SPARKS! and the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland will be teaming up on Thursday, April 20th at 8.30 AM to present “Search Engine Optimization: Simple Strategies to Improve Web Performance“. The event is part of BBB’s Trusted Advisor Series designed to provide business owners and their employees with current information about a variety of topics.
To register and learn more visit the BBB’s website.
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) important? If a website launches on the internet and nobody sees it does it make a difference? [Tip of the cap, George Berkeley]
SEO is the process of optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). The goal of SEO is to improve the visibility of your web content to users when they are searching. It is a fluid journey, not a destination, that involves a lot of different factors technically, logistically, but more often, logically. Let’s look at the two main elements of SEO; on-page and off-page.
On-page SEO involves optimizing the content – text, images, and code – on a site to make it easier to be crawled and indexed by search engines. At a minimum, it is making sure the keywords and primary topics of a web page are properly formatted and in sync with the technical elements. These are things like meta tags, coding that the search engine sees that are invisible to the reader, structure, navigation, and page speed of the website..
Off-page SEO is a way of improving the site’s visibility by securing links (“backlinks”) to its content from external sources. These can include social media pages, online directories, and other authoritative websites like news and industry blogs. It can help validate a site, just like getting a referral from a high-profile customer.
We’ll share more in the coming months about the myriad other aspects of SEO. But the key takeaway is that SEO is an important tool in the digital marketing toolbox that can help your website perform and help you to grow your organization.
SPARKS! can help you learn how your website is performing in search and create ways to boost your visibility.
So, to answer a question we often get at SPARKS! – “what exactly is digital marketing?” – here’s a quick-and-dirty summary of the key elements.Businesses and organizations must rely on some type of marketing in order to grow. Traditional tactics – advertising and trade shows, for example – are stalwarts and an important part of the overall recipe. But a key element that many small businesses overlook is to optimize what is perhaps the easiest gateway to their audience: their digital assets.
Digital marketing refers to the use of online (aka digital) channels, such as search engines, social media, email, mobile apps, and websites, to promote a product or service. It is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of techniques and strategies, all of which are designed to reach and engage with a target audience in a digital environment.
For most organizations, an informative, engaging, mobile/user-friendly website lives at the center of the digital universe. But what about the other spokes in the wheel? Digital marketing can be broken down into several different elements, including:
Global Tensions Present Cyber Threats Across The InternetThe White House has recently released a statement warning US citizens of the threat of ‘malicious cyber activity’ in response the the war in Ukraine. Many of the recommendations are consistent with SPARKS!’ messaging over the years:
You can view the view the entire White House Fact Sheet online.
Email isn’t the only platform vulnerable to hacking. The security platform Malwarebytes reports an increase in phishing attempts targeting Facebook and other social media users. Remember, don’t open any suspicious email links and go to the actual website to login and verify any communications or changes.
If you’ve never heard of SMS phishing, or SMiShing, you’re not alone. Most people aren’t aware of how at risk they are of becoming a victim of the criminal activity, but it’s becoming increasingly prevalent in this day and age.What is SMiShing?
A type of phishing, SMiShing occurs when someone is tricked into giving out private information through a text or SMS message. This is especially dangerous because while most people know not to open suspicious links in emails, many are still trusting of texts regardless of how unfamiliar the number is. In today’s ever-changing online world, it can be hard to know how to effectively guard against it.
Someone looking to steal your information, or a “SMSiSher”, could be looking to gain access to anything from your online passwords, your Social Security Number, or your credit card information. The scammers use a variety of tactics to manipulate the victim and get the information they want, such as warning the recipient of the message that they’ll be charged if they don’t click on a link and provide their personal information.
How do you know you’re being SMiShed?
Typically, you should be cautious when you receive a text message from someone that you don’t know. If the text isn’t from a saved number, or if it doesn’t look like a phone number at all, proceed with caution. For instance, if the text comes from a phone number like “5000”, it’s almost definitely fraudulent. If someone sends you a link, take a minute to make sure it’s legitimate and not a scam.
