All about web hosting - How IONOS helps companies on their way to online success

From taking the first steps on the internet to scaling up with them as they grow, IONOS is the web hosting and cloud partner for small and medium-sized businesses. In an interview with web hosting portal Website Planet, Patrick Schaudel, Head of Online Applications SME at IONOS provides detailed insights into the comprehensive IONOS product world.

At IONOS we are a reliable partner for small businesses, freelancers and consumers as well as enterprise customers with demanding IT requirements. To this end, we want to take away the pain of choosing the right solution for their online business and help them be successful. As one of the world’s largest hosting, cloud infrastructure and cloud service providers, we offer a full range of hosting and business services. These range from classic email and domain hosting, to web hosting, DIY and e-commerce systems; on to online marketing tools and full-fledged server and IaaS solutions.

We offer WordPress Hosting with a "Managed" option to our customers. Meaning, WordPress core, theme, plugin or PHP version updates are carried out by IONOS and our customers. Web professionals and agencies, primarily, can save on maintenance and are able to concentrate on creating great web projects for their clients. Customers who want to take over the full admin role are also able to manage their WordPress plans themselves and do the installation and updates manually. No matter which option they choose, we provide high-performance hosting on a fiber-optic cable as well as optimized PHP and NGINX settings. In addition, we only use fast SSD storage. This ensures up to 50% faster website response time compared to conventional storage systems and, last but not least, with an optimized memory setup and railgun technology we are able to serve up to 500 website visits per minute with our standard plans. 

For customers with higher demands we offer the WordPress Pro line, which provides the fastest possible setup on state- of-the-art dedicated cloud infrastructure. These products are designed for WordPress developers, designers and agencies with the highest performance demands. Our cloud infrastructure is specifically optimized for dynamic WordPress content — the integrated Speed Kit accelerates projects by up to 300% and offers automatic image optimization and sophisticated caching technology. In addition, the WordPress Toolkit offers an optional manual or automatic backup function with up to 2 TB of online storage. A dedicated support team of WordPress experts is available to answer any questions.

Yes, we offer the most popular CMS web applications at IONOS, including TYPO3, Joomla!, Drupal and PrestaShop. To use these hosting applications, customers simply need to download them from our web hosting interface. All of the above CMS web apps are free, up to date and set up as turn-key solutions, so users can get started right away. 

MyWebsite Now is developed just for users who want to get online with their business as fast and easy as possible. We’ve recognized that our customers — especially those with micro and small businesses — suffer from the lack of time to devote to their online presences. At the same time, they have needs and expect the latest designs and intuitive usability. 

So we started developing MyWebsite Now internally, and now are proud to offer one of the easiest and most intuitive website builders on the market. Creating a great-looking website fast, but that is individually adapted to our customers’ expectations was always at the forefront of development. The tool allows you to playfully adapt layout, design and content to your own ideas using indestructible section templates which guarantee a professional result. So far, customer feedback shows that we hit a sweet spot.  

More precisely, the solution is based on ready-made building blocks and intelligent, combinable page sections that can be customized with styles and colors in no time. These predefined sections can be used to quickly create a website with a perfect design. All elements such as fonts, photos, shapes and color schemes can be easily personalized according to taste. In addition, the site is practically indestructible because all structure and design changes are seamlessly integrated and always lead to a professional result. The finished website is also automatically optimized for all screen types, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops — essentially, users get one website that’s optimized for all devices. All MyWebsite Now packages also include everything needed to launch a successful website: a free domain secured by an SSL certificate, and a matching professional email address. And last but more important than ever for global business — MyWebsite Now’s consent-management solution ensures that the website is fully compliant with the European Union’s new data protection law (GDPR). 

“Pro” is a pretty broad range. MyWebsite Creator is the best tool for people who need full flexibility in layout, design and functionality. While MyWebsite Now focuses on fast and easy page creation with an indestructibly great design, MyWebsite Creator allows advanced control in all dimensions. This means that users can choose a predefined template, and also design their individual website pixels precisely to match their ideas. With access to the CSS and HTML code, they get full control and can also integrate web services, apps and widgets from third-party providers, as well as define automated site interactions like pop-ups and overlays. This is where MyWebsite Creator shows its full strength and is still much easier to use than a fully professional CMS like WordPress, for example. We also take care of all the application management, hosting and security. Additionally, we provide  an integrated cookie and consent solution which enables users to run a GDPR-compliant website.

Our MyWebsite Design Service is the right choice. Dedicated IONOS conceptual and web designers, copywriters, and search engine experts build a customized website utilizing MyWebsite Creator, entirely according to the customer's ideas. 

This full-service offering accompanies users from the first briefing to the final handover of the finished website. For continuous development and optimization, the maintenance service that’s included takes care of both small and large edits, from updating contact data and promotions to replacing outdated imagery. This total peace-of-mind service is perfect for those who want to dedicate all their time to their profession or want to rely on a partner who takes complete care of their online presence.

In order to increase website visibility, the online marketing solution rankingCoach supports website users with customized video tutorials for most CMS systems and easy to use step-by-step task lists. The tool helps to select the right keywords and explains individual work steps, gives helpful tips for improvement and search engine optimization. The tool is, therefore, especially practical for SEO newcomers because it gives detailed explanations of what has to be done on the website to optimize the search ranking. The integrated comprehensive analysis helps keep an eye on the direct competition through the evaluation of search engine rankings on a daily basis. These analysis functions help the user to continuously optimize the findability of their website on search engines and to check the progress and success of the optimizations.

Another highly valuable feature of rankingCoach is the integrated Google Ads engine. By using all available business data in combination with intelligent keyword selection, rankingCoach is able to automatically generate relevant Google advertisements. There are no skills needed to use it. You can easily define the monthly budget you would like to spend for advertising on Google and the tool takes over the rest. With transparent and detailed reporting you can continuously monitor the effectiveness of the ads and adapt the budget to your own requirements. And the best part — due to the fact that this is a pay-per click solution — you only pay if somebody clicks on the corresponding ad and you’ll never exceed your predefined limit.

rankingCoach automatically adapts to the user’s content management system and works with all familiar website systems such as WordPress, Joomla! and the IONOS MyWebsite range of website builders.

We have a dedicated email marketing tool for creating and maintaining mailing lists. Customers can build their newsletter and send from 10,000 to 120,000 emails per month depending on the package they choose to customers in their mailing list. With our real-time campaign statistics they can monitor their newsletter campaigns. They can also do A/B tests, create, import and manage contact lists, segment their recipients and create professional, mobile-optimized templates.

We have firmly established personal consulting as a brand value proposition to take our customer relationship to the next level and to individualize it even more. This enables us to provide our customers with the best service on the market. We are the first hosting provider to offer a personal consultant with a direct telephone line and email address, who is available at no extra charge for all questions concerning contracts, our products, and success on the net. The personal consultant knows the customer and their goals and offers extensive support that goes far beyond just troubleshooting. This unique offer is complemented by experienced support teams from IONOS, who are available around the clock, 365 days a year, and provide help and tips by phone, email or chat — no one else in the entire sector offers this!