Customer Relationship Software (CRM): Who, What, Where and When?

Each Client Or Customer Is Unique

As a webmaster, you know what’s involved in designing, constructing and administrating an online business – everything from paying the bills to syndicating content, a well-run e-biz is a multi-faceted operation. And you run the show.

However, if you try this, then re-do that, test such-and such and hire people who don’t “get it,” your online business won’t be the dream come true you’ve been planning. The key is to integrate all of your business activities into a single strategy called CRM – customer relationship management. CRM is at the heart of any growing business. The principles are simple, you don’t need an MBA and it doesn’t cost a lot of money (much of CRM doesn’t cost any money).

CRM is an important consideration for corporations, NFPs, NGOs and public sites, all of which seek to implement the basics to manage relationships with customers, clients and stakeholders (upper management, shareholders, etc.).

It’s all about the acquisition and analysis of customer data, vendor information and the in-house procedures you design to connect satisfied customer to eager vendor. Think of your website as the intermediary between buyer and seller – your customers and your wholesalers.

What Purpose Does CRM Serve?
Customer relationship management weaves together a variety of business functions to deliver the best product and retain the customer or client. Client retention is the ultimate purpose of CRM but, in the process of developing a CRM strategy, you’ll be required to consider all facets of your business including: professional development (for you and any staff you have, paid or otherwise), customer service (this specifically includes training customer service representatives, if you outsource this task), sales, marketing and promotion and, finally, compensation – who gets what.

If you’re the only participant, this won’t be a difficult decision to make. Any compensation comes back to you as either salary or operating capital to expand the business further.

The Building Blocks of a Solid CRM Strategy
In addition to your learning curve (assuming you’re a sole proprietor), which takes time and costs money in lowered productivity, you’ll need several tools to develop a workable and effective CRM strategy.

Your Database
Your business database contains all customer/client information along with inventory data, shipping dates and other order processing and marketing data. It is the focus of any CRM. In fact, without this information, there is no CRM.

This means, when designing your first website, you install a reliable, simple, automated database (MySQL, for example) to track all business activities. These activities fall into four distinct categories: (1) analytical CRM, (2) operational CRM, (3) interactive CRM (interactive with site visitors) and finally, (4) integrated client support and customer service throughout the business itself.

Analytical CRM
To undertake these CRM-based activities you’ll need some tools and some time. Analytic CRM requires software that can deliver useable stats. If the software delivers reams of indecipherable numbers, the data won’t be as useful to other members of the business team. The CFO may understand what that 250-page financial report shows, but the CEO may not.

Employ analytical software that delivers data in graphic formats – heat maps, pie charts and other visual representations. This equips your whole team (even if you’re the only player) to understand, assimilate and use site metrics with greater effectiveness.

Operational CRM
Where’s what?

The daily administration of your site is greatly simplified through the use of CRM tracking software. Using this software, you’re able to automate many routine functions such as auto-responder emails when orders are placed and news updates sent during an email blast to those customers and opt-ins stored in your database.

However, operational CRM also enables you to make the best use of the data you maintain in the system. If the bank account number of a key vendor in Korea is written on the back of a scrap of paper, you’ll spend more time looking for that information than if you were able to bring up all of that vendor’s information on a single screen via the CRM software loaded on your work station.

Tracking data – sales data, order data, site metrics, order status and other critical information – becomes much simpler when (1) it’s easily accessible in one place and (2) you’re able to automate routine functions, giving you more time to focus on more “human-oriented” tasks like developing your next marketing campaign.

Interactive CRM
A relatively new digital phenomenon but one web users have quickly adopted and now expect from sites selling goods or services.

Interactive CRM enables the visitor to customize a product search using a site search feature that delivers the desired content whether the visitor enters a product name, brand or even part number. Fast. The visitor is in and out – and hopefully you’ve made a sale and a new customer.

Forms are another use of CRM interactivity. More and more sites collect data on their visitors who don’t seem to mind providing it, especially if they’re tempted with a free eBook download.

This information provides opt-ins (pure gold) and marketing data to better define your demographic and its needs. And again, the automation of the data acquisition and generation of the download key code integrates operational and interactive CRM, creating a business synergy.

Interactive CRM also delivers the ability to the client to ask a question via email. The “Contact Us” page of a site is where you’ll usually find this feature. It’s another channel to keep your clientele happy and to collect opt-in email addresses for future messages and updates.

Integrated CRM
CRM should be the focus of all your site design, marketing, ordering and management of customer objections. Instead of dealing with sales as a separate aspect of your operation, it’s built into the master plan employing operational, interactive and analytic CRM data drawn from an up-to-date data base.

When a CRM program is designed, it should look like a flow chart with automated decision points, QC statements, data collation and other business activities functioning as a unified whole. This is the ultimate goal of developing your site’s plan for customer relationship management.

In a cosmically competitive marketplace like the web, every advantage you gain over a competitor makes your business stronger. If you can deliver an order a day faster than the competition, you win. The relationship with those happy buyers is strong and they will be back to buy again.

