WANs are becoming more and more complex. Trends like the mobile workforce and BYOD (bring your own device) coupled with the ubiquity of cloud services have changed WAN topology significantly in the 2010s. Multiprotocol Label Switching, or MPLS, which was the cornerstone of the WAN in the past, has become a bit too inflexible and expensive to keep up. As a result, enterprises have been searching for an alternative to MPLS for some time.

Two of the front runners in the race to replace MPLS have been Internet-based VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and SD-WAN. Both approaches offer some cost savings when compared to MPLS, but have important differences when compared to one another. VPN has proven useful in some small-scale deployments and for one-off connections, but has also shown itself to be difficult to scale and complex to manage. SD-WAN can simplify management and increase flexibility, but it is important to select the right type of SD-WAN for your use case to avoid “gotchas” that limit the benefits of SD-WAN adoption.

Here, we’ll explore the pros and cons of Internet-based VPN, compare it to SD-WAN, and provide some tips on identifying the right SD-WAN solution from the available options.

Internet-based VPN: Pros and Cons

The upside of Internet-based VPN when compared to MPLS is simple: VPN allows you to use cheaper public Internet bandwidth to securely connect remote WAN locations. This has led to Internet-based VPN finding a bit of a niche enabling small-scale site-to-site connections. When only one or two sites, or a few remote workers need to connect to a main office, VPN can make financial sense.

However, Internet-based VPN is not without its downsides. First, performance is often noticeably worse than MPLS services. This can impact latency sensitive services like VoIP (Voice over IP) calls. Similarly, since these VPNs depend on the public Internet, reliability is a challenge. There are generally no SLAs with the public Internet.

However, where VPN may struggle the most is scalability. Configuring VPN connections is complex and can lead to appliance sprawl. Each site that requires an appliance must have that appliance sourced, provisioned, and maintained. Doing so across a large WAN can become difficult to manage and lead to oversights in configuration (which can become a security concern). Further, VPN appliances themselves have limited amounts of capacity, meaning that they can create bottlenecks when traffic increases.

Approaches to SD-WAN

With Internet-based VPN we have a solution that offers enterprises an MPLS replacement that is more affordable, but comes with scalability, performance, and reliability challenges. With SD-WAN, we have 2 more alternatives:

• Appliance-based SD-WAN is SD-WAN deployed using on-prem appliances. This type of SD-WAN provided the network overlay functionality that SD-WAN technology has become known for. This type of SD-WAN enables cost savings by allowing for different transport methods (5G, cable, DIA, etc) to be used and can offer more flexibility and agility than legacy WAN technologies like VPN or MPLS.
• Cloud–based SD-WAN provides the overlay functionality you’d expect from SD-WAN while also providing a private backbone that is backed by an enterprise-grade SLA and includes built-in security and WAN optimization features.

While both appliance-based and cloud-based solutions offer advantages, it’s clear that cloud-based SD-WAN is a more holistic solution. Premium cloud-based providers not only provide a 99.999% uptime SLA, but they also offer security features in the underlying network infrastructure. For example, as opposed to buying separate IPS (Intrusion Protection System) appliances, you get IPS baked into the WAN infrastructure. Further, support for mobile users is made simple with easy to use mobile clients and performance with many cloud services is optimized thanks to a shared datacenter footprint between cloud-based SD-WAN service providers and cloud services giants like Azure and AWS.

Cloud-based SD-WAN connects modern WANs reliably, affordably, and at scale

Of course, there isn’t a single all-encompassing all answer to the SD-WAN vs VPN question. If you need to do a single connection between two physical locations, VPN may be the simplest way to do so. However, if you need a scalable, reliable, or global solution, cloud-based SD-WAN is likely a better fit for you.

The downsides of Internet-based VPN limit its usefulness at scale. Depending on appliances that require significant maintenance and complex configurations can create bottlenecks. Further, dependence upon the public-Internet inherently leads to challenges with reliability and performance. SD-WAN in general provides enterprises with benefits in the form of agility and affordability, but it is cloud-based SD-WAN that is truly a game changer. With the cloud-native approach to SD-WAN, enterprises now have a reliable, high-performance, and affordable MPLS replacement that can scale globally. As a result, many enterprises are choosing cloud-based SD-WAN for their WANs today, and we can expect that trend to continue for some time.

