I’ve used Cloudways for a very long time, but with recent Google HCU update screwing up my website traffic, I cannot justify the expense for one of my sites.
So I decided to move one site from Cloudways to MDD hosting. Since I did not have time to muck around myself, I asked MDD hosting technician to move my site, which required giving him access to my Cloudways account.
Since I have multiple servers running under my single email address, I needed to temporarily move the website off my central account into a new account.
This is how you do it:
Create a brand new Cloudways account with a browser that you normally do not use
After entering your name, new email address, etc., you will be asked to wait 1-2 days pending human verification
Log in to your current Cloudways account and open a chat
Type in “billing”, “human agent”; explain that you are moving one server from an existing account to your new account and ask him/her to expedite the verification process. The agent should be able to complete the verification in couple of minutes (due to your existing account status)
Once done, switch the browser with new account. Look at the top portion of the screen where it says “You are currently under a free trial account. Click here to UPGRADE”. Click on the upgrade link and enter your billing info. You will be charged $1
Once complete, switch back to browser with the existing account. Click on the “SERVERS” link from the top to list all your servers. Identify the server you want to move and look to the right and click on “three dots” and select TRANSFER SERVER
An email will be sent to your new account; right-click and copy the link and go back to the browser with your new account; paste the link in the URL field to complete the process.
Wait one day before providing the login information to MDD Hosting to start the migration process.
NOTE:
You do not have to create a new server, but if you accidently created it, you can always delete it.
cPanel is a popular web hosting control panel used for managing websites and hosting accounts. cPanel is most often provided by shared hosting companies like Hostgator and BlueHost.
In this post, I will show you how to upload files to your website or edit htaccess file using cPanel’s “file manager”
What is cPanel?
In essence, cPanel simplifies the file management tasks, making it easier for individuals, especially those with limited technical expertise, to edit or upload the htaccess file (click here to read more about htaccess).
It’s widely used because of its user-friendly, graphical interface and robust set of features. Here’s a rundown of what cPanel offers:
Website Management: cPanel provides tools to manage your websites, like File Manager for accessing and editing files, and FTP (File Transfer Protocol) accounts for uploading files.
Domain Management: You can add and manage domains and subdomains, configure DNS settings, and set up redirects.
Email Management: cPanel allows you to create and manage email accounts associated with your domains, set up email forwarders, and configure spam filters.
Database Management: It supports database creation and management, typically with MySQL, allowing you to manage databases, users, and permissions.
Security Features: Includes options for password protecting directories, managing SSL/TLS certificates, and configuring firewalls.
Software Installations: With tools like Softaculous or Fantastico, you can easily install various web applications like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal.
Server and Site Monitoring: You can view statistics about your website’s performance and server resources, such as bandwidth and disk space usage.
Backup and Restore: cPanel provides options to backup and restore your website data.
User-Friendly Interface: Its graphical interface makes it easier for users without deep technical knowledge to manage web hosting aspects.
If You Need a Solid Web Host
If You Are Looking for a Web Hosting
I personally have been using MDD Hosting for over 10 years. They are a small hosting company with excellent reliability and awesome support. Something that you will not find at super large hosting companies. Give MDD Hosting a try, you won’t regret it!
Step-by-Step Guide to Uploading Files
Step 1: Browse to your web hosting account
First, using your favorite web browser, head over to the web host’s account page. Log in to your account and you will find yourself at the cPanel screen.
What you will see depends on cPanel version and your web host’s desire to turn on or off certain features. But for the most part, you should see things like Files, Domains, Redirects, Backup Wizard, WordPress Manager by Softaculous, etc.
Step 2: The File Manager – Your Trusty Sidekick
Once inside, seek the “File Manager” icon. It’s your trusty sidekick in this quest. Click on it.
Step 3: Choosing Your Battlefield
Now, the question arises: Where to upload? If you want to upload your htaccess file, the “public_html” folder is where the action is for your main site. If you have subdomains or add-ons, they’ll have their own named folders.
For example, I have a bunch of other test sites under my hosting account, in addition to mvirtualoffice.com (hence the blocked out sections in the above image). You need to click on the manila file folder next to the domain name to further drill down into that directory.
Step 4: Uploading – The Main Event
Here comes the main event: uploading files. Look for the “Upload” button, usually residing at the top of the page. Click it, and a new tab opens, beckoning you to drag and drop files or select them manually.
