What I Do

What I Do

Security

  • Subscribe to a service that automatically bans IP addresses from accessing your website that have been flagged as malicious.
  • Hamper “Brute Force Attacks” to your website by limiting login attempts to 3. The prevents people from attempting to break into your website by repeatedly trying different username/password combinations. Almost all of the time it is a software program doing it from eastern European countries and other points around the world. The repetitive and literally non-stop login attempts can really slow your website down, making it load slowly for you and your prospective clients/customers.
  • Automatically ban IP addresses that attempt to login using the default login User Name for WordPress websites (which your website uses), which is “admin”.
  • The default login address for all WordPress websites is www.YourDomainNameHere.com/wp-admin.  I changed the login address to your website so that it is customized specifically for your website. If someone maliciously tries to login to your website (again, most often times done by a software program somewhere around the world) they are automatically directed to an error page. If they try to do this more than 3 times, they are banned from your website.
  • Protect vital system files from being accessed by the public (specifically those who know how to access those files).
  • A lot of technical configurations are enabled on your websites that are important, but describing them involves a lot of techy language.  Here are a few: disabling Suspicious Query Strings in the URL, Filter Non-English Characters, Filter Long URL Strings (all signaling a malicious attempt to access your website).

BackUps

BackUps are a critical and often overlooked aspect of website maintenance. When I first started my career in webdesign, I had to rely on a backup of a website a couple times to restore it because a client’s website had crashed (when they went to their website all they got was a blank white screen, called the White Screen of Death in my industry). I use a premium backup solution that automatically backs-up your website in full, usually 1x/month (more often for people who add or change content on the website often, such as bloggers). Also, the backups are automatically sent to an industry-leading data storage solution that encrypts the backup and hides it in multiple layers of protection.

Updates

There are dozens of sets of software that are keeping your website up and running smoothly. It is critical to keep the software updated, primarily for security and functionality purposes.  When Equifax was hacked into not too long ago, exposing sensitive data belonging to millions of people to the world, it was revealed that they had failed to update their software months prior to the hack (they were even instructed by an outside firm that it as important to update that particular set of software).

So, I update the software in your website regularly, usually once/month.  The primary sets of software that I update are the website’s framework (WordPress), the theme (which gives your website it’s “look”) and the plugins (tools used to enhance your website).

Configure SPAM protection

If you have a blog, it is necessary to protect your website from SPAM comments. Blog articles allow people to leave comments, including links and too often, these comments are SPAM attempting to sell things like Viagra or get rich quick schemes.  Left unchecked, your website can fill up very quickly with SPAM comments.  One recent client had 15,000 SPAM comments on her website, which can cause problems. I installed and configured software that protects your website from SPAM, as much as possible. Some still get through, but it is easier to manage those few than hundreds or thousands.

Forms

  • configuring

Email SMTP

  • ensure delivery

Select premium, top-quality themes and plugins for your website

SSL certificates

SMTP email configuration

 

Create a G Suite account to set up a business email account  (@yourdomain.com) using Gmail

Benefit: it’s Gmail for business. Highly reliable, 99.9% uptime, spam protection, automatic backups

It also provides access to:

  • 1 Tb cloud storage
  • Google Calendar
  • Google Docs
  • Google Sheets
  • Google Forms
  • Google Slides
  • Google Keep
  • Google Meet

G Suite is free for 14 days and then costs $5/month.

 

Set up a Google My Business Account

Benefit: This creates a Google presence for your business so that people can find your business when they search for it.

Google My Business account information included:

  • Business name, address, phone.
  • Business Category
  • Website address
  • Hours open

Also included:

  • A company-branded Cover Photo
  • A profile picture

If desired a business YouTube Channel for your business is created. Videos uploaded here can then be streamed into your website as needed.