Tools & Tips – Page 23

What to Do When Your Web Site Goes Down

March 30, 2013 Beth Devine

Your web site is down. Your customers are unable to find you. Your business is an unreachable Internet entity. Your frustration level reacts with a terminal velocity akin to Superman.

Relax. It’s inevitable that your web site will experience some downtime. Servers are not in a position to guarantee 100% site uptime.

A .1% Downtime Is Over 8 Hours a Year

Maintaining 99.8% uptime means nearly eighteen hours of downtime a year. When you experience web site downtime, you’re experiencing what every site owner experiences.

Even top sites have to manage site downtime. Here’s the evidence: Check out the site downrightnow where favorite web services are monitored for status alerts on any site issues, including Facebook, Gmail, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Netflix.

Where There is Internet Service, There is Interruption

Before you notify your web host provider, here are several things to check to be sure the issue is with your web site.

1. Refresh your web site page.

By clicking the “reload” button located next to the web site address at the top of your screen, your browser if forced to download the most recent version of your web site.

2. Try to connect to another well-known web site, such as Google.com.

If your web site page won’t reload or you can’t access a different web site, then the problem is an internet connection issue and you should contact your internet service provider.

3. Check your domain registration at Whois.net.

By entering your web site name, you can check to see if your domain name registration has expired and if you simply need to renew your registration with the domain name registrar to get your web site back up and running.

If you have a web site provider like Web Savvy Marketers, we take care of this for you before it ever expires.

4. Contact a friend and ask them to check your site as a last-ditch effort to be sure it’s down.

They can also check Where’s It Up or Down for Everyone or Just Me to see if your site is down for others and not just you.

5. Call your web hosting provider.

When it’s an issue that lies with the server, your web hosting service will be able to make the necessary calls to confirm any technical difficulties to get your site up and running again.

Major server issues are not uncommon, as in the major web host and domain registrar GoDaddy outage, which took down millions of sites.

The World Wide Web runs 24/7, which means your website is continually open to technical problems as well as cyber attacks. Cyber thieves continually compromise Internet security. The FBI has had to step in, shutting down thousand of sites in an effort to do a global clean up.

We Fix Your Website Woes

Having a web hosting provider you can easily reach, whom you can count on to be available to take your phone calls when your web site’s function is in question, is the key to obtaining quick recovery to web site problems.

Let us know if we can help with your web hosting questions by leaving a comment below.

The Hashtag is Invading

March 24, 2013 Beth Devine

Amidst the Internet rumblings of a #hashtaginvasion, there are those who remain blissfully unaware.

“Why is there a number sign before all these highlighted words?” my husband asked me this week as he checked out my latest tweets on Twitter.

Even my college-aged son, who’d been creating his own off-the-wall Twitter hashtags for weeks, didn’t realize that hashtags are links to a common page where all other hashtags like it can be followed.

The Demise of Hashtag Ignorance

This obliviousness is about to change. The goliath of social media, Facebook, is stomping into your Timeline, hashtags in hand.

No longer will you be able to avoid it, much to the distress of hashtag-bashing opponents. Facebook page “This is Not Twitter. Hashtags Don’t Work Here” recently hit 10,000 fans, with the cause “If you can’t click it, it’s not real.”

Reality is about to change. With hashtags working on Facebook, will users take to it like they do on Twitter? We can be sure of one thing. Facebook’s hashtag invasion will assure more people understand it’s use.

And You Thought Hashtag was a Weird Name

Hashtag has a unique history in the name “octothorpe.” It seems that Bell Laboratories’ scientists made up the name for the newly added key with the eight-pointed edges symbol, what we commonly call the pound key, made to send instructions to the operator.

Today the hashtag continues to send instructions in the form of common topics, conversation beginnings, and search options.

Hashtags are used on Twitter as keywords or phrases (with no spaces) preceded by a hash mark (#) to identify a topic of interest, create and facilitate a search, and categorize Tweets.

