9 Tips to Effectively Manage Your Website Using cPanel

Managing a successful website can be a full-time job. As the website grows, it becomes difficult to keep up the performance with daily administrative and maintenance tasks. Hosting a website requires technical knowledge to manage web servers in the absence of third-party dashboards.

cPanel is the cream of the crop when it comes to website management with its user-friendly web-based interface. This allows you more time to create content and focus on the growth of your website.

This article discusses simple tips in which cPanel is the ideal solution to your web hosting problems. It will elaborate on how to use cPanel. It will also shed light on how to manage multiple websites from a single cPanel dashboard.

What is cPanel?

cPanel is a Linux-based control dashboard that is one of the most popular web hosting control panels. Its online graphical interface (GUI) simplifies website and server management. It can be used to perform a range of hosting-related tasks such as organizing files, emails, and managing domains.

It allows you to manage a variety of services in one place. As an industry leader, most web developers are familiar with it, and it’s the hosting platform of choice for WordPress developers. They can manage multiple clients, affiliate marketers, hosting resellers from a single user interface. It is one of the most used third-party applications provided by the most affordable hosting providers. All website owners and cPanel users have private accounts to keep your website settings and information safe. It has two user interfaces: cPanel (user interface) and Web Host Manager (server management interface). Using this combination, users can manage their websites, and it supplies hosting providers with tools to manage their servers.

Pros  

• Easy to learn and use
• Saves time and money
• Tried and tested for efficiency
• Includes auto-installers 
• Offers plenty of online support via tutorials

Cons

• Too many features can get overwhelming
• High probability of accidentally changing important settings
• Rarely offered with free hosting
• Some hosts might run outdated software

Getting Started With cPanel

First, I suggest a cPanel with a hosting package. This enables users to manage websites without having to configure additional tools. You can access your site’s cPanel dashboard by appending:2083 to your website’s URL—for example, https://www.yoursite.com:2083.

If your site’s URL starts with http, append:2082 (http://www.yoursite.com:2082).

You can also access the cPanel dashboard by adding /cpanel to the end of your URL—for example, www.yoursite.com/cpanel.

In case you have a new website, Domain Name System (DNS) records might not have been generated on the server yet. Hence, if the aforementioned techniques do not work, you can access cPanel using your website’s IP address. You can find the IP address by looking for “Account Details” after logging into the client area.

9 Handy Tips to Use cPanel for Website Management

NEW: Tip to Effectively Manage Website Using Cpanel

cPanel allows you to carry out a variety of essential website management tasks. Here are nine ways that can simplify your day-to-day website administration.

1. Install Applications to Your Server With cPanel

Applications can enhance your website and simplify website management by adding extra features. User-friendly auto-installers automate the installation process using predefined scripts. Of these, the most popular auto-installer is Softaculous, It has a GUI browsing the available applications.

You simply have to select the application you wish to install and enter the information required for configuration. The auto-installer will automatically organize the database configuration, user permissions, web, and server files, followed by installing the application. Softaculous provides a range of web applications from social networking to e-commerce, customer support, and advert management.

The installation process is super easy and reduces human error; all that is required is a single click. In case additional configuration is required, Softaculous prompts you to enter necessary information via the GUI. The configuration and installation take place within seconds, even for complex applications. You’ll also receive prompts regarding the installation of available updates. This ensures all your applications are up-to-date and your website functions efficiently.

2. Central cPanel Account for Managing Multiple Domains

cPanel offers you the economical option of adding multiple domains to the same hosting account. You can split your resources between the various domains, thus cutting the costs and having a centralized management system.

cPanel’s Addon Domains tool allows you to add more than one domain to your hosting account. After you type the domain you wish to add in the New Domain Name, cPanel will automatically populate the Subdomain and Document Root.

You can also create an FTP account associated with the Addon Domain checkbox to use the File Transfer Protocol with your domain. Finally, select Add Domain, and cPanel will add the domain to your hosting account. You can repeat these steps for creating multiple domains. 

3. Analytics with AWStats

Creating a website and publishing content is just half of the work. You need to monitor your website and continuously analyze traffic and visitor behavior for improvement and growth. This practice not only enhances the visitor experience but also enables you to grow your audience, drive conversions, and increase your revenue.

While there are several analytics tools in the market, including Google Analytics, cPanel provides its own Advanced Web Statistics (AWStats). This significantly reduces the effort required for setup since AWStats requires zero setups. It is an open-source analytics tool that provides detailed information on your visitors, including their Operating System (OS) and web browser. It also gives data on traffic volume source and type of traffic.

Google Analytics insights through detailed, aren’t always accurate. AWStats can be used to verify such third-party tracking tools. It provides accurate data based on the log files created by your web server.

