It’s spring again! That means warmer weather, flowers blooming, and the most wild and fun trade show in e-commerce, Magento Imagine! This will be my fourth year attending the Imagine show. Each year, the Imagine landscape has looked dramatically different from the year before. This year, the event will be held at the Wynn, the Pre-Imagine events look fun, and the conference agenda is published – these break-out sessions will be exciting.
It’s actually relatively easy to survive this conference. Here are a few rules to live by so you can make the best out of your Imagine experience:
Be Social: First rule at Imagine is: you talk at Imagine. Step outside of your comfort zone. There are all kinds of people that attend, from developers to CEOs of online stores, which brings many types of personalities. Talk to someone you normally wouldn’t talk to – you might find you have a lot in common.
Go to the other Events: Magento creates a great conference and atmosphere. The events and parties they throw are a lot of fun. However, if you are there for a specific reason – like to get a job or meet with potential new clients or SI’s – reach out to them and ask them what events they are going to. Or stalk people on Twitter and ask to be invited to parties that sound fun. I organized two pre-imagine events called Techies on the Strip, and we had more people attend then we ever imagined because we posted it all over Twitter. These are the events where you can have real conversations with the people you came to talk to. To find events, ask around during the marketplace grand opening reception.
Drink in moderation: Last year, my survival guide got a little bit of flack because I focused too much on the “how to drink” aspect. The only reason I harped on it was the first two years at the Imagine event I witnessed a man who will remain unnamed attempt to throw a well-dressed lady in the pool during the first cocktail event and saw a nice Magento employee on her last day working at Magento as she threw up on her party attendees. So, my point is, you can drink and have fun because you are in Vegas, but keep it classy as much as possible. Or if you decide not to keep it classy, take your name badge off and carry on.
Go to Breakout Sessions: The sessions are like any sessions at a conference – you might hear something great, or you might get an hour to sit down and relax while you scroll through your Facebook feed. Most of the sessions I’ve been to have been really interesting and small enough to interact and ask questions. Here are a few that look interesting to me this year:
You do you, then do business: This event is fast-paced and hectic. The last thing anyone wants is a sales pitch. You are here to have a good time, build relationships and introduce yourself to people in the industry so that you can go back home and send them your sales pitch. This is when deals are closed and contracts get signed.
What to Wear: Dress to impress. I had to teach our developers to comb their hair and wear t-shirts without holes in them when we had a client visit the office. Again, I’m going back to my favorite rule: keep it classy. Ladies, bring a sweater. We have had a few Legendary Events spent inside due to poor planning. Most people just wear jeans and a button-up shirt. Leave your suit coats and blazers at home and relax.
Imagine… The possibilities! This conference has really helped me throughout my career. I’m always able to catch up with familiar faces and meet new friends. I met the crew from Rovio and landed Angry Birds because of Imagine; I’ve sat in rooms with decision-makers, founders and creators and have watched their businesses flourish over the past five years.
Have fun! If you have any questions or want to play craps, find me @robyn25 or my contact page!
Although the holidays are over, retailers still have projects and initiatives going on. In fact, with spring just around the corner, many brands are building better e-commerce websites and revamping their in-store presences to reflect the warmer weather and changing customer needs. Some companies emphasize this time of year, utilizing it to adjust their offerings for the warmer months.
Call it Spring Cleaning: "Out with the old, and in with the new." Retailers can greatly benefit from this approach, ensuring they shift their offerings to provide their customers something new while addressing consumers' needs for the upcoming season as well.
Let's examine a few of the ways retailers perform Spring Cleaning, preparing their brands and product lines for the coming weeks and months.
Remove outdated promotional offerings
One of the first things companies can do for Spring Cleaning is to re-examine their promotional offers, both on their website and at their brick-and-mortar locations. Thawte contributor Justin Hebels suggested that webmasters and decision-makers check their main home page, any banners across the site, the shopping cart, and other places where coupons and discounts are offered. Any older or outdated promotions should be removed, not only to refresh the site's appearance, but also to ensure there is room for new seasonal offers.
Adjust product offerings
In addition to the ads and sales, administrators should also review the products featured on their site. Brands often showcase seasonal items, and spring is the perfect time to remove offerings like heavy coats and boots, replacing them with more colorful, seasonally appropriate pieces.
Once product offerings are updated, craft advertisements and promotions to make these items more attractive to customers. As older discounts and coupons are removed, the site will have ample room to accommodate these new specials.
