Latest news with #webDevelopment
Associated Press
8 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Jason Hunter Design Takes the Stress Out of Website Maintenance for Atlanta Businesses
Running a business in Atlanta's fast-paced market is no small feat. You're juggling clients, managing operations, and chasing growth, all while trying to keep your online presence sharp and effective. Your website is your digital storefront, but keeping it running smoothly—secure, fast, and up-to-date—can feel like a full-time job in itself. That's where Website maintenance Atlanta comes in, and partnering with a professional agency like Jason Hunter Design is the smartest move you can make. By handing over the reins of your website's upkeep to their expert team, you can focus on what you do best—growing your business—while they ensure your online presence is a powerhouse. Let's dive into why Jason Hunter Design is the ideal partner for Website maintenance Atlanta and how their comprehensive approach delivers peace of mind and tangible results. The Hidden Challenges of Website Maintenance Think of your website as a high-performance car: it looks sleek and runs great when it's new, but without regular tune-ups, it's bound to sputter. Website maintenance involves a slew of tasks—updating software, securing against hackers, fixing broken links, and ensuring the site loads faster than your morning coffee order. For the average business owner, these tasks are time-consuming and steeped in technical jargon like 'WordPress core updates' (the main software running your site) or 'SSL certificates' (a security feature that keeps your site safe). Neglecting them can lead to slow load times, security breaches, or even a site that vanishes from Google's radar, costing you customers. Trying to handle this yourself or relying on an overworked IT person can pull you away from your core business priorities. That's where Jason Hunter Design steps in, offering a full-service solution that takes the burden off your shoulders. Here's why partnering with them for Website maintenance Atlanta is a game-changer. The Advantages of Partnering with Jason Hunter Design 1. Comprehensive Maintenance That Covers All Bases When you partner with Jason Hunter Design for Website maintenance Atlanta, you're not just getting someone to 'check the oil.' Their Website Care Plans are like a full-service mechanic shop for your site, handling everything from daily updates to WordPress core, themes, and plugins (those add-ons that make your site do cool things like display forms or galleries) to daily backups that protect your data if something goes wrong. They even tackle ADA compliance, ensuring your site is accessible to users with disabilities—a legal must-have that avoids costly lawsuits. One client praised their 'award-winning' service, noting how their site stayed 'functional and engaging' thanks to these proactive measures. With Jason Hunter Design, every detail is covered, so you don't have to sweat the small stuff. 2. Security That Keeps Hackers at Bay Cybersecurity is no joke—hackers are like digital burglars, and a poorly maintained website is an open door. Jason Hunter Design locks that door tight with robust security measures. Their Website Care Plans include constant monitoring for threats, immediate fixes for plugin issues (those pesky add-ons can sometimes break), and restoration services if a hack occurs (within limits for user errors). They also provide SSL certificates through their Google Cloud Platform hosting, which encrypts data to keep your customers' information safe. Going it alone or with an inexperienced provider risks downtime or data breaches, which can erode customer trust. With Jason Hunter Design, your site is fortified, letting you focus on your business without worrying about digital disasters. 3. Performance Optimization for Speed and SEO A slow website is a customer repellent—studies show that 53% of users abandon a site if it takes more than three seconds to load. Jason Hunter Design ensures your site is lightning-fast by optimizing images, cleaning up code, and leveraging Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) through their hosting services. They also tie maintenance to SEO (Search Engine Optimization, or making your site rank higher on Google) by fixing issues like broken links or browser incompatibilities that can tank your rankings. Their monthly performance reports give you clear insights into how your site's doing, so you're never in the dark. One client noted a 'significant increase in conversion rate' after their site was optimized, meaning more visitors turned into customers. By keeping your site fast and search-friendly, Jason Hunter Design drives traffic and sales while you focus on running your business. 4. A Partner Who Handles the Entire Digital Ecosystem Unlike a solo freelancer who might only tweak one part of your site, Jason Hunter Design takes a holistic approach, managing every aspect of your online presence. Beyond maintenance, they offer web design, SEO, branding, social media management, and content creation. This means your website doesn't just stay functional—it evolves with your business. Need a new landing page for a product launch? They'll design it. Want to rank higher for 'Atlanta plumber'? Their SEO audits and keyword strategies have you covered. Their branding services ensure your site's look matches your business's vibe, while their social media management drives traffic from platforms like LinkedIn. This all-in-one approach saves you from juggling multiple vendors, letting you concentrate on your core operations. 