that they are not upselling the budget plans.

InMotion

InMotion plans in Australia are surprisingly cheap and the have wordpress 1 click installs. The basic plan costs only around $8. The company offers newcomers discounts that bring down this cost to around $3.

InMotion doesn’t just offer cheap shared hosting plans. The company also has a reliable array of budget-friendly reseller plans.

What’s more, all plans, even the cheapest, include unlimited email. A free website builder is included as well.

Everything is near perfect with InMotion plans except for the glaring lack of Windows-based servers. The company doesn’t offer cloud hosting either.

Buyers should be aware that not all InMotion plans charge on a monthly basis. The low prices are sometimes attached to long-term payment contracts.

The affordability of the web hosts listed above is based on the prices of the starter packages each offer. Prices can vary and become more expensive with packages that offer more data storage and RAM capacity.

All in all, you will get the cheapest quotes for shared hosting packages. If you want more with your plan, consider VPS hosting, which can be both affordable and feature- rich.

Prices for dedicated and cloud hosting are always higher. You would have to compare individual plans to find out which cost the lowest.

If you want the best cheap hosting package, don’t go by the upfront costs. Instead, compare the value of the plans by weighing features offered against the price. This is the best way to land yourself a web hosting plan that truly offers good value for the money you spend.

More reviews:

wordpress hosting australia

WordPress Hosting Australia

As WordPress becomes more popular among users, a number of web hosting companies have popped up to offer WordPress-specific hosting plans. Locally, you may wonder which WordPress hosting Australia plans are worth investing in. Read ahead to find out:

WordPress Hosting Service Providers for Australian Websites

WordPress is widely used, so most web hosting providers offer pro-WordPress plans for both individual and business users in Australia.

Here is a list of webhosting plans that have WordPress:        

1. SiteGround Australia

SiteGround is hands down one of the best web hosting plans you can get your hands on in Australia. If not for anything else, the hosting provider has a data centre in Singapore that ensures speedy services in Australia. SiteGround also offers excellent support for WordPress sites, even including CloudFlare integration.

The company offers a number of security features for a WordPress site, including a free SSL certificate for all subscribers. Uptime is at the top-end of the industry standard. In addition to strong security,  there is a reliable customer service as well. The major downside is the lack of Windows-based servers.

A good alternative to Siteground is Godaddy or Wix or Shopify.

2, HostGator Australia

HostGator is one of the cheapest web hosting providers around. This is an excellent service to check out especially if you are a new WordPress owner and aren’t very familiar with everything involved. HostGator offers highly affordable shared hosting plans. There are VPS and cloud plans suited for high-traffic websites as well.

Hostgator packages include a variety of desirable features, such as site building software you can use to quickly build a website. Their uptime guarantee is impressive, even for shared servers. Plus, you can get 24/7 customer service without an issue. All in all, this service is reliable and feature-rich. The only downside is that some service plans may not include Windows-based servers. Hostgator offers LetsEncrypt with all hosting plans.

3. BlueHost Australia

BlueHost is famous for their budget-friendly shared hosting plans. The company vehemently supports WordPress sites with each plan, so this is an excellent choice for all types of WordPress site owners, whether you are a novice blogger or an online store owner.

BlueHost plans come with an uptime guarantee and a simplified interface you can easily use with your WordPress suite. You get Weebly site building software pre-built, which you can ignore when you run WordPress. Unfortunately, BlueHost no longer offers monthly shared hosting plans unless you are using a trial account. Otherwise, you can get a great deal. Bluehost is one of the providers that accepts paypal.

4. DreamHost Australia

DreamHost is not the most well-known hosting provider, but WordPress users can get a lot out of their plans. DreamHost is best for VPS and cloud hosting plans if that’s what’s best for your WordPress site. If you use more than one domain, DreamHost offers top-notch domain management tools. Another perk is the unlimited monthly data transfers offered with each plan.

DreamHost offers a number of security features with plans as well. These would be most useful if you plan on using the e-commerce plugins with your WordPress site. You can get full support for WordPress sites with this hosting provider. One downside though, the company doesn’t offer any Windows-based servers.

5. TMDHosting Australia

TMDHosting is widely praised for its high-end cloud and reseller hosting plans. Unlike most WordPress hosting options, TMD does offer several Windows-based servers. However, this option may not be available with all plans. Overall, the company offers plans with lots of features that WordPress users can benefit from.

Each TMD plan comes with a bunch of tools that will help you make your WordPress site aesthetically pleasing as well as efficient. The company offers decent customer service to Australians as well. Uptime is really great, which is always a major plus.

Tips for Choosing a WordPress Australian Web Host

Here are several simple tips to keep in mind when purchasing a managed WordPress hosting plan:

  • Make sure it’s really what you want because managed hosting plans aren’t cheap.
  • Don’t bother with it if you plan on using cPanel. Managed WordPress hosting has its own control panel.
  • Always compare prices to make sure you get the best deal.
  • Pay attention to the amount of storage offered with each plan. This will differ even between the tiers of the same plan.
  • Make sure the plan is compatible with the operating system of your server. If you are using Windows, double check that the plan is compatible with Windows servers.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to assess your individual needs and choose the best WordPress hosting plan. You can boost your decision with the above tips.

