Now that you know why blogs are key for your business, it's time to take action. Great! But… where do you start? How do you find the right topics? And what can you do if you're not an writer?

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help you!

Yes, the recent arrival of AI can be a little scary. Still, we are nowhere near the point where AI will take the place of humans.

Actually, quite the opposite: let’s put AI to great use. AI can help you create content for your blog, your social networks or your newsletters! Written content is a cornerstone of marketing. Why not stack all the odds on your side?

To get you going, WHC has tested 5 AI content-writing tools that are sure to captivate your audience.

• ChatGPT by OpenAI
• Jasper AI
• CopyAI
• Anyword
• SurferSEO
• What about Google Bard?
• Choosing and using AI tools properly

ChatGPT by OpenAI

You probably heard the name already. Everyone’s talking about ChatGPT! It’s indeed one of the most popular and widely used tools today. A free version is available in the form of a chat, and it’s pretty impressive. You can ask any question or enter any prompt, and you get an answer.

Since March 13, 2023, GPT-4, a new version of the AI, is available with a paid subscription. The free subscription still uses the GPT-3.5 version. And while both versions can help you find relevant ideas or create content, GPT-4 offers more accurate and complete information. By far. 

Obviously, we do not recommend using the answer or the content as is but rather for inspiration or as a starting point. The response to your prompt may allow you to come up with new ideas, keywords, and arguments to respond to a specific question or topic. In addition, you could use the bot’s replies to structure your article point by point. We leave it to your imagination how to best use these answers.

This tool is quite powerful and gives us the impression of an interactive Google. Moreover, Microsoft just invested a whopping $10 Billion in ChatGPT, and a first beta version of Bing integrating ChatGPT is now available. We bet that this will soon revolutionize search engines!

Jasper AI

Jasper, formerly Jarvis, is another popular writing tool. Although very expensive, especially if you’re starting as an entrepreneur, it is probably the most complete tool on the market today.

Jasper offers you the possibility of writing in 26 languages. For example, its ability to generate a text in French is quite respectable. However, you may have to rework a few passages, especially if you've included idioms, which Jasper will take great pleasure in translating.

We always encourage you to revise any article. This will prevent, for example, situations in which the tool generates a conclusion by repeating, word for word, the introduction it just generated for you a few moments earlier. Still, Jasper is a pretty accurate copywriting tool. In addition, it offers different templates for writing the following:

• Blog posts
• Advertisements
• Catchy titles for your videos
• Attention-grabbing marketing emails
• Product descriptions that convert
• An article’s introductory paragraph 
• A draft, bullet points, etc.

Jasper is quite efficient in all content writing tasks and offers an anti-plagiarism guarantee.

And for your SEO needs, the Boss mode version of Jasper automatically allows you to optimize your articles with SurferSEO.

Copy AI

CopyAI is our third favorite tool. We love that it offers a free option for writing up to 2000 words per month so that you can test this tool first. CopyAI offers many advantages. Like Jasper, there are several templates available to get you started. And, whether you want to write content in a more friendly tone or whether you’re going for persuasive, CopyAI gives you the ability to select the tone you want.

CopyAI also offers multiple results for the same query. The more information you give the program, the more the response or text will match what you want. And it’s really easy to adjust the content as the program creates it.

Anyword

Anyword is available for creating content in multiple languages. It also offers many project templates, and we loved that we could use the AIDA option for copywriters.

Here’s an interesting capture written by Anyword to promote Web Hosting Canada's services:

And here’s the same content in a more friendly and persuasive formulation:

We have not tested all of Anyword’s features, but we invite you to do so. Anyword provides credits allowing you to generate 2500 words per month.

SurferSEO

First of all, you should know that SurferSEO is not a content creator, but rather a content editor that allows you to optimize your texts for search engines. It’s a powerful writing assistant. 

It’s the software of choice for those who wish to increase the natural referencing of their articles; however, SurferSEO has proven itself by offering a whole range of services. It operates based on the analysis of SERP results. Thus, you can perform keyword research, conduct audits or optimize your articles with reliability.

For SEO (Search Engine Optimization) enthusiasts, this software finds the right keywords and suggests the right combination and frequency of these keywords to ensure effective search engine optimization.

If you need help with SEO rather than writing or editing text, we recommend RankingCoach, available here at WHC. 

What about Google Bard?

Google seems to be falling behind in the AI race with Bard. The Beta version of this AI tool disappointed many testers. Perhaps it's just a matter of time, but Google Bard doesn’t rival with the other AI tools mentioned on this page.

