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Is Your Website Springing a Leak?
Imagine that you own a beautifully designed yacht. It looks great on the surface of the water, with superb lines, gleaming decks, a well-appointed galley… but you’re having real trouble getting out of the harbor and you can’t figure out why!
You investigate, and you find that beneath the surface your beautiful boat has a number of slow, silent, leaks. None of them are big enough to sink you on their own, so there’s no obvious immediate crisis – just a constant drain on your efficiency and your speed.
I’ve been reviewing Web traffic reports for over 10 years, and I believe that this analogy applies very well to almost all business websites. Very few sites are so terrible or have something so wrong with them that they’re clearly a disaster. Yet just about every site has some area where it’s quietly losing traffic, losing potential business or the opportunity to create relationships – or failing to attract visitors in the first place.
If you’re not regularly reviewing your traffic analysis, you can’t know for sure if your site is leak proof. In this article, I’ll show you a few of the most common areas where you can look for – and fix – those silent leaks:
1. Leaks in your Brand & Positioning
The excellent folks at MarketingExperiments online research laboratories have shown that clearly articulated and differentiating value propositions have a critical effect on Website conversion rates. (The conversion rate is the measurement of visitors fulfilling your desired outcomes – which might include calling you, buying a product at your site, signing up for your newsletter or blog feed, etc.) Your value proposition should be front and center on your home page. It should answer the classic question: “Why should we do business with you instead of your competition?”
Although this question isn’t a Web strategy issue in itself, it is one that many people struggle to answer. But the lack of a compelling opening message can be a major impediment to your online success.
How to check for this leak: Even if they don’t enter your site at the home page, most visitors who don’t know you will go there as the second page they look at to find out more about you and your business. If visitors are taking a quick look at your home page and then immediately leaving, something is wrong. Your copy is failing to pique their curiosity or to answer their questions: “Can this company meet my needs?” and “Should I explore further?” You have a leak!
2. Leaks in Visitor Engagement
Popular theory says that you have 10 seconds to engage a visitor – i.e. convince them to stay on your site before they click away in search of something more interesting.
While I don’t believe that it’s quite that simple, there are some definite ways to get rid of visitors fast before they’ve had a chance to really check you out. The best of these is probably the infamous splash page – the entry page to your site that your Web designer persuaded you to have because it “does cool stuff”. Hopefully there’s a “Skip Intro” button somewhere on the page! In all my reviews of traffic reports I’ve seen a consistent leak of up to 30% of visitors leaving from this page alone – before they’ve ever seen who you are or what you offer.
How to check for this leak: Easy – look for the splash page in your traffic reports and see how many visitors exit at that point. If it’s more than a small percentage, you have a leak – take the page out today!
The other major area where you should watch for leaks in visitor engagement is in what are called “landing pages”. These are inside pages of your Website which turn out to be the first page that a visitor sees, usually because you have some well-indexed content that they’ve found in a search engine.
Here it’s absolutely critical to understand the visitor’s mindset. Each visitor is at your site looking for something specific, they may well have found you by accident, so they may have no idea who you are – and worse, no interest in you.
The first page that they see on your Website must engage them immediately in accordance with their needs, and it must have enough context to draw them into other areas, and to want to find out more about you. It’s not enough to give great information on this page – they’ll soak that up, and then leave.
How to check for this leak: Hopefully your traffic reports are sophisticated enough to show you which keywords bring visitors to each specific page of your site. This shows you each visitor’s “mindset”.
If visitors are leaving a page very quickly, then it probably isn’t satisfying their informational needs, so you should review the content.
If visitors are reading the page (your traffic reports should show the time spent at each page) and then leaving, you’ve given them what they wanted but failed to draw them into the rest of your site. This can be fixed with more compelling navigation and calls to action.
Either way, you have a leak!
3. Leaks in Directions & Outcomes
I’m constantly amazed by the number of Web pages that give great information and content – and then just end abruptly – perhaps with some navigation tabs if you’re lucky!
Steve Krug in his excellent book “Don’t Make Me Think!” describes how crucial it is to direct visitors to the next step that you want them to take. If you don’t do this, and rely on your visitors to figure this out for themselves, there’s a strong chance that they’ll make a different choice than the one you want – or they’ll leave your site altogether, creating leaks in your potential revenue stream.
Every page of your site needs strong calls to action that stand out visually and click directly to where the visitor can fulfill the outcome that you want (e.g. “buy now!”, “sign up for our newsletter / RSS feed”.) Pages can have more than one call to action, and there’s nothing wrong with repeating them on longer pages so that they’re always within eyeshot.
And by the way, “Back to top” is not a call to action!
How to check for this leak: If your traffic reports show this information, look at the paths that visitors take through your site – where do visitors go next from each page? If many of them are exiting the site and / or they fan out across many pages with no clear pattern or direction, you have a possible leak.
4. Leaks in your Credibility Building
MarketingExperiments research has also shown that powerful, specific, and authoritative testimonials can have a major impact on your site’s conversion rates.
Consider this statement: “Documented results show that just a few hours with [ expert ] can increase lead generation by 125%”. Imagine how much stronger that assertion would be if there were some examples of the “documented results” and some customer quotes to that effect.
However, including a page on your site called “What Customers Say” doesn’t do it – I can safely say that visitors don’t go to those pages. And it’s not just traffic reports that tell me this – whenever I ask a live audience “Would you click this link?” there’s always a resounding “No!”
How to check for this leak: This is a much more subtle leak to detect, but it’s an important one. The question here is whether you are potentially losing business because your site fails adequately to establish your value and credibility.
My recommended approach is to review your site for credibility-building content such as client lists, testimonials and case studies. You need to spread your testimonials through your site, using short one or two line excerpts that are relevant to the content of each page – whether it’s about a product or a service, or the value of subscribing to your newsletter or blog.
Make sure that all of this material is linked to from other pages so that it’s easily found by visitors. If you then experience an increase in calls, or in the quality of your leads, then you might have just fixed a leak!
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Outsourcing: Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Outsourcing: Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
As a busy Internet marketer, you will be most likely be swamped at some point with the amount of work involved getting your websites designed and online. You will be desperate to find quality help quickly.
