Two Services That Help Create A Cohesive Online Brand Between Your Web and Social Media Sites

Few things display how well a business is run better than cohesion. So when you create your social media pages, what could be better than to design them exactly how you’ve designed your website to maintain a cohesive online brand? When your social media is so perfectly integrated that Twitter or Facebook reflects your business website, it can leave a real, lasting impression on consumers.

GoDaddy, a well-known giant in providing domain names, recently partnered with Twitter to better integrate the web and the social media staple service. By joining a Twitter account with GoDaddy’s Website Builder Business Plus plan (or by creating one directly through the plan), the Twitter account is automatically converted to match the website. This includes refreshing the page theme, matching website colors and images and updating your contact information so that it includes your business name and information. And for those creating a Twitter account, handles corresponding with your domain name are generated as a list f suggestions.

Infusionsoft’s GroSocial is another gateway into creating the perfect social media experience to integrate into your website. Using either predesigned templates or starting from scratch, users are able to create Facebook pages, Timeline covers, and Twitter backgrounds to match their business or anything else they can imagine. Created through a drag-and-drop designers, GroSocial makes developing promotions, sweepstakes, and photo and video contests simple, leaving you more time to focus on your business and less on running your social media.

It’s important that a business’ online profile, regardless of the platform it appears on, conveys a consistent brand and design. With the web becoming a larger and larger portion of a business’ total presence, glaring disconnect between these online services that you want consumers to pass through ends up as a roadblock for your business. Therefore, it’s imperative that if your business considers social media as a way to expand their online presence, that these services blend as seamlessly with your business as possible. And with these two services able to help you define your social media experiences as an extension of your business or service, consumers are sure to take notice.

Two Services That Help Create A Cohesive Online Brand Between Your Web and Social Media Sites

Few things display how well a business is run better than cohesion. So when you create your social media pages, what could be better than to design them exactly how you’ve designed your website to maintain a cohesive online brand? When your social media is so perfectly integrated that Twitter or Facebook reflects your business website, it can leave a real, lasting impression on consumers.

GoDaddy, a well-known giant in providing domain names, recently partnered with Twitter to better integrate the web and the social media staple service. By joining a Twitter account with GoDaddy’s Website Builder Business Plus plan (or by creating one directly through the plan), the Twitter account is automatically converted to match the website. This includes refreshing the page theme, matching website colors and images and updating your contact information so that it includes your business name and information. And for those creating a Twitter account, handles corresponding with your domain name are generated as a list f suggestions.

Infusionsoft’s GroSocial is another gateway into creating the perfect social media experience to integrate into your website. Using either predesigned templates or starting from scratch, users are able to create Facebook pages, Timeline covers, and Twitter backgrounds to match their business or anything else they can imagine. Created through a drag-and-drop designers, GroSocial makes developing promotions, sweepstakes, and photo and video contests simple, leaving you more time to focus on your business and less on running your social media.

It’s important that a business’ online profile, regardless of the platform it appears on, conveys a consistent brand and design. With the web becoming a larger and larger portion of a business’ total presence, glaring disconnect between these online services that you want consumers to pass through ends up as a roadblock for your business. Therefore, it’s imperative that if your business considers social media as a way to expand their online presence, that these services blend as seamlessly with your business as possible. And with these two services able to help you define your social media experiences as an extension of your business or service, consumers are sure to take notice.

Public WiFi: Is It Safe or Are You Putting Your Data at Risk?

Wi-Fi is almost everywhere, which is beneficial for people on the go. Whether it’s airport terminals, on the bus or train or sitting in a coffee shop, you can stay connected with colleagues and clients and never be out of touch. But just how safe is free public Wi-Fi?

GFI software announced the findings of an independent survey, conducted by Opinion Matters, which says that 95.6% of commuters, of 1,000 surveyed, put their companies’ data at risk by using free public Wi-Fi.

“The research findings reveal a stark and concerning trend among commuters - one of using their personal devices to catch up on work during their commuting downtime, but doing so over highly insecure internet connections that can be easily intercepted by other users or the operator of the access point,” explains Walter Scott, CEO of GFI Software, adding that users’ attitudes to data security has become relaxed.

A report published in USA Today earlier this year stated that you have a much higher chance of being hacked using a public connection than your house being broken into.

There are widely available software applications called packet sniffers that are easy to find online, explains Monica Hamilton, Director of SMB Product and Solutions Marketing at McAfee, these programs allow you to see information on the public network. “I can wait for someone to log on and I can see all that data in the clear because they are not using a VPN.”

So what if you need to be connected and a free WiFi is available - how do you stay safe? One way is to use a VPN. VPN is a virtual private network that encrypts the connection while you are using it, making it much more difficult for potential hackers.