Step 5: The File Transfer Dance
As you select files, watch them dance into the cPanel realm. A progress bar keeps you company, narrating the tale of each file’s journey. Once the bar hits 100%, your files have successfully teleported to their new home.
Step 6: File Editing
Let’s say you want to edit your htaccess file. You can either download the file, edit it within your laptop/desktop, and re-upload it or you can just make the changes within cPanel.
You can use the steps previously outlined above when using the first editing method.
If you want to edit the file in place, follow these steps:
Step A: Locate the htaccess file and double click on either the purple folder OR the name to save the file to your local computer
Step B: Make sure that htaccess file is highlighted, then click on the EDIT icon (just below the cPanel ribbon) to edit the file
Step C: Edit and save the file
The “Gotchas” – Beware of These Sneaky Traps!
File Size Limit: There’s a cap on how much your files can weigh. If your files are too plump, consider breaking them into smaller bites or increase the limit via PHP settings – a tale for another day.
File Types: cPanel, like a picky eater, may refuse certain file types. If so, tweak the settings or zip them up to disguise their true form.
Overwriting Files: Uploading a file with a name that already exists is like challenging it to a duel. The new file wins, erasing the old one. So, double-check file names unless you seek an unexpected vanishing act.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, intrepid explorers! Uploading files in cPanel is like a mix of alchemy and a treasure hunt. Embrace the adventure, and remember: every click, drag, and drop adds a stroke to the masterpiece that is your digital presence.
HostGator and Cloudways are both web hosting providers, but they cater to different segments of the market and offer distinct types of hosting services. Here’s a classification based on their primary features and target audiences:
HostGator
Type: Traditional Shared Hosting ProviderTarget Audience: Ideal for beginners, small businesses, bloggers, and those who require simple web hosting solutions.Services Offered:
Shared Hosting: Affordable, user-friendly, and suitable for small websites.VPS Hosting: Offers more control and resources than shared hosting.Dedicated Hosting: For high-traffic websites requiring dedicated resources.
Key Features:
User-Friendly: Known for its ease of use, making it a good choice for those new to web hosting.Pricing: Generally more affordable, especially for shared hosting plans.cPanel: Provides a standard cPanel for website management.
Support and Reliability: Known for decent customer support and uptime guarantees, though it might not match the highest standards set by more premium providers.
Cloudways
Type: Managed Cloud Hosting PlatformTarget Audience: Suitable for developers, medium to large businesses, and those who need scalable, high-performance hosting solutions.Services Offered:
Managed Cloud Hosting: Provides management services on top of cloud infrastructures like DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, etc.
Key Features:
Performance and Scalability: Offers robust performance and easy scalability, catering to growing websites and applications.Advanced Features: Includes features more suited to technical users, like staging environments and Git integration.No cPanel: Uses its own custom control panel designed for managing cloud hosting environments.
Support and Reliability: Provides stronger support for technical issues and higher reliability, suitable for more demanding websites.
Comparison Summary
Use Case: HostGator is more beginner-friendly and suited for standard web hosting needs, while Cloudways is geared towards users who require the scalability and performance of cloud hosting.Technical Requirement: HostGator is less technical and more plug-and-play, whereas Cloudways offers more advanced features that appeal to users with technical know-how.Pricing Model: HostGator generally offers lower pricing, particularly for entry-level hosting, while Cloudways’ pricing reflects its advanced, scalable cloud hosting solutions.
In summary, the choice between HostGator and Cloudways should be based on the user’s technical proficiency, scalability needs, and the specific requirements of their website or application.
As of this writing, Cloudways is by far the best general hosting provider on the market with its relative ease in setting up WordPress, high performance, and reasonable pricing.
Intro
I have been using Cloudways virtual cloud hosting for the last three years, along with a handful of other shared hosting providers.
As a solopreneur, I mange a bunch of websites (including my own) and as of this writing in May 2023, I have to yet to find a similar alternative in terms of server specs and pricing.
If you have a bit of experience in working with a hosting company, you can skip to the next section. Otherwise, I will briefly explain the differences in how hosting companies provide webhosting for end users.
Hosting Flavors
There are many variations in how hosting servers are packaged and sold but we can roughly say that there are three distinct flavors:
Shared / reseller hosting
VPS / Cloud hosting
Managed Cloud Hosting
I will not discuss dedicated or co-location hosting because these products are geared towards medium to large sized companies or organizations with very high website traffic (1M+ per month) and they are very expensive (hundreds of dollars or more per month).