Google Analytics relies on cookies and to collect visitor information. However, data regulations like General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Cookies Law now require visitors to opt into cookies. With users worried about their online privacy and security, they can choose not to allow cookies, thus interfering with Google Analytics data.

On the contrary, AWStats doesn’t rely on cookies. Therefore, while it doesn’t provide a wealth of information like Google Analytics does, it can be used to verify the Google Analytics data.

4. Simple File Management

If you’re a WordPress user, you’re already familiar with the built-in media uploader that can be used for videos and images. You can also use the WordPress admin dashboard to upload plugins and themes. If an error on the site prevents you from uploading a resource using WordPress’s built-in feature, you can manually upload the file. You could also upload and manage your files using FTP. However, it’s better suited for those already familiar with the protocol.

You can access cPanel’s File Manager tool from the dashboard to easily upload files. It provides a convenient GUI. Select the Upload tab and choose the file(s) or resource(s) you wish to upload. You can also save time when working with simple files by creating files directly within your website’s file system.

5. Monitoring Website’s Performance

A successful website requires constant monitoring. You have to ensure smooth and uninterrupted website performance to attract and retain visitors. According to studies, nearly half of the visitors abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Any form of delay can negatively impact the bounce rate. According to Think With Google, the probability of bounce increases by 32% as the page load time goes from one to three seconds.

An underperforming website also takes a hit in terms of Search Engine Optimization. Since Google uses page speed to rank websites, delays can negatively impact traction and hamper the website’s growth. Therefore, it’s essential to monitor performance and track growth by looking out for improvement opportunities.

cPanel offers a Resource Usage tool to evaluate your site’s performance. It helps you identify applications and services monopolizing resources and alerts you about the need for upgrading the hosting package. Successful websites experience an upsurge in traffic, which indicates that it’s time for an upgrade.

Select Resource Usage on your cPanel dashboard to find a summary of performance issues on your site within the last 24 hours. The Current Usage tab displays information regarding the current day’s resource usage information. This is available in the form of a series of graphs that display CPU usage and physical memory usage. The tool also warns you about the site reaching its resource limits.

The Snapshots tab allows you to create and analyze usage snapshots to troubleshoot performance issues.

6. Database Management

Whenever someone visits your website, they make a request that’s sent to your server. It is received by the PHP programming language, which then retrieves necessary information from a MySQL database and presents it to the server.

Once you install WordPress, you’ll be required to create a database by providing database name, host, username, and password. You can also use cPanel’s MySQL Database Wizard to create a database manually. Just select MySQL Database Wizard from the cPanel dashboard, follow the instructions, and add a new user with All Privileges.

In order to review your databases, you can access the MySQL Databases tool or phpMyAdmin from the main cPanel dashboard. phpMyAdmin will provide a list of all your databases and allow you to perform a range of database-related tasks.

7. PHP Version Management:

It’s essential to stay up-to-date with the version of PHP. New updates introduce security, performance improvements, and new features. It is advisable to run the latest version. You can update PHP using cPanel’s Select PHP Version module. cPanel also allows you to downgrade your PHP version.

Third-party themes and plugins used on WordPress may use older functions that are no longer supported by the new PHP version. In that case, your website’s performance can be impacted. While it’s recommended to use plugins and themes compatible with the latest versions, IndSoft Systems currently supports multiple PHP versions. If you choose to downgrade your PHP version, you should notify the plugin or theme’s developer regarding the incompatibility. Also, look for plugins and themes supported by the latest versions.

To upgrade or downgrade, just visit the cPanel dashboard and select PHP Version. You can also configure a range of PHP-related functions using the Options tab.

8. Enhanced Security With Password-Protection

With the constant rise in hacking activities, your WordPress website can be vulnerable to multiple threats. While it is possible to recover a hacked website if you have backed up your data, it takes a lot of effort and time. With cPanel, you can access various security features, including password-protecting sensitive directories. 

Password-protection becomes essential when you’re sharing your website with other stakeholders. You can regulate their access to different sections of the website. This protects you from the potential havoc of a ruined business relationship or accidental damage.

You can use cPanel’s Directory Privacy to password-protect your website’s file systems. However, it is recommended to secure the public_html/wp-admin directory. It contains important files, and any third-party can request access to the wp-admin folder. 

9. Website Backup

In today’s world of cybercrimes and malware, it’s essential to create a backup. The backup can be crucial for resolving any problems or issues encountered. You can also avoid losing years of stored data.

Ordinarily, you’ll only backup your data when you choose to move your account to another server. However, you can create a full backup of your files using the Backup Wizard tool on the cPanel dashboard. You can also download a compressed copy of your data, including the home directory and all your MySQL databases.