The butterflies have gone and have been replaced with a world and url. Simple but we think effective and reflects more on what we are about. All early reviews are glowingly positive.

The banners and buttons are made in 2 colours, black and blue/clouds so there is now a choice for those of you wanting to support us by adding a link to us on your website or blog.

There are also 5 different sizes to choose from:

• 125 x 125
• 150 x 150
• 180 x 180
• 200 x 200
• 600 x 48

The main website is using the simple black logo and the way it loads has been adjusted which means that loading times are a LOT faster.

All affiliate listings will be updated this afternoon with a wider range of banners and buttons for you to chose from.

Let us know what you think by commenting below!

As a side note, issues with the site displaying in IE have also been fixed.

Michelle & the LHH team

Imagine going to your blog as normal to find that you had lost access to your dashboard or that your readership levels had dropped because every time a reader went to go there they were hit with a big warning, site compromised or hacked!

Hacks come in all forms from stealing your login details and locking you out of your site to redirecting your readers to a 3rd party website which then downloads viruses and keylogging trojans into their computer. Below are just some of the ways your site may be acting after a security breach:

• Malicious software being installed on your visitor’s computer.
• An excessive amount of unwanted comments and ugly spam links.
• Being labelled and blacklisted by search engines as a dangerous website. When a search engine visitor clicks on the link to your website, they are sent to a web page that says, “Warning – visiting this website may harm your computer!”
• Having parts or all of your site being completely wiped out.

Whatever the hack  and its effect, it’s a scary time and heart in your mouth scenario.

I often get asked why are people getting hacked and are there some common reasons or links. While it isn’t always possible to know why or how it happened there are some stand out reasons why blogs are vulnerable and are an easy target which all blog owners should be aware of.

WordPress sites vulnerable to hijackings are ones that :

1. Are running on Outdated WordPress versions
2. Outdated plugin versions namely : Google Analytics, WP Addthis, WP Touch, WP Total Cache
3. Using an old version plugin TimThumb – this plugin was a major source of security breaches for many users however it has been written from scratch and reports are now that the new version is safe.
4. Not monitoring visitor activities via Webstats
5. Using the default userid, i.e. “admin” While no-one can 100% guarantee that your site is safe there are steps you can take to protect yourself and the blog you have worked so hard at building. It’s important to remember that there is no such thing as hack-proof, even the FBI and other Government agencies get’s hacked.
6. Using a weak password

Here is a list of steps to minimize vulnerability for WordPress sites.

1. ALWAYS … update to the latest WP version. Updates can be annoying and for some users downright scary but these updates or patches are released for a reason and more often than not because of identified weaknesses which have been repaired.
2. ALWAYS …. update to the latest plugins
3. Do not use the same USERID and PASSWORD as the cPanel and MYSQL
4. Use different USERID and PASSWORD for different sites/domains.
5. Change the default extension of the db tables from wp_ to something else.
6. Change your login password regularly.
7. Deactivate and delete all unused plugins from the plugins folder.
8. Know what plugins you are installing and what they do.
9. Ensure that the plugins you are installing are up to date and are compatible with the latest version of WordPress
10. As added security, ensure your cPanel passwords are also secure – the original password given on sign up was difficult to remember for a reason.

There are a few things to remember when choosing themes and plugins:

1. Always Research your themes and plugins!
2. Ask yourself the following questions:
   • Is the plugin or theme in active development?
   • Are the authors upgrading with the WordPress development cycle?
   • Is the plugin or theme from a reputable source eg WordPress.org repository.
   • Is the plugin or theme up to date
   • Does the author of the plugin or theme update them quickly
   • Is there support provided by the authors?
   • What are the reviews saying about the plugin or theme?

As I wrote above we cannot always prevent a security breach but we can take the above steps to help protect ourselves. Unfortunately it can happen to anyone who owns a website and when it does you need to take action to clean the website and protect it.

LHH has teamed up with Sucuri to provide a monitoring and malware removal service.

LHH has secured lower prices for our clients and even non clients and are thrilled we can help give you peace of mind.

To find out more about this new service please see here.

There is part 2 of our series on website protection and backup’s. Over the next few weeks we will be writing about how to backup and how to protect yourself online! Part one is found here

• Do you love writing?
• Do you have a subject that you are passionate about and believe people need to hear?
• Does your subject align with LHD/LHH and you think it would benefit our readers?

If the answer is yes to all of the above we would love to hear from you!

We are looking for guest posters to write articles on our blog and bring attention to subjects that are interesting, informative and of benefit to our readers and clients. If you think that you can write an article that we would love to read and share then please fill in the form below and we’ll let you know how it would fit in.

For those who write we will happily link back to your website, write a mini profile about you (and business if you have one) and shout out your post to Social Media including Facebook and Twitter.

We look forward to hearing from you!

*(denotes required field)

First Name: *

Last Name: *

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When could you have a post ready by? *

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How many times have you heard, “my sites been hacked, I’ve lost everything or the database crashed and all the data is gone”

If there is one thing you should know about owning a website it’s how to back it up!

