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Make It Even Faster: LiteSpeed is Coming!

Performance
Web Hosting Canada is boosting server speed yet again! We’re deploying Litespeed, a faster, more robust server technology to enhance performance across all web hosting and reseller accounts.

What is LiteSpeed?

LiteSpeed is a web server application that was designed from the ground up specifically to provide fast performance with little overhead for websites, especially under heavy load. Started in 2002, LiteSpeed has made astounding improvements to server efficiency. It’s compatible with our existing hosting configuration, making a switch relatively simple without needing to modify configuration.

Why is LiteSpeed better than our previous setup?

Before LiteSpeed, WHC powered most of its web infrastructure on Apache, currently the world’s most popular web server application, powering over 60% of websites. Apache is robust application that has withstood the test of time, but new technologies have since appeared providing superior performance.
The biggest difference between LiteSpeed Web Server and Apache comes down to architecture and the way that they handle connections,” notes LiteSpeed. “LSWS is event-driven and Apache is process-based.”
WHC first deployed LiteSpeed on its production environment when developing our Managed WordPress Hosting. In addition to its lightweight web server, LiteSpeed also provides a useful WordPress plugin to manage powerful acceleration features such as dynamic caching. When tested, the results were conclusive and substantially faster than any other acceleration methods based on plugins. Benchmark LiteSpeed (From top to bottom: LiteSpeed plugin, WP Rocket, W3 Cache, WP Fastest Cache, Simple Cache and WP Super Cache) Along with its ability to handle more requests per second, LiteSpeed also managed to handle huge traffic without increase resource consumption, thus improving overall stability. Here’s an example of how a server’s load responded once they made the switch from Apache to LiteSpeed: Server load (This Image is taken from the LiteSpeed Website)

What does this mean for WHC clients?

Simply put, WHC clients will get even more out of their servers as LiteSpeed increases efficiency (serve more clients at the same time), performance (serves pages faster) and security (keeps your site running while it’s getting bombarded with requests). This all comes together for a faster and more pleasant website experience.

When will LiteSpeed be available?

WHC has begun rolling out LiteSpeed on Canadian Hosting, Reseller Hosting and Managed WordPress Hosting and expects to complete a full deployment by the end of September. Look for upcoming emails with more details about exact dates of the rollout on your account. LiteSpeed web server will be available as an optional addon for Cloud and Dedicated servers at that time as well. Until then, as always, Happy Hosting! WHC Team

WHC Keeps Growing: 25,000 Clients and Counting

WHC News & Events
Web Hosting Canada is proud to have hit a new milestone in late June: 25,000 active clients! We’ve also further grown our team (there’s now more than 40 of us here to keep things rolling) and have just surpassed 600 public Google reviews online, with an average score of 4.9/5. Thank you! We couldn’t have come this far without your continued feedback and trust. Helping businesses throughout Canada develop their online projects, while at the same time steadily advance the standing of Canada’s online community continues to be an ongoing source of pride and motivation for the WHC team. What is the secret to our continued growth? In addition to our relentless drive to bring value at every turn to Canadian businesses, we also never stop innovating. The internet doesn’t stand still so why should we? Since our previous milestone of 20,000 clients last November, we’ve enhanced our services even more. Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve rolled out in the past 9 months:
Managed WordPress Hosting
We were at WordCamp Montreal to announce our new Managed WordPress service. Experience WordPress the way it was meant to be used: optimized and pre-configured, including multi-level caching, SSL security, automatic backups and plenty more.
Imunify360 Firewall
Security concerns shouldn’t keep you up at night. We’ve added 6 more layers of security and an artificial intelligence to our firewall solution to keep you safe.
Full SSD
Web hosting clients can now enjoy the fastest storage technology available on the market with full-SSD servers. More power and better for the environment!
Better Knowledge Base
We have revamped our Knowledge Base, now WHC Help Center, to help you find the answers you need, fast.
Verified Send
An extra layer of protection to catch email problems before they can cause harm to your reputation.
An Updated Privacy Policy
Europe’s GDPR is the of the strongest pieces of legislation developed to protect the personal information of Europeans. WHC has upgraded its own privacy policy to reflect these changes. ...and this is just the start! We’re growing, we’re hiring, and we’re hungry for more!
25k customers
As a small gesture of appreciation and to help you jump start new projects, we’re offering a 30% discount on new Canadian Web Hosting plans. Use coupon 25KCLIENTS when ordering and save on your next project. It’s also the perfect time to consider transferring your website in, if you’re hosted elsewhere! Hurry, offer expires September 26, 2018! Happy Hosting, WHC Team

Oakley Capital (who already owns Plesk) acquires cPanel

WHC News & Events
On August 20th, 2018 cPanel, the control panel of choice for most of Web Hosting Canada's clients, agreed to be acquired by Oakley Capital. The signed agreement is the first big step in what may be a lengthy process before the transaction is finalized.