Usually, texts that urge you to take action on something extremely urgent right away are a sign that it’s not to be trusted and could be someone trying to SMiSh you.
Protecting yourself against SMiShing
Adding a VPN to your phone is a great way to stay staff and secure your text message conversations. Don’t download any apps from anywhere other than the app store. Never store your credit card or banking information anywhere on your smart phone. If someone does try to SMiSh you, report it so that it doesn’t happen to you or others in the future.
The most effective way to guard against SMiShing is to simply not respond to the text message. As long as you’re cautious and use common sense, you’ll be able to keep your information safe.
Want to learn more?
The digital world is always changing, and SPARKS! is here to help. Contact us today or give us a call at 410-244-5111 and let us help you with all of your website needs.
Have you been searching for an efficient way to stay connected to your customers? Customer relationship management software (CRM) could be perfect for you.Let’s face it, you’ve never been busier and keeping in touch with all of your clients can sometimes be a challenge. A CRM system will help to keep your business relationships strong, simplify your workload, and improve profits.
Put simply, a CRM system is a tool that assists with contact management, sales management, and productivity. By allowing you to solidify those individual relationships that may have been losing traction due to your hectic day-to-day schedule, CRM software can do wonders for your business.
Types of CRM Software
Even if you’ve made the decision to utilize CRM tools, it can be overwhelming trying to learn about them and decide which ones are right for your company. To start, there are four main types of CRM software. Conversation CRM apps focus on simplifying emails and phone calls with customers, Leads and Deals CRM helps you to keep track of and close your promising leads with future clients, Contract CRM keeps track of contract details, and Marketing CRM helps you to automate workflow.
Even after you’ve decided on the kind of CRM tools you want your business to use, it can be tricky to figure out which specific software is best for you. Make sure to do some research on the best CRM software available and try to pinpoint what would most enhance your own unique business.
Don’t Fall Behind
Not taking advance of CRM means more time dedicated to doing tasks that could otherwise be simple and streamlined, which leads to less productivity and a loss of profits. CRM software will help you have more time for everything, so your business can grow and you don’t get bogged down in the details. Let your CRM tools collect and make sense of the data, so you can get to using it in the most effective ways possible.
What Does CRM Do, Exactly?
CRM systems automatically pull in vital customer information, such as their website, email, phone number, and social media data across multiple sources and channels. But they take it a step further, generating reports on the company’s recent activity, and even storing a client’s personal communication preferences. Automated administrative tasks are another feature of typical CRM tools. Simply put, CRM makes life easier for both you and your customer.
Sounds Great, But How Much Will It Cost?
The price of CRM apps varies, which is another reason it’s important to do thorough research before you make a final decision on which to use. There’s a great deal of free CRM software available, while others typically cost somewhere between $5-$75 per user per month. Marketing Automation CRM apps will cost you the most, as those can go for $100/month per user.
As the decade comes to a close, keeping your business ahead of the curve might feel more challenging than ever. Technology and the ways that it impacts business is changing at a breakneck speed and it can be hard to keep up. At SPARKS!, we have the tools to help you grow and successfully reach your audience. Give us a call today at (410) 244-5111 to discuss your digital marketing needs!
**We’re not endorsing any particular platform (they ain’t paying us for that!). Just passing along the info so do your own homework for the solution that is right for you.
January 28th is Data Privacy Day! Data privacy is an issue that impacts just about everyone, whether you’re the CEO of a large company or simply someone who uses their phone and the internet like the average person.We all want to protect our data, but it’s easy to become a victim of the dark web even when you think you’re doing everything right. Here are some tips on how to ensure no one is using your data for their own personal gain.
