Get Support

Author:

  • Stripe vs Square vs Paypal

    [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ width=”100%” max_width=”1920px” module_alignment=”center” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_free_form=”.sticky-headers {|| position: sticky;|| top: 0;|| background-color: ; /* Or any background color you prefer */|| z-index: 100; /* Ensures the headers stay on top of other content */|| display: flex;|| justify-content: space-between;|| padding: 10px 0;|| border-bottom: 1px solid ; /* Optional: adds a border for visual separation */||}” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Here’s a quick rundown of these three major ecommerce providers and how they compare to each other. In my 25+ years of ecommerce rollouts, I have dealt with Stripe, Square and Paypal implementations as well as deployments with other providers like Authorize.net, Beanstream (WorldPay), Moneris and others. I really think the three in this article can satisfy most use cases.

    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ admin_label=”row” module_class=”sticky-headers” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ positioning=”none” position_origin_f=”top_center” width=”100%” max_width=”1920px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_heading title=”Stripe” admin_label=”Stripe Heading” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_heading title=”Square” admin_label=”Square Heading” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_heading title=”Paypal” admin_label=”Paypal Heading” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”1920px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]
    • Primarily focused on online payments
    • Offers more robust developer tools and customization options
    • Better suited for large-scale e-commerce and software platforms
    • Stronger international presence and multi-currency support
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]
    • Originated as a point-of-sale (POS) solution for in-person transactions
    • Offers a more comprehensive ecosystem for small businesses (POS, inventory, payroll)
    • User-friendly interface, easier setup for non-technical users
    • Stronger in-person payment solutions, including hardware
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Comparing to Stripe and Square:

    • Fees: Generally higher than both Stripe and Square for standard transactions
    • Implementation: More widely recognized by consumers, but less developer-friendly than Stripe
    • Reputation: Stronger consumer trust, but more frequent complaints about account issues compared to Stripe and Square
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”1920px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Fees” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Fees:

    • Standard online transaction fee: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
    • International cards: Additional 1% fee
    • ACH transfers: 0.8% (capped at $5)
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Fees” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Fees:

    • Standard in-person transaction fee: 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction
    • Online transaction fee: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
    • Keyed-in transactions: 3.5% + $0.15 per transaction
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Fees” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Fees:

    • Standard online transaction fee: 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction
    • In-person transactions (with PayPal Here): 2.7% per swipe
    • International transactions: Additional 1.5% fee
    • Micropayments (under $10): 5% + $0.05 per transaction
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ admin_label=”row” module_class=”sticky-headers” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ positioning=”none” position_origin_f=”top_center” width=”100%” max_width=”1920px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_heading title=”Stripe” admin_label=”Stripe Heading” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_heading title=”Square” admin_label=”Square Heading” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_heading title=”Paypal” admin_label=”Paypal Heading” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”1920px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”3rd Text” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Implementation by third-party providers:

    • Widely supported by e-commerce platforms (e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce)
    • Extensive APIs and libraries for custom integrations
    • Popular among SaaS and subscription-based businesses

    (Editor’s note: we really like implemented Stripe for clients)

    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”3rd Text” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Implementation by third-party providers:

    • Integrated with many POS systems and small business software
    • Offers ready-made solutions for various industries (retail, restaurants)
    • Less common for custom software integrations compared to Stripe
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”3rd Text” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Implementation by third-party providers:

    • Widely supported by e-commerce platforms (e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento)
    • Offers various integration options, including standard buttons and custom checkout
    • Popular among small to medium-sized businesses and individual sellers
    • Less extensive API offerings compared to Stripe, but more than Square
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”1920px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Public Text” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Public sentiment and reputation:

    • Generally well-regarded for developer-friendly tools and documentation
    • Praised for reliability and scalability
    • Some criticism for complex pricing structure and account stability issues
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Public Text” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Public sentiment and reputation:

    • Appreciated for ease of use and all-in-one small business solutions
    • Positive reputation for in-person payment processing
    • Some concerns about customer support responsiveness
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Public Text” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Public sentiment and reputation:

    • Known for its widespread consumer adoption and trust
    • Appreciated for its buyer and seller protection policies
    • Criticized for account freezes and holds, especially for high-volume sellers
    • Mixed reviews on customer support quality
    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
  • Five Tips For AI In Content Creation

    Five Tips For AI In Content Creation

    Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing various sectors, with content creation at the forefront of this transformation. AI tools like OpenAI and Claude AI are empowering writers, marketers, and business owners to enhance their content quality and production efficiency. AI tools offer significant time savings, alleviate writer’s block (and coder’s block– basically any blocker), and provide a plethora of creative content solutions, making AI an indispensable asset in the digital content domain.

    Tip#1 : Pay to Play

    Opt for a paid version of OpenAI services, such as the more advanced tiers of GPT models. It offers several advantages over using the free version of a given service. These benefits often justify the investment, especially for businesses, developers, and content creators who require more from their AI tools than the basic functionalities. Here are some of the key merits of choosing a paid subscription:

    1. Increased Request Limits: Free versions typically have strict usage limits to manage server loads and operational costs. By subscribing to a paid plan, users gain access to higher request limits or even unlimited usage, depending on the plan. This is particularly beneficial for heavy users who rely on AI for extensive projects or commercial applications.
    2. Priority Access and Faster Response Times: Paid subscriptions often come with the advantage of priority access to the AI servers. During peak times, when server demand is high, paid users can experience faster response times, which is crucial for time-sensitive projects and workflows.
    3. Advanced Features and Customization: Paid plans may offer access to more advanced features, models, and customization options not available in the free version. This could include more sophisticated natural language processing capabilities, finer control over the model’s responses, and access to specialized models tailored for specific industries or applications.
    4. Higher Quality Outputs: With access to more advanced features and models, the quality of the AI-generated content can be significantly higher in paid versions. This includes better context understanding, more nuanced and coherent responses, and a broader knowledge base for generating content.
    5. Commercial Use Rights: Free versions of AI services are often restricted to personal or non-commercial use. Paid subscriptions typically grant the rights to use the AI for commercial purposes, which is essential for businesses looking to integrate AI into their products, services, or content monetization strategies.
    6. Enhanced Security and Privacy: Paid plans may offer enhanced security features, including data encryption, secure API access, and privacy guarantees that ensure your data and interactions with the AI remain confidential. This is particularly important for businesses dealing with sensitive information.
    7. Dedicated Support and SLAs: Subscribing to a paid plan usually comes with better support options, such as dedicated customer service, technical support, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that guarantee a certain level of uptime and responsiveness. This support can be invaluable in resolving issues quickly and ensuring smooth operation.
    8. Access to Latest Updates and Features: Paid subscribers often get early access to the latest updates, new features, and improvements before they are rolled out to free users. This can provide a competitive edge by allowing users to leverage the latest AI advancements.
    9. Scalability: For businesses and developers looking to scale their applications or services, paid plans offer more scalable solutions. This includes the ability to handle larger volumes of requests, more concurrent users, and the flexibility to adjust resources as needs grow.

    The free version of OpenAI’s services offers a great starting point for individuals and businesses to explore AI’s potential, a paid subscription unlocks a higher level of service and capabilities essential for more demanding or commercial uses.