5. Time Savings That Free You Up As a business owner, your time is gold. Digging into technical tasks like updating plugins or troubleshooting errors can eat up hours you'd rather spend closing deals or serving customers. Jason Hunter Design takes those tasks off your plate, acting as your dedicated website manager. Their team handles everything from routine updates to emergency fixes, so you don't have to learn terms like 'database optimization' or spend nights Googling 'why is my website down?' Clients describe their service as 'extremely nice and helpful,' making the process seamless. With Website maintenance Atlanta in their hands, you're free to focus on what drives your business forward—whether that's launching a new product or charming your next big client. 6. Proven Expertise with a Track Record of Success Since 2001, Jason Hunter Design has been a trusted name in Atlanta's digital landscape, earning the 2022 Fayette County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award. Their global team of developers, marketers, and creatives brings big-agency expertise with a small-business focus, delivering results that boost profitability and productivity. Clients rave about their ability to transform websites into 'pure magic' for customers, with one noting their work 'set the foundation for our success.' This proven track record means you're not gambling on an untested provider—you're partnering with a team that consistently delivers. 7. Cost-Effective Solutions That Protect Your Bottom Line You might think handling maintenance yourself saves money, but one security breach or downtime incident can cost thousands in lost sales or repairs. Jason Hunter Design's Website Care Plans are a cost-effective investment, bundling updates, security, and performance optimization into one package. Their transparent pricing means no surprise fees, and their proactive approach prevents costly issues before they start. Compared to hiring an in-house IT person or dealing with emergency fixes, partnering with Jason Hunter Design is like buying insurance for your website—affordable protection that pays off big time. Why Jason Hunter Design is the Partner You Need For Website maintenance Atlanta, Jason Hunter Design stands out as the premier choice. Based in Peachtree City, they combine local accessibility with global expertise, offering tailored solutions for Atlanta businesses. Their Website Care Plans are comprehensive, covering daily updates, backups, security, and ADA compliance, while their broader services—custom web design, SEO, branding, and social media—ensure your entire online presence is cohesive and effective. Their data-driven approach, using tools like Google Analytics and SEMrush, delivers measurable results, from faster load times to higher search rankings. What sets them apart is their commitment to small businesses. They understand your challenges—tight budgets, big ambitions—and craft solutions that align with your goals. Clients praise their 'remarkable understanding of small business needs,' especially for startups, and their personalized service feels like a partnership, not a transaction. Whether you're a retailer in Midtown or a contractor in Buckhead, they'll keep your website running like a well-oiled machine, so you can focus on what matters most. Don't Let Your Website Hold You Back—Act Now Your website should be a growth engine, not a headache. Partnering with Jason Hunter Design for Website maintenance Atlanta means you're investing in a reliable, high-performing online presence that drives customers to your door. Their expertise, comprehensive services, and client-first approach make them the ideal partner to free you from technical worries and let you focus on building your business. Don't wait for a website crash or a Google ranking drop to take action. Visit Jason Hunter Design today to request a free consultation, explore their portfolio, or dive into their blog for expert insights on website maintenance and digital success. With their proven track record and dedication to your growth, they'll ensure your website is a powerhouse, letting you shine in Atlanta's competitive market. Click now and take the first step toward a worry-free online presence! Media Contact Company Name: Jason Hunter Design Contact Person: Jason Hunter Email: Send Email Phone: (404) 474-0478 Address:461 SANDY CREEK RD., SUITE 4109 City: FAYETTEVILLE State: GEORGIA 30214 Country: United States Website: Press Release Distributed by To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Jason Hunter Design Takes the Stress Out of Website Maintenance for Atlanta Businesses
The Verge
19-05-2025
- The Verge
Microsoft is opening its on-device AI models up to web apps in Edge
Web developers will be able to start leveraging on-device AI in Microsoft's Edge browser soon, using new APIs that can give their web apps access to Microsoft's Phi-4-mini model, the company announced at its Build conference today. And Microsoft says the API will be cross-platform, so it sounds like these APIs will work with the Edge browser in macOS, as well. The 3.8-billion-parameter Phi-4-mini is Microsoft's latest small, on-device model, rolled out in February alongside the company's larger Phi-4. With the new APIs, web developers will be able to add prompt boxes and offer writing assistance tools for text generation, summarizing, and editing. And within the next couple of months, Microsoft says it will also release a text translation API. Microsoft is putting these 'experimental' APIs forth as potential web standards, and in addition to being cross-platform, it says they'll also work with other AI models. Developers can start trialing them in the Edge Canary and Dev channels now, the company says. Google offers similar APIs for its Chrome browser. With them, developers can use Chrome's built-in models to offer things like text translation, prompt boxes for text and image generation, and calendar event creation based on webpage content.