WordPress Hosting Explained

WordPress is a content management system that you can use to build and manage a website. It doesn’t offer web hosting services in and of itself. So what exactly does WordPress host?

It’s important to know that there are actually two versions of WordPress hosting you can get:

  • Managed WordPress hosting
  • Org hosting

When you create a website with WordPress, you can use to either use your own independent domain name for the site or go for a wordpress.org domain for free. When you choose the free domain, WordPress hosts your website without extra charges. You won’t have to pay for a hosting plan separately. However, you won’t have full access to certain premium features.

If you choose to get your own domain name for the site, you will need to find a separate web hosting provider to get the site online. You will also have full access to the platform’s premium features as a paid customer.

While you can use any web hosting service to host your WordPress website, there are distinct advantages to using a specific WordPress hosting plan. These plans are referred to as managed WordPress plans. In simple terms, with a managed plan, the web host takes care of most maintenance tasks for WordPress so you don’t have to.

Managed WordPress Hosting Australia

Managed WordPress hosting in Australia can differ between various web hosts. In essence, it’s similar to dedicated hosting, where you rent a server just for your website. With WordPress hosting, you pay for a team on the side of the hosting provider to handle keeping your WordPress site online.

It’s recommended for those who are really new to WordPress. But keep in mind that managed WordPress hosting is more expensive than regular web hosting. So you might not want to pay for it unless your website is an online store or has a similar business purpose. Then having the backend management will be of great value to your business.

wix.com Australia

Wix.Com Review Australia

Wix is a really popular website builder, that is also available to Australian webmasters.

This Wix.com review will give you a sneak peek into the most important factors you should know before you settle on it.

Do you want to build a really great looking website that is packed with a bunch of engaging features, but decide not to code it yourself? Well, Wix is the way to go for Australians.

What Is Wix Australia?

Back in the day, building a website was something only skilled coders could do. Or else, you could pay these coders to do it for you.

But thanks to Wix, things have changed and almost anybody can build a website the way they like today. The template editor that comes with Wix will give you complete creative control and liberty without you having to know the c of code.

While Wix certainly is not the only website builder in the world today, it is definitely one of the best and most popular choices.

What Type Of Sites Will Wix Work Best For?

The list is really extensive but if you take a look at some sites that have been completed with Wix, you will realize that it ensures a great deal of professionalism as well as aesthetic value. It spans millions of industries but some of the most popular users of Wix have been:

  • Musicians
  • Small-scale businesses
  • Cafes
  • Restaurants and hotels
  • Hospitality industry businesses
  • Graphic designing
  • Blogging
  • Photography

The best part is that you will always find a template, tool, and app on Wix no matter what your niche is. In addition to this, the latest features like Wix Code and AI tool Wix ADI are specifically intended to help you build a great website with less effort involved.

How Versatile Is Wix?

One of the main reasons that Wix is so popular is because of its versatility. There are new features being introduced so often that they have a completely dedicated ‘New Wix Features by Date’ website that will help you stay informed and updated. Wix is also really easy to use and extremely powerful.

An alternative to Wix is Shopify or if you want a “DIY hosting” then you can check out Godaddy.

Your business will never outgrow Wix because of the resources they offer. And it will only take you a matter of minutes to build your website due to their efficiency.

You can pay for Wix using credit and debit cards and even paypal.

Wix Has a Massive Collection of Designer Templates

You will have access to more than 510 designer templates that cover a wide range of industries and appeal to different styles. All these choices are quite trendy and will work for any audience today. The templates also come complete with dummy content that can be replaced easily with your own content like text or images. You also have the option of selecting a blank template if you prefer but those that act as dummies can really give you a lot of direction and inspiration as well.

It Is the Most Innovative and Convenient ‘Drag and Drop’ Website Building Tool

When it comes to rolling out easy and clever features to users, Wix has left their competition a really tough game. Not only does Wix grow with you, but they also give you access to the best and latest web tools available before anybody else! Make it a point to keep checking their latest features and researching on what would suit your requirements the best. It even has Artificial Design Intelligence that can help design and build your site for you.

You Will Always Have Help and Support

You will find that you are offered help and support at almost every turn you take.

No matter what issue you run into, you will always be offered a solution. For example, most of the features in the template editor will have their own help button through which you can access an article that will help you in just one click. You can also call the support team that is now available 24/7 and even ask them to reply via email. Here is a wix guide, that can help you with the setup.

Latest Feature Updates For Wix

  • Knowledge centre – Wix lets you create your very own knowledge centre for your own website. This will help your users get all the answers that they are looking for really fast.
  • VideoBox – this brand new feature will help you get even more fun and creative with the way you choose to display your videos on the website. For example, you will be able to change the shape, add more slow-motion effects and even choose from about 16 different modes of play.
  • SEO – you can now have access to a personalized SEO plan and even have a very accurate and efficient analysis of your site done.
  • Analytics – do you want to monitor who visits your landing page? You now have the chance to embed third-party tracking codes that will help you get the data that you will require.
  • Podcasts – if there is a podcast that you really want to share with the world, you can do so with Wix. They have introduced new features for you so you can host whatever podcasts you want to present on your site.
  • The mobile structure – Wix has recently completed a lot of work on their mobile responsiveness and have now enabled a structure that is mobile-friendly too. When you enable this feature, Wix will automatically resize everything from the text to the images and help you get faster loading times as well.

