Whether it’s the local shopping market, airport or online, thieves are lurking and just waiting for you to make a critical mistake. In fact, much of the internet community is in a state of panic as data theft is at an all-time high. Credit card numbers, bank account information and identities are being stolen from companies who don’t know how to properly secure their website and transactions. Assuming you don’t want to be the next victim, we have provided three simple tips to keep you one step ahead of the attackers.
1.) Make Use of Encryption
In order to protect the monetary transactions occurring on your site, you at least need to have an SSL certificate with no less than 128-bit encryption. This security tool can be installed and managed by a third-party vendor such as VeriSign or you can choose to handle the configuration yourself. What SSL does is scramble the data being sent over the internet in a code that is unreadable to hackers. Thus, when sales on your website are made, the financial details of your customers is encrypted, securely transmitted and then decrypted by your payment processor. By placing an SSL certificate seal on your website, you can calm the nerves of consumers and encourage them to shop your store in confidence
1.) Make Use of Encryption
In order to protect the monetary transactions occurring on your site, you at least need to have an SSL certificate with no less than 128-bit encryption. This security tool can be installed and managed by a third-party vendor such as VeriSign or you can choose to handle the configuration yourself. What SSL does is scramble the data being sent over the internet in a code that is unreadable to hackers. Thus, when sales on your website are made, the financial details of your customers is encrypted, securely transmitted and then decrypted by your payment processor. By placing an SSL certificate seal on your website, you can calm the nerves of consumers and encourage them to shop your store in confidence
Having a dedicated server is one of the true signs that you have made it as a small to medium sized business owner. Unfortunately, it also makes you a likely target of hacking and other security threats. Securing any machine equipped with a web or application server is a huge challenge, one you may not be able to overcome alone. You need to worry about everything from your email and FTP communications to OS and kernel patches. And let’s not forget about those web technologies that can bring you so much functionality along with a lot of grief when not properly secured. This web-based world we live in can be very hazardous to any business so if you want to protect your server, we suggest paying close attention to the contents of this article.
Must-Have Defenses
Securing a dedicated server begins with creating a two-layer bullet proof vest to deflect the attempts of the enemy. Two of the most effective weapons to carry into battle: firewall and intrusion protection technology. With a firewall, your server will be able to fight off common exploits such as DDoS (distributed denial of service) and brute force attacks. Usually originating from multiple unsecured, enslaved machines, the dreaded DDoS attack will slam your dedicated server with awful amounts of insignificant traffic, overwhelming critical resources and rendering the hardware inaccessible to legitimate users. A quality firewall with good configurations will enforce rules that filters access and blocks malicious traffic while allowing legitimate traffic to pass. This is all done in a way that reduces latency and slow moving processes, so it all appears transparent to the end-user.
Must-Have Defenses
Securing a dedicated server begins with creating a two-layer bullet proof vest to deflect the attempts of the enemy. Two of the most effective weapons to carry into battle: firewall and intrusion protection technology. With a firewall, your server will be able to fight off common exploits such as DDoS (distributed denial of service) and brute force attacks. Usually originating from multiple unsecured, enslaved machines, the dreaded DDoS attack will slam your dedicated server with awful amounts of insignificant traffic, overwhelming critical resources and rendering the hardware inaccessible to legitimate users. A quality firewall with good configurations will enforce rules that filters access and blocks malicious traffic while allowing legitimate traffic to pass. This is all done in a way that reduces latency and slow moving processes, so it all appears transparent to the end-user.
With the current state of the economy and the uncertainty in job security, more people are considering trading in their 9-to-5 in favor of their own online business. The transition is quite understandable when considering that many people have been leveraging the internet to make money for well over a decade now. The potential is endless but even in the internet world, nothing is ever guaranteed. If you have been thinking about making your way with a web-based business, these four tips should go a long way in helping you tackle the online retail market.
1.) Don’t Rush
Many entrepreneurs and small businesses are eager to dive into the online realm head first. They are ready and willing to invest into the concept that quickly became a prosperous business idea. However, this is temptation you should resist for two major reasons. For one, you probably haven’t even considered all the costs you might encounter. For example, you must think about your web hosting and e-commerce platform, marketing costs, and investment in the actual products or services you intend to sale. Secondly, you have little to no experience as an online retailer and no real way of knowing what to expect from this very unpredictable market. The truth of that matter is that you are going to make a few mistakes. The best way to minimize them is to take your time and ease into the market. Don’t invest everything you’ve got into the business. Begin with the minimum investment and as you start to profit, put that money back into the business to ensure its longevity.