Geeky Gadgets
19-05-2025
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
Vibe Scraping : Using Cursor's New AI MCP Integrations for Web Development
What if you could extract the essence of a website—the tone, style, and even its emotional resonance—just as easily as copying text? With the advent of Cursor AI's new Model Control Plugins (MCPs), this once-futuristic concept is now a reality. Dubbed 'vibe scraping,' this innovative capability allows developers to go beyond traditional data scraping, capturing not just content but the intangible elements that make a digital experience unique. Imagine building a landing page that doesn't just replicate information but mirrors the energy of a brand, or designing a CMS populated with content that feels alive and on-trend. Cursor AI isn't just automating tasks; it's transforming how we think about creativity and functionality in web development. Rob Shocks provides more insights into the fantastic power of Cursor AI and its MCP ecosystem, exploring how tools like the Bright Data MCP and Max Mode are reshaping workflows for developers and designers alike. From automating content scraping to integrating serverless databases and pre-designed components, these plugins promise to streamline even the most complex projects. But the real intrigue lies in the advanced features—like background agents and multi-codebase management—that push the boundaries of what's possible. Could this be the dawn of a new era where technology doesn't just assist but inspires? Let's explore how Cursor AI is redefining the art of digital creation. Transforming Development with Cursor AI Streamlining Data Collection with Automated Content Scraping One of the most impactful features of Cursor AI is its ability to automate content scraping, particularly through plugins like the Bright Data MCP. This tool enables you to crawl websites, extract relevant data, and convert it into usable formats such as markdown for seamless integration into your projects. For example, you can gather content from blogs, social media platforms, or e-commerce sites, significantly reducing the time and effort required for manual data collection. This capability is especially valuable for tasks like creating landing pages or populating a CMS with minimal effort. By automating data collection, you can ensure your projects are built on accurate, up-to-date information. Enhancing Development Efficiency with MCPs Model Control Plugins are designed to optimize every stage of the development process, offering tools that address both technical and creative needs. Here's how some of the key MCPs contribute to a more efficient workflow: Bright Data MCP: Automates web crawling and data scraping, making sure access to fresh, relevant content for your projects. Automates web crawling and data scraping, making sure access to fresh, relevant content for your projects. Pixels MCP: Provides a library of high-quality images, enhancing the visual appeal of your designs. Provides a library of high-quality images, enhancing the visual appeal of your designs. 21st Dev MCP: Offers pre-designed components, simplifying the design process and saving valuable time. Offers pre-designed components, simplifying the design process and saving valuable time. Neon DB and Superbase: Deliver robust, serverless database solutions, streamlining backend development. These tools not only simplify technical tasks but also ensure your projects are visually engaging and functionally robust. By integrating these plugins into your workflow, you can focus on innovation and creativity while maintaining high standards of quality. Vibe Scraping with Cursor AI Watch this video on YouTube. Dive deeper into automated scraping with other articles and guides we have written below. Advanced Features for Comprehensive Development Cursor AI goes beyond basic automation by offering advanced features tailored for complex development projects. For instance, background agents enable you to multitask effectively by running multiple processes in parallel. This allows you to manage several codebases within a single workspace, making sure seamless integration between frontend and backend components. Additionally, the 'Max Mode' feature unlocks extended model capabilities, making it easier to handle large-scale projects with intricate requirements. These advanced functionalities provide the flexibility needed to tackle diverse challenges, whether you're working on small-scale websites or enterprise-level applications. Practical Applications of Cursor AI and MCPs The versatility of Cursor AI and its MCPs makes them suitable for a wide range of real-world applications. Here are some examples of how these tools can be used effectively: Quickly create landing pages or blogs by integrating scraped content, saving time on manual data entry. Develop custom CMS solutions or integrate them with platforms like WordPress or Strapi for enhanced functionality. Optimize website designs for high conversion rates, making sure a balance between aesthetics and usability. These practical applications demonstrate how Cursor AI can help