Is Wix Right For You?

Wx is without a doubt the most popular website builder in the world today. According to the latest figures that were released on 14th February 2018, Wix now has over 119 million registered users and is currently hosting more than 90 million websites.

This is more than double the number that has been created using other tools like Weebly.

Research has also shown that out of its users, over 3.2 million people are willing to pay for a premium plan with Wix and almost 8 out of 10 of them have renewed their plans after the first year. So in conclusion, if you choose Wix, you can rest easy knowing that you are in safe hands.

godaddy-australia

Godaddy Hosting Australia

A good hosting company is something that every business needs and GoDaddy Hosting Australia is a great choice if you are on the lookout for one.

But first, it is important to understand what web hosting is. Then you need to move on to learning about the perks you are entitled to when using GoDaddy hosting.

Godaddy Web Hosting in Australia

Web hosting essentially stores or hosts your website so that others can see it.

This storing or hosting will be done on a computer publicly available. The many different features that you get, along with the storage space you receive essentially comprises your hosting plan.

Some websites with large amounts of traffic will need a complete server to themselves. Others, especially basic level websites, will be able to share the same server with hundreds of other sites. However, you are in the best position to decide which option will suit you the best.

Why Should You Host Your Site With Godaddy?

Before you can choose your plan, you will need to know which company you will be going with. Some companies choose to rent out their servers or even outsource their technical support.

But with GoDaddy, one of the biggest advantages you have is that the company owns and manages all their servers in-house along with their software.

They also provide for their own expertise, hosting support and security which will be available to you as a user all day, every day. They also have state-of-the-art technology that offers their customers a 99.99% guarantee. If something doesn’t work out, they also offer you a money back guarantee. This basically ensures that you get the best services possible.

They even have a website builder.

Advantages Of Using Godaddy

You should also be aware of the advantages and perks that will be offered to you with GoDaddy. This will help you make an informed decision as to why you are choosing this platform.

1. You Get Cpanel Access

WordPress hosting subscribed customers on GoDaddy will be given absolute and free access to the cPanel. The cPanel is thought to be one of the best web hosting control panels that allow its users to manage their own websites as well as accounts. It also allows users to keep an eye out for the system configuration of their respective server and the usage of the server resource, which is important. Godaddy supports LetsEncrypt.

2. Auto Script Installer

You will be given access to an auto script installer that is made to automate the installing process of open source software. This includes software like WordPress as well.

3. It Is Affordable

With the exception of cPanel and the One Click features on WordPress, the rates on GoDaddy are reported to be at least seventy percent less than that of their competitors.

4. You Get Freebies

GoDaddy also offers their customers various features like cloud storage, a free domain, free themes, plugins for free and even money back guarantees for customers who are dissatisfied or simply feel that GoDaddy is not for them. It also offers you more freebies such as AdWords credits for Yahoo and Bing. You will actually get a lot of value for the amount that you are investing.

5. You Will Have Better Flexibility

With GoDaddy, you, as a customer will have the option of either upgrading or downgrading your packages depending on the amount of traffic that you are getting. For example, if you are not getting a lot of traffic on your WordPress site, you will basically be able to pay only for what you have used and need, but nothing more than that.

6. You Will Benefit From Great Uptime

One of the outstanding features about GoDaddy is that they guarantee up to 99.9% uptime for all their WordPress hosting sites and accounts. Furthermore, if their servers are down for some reason, all subscribers who are affected will be given a 5% credit off their monthly fee. You will be able to request for this credit without any issue.

7. You Have Reliable Security

GoDaddy is also known for guaranteeing the security and safety of their customer’s data. The domain names that customers buy will be locked so that other entities will not be able to use them once this a name has been chosen. It also offers nightly backing up facilities which help you keep your data safe. Moreover, it secures all your sensitive information and will authenticate to ensure that you are authorized. It uses foolproof procedures to identify anybody trying to trespass on your site as well.

8. It Has Great Support

You will be provided with support 24/7 all throughout the year. The support team has always consisted of experts and customer-oriented individuals who are highly responsive and responsible at the same time. They have great reviews for customer service and excellent knowledge of WordPress too.

Hosting Solutions From Godaddy

GoDaddy offers quite a few hosting solutions and each one comes with their own specifications. Here are some of the solutions that you should consider trying out:

  • Web hosting – this is the best solution for those looking for something that is effective and affordable. It is also very fast and safe while being reliable. Customers will also get round the clock support. You are also only required to have mid-level skills at tech to handle this. If you have either a small business or a personal website, then this is your best option.
  • Business hosting – if you need better speed and more resources with a cPanel that’s easy to use, then business hosting is the option you should be looking at. It also comes with free Office 365 for better efficiency. A mid-level tech skill is required for this and it is recommended for business websites that have simply grown out of web hosting.
  • Managed WordPress – this service was actually built and managed solely for WordPress. It is the ideal choice for anybody who wants to engage in technical matters like setting up, updating and other such aspects, which will be handled for them if needed. It is recommended for WordPress blogs, web stores, and websites equally.