* Some of the major tasks you have to deal with include:
1. Creating your own products to sell.
2. Marketing your products in ways that drive traffic to the site.
3. Building your online reputation and constantly networking to build your online presence…to name a few.
The truth is that you are likely to get buried in details and get lost along the way.
At some point, it might occur to you that you do not have much free time nor are you having much fun and you’ll start thinking that you are unable to work from home and tend to the other aspects of your life, like family and a job.
Overloaded to-do lists are a common problem with new marketers facing all the labor-intensive details you never thought about when you first got involved in creating an online income.
The most popular solution to this common dilemma is to outsource those tasks that you either do not have time to complete yourself or tasks that are not appealing to you.
* Outsourcing is transferring some of your tasks to external service providers
Those tasks can include:
1. Ghostwriting
2. Help desk management
3. Customer service
4. Site design
And that’s just a short list. Literally, it can include any task that you want to outsource.
It is very common in the information marketing niche to escalate viral marketing results with articles submitted to article directories or ebooks written by ghostwriters.
As in any business transaction, problems can arise and mistakes will happen. One of the most critical is lack of clear and frequent communication between you and your Outsourcer. You, as the client, have to make your goals and expectations very clear and ensure that you are being understood.
Since outsourcing often occurs with agencies that are located in countries other than your own, you must interview your prospective outsourcer as completely as you can.
Check the company or service agency just as closely. Look for online reviews of their service and get referrals, if you can. Additionally, its a good idea to ask for samples of their work.
Another problem that could cost you a lot of money is a poorly managed budget for the work you want done. Decide how much money you want to spend and make your budget accordingly.
Not all outsourcing contractors or service agencies follow the same payment plans for projects. Some charge by the project with a one-time payment, while others expect retainers on a time frame, like monthly for long projects.
There should be a specifically written contract with all expectations, delivery deadlines and payment schedules outlined in detail so there’s no angry misunderstandings later.
Another mistake you could easily make that would be a costly one would be to avoid building a relationship with the people tending to your business, particularly the business owner and the contractor you’ve hired.
When you are outsourcing you need crystal clear, two-way lines of communication. Although your contractors are working for you, do not make the mistake of treating them like normal emplyees.
You might not be their only client, which means they are not working exclusively for you. Setting up milestones for your project will help to keep you to keep track of your project’s progress as well as allowing you to keep an eye on any possible delays to the scheduled delivery date.
One final caution is to remember that you are hiring a professional to do a professional job for you and your business. When you have a contractor you can work with, use them for as many other jobs as they are qualified to do for you. They will know what you want and expect and you will know what type of support you will get in return.
When you establish a business relationship with a contractor, you might be able to negotiate lower rates if you are a frequent client.
If you’ve found a reliable Outsourcer that completes projects correctly and efficiently, be loyal and give them as much work as you can afford. Most likely you will also earn their loyalty…and, that’s a good thing.
7 Killer Ways To Make People Click on Your Ads
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Sunday, November 27, 2011
7 Killer Ways To Make People Click on Your Ads
Fed up with wasting money on ads that don’t work? Here are some killer ways to turn things around and get writing ads that pull in the clicks, visitors and sales in droves:
1. Reverse Psychology
This is where you encourage people to do the opposite of what you really do want them to. For instance, if you want them to sign up for your marketing newsletter say something like “If you’ve got all the sales, visitors and profits you need, don’t sign up for our SuccessNewsletter”. Just remember that people don’t want to be told what to do, or what not to do, so out of sheer cussedness, and a helping of curiosity they will click.
2. Use exciting and appealing words
People respond best to words that appeal to their emotions and to their desire for money, so use words that aim at these two aspects of the human psyche. Use words such as You, Ultimate, Free, Master, Power, Discovery, Easy, Guaranteed, Love, Money, New, Scientific, Profits, Proven, Results, Incredible, Discover, Breakthrough, Secret, Private, Cash, Shocked, Shocking, Revealed, Uncovered, Hidden, Exciting, Sizzling, Hot and so on. Be careful not to overdo it as less is more when it comes to emotive words.
3. Offer a discount
The Internet started out as the place to get things free. Usually this meant information in the early days, so capitalise on this basic human instinct of wanting ’something for nothing’ and offer your visitors a discount if they buy NOW! Alternatively off a free bonus. Make it compatible with the product you’re selling so that they both form a useful combo.
4. Include testimonials
If you have people write or email you thanking you for your product, get back to them and ask if you can quote them in your advertising. Mostly they will be happy for you to do so. This lets prospective buyers know that a real person has got a real benefit from your product or eBook etc. Don’t be afraid to ask for a testimonial. Send buyers a follow-up email to see if they have benefited from your product and ask them to tell you why (if they have). Testimonials are one of the most persuasive tactics there are.
5. Use a guarantee
Always use a strong guarantee in your ad. One guarantee you often see on downloadable products is ‘Try this eBook for 8 Weeks’ because this is now the length of time ClickBank will offer an automatic money back facility. Other payment providers may differ. Include the guarantee in your headline: ‘Our eBook Will Save You Money – Guaranteed!’
6. Tell your customers what to do
People will often act on an instruction such as ‘Click Here Now’. It may be stating the obvious but this is again the psychology of the prospect. They often need just that little nudge to make them take action.
7. State the major benefit of your product or website
Make sure you tell people what the major benefit of your product is. Even in a classified ad you must answer the question ‘What’s in it for me?’ With some products this is not difficult. For instance if you product is a cure for acne, make you can say something like ‘Our product can cure your acne in 21 days’. If you are selling something less obvious you could say ‘Our Nirvana CDs will soothe and relax you after a hard day’. Make it clear what benefit your product or website has to offer.
Now take a good look at your current ads and apply one or more of the tactics given above and you will begin to see some real results. When you do, why not email me and let me know? I like to get testimonials too!
Computer Virus: Remove The Dangers
Computer viruses have risen in the recent years and for some, the hassle of removing a particular nasty one is part headache and part frustration when it comes to protecting your computer. While there are several varieties of computer viruses, most of the solutions can be applied to nearly all. This article will give a brief description of the types of viruses you may encounter, the damage that can be done, and how you would go about getting rid of one.
