Migrating to HTTPS

Why are we changing to HTTPS?

Aside from the security and SEO benefits listed above, there is shift in the industry which will see most websites running over HTTPS in the near future. We want you to stay ahead of the curve.

Free SSL from Let’s Encrypt

In addition, an open-source initiative called Let’s Encrypt has brought free, reliable SSL certificates to the mass market. Previously, the cost of SSL certificates was often a barrier to entry for many organisations. To date, Let’s Encrypt has issued over 20 million certificates!

The migration process

In the coming weeks we will be migrating all client websites over to HTTPS, starting with Keystone Premium subscribers.

The migration will be free of charge for Keystone Premium subscribers. For Keystone Lite and Parapet subscribers there will be a nominal free. We will contact you beforehand to let you know the scheduled date for the migration and any costs involved.

Migration is mandatory

Please note that to ensure your website’s ongoing security and to stay ahead of technological advances this migration to HTTPS is mandatory.

What if I already have an SSL Certificate?

We will wait for that certificate to expire and then use to Let’s Encrypt to create a new one. As Let’s Encrypt is free, doing so, will save you the yearly cost you pay currently.

HTTPS/SSL Certificates

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS is the security system you often see when shopping online – You will often see a padlock icon next to the address bar in your browser. HTTPS is also sometimes referred to as SSL or “having an SSL Certificate”.

HTTP VS HTTPS

A system called HTTP is used to create the connection between you and the website. In it’s standard form (HTTP) this process is insecure i.e. not encrypted. HTTPS is the secure/encrypted version of this connection.

What are the benefits of HTTPS?

  1. Security – All data sent and received by your website is encrypted; no one can tap into that connection to read the data.
  2. Customer assurance – Customers will see the padlock next to your web address in their browser and know that their data is secure.
  3. SEO – Google has begun ranking websites running over HTTPS higher than websites running HTTP only.
  4. Web browsers – Google Chrome is now showing web sites not running over HTTPS as “Insecure” next to the address bar.

Mike Hatcher interviewed

Hive Minder Director, Mike Hatcher, was recently interview by website, Orange Entrepreneur Club. The topic of the interview was around the importance of good hosting and how startup businesses should go about getting their website online.

You can read the full interview on the Orange Entrepreneur Club website.

Choosing a hosting company

Your choice of hosting management company is one of the most crucial decisions you can make regarding your website.

Price shouldn’t be the deciding factor

It is often the case that when choosing a website hosting provider, that choice is based largely on price. While this is most certainly an extremely valid consideration, it should not be the only consideration. Here’s why.

Hosting companies are not created equal

Many hosting companies – particularly the cheaper ones – operate a low price, high volume business model. They ensure maximum profit by only providing basic hardware and software. In addition, they often have inexperienced, low-paid technical support staff.

The result for you is a slow, under-performing website that is prone to server outages and support staff who are unavailable or unable to assist you.

Cheap hosting costs you money

Cheap hosting companies often cost you more money over time. Consider the following exercise:

As best you can, estimate how much revenue your website generates your organisation per hour. Take into account lead generation, brand awareness, affiliate marketing etc. Now imagine your website is offline for an hour. Does the lost revenue exceed the cost of monthly hosting? For most organisations, it does.

Website outages negatively affect your brand

Websites using cheaper hosting are often slower because the hosting company has overburdened their IT infrastructure to maximise profits. This can also result in the server going offline and your website becoming unavailable.

In the same way that a customer will become frustrated by slow service in a physical store or arriving at your store to find that it is closed, so too will they experience that frustration online. In essence, the customer has a negative experience of your brand.

Limited hosting packages restrict your growth

In their desire to be both appealing yet extremely profitable, some hosting companies will create hosting packages that seem to offer you many “features”. Examples of these are, “20 databases” or “unlimited email aliases”. They are enticing users with “big numbers”.

The truth of the matter is that most – if not all – of their customers will never require more than 1 or 2 databases. These packages are invariably locked down, either preventing you from adding additional functionality or charging you exorbitant fees for creating a “bespoke package”.

Our approach is less about hosting and more about peace-of-mind

For us, it’s about providing you with all the tools you need to achieve your goals, keeping a watchful eye over your website and assisting you whenever you need it.

To that end we are working with WP Engine – the world’s premier WordPress hosting company. We then add a layer of our own tools and exemplary customer support. For ultimate peace-of-mind, we have a monthly service level agreement (SLA) in place that allows us to assist you with the maintenance of your website.

Why choose WordPress?

We love WordPress and think you will too.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a software system that allows anyone to edit the content of their website without having to know any programming language. This type of software is know as a Content Management System (CMS). Hive Minder and its staff have been working with WordPress since 2009. Having used it on a wide variety of client projects, we have extensive knowledge of the system. Based on this experience, we can’t recommend it highly enough.

Why should you use WordPress?

There are a number of reasons why we chose WordPress and why you should too.

It’s open-source

WordPress is not proprietary or owned by any individual or company. The benefit of this is that there are no costly licensing fees for using the software.

It’s actively updated

The popularity of WordPress has led to the creation of an incredible community of developers, evangelists and end-users. This community are very active and very vocal, ensuring that new features are constantly released and security threats dealt with quickly.

It’s widely used

Since it was first released 10 years ago, WordPress has experienced phenomenal growth. It is estimated that WordPress powers approximately 20% of the world’s websites. This speaks volumes as to its stability and reliability.

It’s extensible

WordPress has over 31 000 plugins available. These plugins allow you to easily add additional functionality to your website at a fraction of the cost of building that functionality bespoke.

It grows as you grow

Websites need to be able to grow as your organisation grows. WordPress is capable of running a website containing 1000’s of pages. More importantly, the sheer number of plugins available ensures that you will always find the functionality you need in the future, whatever that may be.

It’s easy to use

WordPress was designed to be flexible and easy-to-use. With little or no training, you will be able to manage the content of your website, be it text, images or video.

It can be used anywhere

WordPress is installed on your server and can be accessed using a web browser from any computer that is connected to the Internet. In addition, there is a free app for most smart phones, allowing you to edit your website while on the move.