you deliver professional-grade results across various project types. By using its capabilities, you can meet both creative and technical goals with greater efficiency. Getting Started with Cursor AI and MCPs Setting up Cursor AI and its Model Control Plugins is a straightforward process, even for those new to the platform. Here's how you can get started with some of the key plugins: Bright Data MCP: Configure an API token and set up a web unlocker to enable secure and efficient content scraping. Configure an API token and set up a web unlocker to enable secure and efficient content scraping. Pixels MCP: Install and integrate the plugin to access a curated library of high-quality images for your projects. Install and integrate the plugin to access a curated library of high-quality images for your projects. 21st Dev MCP: Import pre-designed components to simplify the design process and accelerate development. Import pre-designed components to simplify the design process and accelerate development. Neon DB and Superbase: Set up serverless databases to streamline backend operations and ensure scalability. These step-by-step configurations allow you to fully use the potential of Cursor AI and its plugins without unnecessary complications. By following these guidelines, you can quickly integrate these tools into your workflow and start reaping their benefits. Recent Innovations in Cursor AI Cursor AI continues to evolve, introducing new features and enhancements to its MCP ecosystem. The 'Max Mode' feature now enables developers to unlock the full potential of the model, making it ideal for tackling larger, more complex projects. Background agents have been upgraded to support cloud-based task execution, further improving efficiency and scalability. Additionally, the platform's ability to handle multiple codebases within a single workspace ensures a more organized and streamlined development process. These updates reflect Cursor AI's commitment to providing innovative tools that meet the evolving needs of developers. Empowering Developers with Cursor AI Cursor AI and its Model Control Plugins represent a significant advancement in web development technology. By automating repetitive tasks, offering advanced design tools, and simplifying backend setup, these solutions empower developers to create high-quality websites and applications with greater efficiency. Whether you're an experienced developer or just starting your journey, these tools provide the flexibility and functionality needed to bring your projects to life effectively. With Cursor AI, you can focus on innovation and creativity, confident in the knowledge that the technical aspects of your work are in capable hands. Media Credit: Rob Shocks Filed Under: AI, Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
CNET
18-05-2025
- CNET
How to Speed Up a Website: Improve Your Loading Speeds With These 9 Tips
Most folks expect near-instant access to your website -- so much so that they become 32% more likely to leave your site after viewing a single page when loading time increases from one to three seconds. I've personally left sites because they were slow to load, especially when surfing on my phone, which is notable since 61.5% of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices. Keeping your site speed -- the number of seconds your site takes to load -- under three seconds is therefore essential to turning first-time visitors into long-term audience members. I've spent over a decade building websites and learned many ways to keep a site within the three-second guideline. I've used several strategies, ranging from beginner-friendly methods like decluttering your site to more complex strategies like code minification. Whether your website is loading slowly or you just want the best possible performance, here's how to test site speeds and optimize your website loading time. Test your website speeds to determine your site's current performance Screenshot/CNET There are many free site speed testing tools. Many experts recommend PageSpeed Insights, which provides data on both mobile and desktop site speeds. PageSpeed Insights also gives you detailed information on improving your site, including SEO and accessibility tips, like adding metadata and making menus easier to navigate. This actionable information makes PageSpeed Insights a great starting place, but it doesn't let you see region-specific site speed. This can be a major drawback if you want to optimize your site speed for visitors in a specific region. I recommend WebPageTest for analyzing site speed in a specific area, as it lets you choose the device, region and connection type (such as cable or 4G) you're testing for. Its granular testing options to gauge website performance are why I use WebPageTest for CNET web hosting reviews. Moreover, you can run up to 300 free tests per month with a WebPageTest account. You'll also get site-specific suggestions for improving loading times, like adding a CDN or enabling caching for certain areas of your site. However, you won't get the SEO tips offered by PageSpeed Insights, so you might