WordPress has long been a popular target for hackers due to plugin vulnerabilities, its open-source code base, and frequent lack of management oversight. If your site isn’t managed and if there isn’t sufficient security in place, the odds of being hacked go up significantly, which could result in stolen data, site vandalism, and embarrassment for your organization.
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Two of the most popular page editors are Google Docs and Microsoft Word, which operate within Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365, respectively. Google Docs are typically stored online in Google Drive and Word in OneDrive or SharePoint. While it’s possible to work offline with each, we’ll primarily focus on online editing.
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In 2020, many of us very quickly had to get used to virtual meetings, using a variety of online meeting software, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, and GoToMeeting. As someone who has recorded over 80 podcasts and has been working remotely for years, I thought I’d share some tips on how to improve your audio, video, and lighting when meeting remotely.
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Chances are you haven’t put much thought into your current website hosting arrangement. Whether you built your website on your own, had assistance from a marketing agency, or just left it to your IT department, your site likely ended up at a budget website host because that seemed like the best option at the time. With many hosting packages costing around $5 a month, why pay more? As the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for,” and there are reasons today for why a more robust and higher-priced hosting package may be required for your website.
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Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is an Internet communications protocol that helps protect data transfers between websites and browsers. Without SSL, the passwords or credit card numbers you use for online purchases would be transferred over the Internet in plain text, where they could easily be viewed if intercepted. Also known as TLS/SSL (Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer), the protocol renders a URL as HTTPS in the address bar of your browser. When a valid SSL certificate is configured on your website, it creates an encrypted connection between the web server and each individual web browser session.
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A Content Management System, or CMS, is a software application that offers you the ability to manage your own website content rather than relying on another company or individual to do it for you. A CMS can also provide many useful features and functions. They are a great option for many businesses, however the independence and control you have typically come with a price, even when the CMS itself is free. In our experience, content management systems too often fail to live up to expectations in terms of total cost of ownership, ease of use, features and capability.
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Company reputations are influenced by product quality, service delivery, word-of-mouth, customer service interactions, and by how a business promotes itself. Now with a large number of websites that provide options for online reviews, along with social media and blogging platforms, there are a lot of places for people to share their opinions. Once online, these opinions persist and other people will read and be influenced by them. At times, these opinions may spread in a viral fashion. Given time, priority, and attention, reputations can be managed.
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It happens all too often. Marketing initiatives begin with energy, enthusiasm, and excitement and then somehow lose momentum and effectiveness as the weeks and months pass by. Daily distractions divert attention from important, longer-term marketing tasks that are easily put off until tomorrow. People lose direction, lose enthusiasm or don’t feel confident that the marketing plan is working.
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Most everyone has heard of Starbucks. Under the guidance of Howard Schultz, Starbucks sought to create wider appreciation for a better cup of coffee through education, ambiance, and the customer experience. While there are places today with better coffee, Starbucks raised the bar across America with the quality of their coffee beans and how the cup of coffee was prepared. Rather than advertising, they focused on the experience. Brand management is largely about the customer experience.
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Once there was a man named Steve Jobs, and the logo his company first used was a detailed black and white illustration of Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree with a tiny, glowing apple about to fall on his head. That first logo was designed in-house by one of the original business partners and had a very short life span. Soon after, as Apple Computer Company grew, Jobs realized that they needed to take branding more seriously. He decided to spend some real money and hire a professional designer, Rob Janoff, who designed the rainbow colored apple.
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High search rankings. Everyone wants them! It makes sense to want your website on the first page of Google. We can proudly point at the result and smile. Ranking well satisfies the ego and, more importantly, can help improve the visibility of your business and attract more customers. But, what does it take to get good search rankings?
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Due to advances in technology and changes in how people use it, marketing has become increasingly more difficult. Perhaps the biggest reason is that people are more distracted than ever. Better technology = more opportunity to communicate = desire to communicate more = exponential increase in distractions. The magnitude of online interactions is truly staggering.
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