Monthly ArchivesMarch 2022

Google AdSense is one of the most popular and widely used tools that help you monetize your site. With this program, you can automatically sell space on your site to various advertisers and get paid. Google AdSense is one of the easiest ways to start earning extra money online through your site.

In today’s article, we’ll discuss how to add AdSense to WordPress, together with some tips and best practices to help you monetize your website and make the best out of your ad space.

What is Google AdSense?

Google AdSense is an advertising program from Google that gives website owners and bloggers an opportunity to showcase ads on their websites. In other words, they get to earn money by showing images, videos, text, or some other interactive forms of advertisement in different locations of their site. For instance, you can place them in the footer, sidebar, or in-between posts.

Such ads are highly relevant since they are targeted by audience and site content. Google goes through its ads database and looks for the most related ads based on the overall content you post on your website. For instance, if you post about clothes, you’ll get ads related to shirts and pants on your site.

Related reading: Ecommerce Search Marketing Basics: The Beginner’s Guide >>

Adding AdSense on a WordPress site is hassle free, since Google is there to maintain and administer relationships with your advertisers. Also, Google collects the money and splits it — they take their cut and send the rest of the payment to you.

This program runs on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis. That means every time a visitor clicks on the ad on your site, you get a certain amount of money. The amount is determined by various factors like quality scores or keyword bids.

Benefits of Setting up Google AdSense on WordPress

Before we continue with the details, let’s review the benefits you get when using Google AdSense.

• This program is free to use. That means you don’t have to invest or risk lots of money to get started.
• You get a chance to earn more money. The Google AdSense plugin allows you to monetize your blog or site, which means you get to earn passive income through it. As your traffic gets bigger and the users become more engaged on your site, you’ll automatically earn more money through AdSense.
• It’s easy to use. In fact, all you really need to do is to set it up because Google handles everything else, including things like sizing ads to properly fit mobile and desktop screens. It adjusts the ads based on different factors such as the layout of your site and available space.
• You can use it on multiple sites. In other words, if you have more than one website, you can set the Google AdSense plugin on all of them. The only thing you need to pay attention to here is that your websites are in line with AdSense terms and policies.
• Ads you get on your website have been chosen by Google, so you know they meet quality standards. Also, they are compatible with the content you post as well as the interests of your visitors. There’s a wide variety of advertisers Google works with, which means you can pick ad content relevant to your niche.
• Not only do you choose which ads you’d prefer to see on your website, but you also get a chance to customize their design to match the visual aesthetics of your website.

Now that we’ve covered good things about this tool, let’s go over how to add AdSense to WordPress.

Getting Started With Google Adsense

How to Add Adsense to WordPress

When signing up for an AdSense account, you can use your existing Gmail account. Once you’re done with your application, you’ll need to wait until the Google team reviews it. This can take from a couple of hours to a few weeks.

Once your account is approved, log in and get your ad code. That’s the code you’ll later place on your site when you want to display ads.

Google recently released auto ads, which means you can paste one piece of code only and they automatically decide where, when, and how much your ads are going to be shown. Still, many website owners still go with the manual method and prefer to individually place ads on their sites.

Start Your Google Adsense Account

So, as we’ve mentioned, the first thing you have to do is to sign up for your Adsense account. Click Get Started to see the required fields you need to fill. Now, it’s time to connect Google AdSense account with your WordPress website.

Connect to Your WordPress Website

To do that, follow these steps:

• Go to the Connect your site to AdSense page. Over there, you’ll find a set of code you can embed into the header of your website. Copy the code. Don’t click Done or close the page yet.
• Enter the admin dashboard on your WordPress account.
• Find Appearance -> Theme Editor and click there. Go to the Theme Files section and choose Theme Header.
• Now, paste the code right above the </head> tag.
• Click on Update File. Now, Go to your Google AdSense page and tick the checkbox that says I’ve pasted the code into my site. Select Done.
• You’ll see there’s a dialog box that tells you your account is getting approved. Select Got it.

