Tips, Expertise, Articles and Advice from the Pro's for Your Website or Blog to Succeed
Our recommendation for the best broker to sell your ecommerce business is Dealflow Brokerage because of its high success rate, extensive investor network, and exit planning expertise. Get your free valuation today.
Selling an ecommerce business on your own is a complex and time-consuming task. You need to find a buyer, negotiate the deal, and go through the legal steps associated with selling a business.
Ecommerce business brokers simplify this process by doing all the heavy lifting for you. From finding qualified buyers to escrow services, exit planning, and more, they’ll ensure you get maximum value on the sale.
We’ve identified the five best ecommerce brokers on the market today. Dealflow Brokerage is our top recommendation for most ecommerce sites because they help you plan your exit and find buyers willing to pay top dollar for your business. Find out what your online store is worth today.
Continue reading to find the best broker to sell your ecommerce company.
During our extensive research process, our team at Quick Sprout identified the most common scenarios for people wanting to sell their ecommerce business. If you see a scenario below that best fits your needs, you can jump straight to that section to see the best brokers for your specific needs. This is the fastest and easiest way to find the right ecommerce broker.
Best Option: Flippa
If you’re ready to sell and want to get your ecommerce business listed immediately, Flippa is the fastest and easiest way to get exposure. The average sale time is one month, and your business will be on an open marketplace of over 300,000 buyers, increasing your chance to sell sooner than later. Flippa also offers free escrow services and negotiation tools so you can manage everything through a single platform.
Another Great Choice: Website Properties
The average time to sell an ecommerce business with Website Properties is six to eight weeks. This is very fast compared to alternatives on the market, especially since you get such high-quality service throughout the process. This broker doesn’t cut corners and still knows how to get your online business sold quickly.
If you’re ready to sell now, consider brokers with:
Best Option: Dealflow Brokerage
Dealflow Brokerage has several different exit planning options, each with a higher level of involvement from a dedicated mergers and acquisitions advisor. They provide monthly coaching services to ensure you do everything possible to set your online store up for maximum value.
This is a great way to identify both risks and opportunities in the market. The services also include a full exit plan audit, a detailed list of action items, and exit roadmapping—all leading up to the official listing and sales process.
Another Great Choice: FE International
As an M&A firm, FE International specializes in maximizing the value of your online store. They’ll handle all of this for you, so you can continue running your business while they work behind the scenes to prepare for the sale. FE International provides exit planning services along with legal structure, due diligence, strategic negotiations, and everything else you need to get ready to sell.
If you need exit planning help, pay attention to:
Best Option: Flippa
Not everyone wants to work with a dedicated advisor to sell their ecommerce business. This is especially true for smaller ecommerce stores and owners who don’t want to pay higher commission fees. If you fall into this category, Flippa is the best marketplace option for your ecommerce store.
The commission fees start at 10%, even for ecommerce sites sold for under $50,000. Other brokerages take 15% for similar sales prices. You can also access free escrow services with your Flippa listing package.
Another Great Choice: Empire Flippers
Empire Flippers is another excellent DIY solution for ecommerce businesses that want to go through a marketplace. They’re great at vetting buyers, so you’ll never hear from people who are just window shopping and aren’t actually interested. Beyond the DIY approach, Empire Flippers provides you with different ideas and unique deal structures to help finalize the sale. They’ll even contact your web host on your behalf once the deal goes through to ease the transition.
If you prefer a DIY approach to selling your ecommerce business, keep an eye on:
Best Option: Dealflow Brokerage
Dealflow Brokerage has an investor network of more than one million buyers, and they’ll list your business for sale on their own platform and third-party networks. But what really separates Dealflow Brokerage from the crowd is how they actively reach out to qualified candidates instead of just letting your listing sit dormant online for people to find.
Another Great Choice: FE International
FE International has a global network of more than 80,000 pre-qualified buyers. These buyers represent more than $41 billion in capital. This broker boasts an impressive 94.1% sales success rate, so you know that they’re connecting clients with the right buyers.
If you need help finding qualified buyers, consider:
Best Option: Dealflow Brokerage
Deaflow Brokerages provides free business valuations for ecommerce sites. There’s no commitment and zero upfront cost to see how much your business is worth. In addition to getting an accurate valuation of your business today, Dealflow Brokerage will also let you know if it’s the right time to sell based on the stage of your online store and the overall market conditions. They can help you get maximum value by telling you when it’s the right time to sell.
Another Great Choice: Empire Flippers
Empire Flippers has a free and simple valuation tool to help you discover what your business is worth. They use a proven formula based on net profit and a specific multiple that varies based on other factors you provide. The cool part about Empire Flippers is the valuation tool accounts for all of your revenue channels and monetization models. But you will need to create an Empire Flippers account to get the valuation.
When you’re getting a valuation for your ecommerce business, look for:
Continue to read our in-depth reviews of the best brokers for selling your ecommerce business. Every option on our list is a quality candidate to consider, but each one stands out for a specific reason or scenario. As you read these reviews, you’ll learn more about each broker’s strengths, as well as any potential drawbacks. We’ll also cover the costs associated with each ecommerce broker.
Dealflow Brokerage is an experienced mergers and acquisitions advisory company specializing in online businesses. They boast a 93% success rate and have access to more than one million potential buyers within their investor network.
Its white-glove service makes Dealflow Brokerage stand out from the crowd. Unlike other brokers that just want to sell your business as quickly as possible to earn a commission, Dealflow Brokerage will advise you on whether or not this is the right time to sell.
If it’s not the best time to sell, Dealflow Brokerage will actively work with you to find ways to improve the value of your ecommerce business—helping ensure maximum sales value.
It’s worth noting that Dealflow Brokerage is typically a better option for well-established ecommerce sites looking to sell for millions of dollars. While they work with smaller sites, it’s probably unnecessary for you to go through this process if you’re only trying to get a couple hundred thousand for the sale. It’s also worth noting that if you do sign up for the exit planning service, Dealflow Brokerage has the first right of refusal when you decide to officially sell.
The exit planning services at Dealflow Brokerage are second to none in this industry. So if you’re not quite ready to sell today but want to position your ecommerce business for maximum value over the next year or so, Dealflow Brokerage has you covered.
They offer three different exit planning packages for ecommerce businesses in different stages. The first option is more of a DIY approach that helps walk you through the steps for your exit plan. The second tier is a two-page exit plan that includes your existing business valuation and a checklist of action items to complete.
Dealflow’s top-tier exit planning service comes with a 20-page report and a dedicated senior advisor that will coach you through the process on a monthly basis until it’s time to sell. Once the business is ready, Dealflow Brokerage can take the reins and actively find buyers in their network.
The full exit planning service starts at $3,500 for your 20-page report and $600 per month for ongoing coaching. They’ll also take a commission when your business sells, and the percentage depends on the sales price.
Flippa is arguably the most popular and well-recognized marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. It stands out from alternative marketplaces for its simplicity, reputation, and low fee structure.
For those of you who are ready to sell and want to get your ecommerce business listed ASAP, Flippa is undoubtedly the way to go.
Any online store, regardless of revenue or asking price, can list on Flippa. So whether you’re a small shop that just wants to cash out for $250,000 or you’re a big player selling for $10 million, you can use Flippa as your brokerage.
In addition to the marketplace, Flippa offers free escrow services and other useful tools, including NDAs, confidentiality agreements, legal templates, and more. The downside of using an online marketplace alone is that nobody is actively finding buyers for your business. The hand-picked buyer service is only available if your business is worth over $10 million.
Flippa has become such a reliable source for buyers who want to purchase online businesses. This popularity and strong reputation are great news for sellers—since you’ll be listing your online store where buyers come first.
The marketplace has over 313,000 buyers, and nearly 275,000 online businesses have been sold through Flippa. Ecommerce is one of the most popular categories on the platform.
While nobody is actively reaching out to buyers on your behalf, Flippa’s unique algorithm does make it easier for buyers to find your listing based on what they’re looking for. You can negotiate with buyers directly through the platform as well.
Listing packages start at $39, and Flippa’s success fees range from 4% to 10%, depending on the sale price. If you find a comparable platform offering a lower success fee, Flippa will beat it by 1%.