“If they’re not using a VPN, I can grab every single packet and see all the information in the clear - passwords, usernames, email content, customer records. So that’s the number one risk”.

Another method of protecting your data is encryption. Encryption of your hard drive on all valuable documents is another strong recommendation from Monica in protecting your information.

Monica also warns of “evil twin” Wi-Fi networks, which are false connections that mimic others, advising users to be vigilant of multiple connections bearing the same name as one could be a hacker and to look for something such as a misspelled network name.

The Opinion Matters survey also refers to people’s preferred devices, unsurprising with the rise of BYOD. Many fear that the device itself could be stolen but don’t take equal measures with their data. 59.8% of respondents fear being robbed while using their smartphone or tablet in public but only 26.9% of commuters are concerned about data being compromised when using public Wi-Fi.

It’s still in its infancy, explains Hassan Bawab, CEO of digital marketing agency Magic Logix, and people should not assume that hotspots are secure just because they are provided by established, successful businesses.

“The demographic of customers who visit many of these public Wi-Fi hotspots are also the same target demographic that criminals and data thieves would like to harvest and steal data from,” he adds. “Without encryption, your data will become as available as public TV.”

Protecting your business and its data is essential, so make sure you take the necessary steps to protect yourself on any open network that you might be using.

Silk Road site shut down by FBI

US authorities said Wednesday they had arrested the owner of the Silk Road website, where illegal drugs were bought and sold using the virtual currency Bitcoin.

Ross William Ulbricht, also known as "Dread Pirate Roberts," was arrested on Tuesday in San Francisco after the website was shut down, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Prosecutors said they seized approximately $US3.6 million worth of Bitcoins in the largest ever seizure of the virtual currency.

"The Silk Road website has served as a sprawling black market bazaar where illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services have been regularly bought and sold by the site's users," FBI special agent Christopher Tarbell said in a criminal complaint filed in a federal court.

From about January 2011, Ulbricht ran a marketplace that hawked heroin, cocaine, LSD, and methamphetamine as well as hacker tools such as software for stealing passwords or logging keystrokes on people's machines, according to the court documents

Prosecutors also charged that in March of this year, Ulbricht tried to hire someone to kill a Silk Road user who threatened to expose the identities of others using the website.

"The defendant deliberately set out to establish an online criminal marketplace outside the reach of law enforcement and government regulation," Tarbell said in the legal filing.

Ulbricht, 29, anonymised Silk Road transactions by using a Tor computer network designed to make it almost impossible to locate computers used to host or access websites.

He also added a Bitcoin "tumbler" to the Silk Road payment system that foiled efforts to trace digital currency back to buyers, according to the criminal complaint.

"Silk Road has emerged as the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the internet today," the criminal complaint contended.

"The site has sought to make conducting illegal transactions as easy and frictionless as shopping online at mainstream e-commerce websit! es."

Prosecutors maintained that Silk Road has been used by thousands of drug dealers to distribute hundreds of kilograms of illegal wares to more than 100,000 buyers and to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten profits.

Silk Road took in commissions ranging from eight to 15 per cent of sales, raking in at least $80 million on more than $1.2 billion worth of transactions, the criminal complaint estimated.

Ulbricht controlled the website, serving as "captain" and using a handful of online "administrators" as his staff, investigators said.

Federal agents in New York posed as buyers to shop at the website, successfully ordering an array of illegal goods, according to the complaint.

As of last month, Silk Road featured about 13,000 listings for controlled substances, with offers coming under headings such as "High Quality 4 Heroin All Rock" and "UNCUT Crystal Cocaine," the legal filing said.

Services for sale at Silk Road included hacking into accounts a Twitter, Facebook or other social networks and tutorials for cracking bank teller machines, the complaint contended.

The legal filing also told of Silk Road offers to sell stolen credit card data, forged IDs, and for "hitmen" in 10 countries.

The website had seller and buyer guides that were described as including advice about how not to get caught by using tactics such as shipping drugs in sealed plastic containers to avoid scent detection or having narcotics delivered to a friend's house instead of the buyer's home.

Silk Road last year added a "stealth mode" for vendors who considered themselves "at risk of becoming a target for law enforcement," according to the complaint.

As of July of this year, Silk Road had just shy of a million registered users, with 30 per cent of them indicating they were in the US and the rest spread about the globe, prosecutors said.

Public WiFi: Is It Safe or Are You Putting Your Data at Risk?

Wi-Fi is almost everywhere, which is beneficial for people on the go. Whether it’s airport terminals, on the bus or train or sitting in a coffee shop, you can stay connected with colleagues and clients and never be out of touch. But just how safe is free public Wi-Fi?