Choosing and using AI tools properly 

We selected these five tools based on their reputation and/or our particular needs. There are many other AI-powered tools. With a bit of research, you can find the right tool for your needs and, more importantly, your budget.

Using these tools is fun - it’s an absolute playground - and allows anyone to create high-quality content quickly and easily.

However, it is essential to use these AI tools ethically. We do not encourage their use in school work or other assignments, where 100% of the creation should come from the fingers and keyboard of a human.

Now that you know what our favorite AI writing software is, you're ready to start your blog with WordPress!

Like everything tech-related, the world of web hosting can feel challenging to understand at first, with countless terms, very technical jargon, and the different service offerings.

This is where a web hosting glossary comes in handy. It’s a go-to guide to the most common terms used in the field, from Backups to Servers, to help familiarize yourself with the basics of web hosting. 

Whether you're setting up your first website or just looking to learn something new, this glossary is the headstart you need to build knowledge and develop your online skills.

Ready? Let’s gooo!

• 404
• Accessibility
• Backorder
• Backup
• Bandwidth
• BIMI
• Cloud Hosting
• CMS
• cPanel
• CPU
• CSS
• Dedicated Hosting
• DKIM
• DMARC
• DNS
• DNSBL
• Domain Name
• Domain Privacy
• Domain Registrant
• Domain Registrar
• Domain Registry
• FTP
• HTML
• HTTPS
• IP Address
• Managed Hosting
• PHP
• Plugin
• Redirection
• Responsive
• Reseller Hosting
• Shared Hosting
• SPF
• SSL Certificate
• Subdomain
• TLD
• Uptime
• URL
• VPS Hosting
• Web Host
• Webmail
• Website Builder
• WHM
• WordPress Hosting

404

Error 404 not found - this code means that a website’s page cannot be found. Meaning the visitor either typed in a URL that doesn’t point to an existing page or clicked on a broken link. 

Accessibility

Web Accessibility is the concept of making a website or platform easily accessible to everyone. Essentially, it means making sure people with disabilities can easily access and navigate through a website. It’s a good online practice. 

Backorder

A Domain Backorder is a service offered by some domain registrars that allows users to register a domain name currently unavailable for general registration. After a domain expires, it goes through a process called "the drop" before it becomes available for registration again. Before this period, users can place a backorder on the domain name, which means the registrar will attempt to register the domain name on behalf of the user who placed the backorder. WHC’s backorder platform is the go-to for domainers in Canada.

Backup

A Backup is the duplication of files or databases to a secondary location in order to preserve those data in the event of an attack, a failure or a disaster. For example, for a website, it’s usually a copy of all the files and data associated to it and any other information necessary to run it. It allows the website to be restored in case of problems.

Bandwidth

In web hosting, Bandwidth refers to the amount of data transferred between a website (or a server) and its users, in a certain period of time. It is typically measured in bits per second (bps) or bytes per second (Bps). The more traffic a website has, the higher bandwidth it needs to function properly. The same applies if a website contains large files.

BIMI

BIMI, or Brand Indicators for Message Identification, is a standard that enables email inboxes to display a brand’s logo next to the brand’s messages. The logo is displayed next to their incoming email in the recipient's inbox. This improves brand visibility and brand trust every time you send an email.

Cloud Hosting 

Unlike traditional hosting, like shared hosting, Cloud Hosting uses a network of remote servers to host websites and applications. Cloud Servers give you access to dedicated resources on a shared physical webserver. This means you have more control, reliability and performance than you would with regular web hosting. Additionally, Cloud Hosting servers provide greater scalability and uptime.

CMS

CMS stands for Content Management System. It’s a type of software that allows users to create and manage a website without having to write all the code from scratch (or any even no code at all). For instance, WordPress is the most popular CMS.

cPanel

It’s a web-based Control Panel that allows you to manage your web hosting account. cPanel is one of the most popular control panel and the one we use at WHC. It provides an easy-to-use interface for various tasks, such as creating email accounts, managing files, backups or configuring databases. cPanel is Linux-based. (But that’s okay if you don’t know what that means.)

CPU

The CPU or Central Processing Unit is a component responsible for interpreting and executing the majority of commands a system receives from other computers and/or software. It processes the instructions it receives and executes the actions required. It performs all the calculations and processing that a website needs to function correctly. When a user visits a website, the website's files and data are loaded from the server and processed by the CPU. The more complex the website, the more processing power it will require. So, the more CPU a server has, the faster it can handle the requests and load the website for the users.

CSS

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. It is a computer language used to define the style, layout and formatting of a website. CSS allows web designers to separate the visual design of a website from the underlying structure, making it easier to create and maintain a consistent look and feel across a website. However, with the easy-to-use website builders and CMS that exist today, you don't need to know this advanced language to create your website.