Shared / Reseller hosting
You probably heard of Blue Host, Dream Host, Hostgator, etc. They got their fame from offering super cheap webhosting packages (around $5 per month) to newbies website owners.
They are called shared hosting because in order to make money, shared hosting companies take hundreds of accounts (including your own) and cram them into a single piece of server with low specs.
In most cases, your website performance is directly correlated to the activity on other accounts. To boot, you most likely share the IP address so if your “neighbors” are running sketchy websites, IP block will negatively impact your website.
This product is perfectly acceptable if you are just starting out or have a low monthly website traffic (say around 5,000 visitors per month).
Just make sure to go with a provider that gives you cPanel software (sort of like an operating system like Windows 10 to access your server related files). cPanel allows you to easily migrate to another hosting provider via its backups.
Do NOT use WIX or other WYSIWYG site developers because you will most likely have to manually migrate your site (i.e. re-typing in content).
If you are considering this option, rather than going with a big outfit, I highly recommend a smaller hosting company called MDDHosting and choose either the Turbo Shared Cloud Hosting or Plaid Shared Cloud Hosting.
MDDHosting provides a 30 day money back guarantee for shared, reseller, premium, and VPS services. And unlike some companies, they give you a FULL refund.
Exceptions are if you chose a free domain registration when you created your account. For that domain name, you will have to pay $14.95 out of your refund amount.
Where Should You Register Your Website Address?
I will write a separate post as to why you should NEVER have your domain name registered with your hosting company (instead, it should be registered under your own domain registrar account).
Note that the 30 day money back guarantee does not apply to dedicated servers, colocation, lifetime plans, or design services.
VPS / Cloud Hosting
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server and it used to be very popular several years ago.
Similar to a shared hosting, hosting companies assign multiple accounts to a particular server. The main differences are:
you are renting a separate, containerized, virtual server with your own IP address
your do not share your virtual server resources with your “neighbors”
hosting company only assign a handful of accounts on a given server
The difficulty with a VPS for a newbie is that most VPS packages are “naked”, meaning you have to install and manage your own server OS. That includes applying security patches, troubleshooting problems, and restarting your servers.
Cloud hosting is very similar to VPS hosting, EXCEPT instead of renting a piece of a physical server, you are renting a piece of a virtual server (roughly speaking, a virtual server pools resources from many physical servers and presents it as a single server entity).
Users of a naked cloud hosting companies like VULTR or DigitalOcean face the same challenging issues mentioned in the previous paragraph.
As a solopreneur, your job is to create content and grow your business. Having to deal with a complicated technical issues is difficult for most people, especially since you are forced to wear many hats. So I DO NOT recommend getting into this package for a beginner or intermediate user.
Managed Cloud Hosting
For me, a managed cloud hosting is perfect for my needs because the hosting company provides all server and network level issues, why I focus on creating content and maintaining the WordPress platform.
What About Managed WordPress Hosting?
Some folks prefer even simpler packages provided by a Managed WordPress Hosting companies where they maintain ALL technical issues including WordPress plugin updates, etc., while the user can focus just on creating content.
I have used several companies in the past like WPEngine and Kinsta. Although they provided a good service, I found the cost to be too expensive.
There are a handful of reliable managed cloud hosting providers and the one I currently use the most is Cloudways (don’t get it confused with Cloudflare which is a caching provider).
Cloudways
As of May 2023, I currently pay for three cloud servers (with different server specs) with Cloudways.
One server uses Digital Ocean where the other two servers use VULTR (Amazon AWS and Google Cloud is just too expensive).
Cloudways provide an easy user interface layer so that you won’t have to scratch your head dealing with Digital Ocean or VULTR’s complicated, and technical interface.
Server specs, network configuration, and server monitoring are all within easy reach and if you need help, their 24×7 chat support is always available. The support seems to be based entirely in India but the support team members I have dealt with thus far have been fluent in written English and they were quick to answer my questions and issues.
Which server should you choose from Cloudways?
Back in 2022, Digital Ocean (DO) purchased Cloudways and as expected, DO is starting to push its own products over other offerings.
So if you are new to Cloudways as of May 2023, your server choices are either Digital Ocean, Amazon AWS or Google Cloud. A basic 2GB server will cost around $28 for DO.
If you are an existing customer like I am, I still have the ability to choose from Digital Ocean, VULTR, and Linode (again I am excluding AWS and Google Cloud due to their high cost).