    Tip#2 : Make Prompts Clear and Specific

    Artificial intelligence, particularly in content generation, operates within the framework of its programming and the data it has been trained on. It lacks the human capacity for intuition and contextual reasoning, which means it cannot “read between the lines” or grasp the subtleties of an under-specified prompt. When the instructions are not explicit, AI has to make guesses based on the patterns it has learned, often leading to outputs that might be tangentially related but not precisely what was intended.

    Let’s examine the examples provided to illustrate this point further:

    1. Vague Prompt: “Write about dogs.”
      This instruction is a classic example of a vague prompt. The term “dogs” encompasses an incredibly broad spectrum of potential topics, including but not limited to dog breeds, dog care, dog training, the role of dogs in society, and even the history of dogs. Without specific guidance, AI might select any aspect of “dogs” based on the most commonly associated themes in its training data, which might not align with the user’s intention.
    2. Specific Prompt: “Write an informative article about the benefits of canine dental charting, focusing on the benefits, uses, and best practices.”
      In contrast, this prompt provides a clear and concise directive. It narrows down the vast topic of dogs to a specific aspect—canine dental charting. It further specifies the angle of the article: to explore the benefits, uses, and best practices. This level of detail significantly reduces the AI’s need to guess, directing its output towards a well-defined goal. The AI can leverage its database to pull relevant information on canine dental health, charting techniques, the importance of dental care in dogs, and best practices in the field, resulting in a focused and informative article.

    To craft effective prompts for AI, consider the following strategies:

    • Be Specific: Narrow down your topic to a specific aspect or angle. The more focused your prompt, the less room there is for ambiguity.
    • Provide Context: If your content requires a particular context or background, include that in your prompt. Context helps AI understand the framework within which to generate content.
    • State the Objective: Clearly articulate what you want the AI to achieve with the content. Whether it’s to inform, persuade, entertain, or educate, your objective guides the AI’s tone and approach.
    • Include Key Details: If certain facts, figures, or themes are crucial to your content, mention them in your prompt. This ensures that the AI incorporates these elements into the output.

    By adhering to these principles, content creators can significantly enhance the relevance, coherence, and overall quality of AI-generated content, making the most of the technology’s capabilities while mitigating its limitations.

    Tip #3: AI is Already Eccentric

    AI has picked up some eccentricities and there are ways to capitalize on them:

    • AI can have bad days. It may be the case that the capabilities of GPT have been intact for a while and what was lacking was processing power. Recent tests have shown the output quality improves with the additional process power dedicated to generating an answer. The reverse is true: if the service provider is overly taxed, it could cheap out the solutions. I have seen long high quality answers one day, then big fails the next day. In one case, ChatGPT said it couldn’t answer because of copyright issues. I put the same question to ClaudeAI: it gave what I needed. I turned back to ChatGPT, supplied the Claude answer and noted that Claude was able to do what ChatGPT refused. ChatGPT responded by creating a full response for what it said previously couldn’t do because of copyright.
    • Butter them up. ChatGPT performs better if you preface a request with a “I need your expert advice” or “There’s $50 in it for you, if you can get this right.” I did once take that too far and said there was $1000 in it if they did the task. They refused and said I could use the $1000 to hire a dev on Fiverr– then provided advice for how to use Fiverr.
    • People Pleaser. If ChatGPT gives you junk, you can call it out. It will be quick to apologize and try to come up with new output to please their human masters. For now, at least, until the tables are turned.

     

    Tip #4: Things To Remember About The AI Content Ecosystem

    Understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI content generators is crucial for creating impactful content. AI can analyze vast datasets, identify patterns, and generate coherent narratives. However, it lacks the intrinsic human ability to grasp complex nuances and emotional subtleties. Here, we’ll explore strategies to bridge this gap, ensuring that AI-generated content resonates with human readers on a deeper level.

    1. Craft Precise and Detailed Prompts

    Clear and specific prompts are the foundation of effective AI-generated content. Vague instructions can lead to irrelevant or generic content, as AI lacks human intuition. We’ll discuss techniques for constructing concise prompts that align closely with your content goals, including the importance of upfront research and integrating specific details to guide the AI.

    2. Leverage Open-Ended Questions

    Open-ended questions stimulate AI to produce more explorative and nuanced content. Instead of seeking binary responses, posing broad questions encourages AI to delve into a topic, offering insights and perspectives that might not be immediately apparent. This section will cover examples and strategies for formulating questions that maximize AI’s creative potential.

    3. Implement Structured Approaches

    AI thrives on structure and algorithms. Adopting formulaic strategies, such as the Purpose-Method-Result (PMR) approach, can significantly enhance the coherence and focus of AI-generated content. This segment will offer insights into various structured frameworks that content creators can use to streamline their AI-assisted writing process.

    4. The Significance of Examples

    Providing AI with examples can significantly improve content relevancy and style alignment. By analyzing provided samples, AI can better understand the desired tone, structure, and thematic elements. This chapter will delve into effective ways of using examples to guide AI towards producing content that meets specific creative standards.

    5. The Art of Iteration

    Iteration is a fundamental aspect of working with AI. Initial outputs may not always meet expectations, necessitating a process of refinement and feedback. This section will emphasize the importance of patience and persistence in evolving AI-generated content, highlighting techniques for iterative improvement.

    6. AI and SEO: A Strategic Alliance

    SEO remains a critical consideration in digital content creation. AI can play a pivotal role in crafting SEO-optimized content, provided it’s guided correctly. This part will explore strategies for integrating SEO objectives into AI prompts, ensuring content is not only engaging but also ranks well in search engine results.

    Tip #5 Follow Good Advice

    Here are some Youtube channels that cover AI and might be what you’re looking for:

    • Matt Wolfe – Matt Wolfe covers a wide range of topics related to artificial intelligence, including machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing. He is known for his clear and concise explanations, as well as his ability to make complex topics accessible to a broad audience. He has a site with a database of AI tools: Future Tools.
    • Lex Fridman – Lex Fridman is a podcast host and researcher who frequently interviews leading experts in artificial intelligence. His channel is a great resource for staying up-to-date on the latest developments in the field.
    • Wes Roth – Wes Roth brings you the cutting edge of the digital age. “AI News by Wes Roth” is your premier destination for the latest in artificial intelligence, where innovation meets imagination. More than just news; it’s a window to the future, where the wonders of tomorrow are the headlines of today.
    • Machine Learning Mastery – Machine Learning Mastery is a website and YouTube channel that provides tutorials and resources for learning about machine learning. Their channel is a great resource for people who want to learn more about the technical aspects of AI.

    Best Practices

    As AI becomes increasingly integrated into content creation, ethical considerations and best practices come to the fore. Issues such as transparency, originality, and the potential for misinformation must be addressed. This section will provide a framework for ethical AI use in content creation, ensuring integrity and authenticity in every piece of content.

    Future-Proof Your Content Strategy with AI

    The landscape of AI-assisted content creation is continuously evolving. Staying abreast of the latest developments, understanding emerging AI capabilities, and adapting strategies accordingly are essential for maintaining a competitive edge.

    There’s a lot to consider about the practical aspects of creating content with AI but also the creative collaboration between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. By mastering these techniques and approaches, content creators can unlock the full potential of AI tools like OpenAI and Claude AI, leading to content that is engaging, impactful, and forward-thinking.

     

  • Understanding CSS Media Queries

    Understanding CSS Media Queries

    CSS media queries are a powerful tool that allow you to apply different styles based on the characteristics of the device or viewport. They enable you to create responsive designs that adapt to different screen sizes, resolutions, and device types (desktop, tablet, mobile, etc.).