You can even pay with Paypal.

shopify australia review

Shopify Australia Review

If you want to create your own online store, this Australian Shopify review will help you decide whether it’s the right option for you.

Shopify is essentially a web application that gives you a wide range of templates that are completely customizable so that you can meet your branding requirements. It also allows you to sell goods in either a physical or digital form. Shopify is a hosted solution.

This means that you will not need to think about having to buy web hosting or installing any software.

The idea here is that everything you need to build and run your store is easily available, while you have the capacity to customize your Shopify store by adding apps or the custom codes.

What Is Shopify?

  • The main objective of Shopify is that users can easily operate it, even if they are not particularly tech-savvy.
  • You can create a store without obtaining the help of a design agency or a web developer which means you are saving money.
  • If you are familiar with HTML and CSS you can actually edit both. This gives you major control over all the templates.
  • Shopify is a Saas tool (software as a service). This means that you will not own it but you will need to pay a monthly premium to be able to use it.
  • You can access and manage your store from anywhere and at any time, as long as you have access to the internet and a web browser.

How Many People Use Shopify?

According to Shopify, the product has the following figures:

  • 600,000 stores powered
  • 1,000,000 active users
  • $46bn generated in sales

While Shopify has given out these numbers, it is safe to say that the product is one of the most used and well-established platforms when it comes to e-commerce. Knowing these figures is important because when choosing a product on which to create your online store, you are placing a large amount of trust in it. In the past, there have been many such products that closed down operations for various reasons, resulting in users having to jump through hoops to migrate to other platforms. Shopify’s large customer base makes it a sustainable business, which in turn makes your online store sustainable. So you will not have to worry about them suddenly closing up and disappearing one day.

What Are The Pricing Plans On Shopify?

There are five main pricing plans that you can select from:

  • Shopify Lite for $9 per month
  • Basic Shopify for $29 per month
  • Shopify for $79 per month
  • Advanced Shopify for $299 per month
  • Shopify Plus for about roughly $2000 per month but in this case the price is negotiable

Shopify Lite

This is one of the cheapest plans out there that will help you build and run your online store. It is also their starter plan. It only costs $9 per month and will allow you to sell an unlimited amount of goods online. You need to keep in mind that this plan will not let you construct a completely functional and independent store. It will, however, enable you to sell through your Facebook page. It also permits you to use Shopify in a physical site to sell goods and manage your inventory. You can also access Shopify’s Buy button that will let you sell your products on an existing website or a blog.

Basic Shopify, Shopify, And Advanced Shopify Plans

If you can afford it, you can choose one of these three plans at the rates given above. Unlike in the case of the Shopify Lite plan, these will let you host a completely functioning online store. What’s more, you will also benefit from having unlimited file storage and bandwidth.

Shopify Plus

The Shopify Plus plan is one of the most expensive of its kind available. However, it is also an enterprise-grade plan that offers the perfect solutions for big businesses. It offers plenty of advanced features that include safety and security, fulfillment and APIs.

Questions and Answers

Does shopify work in Australia/can you use shopify in Australia?
Yes, shopify works is all countries.

Should i sell in USA from Australia shopify
Sometimes it’s better to sell locally but this differs from business to business.

How to set up shopify in Australia
Set up using the guidelines shown above.

How much Australian dollars does shopify cost
The pricing changes frequently. Please check their homepage for pricing info.

Is shopify faster in australia with a vpn
VPNs usually slow down your connection. So the answer is no.

You Have Over 100 Themes To Choose From

Shopify offers its users more than 100 professional and beautiful templates or themes so that your online store will look amazing.

When you have an online store that looks great, it will immediately build credibility and trust with your customers.

You will have access to a Theme Store where you can view and select from an extensive collection of premium themes that are either free of charge or paid, covering many different industries like jewelry, clothing, household items and so on.

You can deck out your online store in a theme that you like accordingly. Shopify also invites professional theme designers to specially create templates for users.

They are all quality checked and compatible so that you can use them without any problem.

They Have A Comprehensive And Flexible Ecommerce Building Tool

Shopify is extremely flexible and have many different types of tools that will meet your requirements and help you extend the functionality of your online store. You will have access to an App store where you can choose from over 1200 different apps that are both freely available and paid so that you can plug them into your store. These tools include a wide range of fields from accounting, inventory handling, customer services, reporting, marketing, social media, and shipping or fulfillment, to name a few. They can all combine to help you completely automate your business processes.

Shopify Also Offers 24/7 Support For You

You can also get in touch with the Shopify support team through the phone, live chat or email as per your need. They will offer you five different international phone numbers that you can use according to your location. Most often when running a business online, users require immediate support if and when they run into some technical issue. Shopify provides you with just that so that you won’t have to worry about losing out and disappointing your clients.

With all these great perks and services on offer, it is no wonder that Shopify is so popular with both businesses and consumers alike.

paypal-web-hosting

Australian Web Hosting That Accepts Paypal

One of the biggest worries about web hosting is how to pay for it. There are many Australian web hosting sites that accept Paypal.

You can use your credit or debit card to pay for your hosting account.

But these might incur additional fees that inflate the costs of maintaining your website. Using bank transfers are almost always a bad idea because of wire transfer fees.

