7 steps to an attractive website

The client today sits high and looks far away. Without leaving the computer, he can carefully probe your company and only then decide whether to do business with you or not. The first place he will look is the official website, so everything should be beautiful there. We've sifted through a ton of tips from seasoned website owners and put together the top recommendations for you on how to win the hearts of site visitors at first sight best tech support.

So how to meet customer expectations to the maximum?

1. Ensure safety

Agree, it’s unpleasant to go to a page looking for information or a product, but find malware? Not the best ad. Take steps to protect against viruses and spam .

Don't forget the SSL certificate. At the beginning of the year, we already wrote that Google has taken seriously the sites with http-protocols, which have a form of payment. Since October 2017, the measures will be tightened, now Google will warn of potential danger even on those unprotected sites where there is at least some form of data entry. Further more, the next step is to mark as unsafe all sites with http. Take care of the transition of the site to https, and we will help.

2. Take a ride with the breeze

Page loading speed is what the reader will pay attention to first. Pages open slowly - goodbye. In fact, speeding up the site is not that difficult, there are enough tools for testing and increasing the speed. The first thing to do is to apply old proven image compression . If that wasn't enough, work on caching or simplify your JavaScript and CSS. In general, there are many ways , use it.

3. Choose a quality hosting

To a large extent, both the security and the speed of a web resource depend on a well-chosen hosting. In addition, a good web host is suitable for hosting not only a website, but also email. So don't make a mistake with the provider, and if you need advice on hosting small web resources or larger projects - contact us, we will always give you a hint .

4. Give information and answers

Content is the soul of the site, and it should be interesting. Selling content is always good, but don't just chase the number of clicks. An interesting article or useful instruction will increase customer loyalty, even if they do not force him to make a momentary order. It is clear that your main goal is to sell the product, but do not be greedy, allocate some space in the list of your publications and for simple interesting things.

Broadcasting should not be one-way. Make a user-friendly feedback form in which a person does not have to fill out a million fields before sending a message. Don't forget about phone numbers and, even better, add an online chat, a great option for those who don't like telephone conversations (and there are many of them, believe me).

5. Refrain from surprises

First of all, these are self-launching videos, especially with sound - it infuriates to the point of impossibility. Sometimes you have to review a dozen open windows in order to find and pacify the "chatterbox".

Second, don't be afraid of white space. Often, site owners are literally obsessed with the desire to fill up all the free space on the page with banners or pop-up ads. Not impressive, friends. Experiments with colors and fonts are also undignified. On the contrary, the recipe is ingeniously simple: white background + black text. The wow effect is, of course, very cool, but most prefer the classics.

6. Adapt to smartphones

The world does not stand still, its inhabitants do too. In our dynamic pace of life, it is important to always stay connected - the future belongs to mobile devices. Be prepared for the fact that every year more and more people will knock on your site from smartphones and tablets, so adapt the layout not only for PCs.

7. Be simpler

When filling the site, do not be "clerks", we do not draw up a will (unless you really promote services for drafting wills). Until you know how to write simply - read Ilyakhov ... or at least our blog. :)

You can add a touch of humor to the design of some standard pages, for example, to error pages. Of course, it is better not to allow them at all , but you will not be insured against everything - the error pops up even with an incorrectly typed address. But even this can be played with benefit.

How to set up OpenVPN on Windows Server

Hello friends! Continuing the topic of VPN settings, today we will talk about OpenVPN, or rather, how to configure it on a server running the Windows operating system. The task, although simple, is multi-step, so we don't waste a minute and proceed.

1. Download the latest OpenVPN distribution from the official website.

2. Then everything is standard - start the installation and click Next . Pay attention to a couple of points.

At the stage of selecting components, make sure that all items from the list are checked.

OpenVPN_1

For example, we chose the installation path C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN. You can specify any path, but do not forget to substitute the desired value in the next steps of our instruction.

3. Click Install . During installation, the system will offer to additionally install the TAP driver. Do not refuse, click Install again and wait for the installation to complete.

That's all with that. Now you need to generate certificates and keys.