GFI software announced the findings of an independent survey, conducted by Opinion Matters, which says that 95.6% of commuters, of 1,000 surveyed, put their companies’ data at risk by using free public Wi-Fi.

“The research findings reveal a stark and concerning trend among commuters - one of using their personal devices to catch up on work during their commuting downtime, but doing so over highly insecure internet connections that can be easily intercepted by other users or the operator of the access point,” explains Walter Scott, CEO of GFI Software, adding that users’ attitudes to data security has become relaxed.

A report published in USA Today earlier this year stated that you have a much higher chance of being hacked using a public connection than your house being broken into.

There are widely available software applications called packet sniffers that are easy to find online, explains Monica Hamilton, Director of SMB Product and Solutions Marketing at McAfee, these programs allow you to see information on the public network. “I can wait for someone to log on and I can see all that data in the clear because they are not using a VPN.”

So what if you need to be connected and a free WiFi is available - how do you stay safe? One way is to use a VPN. VPN is a virtual private network that encrypts the connection while you are using it, making it much more difficult for potential hackers.

“If they’re not using a VPN, I can grab every single packet and see all the information in the clear - passwords, usernames, email content, customer records. So that’s the number one risk”.

Another method of protecting your data is encryption. Encryption of your hard drive on all valuable documents is another strong recommendation from Monica in protecting your information.

Monica also warns of “evil twin” Wi-Fi networks, which are false connections that mimic others, advising users to be vigilant of multiple connections bearing the same name as one could be a hacker and to look for something such as a misspelled network name.

The Opinion Matters survey also refers to people’s preferred devices, unsurprising with the rise of BYOD. Many fear that the device itself could be stolen but don’t take equal measures with their data. 59.8% of respondents fear being robbed while using their smartphone or tablet in public but only 26.9% of commuters are concerned about data being compromised when using public Wi-Fi.

“It’s still in its infancy”, explains Hassan Bawab, CEO of digital marketing agency Magic Logix, “and people should not assume that hotspots are secure just because they are provided by established, successful businesses.”

“The demographic of customers who visit many of these public Wi-Fi hotspots are also the same target demographic that criminals and data thieves would like to harvest and steal data from,” he adds. “Without encryption, your data will become as available as public TV.”

Protecting your business and it’s data is essential, so make sure you take the necessary steps to protect yourself on any open network that you might be using.

The New Ways Yahoo! is Helping Small Businesses Gain Visibility

Small businesses are always looking for ways to gain visibility in an increasingly competitive business world. Recognizing this, more companies than ever are realizing the value of helping the country’s many small businesses succeed. After all, small business success has a direct impact on the economy, since more than half of American employees work in a small business, according to Business Insider. Yahoo recognizes this fact and is on a path to help small businesses gain that visibility they need.

Yahoo! has been working to redefine itself in a Google-dominated world. The company’s recent purchase of e-commerce company Lexity has called attention to just how committed the company is to the small business space. In addition to providing new homepage options and e-commerce solutions to users, the company recently announced a new program designed to help small businesses compete. Called Localworks, the new initiative is intended to act as a marketing portal for small businesses, helping them gain exposure through listings on 40 top directories across the web.

Web Hosting and More

Already a provider of small business solutions, Yahoo! is only moving further into the space. Currently, small businesses can obtain web hosting and e-commerce support through the site, as well as purchase custom advertising to reach targeted customers. But many other sites offer those same services, as well, leaving Yahoo! to search for ways to set themselves apart.

Yahoo!’s Small Business Advisor section provides insightful tips and the latest news for small businesses. The site offers exclusive chats and information on how businesses can use small business tools, among many other informative articles. Yahoo!’s Young Entrepreneur Blog reaches out to aspiring entrepreneurs by highlighting professionals who mentor their younger counterparts.

Localworks is a major step in providing a service not found on other small business portals. On behalf of small businesses Yahoo! Localworks pushes profiles and contact information about a business to more than 40 directories, providing small businesses the opportunity to reach 150 million customers monthly through local search. Additionally, these directory listings will be available to both PCs and mobile devices, ensuring consumers can find information on a business using today’s technology.

Engaging Customers

To optimize results, businesses can add video and images, which help them stand out in a sea of text and links. Yahoo! Localworks provides the template and businesses need only input their own information to get started. Businesses can even add in their own special offers to give customers a reason to click.

Once listings are in place, small business owners can regularly manage listings from one easy interface, making changes to fit each directory as needed. If a business’s contact information should change, that business needs only update it once to have the changes appear on all directory listings at once. Yahoo! Localworks also provides analytics to give businesses insight into how their listings are performing. Metrics also give businesses an overview of their online reputations. Through this interface, businesses can also manage customer reviews on sites like Yelp in order to address them as quickly as possible.