FE International is a global mergers and acquisitions advisor that has successfully brokered over $1 billion in acquisitions. They provide all of the accounting, valuation, and technical expertise in-house to ensure you can successfully sell your ecommerce store in a timely and efficient manner.
This is an excellent option for ecommerce sites that have complex operations or want to sell for high prices. But one unique standout of FE International compared to every other brokerage we reviewed is its ability to accommodate online stores that also operate offline.
As long as 50% of your sales are online, FE International will qualify you as an ecommerce store. If the rest of your revenue is coming from retail, wholesale, or another revenue stream, they’ll know how to position your listing to target the right buyer pool.
FE International is better suited for larger ecommerce operations that are well-established and flowing cash. If you’re a small startup or not ready to list for more than $2 million, you’ll probably find other solutions on our list a bit more fitting for your needs.
FE International has different buyer pools willing to invest and purchase ecommerce businesses. They know what types of businesses their buyers want and what their strengths are.
So let’s say you specialize in wholesale but also operate a DTC online store. For some buyers, those are two different businesses. But FE International can help you position yourself appropriately, appealing to the right type of buyer who knows how to handle both ends of the operation.
They can even work with you if your operation is a mix of B2B ecommerce, DTC ecommerce, consumer retail, and wholesale B2B retail. So if part of your business sells online through Amazon and Walmart and the other part is a storefront chain, FE International can still broker the deal and manage all of the complexities associated with it.
Pricing for services and commissions is not available online. But you can reach out to FE International for a free valuation and consultation and inquire about those rates during your call.
Website Properties has over 20 years of experience brokering online businesses. They boast an impressive 90% deal closure rate and have facilitated over $550 million in gross sales.
While Website Properties is a great broker for selling any type of online store, this brokerage specializes in Amazon and Shopify businesses. They’ve learned through years of experience that these types of businesses are in high demand from investors, and they know how to facilitate those sales.
It’s worth noting that the list of buyers they work with is a bit smaller compared to other brokerages. However, the list is much more targeted. So don’t let that throw you off if you’re just comparing those numbers side by side.
When you work with Website Properties, you’ll get a white-glove touch from their team of experts. Their small team approach takes the time to understand your needs so they can find qualified buyers.
Website Properties has a private list of 35,000 buyers that they deal with. So when they see an Amazon or Shopify business, they know exactly who to pick up the phone and contact.
This starts with a free evaluation. From there, they’ll prepare a narrative that introduces your company to prospective buyers. Then Website Properties will market the listing, find buyers, and manage the entire sales process—all while maintaining confidentiality for you and your business.
You can get a free valuation from Website Properties to find out how much your ecommerce business is worth. Commissions are based on successful sales, and rates vary based on the sales price.
Empire Flippers is an online marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. More than $400 million in sales have been brokered through this company.
What makes Empire Flippers unique compared to similar marketplaces is its ability to provide accurate valuations for online stores with unique revenue models.
For example, maybe you’re selling products through a traditional online store, but you also make money through affiliate marketing and advertisements. Or maybe you sell subscription box services online but also sell one-off items through Amazon. Empire Flippers takes all of this into consideration when they’re coming up with a valuation and positioning your business for sale on the marketplace.
Just note that Empire Flippers does have other listings for online businesses that fall outside the scope of ecommerce. So ecommerce isn’t their only area of focus. It’s also worth noting that at 72%, Empire Flippers has a lower success rate than other options on our list.
When you’re going through the valuation and listing process on Empire Flippers, you’ll be walked through a series of questions related to your online store. But unlike similar tools on the market, Empire Flippers lets you account for all of your revenue models in a DIY approach.
So you’re not forced to pick just one area of your online business. All of your online sales channels and monetization methods are included.
This includes traditional ecommerce, Amazon FBA, Amazon associates, display advertising, subscription services, subscription boxes, dropshipping, and more. Maybe you offer software, SaaS, or digital products too. Empire Flippers is perfect for anyone who falls into one or more than one of these unique categories.
Commissions start at 15% for sales under $700,000. They drop to 8% between $700,000 to $5 million and are further reduced to 2.5% if your ecommerce business sells for over $5 million.
To help assist you even further, we have some additional resources related to ecommerce brokers, business brokerages, and selling your business. Check out these guides and reviews below:
The best business brokers to sell your ecommerce business help simplify the sales process and set you up for success. Some are great for simple marketplace listings, while others are better for guided exit planning and buyer outreach. You’ll even find some that specialize in specific types of online stores, like Shopify or Amazon.
Dealflow Brokerage will be the best ecommerce business broker for most sellers. They have a high success rate and offer a range of exit planning solutions to ensure you get top dollar for the sale.
BotsCrew is one of the best chatbot development companies out there.
In fact, it’s already a reliable chatbot developer for innovative, customer-centric companies such as Virgin, Samsung Next, and MARS.
What sets BotsCrew apart from its competitors is its in-depth collaborative approach to chatbot development.
Unlike other chatbot providers, BotsCrew is extremely customizable. BotsCrew works alongside you throughout the entire development process in order to bring to life a product that perfectly suits your unique business needs.
Below, we take a look into the specifics of what makes BotsCrew the impressive solution it is and what a comprehensive chatbot solution is going to cost your business in the long run.
Knowing the pros and cons is a quick way to assess whether or not BotsCrew is the right solution for you. However, taking an in-depth look at the specific features is where you’ll really find out a solution’s suitability.
Are you looking for a way to better qualify your prospects before they reach your sales team? Or perhaps you want to serve your customers faster for quick and easy troubleshooting. No matter the reason, BotsCrew can help you build a custom chatbot solution to suit your business needs.
BotsCrew takes a hands-on approach to turning your chatbot idea into a reality and will coach you every step of the way. First, you’ll work together to create your chatbot vision based on your business needs and goals. You’ll even design your chatbot’s personality in this phase.
Then you’ll workly closely along the way to eventually build up to a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This is a beta version of your final chatbot and allows you to test, validate, and refine your chatbot’s design and functionality. You can even have real end-users use this version to make sure it ticks the boxes on the consumer side.
Once you’re happy with the final product, your chatbot is ready to scale.
Building a custom chatbot is a significant investment. But you can rest assured knowing that your dedicated account manager will have your back, every step of the way. Development is completed in iterations, so if you’re ever unhappy with the direction the chatbot is taking, you can redirect it in a moment’s notice.
Furthermore, you’ll own your data, right from the get-go. So if in the unlikely event you decide to move away from BotsCrew, you’ll be able to take your hard work and investment with you.
Your customers are hanging out on multiple platforms, so why not reach them on the one they fancy most?
BotsCrew can help you build one chatbot that connects to multiple channels such as Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS, website, and more. You can use any platform that has an open API.
The best part is, you’ll be able to handle all inquiries in a single inbox straight out of your BotsCrew dashboard. There is no need to duplicate the bot across every single platform either. Not only will this save your customer support team from having multiple tabs open, but it will also streamline inquiries to ensure nobody is missed.
But what if you’re a multinational company with an international customer base?
BotsCrew can help you with that too. You see, your chatbot can be multilingual, speaking more than 100 different languages. Communicating with your customers in their own language is a great way to build a supportive and loyal customer base. It also allows you to cut costs on multilingual support.
No matter whether you create a completely customized solution or a DIY chatbot, you’ll have access to BotsCrew’s comprehensive SaaS platform.
BotsCrew’s SaaS platform is simply designed and easy to use, no matter your technical expertise. It’s designed to make it super easy for you to make small changes to your chatbot without needing the assistance of a developer every time.
Your chatbot will inevitably need some tweaking along the way as your customer base grows and changes. Within the SaaS platform, you’ll be able to train your chatbot to be smarter and more intuitive without needing to understand code.
This is particularly useful for anyone starting with a DIY chatbot instead of a customized solution. You can add more questions and answers and build on existing conversations as you learn. You’ll also be able to ensure there is a seamless handover from chatbot to live chat, to make life easier for both your customers and your representatives.
One area in which BotsCrew really stands out for users is its limitless integrations. BotsCrew allows you to integrate your chatbot with any software you currently use–even a competing one! This is particularly impressive as it’s something no other software offers.