Ensure the mobile site is updated
While changes are being made to the main website, businesses shouldn't overlook their mobile presence. An increasing number of consumers are utilizing handheld devices to connect with retailers on a more frequent basis. Any changes in product offerings and promotions should be reflected on the mobile-optimized site as well to ensure that customers using a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device can take advantage of these sales.
Reduce clutter
In addition to these other clean-up efforts, consider taking an overall look at the platform to spot any other items that can be streamlined or removed. Extra bells and whistles, text blocks and other features that only serve to clutter a site should be scaled back or eliminated altogether, especially on the mobile site. Frequent visitors — including administrators and other staff members — may overlook these items as they have gotten used to the site's appearance, so a third party may be needed to help.
"It might be helpful to get feedback from people whose opinion you value," Hostway customer and web design Wix noted in its blog. "Ask them to browse all the way through your website and point to elements that do not seem valuable to the user experience."
Review website security
Another important aspect of Spring Cleaning is the website's security. Hebels encouraged retailers to take a look at the site's copyright date, PCI certification information and software upgrades and patches to ensure that the platform is completely up to date.
"E-commerce groups should also look at the SSL certificate being used to secure the site to determine if an update is needed," Hebels pointed out. "The proper payment security can potentially make or break an online retailer, therefore it is important to implement a best-in-class SSL certificate from a trusted certificate authority."
Go public with seasonal changes
Once the website and product lines have been updated, be sure your customers know. Use your cleaning efforts as a springboard for seasonal advertising. Boost traffic and encourage new customers to visit the website. Include social media posts, email campaigns and banner ads on the site itself to call attention to the hard work the company put in and showcase changes for new and existing clients.
Let us know in the comments section what more your company does for Spring Cleaning.
In today's marketplace, companies cannot afford to overlook their online presence, including the brand's website. Whenever new content is added or adjusted on this platform, it is critical to ensure that new features work appropriately and information is displayed as planned. One way to help guarantee the functionality of a webpage is with A/B testing.
What is A/B testing and how does it work?
According to testing software provider Optimizely, A/B testing involves performing trials on two versions of a page, including the control, or A, version, and the version that contains the changes, or the B version. These tests hinge on the measurement of live traffic to gauge how the different versions impact the website's conversion rate.
The process begins by determining a goal that the firm will try to reach through specific changes to its website. Via A/B testing, the company can see how even a small adjustment impacts the way customers interact with the site, including if a sales increase results from the change.
This is just one example of how A/B testing can be used on a website. Teams can test a whole host of variations with this strategy, including everything from subtle adjustments in wording, to large-scale design changes.
Why carry out A/B tests?
At this point, many business leaders may be asking themselves, "Why take part in this process?" Often, it is a simple matter of providing evidence backing proposed changes. If users react favorably to the difference, it is proof that it was a change for the better.
For instance, if an e-commerce company decides to adjust its shopping cart process, it would be in the business's best interest to A/B test the new checkout processes versus the old approach. Quicksprout contributor Neil Patel did just this on his website, where he ran trials of a two-step checkout process and compared it to a three-step process. While the information collected was the same in both cases, Patel broke down the fields differently, separating the checkout operation into three pages with the B version as opposed to two pages in the A version.
The result, which included 817 conversions, saw a 10 percent increase with the three-step process. This shows that although the change might be small and subtle, users did have a response to the variation.
When should A/B tests be carried out?
When building your own website, it is essential to test items like fonts, colors, locations of features and other elements to see which versions users prefer. This can help pinpoint the best options for attracting customers and raising conversion rates. With an existing website, it is important to test any changes made by the design team to gauge how the change impacts customers.
KISSmetrics suggested performing A/B tests on the following items:
Overall, A/B testing can offer a range of valuable insights, including support for the changes being made. By gaining a better picture of how variations impact end users, decision-makers can craft the best website possible for their brand.
These days, a company's online presence is as important as ever. Consumers are increasingly turning to virtual channels to connect with brands and make purchases. One element of this equation that cannot be overlooked is the strength of the servers that power any online environment.
When it comes to server configuration, there are several options businesses can choose from, each of which comes with its own unique benefits. Today, we'll examine the virtual private server setup to help decide if this configuration is right for your company.
What is a VPS?
In order to fully understand if VPS is the best choice for your organization, decision-makers must learn what the configuration entails.
A VPS is a departure from the traditional server, a carved-out environment that appears as a regular, dedicated server to the client, but actually resides on a computer which provides resources for a number of sites. Each VPS has its own hosting software and operating system, providing a range of capabilities including file transfer, mail server and custom applications for e-commerce and blogging features, noted TechTarget contributor Margaret Rouse.