PayPal offers a simple and efficient way to conduct online monetary transactions with either minimal or zero fees.

Read on to learn more about PayPal, how to use it with your website, and how to find a web hosting provider that accepts PayPal transactions:

PayPal Hosting Providers in Australia

You can integrate PayPal into your website using e-commerce plugins in addition to HTML code. However, the web host must offer an option to do so to start using PayPal.

You can use cPanel to easily install PayPal to an e-commerce website. But keep in mind that the web host must accept PayPal payments to actually pay for your hosting plan. Here is a list of providers that actually do support PayPal in Australia:

HostGator

This well-known hosting provider accepts PayPal transactions with all plans. The brand is popular for shared hosting plans, but you can also benefit from the more feature-rich cloud or VPS plans with PayPal enabled.

Nearly all plans come with unlimited disk space and email. With a 99.99% uptime, HostGator is one of the best hosting providers for Australian businesses and individuals.

BlueHost

BlueHost is a widely used provider and offers PayPal among its long list of transaction methods.

It is an excellent service to consider if your website is brand new. The company’s shared hosting plans are amazingly cheap with annual payment plans. Try out their trial to check out whether the service is for you.

A2Hosting

A2Hosting easily accepts PayPal transactions. You can pay for the service with PayPal and set up an e-commerce suite to accept PayPal payments. That’s not the only reasons to use this service. A2 offers highly reliable services and you can choose where your server is located. Server performance is excellent, especially for Australian sites.

SiteGround

SiteGround is an immensely popular web hosting provider for Australians, largely due to their data centre being located in close proximity to the country. This hosting company accepts PayPal transactions upon request. So, if you want to pay with PayPal, you will need to contact the customer support. The service usually facilitates PayPal payments easily once you submit your request and fill out the necessary documentation if required.

InMotion Hosting

InMotion, like SiteGround, only accepts PayPal upon request. You will have to contact the company to enable PayPal transactions. This process is relatively easy and hassle-free. InMotion is worth considering thanks to the speedy load times that the company offers. InMotion has ISP partnerships in many parts of the world so the company can offer your direct data connections that reduce lagging.

Before choosing any one of the above-listed web hosting providers, carefully assess your needs. Choose a hosting provider only after considering all aspects of maintaining a website in addition to PayPal support to get the best value for money.

What is PayPal?

PayPal is a peer-to-peer online money transfer system. It essentially allows you to spend money online easily without filling out bank forms.

PayPal is widely used in e-commerce by both sellers and buyers. If you are an online store owner, you will get customers from around the world who use different currencies and have credit cards subject to different regulations. With PayPal, everyone can transact with your website in equal grounds.

PayPal is a US-based company that is available in a number of countries including Australia. Users can both pay for and accept transactions. However, in some countries, users are restricted to paying for online services and cannot accept payments on their personal accounts. This, though, is not a concern in Australia.

The service is highly convenient, in that all transactions are digitized. You can use multiple bank accounts or credit cards with a single account. You can also open an account for free and start submitting payments. However, some payments are subject to fees depending on the category. There are two categories:

  • Personal
  • Commercial

Personal PayPal payments are transactions that occur between a user and friends or family. Everything else is considered commercial. You are not charged for commercial payments unless you use a credit card. With commercial payments, PayPal charges a commission per transaction from the seller only.

Aside from transactions that occur on your website, you can use PayPal to submit payments to your web host. Given the popularity of PayPal, you would think that all web hosts accept this payment method. Unfortunately, no. Only a select group of web hosting providers accept PayPal, though the number is slowly growing.

To pay a web host using PayPal, you need to copy and paste the codes the company provides you to the HTML of your site. The support features offered for PayPal may differ with various hosting providers. Read the section below to learn more about how to use a PayPal account for web hosting services.

How to Use PayPal with Your Website

Using PayPal is pretty simple. However, you will have to be careful about the type of account you choose. PayPal has a free, regular version intended for consumers. If you plan on exclusively paying for services online, you can use the regular PayPal account version.

PayPal also offers a Merchant account for online business.

If you plan on receiving payments for products or services sold online, you will need to sign up for a Merchant account. This type of account is subject to commissions.

You don’t have to pay a fee to keep a Merchant account active. However, PayPal will charge a fee every time you make a sale and the payment is confirmed. You should refer to PayPal’s official documentation regarding commissions for exact rates.

If you only want to pay for your web hosting provider’s monthly fees using PayPal, you won’t need a Merchant account. But if your website includes an e-store, you should consider signing up for a Merchant account to receive payments online.

You can accept both credit and debit card payments via a PayPal Merchant account. Maintaining a Merchant account is costly compared to a regular PayPal account. However, businesses can derive certain advantages associated with digital transactions.

Users can avoid having to set up a custom merchant account if they have a PayPal account. Building a custom transaction system is more expensive compared to owning a PayPal Merchant account.

Advantages of Paypal Merchant

Here are some advantages you can enjoy with a PayPal Merchant account:

  • Create a PayPal payment gateway to attract both local and international customers.
  • Collect payments to be processed at a later date
  • Integrate PayPal into shopping carts as an additional payment method

Overall, PayPal is an excellent choice for website owners that simplifies accepting and making payments online. The service is user-friendly and highly efficient for both customers and businesses.

letsencrypt australian hosting

LetsEncrypt Supported Australian Hosting

Are you looking for an easy way to obtain an SSL certificate needed for your Australian domain? Then Let’s Encrypt Hosting is your best choice.