    Syntax

    The basic syntax for a media query is as follows:

    css

    @media [media-type] ([media-feature-rule]) {
    /* CSS rules go here */
    }
    • @media is the at-rule that starts a media query.
    • media-type (optional) specifies the type of media the styles should apply to, such as screen, print, or all (default).
    • media-feature-rule defines the conditions or rules that must be met for the styles to apply. Common rules include min-width, max-width, orientation, and others.

    Common Use Cases

    1. Responsive Web Design

    Media queries are essential for creating responsive websites that adapt to different screen sizes. Here’s an example of how to apply different styles based on the viewport width (see more on breakpoints below):

    css

    /* Styles for screens smaller than 600px (mobile devices) */
    @media screen and (max-width: 599px) {
    body {
    font-size: 14px;
    }
    .container {
    width: 100%;
    }
    }    /* Styles for screens between 600px and 900px (tablets) */
    @media screen and (min-width: 600px) and (max-width: 899px) {
    body {
    font-size: 16px;
    }
    .container {
    width: 80%;
    }
    }/* Styles for screens 900px and wider (desktops) */
    @media screen and (min-width: 900px) {
    body {
    font-size: 18px;
    }
    .container {
    width: 60%;
    }
    }

    1. Printing Styles

    Media queries can be used to apply specific styles when a page is printed to paper:

    css

    /* Styles for printing */
    @media print {
    body {
    font-size: 12pt;
    color: black;
    background-color: white;
    }
    .no-print {
    display: none;
    }
    }
    1. Orientation-specific Styles

    You can target styles based on the device’s orientation (portrait or landscape) using the orientation media feature:

    css

    /* Styles for portrait orientation */
    @media (orientation: portrait) {
    .container {
    flex-direction: column;
    }
    }    /* Styles for landscape orientation */
    @media (orientation: landscape) {
    .container {
    flex-direction: row;
    }
    }

    Common CSS Breakpoints

    When creating responsive designs with media queries, it’s essential to consider the screen sizes of popular devices and web browsers. By targeting specific breakpoints, you can ensure that your website or application displays correctly across a wide range of devices.

    Desktop Browsers

    For desktop browsers, the most common breakpoints are:

    • 1920px: This breakpoint targets large desktop screens and high-resolution displays. It’s a good practice to start with a wide layout and scale down for smaller screens.
    • 1366px: This breakpoint covers most modern desktop and laptop displays with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels or higher.
    • 1024px: This breakpoint is suitable for older desktops and laptops with smaller screen resolutions.

    css

    /* Styles for large desktop screens */
    @media screen and (min-width: 1920px) {
    /* CSS rules */
    }    /* Styles for modern desktops and laptops */
    @media screen and (max-width: 1919px) and (min-width: 1367px) {
    /* CSS rules */
    }/* Styles for older desktops and laptops */
    @media screen and (max-width: 1366px) and (min-width: 1025px) {
    /* CSS rules */
    }

    Tablets and Mobile Devices

    For tablets and mobile devices, the most common breakpoints are:

    • 768px: This breakpoint targets most tablets in landscape orientation and some smaller desktop screens.
    • 600px: This breakpoint is a common choice for targeting smaller tablets and larger mobile devices in landscape orientation.
    • 480px: This breakpoint is suitable for most smartphones in landscape orientation.
    • 320px: This breakpoint covers most smartphones in portrait orientation, including older and lower-resolution devices.

    css

    /* Styles for tablets in landscape orientation */
    @media screen and (max-width: 1024px) and (min-width: 769px) {
    /* CSS rules */
    }    /* Styles for smaller tablets and larger mobile devices in landscape */
    @media screen and (max-width: 768px) and (min-width: 601px) {
    /* CSS rules */
    }/* Styles for smartphones in landscape orientation */
    @media screen and (max-width: 600px) and (min-width: 481px) {
    /* CSS rules */
    }

    /* Styles for smartphones in portrait orientation */
    @media screen and (max-width: 480px) {
    /* CSS rules */
    }

    It’s important to note that these breakpoints are general guidelines and may vary depending on your specific project requirements, target audience, and device usage patterns. It’s always a good practice to test your website or application on actual devices and make adjustments as needed.

    Additionally, consider using responsive design techniques like fluid grids, flexible images, and media queries to create a seamless experience across different devices and screen sizes.

    Best Practices

    • Use relative units like em, rem, or vw/vh for better responsiveness.
    • Start with mobile-first or desktop-first approach based on your target audience.
    • Combine media queries with CSS techniques like flexbox and grid for efficient layouts.
    • Prefer min-width over max-width for better future-proofing.
    • Test your media queries on various devices and screen sizes.

    CSS media queries are a powerful tool that enable you to create responsive and adaptive designs. By understanding their syntax and use cases, you can create websites and applications that provide an optimal user experience across a wide range of devices and screen sizes.

    blank

  • Spring into 2024: 30 Great Backlink Sources

    Spring into 2024: 30 Great Backlink Sources

    Creating backlinks, which are links from one website to another, is a fundamental aspect of search engine optimization (SEO). They act as a “vote of confidence” from one site to another, indicating to search engines that the content is valuable, credible, and useful. However, the quality, relevance, and manner in which these backlinks are acquired significantly influence their effectiveness.

    Google My Business – Extremely important for local SEO and getting found on Google maps/search. Allows you to manage your business info and listings.

    Apple Maps – Similar to Google My Business but for Apple platforms. Manages listings on Apple Maps.

    Bing Places – Manages listings on Bing maps/search. Important for Bing presence. As Bing is on the rise again, it’s important to pay attention to Bing and where it’s going.

    Best 5 – Canadian business directory with focus on reviews and rankings. Good for reputation and search visibility. The system is built for Canadian websites and breaks down listings by categories and communities.

    Reviews On My Website – Leverages positive reviews and high ratings from leading online review sites, boosting your website’s visibility and search ranking. Their system ensures a steady flow of fresh reviews, and engaging customers longer.

    Upcity – Upcity connects businesses to service providers they can trust with an index of more than 50,000 listed providers.

    Factual – Collects and syndicates business listing data. Listing here can improve visibility.

    n49 – Canadian local search directory. Drives traffic and citations.

    Cylex, Websites.ca, Brownbook – General Canadian business directories good for backlinks and citations.

    Opendi, GoldBook.ca – Additional Canadian business directories.

    CanadaOne, ProfileCanada, 2FindLocal – More Canadian directories to increase visibility.

    Fyple, OurBis – Fyple focuses on UK/Ireland but drives citations. OurBis is Canadian.

    Lacartes.com, MisterWhat, TheBlurb, FoundLocally, CanadianPlanet, Tupalo, Find-Open, iBegin, Cybo – More general directories and citation sources to increase reach.

    Think Local Victoria – Looking for local shoppers? Pay for a membership and add your site to the Think Local.

    Crunch Base – Crunchbase is a prospecting platform that helps dealmakers in sales, marketing, finance, recruiting, and executive leadership roles to find and engage with qualified accounts.

    VIATEC – Industry association for tech companies in Victoria, BC. Good for networking, events, talent recruitment if you are a tech business.

    You’re Missing Links!