want to use both tools. You should run site speed tests regularly I recommend running speed tests after every major change you make during your initial optimization process. You can use those regular tests to assess what's working, what isn't and how significant any improvements are. Once you've completed site optimization, I suggest testing your site at least once a year and running additional tests after any significant layout changes. Frequent assessments help you ensure that your site is providing a consistent experience for your visitors over time. There are many ways to speed up your website James Martin/CNET If your site takes more than three seconds to load, or you're just looking to fully optimize your site speed, you can make your website faster using several techniques, including streamlining your site design, uninstalling plugins or themes and enabling caching. Reduce clutter in your site design An overabundance of images, animations and other disparate elements can slow your site down. This visual clutter can also make it difficult for visitors to find the information they need or take the action you want them to take, so removing it serves multiple purposes. There's no hard and fast rule for the number of images or animations to include, but there are some questions you can ask to assess specific areas of your site for visual clutter: Can users easily see the most important information on this page? If this information is hidden under large images or animations, you may have a visual clutter problem. Similarly, if the information is sandwiched between visual elements in a small font, you may want to remove or resize those visual elements to emphasize the text. If this information is hidden under large images or animations, you may have a visual clutter problem. Similarly, if the information is sandwiched between visual elements in a small font, you may want to remove or resize those visual elements to emphasize the text. Can users easily see the action you want them to take? Most pages feature a call to action encouraging your visitors to do something like subscribe to your newsletter. This CTA should be prominent, and any surrounding visual elements should enhance its visibility and encourage users to take action. Remove any unrelated images or videos in the same visual area (where they can be seen without scrolling away) as the CTA. Most pages feature a call to action encouraging your visitors to do something like subscribe to your newsletter. This CTA should be prominent, and any surrounding visual elements should enhance its visibility and encourage users to take action. Remove any unrelated images or videos in the same visual area (where they can be seen without scrolling away) as the CTA. Are the visuals on this page relevant to its purpose? Every image, video or animation should have a direct thematic connection to the page it's on, especially if you're building a professional or business website. Remove visual elements that don't meet this criteria to improve site speed, branding and overall user experience. Personally, I like to stick with one large image in each area of the screen, accompanied by no more than one header and two to three text boxes. I also take great care to make sure every section -- the new areas folks see each time they scroll -- has a specific goal and that all of the content in each section aligns with its goal. Not sure about specific elements of your site? Consider asking a friend or trusted colleague to look at those elements -- or your entire site -- and tell you if they can immediately identify the content's goal. Get rid of unnecessary themes, plugins and extensions Screenshot/CNET Removing different elements can thin your website's bloat. Themes, plugins and extensions typically stay installed after you deactivate them in content management systems like WordPress. So they may still be using essential site resources even though they're inactive. They can also create security issues, as these plugins won't receive security patches. Make sure you fully uninstall plugins, themes and extensions when you stop using them. If you've deactivated plugins or themes before, confirm that they're fully uninstalled. Deleting unused themes, extensions and plugins will improve site speed on both the front end (the area your visitors see) and the back end (your admin area). I also like to audit my plugins every six months, going through the full list and asking myself how I'm using each plugin. If I can't state how a plugin has benefited my website in the last six months, I get rid of it. Optimize your images Screenshot/CNET Images are often the largest, and therefore slowest to load, elements of a website. Thankfully, there are several ways you can optimize your images to improve site speed: Use images of a reasonable size. Programs like Canva simplify this with templates sized for specific areas of a website. You may need to manually resize other photos, such as screenshots. I personally reduce my screenshots to a width of 1600 pixels, keeping the aspect ratio intact to avoid distorting the images. Programs like