Dedicated Hosting 

Dedicated hosting or a Dedicated Server is a type of hosting where you have an entire server for the exclusive use of your company or organization. They can be used to run a website, to store backups or even for email services. You have almost full control of the server, resources, and IP address. All resources are allocated to one account. This is the most expensive option but also the most powerful and flexible. 

DKIM

DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, is a security measure that uses a digital signature to confirm the identity of the sender of an email. This helps to prevent spam and phishing attacks by ensuring that the email was sent from a legitimate domain and that it has not been modified in transit.

DMARC

DMARC means Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. It’s a security email protocol that leverages DNS, SPF and DKIM to verify who sends an email. It enables domain owners to establish policies for email receivers to use when evaluating messages that claim to come from their domains.

DNS 

DNS stands for Domain Name System. It’s essentially a phonebook for the internet. It translates human-friendly website names (like us here at whc.ca) into IP addresses (like 158.69.149.142) that computers understand.

Think of it as when you want to visit a friend; you use the address provided by the friend that you put in your GPS. DNS works similarly. It helps the browser find the website using the address provided as a domain name.

DNS servers are managed by internet service providers (ISPs) and domain registrars (like us at WHC). 

DNSBL

DNSBL, or DNS-based Blackhole List, is a list of IP addresses known to send spam or unwanted emails. Email servers can use these lists to block or flag messages from these IP addresses to prevent spam from reaching users' inboxes.

Domain Name

A Domain or Domain Name is a unique name that identifies a website on the internet. It is the address that users type into their web browser to access a specific website. Anyone can register a domain for just a few dollars in a matter of minutes. There are many reasons to register domain names. Some people are even investing in domains nowadays. Some examples of domain names are: google.com, facebook.com, whc.ca…

Domain Privacy

Domain Privacy is a service that hides the personal information of the person who registered a domain name from public view. This service is typically used to protect the registrant's personal information on the public WHOIS directory, from spammers, scammers, and other unwanted contacts. Some domain extensions (like .CA) already include privacy protection. While others like .COM simply don’t. We recommend adding privacy protection in the latter case. 

Domain Registrant

A Domain Registrant is the individual or the entity that registers a domain name for the duration of its registration.

Domain Registrar

A Domain Registrar is an accredited company or organization that’s allowed to register and manage domain names. Just like us here at WHC! The registrar is responsible for maintaining a database of all registered domain names and assigning unique IP addresses to each domain name. If you want to register a new domain name, you need to go through a domain registrar. 

Domain Registry

The Domain Registry is the governing entity that controls, maintains and sets the price for a specific TLD (like .COM, .NET, .ORG or .CA!) E.g. Here in Canada, the registry managing .CA is CIRA. They are key players in the functioning of the internet, as they help ensure the stability and security of the domain name system. 

FTP

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It’s basically a technology (or protocol) used to transfer files between a computer and a server. FTP is generally used to upload and download files related to a website, such as HTML files, images, and other media. SFTP is the secure version of FTP. It's the most recommended method to transfer files.

HTML

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It’s the most common computer language (or code) and it’s used to create the structure and layout of a website. For example, you can create headings, paragraphs, lists, links, images, and other elements that make up a website with HTML.

HTTPS

HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. The last word is important here. It’s a protocol used to transfer data securely between a website and its visitors. HTTPS uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) to encrypt data and protect it from being intercepted by malicious actors. 

More and more web users know they're on a secure site when they see a URL starting with HTTPS while browsing the web. This allows consumers to know whether a website is trustworthy enough to deal with or buy from. 

IP Address

An IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol (IP) for communication. It’s a unique string of numbers that looks like this: 158.69.149.142 - It serves two main functions: identifying the host or network interface and providing the location of the host in the network. 

Managed Hosting 

A type of hosting where the hosting provider takes care of all the technical aspects of running the server, such as installation, updates, performance and security. This hosting option can be a little more expensive, but it's an excellent option for those looking to avoid handling the technical aspects of hosting. A great example is our Managed WordPress hosting service. 

PHP

PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. It is a server-side scripting language used to create dynamic websites. PHP is often combined with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create interactive web pages.

Plugin

A Plugin is an application that adds a specific feature or functionality to a program or software. There’s a plugin for almost everything. In WordPress, plugins allow you to customize and optimize your content and website easily, adding additional functionality such as forms, animations, blog posts, galleries, or social media integration. No matter what you want to accomplish or create, there’s a plugin for that!