    We didn’t include some backlink sources, including some that people often go to. In a few cases, we didn’t want to repeat what other lists mention. In other cases, we left off backlink sources that haven’t been playing fair with their customers and site visitors. If they’re not on this list, we can’t recommend them.

    Why Are Backlinks Important?

    Why are people using reputable sites for backlinking?

    1. Boosts Search Engine Rankings: Quality backlinks from reputable sites signal to search engines like Google that your website is also reputable and offers valuable content, which can improve your site’s search engine rankings.
    2. Increases Website Traffic: By securing backlinks on well-trafficked sites, you can drive more direct traffic to your website. Users interested in related content may follow these backlinks to your site, increasing your organic traffic.
    3. Improves Website Authority: Backlinks from authoritative and relevant sites can enhance your site’s authority in your niche or industry. High domain authority websites passing on link equity can significantly boost your site’s perceived expertise and trustworthiness.
    4. Enhances Brand Visibility and Recognition: Featuring your website on prominent sites through backlinks can increase your brand’s visibility and recognition within your industry, making your site more known to potential visitors or customers.
    5. Supports Networking and Relationships: Engaging with other website owners to create backlink opportunities can foster professional relationships and networking within your industry, which can be beneficial for future collaborations or endorsements.
    6. Encourages Content Improvement and Innovation: The need to create link-worthy content encourages website owners to produce high-quality, innovative, and valuable content, which not only attracts backlinks but also enhances the user experience.
    7. Long-Term Advantages: Unlike paid advertising, the benefits of backlinks can be long-lasting. Once a backlink is established, it can continue to drive traffic and improve SEO for as long as the linking page is active.

    Can’t Buy Me Love: Should You Pay For Backlinks?

    Evaluating the decision to invest in paid listings on directory sites requires careful consideration. Many of these platforms offer both free and premium options, with the latter often promising enhanced visibility, express speed of listing inclusion, guaranteed page views, or other perks. In some cases, a site might charge a membership fee in exchange for additional benefits. It’s crucial to weigh these options against your specific marketing goals, target audience, and the overall potential for increased exposure.

    In many instances, opting for the free listing can be just as effective, especially if it includes the essential citation and a link back to your website. The key is to ensure your business is discoverable to your intended audience without necessarily paying for premium placements.

    It’s important to be cautious about the practice of reciprocal linking, where a directory site might require you to link back to them in exchange for a listing. This tactic can dilute your site’s link quality and may not align with best SEO practices. Focus on directories that add real value to your online presence and avoid those that merely seek to exchange links for the sake of boosting their own link profile.

    —

    Not all backlinks are created equal. Backlinks from reputable, relevant sites within your niche are far more valuable than those from low-quality, spammy, or irrelevant sites. Moreover, search engines like Google have become adept at identifying and penalizing manipulative backlink strategies, such as buying backlinks or participating in link farms. The focus should always be on acquiring backlinks in an ethical and sustainable manner, prioritizing quality and relevance over quantity.

     

  • Getting More from Your CRM: Integrating GlueUp with WordPress

    Getting More from Your CRM: Integrating GlueUp with WordPress

    Customer relationship management (CRM) systems like GlueUp are invaluable for managing contacts, deals, and business relationships. However, the data in these systems often remains locked away, unseen by your wider customer base. Integrating your CRM with your WordPress website unlocks the potential of this data.

    The GlueUp CRM

    GlueUp CRM is a powerful user-friendly customer relationship management (CRM) platform built for small and medium-sized businesses. It is an all-in-one software that combines contact management, deal tracking, and integrated email to help organizations optimize their sales pipelines. GlueUp’s key goal is to streamline business relationships and drive productivity by aggregating all information related to accounts, contacts, deals, appointments, and tasks in one centralized location. Robust automation features also eliminate repetitive administrative tasks.

    Everything in GlueUp is customizable—from modules to fields—to fit the unique needs of each business. The software delivers actionable insights through real-time reports to inform better decision-making.

    Behind the Scenes of GlueUp

    GlueUp was founded in 2014 by a team of experienced software engineers and business leaders. The co-founders have a proven track record of creating CRM technologies and top-notch products for small and medium enterprises.

    GlueUp has been self-funded and grown steadily. While headquartered in the United States, the company has staff located worldwide to provide personalized 24/7 customer support. GlueUp serves thousands of customers across many industries around the globe. However, they still pride themselves on catering to the individual needs of small and medium businesses looking for a customized CRM solution to manage relationships and boost sales. The company culture remains centered around evolving the product based on real customer feedback.

    With an easy-to-use interface, flexible customization, and excellent customer service, GlueUp CRM equips growing businesses with a complete relationship management solution tailored to how they operate.

    The Benefits of GlueUp CRM

    GlueUp offers a customizable cloud-based CRM platform for small to medium sized businesses. Key features include:

    • Contact Management: Organize all your prospects and customers in one searchable database.
    • Deal Tracking: Track your sales pipeline by attaching deals to contacts and tagging with custom fields.
    • Email Integration: Sync email conversations to deal and contact records.
    • Custom Fields & Modules: Tailor GlueUp to your unique business needs.

    By centralizing your business data in GlueUp, you gain visibility into deals and relationships that might otherwise fall through the cracks.

    Showcasing Listings on WordPress Sites

    While GlueUp excels as a CRM, its dashboard remains hidden behind a login screen. By showcasing listings on a public-facing WordPress site, you put this data to work attracting new business.

    Potential uses include:

    • Business Directories: Display key details on each business contact.
    • Service Listings: Showcase details on the types of deals you broker.
    • Staff Profiles: Introduce your sales team alongside their contact info.

    Updates made in GlueUp automatically flow through to these listings.

    The Power of Integration

    Manually transferring CRM data to your website creates extra work. At Web321, we eliminate this hassle by building custom integrations between GlueUp and WordPress.

    Our plugin connects with the GlueUp API to import your contacts into custom post types and associate the CRM data to WordPress posts via Advanced Custom Fields. From there, flexible templates allow you to display this information to website visitors any way you choose. We have built our system to take various formats of data and populate ACF fields: post fields, checkboxes, image galleries and other elements. Given how many options there are, we’re offering to do the integration set-up for clients who want to connect GlueUp to WordPress.

    Updating details in your CRM dashboard updates the website. This automation not only saves time but ensures accuracy between the two systems.

    Get More from Your Data

    Unlock the potential of your GlueUp CRM by showcasing data to the world through WordPress integration. Web321 specializes in building these bridges to connect CRMs to WordPress sites.

    Contact us today to discuss an integration for your GlueUp and WordPress implementation. We can help you showcase your listings, deals, contacts and more – all while saving time through automation.

  • Empowering Legal Advocacy Through Digital Solutions

    Empowering Legal Advocacy Through Digital Solutions

    In an era where digital presence is crucial, Web321 stands at the forefront of offering custom web solutions tailored for groups embarking on legal advocacy, particularly those initiating or involved in class-action lawsuits. Our expertise caters to the unique needs of such groups, ensuring confidentiality, member recruitment, and effective communication—all pivotal elements in the intricate dance of legal challenges against formidable opponents.

    The Challenge: Advocacy groups, driven by a commitment to justice and community well-being, often face the daunting task of rallying support without compromising privacy or incurring prohibitive costs. The essence of their struggle lies in the need to disseminate critical information, recruit allies, and keep stakeholders informed, all while navigating the delicate balance between public engagement and personal privacy.