A computer virus in the simplest of terms is a program that can move from computer to computer and has the capability of disrupting the daily operations of a computer. What makes viruses so intrusive and difficult is that there are a wide variety; there are worms, trojan horses, file infectors, boot infectors, etc. With the emergence of the Internet and the ability to go anywhere and be anywhere from the comfort of your home or location, the probability of becoming infected with a virus is very high.
Symptoms of a computer that may have a virus include slow performance, programs no longer working as they should or programs that were there are no longer (seemingly) installed, installed anti-virus programs no longer running or you’ve lost the ability to install any type of anti-virus program, etc.
It seems rather easy and simple to have a computer infected with a virus, but it is also easy and simple to get rid of one and making sure to lessen the chances of getting another. One important factor is making sure you have an anti-virus program. There are a variety, which can be free or for purchase; it is however the user’s choice and preference on which they feel will work for them. For free anti-virus, check out the popular Avast Home version or AVG; for paid, there is the popular McAfee and Trend Micro.
Do be careful in the selection of an anti-virus if you currently do not have one; one of the new types of virus are those that pretend to be actual anti-virus programs.
Things like Anti-Virus 2010 or PC Secure are NOT actual anti-virus programs; they are in fact rogue programs designed to take your money.
Once you have chosen an anti-virus program, make sure you run it immediately. If the program has a quick scan, run it to see if there are any infections on your computer. If it does find something, make sure you select any option that will delete the virus and its subprograms. When the scan is complete, run a full scan to make sure that any leftovers (or any that may have not shown in the quick scan) are caught. Make sure you also run any anti-spyware, anti-malware software that you have or obtain a copy of such a program. Many free programs include Search and Destroy, Malware Bytes, and Ad-Aware.
When it seems like everything has been caught, run any system updates, program updates to ensure that your system is current. Make sure that you are conscious of things that you receive through email or through downloads, as well as sites that you may browse.
Getting a computer virus is bad news for any computer, however by following the steps above, you will be able to remove any current viruses. The tip to make sure that you don’t get any other occurrences is to make sure that you keep your system and its programs current and up to date. Be wary of receiving emails from people you don’t know or attachments that look suspicious; be careful of downloads that seem sketchy; lastly, be careful of websites that you browse.
What do I do If my Windows Registry is Damaged?
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Sunday, November 13, 2011
What do I do If my Windows Registry is Damaged?
This question is asked by many people from all over. The registry is a complex storage system in all versions of Windows. Its easy to understand why so many people ask this. Educating yourself on how the registry works and how to properly maintain it is important to keep your PC functioning correctly.
The purpose of the registry is to store configuration settings for Windows operating systems. The operating system uses the registry to access vital information for software and hardware settings.
If the registry gets damaged or corrupt in can cause many frustrating symptoms. Also if the registry gets filled with too much information it can also cause these symptoms. The symptoms of a corrupt registry can vary depending on what is damaged in the registry. Slow startups, sluggish performance, annoying error messages, lockups and crashes are the most common. These can all get worse over time if not taken care of.
Your Windows registry can be damaged from installing and uninstalling software and hardware. Viruses and other malware can also cause damage to your systems registry. Regular use of your PC will eventually lead to registry issues as well.
There are several way of repairing or maintaining the Windows registry. Using a registry editor to manually change the registry is one way. This method is only recommended to users with PC repair experience. You can create problems and make issues worse. Another method is to just reinstall Windows. This should be used as a last resort as it can be a tedious process especially for someone who has never done it. Or you can use a highly rated registry cleaner to repair and maintain the registry.
The use of a registry repair tool makes it easy enough for anyone to repair corrupt registry and to properly maintain it. Used in conjunction with virus/spyware protection and disk defrag it makes it simple to keep your PC’s performance and reliability at 100%
Think of your PC as your car or even your own body. All 3 are complex machines that from time to time require repairs. You can go to a specialist which usually requires more money then most are willing to pay. Learn how the registry works and try and repair it yourself or use programs made to safely repair and maintain it with little effort.
PCI Compliance and the New PA-DSS: Vital Information for Online Storeowners
A) Confusion Runs Rampant
Many folks in the e-commerce industry have found themselves scratching their heads in confusion over the new PCI PA-DSS (Payment Card Industry, Payment Application – Data Security Standard) rules and guidelines. PCI Compliance has never been an easy topic to wrap one’s head around and the new DSS is starting to cause panic among some involved in businesses that operate online. The July 1, 2010 compliance deadline is looming and many payment applications are still not DSS certified.
This is not good news for anyone involved in the e-commerce sector. There is no set punishment established for non-compliance with the new PA-DSS. If an online storeowner is found to be non-compliant then they will likely be charged increased merchant fees and penalties, face hefty fines and in some cases have their merchant account or even their entire website terminated.
Most of the confusion and controversy revolves around who exactly needs to comply with the new DSS. The answer to this is somewhat complex but the primary rule of thumb is that if your store processes credit cards online then you need to use a shopping cart that is PA-DSS certified in order to be PCI Compliant.
As an e-commerce merchant, vendor or retailer (those operating a business online), it is your duty to ensure you are utilizing fully PCI Compliant Hosting and that your shopping cart application is PA-DSS certified. If either your host or cart is not compliant with the PCI than your site is in trouble. Many carts and other merchant service providers are still shuffling to get scanned and added to the list of compliant applications before the July deadline.
If you are in the market for new shopping cart software than you do not want to use a program that is non-compliant with the PCI or PA-DSS. It is not worth losing money or possibly your business over something so simple to remedy. The responsibility falls on you – the storeowner – to find a host and cart that are compliant with the PCI and to fulfill the required network scans and questionnaires.
B) PCI Compliance vs PA-DSS: What’s the difference?
The PA-DSS (Payment Application – Data Security Standard) applies to products that are distributed as applications that people can purchase and then do whatever they wish. For example, this applies to shopping cart programs and e-commerce solutions. The DSS started as the PABP (Payment Application Best Practices) by Visa before becoming affiliated with the PCI Security Council, which represents all five major credit card companies. In order to be PCI Compliant you must be on a DSS certified application. In other words, your cart must be compliant.
PCI Compliance is a broader set of rules and guidelines. The PCI Compliance rules are the standards for the way in which credit card transactions and other confidential information is processed online.