Using CRM software to chart the course your online business may take a day or two to figure out, if marketing and customer care aren’t a part of your professional background. But that learning curve will pay off many times over by providing data that drives solutions to online retail problems.

Looking for synergies between marketing and order taking? Trying to figure out your percentage of repeat buyers over the past 12 months? Trying to resolve a customer complaint? You want (no you need) CRM tools just to keep up.

Need some helpt tracking your clients? Drop me aline or give me a call. I’ll show you how to treat a customer right. Webwordslinger.

Moving Data To A New Computer: Slow and Steady

“My new laptop came but I lost my files in a data transfer. BUMMER“

Your computer hard drive is solid gold. At least it contains solid gold information. Sure you have a lot of data stored on your web host’s computer, but if you’re sharp, you’ve got everything backed up six ways from Sunday because it’s just so valuable.

In addition, after years of faithful service, your computer has, no doubt, adopted a bit of your personality with all of your favorite places, settings, preferences, contacts and other information that’s 100% you. But, you’ve been eyeballing the ubiquitous adverts for the fastest, sleekest computer ever built and thinking about turning “Ol’ Betsy” into a doorstop. Such is life in the computer age. Your computer is the center of your work life one day and a giant paper weight the next.

Your New Computer
It’s important, if you’re running any kind of on-line enterprise to keep one step ahead of the glitches that are bound to occur as technological hardware ages and if you notice a few puffs of smoke and a new chugging noise that wasn’t there last week, time to switch to an upgrade. And if you’ve had your computer for more than two years, you’ll be amazed at just how much has changed in such a short time.

Computers double storage capacity approximately every 24 months. CPU processing increases at the speed of a nanosecond and there are plenty of new bells and whistles coming along virtually everyday so, what you bought last year is already out of date, sorry to say.

When shopping for a new system for your on-line business, go with a brand name, the fastest CPU you can afford and a hard drive large enough to store the entire Library of Congress. Believe it, you can get all of this for less than $500 these days – and they’ll even throw in a flat screen monitor so you can finally toss the old CRT.

When Your New Computer Arrives
Important note coming up: do NOT disconnect your old system and set it out on the sidewalk for tomorrow’s pick up until you’ve installed your new system and determined that it works. It may sound obvious but you’d be amazed at how often e-business owners have to retrieve data from the old system so keep it nearby for a while, even if it is only a door stop.

Remove the new system from its packing and carefully review the installation instructions. Then set it up to see that slot A does in fact accommodate cable B. Bench test it for at least 36 hours.

Computers and other technology have a “bathtub-shaped” failure rate graph with the most failures taking place at the beginning and end of the system’s life, with the fewest problems during the interim. That means that if you’re going to discover a computer problem, it’s going to be in the first few days, so before you put your old system out to pasture make sure the new system works completely and reliably.

Data Transfer
If all you’re moving is files, you can burn what you need to a CD and transfer that data to the new system. But what about all of the personalized stuff you have stored on the old system. How do you transfer the 150 favorite sites you’ve got stored in your browser, or the 200 contact names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.

And what about all of that software you’ve paid for over the years? Is there any way to transfer that to the new system? The answer is ‘yes,’ with the right tools.

Personal Computer Movers
PC Movers are software packages that transfer everything except operating systems from one computer to another. The reason you can’t transfer the OS is because of copyright laws. So, you have to buy a new OS or, more likely, your new system will come with the OS already installed so you won’t have any problems.

One popular data transfer package is called Laplink PC Mover. It’s so simple to use you’ll love it. Simply install the software on the old system and the new system, connect the two systems via standard USB ports and let the software do the rest. And just what will this and other PC Movers transfer?

Programs and applications including Microsoft Office, Outlook, Photoshop, your favorite computer games and other important (and not-so-important) tools currently stored on your old system.

How about files and folders? Absolutely, regardless of format. So, that means you can transfer Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, videos, photos, all of that music you’ve paid for and downloaded – all transfer to the new system.

And what about the personal side of your system – the parts that show your personality? You bet. Desktop settings, icons and other shortcuts you’ve created to save time, browser settings, world wide web bookmarks and your complete favorites file – even your favorite smiley icons are transferred from old system to new.

Minimize Your Down Time
If you’re running a business on-line, down time is not good time. You’re out of business. But with data transfer software, you can have your new system set up just like your old one in just a matter of hours depending on how much data you have stored. And a downtime of a couple of hours is a lot better than being out of business for two days or more while you try to transfer and reconfigure your old data to your new system.

PC Data Transfer Features
So what should you look for in terms of features when shopping around for data transfer software. Here’s a checklist to help you pick the right software for your needs:

• Complete data migration (except your OS which is copyrighted and can’t be transferred)

• Transparent transfers which means nothing on the new system or the old system is overwritten. Everything stays as it was, as it should be.