4. Go to C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN and create an ssl folder.

5. In the folder C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN \ easy -rsa sozdayde file vars.bat , open it for editing and lead to the same mind: level 1 tech support

set HOME=%ProgramFiles%\OpenVPN\easy-rsa

set KEY_CONFIG=openssl-1.0.0.cnf

set KEY_DIR=keys

set KEY_SIZE=2048

set KEY_COUNTRY=UA

set KEY_PROVINCE=Kiev

set KEY_CITY=Kiev

set KEY_ORG=Tucha

set KEY_EMAIL=vpntest@tucha.ua

set KEY_CN=TUCHA

set KEY_OU=TUCHA

set KEY_NAME=server.domain.ua

set PKCS11_MODULE_PATH=TUCHA

set PKCS11_PIN=12345678

It is better to check the KEY_CONFIG value by the name of the corresponding file in the easy-rsa folder , and KEY_NAME is the full name of the server.

6. Run the command line: Win + R> cmd> OK.

7. One by one, run the following commands in a line:

cd %ProgramFiles%\OpenVPN\easy-rsa

vars.bat

clean-all.bat

vars.bat

build-ca.bat

After that, the system will start asking for confirmation of the data that we changed in the configuration file (point 5). Confirm them with Enter .

8. Run two more commands in the line:

build-dh.bat

build-key-server.bat ****

Where **** is the name of the certificate.

9. Confirm the prompts with Enter .

The system will ask you two questions:

Sign the certificate? [y/n]

1 out of 1 certificate requests certified, commit? [y/n]

Both answer in the affirmative: the Y .

10. Transfer the contents of the C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN \ easy-rsa \ keys folder to the previously created C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN \ ssl.

Now to the server settings.

11. Go to C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN \ config and create a server.ovpn file . Open it and make it look similar:

port 443

proto udp

dev tun

dev-node "VPN Server"

dh "C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\ssl\\dh2048.pem"

ca "C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\ssl\\ca.crt"

cert "C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\ssl\\cert.crt"

key "C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\ssl\\cert.key"

server 172.16.10.0 255.255.255.0

max-clients 32

keepalive 10 120

client-to-client

comp-lzo

persist-key

persist-tun

cipher DES-CBC

status "C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\log\\status.log"

log "C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\log\\openvpn.log"

verb 4

mute 20

The value of the port select any of the available network ports, and dev-node - network interface.

12. Open adapter management in Windows network connections and rename the TAP adapter according to dev-node (in our case it is "VPN Server").

13. Open Windows services: Win + R> services.msc> OK.

14. Find the OpenVpnService service, open it, select Automatic in the Sturtup type field and click Start . Done, the VPN server is running.

Now you need to configure the client.

15. Go to C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN \ easy-rsa \ keys and clear the index.txt file .

16. Start the command line and run the following commands:

cd %ProgramFiles%\OpenVPN\easy-rsa

vars.bat

build-key.bat clients

17. Go back to C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN \ easy-rsa \ keys, copy the clients.crt , clients.key , ca.crt , dh2048.pem files and transfer them to the client machine.

18. Install OpenVPN on the client computer in the same way as described at the very beginning of the instructions.

19. Go to C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN \ config on the client computer and copy there the clients.crt ,  clients.key ,  ca.crt , dh2048.pem files that you transferred from the server.

20. Open Notepad as an administrator and insert the following entry:

client

resolv-retry infinite

nobind

remote ******** 443

proto udp

dev tun

comp-lzo

ca ca.crt

cert clients.crt

key clients.key

dh dh2048.pem

float

cipher DES-CBC

keepalive 10 120

persist-key

persist-tun

verb 0

Use the remote value to specify the server's IP address and port (in our case 443).

21. Save this file as config.ovpn in the C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN \ config folder.

22. Run OpenVPN GUI as administrator. Right click on the OpenVPN icon in the system tray and select Connect . Done!

In the process, you may encounter some common problems, but all of them can be successfully solved using the logs in the C: \ Program Files \ OpenVPN \ log folder.