VPS can be a cost-effective alternative for smaller companies looking for the dedicated server experience without the price tag. For this reason, a number of organizations are opting for VPS configurations. Let's take a look at the factors that make VPS a well-suited choice.
Dedicated, private resources
For many decision-makers, the P in VPS says it all. This setup provides resources solely for your organization, and the provider guarantees that those services will be available and accessible. With shared hosting environments, the activities of other clients using the same equipment can have an adverse effect on your company's website. MakeUseOf contributor Kev Quirk noted that with VPS, this is not an issue.
"[E]ven if there is a much bigger website than yours on another VPS, hosted on the same physical machine, that won't matter: You're always guaranteed the system resources that you're paying for," Quirk wrote. "Think of it like one big computer, running lots of little computers inside of it."
This allows for improved performance over a shared hosting environment. If your business hinges on the performance of its website — as e-commerce companies do — a VPS could provide the reliable performance you require.
Increased memory
In addition to having dedicated resources at your fingertips, a VPS also provides more flexibility when it comes to available memory. If your organization has a highly interactive website or one that includes a considerable number of items for users to navigate through, having more memory is critical.
Blogging.com, a how-to platform for blog creation, noted that a VPS system offers more flexible memory than a shared hosting environment. Although shared web hosting often comes with unlimited bandwidth and storage, there are limitations in place as to the available memory. This can cause considerable problems, especially for companies that have large, memory-intensive websites. A VPS can help eliminate these issues, as many plans offer "burst" resources that can be called upon if the client needs additional memory.
Maintenance and control: The best of both worlds
Because VPS systems live in a virtual environment, they also offer boosted control over the company's resources versus other configurations. With shared hosting, the provider must be involved should the client want to make any adjustments or updates to their software. With VPS, clients are able to take care of these processes themselves through a remote-accessible control panel. But because the hardware elements are still stored with the provider, the host takes care of the physical upkeep.
"You can install, customize, configure and even manage your own server by using this hosting plan," noted Tech Cocktail contributor Muhammad Azam. "It can provide you such control and customization facilities that you won't find with any other hosting plan."
So, if you like the idea of having root access to your resources without having to be responsible for the physical maintenance, a VPS could be the perfect solution for you.
In comparison with other server environments, a VPS offers dedicated, customizable resources that are more accessible to the client and their business. If this is important to your company, a VPS could provide the best option for your organization. However, it is best to consult a knowledgeable service provider to get all the details about the overall VPS package. There are a range of VPS package options, and a best-in-class vendor can help you choose one that will be the best fit for your business.
When it comes to server arrangements, companies have several options available. Among those options, virtual private servers (VPS) have recently become much more popular in the enterprise sector, and for good reason.
Instead of using traditional physical components, a VPS lives on a computer system belonging to a service provider.
"A virtual private server, VPS, also called a virtual dedicated server (VDS), is a virtual server that appears to the user as a dedicated server but is actually installed on a computer shared by multiple website owners," noted TechTarget contributor Margaret Rouse. "A single computer can have several VPSs, each one with its own operating system that runs the hosting software for a particular user."
There are several advantages any business can reap from using a VPS, including:
Reduced reliance on the internal IT team
Today's IT teams have a plethora of tasks and projects on their plates. Any opportunity to shift work away from the internal IT department to off-site experts is worth considering. Instead of having to perform all the maintenance and updates on a VPS itself, the business can entrust them to the service provider. This returns time to the internal IT team to focus on other mission-critical initiatives.
Boosted control over shared hosting environments
Server Mania also noted that a VPS provides more control over a client's environment when compared to shared hosting arrangements. With VPS, businesses generally have root access, allowing their engineers to implement and customize software as needed instead of waiting for their service provider to offer support.
"Shared Web servers are typically optimized for security and performance as best as possible, and this means that there are many popular software packages that are not support[ed] due to their security limitations," Server Mania contributor Justin Blanchard wrote. "Having your own virtual environment allows you to bypass all of those issues."
Enhanced performance and uptime
A private virtual environment also offers better performance and stability in comparison to shared configurations. With shared hosting services, the traffic of other clients can severely impact the way a business's services perform. In contrast, VPS comes with privately allocated resources for the use of one client alone. This ensures the organization has the performance it expects without interruption.
Sustainability
VPS also provides boosted sustainability for companies seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Within VPS environments, more users are able to leverage available resources, which can greatly reduce the energy demands of any one given Web host.