All you need is for your software to have an open API and the rest is easy. And if you are struggling to integrate your tech stack, BotsCrew will guide you through the process to ensure you succeed.
We’re talking about software such as email automation, point of sale, information sharing, accounting, CRM, analytics and reporting, and business management solutions. Seamlessly sharing important data across all software means that everyone is on the same page and there is no double handling of data.
Having the ability to integrate your chatbot with your entire software stack also means you have adjustability and scalability like never before.
Think BotsCrew is only designed to help you drive sales? Think again!
BotsCrew also has extensive experience in creating customized solutions for the healthcare industry. In fact, you could even say that BotsCrew is helping to revolutionize communication in the healthcare industry in order to improve communication between doctor and patient.
For example, Dr. Dean is a chatbot that was created to offer patients reliable and trustworthy information about their symptoms or conditions and treatment options. It even checks on the patient a few days later to provide additional advice if it’s required.
This kind of solution offers doctors an opportunity to connect with their patients on another level and also ensure their patients aren’t following unwarranted advice they found on Google.
BotsCrew also places a significant focus on chatbots for genetic testing. The chatbot is HIPAA-compliant and shares important pre-test information with patients in the lead-up to their test. After all, your genetic testing counselors likely spend much of their time answering the same questions about the tests. Instead of having patients wait to get answers, your chatbot can deliver them instantly.
Furthermore, your chatbot will automatically track everything in your EMR system which saves hours of manual logging and ensures medical records are always up to date.
There have been other successful cases of non-sales-related chatbots by BotsCrew too, such as Annabot, a chatbot that is helping elderly people fight loneliness and isolation during the worldwide pandemic. There is also Ailira, a chatbot that is making legal services more widely accessible to people in Australia.
It’s easy to see that a chatbot can have many functions and capabilities and offers an array of benefits to your business.
BotsCrew’s pricing is neither straightforward nor forthcoming, but that’s because developing a custom chatbot is not a straightforward task. We had to do quite a bit of digging to understand BotsCrew’s pricing and even then, the figures we are about to share are only estimates. You’ll need to contact BotsCrew for customized pricing and package options.
Reports suggest that BotsCrew’s DIY chatbot product starts at around $600 per month, while others suggest a total investment in the vicinity of $5,000.
However, BotsCrew says that the estimated price range for a true, high-quality chatbot sits between $10,000 and $150,000.
So how much is it really going to cost you? Well, only BotsCrew can tell you that. But here is what we can tell you about the costs involved in a customized chatbot with BotsCrew.
During the Discovery phase, BotsCrew will learn all about your business needs and goals, building a roadmap for your chatbot design. This phase can take anywhere between two days and six months and can cost between $5,000 and $20,000.
Following the Discovery phase, BotsCrew will work closely with you to agree on the scope for the Proof of Concept (POC). A POC is an early model that doesn’t have all the final product’s functionality. You’ll be able to test and refine important features like chatbot design and function.
The POC can add between $10,000 and $30,000 to your chatbot pricing.
Finally, BotsCrew builds a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or a beta version. At this stage, your chatbot is essentially fully developed, but you’ll still have some wriggle room to modify the product and to agree on goals, estimates, and deliverables.
An MVP costs between $15,000 and $100,000.
From here, BotsCrew can scale the MVP to the fully-fledged chatbot. At this stage, further integrations can cost you between $1,000 and $10,000. But you’ll also have access to the BotsCrew platform where you can easily add small changes without the help of your developer.
Although BotsCrew might be on the more expensive side, it is far more customizable than any of its competitors. In time, your chatbot will also save you in training and wages of live customer support representatives, while still providing your prospects with excellent customer service.
To get a rough idea of what your ideal BotsCrew chatbot might cost you, take this quick quiz.
BotsCrew has a reputation for developing highly customized, professional chatbots from scratch. The expert development team is transparent, attentive, and proactive throughout the entire development process.
One of the things that stand out for most is the limitless integration opportunities. Users say that this aspect makes the software extremely flexible and allows for the smooth transfer of data across all business systems.
Users also really like how intuitive and easy-to-use the platform is and that it allows you to handle inquiries from multiple platforms from a single dashboard.
One thing that BotsCrew is lacking is a mobile app. This means that users cannot easily review inquiries or provide support to customers on the go and must revert to the desktop app instead.
It’s also quite expensive to develop a chatbot with BotsCrew, but users acknowledge that its customization is far beyond that of competitors. And although there is no free plan or trial available, BotsCrew is happy to take you through multiple demos of chatbots it has developed in the past to provide insight into its capabilities.
So if you’re a medium business or large enterprise looking to better qualify your prospects, serve your customers faster, or cut back on the number of support representatives you employ, BotsCrew is the perfect solution for you. It will help you do all this and more without compromising the level of customer service you already provide.
But if you’re a small business, startup, or want to validate the idea to higher management and don’t have the budget for a customized solution, platforms like Drift, Chatfuel, or Botsify would be better suited to your needs.
Are you looking for the best blog examples to help you get inspired?
WordPress is used by a lot of the biggest brands and most successful blogs in the world. By checking out successful blogs, you can get inspiration and follow in their footsteps.
In this article, we’ll share some of the best blog examples that you must check out for inspiration.
WordPress is the most popular website builder and content management system (CMS) in the world. Over 42% of all websites on the internet use WordPress.
With WordPress, you can set up a new blog quickly without writing any code. Most popular bloggers use WordPress for its flexibility, easy-to-use admin panel, and thousands of themes to customize the design.
There are also thousands of free and premium WordPress plugins available to extend the features and functionality of your blog.
That being said, let’s take a look at the best successful blog examples to follow for inspiration. Hopefully these blog examples will help you in starting your own blog.
You can use the quick links below to jump to your blogging niche of choice.
WordPress blogs offer tips, tricks, and tutorials that cover the ins and outs of WordPress. They help to answer common WordPress questions and show readers how to make the most out of their WordPress websites.
Most WordPress blogs make money with affiliate marketing, and selling their own products like themes, plugins, and more.
WPBeginner is the largest free resource for WordPress tutorials to help beginners master the basics and beyond. You’ll find over 2,000 different WordPress tutorials to help you get started with WordPress.
IsItWP is another top WordPress blog that also offers a collection of helpful WordPress tools. You’ll find a WordPress theme detector, speed test tool, and even a WordPress security scanner.
WPForms is the best contact form plugin for WordPress. There’s also a WPForms blog that will help you get the most out of the plugin and learn tips to grow your WordPress business quickly.
Marketing and social media blogs teach business owners how to get more customers, improve their WordPress SEO, get more social media followers, and more.
Usually, these blogs are monetized with online courses, recommending affiliate products and software, and selling digital marketing services.
OptinMonster is the best WordPress popup and lead generation plugin. The OptinMonster blog is filled with valuable tips to help you optimize your website for conversions and make more money.
Social Media Examiner is one of the top social media blogs. The blog covers nearly every topic related to social media and how to grow your followers.
Detailed is an SEO-focused marketing blog that provides a lot of useful and unique information about what’s currently working in the world of SEO.
Business blogs teach small business owners how to grow their businesses online. You’ll find topics related to making money online, getting more traffic, growing your email list, and much more.
Most business blogs make money by selling online courses and through affiliate marketing by recommending products and services they use.
BlogTyrant is the number one online resource for tips and tricks about growing your WordPress blog. The posts cover topics like getting started blogging, increasing your traffic, growing your email list, and making money online.
Neil Patel is one of the top digital marketing blogs. It has blog posts on nearly every topic related to digital marketing, including content marketing, eCommerce, SEO, social media, paid advertising, and more.
Michael Hyatt is the blog bearing the same name as the successful publishing CEO. This blog is dedicated to helping business owners become better leaders and succeed at work and life.
Lifestyle blogs cover a wide range of different topics that speak to a specific audience. For example, you can have a blog aimed at women in their 30s and cover topics like food, fashion, and motherhood.
A lot of lifestyle blogs make money with display ads and affiliate marketing. As your site grows, you can bring on multiple authors and create a multi-author blog.