Let’s Encrypt Hosting Australia

Let’s Encrypt is a free and easy SSL provider who will issue the certificate you need without any hassle. They also have the backing of large companies like Mozilla, Facebook, Cisco, and several others. This allows them to completely automate the processes of requesting, authenticating, issuing and finally installing the certificate. All you really need to do is to log into your control panel and request for the SSL Certificate from Let’s Encrypt. Once the request has been submitted their systems will automatically send through the certificate and install it.

How Can You Lets Encrypt?

Enabling this is not complicated and it can be done in a matter of minutes. The steps that you need to take are as follows:

  • Go to Shared Hosting on the left of your navigation menu
  • Go to manage
  • Click on your service and you will be provided with a drop-down menu
  • You will find the Let’s Encrypt option under Configure. Select it.
  • Now you will be given the option to either install the Let’s Encrypt certificate or any of your primary or subdomains or even add-ons that you have in your hosting service. However, do bear in mind that it is not possible for you to install an SSL on a parked domain at this stage, because of the functionality of the cPanel.

How Is The Installation Done?

Let’s Encrypt will be installed to your server with the help of an SNI rather than through the use of a dedicated IP address. If you need one of these, you will have to look for your own SSL through a provider like VentraIP for example and then have it submitted for installation.

How Can You Renew Your Let’s Encrypt Certificate?

The certificates from Let’s Encrypt are usually only valid for 90 days from the date they were issued.

As the date of expiry draws closer you will get an email or expiry notices about the date of expiration. You will receive these to the email address that you linked with the cPanel service at the time you created it.

However, there could be rare instances where users may or may not receive an expiry notice.

There could also be delays. Once you have ten days left to go before the expiry, the systems will automatically try to renew your SSL certificate and then update your website with the renewed version.

This is a huge advantage that will help you give your users an interrupted and efficient service. If the renewal fails during the first attempt, it will try once every four hours to renew your SSL certificate until it is completed.

How Is A Let’s Encrypt Certificate Re-Issued?

If you need to re-issue your SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt for some reason, all you will need to do is log back into your control panel and remove the existing one.

You will then be directed to the same page as you were in the installation section. Now that you have removed the existing SSL from the system, you will be able to click on the install button and have the certificate re-issued.

Why Do You Need An SSL Certificate?

When you are operating an online business, trust and security are two things that you cannot ignore. Your customers should know that you are reliable enough and that their sensitive data is safe with you. When you install an SSL certificate you will be encrypting anything that has been sent or that you receive from your server over the HTTPS. This includes things like personal or credit and debit card information.

It essentially guarantees that even if somebody is monitoring your network, they will not be able to read the information that is being sent.

What Is The Function Of An SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate basically guarantees that the connection between the server and the browser is a secure and safe one. Once the data is in the server, the server admin will be responsible for making sure that it stays safe and secure. The end user’s browser will first request a secured channel, which is usually through https, from the server.

If the server has an SSL certificate, the browser and the server will then negotiate and match their highest common strength of encryption, 256 bits, for example.

They will then exchange the encryption keys that correspond and this key will then be used for the exchanges in this session. For the next session that is requested, a new encryption key will be used.

Can Let’s Encrypt Be Used On A VPS Or A Dedicated Server?

Yes, you can use Let’s Encrypt on both these options. If they have not been installed by default and you happen to be a managed customer with your hosting service, you will be able to get this done with the help of the support team. If you are a user who is self-managed, you will be able to get the instructions that you need off your cPanel.

The Bottom-Line

One of the biggest advantages of Let’s Encrypt is that it is completely free. It also has a very simple installation procedure when compared to the traditional SSL certificates. You will also have very little to stress about because in this case, the request for the certificate and the maintenance will also be handled completely by Let’s Encrypt. All in all, it makes for a more efficient and convenient user experience.

Google Chrome also happens to be one of the Platinum sponsors of Let’s Encrypt, which means that you will have guaranteed trust in this service. Google Chrome would not be considered a platinum sponsor if the services provided were not consistent and reliable.

These are some of the main factors that you should be aware of when it comes to Let’s Encrypt and choosing it to get your SSl certificate.

best website builder

Best Website Builder Australia

A website builder helps you create a website in a fast and hassle-free way.

Building a website and ensuring that your brand message reaches your audience is certainly not as hard as it used to be back in the day, with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Tumblr to turn to.

So if you are looking for the best website builder Australia, you will have several options to choose from. If you want to make sure that your digital media presence represents your business, a real website will give you control over the kind of design and content you wish to post, as opposed to just maintaining a social media account.

This will immediately provide more credibility to your business too. People expect a business to have a website, and not having one can really become a disadvantage.

Why Do You Need A Website?

  • You get to customize your design to suit your brand
  • You will be in control over how you sell and what you sell
  • It immediately improves your brand positioning and credibility with clients and other businesses
  • You can reach more people
  • You can build one easily at a low cost

Isn’t It Hard To Build A Website?