Canva simplify this with templates sized for specific areas of a website. You may need to manually resize other photos, such as screenshots. I personally reduce my screenshots to a width of 1600 pixels, keeping the aspect ratio intact to avoid distorting the images. Use an image compressor. You can compress PNG or JPG emails for free without losing image quality with a tool like TinyPNG. You can compress PNG or JPG emails for free without losing image quality with a tool like TinyPNG. Use the right file format. JPGs are smaller than PNGs, but their image quality is lower, so you should only use the JPG format for simple images. Complex images should be compressed PNGs or, if you want to fully minimize file size, WebP files. JPGs are smaller than PNGs, but their image quality is lower, so you should only use the JPG format for simple images. Complex images should be compressed PNGs or, if you want to fully minimize file size, WebP files. Use an image optimization plugin. WordPress users can install a free plugin like Imagify to automatically optimize images. Imagify can also retroactively optimize pictures already on your site. Many website builders, like Wix, automate image optimization by default, so you can skip image compression if you're using these tools. However, you'll still want to make sure your images are reasonably sized and use optimized file formats. Enable caching Caching speeds up websites by storing data in specialized layers called caches, which are connected to the server's CPU instead of the RAM typically used for site storage. The CPU runs faster than the RAM, allowing the server to send cached data more quickly. Some methods of caching also store static data -- information that doesn't change frequently, like the main image on your homepage -- in users' browsers to further improve site speed on repeat visits. Many web hosting companies, like Hostinger, offer built-in caching. However, you may need to manually enable it. Your host's knowledge base should contain instructions for enabling caching. I've also discussed how to enable caching in several of my reviews, like my SiteGround review, which discusses SiteGround's Performance Optimizer plugin in detail. If your host doesn't offer caching and you're using WordPress, you can install a caching plugin. WP Fastest Cache is a great free option with multiple caching types and other speed-enhancing tools to help you optimize your site. Set up lazy load for long pages Lazy load improves site speed by loading elements as your visitors need them rather than trying to load everything simultaneously. With lazy loading, elements 'above the fold' (before your visitors need to scroll) load near-instantly, as the server doesn't need to use resources to load images or other large files further down. As your visitor scrolls, each area loads with similar speed. Some website builders, like Wix, use built-in lazy loading protocols to improve site speed. In most cases, however, you'll need an extension or plugin to enable lazy loading. The good news for WordPress users is that most caching plugins, including WP Fastest Cache, offer lazy loading. Minify your CSS and JavaScript Screenshot/CNET Most websites are built on two coding languages, CSS and JavaScript, which together allow sites to do many things, but there are often inefficiencies within them, like extra spaces. Code minification eliminates these extraneous characters and any developer comments left within the code. Code minification also automatically shortens function names. These changes may not drastically reduce loading times, but they can make an impact. Thankfully, you don't need to understand code to minify it. Many website builders automatically optimize code for speed. Some, like Shopify, even use their own code languages, which may be faster than CSS and JavaScript. WordPress, meanwhile, requires a plugin to do this -- but your free caching plugin probably offers this functionality, so you won't have to install something new. Install a content delivery network (CDN) A CDN in WordPress to improve website speeds A content delivery network (CDN) boosts site speed by distributing website data throughout a network of servers in disparate physical locations. Visitors' devices can then retrieve information from the server closest to them, which is often faster than retrieving data from a server on the other side of the globe. Your hosting company may offer a built-in CDN on some or all plans; this is especially common for website builders. Alternatively, you can get the Cloudflare CDN and connect it to your website. Switch to a lightweight theme While most website builder templates are optimized for speed, this isn't always true -- and it's not consistently true for WordPress themes, either. Moreover, many templates may only be optimized for desktop, compromising their mobile site speed. If you're worried this is the cause of your site speed issues, create a blank page and run speed tests on it. If the blank page is slow, there's a high chance your template is the problem (although it may be a server issue). Finding a speed-optimal