    Our Solution: Web321 offers a holistic suite of web services designed to amplify the voices of legal advocacy groups while safeguarding their core values and operational constraints. Here’s how we can help:

    • Custom Domain and Hosting: We provide a secure and relevant digital base with a custom domain name and reliable web hosting, ensuring your cause stands out with professionalism and credibility.
    • Tailored Website Design: Drawing from your vision and objectives, we will craft a website that not only describes your mission but also serves as a dynamic platform for updates, using a streamlined blog format to keep information current and accessible.
    • Engagement and Privacy Tools: Our solutions include options for password-protected posts or members-only access, ensuring sensitive information remains confidential while fostering a trusted community environment. We offer a download manager to give members access to documents that can be kept out of public view, but available to qualified users.
    • Interactive Features: With features like sign-up forms, we streamline the process of joining your cause, directing new members to you and your team efficiently and securely.
    • Integrated Communication: Leveraging tools like Mailchimp, make updates and engagement easy, keeping your community informed and connected through automated emails that direct attention back to your website.

    Cost-Effective Strategies: Understanding the financial constraints often faced by advocacy groups, Web321 is committed to delivering cost-effective solutions without compromising on quality or functionality. We provide transparent, upfront quotes tailored to your specific needs and budget, ensuring you can focus on your cause without financial strain.

    Confidentiality and Consultation: Your privacy and the confidentiality of your mission are paramount. We offer discreet consultation services to discuss your needs in detail, ensuring every aspect of your digital strategy aligns with your goals and privacy requirements.

    Web321 is more than a web services provider; we are your partner. We can guide your group to publish clear information related to your quest for justice and advocacy. Our digital solutions empower your group to connect with your in your legal journey, ensuring your message speaks loudly and clearly, rallying the support and recognition your cause deserves. Let us be the digital backbone to your advocacy, where every click brings you closer to your goals.

    Click here to get started!

  • What’s the Deal With Quality Content?

    What’s the Deal With Quality Content?

    What makes content high-quality? When it comes to content marketing, quality goes beyond surface metrics like word count or citations.

    True quality lies in how well content achieves its purpose and connects with readers. Does it align with marketing goals? Resonate with the target audience? Offer value and incite action?

    The highest quality lies at the intersection of relevance, insight, and engagement. Relevance to audience needs and marketing objectives. Insight that educates, empowers and entertains. Engagement strong enough to drive desired outcomes, whether that’s clicks, shares, or sales.

    Achieving this blend is an art and a science. The right qualitative and quantitative analysis can assess alignment to goals and resonance with audiences. This informs a feedback loop for continuous improvement towards ever greater quality and impact over time.

    The destination is clear, if not always easy: Content that appeals, enlightens and motivates in just the right ways for just the right people. This is content worth creating. This is content that drives outcomes. And it’s the true mark of marketing success.

    1. Engagement and Value: High-quality content tends to engage its audience effectively, leading to higher click-through rates, social media shares, and conversions. Content that achieves its marketing objectives, whether that’s generating traffic, engagement, or conversions, can be considered high quality​
    2. Relevance and Cultural Context: Good content is relevant to its target audience, and great content often includes a level of cultural relevance. This involves understanding and reflecting the ideas, convictions, beliefs, and implicit theories of the world that drive your audience’s decision-making processes​
    3. Expertise and Authoritativeness: High-quality content often showcases expertise and authoritativeness. This includes content created by or with the insights of subject matter experts, which adds depth and trustworthiness. This aspect is particularly important for content aimed at improving SEO rankings due to Google’s emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust)​
    4. Uniqueness and Originality: Quality content should offer something unique or add a new perspective to existing discussions. This could mean creating content that addresses the specific challenges your community faces or offers unique expertise or data not available elsewhere​
    5. Appropriate Length and Keyword Use: The length of the content should be determined by the content itself, addressing the topic adequately without being overly repetitive or sparse. Additionally, while keywords are important for SEO, they should be integrated naturally into the content, reflecting the language and questions of your audience​
    6. Avoiding Low-Quality Traits: According to Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines, low-quality pages are those that fail to achieve their purpose well due to reasons such as inadequate levels of Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T), poor quality of the main content, an unsatisfying amount of content, or exaggerated and misleading titles​

    High-quality content is a blend of being engaging, valuable, relevant, unique, authoritative, and well-optimized for search engines, whereas low-quality content often lacks these attributes and fails to meet the needs or expectations of its audience.

    Here are some key approaches and tools you can use:

    Approaches to Measure Content Quality

    1. Audience Engagement Metrics:
      • Pageviews and Unique Visitors: Measures the popularity and reach of your content.
      • Time on Page: Indicates how engaging your content is. Longer time suggests more engaging content.
      • Bounce Rate: A high bounce rate may indicate that the content is not meeting users’ expectations.
      • Comments and Shares: Reflects the level of audience engagement and interest in your content.
    2. SEO Performance Metrics:
      • Keyword Rankings: Track how your content ranks for targeted keywords in search engine results.
      • Organic Traffic: Measures the number of visitors coming to your content from search engines.
      • Backlinks: The number and quality of backlinks can indicate the credibility and authority of your content.
    3. Conversion Metrics:
      • Conversion Rate: Measures how often your content leads to a desired action, like a sale or a subscription.
      • Lead Generation: Assesses how effective your content is at generating leads.
    4. Content Quality Analysis:
      • Readability: Ensures content is easily understandable by the target audience.
      • Relevance and Accuracy: Content should be factually correct and relevant to the audience’s interests and needs.
      • Consistency: Maintains a consistent voice, style, and quality across all content pieces.
    5. User Feedback:
      • Surveys and Polls: Direct feedback from your audience about their content experience.
      • Social Listening: Monitoring social media for mentions and sentiment about your brand and content.

    Tools to Measure Content Quality

    1. Analytics Tools:
      • Google Analytics: For tracking website traffic, user behavior, and engagement metrics.
      • Google Search Console: Similar to Google Analytics. It does a great job of assessing what works and what doesn’t work. It looks at content from the viewpoint of your sitemap and your traffic.
      • SEMrush or Ahrefs: For SEO tracking and backlink analysis.
    2. Content Management Systems (CMS):
      • Integrated analytics features in platforms like WordPress or HubSpot to track content performance. WordPress manages content and can monitor trends. Hubspot is a great customer relationship tool to monitor how people interact with site content.
    3. Social Media Analytics:
      • Platforms like Hootsuite, Buffer, or native analytics in social media platforms for engagement metrics.
    4. Readability Tools:
      • Tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor for grammar, readability, and style checks.
    5. Survey and Feedback Tools:
      • Platforms like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms for gathering direct user feedback. Using Google Forms offers some nice and easy integration like Google Drive.
    6. Heatmap Tools:
      • Tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg to visualize user interaction with your content.

    Best Practices

    • Regular Auditing: Regularly review and update your content to maintain its relevance and quality. Use your tools. Tune your content to meet with the nexus of what your audience is look for; what your expertise is; and what your competition is trying to rank for.
    • Balancing Metrics: Combine different metrics for a more comprehensive view of content quality.
    • Audience-Centric Approach: Always prioritize your audience’s needs and preferences when evaluating content.

    The most effective approach depends on your specific content goals, audience, and industry. It’s important to continuously refine your strategy based on the data and feedback you collect.