That's all. As you can see, nothing complicated, the main thing is not to get confused in the order of steps. :) Take care of safe Internet browsing and store your data on a secure server . And for all near-cloud issues, contact us for advice 24/7 .

Anatoly Dengin, head of the department for the development and implementation of IT solutions SOFTKOM

About the importance of partnership.

For SOFTKOM, the main thing in partnership relations is trust in the partner and confidence that the client, whom we have jointly connected to the partner solution on our recommendation and patronage, will receive an excellent product that will partially or completely cover his tasks and ensure the development of his business ... For business growth and reaching new heights, partnerships play one of the key roles. Partners directly or indirectly help to develop and build new business solutions for our customers.

Our portfolio has a fairly large pool of partners. For example, here is a small part of them: entry level jobs in it

Hardware partners - DELL EMC, HPE, Lenovo, Mikrotik.

Software partner - LEAGUE: Law, Linkos Group, BAS, Microsoft, ESET.

Cloud Partner - Tucha, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Amazon. 

On the principles of choice.

When choosing a partner, you need to pay attention to his history, customer reviews, pricing policy, as well as how this partner can integrate with your business solutions and how you can develop them together. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the work of the people with whom you meet, their competence while solving various problems and issues.  

Among the principles that guide us when working with partners are honesty, quality and transparency of work and services, attitude towards partners and customers.

About inadmissible in partnership.

We consider unacceptable dishonest partnerships, quiet price dumping, transfer of a client to another partner due to personal or financial benefits.

About partnership with Tucha. 

We became a partner of Tucha back in 2012, when we were looking for a reliable cloud provider among companies in Ukraine that would be able to provide the services and resources we needed. Tucha was one of the first companies to provide this solution. And for 8 years now we have been working hand in hand. We are happy to recommend our partner, because we are confident in the quality of their work and the services provided. We always know that, if something happens, we will be able to find a mutual solution for a particular problem.

About Tucha's recommendation to his clients.

Of course, we recommend Tucha to clients. Whether this collaboration makes them happier can probably be evidenced by the fact that almost all of our clients who migrate to the Tucha cloud stay there. 

Shatalina

Elena Shatalina, head of the sales department of the group of companies "Fort"

About the importance of partnership.

We have been working on the market for over 20 years and, of course, many of our partners began to cooperate with us even then. For so many years we have become good friends, and not only business partners and partners.

On the principles of choice.

We always take into account the reliability of the partner, this is one of our main criteria. Over the years, clients have become close and often turn to us for advice on what or from whom to buy. Of course, we cannot recommend unreliable companies to them. The main principles in our troubled times are reliability, professionalism and speed, as well as the ratio of price and quality.

About inadmissible in partnership.

We consider unprofessional, rudeness, bad mood to be unacceptable things. :) 

About partnership with Tucha. 

We met Tucha at a seminar, then we conducted seminars ourselves, where a Tucha representative spoke as a speaker. Our clients became interested in cloud services, and so we began to cooperate. We regularly receive positive feedback on Tucha's work, offer the service calmly and are confident that everything will be wonderful.

About Tucha's recommendation to his clients.

Yes, I can definitely say that the slogan “Recommend with confidence” is perfect for Tucha!

Snapshot is a time machine for your system

Probably, everyone at least once dreamed of rewinding time back, returning to the past about an hour before the moment when something went wrong, and fixing everything. Sounds like fantasy. What if we tell you about a magic pill that can solve this problem? Our cloud has its own time machine and it is called snapshot, or in other words - a snapshot of the system.

Chief, it's all gone

Imagine a typical working day, no complaints about the system. And suddenly the moment "X" comes. The data is attacked by a merciless virus, destroying it, well, or simply encrypting it. It will take, perhaps, tens of years to decrypt, and by that time the information will lose all value.

Some ransomware viruses offer to pay a certain amount to recover information (for example, $ 100 in bitcoins). We strongly do not recommend this dubious method - it is unpleasant and does not give any guarantees. In fact, this is common extortion, in which you can lose both money and data.