Wit & Delight is a lifestyle blog founded by Kate Arends in 2014. Since then, it’s grown to over 3.3 million visitors and has blog posts on topics like interior design, health and wellness, food, beauty, and much more.
Art of Manliness started back in 2008 and has grown into one of the largest men’s lifestyle blogs. It covers topics ranging from style, fitness, skill-building, and everything in between.
Camille Styles is a very popular multiple author lifestyle blog. It covers topics like wellness, food, interior design, style, and travel. There’s also a unique shop page that’s monetized with affiliate marketing.
Usually, food blogs are niche focused and tend to cover a specific diet or style of eating, like paleo, vegan, or simple 10-minute recipes. Food blogs are hugely popular and share delicious recipes with their readers.
Since recipe blogs get a lot of traffic, many food blogs make money with display ads or selling third-party cookbooks.
If you want to start your own WordPress food blog, then see our guide on how to start a food blog.
I am a food blog is a food and recipe blog run by a husband and wife team. It combines travel and food to highlight unique recipes worldwide, along with stunning step by step images.
Smitten Kitchen is a popular food blog run by Deb Perelman for many years. The recipes are beginner-friendly and can be made with simple ingredients. The success of the blog led to publishing a popular cookbook.
Minimalist Baker is a recipe blog that focuses on simple and fast recipes. There’s also a unique recipe index that lets you search through all the recipes on the site with ease.
Parenting and mom blogs offer life advice and helpful tips for new parents.
The parent blogging space is huge, and most blogs that stand out take a unique angle. You’ll find niche parenting blogs for new dads, single moms, toddler raising, and more.
Blogs in this space are monetized with display ads, affiliate product recommendations, and even online courses and coaching.
Mommyish is a popular mom blog that offers all kinds of content related to being a mom. Including topics like childrearing, pregnancy, product reviews, and parenting hacks.
Imperfect Families is a parenting blog run by Nicole Schwartz, an online parent coach and professional therapist. The blog offers plenty of helpful advice for new parents and also offers online courses for sale.
Fatherly is a very popular online magazine-style blog dedicated to young fathers. It was even named one of Oprah’s favorite things in 2018. Articles range from advice for new dads, best gear posts, and more.
Health and fitness is one of the most popular and lucrative niches online. Most health and fitness blogs focus on a specific niche. For example, you have paleo, gluten-free, running, fitness over 40, and much more.
If you’re starting a health and fitness blog, then see our collections of WordPress themes for fitness blogs, yoga studios, and Crossfit gyms.
Health and fitness blogs can make money in a variety of ways, including creating a membership site, and starting a podcast and getting sponsorships.
Born Fitness is a popular fitness blog that makes improving your health and fitness simple. There are tons of articles related to getting in shape, eating better, and cooking.
Ben Greenfield Fitness is a blog and podcast dedicated to helping people achieve the highest levels of performance in life. The blog features in-depth articles and interviews with industry experts.
Blogilates is a women’s fitness blog that features helpful fitness articles, workout calendars, and healthy recipes. There are also free workout videos and fitness challenges readers can join.
Travel blogs offer tips and advice for all kinds of travelers. Most blogs in this space are based on personal experience and offer trip recommendations, must-see destinations, and more.
They can be monetized with affiliate programs, Google Adsense revenue, and more.
For more details on starting a popular travel blog, see our guide on how to start a travel blog.
Nomadic Matt is a budget travel blog that’s helped millions of people around the world travel affordably. It features in-depth travel guides, travel tips, destination guides, and more.
The blog’s popularity led to launching a New York Times best-selling book.
Adventurous Kate is a travel blog for women interested in solo travel. It has many articles from years of solo travel and covers topics like travel destinations, best travel resources, and more.
Asher & Lyric is a popular travel blog dedicated to helping families travel safer and smarter. There are in-depth travel and packing guides for most vacation destinations around the world.
Fashion blogs cover fashion trends, style tips, and more. This style of blog is usually niche-focused, like men’s fashion, or affordable fashion.
Many fashion blogs make money with affiliate marketing and recommend their outfits and clothing items to their readers.
For more details on starting a fashion blog, see our step by step guide on how to start a fashion blog.
Dappered is a popular men’s fashion blog that offers advice and fashion tips for men on a budget. The articles feature style tips, clothing reviews, and even a dedicated forum where readers can share style information.
The Style Fairy is an Ireland-based style blog from professional stylist Noami Clarke. It features fashion, beauty, and lifestyle tips. Plus, it highlights images from her popular Instagram account and includes an online store.
Jo-Lynne Shane is a women’s fashion blog that offers fashion advice and tips on the latest fashion trends. Articles also include recent sales, outfit suggestions, and more.
Tech and gaming blogs cover the latest of what’s happening in the technology and gaming industry. Some blogs cover the latest news, while others provide in-depth game reviews, product reviews, and more.
A lot of tech and gaming blogs use WordPress magazine themes to showcase a wide range of content and authors.
If you want to start a gaming blog, then see our step by step guide on how to make a gaming website with WordPress.
That Video Game Blog is a popular gaming blog that provides gaming reviews for nearly every console. The reviews are very in-depth and helpful. There’s also gaming lifestyle content and accessory reviews.
The Next Web is a popular tech and news blog that features articles and insights into the tech world, coding and development, AI, startups, and more.
Android Police is a magazine style tech blog that covers everything to do with Android. There are articles about the latest news, deals and coupons, reviews, device features, and more.
Career blogs offer advice and guidance for job seekers and employers to help them make the most out of their careers. These blogs are often monetized by personal coaching and selling online courses.
These blogs can focus on specific niches of careers, like creatives, corporate careers, and remote jobs, or take a more broad approach to careers and jobs.
If you’re looking to launch a graphic design career and build your website, then check out our list of the best WordPress themes for graphic designers and our picks of the best WordPress portfolio plugins.
99u is a blog from Adobe that’s a great career resource for graphic designers and other creatives. There are interviews, in-depth guides on inspiration, collaboration, portfolios, and more.
HR bartender is a career and workplace blog run by HR consultant Sharlyn Lauby. The blog covers many different topics related to the workplace like career advice, how to be a better leader, and more.
Undercover Recruiter offers content about job and career development for employers and job seekers. The blog posts cover topics like hiring, preparing for a job interview, recruiting new employees, and more.
DIY blogs cover topics like home remodeling, decorating, and more. The articles are written in the “how-to” format and show readers how to complete similar projects.
This style of blog also has high quality images that show each project at different steps. Some DIY bloggers also branch out into YouTube, and get a lot of traffic from Pinterest.
For more details on connecting WordPress to Pinterest to get traffic, see our guide on how to verify your WordPress site on Pinterest.
I SPY DIY is a DIY blog run by a husband and wife team. The posts feature new projects, entire home renovations, and other lifestyle posts. Every post has step by step images showing you how to do the same thing.
Young House Love is a popular DIY blog running for over 14 years. There are over 3,000 DIY projects highlighted across the blog. There’s even a great before and after section that shows the progress that was made.
Collective Gen is a DIY blog led by Geneva Vanderzeil and has millions of readers across the world. It has covers topics like DIY interiors, style, upcycled goods, travel, wellness, and more.
Photography blogs feature tips, tutorials, buying guides, and interviews for inspiration. They often make money by selling online courses, using display advertising, and affiliate marketing.
If you’re building your own photography blog, then make sure to see our picks of the best WordPress themes for photographers.
The Flickr blog is a companion to the Flickr photo sharing service. The blog features photos, interviews, and collections from around the world.
Digital Photography School is a photography blog with tips and tutorials for beginner to advanced photographers. It has over 5 million monthly readers.
PetaPixel is a popular photography and camera news blog. It has articles about nearly every area of photography like camera reviews, photography website tips, in-depth guides, and much more.
Finance blogs help people earn more, save more, and spend less. Personal finance blogs can cover a single area of finance like paying off debt, reviewing the best software, recommending index funds, and more.
As finance blogs become popular and get more traffic, they usually branch out into related topics.
If you’re starting your own personal finance blog, then see our list of the best WordPress themes for financial sites.
The Penny Hoarder was founded in 2010 and has grown into one of the largest personal finance blogs on the internet. The articles cover topics like making money, budgeting, saving money, debt, retirement, and more.
