I don’t want to scare you but I want you to be aware of the reasons why you should backup your WordPress blog, and provide better protection against someone getting access to that site.

Someone getting into your WordPress blog can delete or modify anything that is there, they can replace it with something else, redirect it to a malicious site (destroying your hard-earned reputation), and in fact access every single file in that WordPress site, sometimes other websites on the same server. That is why it’s really important to keep people out and backup your site just in case something goes wrong.

If you have ever used any of those free themes to build your site, you should know that some developers include a “back door” access file in those themes, allowing them to get into your blog. Look, I had this happen to me – twice. It was a pain in the . . . well, suffice to say starting all over is not where you want to spend your time.

There is, in fact, a plugin called Bulk Delete that can delete all plugins within that blog, kind of a scary thought. But if you keep your blog backed up no one can really hurt you, even if you just use something once per month or once a week.

Let’s say in the worst case you back up your site on a Monday and someone gets into your site and deletes it on a Friday, at least you have only lost the past five days of work. You haven’t lost the past two years, if not more.

What is even scarier is that someone who gets into your WordPress site might replace it with something else. Many terrorists, religious and activist groups have in fact used hackers to gain entrance to weakly protected WordPress sites and replace it with their own images and content.

What also might happen is someone might set up your site to redirect to a new site, or display some ads. And even worse, if your site gets flagged as an attack site, as a problem site other people will not be able to see it.

Here’s a scenario: You load your newest article into your WordPress site and it seems to be redirecting to some far off place on the internet; it’s possible it may have been hacked.

One of the scariest things about someone getting into your WordPress site is that they will probably be able to get access to all files in your site using the using the file manager plugin in WordPress. And even if you don’t have this file plugin installed, they can easily install it from the WordPress dashboard. And depending on how your server is configured, they might be able to see every single website and account on that server. Kind of a scary thought.

If someone gets into your WordPress blog, it’s not just about them changing content or redirecting to a new place, they can now see all your files, all your blogs, all your videos, all of your information. All of this is a reason for you to lock down WordPress.

Here’s a few tips:

• Use a hard to guess password – no common words or names; use caps, numbers, symbols and special characters;
• Be very careful about where you log into your blog from;
• Use a log in name other than “admin”;
• And above all, backup your site, (I recommend BackupCreator.com) so you can recover – not start over;

Protect your business, your reputation, and your online property.

One practice (if your budget is tight) is to let the customer decide. Start with a high-tech, low-cost method like SMS messaging. Create a QR code and place it near or on the customer counter, with an invitation to join your VIP club, with notifications of special deals or offers. Something “Text add me to 555-123-5555 to join our VIP club, and receive notifications of upcoming sales and specials.”  If they are savvy mobile phone users, they will scan the code and be automatically signed up to your list. Or teach the counter person to offer a coupon or other offer if they will join your VIP mailing list. Using these tools is a cost-effective way to keep your customers informed and keep your business on their radar.

Another tool for your business is your counter folks (unless you are the “counter folk”). Express the need to maintain an open dialog with your customers by asking is there anything more the customer needs, or if the service they received was good. Sometimes feedback from a customer is an effective way to get them to return. Impress upon your employees the importance of maintaining a positive attitude during the work day. If the employee has a hard time thinking of something to say, give them a script to follow (yes, even though scripting seems disengenuous, it can help to keep things on track) and have them practice in a mirror. A simple question, direct and honest, is, “How was your service today?”. Or, simply, “Is there anything else we can help you with today?”. These communicate to your customer that they are important and your business wants to improve in any area it can.

Read more at ZD Net’s excellent blog.

__________________________________________________________

• Got your mobile site yet? Get started today. Go to: http://norcalmarketers.com/
• Car dealers: Losing a potential sale because mobile users can’t see your inventory?  Get started right now: http://norcalautomarketers.com

Read more from MediaPost here

Ready to update your sites to mobile? Get started here.

An affiliate is, in the simplest terms, a person or a company that sends visitors to a website in return for commission (money).

As an affiliate, you will be given a link to send visitors through, and if those visitors buy a product, you will receive either a percentage of the value of the sale or a set amount. The vast majority of affiliates own their own websites. However, this is not a requirement. You can buy advertising in a variety of forms, and send visitors directly to the product site. The choice is yours, and there are advantages to both ways of doing it!

If you are totally new to affiliate marketing, then please don’t worry. It can sound daunting at first, but the rewards of being able to work for yourself are well worth the effort it takes to get started. With affiliate marketing, you really do get out what you put into it. The more time and effort you are able to spend on creating your sites and/or your advertising campaigns, the more money you will earn. It really is as simple as that.

Why should my business become an affiliate?