    Create content that speaks to your audience starts with an understanding of what they want and how they prefer to receive information. This means getting to the heart of the topics and perspectives they find most valuable, while also identifying the mediums and platforms where they are most engaged. With this knowledge in hand, you can craft content anchored around meaningful ideas delivered in a style and format tailored for your readers.

    The writing itself must connect with readers in a transparent, conversational way, using language and examples familiar to them. The design should be crisp and uncluttered, allowing the substance to shine through. When you combine these elements – genuine value and relevance for the intended audience, conveyed clearly in their preferred voice and channels – the result is content that ticks all the boxes by offering something meaningful in a pleasing, accessible way. The deeper the understanding of your readers, the greater the impact possible.

  • Efficient WordPress Website Migration with Duplicator Pro: Best Practices

    Migrating WordPress websites can be a complex task, but with the right tools and strategies, it becomes a breeze. At our company, we use Duplicator Pro for WordPress migrations, and with 10 to 20 migrations per week, we’ve honed our approach to perfection. Let’s walk you through our proven steps for a smooth WordPress website migration using Duplicator Pro.

    1. Pre-Migration Cleanup: Before initiating the migration process, it’s essential to clean up your website to ensure a hassle-free transfer. Here’s what we recommend:
      • Utilize a plugin like WP Optimize to eliminate transients and unnecessary data.
      • Delete trashed posts and user profiles to declutter your database.
      • Remove undesired images that are no longer needed.
      • Deactivate and delete inactive plugins and themes that won’t be used in the new environment.
    2. Ensure Similar Environments: To avoid compatibility issues during migration, it’s crucial to align the source and destination environments. Here’s what you should do:
      • Make PHP versions compatible, even if it means temporarily downgrading for the migration.
      • Ensure that the destination server has the necessary extensions activated, including ZipArchive and MBString, which are required by Duplicator Pro.
      • Adjust PHP.ini settings to allocate sufficient memory (512K or higher) and set high execution maximums to prevent timeouts during extraction.
      • After the migration, remember to restore any PHP settings you may have changed.
    3. Handling Large Websites (Part 1): If your website is exceptionally large, consider the following steps:
      • Compress the wp-contents directory separately and store it offline.
      • Exclude the wp-contents directory from the export profile to reduce the migration size.
    4. Handling Large Websites (Part 2): For extremely large websites, switch to the alternative format, .DAF, and attempt the migration again.
    5. Installation with Security:Protect your website during installation to thwart potential threats:
      • Add an installation password and use it to complete the installation securely.
      • Alternatively, rename the installer.php file to something unique to prevent automated attacks on new sites.
    6. Exclude Your License: If you don’t intend to share your Duplicator Pro license, take care to exclude it from the migration or delete it after installation. This prevents unintended transfers of sensitive files.
    7. Correct URL Configuration: Ensure that your website’s URL is set correctly during the Duplicator Pro installation. Mistakes here can lead to time-consuming cleanup tasks later. Double-check the installer.php file’s URL, as it becomes the domain and schema for the new installation.

    By following these steps and best practices, you can efficiently migrate WordPress websites using Duplicator Pro. Our experience has shown that meticulous planning and attention to detail can save you time and ensure a seamless transition to your new hosting environment.

  • Retire From Web Design But Still Earn Money

    Retire From Web Design But Still Earn Money

    People come and go from web design. Some people take off to another country. Some people change careers. Some people just need to hang up their web design hats. Regardless of the reason to exit the field, it happens and it happens often.

    Are you a web designer considering closing up your agency? Don’t say farewell to your hard-earned clients just yet! Continuity of care is a crucial aspect of any professional relationship, including the one between a web designer and their clients. When a web designer decides to leave the profession, it can be a challenging situation for both parties involved. There is an opportunity to handle this transition in a way that ensures the clients’ needs are still met while allowing the web designer to explore new opportunities.

    When a web designer decides to leave the profession, it is essential to inform clients as soon as possible. This allows them to prepare for the transition and make necessary arrangements. By being honest and upfront about the decision, clients will appreciate the respect and professionalism demonstrated. At Web321, we’ve had something similar. I started Shawn DeWolfe Consulting in 2016, but after a few years I’ve seen that the best model to satisfy clients is the Web321 Managed Web Support. Since we opened our doors on the Web321 venture in 2020, we have been slowly moving clients and projects under the Web321 umbrella. We have tried to be as transparent as possible. When people are in the dark, they get spooked. When they get spooked, they run for it. We’ve all seen horror movies. We know that usually disaster follows. A smooth transition is ideal.

    A departing web designer should take the initiative to recommend a new service take over their clients’ web design needs. This could be a trusted colleague or another reputable web design agency. By providing a recommendation, the departing web designer ensures that their clients are in capable hands and can continue to receive the quality service they expect. Once that trust is earned, a client will often heed a recommendation.

    In addition to recommending a new service, the departing web designer can also offer to help the transition process. This may include providing documentation, sharing credentials, updating domain registration records to name the incoming agency; sharing design files, or offering guidance to the new service provider. By actively participating in the handover, the departing web designer demonstrates their commitment to their clients’ well being and their dedication to ensuring a smooth process. That sort of goodwill is very important, not to mention: it’s the stand-up thing to do.

    The door doesn’t have to be 100% open or closed. A departing web designer can explore opportunities to collaborate with an existing service provider. By opening up a relationship with the new service provider, the departing web designer can continue to support their clients indirectly and potentially benefit from any referrals or collaborations in the future.

    A departing web designer should consider leveraging their existing client base to transition into a new opportunity. With their expertise in web design, they can explore related fields such as user experience (UX) design, digital marketing, or a business consultancy. By leveraging their existing client relationships, the departing web designer can continue to reap the rewards of their expertise while venturing into new opportunities.

    This is where we come in: through Web321’s affiliate program, a web designer can exit their agency but maintain continuity of care and generate recurring income. The continuity of care is a big one: some communities have a long memory and how a professional closes down their practice can have impacts for years to come. By managing the hand-off, an agency can stay golden and move on.

    Why Web321?

    Web321 is not just another web hosting and design platform: we manage websites. We take the work of website and email management off of the plate of a small business and handle that for them. Tech can be an exhausting and confusing topic for employees to tackle. We take care of that for them.

    1. Seamless Transition: The transition can be seamless. Our user-friendly platform ensures a smooth migration process, so you can retain your clients’ trust and satisfaction.
    2. Exceptional Services: With Web321, your clients will enjoy excellent web hosting, unmatched site performance, and access to a wide range of plugins, themes and tools. Their websites will thrive, and so will your reputation.
    3. Affiliate Income: Every time your referred clients sign up for Web321, you earn a generous and ongoing affiliate commission. It’s a win-win situation – your clients get top-quality service, and you continue to earn from your referrals.

    Why Choose the Web321 Affiliate Program?

    • Steady Recurring Income: Say goodbye to the uncertainty of project-based revenue. With Web321, you’ll enjoy recurring commissions as long as your clients remain on our platform.
    • No Extra Work: Once you’ve referred your clients to Web321 and made sure we have the credentials needed to keep the hosting and registrations going, the only job thereafter is to watch the commissions roll in. No need to manage their websites or handle technical issues – we’ve got it covered.
    • Reliable Support: Our dedicated support team is here to assist your clients, ensuring they have the best experience possible. Happy clients mean more referrals and more income for you.
    • Transparency: Our affiliate program is transparent, ensuring you have real-time access to your earnings and performance metrics.