I Will Teach You To Be Rich is the blog of best-selling author Ramit Sethi. It’s been running since 2004 and provides actionable personal finance advice and articles about starting a business, advancing your career, and more.
Mr. Money Mustache is the blog of personal finance expert Peter Adeney. The blog takes a unique perspective on personal finance and has a large and loyal following of readers.
Looking at all of these popular blogs, you may be wondering how you can start your own WordPress blog?
Luckily, starting your own blog is easy with the right tools.
You’ll need three main things to get started:
Normally, a domain name costs around $15-20 per year, and web hosting starts from $7.95 per year.
This can be a big investment, especially when you’re just getting started online.
Luckily, Bluehost has agreed to offer our readers a free domain name and a big discount on hosting. You can get started for as little as $2.75 per month.
→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Deal ←
When it comes to choosing the best blogging platform, we recommend choosing WordPress.
Now, there are two main types of WordPress blogs. WordPress.com is the hosted version and WordPress.org is self-hosted. For more details, see our guide on the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.
We recommend using the self-hosted WordPress.org version because it gives you all the features you need right out of the box (this is what we use at WPBeginner).
For more details, see our in depth guide on how to start a WordPress blog.
If you’re looking for even more creative inspiration, then make sure you check out our ultimate list of WordPress website examples.
We hope this article helped you find some of the best blog examples to get inspired. You may also want to see our guide on how to get a free email domain, or check out our comparison of the best email marketing services for small business.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post 40+ Best Blog Examples of 2021 – Successful Bloggers to Follow for Inspiration appeared first on WPBeginner.
Our recommendation for most people is ZenBusiness or IncFile because they simplify the process of forming an LLC and help business owners do so affordably. Start your LLC with ZenBusiness for $0 plus state filing fees, or get started with IncFile for free.
It’s our mission to find top-tier services and products for our readers, which is why our research team spent four weeks analyzing over 1,100 reviews and numerous features, data points, and pros and cons of 13 LLC formation services.
Our deep dive led us to the final 11 best LLC services that we’ve reviewed for this guide. Here, we deliver all the details you need to know about each, along with scenario matches and crucial points to consider when choosing the right LLC service.
We narrowed our initial list of 13 candidates to the following 11 services. Ultimately, ZenBusiness and IncFile are our recommendations for most businesses based on their straightforward guidance and affordable pricing. Start your business for as little as $0 plus state filing fees with ZenBusiness or file a free LLC with IncFile.
To help you narrow your options, we followed a strict methodology to evaluate and eliminate companies that didn’t quite fit the bill. Explore our process below, or you can skip straight to the reviews to learn more about each LLC service.
In the first evaluation round, we assessed 13 top LLC services.
The companies we considered were BizFilings, Harbor Compliance, Inc Authority, IncFile, Incorporate.com, LegalNature, LegalZoom, MyCompanyWorks, MyCorporation, Northwest Registered Agent, Rocket Lawyer, Swyft Filings, ZenBusiness.
As a company that’s had its fair share of LLCs and other business formations, we know what goes into an incredible LLC service. Based on that knowledge and what other business owners need in an LLC service, we evaluated each company based on the following criteria:
Comparing each company to this set of criteria, we found that each of the 13 services exhibited the necessary qualities to stay on the list.
Because we want to offer only the best of the best, hyper-specific options for you to choose from, our research team identified two companies that offered similar features as others on the list but without similar value. These are the companies that qualified but are not recommended:
Incorporate.com: Incorporate.com is a popular option with plenty to offer. However, its fees are higher than comparable companies, reducing its value.
MyCorporation: Similarly, MyCorporation has unnecessarily higher fees than other top contenders without providing stand-out features.
After eliminating the two companies above, we were left with the following 11 LLC services, each of which we believe is ideal for various business needs.
LLC business owners commonly fall into one or more of the following categories. To help guide your research and narrow your options, we’ve identified the top two LLC services for each scenario:
Best Option: ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness potentially has the easiest setup process for LLC owners. The guided setup wizard walks new business owners through the required documentation and steps to set up an LLC without needing to know all the details.
Customer support is also top-notch with this company. Get your questions answered quickly via email, phone, or live chat, with agents even available during weekend hours.
Another great choice: IncFile
IncFile offers free LLC business filing and free one-year registered agent services, making it super affordable for entrepreneurs. Its simple navigation and guided setup are also extremely helpful for new business owners.
When you’re new to the business scene, consider:
Best Option: ZenBusiness
When amending or changing your LLC filing is necessary, ZenBusiness can help. It sticks with you throughout the life of your business, allowing easy access to document updates, converting to other business types, or dissolving a business.
Another great choice: LegalZoom
LegalZoom also supports multiple types of business filing and changes, including applying for business licenses and filing annual reports.
If you don’t want to be left without support after forming your LLC, think about:
Best Option: Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent’s main service is registered agent services. The cost of the service lowers as you file with more states, making it an ideal option for businesses operating in multiple locations.
Another great choice: IncFile
IncFile’s registered agent service is free for your first year when you file your LLC. Business owners can try it during this time to make sure it’s a good fit without committing financially.
If your state requires your business to have a registered agent, you should look for:
Best Option: Northwest Registered Agent
When you file with Northwest Registered Agent, you’ll automatically get same-day business filing without additional charges. You’ll also get immediate access to an online account where you can view your documents and track the progress of your filing.
Another great choice: MyCompanyWorks
File your LLC with MyCompanyWorks before 3 pm EST, and you’ll get same-day business filing. If you go past the cutoff, you can still get a quick filing the next business day with no extra fee.
When you don’t have a lot of time to spare, think about:
Best Option: Rocket Lawyer
Legal assistance can help business owners ensure that their company is compliant and meets all state requirements. Rocket Lawyer’s built-in legal team provides legal advice that you can purchase on an as-needed basis or use more regularly with a subscription.
The company also has legal forms and templates for convenient use on its website.
Another great choice: LegalZoom
LegalZoom’s Business Advisory Plan lets LLC owners access legal consultations and a library of legal forms on an ongoing basis. You can subscribe to the plan annually for $459.
When you want extra help from experienced attorneys, consider:
Best Option: LegalNature
Although compliance isn’t LegalNature’s primary service, the company’s Compliance Guard option is one of the best of its kind. Compliance Guard provides you with just about everything you need to keep your company in the green zone, including meeting minutes, annual filings, and company resolutions.
For just $125 a year, it’s an affordable solution to ensure compliance.
Another great choice: Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance’s software, ComplianceAdviser, is a suite of tools customized to your business’s compliance needs. This service may cost more than others, but it could be the right solution for LLCs with more intricate compliance needs.
Avoid potential legal issues when forming or operating your business by prioritizing:
The final 11 LLC services we chose best fit the common scenarios business owners use them for and have the features they typically look for in the right service.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for every business, though. That’s why we researched each company in depth to give you the details you need to know for an informed decision. Below, find our reviews of each company along with the situations they tend to work best with.
Entrepreneurs and startup businesses likely want to get straight to the point when forming their LLCs. ZenBusiness provides one of the most straightforward setups to create an LLC in a matter of minutes.
You start with its interactive chatbot that asks the important questions necessary to give you the right documentation for your state. The guide walks you through every step, leaving no opportunities for guesswork along the way.
New or solo business owners can also appreciate ZenBusiness Academy, which includes tons of online resources free for members. This suite of tools is basically training for small businesses to learn the nuances of tax filing, accounting, creating a business plan, and more.
ZenBusiness carries its simplicity beyond its initial setup with an easy-to-use platform for managing your account, finding documentation, and accessing learning tools.
The company can also serve as your ongoing registered agent to manage and store important documents related to your business. This service helps you stay compliant, monitor legal notices, and learn of legal matters you may need to respond to.
If you’re new to the entrepreneurial scene, you may need additional help as you navigate your business. ZenBusiness’s reliable and prompt customer service has proven experience assisting customers with various business needs and questions. Its broad hours of operation even include some Sunday support hours.
ZenBusiness starts at an affordable $0 plus state filing fees, keeping things affordable for entrepreneurs and startups. Numerous add-on options still allow you to scale as needed.