Not really. In fact, it can be argued that it’s never been this easy to build a website. With website builders like Wix, Weebly and Squarespace who are rapidly improving their standards and newer players in the game like Simvoly, uKit and Strikingly setting ingenious twists on the process of web building, you just have so many options to choose from.

Which Is The Best Website Builder in Australia?

So here is a quick round up of the best website builders in Australia so that you can select the one that works best for you:

1. Wix

Wix gives you intuitive options for a website-building interface. There are tons of features available, as well as a free site option if that is what you want to get started with. They also offer hundreds of templates for different businesses and have great mobile site building features and tools. Their web store is rich in content and the customer service and support have set the standards for many other web building giants. It is the most user-friendly and feature-filled website builder around today. You can use it to create a site that is highly customized according to your needs, whatever they may be.

2. Duda

Duda brings you a strong and clear interface with a very powerful mobile site building tool. It also features a free site option and allows you to integrate social media as well. The traffic analysis on Duda is really off the charts and to the point. They also offer efficient web store tools. Although you may have a free account, you will still be able to sell your products online. Duda will provide everything that you need to build your site effectively. They also host a website that is rich in content, can be accessed by mobile, has a full set of features and is commercially viable.

3. Simvoly

Simvoly is incredibly simple to work with and has an easy drag and drop type interface. It is also filled with appealing, customizable and response-oriented design templates for your website. Digital download sales help with store functionality in Simvoly and the site statistics are always visible on the dashboard. You will have access to a lot of great tools that will enable you to get creative with your content and design a visually-appealing website that customers will love visiting.

4. Squarespace

Squarespace is extremely reputable. It has been around for quite a while and customers have been flocking to it since its inception. It accommodates mobile screens and also has an extensive section of responsive and creative designs that you can choose from. It offers deep selling capacities that include digital downloading as well. You will also be given a free SSL certificate which is important for your website’s safety. The company also offers a good support system and has efficient analytical tools. Sqaurespace will help you build a site that looks modern and is also highly responsive for both desktop and mobile viewing. It will give you full potential to go commercial with your business.

5. Godaddy

GoDaddy offers generous storage capacity and bandwidth and is also highly reputable. They have also been around for a long time. Godaddy gives users an easy-to-use and clear interface that looks great for both desktop and mobile usage. The new website builder from GoDaddy is really simple to use and is also responsive. However, it needs to be said that your chances of playing around with the design of the page itself are not as flexible as you might like.

6. Strikingly

You will be able to build your site without any stress involved, thanks to Strikingly. This website builder offers preview samples of completed sites and has built-in templates. It creates sites that are great looking and are responsible for both desktop and mobile designs equally. The convenience that you can experience with strikingly is perhaps their biggest advantage. However, like GoDaddy, the only downside is that the customization options available are rather limited, so you won’t be able to play around with the designing aspect too much.

7. Ukit

uKit will provide you with a sleek interface. It also gives you the ability to save uploaded images to be used later or for reuse. It offers customers an easy-to-use, good-quality blogging tool as well as gamification features. They are also very affordable and charge only a low monthly premium. Another perk is that you will be able to design your site any way you want. But if you need to look for built-in statistics and image editing, for example, you might have to look outside for resources.

If you are looking for a free alternative, then silex is the way to go.

This is just a glimpse of some of the best website builders in Australia that you can choose to build your site. Just be sure to compare the pros and cons of each against what you are expecting for your site to make the right decision. This way, you can ensure that your website is a stunner all around.

Web Hosting Sydney

sydney web hostingIs your website targeted towards clients in Sydney? Then you probably need a good web hosting provider that works well with Sydney web traffic.

How To Find A Good Webhost For Sydney Traffic

Australians technically have access to hundreds of web hosting providers located worldwide. Here’s an important question: How many of these typically US-based companies offer web hosting Sydney servers?

Where the web host’s servers are located matters to customers. When you upload a website through a hosting provider, your data would be physically held on a server.

When users download your website, they need to access the data stored on this server. The closer the server is to the user’s computer, the faster the data transfer would be.

  • Site building experts recommend users to ensure that websites load as fast as possible, ideally under two seconds.
  • If the web host’s servers are not located in Australia, Australian users may experience some lag when downloading the website.
  • Not many web hosts have data centres located in Australia. The data centre should at least be located somewhere close by, such as in Singapore.

Ideally, you will get the best value for money with web hosts that have servers in major Australian cities like Sydney.

Local customers often look to purchase the cheapest hosting plan. However, you should consider server locations to get good value for your money. If you have more visitors from Melbourne, then you need a Melbourne webhosting provider.

Some international web hosts do have local data centres. If none are available, the provider must ensure high uptimes and ping speeds for local customers.

Here is a list of  the best web hosts in Sydney:

1. WPWebHost

WPWebHost is a managing WordPress hosting service based in Malaysia. They offer services primarily to an Australian clientele.

WPWebHost is one of the few providers that actually have a data centre in none other than Sydney. The company’s worldwide speeds average at 141 ms. In contrast, their Australian speeds average at an impressive 177 ms.

This hosting provider can ensure that your local clientele has speedy access to all content on your website. Local uptime is also highly reliable, going over the 99% guarantee easily.