• Transfer options is another feature to look for, especially if your current computer is so old that it doesn’t have a standard USB 2.0 link. Many transfer packages provide the less zippy USB 1.1 free with the software but consider the upgrade to USB 2.0 for the sake of speed.

• CD-R and DVD-R capabilities are also useful, though nowhere near as fast as a USB port.

• Look for an easy-to-use and understand interface so you know precisely what you’re doing at all times. There’s a great deal of comfort in that, especially when you’re moving sensitive files.

• Make sure the software includes an undo feature. This is essential if you run into any kind of compatibility issues or other problems because it can take you back to square one until you figure out what the problem is. (There really shouldn’t be any problems but you never know and this is a nice feature to have.)

• If more than one user has access to the old system, look for software that enables you to move data, settings, files and preferences of multiple users with one pass. Some migration software requires a separate migration for each user which can be a real time waster if 10 people all use the same system to record and process orders.

• Make sure the software you select allows you to perform data transfers in advance. This way, you can transfer critical data to a CD-R and upload to your new computer whenever it’s convenient.

• You also want the ability to transfer from an older OS to a newer one. If you’re currently using Win95 and you’re new system comes with Windows XP, you want all transferred data to fit snuggly into that newer operating system. (A note, here: though there is no good reason to do so, most migration software will not allow you to transfer from a newer operating system to an older one, i.e. transferring data from Windows XP to Win 95. But why would anyone want to?)

• Transfer from a PC to a Mac running a Windows operating system – a must have for the dedicated legions of Mac users.

• Look for customization features that enable you to transfer certain data and software while leaving other data on the older system. This saves room on the hard drive of the new system without having to delete out-of-date programs from your old or new system. Another convenience.

• Finally, make sure the software manufacturer offers tech support, preferably 24/7 tech support. These PC data movers work wonders but if you do run into a problem you want to be able to pick up the phone for an immediate solution.

A downloadable version of data transfer software should cost between $40 and $60 bucks – well worth the price in time savings and peace of mind. When transferring data off of more than one computer (from a network, for instance) you’ll have to spend more for a broader license – still worth the bucks.

So, before you move your on-line business from computer A to computer B, do some research to find the data mover that fits your specific needs. There are lots of choices so do some comparison shopping before plunking down your hard earned money.

Transferring data from an old to a new system can be frightening when your on-line business is at stake. Any good web host will offer 24/7, American-based tech support to help in making the transfer a little less frightening. So, call you web host’s help line before making that software purchase, just to make yourself feel a bit more comfortable.

Once you’ve cleared the transfer through your web hosting service, you’re good to go. And you’re going to love the way your new computer functions faster and smoother, while still keeping your system unique with all of your personalized features – emoticons included.

Check it out and bring your system up to date with a little research and a little help from your web host. You’ll be real glad you did.

Avoid the Expense of a Merchant Account

 

How You Gonna Get Paid?

When first-time, online entrepreneurs start to put together a budget they often overlook what will almost certainly be a significant expense – the cost of a merchant account. A merchant account is simply an account with a credit card company or companies that allows you to accept credit card orders. Without a merchant account, no credit cards please.

 

Now, credit cards are the most popular way to pay for items or on-line services, but check out some of the merchant account providers – resellers of merchant accounts that assume some of the risk of granting you credit. (In effect, that’s what a merchant account does. It grants you, the site owner, credit which you then pass on to your buying customers.)

These merchant account resellers often require you to sign a one- or two-year contract that means you’re going to pay a monthly fee of $30 or more for 24 months even if your site closes after two months. And that monthly ‘service charge’ never goes away. Not a problem for active, profitable sites, but a $30 bite each month might actually mean the difference between success and failure for a pushcart, start-up site selling a single ebook download and hoping to generate AdWords revenues to put the kids through college.
You’ll also get dinged a ‘per transaction fee’ (anywhere from 25 cents to 75 cents) and pay the merchant account provider a percentage of each sale on a sliding scale. Those online commercial sites that process thousands of orders daily pay the least – maybe 0.5% of each transaction. Online businesses that only process a few orders each day may pay as much as 3% of each order’s total.
So add it up. Monthly fee = $30 minimum. 25-75 cents per transaction. Plus 0.5 – 3% of the total order. Those fees, expenses and percentages are certainly going to nibble away at your bottom line, even though they don’t sound too bad. But let’s say you’re operating at a 24% margin on a small number of monthly sales. Merchant account fees can decrease your margins by as much as 20%, and that’s a big hit when you’re just starting out.
Don’t forget to add merchant account cost to your line item site budget.
And one more thing: no matter how much the merchant account reseller charges, you still may not be able to get an account – especially if you have a less-than-stellar credit history. Also, even though the merchant account will be set up in the name of your online business, you are personally responsible for all business activities and payments, whether you make a single sale or not. You pay.

It actually might make sense to skip the merchant account altogether, at least for the first few months until you start to see actual incoming revenue.
But then, how is the buyer going to pay for services rendered or goods shipped without a credit card?