Insert Ad Unit

How do you add ads to WordPress? Once your account is reviewed and finally activated, you’ll receive a confirmation email. That’s the point where you can start with ad units:

• First, access your Google Adsense dashboard and go to the left side bar to click on My Ads.
• Go to Content -> Ad units and select New ad unit.
• You have different ad types. Choose one, for example, such as Text & Display ads. Customize it the way you prefer and make it more suitable for the overall design of your site.
  1. Name — Come up with a unique name that will represent your ads. You’ll work with multiple ads in the future, so make sure to organize them well.
  2. Ad size — To make it easier, you can choose Responsive. That way, you get ads that adapt to various screen sizes.
  3. Ad type — Of course, you can eventually switch to another type, such as in-article or in-feed ads.
• Click on Save and get code. You’ll see there’s a new window with the Google AdSense code. Copy it because you’ll need that code for your next step.

Embed Ad Code to WordPress

So, you got the ad code, which means now it’s time to embed it on your WordPress website. You can do it in two ways — by using a plugin or manually.

If you want to add the code manually, follow these steps:

• Visit the WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance -> Widgets.
• Choose Text so you can decide where you want your ads to be displayed. For instance, you can locate the ad at the footer. Click Add Widget.
• Fill in the Title field. Of course, you can leave it empty if you want. Now, find the Content field. That’s where you’ll paste your code. Save the changes you’ve made.

If you’d rather go with an easier option, install an ad plugin. WordPress offers many of them, and here are two really popular ones:

• Advanced Ads will help you manage the ads with features like saving ads draft, displaying unlimited ads, or even scheduling them. Of course, if you pay more, you get the Pro plan that will bring you extra features such as alternative ads for visitors who use ad-block programs or click fraud protection.
• Ad Inserter is a rather useful plugin that allows you to insert ads on the website. It includes options such as between posts, or before and after posts on your pages. Here you also get a chance to get the Pro license for more additions, such as sticky ad animations or sticky sidebar ads.

Best Practices for Google Adsense

Now that we’ve covered how to add AdSense to WordPress and some other technical stuff, let’s see how to make the most out of this tool.

How to Use Google Adsense on WordPress

• Check and follow the AdSense program policies and quality guidelines so the Google team quickly approves your website.
• Where should you locate the ads? Well, you want to use a visible spot where you’ll get more clicks. It’s hard to find a general formula for that, but, you can try to place the ad within post content towards the top of the screen. Other than that, the perfect placement mostly depends on your site’s layout. If you need some help with this part, you can try AdSense heatmaps.
• So, what about the best ad size? Ad placement is incredibly important, but size is also one of the main factors that can largely influence the success of your campaign. The practice has shown the best ad sizes are 300×250 and 336×280. Ads in such sizes fit the best on different screen sizes, which means they have the best pay rate too. However, the perfect ad size also depends on the overall layout of your website.
• Make sure to create content that will attract visitors as well as engage them once they come to your site. This way, you’ll boost the chances of getting more clicks — which automatically means more earnings.

How Not to Use Google Adsense on WordPress

• Even though it can be tempting, don’t click on your own ads or ask your friends and family to do that. Google has a pretty smart algorithm, which means it will “find out” you’re doing that. You won’t get any benefits from clicking on your own ads, and you may also end up banned from AdSense.
• Don’t clutter the website with a bunch of irrelevant ads. “The more, the merrier” is not something that works when it comes to algorithms. In fact, if you have more ads than content on the page, Google may either disable or limit ad serving until you remove some of the extra ads.
• Don’t force visitors to click on the ads by putting too many call-to-action (CTA) texts such as “Click on this ad.”
• Don’t include floating WordPress AdSense widgets to make your ads more prominent. Google Terms of Service don’t allow this, and if you violate the rules, you can get limited or banned from this program.

Now You Know

We hope you now understand how to add ads to WordPress as well as best practices related to AdSense on WordPress.

AdSense is an extremely useful tool. Google’s advertising program allows you to sell space on your website and earn extra money by monetizing it. You can locate the ads all across your website, but also get some help from the program itself — for example, by using AdSense heatmaps.