Do note that WPWebHost hosting plans aren’t cheap. However, you can benefit from some of the speediest plans for Australians ever.

2. SiteGround

The ever-popular SiteGround is known for its affordable plans and highly reliable uptimes. The company, unfortunately, doesn’t have a data centre in Sydney. However, their local speeds can ping close to 98 ms.

SiteGround doesn’t have a data centre in Australia, but they do have one in Singapore. That’s a lot better than having to rely on a server located all the way in the US.

SiteGround plans for Aussies can cost as little as $8 a month and they include one click install scripts. The costs of shared hosting are typically cheap. You have the option to upgrade to a better plan as your website grows.

The web host offers 20 GB of SSD storage with even the smaller packages. SSD storage is much faster than the traditional HDD storage. This will ensure that internal processing is done quickly without any lags in delivery.

3. HostGator

HostGator has an excellent worldwide speed score, especially for their cloud services. HostGator’s cloud plans are the speediest in and around Sydney.

In Sydney, HostGator Cloud can reach speeds as high as 209 ms. Expect about half the ms with their non-cloud plans.

Overall, HostGator is known to be one of the fastest hosting providers in Australia. If you purchase a plan locally, you will benefit from double fast loading times, a free cPanel, and unlimited disk space.

4. InMotion

InMotion offers hosting plans that include unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage, and multiple domain availability. It’s arguably one of the best web hosts for users located anywhere in Australia.

InMotion’s main data centres are located in the US. If you are based in Sydney, you will be connected to the services from their eastern US datacentre.

Speeds from this location to Sydney can go as high as 230 ms. In comparison, their worldwide average is 149 ms.

Compare InMotion speed to the Google recommended 200 ms. It’s more than adequate for Sydney-based users.

Other than speed, customers in Sydney can benefit from feature-rich plans that include 24.7 customer support. There is also customer support provided during local business hours.

5. A2

A2 is a green-label hosting provider. Green-label meaning that the company is committed eco-friendliness and boasts 100% carbon neutral operations.

Sydney users can benefit from A2’s comprehensive hosting plans. Their basic plans start from around $7 per month.

A2, like most hosting providers, is not based in Australia. However, they have a data centre located in Singapore. The company has 3 data centres located in three different regions around the world.

The company has a worldwide speed average of 176 ms. Pings from Singapore to Sydney at max would come back at 320 ms.

That doesn’t sound ideal, but users should be aware that the data centre ensures high uptime quality. It’s always a perk to use a hosting provider with a data centre close by.

6. Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the oldest website hosting providers in the world. This certainly hasn’t slowed down the company, however.

A Bluehost package boasts speeds as much as 183 ms from Sydney. Cloud packages can go even higher.

Bluehost offers an excellent selection of features with their packages, which makes their offers all the more worthwhile. You can get rare features like a free CDN, automatic backup, and resource protection.

Their content delivery network is built right into the accounts of users. When you need to boost the speed, just select the CDN.

7. Crucial

Crucial is a local web host that offers plans for users with a clientele based in Australia. The company has its data centre in Australia.

Local server speeds are quite promising for this new brand. Their worldwide average is 214 ms. In Sydney, pings get close to 200 ms.

That’s not saying much, but it is a lot better than what other Australian web hosts offer. If you intend on buying local, Crucial is a great host to consider.

The company is still relatively new. They don’t offer packages at competitive prices. However, you can rely on their speed and uptimes anytime.

8. Dreamhost

Dreamhost is highly recommended for new users based in Sydney. The company offers diverse plans at prices Aussies can comfortably afford.

Dreamhost doesn’t offer super speedy plans in Sydney. Their speeds are decent, not mind-blowing.

What’s impressive are the features included with even the most standard plans. You can enjoy benefits like unlimited email, databases and bandwidth with this provider. This is hands-down a top contender for reliable web hosting in Australia.

 

9. A Small Orange

A Small Orange is a niche hosting provider. Unlike other web hosts, this company doesn’t boast great scaling or prices. Rather, the focus of A Small Orange is customer support and care.

The company offers highly affordable plans that Sydney-based users can benefit from. All plans come with live chat and email support.

In addition, there are other perks like unlimited domains and email addresses. Overall, if you want something new in Sydney, this hosting provider would be a great choice.

10. GoDaddy

GoDaddy has been a fixture in the hosting scene for some time now. This international web host is an excellent choice for customers based in Sydney.

The brand ensures both top speeds and high levels of reliability in Australia. Though it’s not an Aussie company, GoDaddy is worth considering as a web host for a primarily Australian audience.

Where GoDaddy doesn’t score is in customer support. Previous users have complained about shoddy tech support phone lines.

Other than that, the web host offers excellent plans with plenty of built-in tools. Aussies can benefit in more ways than one.

If you are based in Sydney, it can seem overwhelming to choose a web host. The following details can help you distinguish between good hosting providers and subpar ones:

  • Data centres near Sydney or Australia
  • 24/7 customer support so you can call during local business hours
  • Competitive prices in Australian dollars

Don’t rush to purchase a hosting plan just because it’s well-known internationally. Remember to check which services offer the best speeds and reliability levels locally as well.