Alternative Payment Methods
There are, of course, alternatives to the credit card and, with some creative copywriting on your part you can turn a negative into a positive using these alternative payment methods.

Let’s start with good, old-fashioned snail mail. Mail in a check for the order amount (six business days), wait for the check to clear (three business days) and snail mail order delivery (add another seven business days to account for handling at the warehouse). You could easily forget the order before it even arrives it takes so long to get to you. Especially in this age of one-click shopping and free overnight delivery. Using snail mail is one possibility, but you won’t get rich depending on your letter carrier’s daily visit.

However, there are web-based payment gateways that most knowledgeable web users recognize and accept. And if you construct your checkout to “highlight” the benefits of these alternative payment methods, you might actually convince a few buyers to make that first purchase.

One alternative payment method is 2checkout. Low fees, no long term contracts and available to even those whose credit records look like a disaster in the making. 2checkout, like other gateways, doesn’t actually extend credit to you or your buyer. It is simply a processing service for individuals who already have credit cards. So, because the risk is lessened, so, too, are the costs.

Another option is payQuake, another order processing service with more merchant account features that 2checkout. payQuake offers tiered services depending on the size of your online enterprise – from lite (perfect for small established sites and start-ups) all the way up to the PRO version, perfect for online businesses that process lots of orders and generate a pile of revenue. payQuake, as its website states, “[provides] merchant controlled payment processing solutions…[payQuake] is a Real Merchant Account.”

payQuake offers complete ecommerce accounts, swiped card accounts for brick and mortar outlets, international accounts, specialty merchant accounts for high risk (read high end) transactions and electronic checking.

Finally, you’ll want to open a PayPal account. PayPal, which is owned by eBay, enables buyers to charge purchases on their own credit cards or to pay by direct transfer from their checking or saving accounts. PayPal is the most recognized name in cash transferal services – one most buyers will recognize immediately. And one that most buyers will have confidence in.

Turning a Negative Into a Positive

WE DON’T WANT YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER!

Now that’ll grab a lot of eyeballs. Since when do e-tailors NOT want credit card numbers. When they want to protect the sensitive data of their customers or clients.

Make a point to remind customers about online credit card fraud and the risks they take whenever they give out a credit card number online. You don’t want to put your valuable customers at risk so you don’t accept credit card information directly – only through processing services like payQuake and PayPal.

Further, point out that buyers can eliminate credit card charges and over-limit fees by using PayPal to electronically transfer funds directly from the buyer’s checking or savings account into your business account. No numbers exchange hands. Just the payment. Many people prefer this method of purchase. It doesn’t run up large credit card bills and actually prevents the buyer from over-spending because, if the money isn’t in the account, the transaction won’t be made.

In other words, describe the benefits of using PayPal, payQuake and 2checkout. Lower costs (We pass the savings on to you!) and less likelihood of credit card fraud because the buyer’s credit card numbers are all stored in one place instead of dozens of big and small online sites. Buyers have confidence in PayPal and similar services because of their amazing, trouble-free histories.

So, skip the merchant account until you determine that (1) you need one and (2) that you can afford one. As a start up, every entrepreneurial penny should go into building an attractive site and promoting that site. Keep cash close at hand and hold on to every cent until you see whether this thing is actually going to fly.

You may someday decide to get a merchant account. You’ve heard many pundits state that the more payment gateways you offer, the more sales you generate. That may be true – at some point. But on the day you launch your site you may not see a single visitor. They don’t know you’re there yet. So why pay $30 a month to accept a Visa purchase that never takes place.

Wait to see how things go. You’ll know soon enough whether a merchant account is something you want or need. And, if you go with a web host that’s established and reliable, you may be able to get a break on some of those merchant account charges through your web host (and merchant account reseller, but one that actually cares that your site be successful.)

Hackers, Crackers and Script-Kiddies

You log on to your site and notice that, from your administrator’s console, things don’t look right. So you search the site access log and discover the worst. You’ve been hacked. You’ve got a bogus IP address listed in the search log and when you try to access the intruder, all you get is a 404 error message – Site Not Found.

Now what do you do? What did the hacker do? Is there a digital ticking time bomb buried in your site’s code? A Trojan horse, perhaps? And what about that sensitive personal data stored on your site’s database? You know that’s been copied, even though a quick check of MySQL reveals the database is still in tact. Even so, that sensitive data has been compromised.

Any site is vulnerable to hackers, crackers, script-kiddies and other black hats regardless of how many layers of security you have in place. Remember, hackers never sleep and they’re always looking for web site vulnerabilities. These guys could have gained entry to your site in lots of different ways. By placing an order or opting in for your newsletter. Once contact is made, security is more easily breached.

You’ve got a problem. So, never let it get this far.

Keeping the Bad Guys at Bay
Once a site has been hacked, getting it scrubbed clean and back online can be an arduous, time-consuming-money-losing proposition. Better to keep those evil-doers out from the start.