Google AdSense provides numerous benefits: it’s simple and free to use, uses ads that fit the context of your entire website, and meets quality standards — plus, you can customize the ads the way you prefer.

The program itself runs on a cost-per-click basis, which means the more unique visitors click on your ads, the more money you get to earn. However, the total earnings are determined by different factors such as quality scores or keyword bids.

Hostdedi Makes WordPress Better

Google AdSense is one of many tools that will help you make the most out of your WordPress website. As the most popular CMS on the internet, there are many reasons to use WordPress.

Coupled with that, WordPress hosting provides you with both storage and access to your site. With the right host, you also get 24/7/365 support that will help you with all of your issues and questions.

Hostdedi offers different WordPress hosting plans suitable for both beginners and professionals who are into creating top-notch WordPress sites.

Consider Hosting With Hostdedi

With Hostdedi, you get fully managed hosting optimized for WordPress. That means a faster, more secure, and scalable website as well as smart monitoring built-in tools to help you keep it that way. Migrations are free, plus you get a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee included in every plan.

Check out our fully managed WordPress hosting plans to get started today.

ATLANTA, GA. March 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Hostdedi, the fully managed, high-performance, cloud platform built to optimize WordPress, WooCommerce, and Magento sites and stores, today announced a partnership with StudentBeans, the world’s leading student loyalty network. The partnership expands the reach of Hostdedi’ high quality cloud hosting, premium software plugins, and site management tools to students around the world.

Having supported over 163 million students across the US and in 100 countries around the world, StudentBeans connects students with exclusive deals and discounts — now including Hostdedi’ fully managed hosting products.

Through StudentBeans, students can get 50% off a year of fully managed hosting with Hostdedi, enabling them to create secure sites and stores to showcase their portfolios, start an online business, and more.

“For students entering the workforce, or starting a business of their own, a strong online presence is no longer optional,” says Terry Trout, SVP of Marketing. “We’re thrilled to partner with Student Beans to provide these students access to our WordPress solutions for building their sites and stores. WordPress is the most used CMS in the world, powering over 40% of the Internet and an estimated 64 million websites. We’d love to be the provider that introduces them to the power and flexibility of this platform and be a part of their entrepreneurial or career journey.”

Hostdedi brings together high quality hosting with plugins and tools that work together to make it easier to build and manage a site or store. The Fully Managed Hosting experience provides infrastructure management that keeps hosting secure and up to date and comes with built-in monitoring that alerts customers when there is a problem with performance. Users can count on faster speeds, stronger security, inherent scalability, and help when they need it.

“This partnership between Hostdedi and StudentBeans includes access to StoreBuilder to help entrepreneurial students get online faster than starting from scratch,” says Trout. “With a few simple inputs, you can begin building an ecommerce store in minutes.”

It’s not just students who can take advantage of discounted managed web hosting from Hostdedi. From March 7-20, Hostdedi will extend the savings to the public, with up to 60% off Magento, WordPress, and WooCommerce hosting plans.

All Hostdedi fully managed solutions come bundled with 24/7 security monitoring, instant autoscaling, an integrated CDN, premium image compression, and expert, award-winning support.

For more on the exclusive student discount for fully managed hosting, visit StudentBeans.

For more information about Hostdedi, visit nexcess.net.

About Hostdedi

Hostdedi has been serving SMBs and the designers, developers, and agencies who create for them for more than 22 years by providing a fully managed, high-performance cloud solution built to optimize WordPress, WooCommerce, and Magento sites and stores. As a company within The Liquid Web Family of Brands, we own and manage 10 global data centers, and collectively serve over 45,000 customers spanning 150 countries and provide unparalleled service from a dedicated group of experts 24/7/365. As an industry leader in customer service, the rapidly expanding brand family has been recognized among INC. Magazine’s 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies for twelve years.

Learn more about the Liquid Web Family of Brands and StellarWP.

There’s a critical stage between developing an application and launching it — and that’s testing.

In the world of ecommerce, even the greatest marketing strategies, web designs, sales campaigns, and SEO practices can all be for nothing when errors and bugs crash your website.