"With dedicated server hosting you are taking all of the resources of a server - which means you are the only person benefiting from that server's power consumption," Blanchard noted. "However, with a virtual private server, a large dedicated server is sliced or divided into many different virtual environments."
One of the main benefits touted by many managed service providers is that their clients need not worry about maintaining their own hardware. For many businesses, this is an incredibly attractive offer: Having the vendor take care of upgrades and ensure network components work frees up considerable time for their internal IT team, allowing the clients' employees to focus on other mission-critical activities.
Have you ever wondered what best practices go into hardware maintenance on the service provider's side? As a decision-maker currently using managed services or looking to migrate there, it is worthwhile to understand how this maintenance is performed. So let's look at how service providers maintain the components that ensure your services are up and running.
A team of experts
First and foremost, it's important to note that managed service providers staff their workplace with IT experts, educated and knowledgeable to ensure hardware components are operating optimally. These staff members have been specially trained in best practices for maintaining hardware.
For smaller organizations without an in-house IT team, adopting managed services can prove much simpler. Hiring individuals with the specialized skills to maintain on-premises hardware can be a painstaking process, not to mention expensive. Instead of funneling capital into such an initiative, it is often much more cost-effective to leverage the services of a vendor with an expert team in place.
Ensuring the proper environment
When looking at the big picture, maintenance includes not only the actual servers and network switches, but the data center facility itself. The lack of a proper environment in which to operate could cause damage to these sensitive machines, making the maintenance of the data center just as important as that of the servers.
One of the biggest facility concerns is ensuring the proper temperature and airflow in a data center environment. Servers and other components create a considerable amount of heat, which, if not removed, could cause hardware to overheat and fail. These are the best practices vendors use for facility maintenance:
Deploying a preventative maintenance program
Electronic Environments also noted that preventative maintenance has become much more commonplace in today's data centers, especially as researchers have found that 90 to 95 percent of all unplanned outages come as a result of improperly managed hardware.
"Preventative data center maintenance is one of the key approaches to protecting a facility through detection of potential points of failure before the deficiency initiates a system-wide malfunction," Electronic Environments contributor Kim Otte wrote. "Neglecting to maintain equipment or implementing improper data center maintenance procedures are two of the biggest reasons why mission-critical equipment fails."
The majority of preventative maintenance focuses on the key components that are at high risk for failure, including batteries, capacitors and fans. When these items are maintained at regular intervals, there is a dramatically lower chance for malfunction.
Refreshing servers: Deciding when it's time for an upgrade
Managed service providers are also in charge of deciding when servers have become outdated and the facility is in need of new hardware. As this can be an expensive endeavor, it is beneficial to have a vendor with an expert team responsible for this decision.
This is just one of the benefits of using managed services. Instead of worrying about maintaining and managing the hardware yourself, utilize the services of an industry-leading service provider like Hostway.
The modern e-commerce firm is looking for more than just the infrastructure to run its Magento platform. To fulfill all its related needs, the ideal partner would be a one-stop shop for migration, optimization, support and administration of its e-commerce presence.
Hostway’s offering has evolved to fit this industry demand for a full-service Magento solution, offering the flexibility, expertise and responsiveness that any robust e-commerce site requires.
For Hostway, providing infrastructure is only the beginning:
Take advantage of the breadth of services Hostway provides to support your Magento deployment.
This article has been updated with new data. It was originally published in June 2010.
Antivirus programs not only provide manageable security, but also have preferences that enable you to automatically or manually delete viruses on your computer. Say you’re browsing the internet and you download a video. When your antivirus software detects it as a threat, an alert will come your way with two options: delete or quarantine.
What is Quarantine?
When an antivirus program scans your computer, it moves infected files from their original location into quarantine so that they can no longer run. While a quarantined virus is harmless, it is still on your computer until you permanently delete it.
Updating Anti-Virus Settings
One benefit of having an antivirus software is that you can set preferences. For instance, you can request to receive an alert when a virus is detected so you have the convenient option to kill the virus right then and there. If you choose to quarantine a file and all your programs seem to run fine, go ahead and delete that virus!
Keep in mind that antivirus programs can occasionally flag files that look like virus carriers. If you haven’t set up preferences to automatically delete viruses, these false alarms can break an existing program or remove something of importance to your business. Be sure to update the program settings so that you have a choice in the matter.