Use Strong Passwords
Those same two passwords that you’ve been using for the last 10 years aren’t going to cut it. You need to create truly unique passwords that will be difficult for a hacker to figure out and exploit. Tools like Lastpass are an efficient and secure way to store all your passwords in one place. That way, you can create complicated and hard to figure out passwords for all of your accounts and not have to worry about writing them down somewhere to remember them.
Update Your Social Media Settings
We’re all guilty of oversharing on social media. Sites like Facebook and Instagram have a lot of information about us, and there are a lot of people who would love to get their hands on that data. Check the privacy settings on all of your social media accounts and make sure you aren’t sharing information with anyone that you don’t want to.
Avoid Being Tracked
Simply going to a website provides potential hackers with information about you and your web history. Using incognito mode isn’t going to do much to keep your web history private, so it’s important to use tools that can actually protect your privacy. A VPN connection is one way that you could prevent websites from tracking your location. Learn more about anti-tracking tools for your web browser here.
Backup Your Data
Have you ever been in a situation where you lose your phone or your laptop and you forgot to back it up so you lose tons of valuable information? Backing up your devices can also help you if one of them is stolen or compromised. 68% of small businesses don’t have a disaster recovery plan. No one wants to imagine their business is vulnerable to something like this, but it’s better to plan ahead and be ready.
Utilize Anti-Malware Protection
It’s essential for you or your business to utilize anti-malware protection. No matter how diligent you are about protecting your data, your device is likely to be infected at some point. A strong anti-virus protection program will go a long way towards avoiding a potential disaster.
Use Encrypted Email
A few email programs, like Gmail and Outlook, use encrypted email. But most others don’t. If you’re sending a confidential email that contains sensitive information, make sure you send it using an email provider that will keep your data secure and protected you from any unauthorized users.
Lock Down Your Data
The new decade is sure to make users even more vulnerable to potential data hacks, which is why it’s more important than ever to stay ahead of the curve. SPARKS! is here to help with all of your website needs. Contact us today or give us a call at 410-244-5111.
Or worse, you’re still using the same password you used in middle school, leaving yourself or your business vulnerable to getting hacked. That’s where password managers come in.
Password managers store all of your login information so you don’t have to keep track of them. That way, you can make the passwords as complicated and difficult to hack as possible without worrying about whether or not you’ll be able to remember them. As we continue to live more and more of our lives online, they’re becoming an essential part of the daily routine.
So, which one should you use?
There are a ton of password managers available, so it can be difficult to narrow your choices down and make the best decision. The premium version of LastPass is available for just $3 a month and is a simple and secure way to store all of your login information, especially if you’re running a business and your goal is to keep you and your employees on the same page. It also generates strong passwords for you, so you don’t have to worry about thinking them up yourself. Once you save a password through LastPass, it’s available on all of your devices, so you can take it everywhere you go.
That’s far from the only option, though. 1Password, Enpass, and Dashlane are just a few of the trusted password managers currently available. Research your options and find the one that you think will work the best for you.
Are they always safe?
Unfortunately, as is the case with all technology, password managers aren’t perfect and do come with their security flaws. Research has found that they can be vulnerable to targeted malware attacks, and there’s reason to be concerned about the idea of putting all of your passwords in the same space.
This past February, Independent Security Evaluators did an audit of five of the top password managers and found that the Windows 10 apps for those programs left some passwords exposed in the computer’s memory when the apps were in “locked” mode. Some master passwords, used to unlock all the passwords, were even left exposed. The response of the companies differed, but LastPass performed an update that will help prevent exposed passwords going forward.
Let Us Handle the Passwords
Still feeling overwhelmed by all the options? Give us a call at 866-500-8088 and let us handle all of your digital marketing needs.
It’s impossible not to leave a digital footprint in 2019, and search engines can end up mining your data even when you use features like incognito browsing. Keeping your browsing history private has never been more important, so here are a few tools you can utilize to make sure your information stays truly hidden.
DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo is a browser extension that protects your data and then gives you information on what they’re blocking. It’s also extremely easy to use. All you have to do is install the extension and you’re ready to go. As they would tell you, it’s privacy, simplified. By enforcing encrypted HTTPS connections, DuckDuckGo can give the page you visit a grade based on how badly they want to steal your data. Then, they block tracing cookies from being able to identify you and rank the privacy polices of all the sites that you visit.
Use a VPN
A VPN cloaks and encrypts your signal, thus making your search history and online activity untraceable. It also makes it appear as though your IP address is coming from a different device, location, or country. Using a VPN is particularly helpful when you’re logging onto public wi-fi or an unsecured network. This will hide your data from anyone looking to snatch it up and mine it for themselves. So, the next time you’re at a coffee shop and want to browse freely, you won’t have to worry about a thing!
Safari Safety
Apple continues to take steps to make browsing on Safari a safe and private experience. Recently, they announced new software that will alert you to a website trying to access your cookies or other data and give you the option of deciding whether or not you want to allow it. The company also plans to make the Mac devices people use to browse the web indistinguishable from one another by muting the fingerprint effect.
Firefox
If you’re a regular Firefox user, third-party cookies are blocked by default. The browser also gives you detailed information on the trackers and cookies that the sites you’re visiting have attempted to leave. If you’re looking for tracker and ad blocking protection that takes things a step further, Firefox Focus is available for iOS and Android. It’s not quite as detailed as the full Firefox, but it’s worth a try if you’re looking for a simple experience that prioritizes privacy.
Go Incognito
As mentioned above, using “Incognito Mode” when you’re on Google Chrome is always an option. This allows you to browse the web privately while still being able to bookmark sites and download files.
Keeping your browser history private is just the first step in making sure that you’re secure online. Check back soon for our blog on how password managers can keep you safe from hackers. Until then, get in touch with us if you want to discuss anything in the wide world of web, media, or marketing!
Has your company gotten a letter in the mail recently informing you that your domain name is expiring and asking you to switch to the domain name service that they’re providing? If so, you’re likely the target of an attempted domain hijacking.This is serious business, so it’s important that you be able to successfully identify the characteristics of a hijacking and take the proper steps to avoid falling for their trap.
Be on the Lookout
“Domain hijacking” is basically a fancy way of saying that someone stole your domain registration, which is never good. If an unauthorized source has the rights to your domain name, that means they have access to your domain registrar account details and can alter the personal, technical, and administrative details of your domain.
One of the worst offenders of this practice is iDNS, or Internet Domain Name Services. If you receive a letter from them asking you to renew your registrar with them, you’re the target of a scam and should act accordingly. Throw the letter away and move on.
Hijackers have several ways of snatching your domain name from you. Phishing pages, data breaches, calls to you claiming to be your domain registrar, and local keyloggers installed in your computer all present hijacking threats.
What Should You Do?
If someone is able to infiltrate your domain, the next step you should take is to immediately contact your domain registrar, or the company you registered your domain with. Let them know that your domain has been stolen out from under you, and if you’re able to prove that the transfer was fraudulent, your domain can be transferred back to its original registrar. If your domain found its way to a new registrar after getting hijacked, that registrar will work with your previous one to return the domain to you.
Hacking Prevention
Of course, you should avoid letting your domain get hijacked at all if possible. Make sure the domain you registrar with is trustworthy. SPARKS! can help with that. If you don’t fully trust the registrar that you’re with right now, transfer it as soon as possible. Ensure that your passwords and login information are air tight and not easy for anyone to hack, and be diligent about not letting your domain registration expire, which would result in a hacker not even needing to hijack the site.
Some domain registers are now providing domain locking services that prevent domain transfer without heightened security checks and authentication.
Searching for a company that you can trust your domain with? SPARKS! Marketing Communications has you covered. For more details about how we can keep your website safe and secure, please contact us at 866-500-8088 or visit https://www.onsparks.com/.