To avoid this costly problem, this blog will cover ecommerce tips specifically related to ecommerce UAT, otherwise known as user acceptance testing.

Keep reading to:

• Learn what user acceptance testing is.
• See user acceptance testing examples.
• Learn user acceptance testing best practices.
• Get a user acceptance testing checklist.

What is User Acceptance Testing?

User acceptance testing (UAT) is a type of testing and one of the final stages of the overall cycle of software development life cycle. It’s also called end user testing. UAT is an important part of the process because it validates end-to-end business functionality.

It doesn’t focus on things like spelling mistakes or cosmetic errors. Instead, UAT occurs in a separate testing environment that has a production-like data setup.

Who performs UAT? The client or the end-user does it in order to verify/accept the software system after thorough integration, functional, and system testing. It’s the stage that comes before you decide to move the software application to the production environment.

What Is Ecommerce UAT?

UAT is a vital step if you have an ecommerce business. Ecommerce UAT helps you determine if your site and its functions meet necessary criteria to be successful on the market.

Within this stage, you can discover anomalies and bugs that can hinder your website’s sales and ruin your brand’s image. By testing ahead of time, you can uncover these flaws before they go live on your site.

User Acceptance Testing Examples

Here we’ll talk about how UAT looks in practice.

Test Plan

For any type of QA test, you need to prepare a test plan you’ll use to keep up with the whole project. The first step is to create the test cases.

Test Case

A test case lays out all the features and functions of your website or application that need to be tested. Some ecommerce website testing test cases include:

• Entering a promo code.
• Adding items to the cart.
• Sharing items on social media.
• Plus many other functions.

With user stories, you can check if your site meets the requirements you specified.

For instance, an online customer wants to place their cursor on some product to see information related to that product such as name, image, color options, and price. Using the user story, a person who’s performing the test can check if this function works well or not.

Testing Configurations

After you’ve outlined your test cases, you then need to consider test coverage across different configurations most common to your audience. Ecommerce UAT must cover proper testing configurations across different browsers, devices, and operating systems.

Since most of today’s traffic on the Internet comes from mobile phones, think mobile first. When performing user acceptance testing, test your website using a combination of testing configurations that represent both markets and specific habits of your customers.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=rZc8dh5xhvA%26quot%3B+title%3D%26quot%3BYouTube+video+player%26quot%3B+frameborder%3D%26quot%3B0%26quot%3B+allow%3D%26quot%3Baccelerometer%3B+autoplay%3B+clipboard-write%3B+encrypted-media%3B+gyroscope%3B+picture-in-picture%26quot%3B+allowfullscreen%26gt%3B%26lt%3B

UAT Design

When you’re in the design phase, it’s crucial to determine the best way to execute your tests.

This includes making a choice between an automated or manual approach when it comes to testing. If you go with a manual approach, the next step is deciding between scenario-based or  exploratory methods.

In exploratory testing, your team will randomly, but still purposefully, explore your site and test features they may come across. In scenario-based methodology, testers follow a detailed and rather precise script or testing guide to examine specific functions.

UAT Execution

For better test execution, consider using a professional, objective testing team with relevant experience and training. For some companies, this could mean turning to their in-house QA testers or simply choosing the services of a third-party.

However, if you’re an ecommerce store owner, you’re probably on your own when it comes to testing — and doing everything else to run your business too. You probably don’t have the time or resources to devote to testing.

To help you test critical ecommerce website features, Hostdedi offers built-in WooCommerce automated testing. This keeps your store running smoothly without any major effort on your end.

User Acceptance Testing Best Practices

Here are some user acceptance testing best practices to consider for your ecommerce site.

Pay Attention to Details in Test Cases

With clear test cases, you will be able to streamline the entire testing process and clarify desired outcomes. Detailed test cases will provide you with a better understanding of what you need to do in practice. It will help developers see what needs to be fixed before checking in their code.

Be More Specific

You want your test cases to be as specific and thorough as possible. Specify literally everything you can think of: what account to use, what buttons to click, what data to enter, and what results your end user is supposed to see.