Read our full ZenBusiness review to see what else the service has to offer.
If you’re in the market for a no-frills LLC setup that gets straight to the point, you probably won’t find anything simpler than IncFile. Business owners can set up their LLCs within a couple of minutes by answering a few questions, and IncFile takes care of the rest.
It even does it for free if you choose the Silver package, which includes the necessities, like unlimited business name searches and prepared legal documents. All you pay is your state’s filing fees.
For LLCs wanting more, like registered agent services, an EIN, or an operating agreement, the free plan won’t cut it. Still, IncFile has the option of upgrading to other plans with just as simple setups.
Although IncFile’s setup is highly self-explanatory and intuitive, helpful customer support is available by phone during typical business hours, Monday through Friday, to have as a backup.
To maintain its ease-of-use factor across the life of your business, IncFile also provides several optional services to add as needed. For example, you can purchase a domain name and business email through IncFile or add accounting and bookkeeping services to manage your financials all year.
Paid pricing for IncFile starts at $199, giving you free registered agent services for one year and extra documents that you may need for your LLC. However, solopreneurs can likely get by with the free plan.
Find out what IncFile can do for your business.
Privacy is something that many companies take into consideration by giving you options for how they handle your personal information. However, Northwest Registered Agent makes privacy protection the standard in everything it does for your business.
As soon as you sign up, the company protects your information by default, leaving your business address off communications and keeping your data in its hands rather than selling it to others. As your registered agent service, the company prioritizes the privacy of you and your business.
Because Northwest Registered Agent focuses on registered agent services, it doesn’t offer some of the services that other LLC formation companies do, like domain registration and business banking, which is important to keep in mind if you want an all-in-one solution.
Registered agent services from Northwest Registered Agent are available in all states. The more states you file with, the lower the cost for services per state.
The company scans every document you receive rather than just legal communication, including state and federal mail. You’ll also get compliance alerts to keep you informed of important legal requirements, all while protecting your privacy.
Northwest Registered Agent also offers a business phone number with an easy-to-use dashboard for quick customer access. You can use the number specifically for business communications to keep your personal number private.
Northwest Registered Agent charges $100 plus your state’s filing fees for LLC formation, but its registered agent services cost an additional $125 per year. This service isn’t optional, so you will want to look elsewhere if you don’t need a registered agent.
Rocket Lawyer provides LLC formation services with an overarching theme of quality legal support, allowing you to be only an arm’s length from credentialed lawyers when your business needs it.
Unlike other services with basic legal support attached to extra fees, Rocket Lawyer includes its support in an affordable subscription plan. The monthly cost gives you access to legal documents, free legal questions, and 30-minute consultations for each new legal issue.
Perhaps one caveat for some business owners to consider is that Rocket Lawyer’s customer support hours are limited to weekdays only, so you may not have access to the legal help you need outside of those hours.
Rocket Lawyer includes a Document Defense service, which helps protect your business in the case of an issue arising with contracts or documents made through the company. You can simply request a review to have a lawyer look over the issue and respond on your behalf to assist enforcement.
The service is also incredibly easy to use, whether you’re setting up your LLC or creating a new document. The guided walk-through asks all the right questions to customize your document. Each document has gone through an extensive legal review to protect you.
Rocket Lawyer’s membership is $39.99 per month, including on-call attorney services and incorporation filing discounts. Get a 7-day free trial to test it for yourself.
Learn more about Rocket Lawyer and how it can help you with your ongoing legal needs.
LegalNature provides LLC formation services with done-for-you paperwork, filing, and EIN attainment so that you can begin operating as soon as possible. A guided setup with just a few questions is all you need to get started.
After forming your LLC, you can take advantage of LegalNature’s various business documents that are simple enough to customize on your own. With the help of the guided wizard, you can create operating agreements, a business plan, amendments, purchase agreements, and more, whenever you need them.
LegalNature emphasizes simplicity and speed so that each legal document can be ready in minutes.
After forming your LLC and creating documents with LegalNature, you can view everything you’ve created in your online business portal. This easy-to-use dashboard lets you access documents at any time, create new forms, and organize everything from your computer or mobile device.
LegalNature truly provides a DIY-friendly experience, but it also offers a registered agent service for $125 per year to manage and store legal correspondence for your business. You’ll receive an email every time LegalNature receives a document on your behalf, allowing quick reviews.
LegalNature offers formation-only pricing for $49 plus state filing fees. However, to create business documents, you’ll need a subscription for $119 per year or $39 per month. Get a free 7-day trial of LegalNature before committing.
Is LegalNature the right choice for your LLC? Read our full LegalNature review.
LegalZoom goes above and beyond for business owners far after their initial LLC filing with a broad mix of services ranging from operating a business to managing a thriving brand.
With LegalZoom, you’ll start with a straightforward LLC setup with guided help along the way. With select packages, experienced attorneys can help you ensure that everything gets done the way you need it to.
Once set up, you can move on to LegalZoom’s comprehensive business services, like trademarking, contract writing, and provisional patenting. LegalZoom also provides registered agent services, tax help, and a virtual mailbox.
With over 3.5 million businesses launched, LegalZoom’s track record speaks to their commitment to customer satisfaction, as demonstrated by their 100% satisfaction guarantee.
It’s notable that LegalZoom could land on the pricier side based on the services you need, as the company charges using more of a per-service format rather than offering packages. You may want to speak with customer support to get a quote for your precise needs.
LegalZoom’s pick-and-choose-what-you-need model could be an excellent option for scaling LLCs. You’re free to add on services as needed and drop what you no longer need rather than buying a package that may include services you won’t use.
For instance, the Total Compliance service files annual reports on your behalf and alerts you with critical dates for your business’s compliance. Its Compliance Calendar has a low annual fee and keeps important filing dates frontloaded to help you avoid penalties.
LegalZoom provides a range of LLC filing options, including a free plan that covers basic registration. For $249 plus state filing fees, the Pro plan offers business consultations, an operations guide, and operating agreement creation. The Premium plan, which costs $299, offers even more benefits, such as hands-on guidance from an experienced attorney.
LegalZoom’s pricing options give businesses the flexibility to choose the plan that best suits their needs and budget. Find out more about how LegalZoom works for businesses.
Forming an LLC can be the first step toward building a larger business. It can be helpful starting with a company like BizFilings, which has numerous available services to add on as your business grows.
BizFilings starts with a simple setup process that includes a business name search, quality and compliance checks, and done-for-you filing. When selecting your package, you can choose additional services to scale your business, like payroll tax management and registered agent services.
Business owners setting up their LLC through BizFilings can also access its BizComply tool, which sends you alerts and necessary forms to keep your business compliant, even as it scales.
An LLC filing with BizFilings includes three free months of its registered agent services to manage your documents and assist you with compliance needs. You can continue to use this service to handle tasks if you decide to incorporate in the future.
LLC owners can add operating agreements, annual report filing, business license research services, amendment filings, and numerous other options to their LLC formation package. Payroll services through ADP are also available should you need help managing employee payments for a growing team.
Package pricing starts at $99 plus state filing fees, while add-ons range from $20-$199. Get BizComply free for three months when you sign up.
Compliance is in its name, and Harbor Compliance lives up to its focus of providing businesses with helpful tools to manage their legal requirements.
Technically, Harbor Compliance is an online tool that helps you DIY much of your business’s compliance needs. Use the software to review and file new documents, renew licenses and registrations, and receive business communications from your registered agent.
Harbor Compliance’s specialists stand behind you to review documentation and alert you when something needs your attention.
If you one a comprehensive solution with additional services like trademarking and business domain registration, there are better options than Harbor Compliance. But for companies prioritizing compliance after filing their LLCs, this company is worth considering.
A stand-out offering of Harbor Compliance is its ComplianceAdviser tool. This complete package includes registered agent services, compliance audits, DBA renewals, and other must-have features for year-round compliance.
The license management tool within Harbor Compliance’s software also lets business owners search a state’s requirements through its database. Then, track the renewal status of each license right from your dashboard.
Forming an LLC starts at $99 plus state filing fees, but there are options for expedited filing. Registered agent services begin at $89 per year, depending on your state.