Hashtag Envy Breeds Copycats

A good thing begs to be imitated. Whereas Twitter refuses to buddy up with Facebook-owned, hashtag-using Instagram, its new photo-flame, Flickr, has just introduced an IOS app using – you guessed it – hashtags.

It doesn’t stop there.

Google+ has adopted the hashtag, listing its Trending Topics with hashtag-laden keywords, promoting awareness on topics such as #DownSyndrome and #WorldWaterDay.

As of now, hashtags don’t have functionality on Facebook or Pinterest, although people add them to status updates and pin descriptions, much to the annoyance of those who understand how they work.

Once Facebook incorporates the hashtag function, it will be similar to tagging for people and location with the @ symbol. With the # symbol, anyone who wants their posts easily searched and categorized can create public posts based on specific keywords.

Hashtag is Still a Weird Name

There are those out there, undoubtedly from Twitterland, who are born and bred on hashtags. A baby girl recently named Hashtag marks the level of social media preoccupation some of us share.

France is not immune to the hashtag infiltration, although they’ve banned the use of the word. Instead, social media followers must use the French term for “sharp word.”

What else is there to do but accept the pointed-edge invasion and follow the hashtag links? Is our social media destiny to be a clamoring for hashtag acknowledgement and authority?

What about you? Are you a hashtag supporter?

Content is King… so now what?

March 22, 2013 Beth Devine

If you read anything about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) these days, the focus is on content. But what does that mean? Essentially it means that what you say on your blog or website is more important than any tricks you might use to be found. The more valuable content you have, the more Google and other search engines will show your listing. The key is to have the right content. So where do you start?

Keywords

The first place to start is with Keyword Terms. These are words or phrases your customers/prospects would use to find someone like you. Once you’ve come up with the list, be sure to check it against terms that are actually being searched. For example: I may want to use the term website optimization but find that search engine optimization is searched 10 times more often. This might alter how I phrase and organize my content.

Search Engine Optimization

Once your website is up and the initial keyword research and website content optimization has been done, you’ll want to keep up the momentum and continue with an on-going SEO program. The size and cost of your program will depend on the market you’re trying to reach (is it local, national or international), and the competitiveness of your product.

Your ongoing optimization program should include continually updating your website, blog and/or social medial with new content. In order to stay consistent and on-topic it’s best to have a plan. Create a calendar where you define topics, events, specials and promotions that you want to make sure are included in your online marketing. You can go back to the keyword research and find out what’s of interest to help you tweak your topic choices. The most important thing to understand is that SEO is an on-going program. It’s part of your online marketing strategy and is not something you can do once and expect it to continue to work for you.

Other Online Marketing Options

There are many things you can do to help with your online visibility. For starters, if you want to be at the top of the search engine results quickly—do it the old fashioned way— pay for it. A well-executed pay-per-click (PPC) program is a great way to improve your ranking while your organic SEO is gaining momentum. The key here is to set up your PPC program so you get the maximum return on your investment. We’ve partnered with a Google certified company that focuses exclusively on PPC. Like many things in business and life, unless it’s a focus, it’s unlikely to be done right.

Another way to help with SEO, is to make sure all your online profiles (Google Places, Bing Business Portal, Yelp, etc.)are complete and correct. I’m always amazed at the number of consumer businesses that don’t even have a Google local listing. A local listing will give a prospect an immediate snapshot of your business and help drive traffic to your website or directly to your business.

We’ve been working with our clients to take that a step further by adding a 3D Google Photo tour. If you have a shop or office you’d like to show off to your customers/prospects, we’ve partnered with local photographer Tim Becker to create 3D photo tours.

There are many ways to gain visibility online, but beware of SEO consultants who offer one-shot “I’ll get you on top of Google” plans. Their strategies may provide a short-term burst but are unlikely to prove effective long-term and may actually damage your search engine rank.