What to do with Quarantined Files
If a program won’t run because a file is in quarantine, use your discretion before restoring it or adding it to exceptions. Read up about the suspected virus and see if it makes sense to permanently delete or restore the file. Usually, you can send that file to the support team behind your antivirus so they can check it out. If it is a false alarm, they can teach their antivirus program to recognize it.
Outsourcing Benefits
Antivirus programs are a step in the right direction, but if your company does not have the in-house resources to manage a fast-paced cyber-attack, outsourcing security services is the next best thing. By placing security in the hands of a highly skilled team, you not only mitigate risk, but also gain access to specialized security professionals for fraction of the cost of hiring full-time staff.
Hostway provides this support for businesses of all sizes, offering peace of mind, a secure environment with 24/7 monitoring, and more.
Ready to battle-test your antivirus program? Contact our experts for a free risk assessment today.
Microsoft’s End-of-Life date for the sinking ship of Windows Server 2003 is near, and lifeboats are being deployed for passengers who’ve been afraid to change.
The implications of inaction are clear: No patches, no compliance, no security updates. A slow descent into the sea, where predatory hackers await.
Migration is the answer – and it might not be as huge an undertaking as it seems. For customers without custom applications or specialized code, it’s a simple transition – and for others, it’s still imperative to do.
Join Hostway Senior Product Manager John Hamner for our Spiceworks-sponsored webinar, "Find Your Emergency Exit: Abandon Windows Server 2003," on March 3 at 1 p.m. Learn more about the next steps for businesses stuck on WS 2003.
It's that time of year again: Businesses and individuals alike are gathering their financial information to complete their federal and state taxes. Companies assess their bottom line and squeeze as much value as they can out of each of their assets.
Everyone loves a large refund check, and corporations use this money to invest back in their mission-critical initiatives. These dollars can sometimes mean the difference between starting out the financial year on the right foot, and having to work extra hard to ensure essential projects have monetary backing.
When it's time to file taxes, the best refunds and write-offs often come from surprising places. Case in point: your company's technology. From Internet connectivity to mobile devices, tech systems can represent a boon for your business's tax filings. In the spirit of the season, let's take a look at a few places where your enterprise can save money, and where it can create its own wealth.
Deductions gleaned from efficient office spaces
When one thinks of technology, we often conjure thoughts of electronics that fill a building, not the building itself. However, structures are often the backbone for technological infrastructure, and if your company has put in the effort to create an energy-efficient and economical brick-and-mortar space, tax season could be the time when this pays off.
Energy-efficient commercial buildings fall under section 179D of the 2005 Energy Policy Act, and businesses could qualify for $1.80 per square foot in deductions if their space meets the parameters. Eligible buildings must have been constructed or retrofitted after 2005, and the organization must submit to a third-party energy tax study. Subsystem deductions in this category include HVAC configurations, interior lighting and the building envelope, each of which provides a $0.60 deduction per square foot. When you consider the amount of space your enterprise might have, the building itself could be a deduction gold mine.
Saving where it counts: Mobile devices, software and Internet
These days, one would be hard-pressed to find a company that doesn't use the Internet, computers, business applications or other gadgets for some aspect of their business. TurboTax pointed out that these systems could play a major role in an enterprise's tax deductions.
"Your computer, cellphone, Internet service, software and even some cool tech gadgetry are possible tax deductions if you must use them to run your business," TurboTax noted.
Michael Carney, MWC Accounting owner and president, told TurboTax that when administrators and accountants take depreciation and percentage of time that devices are used for work into the equation, companies have a choice as to how they structure their deductions.
"You can depreciate them, spreading the deduction over the number of years the IRS considers to be the shelf-life for this item, or you can write the entire cost off for the year of purchase," Carney explained. "Your choice between the two depends on your projected income and other expenses going forward."
The main requirement, according to the IRS, is that tech items and systems qualify as "a usual, necessary, customary and reasonable expense for your type of work." As long as the gadgets, software and Internet connectivity utilized in your organization fit this bill, you could qualify for considerable deductions.
Community-specific tax deals
Sometimes, businesses can strike up deals with their community governments for tax breaks based on their contribution to the area. For example, last year five technology firms received tax incentive extensions due to their location and efforts in an emerging tech marketplace within San Francisco.
Twitter was among the organizations to benefit from the tax break, and the community utilized the incentives in the hopes of better supporting its technology industry. In order to qualify, the companies offered up volunteer hours, monetary support for local nonprofits and specialized purchase thresholds for other businesses in the area.
When it comes to tax season, it's all about knowing where to look to ensure your company gets all the deductions and refunds that it deserves.