DO and VULTR servers are similar in specs an cost, with VULTR costing around $2 more (I suspect this was done to encourage existing customers to sign up DO servers).
Migration steps from a shared hosting provider to Cloudways
If you are currently with another hosting company, moving your WordPress site to Cloudways is “relatively” easy, though it might be slightly difficult for you if you are completely unfamiliar with tech.
So, I will show you how to move your WordPress website to Cloudways with step-by-step instructions
Items You Will Need Before Beginning:
Cloudways account
WordPress admin user name and password
Access to your website domain name registrar
Setting Up Your Cloudways Account
If you haven’t done so already, go to Cloudways and signup for a 3 day free trial.
In the next post, I will show you which server package you should choose, depending on your website traffic, and how to set it up step-by-step
Think of a book that you frequently reference every day. To expedite the process, you probably use a sticky or a bookmark.
An object cache is just like a bookmark, but instead of a piece of paper, it is a temporary storage area on a server.
If you have a website with a popular post, the server may have to repeatedly access the same information in your database many times (like rifling through pages to find the right page every single time).
This takes a lot of time and use up a lot of resources.
With an object cache, you can save that information for a certain amount of time so you don’t have to keep looking it up.
What is Memcache, Memcached, and Redis
Memcache (without the letter “d” at the end) is a memory caching system that store data in a particular server’s RAM
Memcached is a distributed memory caching system that store data across multiple servers (i.e. cloud storage). Memcached is often deployed with WordPress
Both memcache and memcached can be used to improved web application performance. Which one you use depends on your hosting provider
Similar to Memcache, Redis stores data in teh server’s memory to handle lots of data requests quickly and efficiently
What are the differences?
Memcache only supports simple key-value data storage and retrieval. On contrast, Redis supports a wider range of data types and advanced features and scripting capabilities.
Memcached is a lightweight caching system that distributes data across multiple servers like Redis.
Memcached and Redis can be used simultaneously in WordPress if the hosting company allows it.
The definition of “best” depends on your unique situation.
There are tons of great sites with lots of good information, I am going to present you with three recommendations so that you do not get caught in the analysis-by-paralysis situation.
Intro
Assuming that you are looking to publish a blog to start making money online, you must first understand few industry jargons:
Shared Hosting
WordPress Hosting
Managed WordPress Hosting
VPS
Cloud Hosting
Shared Hosting
Usually costing around $5-7 per month, this is the most basic form of hosting. Most people who are just starting out choose this option because it is cheap. Not the best option as your website traffic grows (roughly around 5,000 visitors per month) because your account “shares” server resources with hundreds of other similar accounts on the same physical server. That means if there are resource-intensive websites on the same server, your website will most likely suffer slow downs.
Don’t fall for “cloud” share hosting as that means absolutely nothing. Shared hosting is exactly what it says: SHARED RESOURCES.
WordPress Hosting
WordPress hosting is just a re-badged form of shared hosting.
The only difference is that, unlike shared hosting where you can install other CMS applications (i.e. Joomla or Drupal), WordPress hosting comes with WordPress pre-installed for newbies. It has identical performance characteristics as the shared hosting.
Managed WordPress Hosting
Costs around $30-$40 per month, a Managed WordPress Hosting takes one step further (than WordPress Hosting) by providing all updates and maintenance to WordPress core files, WordPress theme, and plugins.
Performance tends to be better than WordPress Hosting because each WordPress sites are in their own silo/container. You are most likely restricted to themes and plugins that are evaluated by the provider.
VPS
Virtual Private Server (VPS) comes in managed and unmanaged versions. Managed VPS runs around $60-80 and Un-managed VPS runs around $20-30 per month.
The benefit of a VPS is that it has dedicated resources for your specific account so you are not impacted by other accounts that may be in your “neighborhood”.
The cost is highly variable, depending on the actual server configuration like the number of CPU cores, memory, and storage space.
Both unmanaged and managed VPS require highly technical skills so I do not recommend this option to any beginners.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud Hosting also comes with managed and unmanaged versions like VPS hosting.
Unlike VPS, where your account is located on a specific server in a data center, a cloud hosting account is provisioned using multiple servers across multiple data centers.
Unmanaged cloud hosting infrastructure provider are Digital Ocean, VULTR, Amazon AWS, Linode, and Google.
Managed cloud hosting companies overlay their user interfaces over these infrastructure providers. Two most well-known managed cloud hosting companies are Rocket.net and Cloudways.