 

Owning a website is now so common place that many may actually have missed the true importance of this online real estate. The purpose of owning one of these is not so that you can say you own one. This is supposed to be a tool that enhances whatever it is you are doing. It could be a business, a cause, a hobby or anything.

If your website is not helping you achieve your goals, then it is not worth owning.

In this article, we will be looking not just at websites but how to design one that will be effective in helping you achieve whatever your goals are. From the statistics we can find here, we see that there are almost 2 billion websites currently on the web. You can therefore not afford to be just one of many especially if you want to make any impact.

Let’s take a dive into this topic so we can have a better understanding of what we need to do.

Aspects of Web Design

When we talk about web design, we are actually referring to something much more than simply putting a website together. There are specific things that need to be put in place during the process to ensure that the end result is one that will deliver optimum outcomes.

Here are few basic things that a good designer will consider when working on a site.

Color Scheme

This should be an obvious aspect of a designer’s job. It involves the choice of colors that will best portray the client’s brand while also offering some good aesthetic value.

Visual Appeal and Comfort

Continuing from the point above, how the colors in a site are laid out can affect how comfortable it will be to absorb the informati0on therein. It is possible for the colors to be so jarring that visitors to the site find it both distracting and uncomfortable. The entire layout of the site has to be comfortable, appealing and even inviting.

Ease of Navigation

This refers to the ease with which visitors can move through the different sections of the site. When done right, visitors should be able to find anything on the site without difficulty.

Content Layout Plan

Aside from how the site looks, the way the contents are presented is also very important. It has to be presented in such a way that it will not be difficult to read or watch.

UX (User Experience)

This describes everything about the experience a user has when they visit the site. This is very important as it influences how much time visitors spend on the site and how likely they are to return to the site.

You can check out a few others in this article: https://diymarketers.com/the-importance-of-good-website-design-why-it-matters-and-how-to-pull-it-off/.

Benefits of Having the Right Web Design

So what are some of the benefits that will result from the points above being well taken care of by the designer? Here are a few benefits you can expect.

Enhanced UX

User experience is important not just for the actual users but also for search engines. When visitors spend a good amount of time on your site, it tells search engines that your site has something great to offer which is what makes visitors stay long. This is like killing two birds with one stone.

Better Visibility with Search Engines

When the important things are taken care of, search engines can easily crawl the site, index the pages and begin to rank them accordingly.

More Traffic

With the two points listed above, the website will already be primed to receive more visitors. Add to this responsiveness and proper SEO practices and you will see traffic to the site increasing in leaps and bounds.

Higher Conversion Rate

It’s possible to have a lot of traffic but little conversion. Conversion simply refers to the percentage of visitors that carry out your most wanted action. That is, visitors who take the step the page is supposed to ask them to take. This could be signing up for something, giving their email address, making a purchase or any other thing. Doing all of the points listed above right ensures that a higher percentage of visitors take that action.

Choosing a Web Designer

Everything we have discussed above is hinged on the quality of the designer handling the project. There are a few steps you can take to find the right web designer. If however you need a quick recommendation then just check these guys out.

The important things to look for include the quality of the designer’s own site, their work history, testimonials from their past clients, their versatility and of course their cost.

When you consider all of the above, you should be able to decide if the best web design company has what it takes to give you the kind of website that can be described as effective.

 

Hosting is the foundation of your blog or website, and if it is exposed, your website will tumble like the house of cards. People who are starting out to blogging gets so excited that they ignore the importance of selecting the right web hosting service provider. In order for your website to remain safe and accessible at all time, you need quality web hosting services. Randomly picking a web host, based on something like the type or pricing alone, can produce terrible results for your website. This is why we have put together this guide to help you choose the right hosting services.

Consider the following factors when choosing a web hosting service provider.