As of July 2010, both PCI and PA-DSS Compliance are necessary for a site that accepts credit card payments. The PCI applies to all e-commerce businesses, web hosts, shopping carts, payment gateways and merchant account providers. When a company becomes DSS certified they are then added to Visa’s list of compliant companies. The PCI Compliance rules are the standards for the way in which credit card transactions and other confidential information is processed online.
In order to be fully PCI compliant with the new PA-DSS, level 4 merchants must be running compliant applications on their site (such as their shopping cart). Their web hosts must also be PCI compliant by using properly encrypted networks, regularly updating their anti-virus software and performing regular system scans.
There are a number of PCI scanning companies approved by Visa and MasterCard that will help small merchants pass PCI audits and complete the PCI questionnaire in order to show PCI compliance. Being fully PCI and DSS compliant is like having an insurance policy in the event of a security breech.
Top 3 Best Online Backup and Storage Services
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Monday, January 31, 2011
An online backup service is pretty much the same thing as physical backup software that you may have on your home PC. The only difference is that all your data is stored at an online data center, allowing you to access it even if you are not at home, or at your office, or wherever you would normally keep your physical backups.
There are literally dozens of options out there for online backup and storage services, but there are three that really stand head and shoulders above the crowd, in terms of both usability and price. Do some research for yourself before committing to anything here, but this quick list should at least get you started on the right foot.
1- Mozy
This is easily my favorite backup and storage service out of the few that I’ve tried personally. Mozy personifies all the requirements you should look for in a backup service: reliable, automatic backups, inexpensive, and exceptional ease of use.
To set up an account, just go to the Mozy website and sign up. Then you need to download the software and specify the file types that need to be backed up, and let it do its thing. MozyHome is only $4.95 a month for unlimited storage and backup space.
If you don’t have much to backup, MozyHomeFree will give you 2Gb of backup storage on their servers for absolutely no charge.
2- IDrive-E
Very similar to Mozy, although the software takes a bit more getting used to. They offer a wide range of features which is why I included them in this list, including file sharing and mapped drive support. They have unlimited service for the same $4.95 per month, although here’s the catch…”unlimited” in this case is limited to 150Gb.
IDrive-E Basic offers a free 2Gb of online storage.
3- Carbonite
Just like the first two, with Carbonite you simply sign up for an account and download the software from the website. Compared to the other two, Carbonite software feels a little clunky, and it doesn’t offer as many features as either Mozy or IDrive-E. The reason I felt it made the top three is because of the low annual price. $49.95 per year, making this easily the best option if you need an online backup or storage service for a long time.
A Brief History of Spyware
“Spyware” has evolved in the cyber era as the most dangerous, damaging and menacing technological appliance in current history. It is no aggravation of statement that if you are linked to the Internet, there’s every chance of being affected by this nuisance. So, it is a good time for us to possess a peripheral view about “spyware”.
It was on 16th October 1996, when the word “spyware” was used in the public for the first time. It appeared on the Usenet. Basically it was on an article sarcastically aimed at the business strategies of the global leader Microsoft. Later still, around about the year 1999, its usage was synonymous to spy equipment like microphone bugs or miniature cameras. Later that year in a press release of Zone Alarm Personal Firewall by the Zone Labs Company it was used in the meaning we know it today.
The word “spyware” was an instant hit in the mass media and among the general mass and soon after in June 2000, the first anti-spyware application OptOut was released by Steve Gibson. Gibson planned to market its OptOut for a very competitive price but they faced tough competition from Lavasoft, around the middle of 2000 with their free anti-spyware software version 1.0 offered absolutely for free. Lavasoft’s application was more competent as a spyware removal component and already was performing multi-tasking applications. As a result Gibson had to abscent himself from the race leaving their OptOut with no more development. Nevertheless, OptOut could be termed as the pioneer of anti-spyware applications.
It must be stated that the term “spyware” yields a bit of confusion. Though the word renders a notion of information being send back to certain individuals, not all spyware applications may perform this job. Many computer personnel dealing with data security management prefer the word “malware” in place of “spyware” as it indicates a software that is particularly detrimental to the computer system. Another word “adware” is also popular to specify software applications like keyloggers and Trojans, which are nothing but “spyware” in usage.
According to a once celebrated cyber report, an explicit spyware application was put forward to numerous internet users under the covering of a free, exceedingly user friendly and a mass alluring game software named “Elf Bowling”. This occurrence took place in around the 1999s. At present, and in general, the Windows operating system is the more favorable target of the spyware applications.
A few of the most iniquitous spyware programming are Xupiter, Gator, XXXDial, DirectRevenue, Euniverse, CoolWebSearch, 180 Solutions, Bonzi Buddy and Cydoor. One thing is to be noted. All these applications attack only Microsoft Windows operating systems. Platforms like Linux and Mac OS X are never ever reported to be affected in anyway by these spyware applications.
In October 2004, America Online and the National Cyber-Security Alliance performed a survey. The result was startling. About 80% of all internet users have their system affected by spyware and about 93% of spyware components are present in each of the computers and 89% of the computer users were unaware of their existence. Out of the affected parties almost all, about 95% confessed that they never granted permission to install them.
Legally speaking, spyware cannot be entitled as a virus as it never replicates itself. As a result it remains undetected when anti-virus applications are used. What’s more, you actually agree to be spied upon while you click the ‘I agree’ button on the screen while you install software which contains spyware files (often bundled in). Unfortunately, people rarely read end user licence agreements while downloading and, if they were to read them, the documents are written in legalize. People never refer to a lawyer while doing such things as downloading or installing.
To safely enumerate what spyware actually is, we can easily quote what Dick Hazeleger, famous for his “Spyware List”, said, “Spyware is the name which was given to software that – without the user of the program knowing that the software performs this kind of action – traces the user’s usage of the internet and sends this information – again without the user knowing this is happening – to a computer (”Server”) designated by the developer of the Spyware software. By performing these actions, detailed user profiles may be collected – without the user’s knowledge and approval – which then can be used for commercial or other purposes. By gathering and sending this information both resources on the user’s computer as well as bandwidth on the Internet is abusively used, not to mention the breach of privacy such a User profile would be.”