SEO is one component of the online marketing process. To be effective in the long-term, SEO and marketing should be worked at on an ongoing basis.

Successful Methods to Add to Your Advertising Madness

March 12, 2013 Beth Devine

To advertise is to communicate; rather, to persuade an audience to act upon a product, service or ideal. With a target market in mind, companies intend to convey a distinct message. While you need to keep your marketing campaign fresh and innovative, it doesn’t have to be over-the-top expensive.

It takes time, energy and imagination to get your brand presence realized and your identity solidified to the public. There are ways to provide clarity and transparency to any market through thoughtful design elements and practical, yet clever solutions.

Relationships

Creating meaningful relationships is the foundation for success in any business. With the growth of social media and ever-evolving social circles on the web, the success comes from not only knowing how to stay connected but to foster alliances. In the formation of your social media community, it’s not the number of “friends,” but the ability to engage and launch smart conversations with the ones you have, ultimately maintaining more stable connections.

Business relationships go both ways. The willingness to give, share and support must be mutually maintained. The conversations, whether face-to-face or through digital media must be real. There’s no time for small talk. If you find yourself too busy and your business relationships become neglected, they’ll wither away, and the value of what had been carefully cultivated in the past loses steam and could eventually end.

Never Fear! Some Tips:

Don’t listen with your answer running; meaning, actually listen before you decide how to respond. You’ll never fully understand what the other person is trying to say if you already have a response created in your head.

Encourage constructive criticism. It takes courage, but it helps a business grow and improve.

Be an expert in the field and be honest with your peers, employees and competition.

Promotional Swag

As any savvy entrepreneur knows, it only makes sense to develop an understanding of your target customers before you launch advertising and promotional strategy. With letterhead, notepads, pens and thumb drives, putting your brand logo on usable, high-quality items, makes customers feel they’re being rewarded for even considering your product or service. Trust ensues and then comes growth.

Bookmarks, stickers, personalized CD covers and plastic cards can be a refreshing change from the everyday business card or brochure that gets tossed in the recycle bin before a client even really looks at it.

Trade Publications

Niche publications offer a way to nail down your specific target audience and gain visibility in your industry. Not only that, but they allow you to keep abreast with the competition as well as the latest industry trends (even though you’ll be at the forefront of innovation). Advertising in a trade publication also speaks directly to the distributors on the front line who are selling your product. Relationships are formed, and trust becomes determined on a superior editorial package in a well-designed magazine that keeps the readers interested.

For example, the lighting industry has a trade publication called enLIGHTenment magazine. It highlights edgy products, notable award winners, seasonal and aftermarket trends, energy-efficient lighting and news in and around the business. Whether a manufacturer or distributor in this industry, your presence in this trade publication will be seen not only by competitors but vendors and enthusiasts.

Photos are Getting Bigger: On Facebook and Beyond

March 8, 2013 Beth Devine

Facebook Gives Visuals the Royal Treatment

Content may still be king, but images, videos, and music are holding higher court on Facebook. Facebook’s changes in its News Feed include new ways to filter what you see as you pay homage to the stream of information. No longer will the various feed options be hidden in the left sidebar.

Oh, you didn’t know about those either? They’ve been spread out among the Newsfeed, Pages, and Apps categories, where you’ll still find them until the upgrades are fully dispersed.

With the News Feed upgrade, front and top-center or top-right (depending on what type of device you’re on), you’ll find options for a photos feed highlighting Facebook and Instagram photos, and a remade music feed sharing what friends are listening to, as well as new albums and concerts.

Instagram Takes the Stage

The format is very much like Instagram in its clutter-reduced and photo-focused approach. Richer content, larger visuals, and interactivity is designed into the News Feed as cross-platform features. Whether you’re viewing on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, the results will be similar.