What is cPanel?

cPanel is the company behind the control panel by the same name. It helps website owners manage and operate their hosting accounts, including common tasks such as creating email addresses, managing their databases and their DNS records. It's used by web hosts like Web Hosting Canada to facilitate the management of multiple accounts across a large infrastructure. This control panel powers millions of websites worldwide and is widely adopted in the industry. If you have a web hosting, reseller hosting Cloud or Dedicated server with WHC, then you've probably already used cPanel.

Who is Oakley Capital?

Oakley capital is a private equity firm based out of the UK. In addition to being a majority stakeholder in cPanel now, it also recently bought out rival control panel Plesk, which was previously owned by Parallels, as well as virtualization software provider Solus VM.

What is the agreement and how will impact cPanel clients?

The agreement involves cPanel being acquired by a group led by Oakley Capital. To accomplish this, cPanel owner Nick Koston has sold a majority stake in the company, but will remain CEO of cPanel and an owner of its parent company.

According to cPanel, clients will come out on top as the injection of 50 million USD will be used to create new product and feature innovations. Thus, cPanel will only be improving. Or as cPanel’s CEO, Nick Koston, stated:

This investment will give Internet infrastructure providers access to a wider range of software, features and support. I am excited about what the future holds for the company and the great team at cPanel.
cPanel also hopes to leverage the backing of a larger company to benefit from a wider range of technical expertise.

What does Web Hosting Canada think about all this?

The signing has led some to be apprehensive. Why? Because Oakley also owns Plesk, cPanel’s primary competitor. Thus, the concern is that cPanel may eventually be phased out in favor of Plesk (or vice versa). By purchasing a main competitor in a landscape where providers of this type are scarce, it's also possible that this will reduce the need to innovate as much or as fast with their current product. The deal may also face legal hurdles at government level, because of the lack of competition may provide Oakley with a semblance of a monopoly.

From press releases and other information sources it appears that cPanel isn’t going anywhere. All mentions of Oakley’s acquisition of cPanel are followed by the reassurance that the only changes moving forward will be positive ones for cPanel and its brand. This is further substantiated by the fact that cPanel will continue to run as an independent business and is not planning on changing pricing or their current release & update schedule.

It’s likely that 2 similar products (in this case cPanel and Plesk) will not be maintained separately for too long and that their development will eventually merge. This is particularly true when you consider that SolusVM, a virtualization management solution, was also recently acquired by Oakley. Either way, any development shift would be complex and results would likely not be felt for years, so don’t expect radical changes soon. The potential for positive change and improved features remains nonetheless high.

The WHC team will monitor developments closely and share the latest updates to keep you informed. Web Hosting Canada is committed to providing quality and value at every turn for Canadian small businesses and as such, will continue to advocate firmly on their behalf to ensure their best interests are protected. Our management team will be present in Houston, Texas, during cPanel's annual conference to make sure to relay the message firsthand!

Want to know more? Read the official press release here.

Introducing Web Hosting Canada’s Managed WordPress: Fast, Secure & Canadian

WHC News & Events, WordPress
Web Hosting Canada is proud to announce the immediate availability of our Managed WordPress Hosting, in its first public Beta and available to all Canadian small businesses! WordPress is the most popular Content Management System out there because, well… it’s awesome! Fully open-source, with a community-driven plugin and theme-based approach that allows for near limitless creativity. To keep the creative process flowing, it’s important to be able to focus on content and goals without getting bogged down in technicalities. Managed WordPress Hosting was designed from the ground up, by Canadians for Canadians, to help improve their WordPress experience. And it’s just going to get better. Here’s what you can expect so far!

A WordPress Experience that’s Lightning Fast

Managed WordPress, made lightning fast Gain power and speed from
  • Advanced, Multi-layer caching without plugins
  • Pure-SSD storage
  • Multi-gigabit network connections
  • Optimized php 7.2
  • Built-in compression
Better for you
Have you ever been in the creative “zone” but are constantly interrupted with long load times? Keep your creative juices flowing with a lightning fast interface and stop worrying about which caching plugin to use. Our solution leverages both static and dynamic caching to bring you the most optimized experience available on the market.
Better for Google
Search engines love fast websites especially for mobile searches. A fast website is all part of a pleasant online experience which is why Google uses it as a ranking factor.
Better for visitors
Visitors hate slow websites. Studies have shown that a 3.5 second wait increases bounce rates (going to a website, then leaving it right away) by 25%. If you want to bring in visitors, then speed is key.