The state of Utah has already gone a step ahead of others and announced that several tasks performed by spyware would be strictly proscribed. Even the US Congress is preparing to follow the same line of operation. House Resolution 2929–the Spy Act has been prepared to control this menace.
This is what Utah’s antispyware law, the Spyware Control Act, has to say, “… we would not consider any application that uses pop-ups, is distributed through file sharing such as Kazaa or is not removable. Beyond that, we would look for applications that provide consumers value and would be installed on their own if people knew about them. The aggressive tactics of some advertising-supported software has given the whole sector a bad name. But if the software is fully disclosed and doesn’t rely on intrusive methods such as pop-ups, the consumer should have a choice to view ads in return for software. What’s more, the developer should have a right to make money. Beyond these guidelines, the legal risks and moral problems become clear, and legitimate businesses should stay away from these practices.”
At present Microsoft can champion about its anti spyware application release and it is mandatory for the software developers to be certified by the International Charter as Spyware Free.
What Can We Do About Spam?
I receive approximately 5,000 emails containing spam each and every day. Well, maybe not that many, but it sure seems like it. Spam is spiraling out of control and shows no signs of stopping. The question is, where does spam come from, and can you do anything about it?
Most of the spam I receive in my inbox is sexually explicit, but I still like to look at it because some of this junk is actually quite entertaining. My personal favorites are offers to purchase discounted Canadian Viagra, ads for pornographic websites, and bogus work-from-home programs.
How do these people get their grimy hands on your email address? One way they can get it is through opt-in email. When you order something online, as part of the subscription or service that you signed up for, you may have inadvertently agreed to receive offers via email from that company in the future.
As a result, said company adds you to their mailing list and begins to send you email. This is perfectly legal as long as the company provides you with a way to unsubscribe from their mailing list. If they do not provide you with a means to unsubscribe, then the emails they are sending you are considered spam.
To make matters worse, a spammer will sell your email address and any other information you submitted to them to hundreds or even thousands of other companies who are looking for leads. Before you know it, your email address has been circulated everywhere. Once this happens, there is almost no way to prevent spam from reaching your inbox.
Another common way your email address can end up on a mailing list is when an internet marketer purchases a list of email addresses from someone else, and then sends a joke or an interesting cartoon to everyone on that list and asks you to forward it along to all your friends and relatives.
Once you forward the message, the email has a program attached to it that will copy the list of addresses that the message has been forwarded to and send that list back to the person who originally sent you the email. So now, that person not only has your email address, but also has the email address of everyone you forwarded the message to.
Another popular technique is known as harvesting. This is accomplished by writing a simple retrieval program that searches through every web site listed on a search engine for a certain keyword, and then grabs any any email addresses that are posted on those sites, and subsequently sends them back to the harvester. Using this technology, it is possible to acquire thousands of email addresses in an hour or less.
Harvesting has become a legal dilemma. The email marketing community feels that they should be allowed to harvest email addresses that are posted on public websites. In their opinion, if someone has posted their email address for all to see, then other people have the right to contact that person and ask them questions or send them offers.
However, web sites where email addresses are posted have threatened legal action against anyone that harvests email addresses from their site and uses them to build spam lists. Unfortunately, these web sites really have no way to prevent this, and it will only get worse in the future.
We will never stop spam completely. Both big businesses and small businesses have a strong incentive to send bulk email, because it costs nothing, and is a valuable tool for increasing their customer base. Sending regular mail or hiring a telemarketer costs a lot of money and is extremely ineffective. As a result, most companies would prefer to send massive amounts of email. So, expect your inbox to be chock full of spam for many years to come.
Scam Alert: Domain Hijacking
There’s a frightening new batch of scams going around now that can damage your reputation as domain “squatters” steal your domain name.
There are a number of ways the “game” is played. The first is entirely legal, if more than a little questionable. In this version, the name of a city or geographic area is grabbed by a domain squatter and pointed to… “sites that you wouldn’t want your children visiting. (ie: porn)”
A prominent notice is placed on the sites, offering them for sale at prices that range from $2500 to as much as $500,000!
The idea here is that city officials will feel that enough damage is being done to the reputations of their towns that they’ll pay to keep them from being associated with that type of material.
It’s obviously safe to say that it’s not appropriate to pop those kinds of images into people’s faces while they’re looking for info on a completely different topic.
That’s where the pressure on the cities comes from, and why this is such a disgusting scheme.
In essence, the domain squatter says: “Pay us, or continue to watch as your city’s reputation suffers.”
Many would call this blackmail…
The second variation on the theme is not always legal. When someone takes a trademarked name (or variation of the spelling of one) or a famous person’s name, and does the same thing.
For trademarks or close variations, there’s a specific procedure for addressing the problem. (See the resource section at the end of this issue.)
For the names of famous people, there MAY be a remedy. But, it can be tricky and expensive.
For example, if someone named John Jones registered http://WalterCronkite.com and pointed it to one of “those” sites, Walter Cronkite could probably force the domain away from him.
However, if someone named Steve Cronkite registered http://Cronkite.com and did the same thing, Walter Cronkite would have no recourse. It would be very hard to demonstrate that Steve registered the domain in bad faith. And if Steve’s son’s name is Walter, the same is true for http://WalterCronkite.com.
If you feel that your name is likely to be typed into a browser when people are looking for information on you, you should consider getting both the .com and .net versions of the domain if they’re available.
It will cost you a few bucks to prevent the problem. Fixing it, assuming you win, will cost you hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars.
And there’s no guarantee you’ll win.
A third version is a bit more benign. It’s common among members of affiliate programs. In this version, names very close to, or even including, the trademark are registered. The sites are created to drive traffic to the affiliates’ URL at the main site.
This may or may not be acceptable to the affiliate program owner. If it is, it’s a good technique for getting traffic. If not, it could get you into hot water. Check with the owner of the trademark before doing this. Less benign is an alternative version of this technique where someone grabs domain names that are close to the trademark of a competitor and uses them to grab competitor type-in traffic. This is often done by finding out the most common misspellings of the real domain name or trademark. Watch for people doing this with your domain. Here’s the worst version of this — and it can hit anyone if they have enough traffic and don’t pay close attention to when their domain registrations expire.