#1 Domain name

Domain names are now expenssive, so it’s affordable to get own even more than one domain name. Hence, you need to look for hosting services that provide multiple add-on domains. Multiple add-on domains are a great way to establish an online presence.

#2 What are your hosting needs?

Without knowing what you need, you will never get the right web hosting. Therefore, before haphazardly making any decision, think about what you really need. Some of the factors may include –

• The type of website you are building
• Do you need Windows applications?
• Do you want something familiar, such as a WordPress blog?
• The web traffic volume – will it be small or big?
• Does your website need particular software?
• Do you need support for a particular script like PHP?

So, before you hop in buy a web host, you need to research more about your website. It can roughly take a month to determine what you want actually based on your requirements. If you have no idea, we recommend that you start small with quality shared hosting account. It is not only cheap but also easy to maintain and adequate for new sites.

#3 Server upgrading options

There mainly four types of hosting servers available, namely – cloud, dedicated, VPS, and shared hosting.

Cloud hosting incorporates several hundred individual servers to function as a giant server. This type of hosting is recommended for those who experience a significant amount of web traffic on a daily basis.

Dedicated hosting is when you lease out an entire physical server to your website. This means you will have full control over the server resources, and you also don’t have to worry about other sites consuming those resources and slowing down your website. This type of hosting is recommended for websites that have a bigger presence.

VPS hosting or Virtual Private Server hosting is when you lease out one physical server and its resources on a small scale. It is a more affordable way of getting your own dedicated server.

Lastly, shared hosting is for beginners and for those who are running a personal website. However, with shared hosting, other websites will be using your server resources as well.

#4 Price

Last but not least, the price of the web hosting service also comes into the play. You need to be aware of the hidden charges, including the signup and renewal charges. Read the terms of service of the web host service provider before clicking the ‘buy’ button.

The Bottom Line

These are the main factors you need to keep in mind when buying a web hosting service. Research a lot and ask around, it will help you gain an insight into how these services work.

 

Reliable internet connection is a precious commodity that is essential to many aspects of daily life. Throughout different parts of the day, people require more internet usage, which impacts service speed and quality. From research during the day to streaming movies and shows by night, there are peak hours for usage. The more people connected to and using a network, the more the speed is negatively impacted and performs at lesser quality. To contract the most optimal internet plan, here is what internet providers need to tell you about internet speeds during peak hours.

Broadband speed claims

Australian Consumer Law has established guidelines for internet service providers on advertising broadband speeds for fixed line services. In order to comply with Australian Consumer Law, internet providers must provide users with information about the average speed of their National Broadband Network broadband plans during peak evening hours from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Additionally, providers must disclose the maximum attainable speed of an NBN service using fibre to connect to a basement or to a technology node and whether or not this connection can reach the peak speed advertised by the chosen plan. Compliant providers are obligated to fix speed issues and provide users with fixes when applicable. If a provider cannot swiftly diagnose and address a customer report, they should offer an alternative solution such as refund, compensation, reduced bills, rebates, a different plan, or allow customers to terminate the contract free of charge.

Comparing internet providers is made simple with iSelect. As Australia’s leading online comparison website iSelect’s professionally trained experts give customers personalized results based on individual needs. iSelect works with leading internet service providers and broadband plans giving customers the same plan pricing found direct through providers. From advice to how much streaming sites like Netflix uses to the best speed for online gaming, the experts are ready and able to answer any questions and find the most economical solutions for every customer.

Busy period speed information

Having the necessary information about peak hour speeds allows users to see how their connection is meant to perform, compare services from various internet providers, and determine if a chosen service is performing as advertised. Under the guidance of the Australian Consumer Law, internet providers use four labels to demonstrate how different services perform between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

The four labels are as follows:

Basic Evening Speed is a basic level plan with a typical speed of less than 15 Mbps.

Standard Evening Speed operates at a minimum speed of 15 Mbps and supports usage typical of residential customers.

Standard Plus Evening Speed provides a minimum speed of 30 Mbps and is ideal for a higher usage profile, such as customers streaming high-definition movies or streaming music on multiple devices.