WordPress Hosting Built Secure

Managed WordPress, built secure Your online project is secured with
  • Free SSL
  • Daily backups
  • Automatic updates, threat detection and mitigation
  • 6 layer of security with Artificial Intelligence powered by Imunify360
  • DDOS protection
Better for you
Your site is safe, so rest easy. Did a new plugin make your site buggy? No problem, you have 14 days of backups to get you back on track in no time. Tired of being blocked from accessing your site because you entered the wrong password? Built-in security streamlines the process, making it harder for bots but easier for you. Worried about 0-day exploits? Our security rules detect and block malicious requests before they even reach your WordPress.
Better for Google
Security is one of the key ranking factors for appearing on a search engine. With Chrome now telling visitors directly if a site is secure or not, security is not just about your peace of mind but the success of your business.
Better for visitors
Would you do business on an insecure site? Of course not. When visitors see that your site is secure they will focus on what’s important: your website, your services and ultimately, your message. Your clients will thank you for keeping them and their information secure.

A Uniquely Canadian WordPress Experience

Managed WordPress, made canadian Our servers are 100% Canadian and WordPress comes pre-configured for a bilingual (English-French) experience straight out of the box!
Better for you
All your data is stored in Canada and is protected under Canadian law. One of the most advanced countries in terms of protecting personal information, being hosted on Canadian servers just makes sense. And with built-in multilingual options, no more messing around with WordPress plugins manually!
Better for Google
If you are targeting local business, then your ranking is impacted by your proximity to the market and by page load speeds. With servers in both the Eastern and Western Canada, Google will give you a boost in ranking for those targeting Canada or the Northern United States.
Better for visitors
People want a website in their native language. A bilingual website increases visitor satisfaction and motivates them to stay on the site longer.

WordPress Made Instant

Managed WordPress, made instant Managed WordPress Hosting, once activated, provides everything you need to get started right away. No need to manually install, set up a firewall, or configure the technical aspects of a WordPress installation. Add pre-configured features to optimize the website and user experience, and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Better for you
Get started fast without having to setup complex infrastructure. Your focus should be on creating an awesome website and we streamlined the experience for just that purpose.
Better for Google
With an instant WordPress presence, your content will be online faster and thus easier to pick up by Google. Also, it comes pre-configured with an SEO plugin (Yoast) to quickly get your site listed.
Better for visitors
Visitors want to see a well-made and professional looking website that is easy to navigate. With helpful tips on how to write for the web, choose a theme and more, MWH starts you off on the right path.

Managed WordPress Made Affordable

Managed WordPress, made affordable This one is just for you! Fast, secure, 100% Canadian, and instant onboarding, Managed WordPress Hosting offers great value and it is currently 50% off, starting at 3.49 per month! That isn’t just better for you, it’s smart business.

WordPress Hosting that’s Continuously Improving

Our Managed WordPress Hosting is currently in Beta, which means we’re actively developing it to make it easier, faster, and smarter, and it’s only going to get better! You can expect new additions and improvements on a regular basis. Got any feedback? We would love to hear from you to understand exactly how to heighten your user experience. Impressed? Interested? Get Managed WordPress Hosting today!

WordCamp MTL 2018 Roundup

WHC News & Events, WordPress
The WHC team had a fantastic time attending and sponsoring WordCamp Montreal 2018, as we launched our Managed WordPress Hosting. Excellent presentations and many wonderful people made this year’s conference a spectacular success. Want a taste of what went on? Here is a quick roundup of the event with some featured talk snapshots! For a complete list of conference topics, check out the schedule.

Format

Talks were divided into 7 categories:
  • General
    Covering a wide range of topics from WordPress’s hidden features to taking a Buddhist approach to WordPress.
  • Development
    Development refers to the creation of a WordPress site starting from the initial planning, to managing plugins and what to know before deployment.
  • Code
    The most technical category, coding sessions go deep into the underlying structure of WordPress, plugins and more.
  • Content
    The content of your website is what makes it engaging. These talks go into planning, marketing and writing effectively.
  • Business
    Top level talks on how to improve the reach of your site and concerns (such as privacy policies) that business owners should be aware of.
  • Lightning talks
    Talks about any WordPress related subject, but make it quick. Each participant only has 15 minutes to present.
  • WooCommerce
    As the most popular eCommerce plugin for WordPress, talks focus on how to get the most out of the application.