As a result, if your provider does not take pictures, the situation is as follows. In the best case, you can reinstall the system yourself or request a new machine to get rid of the compromised one and restore data from backups. Additionally, you will have to configure all the software from scratch. Perhaps by that time we will already settle on Mars :) In the worst case: the system is closed, all data is lost, the chance of their recovery is too small, you have no snapshots and backups, and the provider stays away from your problems.

Drama is canceled

But if you entrust your IT infrastructure to the right provider who regularly takes snapshots of the system, disaster can be avoided. After another attack, don't worry about anything. Just use the snapshot to restore the machine disk to the state it was in when it was created. Done, you can safely continue working and not be afraid of any attacks.

A system snapshot is an image of a virtual machine disk, that is, the entire system with software and data that is stored on it at a specific point in time. It is necessary in order to return the system to its original working state in case of any critical changes support analyst job description.

How snapshots work

When you take a snapshot, the virtual machine is paused. The pause can last from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on the size of the disk and the amount of data that has changed since the last snapshot. After that, the virtual machine is resumed and the snapshot is copied from the main storage to the backup. This takes from several minutes to several hours (depending on the size of the disk). At this time, the virtual machine is operating normally. Then the snapshot is deleted from the main storage, which also implies pause, but less protracted than when it was created. When a snapshot is removed from the main storage, the virtual machine is resumed until the next snapshot.

In Tucha, snapshots are taken mostly outside business hours (from 20:00 to 06:00). But if this is the hottest time for your business, there is always the opportunity to change the time interval. The very same snapshot queue is determined in accordance with such factors: infrastructure load and the relevance of the latest snapshots.

Note: The system can only create one snapshot at a time. Therefore, it is advisable not to specify the exact time of the snapshot so that the system does not bypass your car. The recommended interval is at least 3 hours.

An important option for system snapshots is the noremove and nosnapshot labels. If you check noremove, the snapshot will not be automatically deleted, modified or overwritten. Also, a virtual machine or its disk can be marked with a nosnapshot label, then automatic snapshots for them will not be created until the label is removed.

How long does it take to recover from a snapshot? The only factor that affects the duration is the size of the disc. Depending on its size, the procedure takes 15-90 minutes.

The cost of TuchaFlex + and TuchaBit services includes the last 2 snapshots of the system. If more is needed, additional images can be ordered as needed.

Snapshots versus backups

Some people think that making backups is enough. But in this case, you only create copies of certain files. And when they are restored, the state of the system will not change. For example, in a situation with a virus that encrypts system files, closes access to the database or limits the functionality of your software, backup will not help. But the expanded image on the new machine will fix everything in no time. If, of course, you protected yourself and took pictures before the virus attacked system files.

System snapshots and backups are the best tools to use together. For example, by restoring data from a snapshot for Monday, you can also restore missing files for Tuesday, but from a backup.

conclusions

It is extremely important when choosing a cloud provider, even at the stage of consultation with managers, to clarify whether the provider takes pictures of the system. Not all companies provide their customers with such an opportunity, since its implementation requires additional investments in infrastructure. We decided for ourselves that the safety and availability of customer data is worth it.

How much does it cost to organize remote work for a company

The ability to work from anywhere in the world as efficiently as in the office is an absolute must for many companies. Cloud solutions from Tucha will help to solve this problem quickly and with the least investment (both effort and money). We will tell you how to set up remote work thanks to the clouds, and give specific calculations.

And if you are already ready to transfer the company's work to virtual servers, just contact us and we will organize everything.

What can be placed on a virtual server

In general, you can transfer to the cloud everything that is necessary for the operation of the entire company, one or another of its departments or individual employees. First of all, these are completely all the desktops of employees. You can also install on the server: Technical support job

applications for team collaboration, such as CRM or ERP systems;

accounting software (for example, 1C: Accounting) and financial reporting software (say, MEDoc);

IP telephony;

corporate mail;

almost any other specialized software;

archives, all important documents and files of various formats.

In addition to placing all programs and data on a virtual server, you can connect to the cloud the necessary devices for work, which are usually in the office, for example, a printer or a scanner.