Taking on Competitors

Yahoo! has more than a few competitors when it comes to providing small business solutions. WordPress provides easy collaboration and website design, while Wix, SquareSpace, and GoDaddy give businesses the ability to easily deploy and manage websites. But Yahoo! is working to build a space where a business can design a website, set up an e-store, and read great advice on building their businesses.

No Requirements

Businesses don’t have to participate in Yahoo!’s other offerings to take advantage of Localworks. In fact, even if a business is completely without a web presence, that business can take advantage of Localwork’s directory listings service. The service costs $29.99 per month, which is billed quarterly at $89.97. This price is only available through the end of the year, with the service regularly costing $49.99 per month. For businesses simply interested in local listings without enhanced services, Yahoo! offers businesses one listing for free.

The free directory service is said to be only the beginning of Yahoo!’s attempts to help small businesses gain exposure and increase their marketing efforts. To see a full list of directory listings available through Localworks, use the free directory scanner on Yahoo!’s website. Visit this page for more information on Yahoo’s free and lower-priced local listings plans.

The New Ways Yahoo! is Helping Small Businesses Gain Visibility

Small businesses are always looking for ways to gain visibility in an increasingly competitive business world. Recognizing this, more companies than ever are realizing the value of helping the country’s many small businesses succeed. After all, small business success has a direct impact on the economy, since more than half of American employees work in a small business, according to Business Insider. Yahoo recognizes this fact and is on a path to help small businesses gain that visibility they need.

Yahoo! has been working to redefine itself in a Google-dominated world. The company’s recent purchase of e-commerce company Lexity has called attention to just how committed the company is to the small business space. In addition to providing new homepage options and e-commerce solutions to users, the company recently announced a new program designed to help small businesses compete. Called Localworks, the new initiative is intended to act as a marketing portal for small businesses, helping them gain exposure through listings on 40 top directories across the web.

Web Hosting and More

Already a provider of small business solutions, Yahoo! is only moving further into the space. Currently, small businesses can obtain web hosting and e-commerce support through the site, as well as purchase custom advertising to reach targeted customers. But many other sites offer those same services, as well, leaving Yahoo! to search for ways to set themselves apart.

Yahoo!’s Small Business Advisor section provides insightful tips and the latest news for small businesses. The site offers exclusive chats and information on how businesses can use small business tools, among many other informative articles. Yahoo!’s Young Entrepreneur Blog reaches out to aspiring entrepreneurs by highlighting professionals who mentor their younger counterparts.

Localworks is a major step in providing a service not found on other small business portals. On behalf of small businesses Yahoo! Localworks pushes profiles and contact information about a business to more than 40 directories, providing small businesses the opportunity to reach 150 million customers monthly through local search. Additionally, these directory listings will be available to both PCs and mobile devices, ensuring consumers can find information on a business using today’s technology.

Engaging Customers

To optimize results, businesses can add video and images, which help them stand out in a sea of text and links. Yahoo! Localworks provides the template and businesses need only input their own information to get started. Businesses can even add in their own special offers to give customers a reason to click.

Once listings are in place, small business owners can regularly manage listings from one easy interface, making changes to fit each directory as needed. If a business’s contact information should change, that business needs only update it once to have the changes appear on all directory listings at once. Yahoo! Localworks also provides analytics to give businesses insight into how their listings are performing. Metrics also give businesses an overview of their online reputations. Through this interface, businesses can also manage customer reviews on sites like Yelp in order to address them as quickly as possible.

Taking on Competitors

Yahoo! has more than a few competitors when it comes to providing small business solutions. WordPress provides easy collaboration and website design, while Wix, SquareSpace, and GoDaddy give businesses the ability to easily deploy and manage websites. But Yahoo! is working to build a space where a business can design a website, set up an e-store, and read great advice on building their businesses.

No Requirements

Businesses don’t have to participate in Yahoo!’s other offerings to take advantage of Localworks. In fact, even if a business is completely without a web presence, that business can take advantage of Localwork’s directory listings service. The service costs $29.99 per month, which is billed quarterly at $89.97. This price is only available through the end of the year, with the service regularly costing $49.99 per month. For businesses simply interested in local listings without enhanced services, Yahoo! offers businesses one listing for free.

The free directory service is said to be only the beginning of Yahoo!’s attempts to help small businesses gain exposure and increase their marketing efforts. To see a full list of directory listings available through Localworks, use the free directory scanner on Yahoo!’s website. Visit this page for more information on Yahoo’s free and lower-priced local listings plans.