Check your host server’s configuration. Ooops, forgot to do that.
Revisit your server configuration. You can buy the best, locked-down-tight site security but if it isn’t properly configured with server side software it may provide a false sense of security, as in you aren’t getting what you paid for.

Synch up for safety.

Keep security software and hardware current.
We all know that the hacker community doesn’t have much else to do except sit around devising new ways to circumvent the latest patches from Microsoft or security software developers like MacAfee. The security software programmers know it all-too-well so 24/7, there’s a battle going on between security programmers and hackers looking for a trophy and web creds from other hackers.

Update in-place security regularly. Log on for patches and fixes.

Keep meticulous records of all software. (Keep the box.)
Maintain a record of all software in use to support your business including edition number, i.e. XYZ 2.0. Also user key codes and other information that’ll come in handy if a hacker does get through. An online security company needs to know as much about your software as the hacker did. Make it easy for that company by providing make, model and serial number.

Review log files.
At least once a day, check your back office logs to make sure no one has dropped by unnoticed.

Good time to bring up permissions. A lot of small companies maintain a network of computers. One in customer service. One in accounting and so on. A network is a must for even small businesses today, small businesses that rely on the office network to access business data and records of activity.

This requires the company owner to develop a permissions log – a directory of which employees have access to what company data. All departments and employees should not have access to all data. Only that information required to do the job.

Limit the number of permissions. Limit access to data. And train employees in safe and secure online practices, i.e., email scans, daily virus scans across the network and so on.
And worth another mention, keep access logs up to date. Close out all ex-employees and others who have no business looking at order tracking data.

Stay current on viral epidemics.
First, always keep site security in mind. Consider it a key part of your job as online business owner. That requires a pro-active approach to security. And that requires a knowledge of the latest in frauds, scams, schemes and viruses.

A new virus, once discovered, is almost instantly identified on webmaster sites, on security software sites and, of course, on the Microsoft download page. That’s good. It prevents a local epidemic from becoming a pandemic. Keep up with the latest in hacker tactics and the cures offered on the web. If you wait, your site is vulnerable to a viral injection.

Bulk up your passwords.
This is a simple step, it doesn’t cost a penny yet many site owners still insist on using their pet’s name as the administrator log on. Anyone who knows the site owner will be able to hack the site in, oh, about 10 minutes.

Limit access and create undefeatable passwords. Dictionary software is easily available on hacker sites. These programs go though millions of letter and number strings a day until they generate the actual password. So, extend your passwords, use letters, numbers and symbols, and change them often.

Change all passwords whenever an employee leaves the company.

Run a check of all content generated by third parties.
You might download a FREE counter and pick up a dose of key-logger software – software that logs every key stroke made by you and other members of the office network.

Evaluate the source of the content. For example, sites that syndicate content via RSS feed should be Googled and checked by you, the web business owner. Any third party content can be booby-trapped so be careful. As mom used to say, “You don’t know where it’s been!”

Check your links. Check their ads.
Links are important to building connectivity within a small market. But a link is also an access point for a black hat so always consider the company you keep. Inbound links can be used to inject malware.

Same with paid advertising. Some “company” may be pay you $50 a month to advertise on your site, build a shell site or mirror site and steal your sales. You might not notice it for a couple of days – and by then, your legitimate business could be out $1,000s in sales and you’re facing a boggy mess of customer complaints that are only going to cost more to repair.

Just because an advertiser “sounds nice on the phone” doesn’t mean that she’s running a legitimate business. Know what’s on your pages. Know who’s on your pages. If it looks funny, or your instincts tell you something’s not right, do you really need that extra $50 a month? Take care with those who reach out to touch you. They may be picking your pocket.

When you grow, hire a pro.
When you’re just starting out with a new site, money is always tight, always a consideration. In this case, go with a reputable web host that maintains high levels of server security, including security against cross-server (X-server) attacks. And if this is all gibberish, call the tech support team at your hosting company.

However, at some point, when that online business has grown from a part-time hobby to your sole source of income, congratulations. Now hire a pro.

Site security is no longer a priority. It’s become the priority once you’ve quit your day job and now rely on web traffic to pay the bills. Have a security pro check your system and, if merited, hire a security service that tracks attacks on your site, providing higher levels of safety for your “hand-built” digital business.

Yep, despite the fact that the web has been gussied up in recent years, it’s still a lawless frontier in which you have to protect yourself. The web police don’t exist so forget the 911 call. It won’t help.

The secret to a secure site is constant vigilance and automated convenience. Buy good security ware. Properly configure with server security. Update regularly and keep track of who comes and goes, whether an employee, a link-in or a paid advertiser.

Keep security front and center. It will keep what’s yours – yours!

Website Features: Pros & Cons

You just registered your domain name. You’re one step closer to that dream of your own website and finally, financial freedom. But now what? Well, if you’ve signed on with a good web host (one who values your site’s success because it ultimately means the web hosting company’s success) you’ve got a box full of goodies to play with in designing your website.