2.) Research and Testing
As your business evolves, you will come to grasp just which items sell the best and where your profits are actually coming from. This is all fine and dandy, but only when you have established your catalog. One of the best ways to determine your product niche is through research and testing. You can start out rather broad with large categories and once you learn how to research the market, you scale your catalog down to the few products likely to generate the most income for your business.
1.) Don’t Rush
Many entrepreneurs and small businesses are eager to dive into the online realm head first. They are ready and willing to invest into the concept that quickly became a prosperous business idea. However, this is temptation you should resist for two major reasons. For one, you probably haven’t even considered all the costs you might encounter. For example, you must think about your web hosting and e-commerce platform, marketing costs, and investment in the actual products or services you intend to sale. Secondly, you have little to no experience as an online retailer and no real way of knowing what to expect from this very unpredictable market. The truth of that matter is that you are going to make a few mistakes. The best way to minimize them is to take your time and ease into the market. Don’t invest everything you’ve got into the business. Begin with the minimum investment and as you start to profit, put that money back into the business to ensure its longevity.
2.) Research and Testing
As your business evolves, you will come to grasp just which items sell the best and where your profits are actually coming from. This is all fine and dandy, but only when you have established your catalog. One of the best ways to determine your product niche is through research and testing. You can start out rather broad with large categories and once you learn how to research the market, you scale your catalog down to the few products likely to generate the most income for your business.
05/07: Seven SEO Myths Debunked
Search engine optimization is vital for anyone looking to attract targeted traffic to their website. Being that it is such a hot topic, the web community is constantly in talks about which methods work, and which ones don’t. The purpose of this article is to debunk seven of the most common myths associated with SEO. Whether you intend to hire an SEO firm or go at it alone, this knowledge will give you a better idea of what to expect.
1.) All Meta Tags are Created Equal
Though some are extremely important, other meta tags do not play a determining factor in your search engine visibility. Because spammers are quickly becoming infamous for leveraging keywords, search engines are relying more on genuine website content and less on meta data.
2.) Regular Search Engine Submissions are a Must
There is a large perception that you should manually submit your website to search engines on a weekly or monthly basis. This couldn’t be further from the truth because all it takes is one submission to each search engine you intend to target. What many of the expert firms won’t tell you is that if your site is properly optimized, the search engine bots will automatically find you.
3.) Good SEO is Expensive
For the most part, SEO is a very cost effective form of online marketing, generally much cheaper than banner or sponsored advertising. This is especially the case when optimizing to achieve organic rankings. If you couple a quality site design with good networking and links, you can end up paying little to nothing for your SEO campaign
1.) All Meta Tags are Created Equal
Though some are extremely important, other meta tags do not play a determining factor in your search engine visibility. Because spammers are quickly becoming infamous for leveraging keywords, search engines are relying more on genuine website content and less on meta data.
2.) Regular Search Engine Submissions are a Must
There is a large perception that you should manually submit your website to search engines on a weekly or monthly basis. This couldn’t be further from the truth because all it takes is one submission to each search engine you intend to target. What many of the expert firms won’t tell you is that if your site is properly optimized, the search engine bots will automatically find you.
3.) Good SEO is Expensive
For the most part, SEO is a very cost effective form of online marketing, generally much cheaper than banner or sponsored advertising. This is especially the case when optimizing to achieve organic rankings. If you couple a quality site design with good networking and links, you can end up paying little to nothing for your SEO campaign
Though it is often described as one big process, good search engine optimization involves a number of different steps. The intricacies of these steps is what leads many website owners to hire professional SEO firms that claim to have the magic formula. Going at it alone could seem very unrewarding even after months of hard work. When you are not seeing results from your efforts, it usually means that there is a flaw somewhere in the optimization process. If you truly want to get the most out of search engine optimization, the following mistakes must be avoided at all costs.
Cloaking
The term cloaking refers to having one page designed to attract search engines and others specifically made for your visitors. While this may seem like a viable strategy, cloaking should be avoided if you want to remain on favorable terms with the search engines. It might have worked a few years ago, but today’s search engine’s are sophisticated enough to detect this and other unethical forms of SEO.
SEO Guarantees
The web waters are infested with companies looking to bank off the prevalence of SEO. These firms often guarantee services that will put you on the first page of Google in the number one spot. What you should know is that no company can guarantee such rankings. The fact that most of the top ranked sites report to having no dealings with SEO firms should be enough for you not to rely on outlandish claims
Cloaking
The term cloaking refers to having one page designed to attract search engines and others specifically made for your visitors. While this may seem like a viable strategy, cloaking should be avoided if you want to remain on favorable terms with the search engines. It might have worked a few years ago, but today’s search engine’s are sophisticated enough to detect this and other unethical forms of SEO.