In this situation, someone grabs expired domain names and points them to “those” kinds of sites. This is a “no lose” for the hijacker, as they will profit from the traffic even if the previous owner doesn’t pay the requested ransom for the domain.
The more traffic the URL gets, the greater the clickthrough value to the hijacker. This means more potential damage to the original owner and a higher ransom to get it back.
In effect, your own popularity is your worst enemy in this case.The solution to this one is simple — and very important: Don’t let your domain names expire!
7 Steps to Effectively Take Control Of Your Inbox And Reduce Spam
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
7 Steps to Effectively Take Control Of Your Inbox And Reduce Spam
Everbody hates spam! I am sure spammers hate getting spam too, but they still continue to dish it out. Why? Because it is still effective. Believe it or not, many of us still click on the links or follow-up with the spam message. As long as we continue to do this, spam will exist. If everybody understood this and paid no attention to spam, the spammers will eventually give up because it costs them realy money to send out emails. It is hard to quantify what the cost of sending out one, two or fifty emails is, but 1 million or 5 million emails certainly has a cost that is not negligible. When the payback starts to get so small that the spammers cannot make a decent living, they will find something else to do. This day will come and I cannot wait for it to arrive.
In the meantime, what can we do about it. Well, I am not going to tell you that there is a perfect solution that will stop all spam, but what I will tell you is that there is a way to reduce the problem and manage it effectively using the 7 steps outlined below.
Step #1: Get Your Own Domain Name
Fighting spam effectively starts with getting your own domain name. For example if your name is Andy Williams, you would purchase a domain name called andywilliams.com, which is of course already owned by the famous singer. This has some unique advantages over using an ISP given domain name or a webmail service such as Hotmail or Gmail. It also has some minor disadvantages. Let’s examine these.
One major advantage is that you control the entire email address. You could create emails addresses like andy@andywilliams.com, info@andywilliams.com, sales@andywilliams.com and so on. This is in stark contract to an ISP assigned name like andywilliams@comcast.net. If you wanted another one, you’d have to open up another account or pay extra for each additional ISP assigned address. If you ever decided to switch ISP’s, you would lose that email address and have to start over using a new one, and inform everyone you communicated with about it – a very messy proposition.
Many get around this problem by getting a Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or Gmail account which you can access from anywhere as long as you have internet access. These types of email accounts definitely have a place in your email toolchest, but do not suffice as your primary personal email address. One reason is that you do not have access to your email messages and address books when you are not online, like during a long flight. Anotehr drawback is that they do not allow you to export the online address books making portability very tedious.
I prefer owning my own domain name which I call my permanent email address. I will always have this email address as long as I renew this domain name every year. The cost of registering a domain name varies from $4 to $8 per year for most common ones. This is a small price to pay for the advantages it brings you.
The one minor disadvantage of owning your own domain name is that you need to manage it yourself, or have someone do it for you. This in my opinion is far outweighed by the advantages mentioned above.
Step #2: Create Private Email Adresses
A private email address is one that nobody but your inner circle knows about. Every person that you give your personal email address to is someone that you trust and want to receive email from.
Setup one private email address for every person who is going to need to receive messages. This could be you and 5 other members of your family or 12 employees that work for you. This part is quite straightforward, you simply login to your email control panel and create new accounts for each email address that is going to be used to receive email.
Step #3: Create Public Email Addresses As Aliases
A public email address is generally known to the public. It can be specific like andyw@andywilliams.com or generic like receptionist@andywilliams.com.
A public email address is created as an email alias. An email alias is not a real email address, but an address that gets redirected to a real email address. For example, you setup receptionist@andywilliams.com as an alias that redirects to mary@andywilliams.com. Whenever some sends an email to receptionist@andywilliams.com, it will end up in Mary’s inbox. If you change receptionists, you simple modify the redirect for a very elegant solution. You can then publish this public email address on a website, in a brochure, on print advertising, business cards etc. without giving away your personal email address and without having to make much changes if Mary leaves and a new receptionist is hired. This is a huge benefit and maintains your privacy as well as those of others you have created email adresses for.
How does this help with spam, you ask? By using email aliases in a smart fashion, you could very easily shut down any spam that starts coming in. Let’s examine how this can be done.
Step #4: Setup the Default or Catch-all Email Address
Your email control panel will have something called a “default address” or it is also sometimes called a “catch-all address”. This is a valid email address that all unresolved emails go to. If you set this up to be your personal email address for example, then you will receive all emails that are addressed to “anything”@andywilliams.com, this includes sales@andywilliams.com, joe@andywilliams.com, andrew@andywilliams.com etc. Herein lies the secret to combat spam.
Step #5: Create Specific Named Public Email Addresses As And When Required
When you are forced to register on a website where you want to get some information from, you are usually asked for a valid email address. Well guess what, you now have an unlimited supply of valid email adresses. I usually use a specific format when registering at websites – it is “websitename”@andywilliams.com. So if I am registering at a website called www.get-rich-quick.com, I would use the address get-rich-quick@andywilliams.com as my valid email address. When the site sends me an email, it gets redirected to my personal email or whatever the default or catch-all address is.
Step #6: Send Spam Back To Where It Came From, If Possible
Here comes the real bonus, if you subsequently start receiving spam addressed to none other than get-rich-quick@andywilliams.com, you simple create an email alias for get-rich-quick@andywilliams.com and redirect the email back to exactly where it came from, for example georg-bush@get-rick-quick.com. You will then never get another email from anyone using that email address ever again. This is cool and is my favourite part. Bear in mind that spammers usually send email from an address that is not their own, so if you see an address like noreply@get-rick-quick.com, then you would redirect it somewhere else, for example a Hotmail address that you setup just for redirection purposes. Please exercise some discretion here because spammers often use the email addresses of real people and we don’t want these innocent people getting redirected email.
Step #7: Be Diligent In The Ongoing Management Of Your Domain
If you do this diligently for each website where you register by identifying the website name, you will very quickly know which websites are selling email addresses and which ones honor their promise not to share your information. ALl this while, nobody by your personal inner circle knows your private email address.
A real-life example in my case: I use a specific email alias for my Paypal account which nobody but Paypal knows. I have never ever received spam on this address, but I have received hundreds of spam messages on other email aliases that I have created. All of these emails supposedly come from Paypal and address me as “Dear Valued Paypal Member” or something similar, warning me that my account is going to be closed or suspended unless I click on their link and update my credit card information.