Although there are a few services that let you form an LLC for free, Inc Authority offers more than just a free filing. Business owners also get a business name check, a funding consultation, and other extras that blend affordability with value.
Despite it being a free service, you won’t feel as though you’re not getting the quality filing your business deserves. Inc Authority includes a similar guided setup as other services to ensure that your business is formed correctly and provides premium access to experts if you need help.
Your free filing even includes a tax consultation, registered agent services for your first year, and digital document storage and management without any additional fees.
Inc Authority has exceptional value in its free services, but it also has plenty of affordable options for businesses to create a custom plan as their needs change.
One way to get several services for one cost is to opt for a premium service bundle with annual compliance notifications, business name searches, and a website domain. You can also add a la carte services to your free plan, including a legal documents package for $99 or an operating agreement for $89.
The company’s registered agent services are just $99 per year after your free first year, which gives you adequate time to test it out and ensure that it’s right for you. Premium packages start at $399 plus state filing fees.
Check out our full Inc Authority review to learn more about its perks.
MyCompanyWorks processes any of its submitted business filings the same day if they’re in the system and paid for before 3 pm EST. This is a unique feature for LLC services, many of which process filings within a few business days, only offering same-day service for an additional—and often hefty—fee.
If you do happen to get your filing complete after the 3 pm cutoff, you’ll still be eligible for next-day filing, so long as it’s a regular business day. Again, there’s no extra cost for this service.
The company’s setup is easy to use, too, so you don’t have to worry about getting hung up on the filing process if you’re close to meeting the deadline for same-day processing.
MyCompanyWorks simplifies single and multi-state filing with its interactive setup wizard that keeps track of your progress, so you’ll always know how much you have left to finish. You’ll also get email notifications to stay on top of any additional documentation or reminders about your filing.
Once you file, you’ll also see the status of your order in your online dashboard. Track it from processing to acceptance with 24/7 access and monitoring.
MyCompanyWorks has three pricing options starting at $59 plus state filing fees. LLC owners might want to consider the Entrepreneur package for $199 plus state filing fees, which includes registered agent services and lifetime access to the company’s suite of business and legal forms.
Read our full review of MyCompanyWorks to see what else it has to offer.
Forming an LLC is usually a relatively straightforward process, but you may still need help along the way. It’s always a good idea to have available support when you need it, and Swyft Filings provides that for its customers.
Every person who uses Swyft Filings to form their LLC gets a dedicated Business Specialist on their side. You’ll get your specialist’s phone number and email, giving you direct access to them during their usual working hours. Your specialist becomes your go-to resource when you have questions about your business filing.
Registered agent services are also available per quarter, giving you additional help with managing your company’s paperwork and correspondence.
Not only is your business specialist available to answer your questions after filing for your LLC, but they’ll also personally review your filing to check for common errors before turning it over to your state.
If you can’t get a hold of your specialist—for instance, if it’s outside of their usual working hours—you can still contact customer support quickly via phone or live chat, Monday through Friday.
Automated features give you extra support, too. For instance, ComplianceGuard keeps you abreast of important due dates and renewals, while the online documents feature stores and organizes your documents for your convenience.
A Swyft Filings plan starts at $49 plus state filing fees. Each plan includes a business name verification, lifetime customer support, ComplianceGuard alerts, and a one-hour business tax consultation. An easy payment plan is available to help you get started affordably.
Learn what else Swyft Filings does well in our detailed review.
The following resources provide additional guidance that may come in handy as you find the right LLC service for your business. We’ve broken down the resources into reviews, comparisons, top lists, and guides so you can quickly locate the information you need.
You visit your WordPress site and, wait a minute…it looks different. There were some changes made that you didn’t create yourself. So, you go to log in to take a peek around and fix the issues. However, it’s not letting you log in. Uh-oh. It looks like your WordPress site was (gulp!) hacked.
As concerning as that is, take a deep breath, relax, and know that there’s a path to get your website back into your control from hackers. And we’ll break it all down for you in this article.
Along the way, you’ll see how to resolve many hacking issues for free with the help of our WordPress security plugin, Defender.
I’ll be going over:
Plus, there’ll be some resources to prevent this from happening in the first place.
After reading this article, you’ll be able to be prepared for any hackers, know how to handle an attack, get your site under your control in no time — and breathe a sigh of relief.
All websites are susceptible to hacking, not just WordPress sites.
WordPress, in fact, is quite a secure platform. So, just because you’re using WordPress isn’t the only reason you might become a victim.
The thing is, WordPress is so popular that WordPress sites are frequently the target of hackers. There are just many WordPress sites worldwide, making the odds go up.
With that in mind, why do sites get hacked?
Hackers have their reasons. It could be because they want to use your WordPress site to attack other sites. Or, possibly the hacker has malicious intentions, like stealing personal data.
There’s a multitude of objectives why sites get hacked. Sometimes, it’s just a fun activity for a hacker to do on a Sunday afternoon while sipping on a mocha.
And it’s done in many ways, too.
It might just boil down to someone having your WordPress admin username and password. Or, it might be that you have insecure web hosting, which makes your site vulnerable to hacking attempts.
Plus, if your site is vulnerable, it’s more prone to attacks.
Here are several reasons why your site may have been targeted:
Weak Passwords: Most brute force attacks rely on weak or easily guessable login passwords (e.g. passwords related to names, places, birthdates, or mobile numbers).
Incorrect File Permissions: File permissions consists of a set of rules used by your web server. They assist your web server control access to files on your website. If you have incorrect file permissions, it can give a hacker access to change your files.
Outdated WordPress Theme or Plugins: If you have an outdated theme or plugins, they’re frequently littered with security flaws and bugs, making your site vulnerable.
WordPress Isn’t Updated: It’s vital to keep your WordPress up-to-date. What’s important to know is WordPress releases new updates for a reason. New versions of WordPress fix security issues and bugs.
All this goes without saying if you have a WordPress site — you can be hacked. However, with adequate prevention, it’s more likely to avoid hacking attempts and keep your site safe.
For more information about keeping your site secure, check our article on ways to secure your WordPress site for free.
As I mentioned in the introduction, you may notice things aren’t right. After all, it’s your website, and you’re used to how it looks and functions — so you catch on quickly when things look weird.
Sometimes, it’s harder to catch that your site has been hacked (e.g. malicious code); however, the signs are usually pretty clear.
Here are some sure signs that your WordPress site was hacked. There’s also a quick explanation of why this may have happened, along with the reasons.
If you’ve noticed one or more of these signs and feel like your site may have been hacked, it’s crucial to take action as quickly as possible. Let’s take a look at what to do next.
There are several steps you can take once you believe you’ve been hacked. Keep in mind that some of these steps may not be necessary. It all depends on what kind of attack from a hacker occurred.
These steps should give you a clear path, regardless of attack, on ways to get back in control of your WordPress site as quickly as possible.
Following some of these necessary steps will help you get your site back in no time from the grasp of a hacker that wreaked havoc on it.
That being said, it can’t be emphasized enough to make sure that you know how to clean up your website the right way after a hacker attacks it. The goal of cleaning up your site after an attack is to get it back the way you had it, so you don’t want to wreck your site trying to do it yourself if you’re not sure how.
If you have any questions on what to do, it’s important to contact support or get in touch with a professional.
Luckily, depending on the type of hack, a lot can be done with our free security plugin, Defender. He’s been mentioned already several times throughout this article, and here’s a detailed look at what he can do after an attack.
This section is a four-step guide if it appears malware may be the cause of the hacking.
Here are the steps we’ll be taking:
Keep in mind that Defender works as a great preventative measure as well, so you don’t get hacked in the first place. To get a glimpse at what all he can do, be sure to read our article on getting the most out of Defender.
If you were hacked, let’s check out what you can do to clean up the mess with Defender.
To determine if malware might be an issue with your website, the first thing to do is scan WordPress’s core files for malicious code.
That’s done from Defender’s dashboard by tapping New Scan.
It will be just a few moments for Defender to check out your site’s core files for malware.
If any issues are detected, Defender will let you know how many were found.
Please note that the free version of Defender will scan WordPress’s core files. If you want him to scan other areas, you’re able to with Defender Pro. Defender Pro’s additional scanning includes:
Plugins & Themes: Plugins and themes are scanned for known, publicly-reported vulnerabilities.