If you currently have a website, and you have unused “real estate” on that site, you are missing out on an opportunity to attract visitors. One of the most successful affiliate programs your business can take advantage of is Amazon.com. Amazon has hundreds of thousands of products that you can add to your website for the occasional browser, or even the brand loyalist. Granted, large businesses will only show their products or pages related to their brand, but as a small business you may want to expand your horizons. Another affiliate program is Google Adwords. Seriously? Sure. You can target the ads that show on your site to a specific product you do not offer or a business that you’ve partnered with and have them do the same. Google is also very good at reading the content of your site and targeting ads that complement your business. Networking with other businesses to increase traffic to your website is always a good bet.

Why should my business have an affiliate program?

There are several good reasons why your business needs affiliates. The first is profitability. With affiliates promoting your products and/or services you have a ready workforce of people willing to help your business grow. You also have a workforce that is never late for work, doesn’t have to leave early, and there are no other costs associated with hiring someone like retirement, health care, paid vacations. An affiliate is his/her own boss and will work to increase their own income. It’s an instant sales force on commission only. Next is visibility. Affiliates will (because of their own interest in making money) make your web site more visible to the browsing public.

Additionally, having affiliates promote your products and services could mean lower advertising costs for your business. Instead of running ads on Google, Bing, or in newspapers, affiliates (in most cases) are much better at using PPC or PPV advertising.

Now the downside to having affiliates is brand loyalty. If your affiliates do not have the tools to promote your products then you have affiliates who look elsewhere for commissions. These tools should include banners, properly formatted links to your offers, and most importantly, fresh content. You should not expect your affiliate team to create the content for you (although there are some who like to do just that) or buy your products to test or promote them. and beware of affiliates who promote in multiple programs – these individuals are looking for whatever the “flavor of the day” is, and you will be competing with other brands similar to your own.

The other benefit to having your own affiliates is the possibility of international sales. The number of affiliates in other countries is increasing and some of these home businesses have a huge network of people they can tap into.

And finally, should you have an affiliate program manager? The best short answer is YES. You should have someone who is dedicated to that one task of managing your affiliate program. This person will track sales and viability of your marketing efforts, and develop tools and creatives for your products/services. An alternative to hiring someone for this function is to outsource to a company that has it’s own staff. There are a number of companies that do this everyday.

I have used Turbo Tax for years and find the software to be reliable and easy to use. (Plus my “kids” depend on it to get their taxes done quickly and easily.)
Click on the box below and choose the version that is right for you.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/165923/enter-the-t-shopper-tablets-flex-retail-muscle.html#ixzz1jvWzpCmz

And it looks like this trend will continue to grow. The research showed that 53% of tablet owners were using their devices for shopping-related activities at least once a week, with a third doing so more than once a week — and it won’t ease up in the coming year.

Compared to other methods some purchasers used, “T-commerce” is at the growth center: 49% of tablet owners say they plan to buy more via the tablets in the coming year, compared to 19% of smartphone owners who have said they will buy more using their phones and 20% of consumers surveyed saying they expect to spend more online.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/165923/enter-the-t-shopper-tablets-flex-retail-muscle.html#ixzz1jvWzpCmz

This revelation is offered as proof that your business should be incorporating mobile computing in its’ marketing plan. Adding tools such as QR codes, SMS messaging, and developing mobile friendly websites can help increase your profits by increasing the browsing capabilities of mobile device visitors to your website.

An e-mail campaign is the best way to maintain brand loyalty and keep customers informed of special offers and updates to your mobile website. One service that is available to business owners who are not familiar to this tool is StreamSend. StreamSend offers an easy-to-use, affordable and dependable email marketing software solution designed to help businesses make the most of their time and money.

Right now, you can get a free trial of the service to see if it is a good fit for your business. And they have flexible pricing that lets the service to grow as your business grows.

So, what tool are available right now?

• SMS (text) messaging
• MMS (Multi Message Service)
• CSC (Common SHort Codes)
• VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
• IM (Instant Messaging)

SMS or Short Messaging Service, is used almost exclusively by most mobile phone users, and it can be a powerful tool for your business. Mobile users are curious about most things, but the ability to receive messages about special promotions, new products, or even a simple greeting can attract the attention of many users. And since most mobile providers give their users very low cost, or free, text messaging in their service plan, SMS gets more of their attention. But, be aware that sending someone an unsolicited message is something like spamming. The key is to get users to opt-in to recieving messages from you.

Mobile marketing is not as difficult as it may seem, but it is (or should be) a vital part of your maketing strategy.

If you need help in developing a mobile site, call us at 888-287-8883, or email us, and we’ll work with you to make sure your marketing has all of the tools necessary to move your business forward.