Timetable

With 46 scheduled presentations, 3 simultaneous presentations were given during each time slot. There were presentations in both French and English, with at least one French-language presentation per time slot.

Day One - Saturday August 11th

Starting WordCamp A continental breakfast fueled participants for a morning of information, starting with an orientation, in the Web Hosting Canada Theatre, led by the charming and hardworking organizers who made the event possible. The first talks revolved around, surprise surprise, getting started with WordPress.

9:30 to 11:10

Presentations focused on how to begin using WordPress quickly, as well as deployment. Some interesting hidden features of the CMS were brought to light and a deeper understanding of WordCamp as a community put the event into perspective.

Featured Talk Snapshot: The “Hidden Features” of WordPress

Hidden Features Here are some of the interesting points mentioned by Michelle Ames during her presentation. As WordPress has many features, there are quite a few that go unnoticed:

Screen options

When in the WordPress dashboard there is the feature ‘screen options’ in the upper right-hand corner, allowing you to organize the interface to your liking.

Post options

The right sidebar in posts has a few accordion menus (opened only when clicked) which enhance control. Make a single post password protected, feature it on the first page and more.

Option

Under settings, WordPress separates the options into several categories. If you would like to see the majority of settings on one page, then type https://sitename.ca/wp-admin/options.php into the address bar.

11:10 to Noon

Lighting talks covered a wide range of topics from bilingual social media best practices to providing admin access to clients. Alternatively, an attendee could go learn about how to plan for success, before beginning a WordPress project.

Lunch

Omnivores, vegetarians and vegans had a variety of salads, sandwiches and cheeses to choose from during the buffet style catering. Eco-friendly was the name of the game, with reusable plates and cutlery ensuring minimal waste!

1:00 to 2:40

Stomachs full, the afternoon topics included developing workflows, submitting plugins, and the importance of staging environments. The high point for WHC were the security talks, one given by our very own Emil Falcon!

Featured Talk Snapshot: Protecting Your WordPress Site Against Threats

Emil Falcon Emil Falcon went in-depth in this session devoted to protecting your WordPress site (originally presented in French). Here is a small takeaway. A study of 3,972 WordPress vulnerabilities found that
  • 52% affect plugins
  • 37% affect WordPress’s core structure
  • 11% affect themes
To minimize the potential danger users should make sure that their WordPress is updated to the latest version and should have a hosting company that offers several layers of protection. Users can also check their site for vulnerabilities at: https://wprecon.com/ Furthermore, before installing a new theme, go to ­http://themecheck.info/ to see what security vulnerabilities it may contain.

3:00 to 4:50

Communication is needed at all levels of site creation. Seminars provided info on how to set up a bilingual site and increasing communication between designers and developers. Even visual communication was discussed at a talk devoted to web design trends.

7:00 to End of First Day

Organizers, presenters and attendees got together for beverages and lively chats at Cafe Osmo. Day 2 - WordCamp Montreal

Day Two - Sunday August 12th

Day two had a great deal going on for marketers, content writers and coders.

9:30- Noon

Developers had a number technical talks about block development and using ReactJS, while content specialist got tips from industry leaders on formating, planning and blogging. Others were enlightened on how to work with zero waste and why a Buddhist mindset may be the best approach when developing in WordPress.

Lunch

You can’t go wrong with pizza, unless there isn’t enough. Got it covered! Lunch WordCamp

1:00 to 2:40

These sessions were all business with presentations on WP-CLI, GDPR compliance, multilingual site building, the importance of rich snippets and more.

3:00 to 4:40

The last few talks brought in a wide range of technical expertise. SEO and WooCommerce had back to back sessions, with maximizing the pages of your blog and discussing how to make WordPress work best for agencies rounding out the topics.

Featured Talk Snapshot: Technical SEO for WordPress Dev

What is SEO? Myriam Jessier provided a wealth of indispensable information on SEO. Here are some of her key points for creating a great URL
  • Limit the URL to 150 characters
  • Must follow website hierarchy
  • No not use accents
  • Do not use emojis or gibberish words
  • Do not use capital letters

Interested in Learning More?

With so much discussed there was something for everyone at this year’s WordCamp. Did any of the topics grab your interest? You can find a complete list of presentations and (most of) their slides here. We’re already looking forward to WordCamp Montreal 2019! In the meanwhile, WordCamp Toronto 2018 has been announced and scheduled for December 1st, so we hope to see you there! Hope to see you there next year! WHC team Happy Hosting, WHC Team