Suspicious Code: Crank-up scanning a notch by scanning all site files for suspicious PHP functions and code.
Since we detected some issues, let’s get them taken care of.
And for more on scanning your WordPress site for malware, check out this article.
After a scan, you can easily find all of the issues that Defender spotted in the admin’s Issues section.
Here, Defender discloses the issue. He will tell you detailed and specific information, including:
You then have the option to Delete or Ignore the code.
If you want to get rid of the issue immediately, you can in one-click by hitting the Delete File button.
If you decide to delete the file, it will be deleted permanently. The bad code will no longer be a problem.
Plus, you can delete things in bulk if there are numerous issues.
Wiping-out bad code can’t get much easier after a hacker attacks your site.
A note of caution: It’s important to be 100% sure that something is harmless before deleting and/or ignoring it. Contact one of our experts 24/7 if you’re unsure or need advice.
Please read our article about finding and deleting suspicious code with Defender for more detailed information.
If you deleted suspicious code from your site, just like you ran a scan the first time, do it again to ensure that all of the issues are taken care of.
Ensure that you stay on top of any hacking activity by setting up notifications and automated scans in Defender. It’s easy to do and one of the most effective ways to know if you’ve been hacked.
In the Notifications section, you can configure what notifications you want to enable, add recipients for the notifications, schedule reports, and configure reports.
You can set up the Notifications for:
And you can set up Reporting for:
Enable notifications individually or in bulk.
Choose what notifications and reporting you want: Individually or in bulk.
Set up users you have in your admin, or invite by email, that you’d like to receive notifications.
You can schedule Security Notifications to be delivered daily, weekly, or monthly.
When it comes to Reporting, customize the frequency, day of the week, and time to deliver reports.
You’re now set up to be aware of malware hacking issues and immediately take care of them.
There’s a ton more you can do with Defender when it comes to security, such as setting up a firewall, IP lockouts, and two-factor authentication.
Once you have your site back in your hands and cleaned-up from any destruction a hacker caused, it’s essential to make sure you’re not on Google’s Safe Browsing List. If you are, it’s vital to get off it.
Luckily, it’s quick and easy to do. There are six main steps to take
After you submit a request to have your site reviewed, the timeline for the review to be processed varies depending on what type of attack you had. Here’s a look at the different timelines for review process times:
Hacked with Spam: Several weeks
Malware: A few days
Phishing: A day
Once Google determines that your site is clean, warnings from browsers and search results will more than likely be removed within 72 hours.
If your site request wasn’t approved, be sure to reassess your site for malware, spam, or any modifications that may have been caused by a hacker. Then, you can always submit it again for review.
You wake up and go to your website’s URL. After taking a look around, it’s perfect. Everything is in order, and there’s no evidence of a hack anywhere. Whew! It looks like you cleaned-up the hacker’s mess, and you’re protected a bit better now.
Hopefully, it won’t happen, but if a hacker does attack again, you’ll be ready to move quickly and get your site back with ease. With plugins like Defender and the tips mentioned in the article, the process of getting your site back into your control usually isn’t as daunting as you might think.
We have a lot more information about cleaning up your site after a hacking. After all, it can leave a mark. It’s not as simple as grabbing some rubber gloves and stain remover to make your site nice and shiny again.
Be sure to read our article How I Cleaned Up My Site After it Was Hacked and Blocklisted, and Have You Been Hacked? How to Clean Your Site and Get Off Google’s Blocklist.
Also, this is #SecurityMonth, so you can currently get 35% off your first year of our Security & Backups Pack featuring Defender Pro, Snapshot Pro, Shipper Pro, and Automate to help clean up your security. Click on the coupon below to unlock the exclusive deal.
35% Off Security & Backups Pack
With what we’ve mentioned in this article and our other resources, you should have your WordPress site clean in no time.
Today I will be sharing my experience in developing a flexible Telegram-bot. His purpose: obtaining information and controlling IoT devices via the MQTT protocol.
What’s so special? Because this is not just a bot with two-three hardcoded buttons to operate a light bulb (there are many examples of that on the Internet), but a bot that supports flexible subscriptions and commands to operate directly from the menu, without any changes introduced to the source code. It’s a ‘NoCode solution’, so to speak.
First, we came across this tip after one of our editors (looking at you Jeff!) from Australia happened to need custom made window blinds for his brand new home he had purchased. Being a tech-savvy person he knew all about the DIY options available online and browsed the web for his window coverings until ultimately […]
The post How to start a window coverings business with WordPress and WooCommerce appeared first on WPArena.
Did you know that 53% of all Americans use the internet to read the news each and everyday? And that television and print news are on the decline? That means that there’s never been a better time to start your own online resource for the latest and greatest in news, gossip, fashion, DIY or anything else! […]
The post 34 Best News & Magazine Style Themes for WordPress appeared first on WPExplorer.
A web page isn't locked in stone just because it has rendered visually. Media assets, like images, can come in and cause the layout to shift based on their size, which typically isn't known in fluid layouts until they do render. Or fonts can load and reflow layout. Or XHRs can bring in more content to be placed onto the page. We're always doing what we can to prevent the layout from shifting around — that's what I mean by layout jank. It's awkward and nobody likes it. At best, it causes you to lose your place while reading; at worst, it can mean clicking on something you really didn't mean to.
While I was trying to wrap my head around the new Layout Instability API and chatting it out with friends, Eric Portis said something characteristically smart. Basically, layout jank is a problem and it's being fought on multiple fronts:
intrinsicsize as an HTML attribute and aspect-ratio as a CSS property. Both are designed for this fight, although they don't really have great browser support yet, requiring DIY aspect ratio boxes intead. Plus, ideas like this change to UA stylesheets to widen the effectiveness of aspect-ratio.overflow-anchor.The post The Fight Against Layout Jank appeared first on CSS-Tricks.
If your child ever makes a special wish, you will do everything in your power to make it happen, right? So, my daughter's wish was a 'moon lamp'. And here is it: a magnetic, levitating (MagLev) wireless moonlight:
MagLev Wireless LED Moon
Remember that time when your partner flagged a leak under the sink and suggested calling a plumber? "How hard can it be," you asked. A few grunts and speculative twists and bangs (and a few choice words) later, not to mention a generous application of duct tape, the leak had stopped. Disaster averted (at least until the problem resurfaced a few weeks later). And it was even worse that time. The kitchen flooded, causing more damage than Vesuvius.
DIY, unless you genuinely know what you’re doing, always comes at a cost. Sure, you can learn to become a better plumber. But plumbing is a specialty — and an expensive service — for a reason. On average, it takes nearly a decade to learn the ins and out of the trade.
As in, just a little DIY something you can add to each one of your Pens to brand it and let people know it's one of yours.
I'd bet you already know you could add external resources. Like linking up a JavaScript library, CSS file, or uploading your own asset. You can even link to other Pens as assets, so if you put the URL to another Pen in the CSS or JS asset area, it'll pull the respective code from that Pen.
But you can do that for HTML also!
If you put the URL of a Pen in [[[triple brackets]]] it will pull the HTML from that Pen and put it in place. That's useful for all sorts of stuff. Say you were making three mockups that all needed the same header bar, you could make one Pen for the header bar and import it in all three. Or use it make variations on a theme, like we showed in our introductory blog post.
Another thing people use it for though is CodePen Calling Cards, or little bits of UI you can add to a Pen that essentially brands it for yourself. Doing stuff like linking back to your profile or your own website.
You might need to click over an look on a big screen.
See the Pen
Pulsing 3D Typography Thingy by Peter Barr (@petebarr)
on CodePen.
See the Pen
2019 Pre Signed by Jack Harner (@jackharner)
on CodePen.
Like this:
Which adds a little Steve in the bottom right corner:
See the Pen
Droppy woppy input by Steve Gardner (@ste-vg)
on CodePen.
It's not abstracted into an include yet, but it could be!
See the Pen
CSS Pseudo Class concept: :count-of-type()? by seto89 (@seto89)
on CodePen.
The post CodePen Calling Cards appeared first on CodePen Blog.