Premium Evening Speed delivers a minimum speed of 60 Mbps and is ideal for a higher usage profile more than Standard Plus. For example, customers who stream in high definition while gaming at the same time.

All internet service providers purchase a theoretical maximum off-peak speed from the NBN which limits how fast a plan can work at any given time of day despite the amount of active users. Providers should disclose if a network has a limited maximum speed if they have that information at the time of contracting, or if that information becomes available at a later date. If a provider sells a service with a specified maximum speed that a customer’s connection cannot accommodate because the maximum speed was not known, they are obligated to address the issue.

 

With lots of online casinos out there, choosing the right one especially if it is your first time is not as easy as you think.

That being said, Online Pokies Pro, a top pokies online and an online casino review website, performed its own research and come up with the list of the best online casinos. Nevertheless, here are the best online casinos according to Online Pokies Pro.

• Roo Casino

This online casino is an all-inclusive and straightforward place that is certain to offer you all your online gaming needs. At Roo Casino, you will be able to choose from hundreds of games.

Another good thing about this online casino is that it focuses on quality. What’s more, they’re partnering with the world’s leading game providers in order to provide the best 3d and modern video slots.

• All Spins Win

With this online casino, you will be able to play your favorite casino games in the comfort of your own home. All spins win, on the other hand, will offer that smooth kind of gameplay.

Here, you can play hundreds of slots and enjoy an interactive gaming experience thanks to All Spins Win’s Live Casino games.

What’s more, this online casino has a 24/7 customer support, it means, you can reach them anytime you are facing a problem regarding their services.

• Pokie Spins

Pokie Spins is named as one of the best online casinos as they offer pokies online, quality table games, slots, oriental slots, as well as live lotto studios. Their games were selected carefully in order to accommodate all the experience levels as well as all tastes.

If you want to boost your play, then you should immediately register in this online casino. With their variety of promotions that are widely accessible every day we are certain that you will be able to find the best way to grow your balance.

Also, if you have any questions or issues, Pokie spins have a 24/7 customer support team that is willing to help you.

• Wager Beat Casino

One of the best things about Wager Beat Casino is that it will let you play to your personal rhythm.

This online casino only provides the most sought-after casino games. The good about their games is that they can be accessed with ease. As a matter of fact, even beginners will find it easy.

One reason why Online Pokies Pro choose Wager Beat as one of the best online casinos is that is has a team of experts that offers 24/7 support to people who need help.

Additionally, if you join Wager Beat today you will receive a huge 200 percent bonus up to $3000 on your very first deposit.

Conclusion:

There you have it the top 4 online casinos recommended by Online Pokies Pro. All the online casinos mentioned above are proven safe and reliable. Nevertheless, if you want to register in any of these casinos you can visit the website of Online Pokies Pro for further information.

 

Have you been searching for a way that can help you with brand exposure? Choose the right package by losfamos and see how your business just takes off!! When you are buying real Instagram followers one needs to add higher credibility and visibility of their specific account. This will ensure better engagements and without making any efforts. The best part is that you can get great quality Instagram followers in a short amount of time.

Having more followers for the account also gets easier in the present times. You just have to select between the varied packages that reliable websites like losfamos.com have. And after making payment securely your order gets confirmed. After verification one can have a number of followers on the account.

Reasons for buying Instagram followers:

• Better sales for the site:

You never know that the Instagram followers that you have might get interested in the product that you want to market. This can lead to better sales and also the number of visits can get increased. Having an Instagram account with better follower numbers and a targeted Instagram feed will be resulting in the income that the company and the brand that needs sales. And there is no one that will mind a better income.

• Higher Activity:

So having good activity levels is one of the main focus of the people that will be achieved when you buy Instagram followers. It is obvious that a person having 4000 followers will also be having a way better activity level that an account holder with 400 followers. This does need more active users and results in better clicks, likes and also way more comments.

• Internet marketing:

When you are having a lot of followers on social media platforms like Instagram, there is a guarantee that one will be reaching a wider audience with the content that you are providing. This can be linked with an individual account and to the social media network and through the huge number of followers. One can in this manner promote the content and also connect to a large market niche. The feedbacks and reviews from this increased number might also be checked with the probable clients that are visiting the site. This gives integrity to the brand you have.