Use test cases to check how new functionalities and features fit in with existing ones. Let’s say you want to update the View Cart page of your app. You need to predict potential user actions on your website to test if everything is going to perform well.

With this in mind, include test cases with different scenarios such as one where your visitor completes the purchase, abandons it, and potentially comes back later.

Create Negative Test Cases

Negative test cases are things that shouldn’t happen when a user comes to your site. Too many times, test cases focus on the best possible scenarios where the user goes to the page, clicks the button, and successfully gets the message.

However, what will happen if a visitor does something you haven’t expected? Ideally, your test cases will include specific actions a user can take, together with what should happen as a result of that.

For instance, you have a new phone number field. What will happen if a visitor enters their number in some unusual format, like letters instead of numbers? Also, what happens if it leaves it blank instead? The more precise your negative test cases are, the fewer patches you’ll have to create in the future.

Don’t Let Developers Test Your Application

Before the testing process begins, define who will perform it. Don’t include your development team: this is the user test and developers are only supposed to deal with test results in order to fix bugs.

If the application you want to test is internal, it would be best to let the actual users do the testing. After all, they’re best suited to know what exactly they’re looking for in the application and which features they want to use.

If you’re building an application for external users, find a team member who’s familiar with its purpose to test it.

User Acceptance Testing Checklist

Below, you’ll find a user acceptance testing checklist to simplify your processes.

Initiate the UAT Project

When starting with ecommerce UAT, make sure you:

• Identify who your key stakeholders are. Generally speaking, stakeholders are individuals who are concerned or have an interest in the outcome of your activity/project.
• Choose a team leader who will take responsibility for monitoring and planning UAT activities and communicate decision making structures.
• Communicate the project intent, goals, and general criteria of the system.
• Agree on your UAT team and the resources they get.
• Agree on necessary documentation to support UAT.
• Form an initial project plan for UAT and initiate the training.

Planning the Ecommerce UAT

When planning, include the following tasks:

• Look for the best approach to the testing process by identifying the method of system acquisition.
• Check if the end user expectations and business intent are measurable.
• Verify that all requirement types are included and the business requirements are captured.
• Check the acceptance criteria.
• Capture the business processes.
• Evaluate if your current documentation is sustainable to become a test basis.

UAT Design

These are steps for UAT that will help you get the desired outcome:

• Determine the entry criteria for UAT.
• Review test scripts where available.
• Define the testing strategy.
• Review existing tests and write new test conditions if necessary.
• Review existing test cases and write new test cases based on reviewed test conditions.
• Write test scripts for your test cases.
• Make sure your tests cover all the necessary requirements.

UAT Execution

UAT execution includes the following tasks:

• Check availability and the conditions of the UAT environment.
• Define the priorities in your strategy.
• Create a detailed test schedule to make the most out of the available resources.
• Make sure your test log is up to date.
• Make sure all incidents are reported on time.
• Communicate with your developers to make sure there are no bottlenecks.
• Create test summary reports on a regular basis.

UAT Release Decisions

The following steps will help your team to decide if you should release the project or it’s not ready yet:

• Identify status against acceptance criteria as well as time and effort needed to meet them in detail.
• Look for alternative options based on potential risks.
• Determine emergency release criteria to enable release in controlled conditions.
• Report the status of the testing project to key stakeholders and prepare alternative suggestions for release.
• Get a complete UAT report with suggestions and recommendations ready.

Post-Testing Actions

What can you do when the UAT project is finished?

• Carry out user training planning and design.
• Ensure post-release support.
• Keep up with continuous testing.
• Create a UAT report with FAQ.

Now You Know

Ecommerce UAT ensures your website is in its best shape and error free. Many tend to overlook this step, even though it is critical to a solid ecommerce strategy.

You can do all these testing steps yourself, or you can leave it to the experts. With a proper ecommerce hosting solution like Hostdedi, you get the full package: built-in testing, sales monitoring, and all backed by high-performance hosting.

Hostdedi automatically tests your ecommerce website for you, so you don’t have to worry. Check out the Hostdedi-exclusive WooCommerce automated testing feature to learn more.