SEO Guarantees
The web waters are infested with companies looking to bank off the prevalence of SEO. These firms often guarantee services that will put you on the first page of Google in the number one spot. What you should know is that no company can guarantee such rankings. The fact that most of the top ranked sites report to having no dealings with SEO firms should be enough for you not to rely on outlandish claims
Any online business owner understands the importance and complexities of customer support. The process of fielding customer inquires, getting a staff member to follow through on them and making sure the issues are wrapped up properly is a time consuming and costly task. A thorough support system requires many elements and this article will introduce you to three essential methods you may want to consider.
1.) Support Tickets
One of the most affordable and effective customer support solutions is the ticket system. This type of application allows customers to open up an official case, submit their questions or concerns, and a member of the support team to take care of it. Such a system can be very cost effective because all it takes is a few employees to handle the communications. These systems are also generally easy to use and can be integrated to your existing support system.
While a support ticket system can definitely be useful, it may not be the best tool for developing personalized relationships with your customers. The communication can be slower than some may like, especially when queries are being submitted from another time zone. Therefore, while it is good to have a ticket system, this tool cannot be relied on alone. In the time-sensitive, fast paced internet world we live, the delay in response could result in loss sales and profits for your online business
1.) Support Tickets
One of the most affordable and effective customer support solutions is the ticket system. This type of application allows customers to open up an official case, submit their questions or concerns, and a member of the support team to take care of it. Such a system can be very cost effective because all it takes is a few employees to handle the communications. These systems are also generally easy to use and can be integrated to your existing support system.
While a support ticket system can definitely be useful, it may not be the best tool for developing personalized relationships with your customers. The communication can be slower than some may like, especially when queries are being submitted from another time zone. Therefore, while it is good to have a ticket system, this tool cannot be relied on alone. In the time-sensitive, fast paced internet world we live, the delay in response could result in loss sales and profits for your online business
Though it is often described as one big process, good search engine optimization involves a number of different steps. The intricacies of these steps is what leads many website owners to hire professional SEO firms that claim to have the magic formula. Going at it alone could seem very unrewarding even after months of hard work. When you are not seeing results from your efforts, it usually means that there is a flaw somewhere in the optimization process. If you truly want to get the most out of search engine optimization, the following mistakes must be avoided at all costs.
Cloaking
The term cloaking refers to having one page designed to attract search engines and others specifically made for your visitors. While this may seem like a viable strategy, cloaking should be avoided if you want to remain on favorable terms with the search engines. It might have worked a few years ago, but today’s search engine’s are sophisticated enough to detect this and other unethical forms of SEO.
SEO Guarantees
The web waters are infested with companies looking to bank off the prevalence of SEO. These firms often guarantee services that will put you on the first page of Google in the number one spot. What you should know is that no company can guarantee such rankings. The fact that most of the top ranked sites report to having no dealings with SEO firms should be enough for you not to rely on outlandish claims.
Multiple Search Engine Submissions
Contrary to popular belief, submitting your website to search engines regularly can be a mistake. There are some companies that offer services utilizing special software that will automatically submit your site on a regular basis. Don’t buy into this as it can actually get you penalized and hinder your efforts
Cloaking
The term cloaking refers to having one page designed to attract search engines and others specifically made for your visitors. While this may seem like a viable strategy, cloaking should be avoided if you want to remain on favorable terms with the search engines. It might have worked a few years ago, but today’s search engine’s are sophisticated enough to detect this and other unethical forms of SEO.
SEO Guarantees
The web waters are infested with companies looking to bank off the prevalence of SEO. These firms often guarantee services that will put you on the first page of Google in the number one spot. What you should know is that no company can guarantee such rankings. The fact that most of the top ranked sites report to having no dealings with SEO firms should be enough for you not to rely on outlandish claims.
Multiple Search Engine Submissions
Contrary to popular belief, submitting your website to search engines regularly can be a mistake. There are some companies that offer services utilizing special software that will automatically submit your site on a regular basis. Don’t buy into this as it can actually get you penalized and hinder your efforts
Any online business owner understands the importance and complexities of customer support. The process of fielding customer inquires, getting a staff member to follow through on them and making sure the issues are wrapped up properly is a time consuming and costly task. A thorough support system requires many elements and this article will introduce you to three essential methods you may want to consider.
1.) Support Tickets
One of the most affordable and effective customer support solutions is the ticket system. This type of application allows customers to open up an official case, submit their questions or concerns, and a member of the support team to take care of it. Such a system can be very cost effective because all it takes is a few employees to handle the communications. These systems are also generally easy to use and can be integrated to your existing support system.