How to Buy Instagram Followers?

Well, there are a number of reliable websites that can also be providing you with different prices or followers and are available at low prices. These are not scams and you can be guaranteed the results when one goes for Instagram followers. However, there are some fake websites as well that might cheat as well and you need to be careful of them. There is a high probability that Instagram might even block you in case you are using artificial application and this can even be resulting in the loss of profile value. However, don’t get stressed as there are some reliable service providers that will offer real Instagram followers and enhance your account.

 

If you run a site on the internet, whether it’s a blog or a company website, SEO should be a way of life. If you run an eCommerce store on the internet, these principles also apply to you. Why?

As a site owner, your ultimate goal is to drive unbounded traffic towards your site in order to achieve whatever your main site mission is. If you’re a blog owner, then you need traffic so readers can enjoy your content and advice. If you’re a marketing company, traffic to your site can lead to potential new clients and customers.

If you’re an eCommerce company, then your ultimate goal is sale conversions. A conversion that is also driven by the amount of traffic your site receives.

And what do all these sites have in common? The need for site traffic! And one of the most valuable and feasible ways to drive traffic to your site is through SEO.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and in short, it translates to optimizing your site and making it better for users and robots, so that Google can understand what your site is about. Because when Google understands what your site is about, it makes it that much more likely that you’ll end up on the first page of Google!

Ending up on the first page of Google for a valuable search term can feel like stumbling upon a gold mine. The amount of traffic driven to your site will increase tenfold. And that’s because most people never make it past the first page of Google when making a search in a search engine. Being on the second, third, fourth page of Google – forget it, you know no one’s looking there. If you really want to see results, you need to optimize your site for Google.

Top 5 SEO Changes to Implement for an eCommerce Business

Ready to take the next step and lead your site to page one of Google? Luckily, we’re here to help. Below are our top recommended eCommerce SEO updates that when made to your site, will help Google better understand what your products and pages are about, so that you can continue the journey to the first page of Google’s results.

1. Optimize Product Page Titles

Search engine users are less likely to click on a search result that looks sketchy or unappealing to the eye. There are a couple of ways to ensure that your page title is both intriguing and perfect for Google’s search results.

First, check to make sure that your page title is no more than 60 characters. This is because Google typically only displays the first 50-60 characters of a title tag. Any more than that is likely to be cut off. To ensure all the important parts of your title are shown to the user, be sure to stay in this respective limit.

Second, place the more important keywords towards the beginning of the title tag. User experience shows that users often will only scan the first two words of a headline before deciding if the search result fits what they are looking for, before moving to the next available option. Avoid placing your company name towards the beginning, unless you are a large brand with name recognition.

2. eCommerce Product Meta Description

Just like your page titles, your meta description plays a role in the appearance of your page’s search result. Every single page on your website should have a meta description, and this especially applies to your product pages.

When a page does not have a meta description tag, if the search result appears, Google will decide on its own what description is shown for your page. It could be accurate, or way off. Because you know your product and your customers the best, it is important to tailor your meta description into what would lead to a click through by users.

In order to optimize your meta description and have potential customers more likely to click on your search result, be sure to include a call to action. Calls to action such as “shop”, “join”, or “call now” tell the user what the page is about and what needs to be done. Be sure to also restrict your meta description to a maximum of 160 characters, or else the description will be cut off. In addition to these tips, try to include secondary keywords in your meta description. The reason for this is because sometimes a search query will not include the main keyword you are targeting for your page, but a similar search result led the user to your result. The keywords of the search result will be bolded in the meta description, making it easier for the user to decipher what the page is about, and that it includes what they’re looking for, all before even clicking on the page.

3. Redirecting 404 Error Pages

All sites incur 404 error pages. They appear when you delete content. For eCommerce sites, this is an event that happens often, with product pages that are no longer in season or are no longer in stock. However, having 404 pages is bad practice, and it’s important to use a 301 redirect on these pages to redirect users to the next most relevant page.