Who can work in the cloud

We wrote in detail about who can easily organize remote work and how to do it in the previous article . In short, remote desktops can be deployed both for those who already work online and for all traditionally office workers. For example, business owners, executives, lawyers, programmers, information technology professionals, web developers, and almost anyone really can work in the cloud. Also various departments of the company: for example, customer support and selection of solutions, marketing and sales, accounting, human resources, partner department and the like.

And, of course, remote work can be organized for the entire team at once, regardless of its size. We will offer suitable solutions for both small teams and large companies.

How a remote office works

A remote desktop is deployed on the virtual server for each user. It hosts the necessary programs, applications and data - the same as on the work device in the office. The user can connect to the desktop in a few clicks from any more or less modern device. There is access to data wherever there is a stable Internet connection in 24 × 7 mode.

How much does it cost to move your office to the cloud

How to navigate the cost of placing an office in the cloud? For this, before starting cooperation, we are most often interested in only two aspects:

1. How many users will work in the cloud?

The answer to this question will help you calculate how much resources you need now. From experience, we have determined that usually up to 1 GB of RAM can handle the load created by one user on a virtual server. So, for example, if 5 specialists will work in the cloud, we will offer a configuration in which at the start there will be 4 GB of RAM. Subsequently, if it becomes necessary to increase the amount of memory, we will simply add the required amount of resources.

2. Where is it better to store data - in Ukraine or abroad?

The answer to this question determines which service you should opt for - TuchaFlex + or TuchaBit .

Services

The facilities of the TuchaFlex + service are located outside of Ukraine (mainly in Germany), in data centers with a security level of Tier 3 and higher. The guaranteed service availability is 99.9%. The service allows you to select any required number of processors, the required amount of RAM and the size of the hard disk.

TuchaBit service will help to place data in Ukraine. Virtual servers consist of blocks (units) of balanced configurations and have a guaranteed service availability of 99.0%. The TuchaBit service is scaled in units, that is, by adding a certain set of resources. 1 unit consists of 1 GB of RAM and 25 GB of SSD storage.

Why storing your data abroad is the right thing to do

This year the pressure on business has increased significantly. In the last few months alone, such large IT companies as Intertelecom, Fs.to, Nic.ua, as well as many smaller market players have suffered. At the same time, contrary to the law, in almost every case, the seizure of servers occurs, which for a long time disrupts all business processes of the company, breaks the infrastructure, especially if the local servers contained data important to maintain operability.

Obviously, the intensity of such actions will only grow, and the danger hangs not only over those who violate something, but also over completely honest businesses that work according to all the rules. After all, until it is proven that the company is not at fault, and the court decides to return the equipment, you can lose all customers, lose orders and personnel. The only effective way out in this situation is the transition to the cloud. In this case, attacks on the IT infrastructure become meaningless - all important data is stored on remote servers, ideally outside the country.

Benefits of moving business data to the cloud

The physical remoteness of servers is not the only plus that cloud technologies provide to businesses. With the right organization, the cloud provides ample opportunities for a fundamentally new construction of business processes in a company, a new level of freedom for employees and managers. Judge for yourself: Help desk technicians job description.

the cloud is a cost savings. Instead of purchasing and maintaining the operability of a large fleet of equipment and network infrastructure, it is enough to rent certain capacities from the provider (exactly enough to cover the needs of the company), and to organize the work of the office, you can use terminals or thin clients, which are significantly cheaper than conventional workstations. Additional savings - on software, maintenance;

the cloud is the safety of data due to the simple creation of backups. The backup-as-a-service add -on is a convenient tool for system administrators to automate the creation of backups of your data. Thanks to this service, the human factor is minimized (for example, the administrator forgot to create a backup in time), and the copies themselves are stored on a reliable remote server. At the same time, backups are available from anywhere in the world, and thanks to the high level of security of the data center, they are reliably protected from force majeure situations;

the cloud is a simple and straightforward expense. With cloud technologies, you can always accurately plan your IT infrastructure costs, since you pay a fixed amount per month and only for the used capacity. No hidden fees, commissions or overpayments;