Backup’s are a safety net, a security blanket and are an essential part of being a web master or site owner. Without regular site backup’s its like not having insurance on your house and contents. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Whether you manage your own site, have a web manager or manage a site for a group, organisation or charity I cannot stress enough how important it is that you know how to backup and do it regularly!

Nothing on the internet is guaranteed, while we are developing more and more technology, threats and exploits aimed at destroying your website are being discovered at an alarming rate. Sometimes the seemingly simple task of updating a site or software can cause a file error and the loss of files and data. For WordPress users an incompatible plugin can cause a crash or a plugin that isn’t updated can cause major chaos.

But my web host does backup’s I don’t need to.

Fantastic! A good host provider will be able to provide you with a daily or weekly backup of your site if it hits the fan, however it is not their responsibility to make sure you have adequate backup’s and should not be relied on. If your site is hacked, compromised or unwanted changes are made and the damage is not noticed for several days, a hosts backup would have already run and your “good or non affected” data may have been already be overwritten with the bad data in the backup.

How often should I backup?

The answer isn’t black and white or the same for everyone. I have heard a lot of people say weekly or monthly is fine which in all honesty is bad advice and I firmly disagree unless your site sits there without ANY changes being made. If you are just an information site that sits there unchanged then weekly may work for you.

If you are a blogger or have a site that is updated regularly then I highly suggest you do daily backups no questions asked.

Are there anytimes when I should absolutely backup

I always recommend to clients with blogs that they do a backup everytime they do an upgrade for the core WordPress files or plugins. So many plugins can cause issues and if you go through and update them all without backing up in between and something goes wrong, how will you know which plugin caused it? You are then left to reverting to a backup and starting the process all over again and believe me sometimes it isn’t that easy to find the errors. 

Are there different types of backups?

Yes there are different types of backups

1.  A full system backup – this backup includes all files, folders, and images including database but actually not the best solution.

2. File only – as suggested this contains all the files, folders and images from within your public_html folder. Your plugins files and theme/design are also kept here.

3.  MYSQL or Database – your MYSQL contains everything to do with data collection for your blog, the posts, comments, and all the blog settings.

There are other ways but we will talk about these later.

Should I rely on a Plugin to help me backup my site?

Honestly, NO. At the end of the day they are plugins just like the rest of them and are not guaranteed to work or be safe or even able to be restored if something goes wrong.

Some plugins do not do an entire system backup! A lot I have looked at or seen recommended simply backup the MYSQL and not your files. Most hackers get in via your FILES – so therefore the MYSQL backup is not going to restore your site or clean it.

Why on earth would you backup a site with a plugin when a plugin can cause incredible amounts of damage to your site.

I’ve seen some which ask you to backup in your dashboard – sadly this won’t happen if you can’t access it. Unfortunately I have seen this happen on design client’s sites where they thought they were “safe” but were not. They have been with hosts who don’t store backup’s and have been left with a major clean up job which is not only timely but can be expensive.

I have had 2 clients with backup plugins installed only for them to be the cause of major issues and causing havoc within the core WP files.

Personally and professionally I will not recommend them at all.

I know backing up isn’t fun or exciting but if you love your site and everything on it then please give yourself some peace of mind and embrace it.

There is more to come in this series, over the next few weeks we will be writing about how to backup and how to protect yourself online!

 Part 2 of this series can be found here

Would you like 6 months free hosting?

Purchase any hosting package, & automatically receive it for half price, thats 50% off!

That means if you order and pay for a years’ worth of hosting you will only be charged for 6 months! Pay for 1 months blog hosting & pay just $1.48. Pay for 3 months starter hosting and pay just $7.43!

If that’s not exciting enough any hosting orders and payments for 6 or 12 month payment terms will also qualify you for a free .com, .net, .org, .info or .biz domain!

Want to migrate your blog from blogger to Self-hosted WordPress?

Today only we are offering HALF PRICE migration!*

Promotion ends Midnight 29^th January 2012.

* Migration includes:

• Migration of all posts
• Migration of Comments (unless using Intense Debate)
• Migration of all images onto server and posts updated with new image source
• Updating of all internal URL’s to reflect new server
• Auto redirection of URL’s

To order a hosting package please go here - Use code Aust Day when ordering to receive your discount.

To order Migration please see here (discount will be deducted when invoiced)

Any questions please email admin@littleherohosting.com

Little Hero Hosting (LHH)

• In late December we added a second server and moved some things around to create more space and resources for our users.

• The 2 servers are boringly named server1 and server2, not something we are to keen on but we have been struggling to come up with good names. Coming soon we will be running a competition to help us name the servers with fantastic prizes on offer. Stay tuned!

• TLD’s (top level domains) worldwide have increased in price but we have made the decision to keep .com, .net, .info, .org etc at the fantastic price of AUD $9.95/yr. Remember you can purchase your TLD’s from 1 year to 10 years depending on your preference.

• We have been busy making a new domain page and adding more domain names available to our clients. We will post with the new domains & pricing soon.

Little Hero Designs (LHD)

• We’ve been so busy with migrations from blogger to WordPress. We’ve updated our LHD migration page with some information on what is included with a migration.