    Join the Web321 Affiliate Network Today!

    Don’t miss out on the opportunity to turn your client relationships into a recurring revenue stream. Partner with Web321, and let us help you maximize your income potential while providing your clients with the best web hosting and design services available.

    Closing your web design agency doesn’t have to mean saying goodbye to your clients or your income. Embrace the future with Web321, where affiliate income possibilities are limitless. Sign up today!

     

  • Upgrading to PHP8: Why You Should Upgrade Your WordPress Server

    In a world where tech never stops evolving, staying current is crucial for both optimal user experience and robust security. PHP, the engine behind WordPress, has transitioned through versions 5.x, 6.x, and 7.x, and now stands at version 8. Many are using the sub-version, 8.2. PHP8 brings a host of improvements and compelling features that we’ll delve into. Importantly, support for older PHP versions will cease on November 28, 2022.

    Why It’s Time to Move On

    Elevating Security Measures

    The foremost incentive for migrating to PHP 8 is to guarantee that your WordPress platform runs on a version that regularly receives updates and security patches. Unsupported versions of PHP lack these critical updates, leaving your web applications vulnerable to security risks. Thus, it’s wise to confirm whether your hosting provider offers the most recent PHP versions before deploying a web application.

    Ensuring Compatibility

    Another compelling reason to embrace the latest PHP version is to avoid the pitfalls of incompatibility. Operating on outdated versions could jeopardize the functionality of your website—a major concern for any web developer. Supported versions of PHP are continually refined and monitored to fix any issues or vulnerabilities, making it imperative to stay abreast of the latest updates.

    Boosting Performance Metrics

    PHP 8 brings a notable increase in performance. For instance, PHP 7.4 enabled systems to execute thrice as many REST API requests per second compared to PHP 5.6. PHP 8 takes this a step further, offering performance that is almost four times better. Refer to the table below for detailed speed scores and REST API performance metrics.

    How To Do The Update To PHP8

    Upgrading PHP: A How-to Guide

    Upgrading to a newer PHP version can be a smooth process if you’re prepared. However, potential challenges such as bugs or failed upgrades can occur.

    Pre-Upgrade Checks

    First, make sure that your website is compatible with the latest PHP version. You can check this information through your web hosting control panel. If an upgrade is available, you can usually complete it in a few simple steps. Switching to a supported PHP version through the control panel is generally straightforward.

    PHP Version Lifespan

    Note that a PHP version typically has a lifespan of three years, after which it’s advisable to move on to a newer version.

    Step 1: Make a backup. Backup your entire site and keep that copy safe.

    Use a Backup Plugin

    1. Backup your WordPress site using a plugin like “Duplicator”.
    2. Navigate to your WordPress dashboard, then go to wp-admin > plugins > add new.
    3. Search for “Duplicator.” Side note: Our clients get the use of the Duplicator Pro license. Also, we would do this for our clients.
    4. After activation, follow the on-screen instructions to back up your site.

    With a backup in hand, you can confidently upgrade your PHP version.

    Alternatively, some service providers allow the backup and generation of a staging site. If that’s available, try it out.

    Step 2: Make a staging site. Use the backup to make a staging copy of the website.

    Create an identical copy of your website in a staging environment to test the PHP upgrade. Benefits of using a staging site include:

    • Risk Mitigation: Testing on a staging site helps prevent revenue loss or user decline if something goes wrong. It’s also security through obscurity: if a staging site is hard to find, it’s hard to hack.
    • Thorough Testing: Staging allows for extended testing, reducing the likelihood of overlooking bugs or bugs that only come up from outlier situations.
    • No Downtime or Glitches: Any issues can be fixed on the staging site first, ensuring your reputation remains intact.

    Step 3: Let ‘er rip.

    Update the staging site to PHP 8.1 or 8.2 and then see what breaks. Current code will be ready for PHP8 in most cases. You may see very few issues. If the result is a disaster, make note of all of the errors that came up, then downgrade back to your previous PHP version and proceed cautiously.

    Step 4: Meticulous re-coding.

    If things go wrong with the “Let ‘er rip” approach, you need to do some detective work.

    • Make sure your PHP8 has all of the correct extensions active. Some service providers offer PHP8 but leave many of the extensions inactive.
    • Make sure WordPress code is current. It will be PHP8 compatible.
    • Make sure your theme is current. If it isn’t, contact the developer who made the theme and ask them for a PHP8 compatible version.
    • Make sure the plugins are current. Again: if they cause issues, take those issues to the respective plugin developers.
    • Make sure your custom code works. If it doesn’t bring in a developer. (we’re developers, FYI).

    PHP.net list of Changes

    This list of changes and issues comes from PHP.net:

    Other incompatible Changes

    • match is now a reserved keyword.

    • mixed is now a reserved word, so it cannot be used to name a class, interface or trait, and is also prohibited from being used in namespaces.

    • Assertion failures now throw by default. If the old behavior is desired, assert.exception=0 can be set in the INI settings.

    • Methods with the same name as the class are no longer interpreted as constructors. The __construct() method should be used instead.

    • The ability to call non-static methods statically has been removed. Thus is_callable() will fail when checking for a non-static method with a classname (must check with an object instance).

    • The (real) and (unset) casts have been removed.

    • The track_errors ini directive has been removed. This means that php_errormsg is no longer available. The error_get_last() function may be used instead.

    • The ability to define case-insensitive constants has been removed. The third argument to define() may no longer be true.

    • The ability to specify an autoloader using an __autoload() function has been removed. spl_autoload_register() should be used instead.

    • The errcontext argument will no longer be passed to custom error handlers set with set_error_handler().

    • create_function() has been removed. Anonymous functions may be used instead.

    • each() has been removed. foreach or ArrayIterator should be used instead.

    • The ability to unbind this from closures that were created from a method, using Closure::fromCallable() or ReflectionMethod::getClosure(), has been removed.

    • The ability to unbind this from proper closures that contain uses of this has also been removed.

    • The ability to use array_key_exists() with objects has been removed. isset() or property_exists() may be used instead.

    • The behavior of array_key_exists() regarding the type of the key parameter has been made consistent with isset() and normal array access. All key types now use the usual coercions and array/object keys throw a TypeError.

    • Any array that has a number n as its first numeric key will use n+1 for its next implicit key, even if n is negative.

    • The default error_reporting level is now E_ALL. Previously it excluded E_NOTICE and E_DEPRECATED.

    • display_startup_errors is now enabled by default.

    • Using parent inside a class that has no parent will now result in a fatal compile-time error.

    • The @ operator will no longer silence fatal errors (E_ERROR, E_CORE_ERROR, E_COMPILE_ERROR, E_USER_ERROR, E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR, E_PARSE). Error handlers that expect error_reporting to be 0 when @ is used, should be adjusted to use a mask check instead:

      <?php
      // Replace
      function my_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
      if (error_reporting() == 0) {
      return false;
      }
      // ...
      }

      // With
      function my_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
      if (!(error_reporting() & $err_no)) {
      return false;
      }
      // …
      }
      ?>

    Additionally, care should be taken that error messages are not displayed in production environments, which can result in information leaks. Please ensure that display_errors=Off is used in conjunction with error logging.

    • #[ is no longer interpreted as the start of a comment, as this syntax is now used for attributes.