Images from both friends and advertisements are larger as part of this new wave of dedicated feed. Since acquiring Instagram, this is a strategic move to utilize the power of the photo. Studies show that we process images 60,000 times faster than text, and Facebook photos generate more engagement than text alone.

Read: more likes, comments, and link clicks, all in less time.

It’s easy enough to satisfy that basic desire to respond to images in Facebook and drive more traffic to your website. Instead of sharing as a link, which brings up a smaller-sized photo (these screen shots are pre-News Feed updates), add as a photo and include a comment with the relevant link.

Be sure to always include a live link to allow easy click-through to your website. With the add photos/video option, you can share more than one photo to further engage your users.

Photos are Content’s New Queen

Photos are growing in size and number everywhere. On Google+, the cover photo specs just got bigger, so be sure to update yours with an eye-catching maximum resolution of 2120 x 1192.

Larger photo backgrounds are a fast-growing design trend and large images on website homepages are surging on the swell of the photo-riffic movement. While these make marketing sense in capturing your visitor’s attention, other photo trends lean more towards the unconventional.

Stranger Than Photo Fiction

Facebook’s Poke app came out soon after Snapchat, both boasting disappearing photos and videos for your ephemeral viewing pleasure. With Poke, the photos and videos are only viewable for up to ten seconds before they disappear, and a warning will appear if a screenshot was taken.

Beware of the temptation to send something you’ll regret later. Sources say that disappear is different from delete, however, and there are ways to record Poke videos permanently without alerting the sender.

Stemming from the disappearing-photo craze are horror stories based on the phenomenon. And any picture-taking and photo-sharing culture wouldn’t be complete without the bizarre Pretty Girls Making Ugly Faces as seen on Reddit, a user-generated social networking site similar to Digg.

Let us know what you think of the Facebook News Feed changes. Do you think that visual integration is at a saturation point, or are we merely skimming the surface of a potential image-laden future?

A path for your 2013 web design

March 2, 2013 Beth Devine

Web Design Trends Infographic
Infographic by Trifunk

I love this infographic. It could be the outline for an initial web design consultation with new clients.

Knowing how hard it can be to extract content from some clients, this line cracked me up: “Are you sure? There must be a story in there somewhere. ”

The original blog post that went along with it has some fun samples of current trends. I particularly enjoyed the parallax scrolling examples. Even if you don’t know or care about “parallax scrolling” you’ll love playing with the 007 cars presentation, and Jess & Russ’ engagement timeline drew me in to their romance even though I was just there to see the technique.

Have some fun…check out the parallax scrolling at

Suave example: James Bond 007 Cars Evolution
Romantic example: Jess & Russ.

Keep Your Passwords Safe From Attack

February 19, 2013 Beth Devine

cyber-vipers steal passwords — Photo credit Jaymis

It’s a nest of cyber-vipers out there, ready to strike and steal your online information. And if you’re like most of us, you’re vulnerable because you’ve committed the cardinal cyber-sin.

You’ve reused the same password in multiple accounts. Or you have passwords that are easy to remember (and crack). Or you’ve written them down somewhere and lost them.

So how do you create and protect multiple, secure passwords? A password manager, that’s how.

What’s Password Management?

A password manager will capture your username and password when you visit a secure site. When you revisit this site, it will offer to fill in your saved credentials. Also known as password vaults or safes, they are a central storage place for all your passwords, encrypted and protected by a single password.

This way you have to remember only one complex password to access the vault.

When you decide to create this master key, check out this surprising needle-in-a-haystack password developer. How Secure is My Password? will tell you how difficult your password is to crack, and whether it’s on the list of most-common passwords.

The more you learn about website security breaches, the more anxious you will be to create safe, strong passwords. The list of hacked sites continually grows: Sony servers, including Sony Pictures, with over one million accounts hacked; nearly a half million Yahoo users were violated; social Q-&-A site Formspring, to the tune of over 400,000 passwords stolen; and Zappos, who reset 24 million user passwords due to security risk.