• We are in the midst of reviewing every page and providing updated information on our services.

• As most of you will be aware by now Google are removing the use of Google Friend Connect for non-blogger/blogspot users. It would be great if those of you who are connected with us via GFC could use Networked Blogs to follow us.

• We have a lot of posts nearly completed and ready to publish. Topics are both for design and hosting. If there is something that has you thinking “how the hell do I do that” or “help, where do I start how does it all work?” then let us know and we’ll see what we can do about putting a post together for you.

• LHH FB page has at last count 429 “likers” we would love to reach the magical 500 “likers” mark. Can you help us?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

2011 has been a year of expansion for LHH.

Our client  base has grown, as has our support for the online community, and as this post is being written, we are expanding our capabilities as a hosting company.

As part of all of this exciting growth, Little Hero Hosting has made the decision to acquire a new server, that is a 2nd server!

What does this mean for your site?

First and foremost, an added server means that your site should run more efficiently.

With more memory and space on our servers we will be able to offer you a faster and smoother hosting experience.

Our new server is just part of the exciting plans Little Hero Hosting has for the New Year. Stay tuned!

Wishing you a safe and happy New Year from the Little Hero Hosting Team!

Thank you for your patience.

We will tweet and leave Facebook posts when the work has commenced and completed but anticipate it to start around 4pm AEST. We are aiming to have the work complete within 30 mins of commencement.

Thank you for your understanding.

I have had a lot of queries about moving from a hosting and design point of view so I thought I would address some of the common questions, concerns, misconceptions and important things you should know before making the leap!

1. You will need your own domain name and hosting package. Self-hosted WordPress is stored on your chosen hosts server/s. This means that you are in control of your own files, images; media, custom domain emails (if you require one) and can back up everything on the server. All data such as posts and comments are stored on the server’s database which can be backed up whenever you require. When using Blogger you are using Google’s servers and do not have access to the blogs files or databases.

2. WordPress.com is entirely different to WordPress.org or self-hosted. WordPress.com is the same as Blogger, you are using WordPress servers where you do not have access to your blog files and database.

3. Research everything before you make the jump. Be aware of potential issues and pitfalls you may encounter while migrating and have a list of what needs to be done and in what order.

4. When migrating your blog from Blogger or WordPress.com if done correctly your current blog will remain active so you will have little to no down time.

5. In the blogging world there is a big misconception that you need to purchase a theme to have your blog look good. This is fundamentally wrong, with a bit of research you can find a theme which can be adapted to suit your needs and not looking like everyone else’s blog who uses the same base theme or framework. *post dedicated to this coming soon!

6. WordPress is easy to use with a comprehensive Dashboard where you can control every aspect of your blog easily and effectively. There are some amazing plugins which can help make the running of your blog smooth and effortless.

7. A migration without design should be completed within a few hours to a day depending on your blog size and number of images.

8. When migrating you need to ensure that all your images are migrated to the server and all url’s or image sources changed within posts. If this is not done your images will be still linked back to Blogger and if your blog is deleted etc then you will have posts with missing images. This not only looks messy but if your image is linked to its source, when readers click on your image they will find themselves off your site.

9. Like the images you need to change all internal hyperlinks or URL’s within your posts. If you tag an previous post in a new post without updating the url’s, readers hitting the link will find themselves back on your old blog or with a 404 error. Not a good look for you! Likewise if the permalinks have not been changed to the same permalink structure of your old Blog again your readers will be redirected.

10. It is essential for good SEO and ranking that your blog is redirected from its old location. If someone hits your url from a Google search, you need to ensure that they will hit your NEW site rather than the old one. Google penalises websites for duplicate content so this is a must.

11. If choosing to hire somebody to do your migration for you make sure you know what you are getting before you hand over any money. There are steps that must be followed to make sure the migration is complete without data remaining on Blogger and you migrator must ensure these are done. Some tips when looking for the right person to undertake this exciting process for you.

• 1. Investigate if they are a legitimate registered business with proper record keeping or someone just doing this as something on the side. If you use your blog for business purposes but use a business without an ABN then you will not be able to use their services for tax purposes. Similarly if they are NOT a registered business do you have any back up/recourse if something goes wrong.
• 2. Ask them for the price upfront which covers EVERYTHING, that way there are no hidden surprises.
• 3. Ask for a complete list of what their migrate includes. The base list should be: All posts and tags, comments if not using Intense Debate, permalink changes, hyperlink and image changes and SEO redirection.
• 4. Ask how long they expect the migration to take.
• 5. Ask for examples of previous migrations. Go back through the archives and look at images and URL’s. Are they there or missing or are they being redirected elsewhere.
• 6. Does the migration include pages, feedburner and other popular tools such as Google Friend Connect?
• 7. Will they install important plugins for you and give you a tutorial on what they do and how to use them
• 8. Will you receive a WordPress tutorial?
• 9. If something goes wrong will they work until the issue is resolved
• 10. What input do they require from you during the process?

12. Enjoy your migration! You will love the difference once you have settled in.

If you are considering migrating to self-hosted WordPress then send us an email to see how Little Hero Hosting & Little Hero Designs can help you.