Redirection 

A redirect or website redirection means pointing a URL to a new page and is easy to set up in cPanel. It can be useful for any website that moves to a new domain, or when deleting or combining pages. It also avoids losing any links you have set up for that page, an important factor in SEO, not to mention the importance for anyone who clicks on one of those links. It's a good way to prevent your visitors from ending up on a 404 page.

Responsive 

Responsive design means that the content of a website will automatically adapt to different screens on a variety of devices: mobiles, tablets, laptops, desktops, etc. This means users get a smooth experience when they visit a web page, whether they view it on their extra-large desktop screen or on their mobile. This creates a positive user experience. 

Reseller Hosting 

Reseller Hosting is a type of hosting where a company or an individual purchases a package of web hosting services and resources to resell them to their own customers. Web designers and developers often use this as a way to offer hosting services to their clients.

Shared Hosting 

Shared Hosting is the most common choice for small to medium business owners. When someone mentions "web hosting", they are usually talking about shared hosting. As the name implies, it's a type of hosting where multiple websites share the same server and resources. It can have certain limitations on the server resources for each user. The biggest benefit to shared web hosting is the fact that users also share the cost, making it the most affordable solution.

SPF

SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. This is a security protocol used to confirm the authenticity of the sender of an email. It helps to prevent email spoofing by checking that the email is coming from a domain that is authorized to send emails on its behalf.

SSL Certificate

SSL is a digital certificate that makes your website more secure by encrypting data sent between the website and its visitors. The acronym stands for Secure Sockets Layer. Having an SSL Certificate also helps increase trust by displaying the security lock in your browser’s address bar. It can also help with SEO.

Subdomain

A subdomain is a type of domain that is part of a larger domain. For example, "blog" in "blog.example.com" is a subdomain. Subdomains are used to organize and browse to different sections of your website, like a blog, a forum or a store. You can create multiple subdomains for your main domain.

TLD

TLD is short for Top-Level Domain. Also called a domain extension, it’s the last part of a domain name, such as .com, .ca, .org, .net, etc. TLDs are used to categorize and organize domain names on the internet. There are several types of TLDs, including generic TLDs (gTLDs) like .com, .net, and .org, and country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) like .US, .CA, .UK, .FR, etc. The most common TLDs are .com, .ORG, and .NET, but many new TLDs are becoming increasingly popular, like .APP, .ONLINE, .IO, and others.

Uptime

When it comes to web hosting, uptime refers to the percentage of time a server operates efficiently without experiencing any problems. Downtime means when the service is down and websites hosted on the server are not accessible to visitors. It’s important to understand that servers require regular maintenance and, like any technology, there's always the risk of unforeseen technical problems. The majority of reliable hosting companies, like us at WHC, provide their customers with a guarantee of up to 99.9% uptime.

URL

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It is the address of a specific webpage, such as https://whc.ca/about-web-hosting-canada. Each page of your website has a unique URL. It may surprise many, but a URL is not the same as a domain name. The two terms are often used interchangeably and often confused with each other. A domain name is part of a URL. Like in the example above, “whc.ca” is the domain name and is part of the URL for our About Us page.

VPS Hosting 

Virtual Private Server Hosting is a type of hosting where a server is partitioned, with each section acting as its own server. For website owners, this allows for more flexibility, security and control than shared hosting, while still being less expensive than a dedicated server. 

Web Host

A Web Host is a company that provides the servers and technology needed to run a website or other web-related activities. Like us here at WHC! Web hosts typically offer web hosting, domain registration, and email hosting services. 

Webmail

Webmail allows you to receive, read or send emails from any web browser without having to install and configure an email client application such as Outlook or Thunderbird. This means that wherever you are and whenever you want, you just need to log in from a web browser and have access to your emails. This allows you to work more efficiently.

Website Builder

A Website Builder is a software or a service that allows users to create and manage a website without any coding or design skills. Website builders typically include a variety of templates and drag-and-drop tools for creating and editing pages. Choosing a web hosting plan at WHC gives you access to SiteMojo, an easy-to-use website builder included for free on all our plans. We also offer Weebly, a robust site builder that lets you build your website in no time. 

WHM

WHM stands for Web Host Manager. It is a dashboard for managing a web hosting account and creating new accounts for reselling hosting services. Web hosting providers and resellers often use it to manage multiple accounts on a single server.

WordPress Hosting 

A type of hosting specifically optimized for WordPress users. WordPress is a powerful CMS platform that is constantly evolving, so choosing Managed WordPress Hosting means maintenance and updates are done for you. Plus, knowing your web host knows all the ins and outs of WordPress definitely brings peace of mind.