the cloud is about mobility and freedom. Employees of the company, using cloud solutions, can work from anywhere - from a conference, on a business trip, from home, office, hotel or restaurant. In addition, nothing prevents the creation of an international team in which each of the members can work from their own country, and the results will not be worse than if they were all under one roof;

the cloud is scalability. Changing the allocated computing power (for the changed company size and number of employees) is easier than in any other network infrastructure option. For example, during periods of maximum load, server resources can be increased, and when there is no such need, they can be reduced to save money;

the cloud is reliability. If you choose the right provider, data in the cloud will be protected from all types of threats much better than using local servers. So, for example, we use a data center in Germany to host the servers on the basis of which the Tucha cloud is built, which in terms of security level corresponds to the Tier 3 category. This means that all network, engineering and information components are duplicated and have reserves in case emergencies occur, and service work is carried out without shutting down the servers. The performance of the data center is supported by highly qualified technical specialists, and the round-the-clock support service allows you to solve any problems in the shortest possible time.

Is there a solution to the problems?

Illiterate automation of the service department leads to problems with the service, that is, in fact, it can make your customers the customers of your competitors. Each call to technical support (or just support) is a kind of warning from the user, to which you need to respond clearly, quickly and competently. If you do not react, the appeal will be published on social networks, on otzoviks and in other places where you have to fight for your reputation and prove that you are not a camel. 

There is another unpleasant side effect of dissatisfied customers: eternally dissatisfied customers can lead to the departure of any employee, including engineers, developers, testers, etc. And this is new hiring and new money. Therefore, everything must be done to make the work of the support service simply top-notch - even if it is a bunch of inexperienced students. 

Develop a customer service manual.In no case should this be another formal regulation, it should be a complete, intelligible document written in human language, in which it is necessary to display the main duties of employees, secondary duties of employees (areas where they can take responsibility), routes of calls inside companies, application procedures, description of the software used, the most common application cases, communication style, etc. (full set depends on business). 

Select the technology for organizing your help desk.There is no need to bother and fence complex systems based on Jira, CRM or ITSM systems, get a separate software for the support personnel with which they will be comfortable to work "). Why is using such an application good?

The client can control the process associated with his request: go to his personal account and see the status of the task, executor, requests, comments, optionally - the cost of work, if they are paid. This saves time and allows the client to calm down.

This is how an application with a customized questionnaire may look like - all information is indicated in the required fields, including mandatory ones. ZEDLine Support interface

Visible and invisible for the client (who created the request) records. ZEDLine Support interface

The Helpdesk system is a system that you don't need to talk to, and there are significant advantages in this: you can describe the problem in detail and competently without getting confused or in a hurry; the problem questionnaire itself allows you to remember all the significant details; you can solve problems where it is inconvenient to talk, etc.

Each employee sees the entire scope of work and does not forget about anything.

The Helpdesk system makes communication as personalized as possible, and today it is a significant factor in non-price competition. Whoever is a friend to a client has an income ;-)

The technology alone does not guarantee perfect service, but it significantly improves the speed and quality of the support / service.

Measure! Probably the biggest mistake when dealing with customer support is not measuring performance. This is one of the most measurable divisions with transparent metrics: number of tickets, cost of work on tickets, customer satisfaction, etc. Measuring indicators is an opportunity to evaluate work, reward, introduce a system of material and non-material motivation, and therefore make relationships with service engineers and support employees long-term. It is for this reason that we have implemented a timing system in our ZEDLine Support helpdesk .

How is it done with us customer service analyst

But, of course, there is nothing worse than when the company does not have any technical / service support. Many companies have a rigid, bureaucratic system of work with clients, pay little attention to service and maintenance. Moreover, even service companies manage to keep customers at a wildly low level: with forgotten tasks, not on time, with lost requests. Friends, 2020 is on its way, your customers are fed up with marketing and sales, it is difficult to surprise and attract them, but the most expensive and most difficult thing is to keep them. Support service, support, help, no matter how they are called, is a new edge of the company's toughness in its striving to fight for customer loyalty. So let’s pay attention to the supporters, automate and simplify their work so that customers are satisfied and regular, and your business strives for new heights!