Or, check out our WooCommerce hosting plans to get started today.

Need to embed an iFrame on your WordPress site? Learn how to use iFrames on your WordPress site with this in-depth tutorial. Below we will cover the basics of an iframe and how you can embed iframe code in WordPress.

Keep reading to learn:

• What are iFrames and how do they work?
• iFrame vs. Embed
• Using iFrames With WordPress

What Are iFrames?

An Inline Frame, also known as an iFrame, allows for one webpage to be embedded inside of another webpage. This can be helpful when, say, displaying a map of your organization’s physical address (such as a storefront) on your WordPress website. Map tools will commonly provide embed code, such as an iFrame, to display a map as a part of a page on your website.

The use of an iFrame is also popular with adding embedded YouTube videos on your website. If you click the “share” button under a video on YouTube, there is an “embed” option — alongside the typical social network platforms — that you can use on a WordPress page or post.

Can I Use iFrames in WordPress?

Yes, WordPress iFrames are supported as a means by which to embed content into a post or page of your website. There are a couple of options to consider when adding external content to your site, with an iFrame being a popular option that is supported by WordPress.

What Is the Difference Between iFrame and Embed?

While iFrames are a technology for embedding content on your site, WordPress also offers a feature, known simply as an Embed, that is configured for common content sources, such as YouTube.

That said, you may want to consider the “embed” feature of the WordPress block editor, which supports many sites and services out of the box, before reaching for an iFrame directly.

How to Use iFrames With WordPress

Block Editor

While the WordPress block editor does not have a default block for adding iFrames, there are a number of plugins that support adding iFrames to your WordPress posts and/or pages. Using a block would be the preferred method for adding an iFrame to the page.

Related reading: How to Use WordPress Gutenberg Blocks >>

If you do not already have a plugin with an iFrame block installed on your WordPress site, blocks can be searched and installed directly from the block editor. Alternatively, you can install the plugin using the WordPress admin dashboard and then return to editing your page/post.

Shortcode

If your website is using the classic editor, as opposed to the newer block editor, then you can add iFrames to your pages and posts using a shortcode, which is provided by a number of plugins. Similar to the iFrame block mentioned above, a shortcode can be used to add an iFrame to your website.

Embed Code (HTML)

Sometimes, a site’s embed code isn’t as simple as a URL. In such a case the embed code can be added to a WordPress page using the HTML block. If this is necessary, then the site or service will provide the embed code that can be copied and pasted onto the page. In WordPress, this would use either the custom HTML block in the block editor or the HTML tab of the classic editor.

Limitations of iFrames

Keep in mind that not all web pages can be embedded. Some sites specifically prevent themselves from being embedded in another page.

If that is the case, check if the site or service has an alternative method that is recommended for embedding its content.

Now You Know

Now you should be familiar with the basics of iFrames and how to embed iFrame code in WordPress, as well as some alternative options to consider, depending on the source of the content that is embedded.

Hostdedi Makes WordPress Better

WordPress is great, but you need a great host too. That’s where Hostdedi comes in.

Fully managed WordPress hosting from Hostdedi brings out the best in your site. With Hostdedi, you:

• Get premium tools at your disposal.
• Stay secure with iThemes Security Pro.
• Load fast with built-in image compression, advance caching, and CDN.

And just in case something goes amiss, Hostdedi’ WordPress experts are there for you 24/7.

Check out our fully managed WordPress hosting plans to get started today.

How do you decide between open source vs. proprietary technology?

From ecommerce to content management, the open source vs. proprietary debate arises frequently when evaluating web technologies.

In this post, we’ll cover the differences and benefits of using open source or proprietary technology and highlight a shortcut to quickly and easily build ecommerce websites on an open source platform.

Open Source vs. Proprietary: Differences

Open source refers to technology and software that is available for anyone to use or edit. Proprietary is copyrighted technology that must be used with a license.

What is the Difference Between Open Source and Proprietary Software?

Open source software is publicly available without a licensing fee or restrictions on use or modification. The companies that own and publish proprietary software charge licensing fees and restrict the use and modification of their technology.