I hope that I have given you some food for thought on how to manage the ever growing spam problem by protecting yourself by taking some initiative and getting your own domain name. The added benefit is that you now have a permanent email address no matter where you choose to live or which ISP you use to connect to the internet.
Are Your Websites Secure Or Is The Back Door Wide Open?
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Are Your Websites Secure Or Is The Back Door Wide Open?
One of the topics that all of us online business people are aware of but usually don’t feel totally on top of is website security.
Coming from a background of having spent over 20 years in the U.S. military, and having spent four years as a software tester, I have a greater awareness of the need for continuous vigilance in this area than your average marketer.
I also know that you can never make your websites or your computers completely secure. Instead, you can only do things that reduce the risk.
Given that you spend a lot of time, money, and energy, building your online business, it only makes sense that you set aside time periodically to review security related issues, and to look for problems that can be easily minimized.
Here are a few easy “fixes” that you can implement today that will increase the security of your online business:
1) Delete outdated scripts that you no longer use from your server. Many of “the bad guys” have studied the exact same scripts that you use to power your websites, and they know where the backdoors and vulnerabilities are. They know exactly which file will allow them to create all kinds of havoc.
If you have old programs on your server that you are not using, simply delete them.
2) Update older scripts that you are using. Often, the reason that updates are released for a script IS to patch a vulnerability that the developer has become aware of.
YES, upgrading can seem time consuming, and it can be tempting to skip an update, and just wait for the next one. When you wake up one day and can’t access your server, or all of your websites have been defaced or erased, you’ll see the wisdom in ALWAYS keeping the scripts powering your websites completely updated.
If you are as non-techie as I am, you simply hire a trusted programmer to perform this task.
3) Change the default setting when installing scripts on your servers. Many scripts have default passwords, and default locations for critical directories that make these scripts work flawlessly. Since everyone obtaining a copy of these script have these settings, you probably want to change them, and you also may want to rename certain directories.
4) Secure your web logs. Many web hosts have a standard location for the website’s logs and statistics on each hosting account. The files that allow you to access, read, download, and manipulate this data often aren’t secured. At a minimum, password protect that directory.
The danger in someone readily accessing your logs is that they can see the names and paths of the files on your server, including your download pages and the file names of files that may actually be for sale products 
There are not only people who search on your product name, looking for unsecured files – there are also people who enjoy posting those links on sites where this type of information is shared.
5) Put an index page in every directory on your server. If someone surfs to the domain name of one of the directories on your server, and there is no index page in that directory, they will get a directory tree… showing them all of the files in that directory, and allowing them to simply click in a given file name to access it.
Servers can be configured to prevent this, but for many people, the quickest and simplest way to protect their directories from prying eyes is to stick an index page in each directory.
6) Give your download pages hard to guess names. Don’t use urls like YourDomain.com/ProductName/download.html Instead you want to give download pages names comprised of a random sequence of letters and numbers, perhaps stick them in directories not even associated with a given product, or use a “download guard-type” script that gives each customer a unique download link and protects your files.
There are a lots of other things that you can do to easily close common holes in your website’s security. This article barely scrapes the surface, and is intended more to make you aware of the problem, and to get your thinking about it. Make regularly reading articles and reports on the topic a part of your education in how to operate a successful online business.
The Secret to a Speedy Computer
When you purchase a new computer, the speed of your computer is at its fastest. However, over time you will notice that the speed of your computer will begin to slow. The speed of your computer will continue to deplete over time the longer that you have the computer and use it.
However, just because your computer is a few years old does not mean that you need to go out and purchase a brand new computer. Over time, you install and download a good bit of information on your computer. Some of this information is removed over time but it is likely that some of this information is still lurking on your computer’s memory.
For the most part, it is probably safe to say that you do not use everything that is downloaded or installed on your computer. If you do not, then these files are simply sitting in the memory of your computer just taking up space. When these files take up space, they are slowing down your computer. If you do not need all of this information or use all of it, then what is the point of letting it stay on your computer where it takes up space and slows down your computer? If it is not needed or is not used, it is best to remove it from your computer instead of letting it alter the performance of your computer.
A great way to speed up a computer is to remove unused and unneeded information and files. This can be done by cleaning out the registry of your computer. Your registry is like the brain of your computer where all of the files and information is stored. However, if you are not using all of these pieces of information or the files, it is just taking up space in the registry. By removing the unneeded or unwanted files, you are making room in your computer’s registry.
You may not realize how much information is stored in your computer’s registry until you clean the registry out. Once you get a look at how much information is removed, you will realize why the speed of your computer was becoming slower over time. Performing regular registry clean ups on your computer is a great way to clean out your computer of unwanted or unneeded information that may be slowing your computer down. By performing a registry clean up, you are less likely to have trouble with the speed of your computer slowing down.
Find Out What Makes A Good Backup Software
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Find Out What Makes A Good Backup Software
If you store valuable information on your computer, it is wise to use backup software. System backup software stores information you have on your computer. It is like having another copy of everything that you keep on your computer.
Performing data backup software is especially useful when your work is done on a laptop, whether at the office or at home. So, in case something bad happens to your hard disk, the information on that drive can be restored, once the drive is fixed or replaced, with your back up files.
The concept of retrieving the data you saved on your laptop is the primary benefit you can get from pc backup software. This is very important particularly in corporations and business enterprises that view information as revenues. Losing data can cost millions of dollars.
Having backup software enables you to save time. Imagine the amount of time you can save if you use software to backup all files, programs, and special applications on your computer and then the next day your hard drive crashes. There is even an automatic backup software that immediately performs backup whenever new data is saved on the hard drive or whenever you have set a backup schedule.
The backup software is compatible with different media and devices. However, if you choose a built-in software, the capability of doing backup is limited. External software allows you to conveniently do backup on your data to any device, optical media and storage systems. You can even initiate partitioning tasks with backup applications. Thus, you can zip your data into smaller bits and store them in many media.
Almost all backup software is capable of encryption. Many of the best backup software available in the market can automatically encrypt your data during transfer and backup operations. Hence, you can have the confidence to transfer files onto another disk drive without worrying about data leakage. Encryption is essential, if you are transferring data to a web server.