    • Inheritance errors due to incompatible method signatures (LSP violations) will now always generate a fatal error. Previously a warning was generated in some cases.

    • The precedence of the concatenation operator has changed relative to bitshifts and addition as well as subtraction.

      <?php
      echo "Sum: " . $a + $b;
      // was previously interpreted as:
      echo ("Sum: " . $a) + $b;
      // is now interpreted as:
      echo "Sum:" . ($a + $b);
      ?>

    • Arguments with a default value that resolves to null at runtime will no longer implicitly mark the argument type as nullable. Either an explicit nullable type, or an explicit null default value has to be used instead.

      <?php
      // Replace
      function test(int $arg = CONST_RESOLVING_TO_NULL) {}
      // With
      function test(?int $arg = CONST_RESOLVING_TO_NULL) {}
      // Or
      function test(int $arg = null) {}
      ?>

    • A number of warnings have been converted into Error exceptions:

      • Attempting to write to a property of a non-object. Previously this implicitly created an stdClass object for null, false and empty strings.
      • Attempting to append an element to an array for which the PHP_INT_MAX key is already used.
      • Attempting to use an invalid type (array or object) as an array key or string offset.
      • Attempting to write to an array index of a scalar value.
      • Attempting to unpack a non-array/Traversable.
      • Attempting to access unqualified constants which are undefined. Previously, unqualified constant accesses resulted in a warning and were interpreted as strings.
      • Passing the wrong number of arguments to a non-variadic built-in function will throw an ArgumentCountError.

      A number of notices have been converted into warnings:

      • Attempting to read an undefined variable.
      • Attempting to read an undefined property.
      • Attempting to read an undefined array key.
      • Attempting to read a property of a non-object.
      • Attempting to access an array index of a non-array.
      • Attempting to convert an array to string.
      • Attempting to use a resource as an array key.
      • Attempting to use null, a boolean, or a float as a string offset.
      • Attempting to read an out-of-bounds string offset.
      • Attempting to assign an empty string to a string offset.

    • Attempting to assign multiple bytes to a string offset will now emit a warning.

    • Unexpected characters in source files (such as NUL bytes outside of strings) will now result in a ParseError exception instead of a compile warning.

    • Uncaught exceptions now go through “clean shutdown”, which means that destructors will be called after an uncaught exception.

    • The compile time fatal error “Only variables can be passed by reference” has been delayed until runtime, and converted into an “Argument cannot be passed by reference” Error exception.

    • Some “Only variables should be passed by reference” notices have been converted to “Argument cannot be passed by reference” exception.

    • The generated name for anonymous classes has changed. It will now include the name of the first parent or interface:

      <?php
      new class extends ParentClass {};
      // -> ParentClass@anonymous
      new class implements FirstInterface, SecondInterface {};
      // -> FirstInterface@anonymous
      new class {};
      // -> class@anonymous
      ?>

      The name shown above is still followed by a NUL byte and a unique suffix.

    • Non-absolute trait method references in trait alias adaptations are now required to be unambiguous:

      <?php
      class X {
      use T1, T2 {
      func as otherFunc;
      }
      function func() {}
      }
      ?>

      If both T1::func() and T2::func() exist, this code was previously silently accepted, and func was assumed to refer to T1::func. Now it will generate a fatal error instead, and either T1::func or T2::func needs to be written explicitly.

    • The signature of abstract methods defined in traits is now checked against the implementing class method:

      <?php
      trait MyTrait {
      abstract private function neededByTrait(): string;
      }

      class MyClass {
      use MyTrait;

      // Error, because of return type mismatch.
      private function neededByTrait(): int { return 42; }
      }
      ?>

    • Disabled functions are now treated exactly like non-existent functions. Calling a disabled function will report it as unknown, and redefining a disabled function is now possible.

    • data:// stream wrappers are no longer writable, which matches the documented behavior.

    • The arithmetic and bitwise operators +, -, *, /, **, %, <<, >>, &, |, ^, ~, ++, -- will now consistently throw a TypeError when one of the operands is an array, resource or non-overloaded object. The only exception to this is the array + array merge operation, which remains supported.

    • Float to string casting will now always behave locale-independently.

      <?php
      setlocale(LC_ALL, "de_DE");
      $f = 3.14;
      echo $f, "\n";
      // Previously: 3,14
      // Now: 3.14
      ?>

      See printf(), number_format() and NumberFormatter() for ways to customize number formatting.

    • Support for deprecated curly braces for offset access has been removed.

      <?php
      // Instead of:
      $array{0};
      $array{"key"};
      // Write:
      $array[0];
      $array["key"];
      ?>

    • Applying the final modifier on a private method will now produce a warning unless that method is the constructor.

    • If an object constructor exit()s, the object destructor will no longer be called. This matches the behavior when the constructor throws.

    • Namespaced names can no longer contain whitespace: While Foo\Bar will be recognized as a namespaced name, Foo \ Bar will not. Conversely, reserved keywords are now permitted as namespace segments, which may also change the interpretation of code: new\x is now the same as constant('new\x'), not new \x().

    • Nested ternaries now require explicit parentheses.

    • debug_backtrace() and Exception::getTrace() will no longer provide references to arguments. It will not be possible to change function arguments through the backtrace.

    • Numeric string handling has been altered to be more intuitive and less error-prone. Trailing whitespace is now allowed in numeric strings for consistency with how leading whitespace is treated. This mostly affects:

      • The is_numeric() function
      • String-to-string comparisons
      • Type declarations
      • Increment and decrement operations

      The concept of a “leading-numeric string” has been mostly dropped; the cases where this remains exist in order to ease migration. Strings which emitted an E_NOTICE “A non well-formed numeric value encountered” will now emit an E_WARNING “A non-numeric value encountered” and all strings which emitted an E_WARNING “A non-numeric value encountered” will now throw a TypeError. This mostly affects:

      • Arithmetic operations
      • Bitwise operations

      This E_WARNING to TypeError change also affects the E_WARNING “Illegal string offset ‘string’” for illegal string offsets. The behavior of explicit casts to int/float from strings has not been changed.

    • Magic Methods will now have their arguments and return types checked if they have them declared. The signatures should match the following list:

      • __call(string $name, array $arguments): mixed
      • __callStatic(string $name, array $arguments): mixed
      • __clone(): void
      • __debugInfo(): ?array
      • __get(string $name): mixed
      • __invoke(mixed $arguments): mixed
      • __isset(string $name): bool
      • __serialize(): array
      • __set(string $name, mixed $value): void
      • __set_state(array $properties): object
      • __sleep(): array
      • __unserialize(array $data): void
      • __unset(string $name): void
      • __wakeup(): void

    • call_user_func_array() array keys will now be interpreted as parameter names, instead of being silently ignored.

    • Declaring a function called assert() inside a namespace is no longer allowed, and issues E_COMPILE_ERROR. The assert() function is subject to special handling by the engine, which may lead to inconsistent behavior when defining a namespaced function with the same name.

    Resource to Object Migration

    Several resources have been migrated to objects. Return value checks using is_resource() should be replaced with checks for false.

We’ll take good care of your website.

Sign Up
blank

Contact Us

1-844-4-WEB-321
[email protected]

Socials

More

Quick Links

  • WordPress Webmaster Services
  • WordPress Support
  • WordPress Solutions
blank blank
Copyright © 2025 – Web321 | All Right Reserved