While a support ticket system can definitely be useful, it may not be the best tool for developing personalized relationships with your customers. The communication can be slower than some may like, especially when queries are being submitted from another time zone. Therefore, while it is good to have a ticket system, this tool cannot be relied on alone. In the time-sensitive, fast paced internet world we live, the delay in response could result in loss sales and profits for your online business.
1.) Support Tickets
One of the most affordable and effective customer support solutions is the ticket system. This type of application allows customers to open up an official case, submit their questions or concerns, and a member of the support team to take care of it. Such a system can be very cost effective because all it takes is a few employees to handle the communications. These systems are also generally easy to use and can be integrated to your existing support system.
While a support ticket system can definitely be useful, it may not be the best tool for developing personalized relationships with your customers. The communication can be slower than some may like, especially when queries are being submitted from another time zone. Therefore, while it is good to have a ticket system, this tool cannot be relied on alone. In the time-sensitive, fast paced internet world we live, the delay in response could result in loss sales and profits for your online business.
Have you been thinking of investing in a domain name lately? If so, rest assured that you are in the large majority. Today’s internet has become incredibly powerful as more people come to grasp the benefits. These days, almost everyone has easy access to the internet and can connect with millions of people around the world. When thinking of the endless potential, investing in a domain name only makes sense for those who want to leverage the power of the net and the reach of the World Wide Web.
In the internet world, a domain is equivalent to an address of a store. If want to visit a website, then you need to type in an address to access it. The shorter and catchier this address, the more valuable it becomes as it will be easier for people to remember. Whether you have plans of starting an informative website or an online business, these tips will help you get the most out of your domain name investment.
Think Ahead
Some domain names are more popular than others because of the current trends today. For this reason, you should think ahead and consider the future trends. Can you predict what will be en vogue in the next few years? If you plan on selling your domain name for profit, you may want to secure one that coincides with an emerging trend to encourage top dollar offers. If you plan to build your presence off the name, choose something that has longevity and will stay relevant regardless of what’s hot.
In the internet world, a domain is equivalent to an address of a store. If want to visit a website, then you need to type in an address to access it. The shorter and catchier this address, the more valuable it becomes as it will be easier for people to remember. Whether you have plans of starting an informative website or an online business, these tips will help you get the most out of your domain name investment.
Think Ahead
Some domain names are more popular than others because of the current trends today. For this reason, you should think ahead and consider the future trends. Can you predict what will be en vogue in the next few years? If you plan on selling your domain name for profit, you may want to secure one that coincides with an emerging trend to encourage top dollar offers. If you plan to build your presence off the name, choose something that has longevity and will stay relevant regardless of what’s hot.
Email hosting is designed for businesses that cannot or simply do not want to spend their precious time and resources on setting up and managing an internal messaging infrastructure. This is very understandable because the continued maintenance and support can raise costs and also greatly increase the probability of virus infections, hardware and software problems. All of these issues could leave your business without email functionality for hours and possibly days.
There are many benefits to outsourcing your messaging needs to a professional hosting company. This article will go over some of the most significant.
Secure Webmail Access
Email hosting providers generally equip their mail servers with industry standard 128-bit encryption, which is active during the entire webmail session. This essentially means that any data sent to and from the server is encrypted from the moment you sign in, until the moment you sign out. With this proven security protocol, you can ensure that your sensitive messages will not be intercepted or compromised in any way.
Secure IMAP and POP Access
Businesses are increasingly opting for email hosting solutions because they enable secure access to desktop email clients through IMAP or POP. All email traffic is encrypted, including user names and passwords sent from the email client to the mail server for authentication. The best hosting providers support all the popular mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, Eudora, Mozilla Thunderbird and Apple Mail. Some even offer support for Linux and BSD clients as well as PDAs and pocket PCs. Whether you prefer to manage your mail on or offline, an email hosting plan can ensure that is done in an efficient and secure manner
There are many benefits to outsourcing your messaging needs to a professional hosting company. This article will go over some of the most significant.
Secure Webmail Access
Email hosting providers generally equip their mail servers with industry standard 128-bit encryption, which is active during the entire webmail session. This essentially means that any data sent to and from the server is encrypted from the moment you sign in, until the moment you sign out. With this proven security protocol, you can ensure that your sensitive messages will not be intercepted or compromised in any way.
Secure IMAP and POP Access
Businesses are increasingly opting for email hosting solutions because they enable secure access to desktop email clients through IMAP or POP. All email traffic is encrypted, including user names and passwords sent from the email client to the mail server for authentication. The best hosting providers support all the popular mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, Eudora, Mozilla Thunderbird and Apple Mail. Some even offer support for Linux and BSD clients as well as PDAs and pocket PCs. Whether you prefer to manage your mail on or offline, an email hosting plan can ensure that is done in an efficient and secure manner