Backup software comes in many types to meet the varying needs of the persons and enterprises. For example, there is specifically designed enterprise backup software. Depending on the operating system you are using, there is software that is compatible for your computer.
So, if you are using windows, you can enjoy the benefits of backup using windows xp backup software, vista backup software, windows server backup software and Microsoft backup software. There is also linux backup software for linux operating systems.
For remote operations, choose the appropriate remote backup software or offsite backup software. If you are transferring files to a web, it is good to have the online backup software. Data recovery is a feature of backup software that is very convenient.
In case of disasters, your data is not lost. It can be retrieved and restored back into your systems as if nothing happened. The best software does not even require special hardware or complicated software to make things happen the way you should want them to be.
For more information about the backup software that best suits your need, check out the web for resources. You can also read reviews on products , forum discussions and articles.
How To Eliminate The Lag In Your Computer?
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Sunday, December 12, 2010
How To Eliminate The Lag In Your Computer?
Technology has definitely came a long way. With all of the advancements in technology, it seems really ridiculous to experience computer problems. But, that is the problem with technology, it is not perfect. Since technology is not perfect and we do experience troubles with it from time to time, we should look for ways to fix it rather than hope for perfect pieces of technology. Fortunately, this is a much more logical expectation. If you are experiencing a lag in your computer, do not get frustrated with technology. You do not need to shrug it off to the age of the computer. Purchasing a new computer is not the only solution. There are ways to fix the issues with technology.
A lag in your computer can be the result of multiple different things. However, you do not need to assume that you will need to get out a check list and spend hours going through the possibilities. The most common thing to do is assume that it is one of the common reasons and solve that first.
The most common reasons for a lag in a computer is due to the following things:
- The computer has little to no storage space left.
- The computer has a slow speed that is likely continuing to decrease over time.
- Or it could be a mixture of both options.
Regardless of which option it is, neither of them are good for your computer and if it is both possibilities, then that definitely is not good for the computer. However, they are both quite fixable. The easiest way and quickest way to deal with these two possibilities is to perform a clean up scan on the computer’s registry.
The clean up scan is a scan that will be conducted on the computer’s registry. Just like the name of the scan, it will “clean up” the computer’s registry. This means that any information located in the registry of the computer that is no longer used or needed will be removed in order to make more space in the registry. With more space being freed up in the registry, it also means that the speed of the computer will increase. If any information stored in the registry is found to be broken, the scan will also notify the user and allow repairs to be made to the broken files. The clean up scan should be done once a month.
How to Resolve a Corrupt File?
Have you ever went to open a file on your computer only to receive an error message instead of the folder and its contents? Corrupted files can happen to anyone, but that sure does not make them any less annoying. A lot of times, when an individual receives an error message regarding a corrupt file they give it up for lint. Instead of trying to solve the problem with the file, they just chalk it up as a lost cause. However, you no longer have to do that. It is possible to get passed the annoying error message regarding the file.
Fixing a corrupt file can be done by just about anyone thanks to registry clean up scans. A registry clean up scan is a scanning procedure of your computer’s entire registry.
- The scan will go through the entire registry until it locates the file that is corrupted.
- When the file is located, the registry clean up scan will prompt the computer user of the find.
- The prompt provided by the computer will provide crucial details regarding the file and the problem with the file.
- You can choose to resolve the problem with the corrupt file through various different ways. How you choose to fix the problem is entirely up to you.
- Most registry clean up programs will provide you with a brief understanding of what each choice means and how it will effect the computer. This will allow you to choose the choice that is best for you and your computer.
You do not need to worry about manually going through the registry since the scan of the registry is an automated scan. There is an option to manually scan the computer’s registry but that option is reserved for individuals who have an extensive knowledge of computers.
There is no need to panic about knowing whether or not you are making the right choice since the vast majority of registry clean up scanning programs will provide you with a brief bit of information regarding your solution options. You can read over your options and determine what each option will mean for your computer and that particular file and base your decision off of that. There is no need to be a computer expert with this program. It is easy enough that a person with a limited knowledge of computers can operate the program. All you have to do is take some action !
Working Of An Email Security Solution
You are taking a big risk when you are connecting your system to internet nowadays because of the ever-increasing flow of viruses and spam mails. Even the personal information stored in the system and the passwords will be taken out of the network without authorization through the malware and spyware attacks.
You will have to keep in mind that internet is not a secure place any longer. The basic nature of internet is being insecure these days. Even browsing through the websites can prove to be fatal. You will not even realize that your system is infected until something turns out to be wrong. This is the main reason why more and more people are getting concerned about the internet security. One among the major problems related with using emails and internet is the constant flow of spam mails. Email spam protection is of great importance because of this phenomenon.
You must take immediate and drastic steps to get rid of these issues so that you will not have to regret later. Carefully selecting the passwords was one among the techniques to ensure the safety while using internet. However, things have changed and thus data backups and file permissions have gained a lot of importance in the recent times. Cyber crimes are increasing tremendously. This is the main reason why hiring a firm that offer secure email service is of utmost importance irrespective of the nature of internet usage. Even though some security tasks will be conducted by the operating system automatically, other tasks should be managed as well as monitored by the users so that the protection is effective. Firewall can be called as the primary level of defense. The firewalls will allow the computer to connect to secure and trusted sources. There are two main types of firewalls namely, software and hardware firewalls. Even though the techniques used by these firewalls differ from one another, the function remains the same. They check for the trustworthiness of the ports and even the IP addresses.
Getting a email security solution must help you to get ample protection against viruses, spyware, malware and all other programs that may harm the working of the network and the system. You should keep all the requirements in mind when you are selecting a solution so that you will not be disappointed with the results obtained. Normal anti-virus programs will scan the disc and check for the viruses. The program will either quarantine or delete the viruses if any.
Even if you are making use of a good and reliable email security solution, you should also pay attention to the security threats. If you are receiving an email from an unknown source, you should directly open the attachment. Clicking on the active links can also be a bad idea, as it will redirect the page to websites that are full of spyware and malware. You will have to make use of your common sense when you are using internet. The aforementioned information will explain the working of an email security solution.
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