The last word…

So… this wasn't so bad, eh? Knowing the basic lingo can definitely help you start building a successful online presence. Think of it this way: It's a lot easier to find your way in a new place when you speak the language 

Hopefully, this article has given you a good base to build on. And why not bookmark this page, as a resource you can refer to frequently?

Let's be honest. If you have a business, whatever its size, you may already have asked yourself this question: What are the benefits of creating a blog for my business? 

Maybe your competitors already have a blog brimming with information. And rightfully so!

Companies that blog get better marketing results. How much better? According to HubSpot, a company that blogs gets about 55% more visitors on average!

Still not convinced? Here are some of the benefits you can expect to see in a few months. Because yes, blogging is a long-term strategy.

• 1. Stand out from the competition
• 2. Showcase your expertise and build your reputation
• 3. Improve your Google ranking
• 4. Become a go-to resource for customers
• 5. Increase traffic to your site
• 6. Get qualified leads
• So now what?

1. Stand out from the competition

By creating a blog for your business, you’re able to set yourself apart from your competitors. Let's take the example of two companies in the beauty industry and compare their marketing strategies.

Company A

• Has a banner with the name of the business displayed outside. Potential customers who pass by will see the display and hopefully tell their neighbors or friends about it.
• Appears on Canada 411.
• Doesn’t appear on search engines or social networks.

Company B

• Has a website where a web editor creates blog posts about twice a month.

Customers doing a Google search will obviously find Company B first. Since Company A is quasi-absent from the web, it will be much harder to find given all the other similar companies in the region. It’s that simple!

This is one of the reasons why a company that publishes articles on a regular basis will set itself apart from competitors. But there’s more!

2. Showcase your expertise and build your reputation

Being an 'expert in your field’ makes you or your company very attractive to future clients. But you have to prove your expertise!

By writing articles on a company blog, you’ll be able to showcase your expertise and establish a good e-reputation.

Building brand awareness is increasingly difficult and complex, given the amount of content and businesses already on the web. While writing a blog may not be the fastest strategy, it is one of the most effective ways to get there.

Remember that all the content you put on your blog will have a long shelf life. So we encourage you to create evergreen content, timeless content that will always be fresh and up to date.

3. Improve your Google ranking

Inbound Marketing is becoming increasingly popular; in fact, it’s now the main way to attract customers. In both B2B and B2C, people prefer to learn about the various opportunities available to them on their own. It’s, therefore in companies’ best interests to focus their strategies on inbound marketing. One of the best strategies to do that is content marketing.

Writing blog posts is one way to do this. But writing a great article with relevant information is not enough. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is improved by writing optimized articles. That may just be how you found and got to read this article!

Of course, improving your ranking on Google - or on any other search engine - is long term work: you will not appear at the top of search results overnight. This requires a combination of meticulous keyword research, writing and optimization. Not to mention targeting the right topics for your community.

The more optimized your articles are, the more search results will be in your favor. However, remember that a good article has the reader in mind, and isn’t just pandering to Google.

4. Become a go-to resource for customers

A blog filled with relevant articles, covering a variety of topics related to your business, will save you time. Say goodbye to sending a string of endless emails, all answering the same questions over and over again!

You may be asked the same questions repeatedly by different customers. By writing articles addressing those very questions, you can direct your customers to your blog. Just make sure the answers are actually there and easy to find!

5. Increase traffic to your site

How do you do this? It's very simple. A well-ranked blog on Google will encourage those people who land on your article to browse other pages in order to get to know you or to find more information that interests them. It is, therefore an excellent tool for driving traffic.

Also, the more articles you have, the more you can share them on your social media platforms or in a newsletter. This way, subscribers and followers will quickly find their way to your website.

6. Get qualified leads

Let’s not kid ourselves. One of the reasons you're thinking of starting a blog for your business is to get new customers and eventually increase your revenue. However, you need to attract the right people to achieve these goals. By creating a blog with articles relevant to your field, you’re adding quality content for Google to find, which will likely attract future customers to your site.

For example, let's say you sell handbags online. You could write articles about the different materials you use and how these impact the final price. People shopping for handbags are much more likely to visit your site if you have articles that contain keywords from their searches.

Customers will be more inclined to buy your products when they come across your article about the different materials and discover that you have an online store. They will more likely be drawn to the diverse and informative content you have provided on your blog.

So now what?

Now that you know the benefits of having a blog for your business, you're probably wondering where to start. WordPress is, without a doubt, the best and quickest way to start a blog… after purchasing your domain name and hosting from WHC, of course!

Finally, don't hesitate to visit our WordPress section to learn more about this platform, or you can check out how to create your website with WordPress in 8 easy steps!