template might be difficult if you're using a website builder, as there isn't much site speed data available for templates on sites like Wix or Squarespace. If you're using WordPress, however, you can find lists of the fastest WordPress templates, complete with data from real speed tests. I'm a big fan of Neve, which is both fast and highly flexible. Move your site to a new data center You may be able to improve site speed for an audience in a specific location by switching the data center your site is hosted on. For example, if your primary audience is in Australia, you can switch from a US-based data center to a data center in Sydney. Relying on servers geographically close to your readers allows your visitors' devices to pull information from a nearby server rather than forcing them to retrieve data from the other side of the world, which can result in reduced loading times. If most of your visitors are based in another country, you can pick a data center in that country instead. Unfortunately, switching your data center isn't always possible. Some web hosts don't let you choose your data center at all, while others only let you select this once during account creation. You also generally can't do this yourself -- you'll need to ask customer service to make the switch for you. Consider switching your hosting plan Sarah Tew/CNET Your hosting plan may be causing site speed issues if you're on shared hosting, you're out of resources like RAM and storage space or your web host is slow. Here's a deeper explanation of how these problems can impact your site speed: You're using shared hosting : Sites on shared hosting only get a percentage of a server's processing power, which can make them slower than sites on more advanced hosting types, like VPS hosting, which provide dedicated processing power and bandwidth to each site. Sites on shared hosting only get a percentage of a server's processing power, which can make them slower than sites on more advanced hosting types, like VPS hosting, which provide dedicated processing power and bandwidth to each site. Your plan doesn't offer enough resources for current traffic levels: Many shared hosting and even some VPS hosting plans are only designed to handle 10,000 to 50,000 visitors. If you're getting more visitors than your plan is built for -- information usually found on the pricing page or by asking customer service -- your site will slow down. Many shared hosting and even some VPS hosting plans are only designed to handle 10,000 to 50,000 visitors. If you're getting more visitors than your plan is built for -- information usually found on the pricing page or by asking customer service -- your site will slow down. Your host doesn't provide good server speeds: Some companies don't maintain their servers well enough to give a good site speed baseline. Tools like caching and CDNs can improve this baseline, but there's only so much they can help if the server itself is too slow. There are two ways to determine if your hosting plan is causing site speed issues. First, check your traffic levels against your allotted bandwidth. If your plan says 'unlimited' or 'unmetered,' you might not be charged more for higher traffic, but there's still a limit of how much traffic your site can comfortably handle; contact customer support to get this number. You may need to switch plans to boost site speed if your monthly visits regularly exceed that number. If you haven't exceeded your allocated bandwidth and you're still concerned your host might be the issue, read expert reviews of the service you're using. These reviews often contain speed test data, which can tell you if the host generally has slow servers. The only host we've tested with highly problematic site speed is InMotion Hosting, but there's a lot of variation, with Hostinger and Shopify providing the best site speeds. Switching hosts can be frustrating, especially if you're only partially through a long contract, but it is doable. Many hosts offer free site migration for cPanel-based websites -- I've had three successful site transfers performed by my current host, HostPapa, requiring nothing more than an email to support -- and there are extensive guides on how to transfer web hosting yourself. However, you may need to hire a developer to help you move your site if you're using a proprietary website builder. You've got options when figuring out how to speed up your website If you want to hold modern internet users' attention, you need to make sure your site is as fast as possible. Thankfully, there are many ways you can improve site speed, and many -- like reducing design clutter and optimizing images -- don't require code or significant technical skill. I recommend implementing all of these strategies before you consider doing anything drastic. If the simpler strategies don't work, consider asking your host to move your site to a new data center, upgrading your hosting plan or switching to a new host altogether. However, these strategies often take longer and may require more cost or technical expertise, so I recommend only using them as a last resort.
