Category Archives: Web development and Hosting

What is the difference between a web developer and web designer?

Blog provided by Electric Kitten

Web developers and web designers are term people tend to use interchangeably, but they represent two completely different disciplines. You could argue that at some point in the past, web development and web design were the same thing. Many websites were developed by teams of web developers. But a lot has changed, so what is the difference now?

The key difference is this: Web developers use languages like JavaScript to write applications that run on the web. Web designers create the look and feel of those applications. You could take it a step further and say that although both disciplines would use JavaScript, one does so for program logic, while the other uses it for aesthetics. Web development is function, and web design is form.

In terms of skillsets, both need to know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Designers will need to take that a step further have skillsets in design applications. Developers will use one or more frameworks like React, Vue, in addition to authentication for use with a back-end. Every team needs web developers and web designers.

It is important to note that while a web designer could switch to web development, the reverse is not always true. Design is an artistic discipline that is not something you can learn in a short period. Some things like user experience and user interfaces can be learnt, but a true designer is someone with a passion for it with the creativity to match.

If you need an LA colocation or dedicated server provider you can trust, contact Electric Kitten today. They’ve provided reliable web hosting services for almost two decades. If you are located in the Southern California area, give them a call at 877-821-HOST or email them at sales@electrickitten.com.

How dedicated hosting is an easy solution for SEO issues

Blog provided by Electric Kitten

Local businesses must contend with the challenges of broadcasting their web content to potential customers. For many companies, this involves using SEO tactics to reach the top of local search engine rankings. SEO can be a highly competitive field because of the many factors that affect how high Google ranks a website. One significant factor that affects SEO is website loading speed.

A decade ago, Google announced that its algorithm would consider website loading speed as a ranking factor for desktop searches. A few years ago, they had announced that this would be true of mobile Google searches as well. This is because according to their statistics, most users click away from a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.

When it comes to SEO, you need every edge you can get. A dedicated web hosting server will supercharge your site’s loading speed and uptime. On a shared hosting server, you will have limited access to server resources because of the many different clients who are sharing the server with you. Larger and more complex sites require higher amounts of bandwidth, which can run out quickly on shared servers. Site loading speeds slow down significantly when websites run out of bandwidth. On a dedicated server, you are the only client. All of the server’s resources are dedicated to your needs. As a result, all websites run more smoothly and efficiently.

Furthermore, the distance of your server to your potential customers can also affect website loading speeds. If your server is close to your customers, website signals will travel more efficiently. If you need server hosting in Los Angeles, contact Electric Kitten today for reliable dedicated hosting.

Three Proven Ways to Reduce Website Bounce Rates

You must not neglect the importance of bounce rate as it is one of the key metrics of digital marketing for a website. Google defines bounce rate as – the percentage of single-page visits to the total website visits. In simple words, visitors opt out just after viewing one page of your website.

The bounce rate plays an important role in ranking of a site and in getting increased ROI. But if your bounce rate is higher than it should be, then your website would be among the under-performing ones. Here are some tips from Rack Alley on bringing your bounce rate down:

Reduce Page Load Time

Reduce the time it takes for the page to load by hosting your servers at a fast data centers. If you already own the infrastructure, then consider switching to Los Angeles colocation for fast load times.

Make Site Search Easy

Often, people do not realize how often visitors use the search function of a website. Make the process easy and friction-less and give the visitor a reason to stay on your site longer. Google allows you to embed a site-search widget on your site.

Easy Navigation

Another factor that a lot of webmasters miss the is the importance of proper site navigation. All it takes is a confusing menu structure, and the visitor will give up. The proper navigation is even more important for mobile visitors, who must contend with it on a smaller screen.

How quickly your website loads matters for several reasons, here is why:

The average website has several areas that require maintenance. The backend like WordPress. Keywords, content, descriptions, and links for search engines and overall user experience. However, recently the speed at which a site loads has taken prominence. According to Rack Allery, here are some of the reasons why:

Google

The most important reason is because Google made site load speed a ranking factor. Although it is only one of several hundred ranking factors, when two equally competitive sites are competing for the top spot on a page, it can make all the difference. Site load speed was always important; it just took Google to bring it to prominence.

Devices

Most websites are responsive and viewable on a range of devices, from smartphones to desktop computers. From the smallest screen to large widescreen displays. According to recent statistics, the majority of website traffic now comes from mobile devices with small screens. Slow loading websites are especially frustrating when you are on the go and need information fast.

User experience

Even if you have all your bases covered in terms of user experience, a website that takes longer than a minute to load is likely experience a lot of traffic loss. Often, a slow loading website also has implications for the reputation of the organization.

One of the ways to improve your website performance is to host your website as close to your target market as possible. For example: Los Angeles colocation will provide the LA area with low-latency high-speed access to the website.

Benefiting from a Professional Web Hosting Company

Written By Rack Alley

Does your company have a web presence? If it doesn’t, you should definitely make this a priority ASAP. However, if your company does, it’s just as important that you make this a priority in every single way. Never stop looking for ways to improve the way you relate to others online. One way you could do this is by bringing on a company to handle your web hosting. The good news is that, in LA, it won’t be very hard to find one.

The benefit of Los Angeles web hosting is that your company doesn’t have to pay for all the physical space it takes to house your hardware. Another company will handle that need and you’ll simply pay them a reduced price for it. Otherwise, you have to have this space on your own property. You’ll also need all the supplemental hardware it takes to look over your hosting equipment. Then there are also the added bills for hiring IT experts to do more of the same.

There’s also Los Angeles colocation to consider. With this option, you just pay for the space. This is a good option for smaller companies that may not be able to afford hosting. You get the space and check in on it and work on it as necessary.

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If you need an LA web hosting company, don’t waste your time considering all your options in Southern California. Instead, let the experts at Rack Alley show you what is possible now and in the future for your company.

Why Businesses Prefer Colocation

Written by Rack Alley

At some point in time most businesses would be face with the tough decision of whether to move, consolidate or expand their data center as a part of their IT infrastructure strategy. The decision would involve analyzing the hard and soft costs surrounding the data center and whether to go for colocation or to get a dedicated data justify. Off Site colocation is usually preferred by most companies and some advantages are listed below.

Reduced IT Infrastructure and Management Costs

Lowered costs constitutes of one of the main benefits of colocation. Businesses opting for colocation are able to reduce their total IT management cost. This is because they do not have to invest in HVAC systems, UPS and backup generators in order to store their data. All these investments would be carried out by the colocation provider.

Increased Power Capacity and Redundancy

A high power density is generally required when it comes to upgrading IT applications. An in-house data center would have to cope with such power challenges. Colocation providers enable companies to have access to a higher power-per-square foot ratio in comparison to in-house data centers. This allows companies to target innovation in terms of high density virtualization and computing.

Reliability and Uptime

Network reliability would lead to business continuity. Colocation providers offer various networking options with flexible solutions depending on the needs of the business. For instance, Los Angeles web hosting solutions are among the most reliable in the world. The configuration of the data centers are meant to provide reliability and availability.

Rack Alley specializes in Los Angeles colocation and LA web hosting services for businesses.