'Slinger Prattles on About Site Features

You don’t need a pricey site designer. But you do have to decide on what your website will display and which features will be left out. There are lots of options which means lots of decisions – and there are pros and cons to each one.

A Secure Checkout
Pros: If you sell a product or service, and you accept payment over the web, you don’t have a choice. You must have a secure checkout with SSL encryption to ensure that sensitive personal information isn’t snared by a bad guy. The alternative is to use PayPal or some other payment service but the more payment options you offer, the more your offerings will move out of the warehouse.

Cons: Cost, for one. If your web host doesn’t provide free checkout software, like osCommerce, it could cost you a bundle. On the other hand, people want to pay with credit cards as long as they believe the transaction is secure.

Also, opening a merchant account – one that allows you to accept credit card orders – is going to cost you – sign-up fees, per charge fees and a percentage of every sale, so if you’re operating on tightrope margins, these additional percentages may mean the difference between a viable business and one that shuts down after three weeks.

Web hosts should offer free checkout software. And, a premium service will let your site piggyback on the host’s SSL certificate, saving time and money.

A Blog
Pros: Blogs are great for keeping a site fresh with new content. A closed blog (one in which posts are limited to your control) is easiest to maintain. They’re also useful for a couple of other reasons. First, it’s easy to post new content when you have a blog module as part of your site’s infrastructure so you can update daily with a couple of clicks.

Blogs also create site communities. Once a reader begins a thread, others follow the lead and in no time, you’ll discover the same people conducting conversations and debate on your blog. These are visitors who return to your site often. A very good thing.

Finally, blog software should come free as part of your tool kit. If it doesn’t, look for another web host that does offer freebies by the pound at a reasonable price. They’re out there.

Cons: Conversely, if you allow visiting readers to leave comments to your posts, maintenance may become a problem. There’s always some foul-mouthed, trouble-maker who stirs up more interest in his online antics than the topic at hand. As the boss of the blog, you can block these distractions, but that doesn’t eliminate the need to monitor threads. You want an active blog but you also have to maintain it with regular posts and constant oversight of readers’ comments. This means part of your day will be used up in editorial duties, a real con.

Google Adsense
Pros: There are thousands of site owners who create websites for no other reason than to generate PPC (pay-per-click) revenues. They put up a little content, stuff each page with Adsense skyscrapers and wait for the money to roll in. And it does. Some of these site owners see $200 – $300 a month in click-through revenue per site, and if they maintain 10 such sites, it starts to add up to some real “walkin’ ‘round” money.

Adsense is a simple, easy-to-manage way to monetize a new site quickly. You get paid when search engine users click on your link. Passive income. No extra work involved.

Cons: I don’t care how well designed a website is, Adsense – those cheesy little blue cubes on the top, bottom or side of a web page, diminish the perception of quality in the mind of the visitor. And as we’ve said many times in this blog, on the W3 perception is reality.

If your law firm maintains a website (and it should) you want to project a professional, positive image, not the Lionel Hutz “I Can’t Believe It’s A Law Firm” image.

Affiliate Links

Pros: A great way to make cash fast. Affiliates are companies into which you enter agreements. You agree to display the mother company’s logo and link on your site and, in return, you receive payment based on the number of visitors to your site who click on the link and perform some action. For example, put up an eBay link and collect $35 a head plus a nickel for each bid one of your referrals places.

Get a couple of hundred eBay buyers placing bids everyday and that money can add nicely to your site’s revenue stream. Also a great way to monetize a site quickly.

Cons: Same dealeo as Google Adsense. If you access a site jam packed with affiliate links, it doesn’t add much to the process of building visitor trust. The site looks cluttered and cheap.

More negative news: each one of those affiliate links takes up space that could be used to sell your products or services.

And finally, each one of those affiliate links is a ticket off your site. With a click, they’re off looking at something on an affiliate site. You may pick up a few bucks a month in affiliate revenue, but you aren’t making the real money you make selling your own goods or services.

One suggestion: As we said, affiliates do generate cash and fast, so if you’re runnin’ on empty, add affiliate links to a single page with a navigation link labeled “Our Partners,” “Our Favorites,” or “Our Picks.”

Pictures and Other Images
Pros: Pictures sell more than words. On-line buyers want to see what they’re paying for and, yes, one good product picture is worth a thousand words. So you will sell more with high-quality pictures.

Carts and graphs are useful for providing a lot of information in a small space.

Cons: Unless you own a decent digital camera and unless you know how to dress a set (the place where the product will be shot) and you know that the product should be lit from at least three directions, don’t use product pictures that you take yourself.

Log on to eBay and look at the range of quality of product pictures. Some are ripped from the web so they look okay. But some are nothing more than a front-on flash that blows out the object to a hot white blur floating against a blacked out background. Awful stuff, and not a good selling point.

If you can get product pictures from your wholesaler’s marketing department you’re all set. If not, have those pictures taken by a professional using a hi-resolution camera, lit properly and attractively staged. It’ll cost you some cash but it’s a lot better than using home-grown product pictures that don’t do justice to the product.