If the idea of inputting important passwords into a software system concerns you, then start with storing passwords to all those numerous online accounts like member blogs, shopping accounts, and social media sites.

Just think, you’ll never again have to wait for an email to reset a forgotten password.

Best Password Managers

Password managers vary in features and price, with some set up to store additional information, such as credit card numbers and bank card pins. Here are some of the most-reviewed and lauded.

1Password securely stores all your passwords, credit cards, and notes. It starts at $49.99 a year, and did well in a lot of recent reviews, but didn’t make the top ten of this list. For a more in-depth review, read here.

The highly recommended LastPass is free, with a $12/year upgrade that allows you to use it in mobile applications. While it did suffer a breach in 2011, users with strong master passwords were safe.

The top-rated RoboForm Everywhere is a steal at 9.95 for the first year, with a discount plan for college students and a free 30-day trial.

KeePass is another free option, made for Windows, with open source, OSI certified, where you can check out the encryption algorithms to make sure they’re implemented right – if you’re into that sort of thing. It also has many plugins to assist you in a variety of ways, including integrating with other browsers.

Because I like free, I wanted to also mention Clipperz, a password manager that doesn’t require a software download. You can also access your password data offline by downloading it to an encrypted local file. It’s compatible with any computer that runs a browser with JavaScript, including Safari on iPad.

End the Password Insanity

If you’re feeling paranoid, then begin with something free and experiment simply for ease of use on no-brainer accounts. Put an end to your password-induced mania.

It’s easier to recover from a password hack when your accounts are tidily kept in one encrypted vault. And you’ll never have to resort to picking super-easy-to-remember passwords, like the popular 123456, or the second runner up, “password,” followed by 12345678, as the Gawker hack revealed.

Have you tried a password manager? What is your experience with them?

The Rise of Mega-Cursing: When is it Okay to Swear?

February 11, 2013 Beth Devine

Is cursing the hip way to express yourself? Or is it hopelessly prudish to refuse using naughty words?

I admire people who abstain from cursing. I often find it necessary to apologize for swearing – excuse my French – because once they’re in your daily vocabulary, four-letter words pop out like hiccups.

The smallest provocation – stress, anger, excitement – gives profanity a free pass and out rush curses like the hounds of Baskerville. This tendency, if not checked, gives employers a bad impression. CareerBuilder’s survey shows the majority of employers have negative reactions to employees’ swearing at work.

Meanwhile, we continue to swear, less so in front of our superiors than around our co-workers, and men more so than women.

But what about swearing online, in social media, where your profanity has a far wider audience? Swearing here is not about offending your workplace associates. These are your valued followers and would-be customers. What will your broader audience think? And do you care?

I hate it when people unfollow when I say fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

— Brian Clark (@copyblogger) February 4, 2013

Take Brian Clark, founder of Copyblogger. His recent f-bomb-laden @copyblogger tweet suggests a smug confidence. Either Clark knows his audience, or he’s unconcerned about those who fail to be entertained. As best-selling author Seth Godin might say to them, “It’s not for you.”

So you know your audience. And you don’t care about those who would get in your way of something “brave and important.” Is it worth the risk? Or, better yet, is this really your best work?

Stephen King begins his second foreword in On Writing by citing Rule 17 under “Principles of Composition” of The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White. “Omit needless words.”

One could argue that curse words are unneeded and unclean grammatically. Foul language muddies grammar, and should be carefully chosen, even when used for emphasis or to show passion for a particular subject. Occasional light swearing is shown to increase your persuasive factor by showing more intensity in your speech. In this study, light swearing involves the word damn, a PG-rated curse, if one exists.

A far cry from the f-bomb.

As far as expletives go, ethnic slurs are considered far more taboo these days, according to The Guardian. Changes in our choice of swear words and what’s considered shocking continue to evolve, from sexual swearing in the mid-20th century to religious swearing before that.