Differences Between Open Source vs. Proprietary

Open Source vs. Proprietary	Open Source	Proprietary
Open Source vs. Proprietary Cost	Open source software is free to use and modify. For web technologies, you still need to pay for web hosting or set up your own server.	Proprietary software requires companies to purchase a license. While companies sell some proprietary software as a one-time purchase, most businesses use a subscription model known as Software as a Service (SaaS).
Open Source vs. Proprietary Updates and Maintenance	Companies can publish open source software, but open source is often community-maintained. Either way, you can expect periodic updates and patches.	Proprietary software companies release regular updates with new features and bug fixes.
Open Source vs. Proprietary Flexibility	With open source software, you’re free to use or modify the code as needed.	Proprietary software comes with restrictions. You most likely won’t have access to modify the code. Companies also place limits on the software, such as the number of users or transactions.
Open Source vs. Proprietary Support	When you run into issues with an open source system, you’re stuck searching community forums and documentation for answers. You also can hire a developer with experience with the platform.	Proprietary software companies normally have support teams to help customers troubleshoot issues.

Open Source vs. Proprietary Examples

You can find open source software in various categories. Below are some of the most common open source and proprietary software examples in the web and mobile development space.

Types of Open Source vs. Proprietary Examples	Open Source	Proprietary
Content Management System or Website Builder	WordPress, ExpressionEngine, Drupal	Wix, Squarespace, Weebly
Ecommerce Platform	WooCommerce, Magento Open Source	BigCommerce, Shopify, Magento Commerce
Mobile Operating System	Android	iOS

Open Source vs. Proprietary: Which Should You Choose?

Proprietary and open source technologies both have advantages. Deciding between the two often comes down to your level of technical expertise and need for customization.

Benefits of open source technologies include:

• Control. With an open source system, you have total control. You can change the code if needed. You also own the system and can control who has access to it and any data it includes.
• Flexibility. There are no limits on open source software. You can customize it to your heart’s content. Also, you won’t be bound by licensing or usage limits. For example, BigCommerce places annual sales limits on its plans. If you exceed a certain threshold in annual sales, you have to upgrade to the next plan level.
• Costs. Open source software is free. You’re only paying for any technical infrastructure like hosting and the staff or contractor resources needed to build out the system.

Benefits of proprietary technology include:

• Ease of Use. Proprietary systems tend to be more turnkey. If you want to open an online store, many people find it’s easier than building a WooCommerce store from scratch.
• Dedicated Support. Proprietary software offers dedicated support for customers, so you aren’t at the mercy of community discussion boards and YouTube videos.
• All-in-One Subscription. Many SaaS platforms include hosting. You might have to purchase your domain registration, but everything else is included.

Get the Benefits of Both Open Source and Proprietary

If you want to build an ecommerce site and enjoy the best of both worlds when it comes to open source and proprietary software, consider using StoreBuilder by Hostdedi. StoreBuilder’s innovative platform runs on WooCommerce, the most popular open source ecommerce platform. But, unlike setting up a store from scratch, StoreBuilder makes building your online store even easier than using the most popular proprietary systems.

Just answer some questions about your store, and StoreBuilder’s AI engines do the rest. StoreBuilder also includes all of the premium plugins you need to make a stellar WooCommerce store. Plus, you’ll have access to our team of WordPress and WooCommerce experts.

Hostdedi Stands By the Open Source Community

At Hostdedi, we believe in the power of open source technology and support the businesses and developers utilizing platforms like WordPress and WooCommerce.

Unlike systems like Shopify or BigCommerce, the site you build with StoreBuilder is 100% portable. Meaning you can keep using your store with WooCommerce without paying for StoreBuilder.

Continuing your StoreBuilder subscription gives you access to automatic updates and our state-of-the-art sales performance monitor. But if you’re a freelancer looking for a faster way to build websites for clients, StoreBuilder is an excellent choice for quickly launching WooCommerce sites.

Whether you’re a freelancer, agency, or business owner, Hostdedi offers the best hosting for any open source solution.

Get started with StoreBuilder today.