Charts and graphs should also be professionally done, unless you know how to create images in Photoshop or some other image manipulation software.

The Choices You Make Now…
…will often determine the short- and long-term success of your site. And remember, your site will evolve. You may start out using Adsense until your site is pulling in enough traffic to make up the lost Adsense revenue. Then, you drop Adsense and…

… your site takes on a much cleaner, more professional look.

webwordslinger

Domain Slamming: Who REALLY Owns Your Website?

 

It seems there are always people out to scam you.

Anybody getting tired of this avatar?

 

 

 

 

 

Remember phone slamming? It  showed up in the late ‘90s. Without you even knowing it, your telephone carrier could be changed and you could be charged exorbitant fees. And there wasn’t anything you could do about it.

 

Phone Slamming

There were several variations of this scam going around. In one variation, the unknowing victim would receive a telephone call from his or her telephone company customer service rep. Problem was, it wasn’t really from their phone carriers. The call actually came from a “representative” of a competitive phone company.

 

These scammers would ask you for personal information, and once they had that personal information – BAM, they would change your telephone carrier from the one you’d signed up with, to their own company that had a completely new set of Terms of Service (TOS) and much higher prices in general . The victim wouldn’t even know that he’d changed telephone carriers. He didn’t give permission – he was slammed. And for a few years it was a very serious problem.

 

A variation on this theme was to send out real, negotiable checks – actual money in check form. If the receiver cashed the check (who wouldn’t?), they would be slammed, having their phone service switched without their permission and suddenly finding themselves paying astronomical rates to a brand new company.

 

“What happened? And who’s “Tico’s Telephone Company, anyway?” You didn’t have to be big to get into the telephone slamming game because you bought line usage in bulk from the legitimate carriers and sold it at 10 or 20 times what you, the ‘telephone company’ paid for the bulk access to telephone lines.

 

Telephone slamming tended to make customers angry. It certainly wasn’t good for the economy. Consumers couldn’t trust their phone carriers, but the legitimate carriers weren’t all that interested in fixing the problem since they were selling bulk access by the ton – and making a lot of money by the ton.

 

So, laws were passed. Customers could contact their carriers and ask to have a “No Slamming” label put on their account so only the consumer could change carriers. And that pretty much ended the telephone slamming industry.

 

Fast forward a few years. There are no new ideas.

 Domain Slamming

Instead, the bad guys are now slamming domains, moving them from one registrar to another without the knowledge of the domain owner. Surprised? Well, for many domain owners, all kinds of business and personal information is available in WHOIS, the official listing of domain owners: their addresses, company names, telephone numbers – it’s all there for the taking.

 

Here’s how the scam works.

 

Domain Slamming

Have you ever migrated your site from one web host to another? Sure, maybe several times as your site grew. It’s that way for a lot of on-line businesses and domain slammers know this.

 

So what they do is contact you by e-mail telling you that your domain registration is about to expire. Now mind you, this communication is from a scammer, but it looks and sounds legit. Who knows what happens once a registrar lists a new domain? Does that domain always stay with the same registrar? Many site owners wouldn’t have a clue.

 

The e-mail warns that if you don’t take immediate action, you’ll lose your domain name so, naturally, you respond. That’s what most of us do when we get something like that in our inboxes. The prospect of losing your domain name and your on-line venture is downright scary.

 

By responding to the bogus e-mail, you’re not just renewing your domain name. You’ve also been slammed and you now find your domain registrar is a completely different company from your original registrar. And how do these companies make money? Well, first they become your new registrar so they’re making money on the actual registration of your name. But, to add insult to injury, they totally boost your registration fees from $2.95 a year (some web hosts register domain names free) to $29.95. And this charge simply shows up on your credit card and there’s not a thing you can do about it. You’ve been slammed and scammed.

 

And now you’re partnering with a registrar/host that used outright fraud to get your account, so how well do you think they’re going to treat you as a hosting client? By falling for that bogus e-mail (snail mail or telephone call) from an unscrupulous registrar/host, you could be signing up for a three-year, no loophole contract charged to your credit card. You could be paying for services you don’t need and never asked for – at an additional charge, of course.

 

Other nightmarish scenarios? You log on and all of a sudden your site e-mail is “out of order.” Or, you might discover that your domain name has been hijacked and now points to a completely different site. In effect, you’re now invisible on the web.

 

Worse case scenario? The bad guys run the scam for a few months, transfer a few thousand accounts – often without site owners even knowing this – and one day the owners log on and their sites and the web host have disappeared altogether. Now, not only have site owners lost their web sites, they’ve also lost all of their customer and product information contained in the business databases.

 

Destroyed. Years of hard work down the drain – all because your domain was slammed and you got scammed.

 

How to Avoid Domain Slamming

First, a domain is a “property.” With the help of a registrar, your domain is registered and you “own” it just like you own your car or house. And, on the web, digital property has value. It’s up to each site owner (domain registrant) to protect his or her own property since there’s virtually no “police” presence on the web. If you don’t watch out for what’s going on, who will?