Cost can range anywhere from $30-$100 per month, depending on server configuration.
Which hosting option is best for you
Don’t over think it. As a newbie, you should be focusing on your content foremost.
Moving a WordPress account from one hosting provider to another is not as difficult as it used to be (and some even provide a free service to move your files).
Website traffic is below 3k visitors per month
Choose a simple shared hosting or WordPress hosting service.
NameHero- PLUS CLOUD, $5.18, direct link, not affiliated
Website traffic is between 3k-15k visitors per month
Once your website traffic exceeds 3,000 visitors per month, you want to use a more robust provider for a faster website.
NameHero – TURBO CLOUD, $9.98 (1 year contract), direct link, not affiliated
Website traffic between 15k-40k per month
With this kind of website traffic, you can sign up for an ad-network like Ezoic (10k per month) or Mediavine (50k per month) to generate a “passive income”.
Cloudways – VULTR High Frequency, $26 per month, 2GB Ram, 1 CPU core, 64GB storage, 2TB bandwidth (direct link, not affiliated)
Website traffic above 40k per month
If you are using an ad-network that is not Ezoic, use:
Cloudways is an awesome cloud hosting provider I use for some of my WordPress sites.
For one particular site, a Google Adsense text file (ads.txt) needed to be uploaded again.
Unlike a shared hosting company (i.e. Hostgator), Cloudways do not utilize the cPanel software so we need to either upload the file using SSH (PuTTy) or SFTP protocols.
For simplicity sake, we will use File-Zilla which is another free FTP application that has been around for a long time.
Please note that as of this writing (September 2022), there were security issues related to File-Zilla app (primarily downloaded from third-part sites) but if you download the app directly from File-Zilla.org, everything is cool.
OBJECTIVES
For security reasons, we do not want to use the master application credential. Instead, we want to create a separate “application credential” (sort of like creating a standard user under Windows OS)
Use the File-Zilla FTP software to upload the ads.txt file
DIRECTIONS
Step #1 – Go to File Zilla’s website (https://filezilla-project.org/) and click on “DOWNLOAD FILEZILLA CLIENT” button
Step #2 – Download the version you want to use with your computer OS (free version is perfectly fine)
Step #3 – Install File Zilla
Step #4 – Log into your Cloudways account
Step #5 – From the top menu bar (in blue), click on APPLICATIONS
Step #6 – Click on your WordPress application (mine was the second one)
Step #7 – The default screen is ACCESS DETAILS. On the right, you will see a section titled APPLICATION CREDENTIALS. If you do not have any users, click on the ADD button to add one user (you can use any user names. For password creation, make sure to mix in capital and lower case letter as well as numbers and special characters – about 20 characters should be good). After creating a user, your screen should look something like this:
Step #8 – Launch File-Zilla
Step #9 – Enter host info (which is your public IP from Cloudways). You should enter as follows:
sftp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Step #10 – Copy User name from Cloudways and paste it into File Zilla’s user name field
Step #11 – Copy Password from Cloudways and paste it into File Zilla’s password field
Step #12 – Port 22
Step #13 – You will most likely get a popup warning message. You can safely ignore it and click on the OK button
Step #14 – You need to make sure that your target WordPress root directory (on the server) is pointing to “/public_html” (see “A”)
Step #15 – Click and drag “ads.txt” file from the “B” window over to the “C” window
It will take about 48 hours for Google Adsense to detect this new file.
Hostgator RocksIf you are aiming at building any kind of business from your website, the first thing that you will need is choose a best hosting company that satisfies all your need and charge as per your budget. There is one web hosting company named as Hostgator that will offer you world-class web hosting services at affordable prices. Hostgator is the ultimate choice for most Internet marketers and bloggers, as they know the importance of choosing a good host.
As far as I’m concerned, all of my websites are hosted on Hostgator now. Initially all of my websites including Bloggers Passion were hosted on some other web host. First I started using Hostgator web hosting services on one of my website. I become so happy with their services, customer support, features and pricing plans with huge discount coupons that I moved all of my websites now on to Hostgator.
Hostgator is a privately owned web hosting company that was started in 2002 and is based in Houston, Texas. They are claiming to be currently hosting more than 5 million websites and are currently having its clientage in more than 200 countries.
If you took advantage of the promo pricing but have been a Hostgator customer for a while, it might pay off to review what the current monthly payment to see if there is a cost saving opportunity.