If you’ve ever stumbled upon a 404 Error Page, you know that it can be frustrating, especially when you think you’re about to land on the content you were looking for but it no longer exists. To see what 404 errors exists on your site, you can check through your site’s Google Search Console data to find these pages.

Implementing the three steps outlined above will help get your eCommerce site headed in the right direction. However, if you a majority of your time requires you to focus on the business end of your company rather than the marketing, or you have a large website that would require a large amount of time to implement these changes, it can be helpful to hire an agency that specializes in eCommerce SEO services. SEO agencies that specialize in eCommerce will know what to do with every single page and product page on your website and how to improve them, so that you can improve your page search rankings and get to page one!

 

 

The way a website is designed can either support or hurt the brand. This is the face of your business. Something your potential and current customers will see before they have a chance to talk to any representative or order a product. Below are seven ways to ensure the best web and graphic design for your website.

• Mobile Responsiveness

wIt is imperative that all websites be mobile-friendly in this digital generation. According to Statista, 52.2% of all website traffic generated in 2018 was on a mobile device. This means if your site is not responsive then you are missing out on over half of all website traffic. There are many website template designs that include mobile responsiveness, guaranteeing your site can be seen on all platforms.

• Ease of Navigation

When designing your website, it’s important to implement the “three-click rule.” In theory, the “three-click rule” suggests that a user searching on a website should be able to find information in three clicks or less. This improves the user experience and increases the amount of time spent on your website. Nothing frustrates a user more than not being able to find what they’re looking for, especially if it’s specific to your business. The information, you offer to your users, needs to be easy to find and not lead them on a wild chase only to get them to give up and never return to your site.

• Visual Design

The colors and images used in designing your website need to be pleasing to the user. Loud colors can create distractions and make it difficult to read text. It’s best to create a color combination that is balanced. White space is good, as it declutters. This is important when adding images to your website too. More is not better. This is the category that you can showcase to users what you do with examples of products or company logos you’ve worked with. It gives a taste of what your brand is all about. The colors should align with your logo and company represent. It wouldn’t make sense to have a hot pink banner on your website, if your colors are grey, red and black. Consistency is important with visual designs.

• Load Time

The faster your website fully loads, the better the user experience. You can make sure the load time is running at its best by optimizing images and by compressing HTML, JavaScript and CSS for higher loading speed, according to Astra. This should also decrease your site’s bounce rate. The faster your webpage loads the faster the user can find the information they’re looking for. Otherwise, they’ll leave the site frustrated. You can also invest in web services that check how quickly your site loads and give you options on how to improve any issues they may find.

• Readability

A website is an extension of your brand, so you don’t want your brand to look unprofessional or non-legitimate. Proofread everything you add to your website. Users will question how valid your company is if there are typos and incorrect grammar on your site. Proofreading is an easy way to avoid any hesitancy of validation on your company. It’s also important to use easy to read text, relevant keywords for SEO and incorporate headlines on your pages. When keywords and text are readable, your site will rank higher on search engines. This makes your site easier to find when users type in relevant keywords that are related to your company.

• Content Communication

All the content on your website needs to be clear and concise for the users. If content is clearly written and relevant to your audience, you can increase the amount of time each user spends on your site. The information needs to be organized and easy to find on your website. If you need help transforming your communication works, Designrr repurposes content to reach more of your target audience.

• Simplicity

Going hand in hand with visual design, the framework of your site is best when it’s simple. Too many call-to-actions and other distractions take the users away from your website, ultimately hurting your brand. Aligning your website to your brand is important so you don’t confuse your users and potential customers. The goal is to make the user experience easy and successful in finding information. Adding unnecessary designs or pop-up functions will cause frustrations and an increase in bounce rate.

Ensuring the best web and graphic design for your website is easy when following these seven tips. It’s also important to think of how you want to convey your brand to users and how you would like a website to function if you were to use it. Simplicity, clear content creation and mobile responsiveness are key ways to make the user experience a positive one and keep them coming back.