 

Second, register with a reputable web host – one that has a track record you can see. It’s been in business for 10 years and you can’t find any complaints on webmaster blogs and forums. Go with a company that has a reputation for trustworthiness.

 

Third, don’t believe your e-mail – at least at face value. Sure, you might receive a notice from your legitimate registrar that your domain name is up for renewal. But how would you know it’s legit? Well, good  hosting companies have toll-free, customer support 24/7 so, pick up the telephone and ask a customer service representative if that e-mail is really from your registrar/host.

 

Finally, check your credit card charges. Have monthly fees increased without explanation? Is there a huge expense for the re-registration of your domain name? Is there a new company billing you? All good signs that your domain has been slammed.

 

It’s up to you to protect what’s yours – what you’ve paid for. And the best way to do that is to go with a reputable registrar – one interested in protecting your e-commerce property. One that will alert you if another company is trying to slam you. A company that will tag your account with a “Do Not Touch” sign to protect against scammers. And one that will automatically renew your domain so you don’t even have to think about it.

 

It’s not a new scam. In fact, it’s an old one, just updated to on-line technology. So, watch yourself and keep track of who your registrar is. And, if you even suspect that someone is trying to slam your domain, contact your registrar immediately.

Site Security: How Safe Is Your Business

Webwordslinger is a Helium.com Premier Author.

Redundant layers of security are the norm in the corporate realm, but we regularly read that this university, this credit card company or this retail store data has been hacked and is now floating out there in the Ethernet. So, what’s a small business to do? A sole proprietor or a two-man dog-and-pony? How can they assure security?

The Number One Source of Hacker Attacks Is Some One You Know
Yeah, it’s not some 15-year-old in Bora Bora trying to access your MySpace account. The most likely threat is an angry business partner or sub-contractor or, sad to say, a spouse, a kid or your friendly Uncle Bob who comes over every Saturday to balance accounts.

Cures: Limit access to your business computer. It should not be a part of the home computer network. It should be a separate and distinct work station, password protected, off limits to anyone.

Bulk up your passwords, especially when keeping those who know you out. Forget Fluffy 909. An irate spouse’ll figure cat + birthday = password. Use signs, symbols and numbers to create passwords that can’t be defeated by someone you know.

Then There are the War Drivers, War Chalkers, Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses, Key Logger Software and Zombie Computer Armies.

War drivers cruise industrial parks looking for leakage from an office network. All they need is a laptop, an antenna and networking software and they become a part of the office gang.

And all of that other nasty hacker-crap is out there. What can you do?

Protect your work station data and back it up automatically with an outboard hard drive.

 

 

Neighborhood kid or your worst business nightmare

 

 

Use a reputable host who maintains multiple layers of security hardware and software. Ask about access to the server room, ask where the servers are located and ask about on-site security. You can get good shared hosting for about $7.00 a month so we’re not talking breaking the bank, here.

Scan everything.
As an online entrepreneur, your inbox is filled every morning with every thing from the 14th penis enlargement spam this week to actual emails from customers and clients. Separating legitimate email from hacker missives isn’t always easy. However, any good email system will scan incoming, but if you have doubts, perform a separate scan on a piece of email before opening.

Use SSL Encryption
First, no savvy computer buyer is going to place an order if the little ‘s’ in ‘https’ is missing from the address bar of a site, and those that do jeopardize their identify, credit and your business

Maintain Your System Security
You don’t have to pay a bunch for site security software – good stuff. There’s even some OSS out there that professionals use. However, none of this software is going to do any good if it’s data and hasn’t been patched in three years

New bugs, viruses, scams and schemes are unleashed upon our sorry selves and there is no web police. It’s the wild, wild web.

Here’s what you want:

• server side security and lots of it

• SSL certification if you’re transmitting personal information.

• An automatic back up system, i.e. an outboard hard drive

• Quality system security software that performs a daily scan in the background and produces a log for review. Keep log data to track attempts by hackers to breach security.

• A separate system, distinct from a home or office network. A stand-alone impervious to ware drivers, war chalkers and other ne’er-do-wells.

• A hands off policy if you work out of a home office.

• Security scan software – software that equips you to scan individual documents for malware.

• Passwords on steroids. Let ‘em break :q##s6gr))1!sz+++. Never gonna happen.

• Finally, stay vigilant. You never know where a security breach will take place and there’s no 100% guarantee that you can make your business impregnable.

But you can sure make it hard on hackers who are more likely to move on to an open door than try to figure out your redundant layers of server- and system-side security.

Finally, what if the ol’ shanty burns down? All the back-up in the world is now a glob of melted plastic.

Cures: Use an sFTP. This is a secure (that’s what the s means), off-site storage service. It costs a few bucks a month but all f your sensitive data is stored of site so if some neighborhood cat burglar walks off with your laptop, you can still access your sensitive data.

It’s your business. protect it.

editor@webwordslinger.com

webwordslinger.com