I guess we can expect political correctness, but common vulgarity will continue to rear its foul head.

If you do choose to swear online, remember that what is said in social media is like a tattoo. It’s there forever.

It’s far easier to maintain your authentic self when it doesn’t rely on the coolness factor of cussing. Whether you are around kids, business prospects, or those who aren’t impressed by obscenities, you can express yourself without apology.

If this offends you, then I guess it’s not for you.

I’d love to hear your expletive-deleted thoughts.

Content Marketing and Copywriting: No Sibling Rivalry

February 8, 2013 Beth Devine

To understand what content marketing and copywriting are – both integral components of your marketing package – try looking at them as part of a family tree.

Publicity Meets Business

As one of my favorite tweeples and copywriters, Matt Loomis, explains, because Copywriting and Content Marketing are seen as such closely related branches on the family tree, many people might consider them to be twins.

Not so close as that. Copywriting and Content Marketing are, however, definitely siblings, both the progeny of their illustrious parents, Publicity and Business. When these two got together, the family tree began its inevitable climb.

The First Child Arrives

It wasn’t long before Publicity and Business bore fruit, creating Copywriting. Their adored firstborn, whose natural traits included enthusiasm, creativity, boldness, and persuasion, was coddled and indulged. His aptitude grew for all things commerce.

His wise parents raised him well, teaching him all aspects of advertising, including how to create brochures, direct mail, press releases, radio and television scripts, and website writing. All was well with the world.

Then, as Matt Loomis goes on to explain, because change is unavoidable, the family tree experienced some unexpected growth.

The Family Expands

It wasn’t until much later, as Publicity and Business neared the ripe age of grandparenthood, that their surprise second child announced herself. Content Marketing was born.

She was embraced with equal warmth and devotion, basking in the attention of her parents and her older brother. She excelled in the bright new land of the World Wide Web. Her natural gifts of generosity, confidence, friendliness, and worldly-wise intelligence afforded her to meet the increasing challenges and opportunities of the Internet: white papers, videos, eBooks, social media updates, and blogging.

Sibling Compatibility

As Matt Loomis points out, Big brother Copywriting and younger sister Content Marketing share a terrific relationship. They both understand the importance of knowing your audience. And because neither feels the need to control or outshine the other, they live side by side without quarrel.

That’s not to say they agree on everything.

Copywriting insists on getting straight to the point. He sees the end goal at all times and can be very focussed on completing his objectives. His sister Content Marketing prefers to linger awhile, make friends, engage in friendly conversation, and be the sweet harvest that brings people to her.

She’s the irresistible apple. Her brother is, well, more like the straightforward salient snake.

The competition they sometimes engage in is a healthy way for them to learn cooperation and teamwork. As a matter of fact, they both agree that they wouldn’t happily exist without the other.

Their parents couldn’t be a prouder set of tree limbs.

It’s a Family Thing

A big thank you goes to Matthew Loomis for his illuminating family analogy! Thanks to him, I understand the unique relationship of Content Marketing and Copywriting as two branches of the same tree.

Whether you’re geared for the direct sales approach – using Copywriting for an urgent call to action, or you’ve discovered the inbound marketing strategy works well – a Content Marketing approach to giving away free content and attracting followers who become customers, each one has its strengths for your business.

When creating a marketing plan, these siblings work together to help your business grow. How have you experienced the benefits of this happy family tree?

Phishers Collect More Than Just a Prized Catch

February 4, 2013 Beth Devine

Phishing With Bait - Spam Threats in 2013

Avoiding Phishing Scams infographic by Lifelock

Protect your identity with the tips shown in this infographic.

Beware of links in emails – look for a second form of identification
Know that images, logos are easily faked
Beware of emails claiming a heightened sense of urgency
Monitor your credit rating
Use a credit card with a low spending limit for online purchases – do not use a debit card
Vary your passwords

Stay safe in 2013.