Online Presence

Rencently, I’ve been several people ask me how to be sure they can access their website or how to recover their site. There are several reasons why either of these situations could happen, but today I’m going to give you some tips about how to keep your website secure so that you can avoid the headache and uncertainty of not being able to access it or having it become compromised. Be sure your site has an active SSL certificate and that ALL of your pages addresses are https. Regularly update and use strong passwords for your account login gateways. Have malware and firewall software installed on your site. Be sure you are running the most applicable and recent PHP. Keep your plugins (apps) up-to-date and remove those that you’re not using or will never use. Keep themes updated and remove those that you are not using or will never use again. Run scans on your website regularly to check for vulnerabilities. Check to see what users are listed on your site and ensure the roles are correct. Regularly back up your site. Keep an activity log of your site. Update your website and/or log into it on a regular basis. Some of the maintenance tasks that I mentioned may be available as services provided by your web hosting service and they could be set up to run, update, and/or scan automatically. However, it is very important that you don’t fully rely on your web host to know if your site is up and running and is not compromised. A little bit of time spent weekly will save you a lot of time in the future trying to remedy an unsecured site in the future!

If you’re working on building a website for your business, you might be wondering whether you really need an “About” page. After all, it’s not like potential customers are going to be interested in your personal life story, right? Wrong. Your “About” page is one of the most important pages on your website – and there are a few key things you need to include to make a good impression. One of the first things that visitors to a website do when they’re interested in working with someone or buying from them is read the “About” or “Team” page. This page is your chance to make a good first impression, telling your visitors who you are, what you do, and why they should care. Important Features Your About Page Should Include A Brief Overview of What You Do The first thing you need to do is give visitors a quick rundown of what your business does. This doesn’t need to be complicated; just write a few sentences that explain what services or products you offer and how they benefit your customers. For example, let’s say you own a pet store. You might write something like this:  “Dawn’s Pet Store offers a wide selection of high-quality pet food, toys, and supplies at everyday low prices. We love animals and believe that every pet deserves the best care possible, which is why we offer friendly service and expert resources to help our customers find exactly what their pets need and enjoy.” Your Company’s Mission Statement Your mission statement is a brief overview of your company’s goals and values. It should be clear, concise, and easy for visitors to understand. For example, with the pet store example, the mission statement might be something like this:  “Our mission is to provide our customers with everything they need to keep their pets healthy and happy.”  Images or Videos Because most people enjoy and remember visual materials, include at least one photo or video on your “About” page that pertains to your business. This could be a demonstration video, a headshot of you, an image or video of one of your most popular or innovative products, or testimonials. Include A Call-To-Action Don’t forget to include a call-to-action (CTA) on your “About” page. This could be something as simple as filling out a form to receive your newsletters, it could be a request for a quote, to print a coupon. However, the best CTA would be to contact you or to purchase something. Going back to the pet store example, a CTA on the “About” page would be: “If you’re looking for quality pet supplies at great prices, we invite you to stop by Dawn’s Pet Store today! Our friendly staff will be happy to help you find everything you need.” In summary, an effective “About” page gives visitors a brief overview of what your business does. This page states your company’s mission statement (or some version thereof); includes photos and/or videos, and ends with a CTA. By including these four key elements, you can create an “About” page that makes a good first impression and tells visitors everything they need to know about your business.

QUESTION: “Who needs a website? They’re expensive and besides, you can find me on Google!” THE SHORT ANSWER: Active businesses and organizations need a website. Google alone won’t be able to provide for all of a business’s needs. There’s no doubt that search engines are allies to businesses and organizations. Google search is a powerful tool that helps websites by providing them with traffic. Websites can use Google search to help them increase their web traffic and improve their online visibility. Google search also helps websites by providing them with information about their audience and offers Google Business Profile to add another way to highlight your business in search results. The beauty of a website is that it’s yours. You own your website and what is added to it. Your website reflects and represents your business or organization and its mission and branding. You don’t have control over social media platforms and changes or updates like you do with your website and its functionality. A website showcases your products and services, and it can also be used to collect customer information and build relationships with potential and current customers. You can also use your website to blog about your industry, post news articles, and share other relevant information that can help build trust with your audience. You can use your website to sell your products and services and to receive donations if you are a nonprofit organization. Depending on what bells and whistles you want or need for your website to be the most effective for your business or organization, your website likely will cost you very little in the scheme of your annual budget. Webhosting and add-on products for your website on average can be $350 a year. It depends on the web service that you’re using, and as mentioned, any add-ons that are also needed. If you hire someone to design and set up your site or to maintain it for you, you will have those additional expenses as well to consider. The prices as well can vary from service provider to service provider. Small businesses and organizations need an online presence to succeed in today’s economy. A website is a crucial tool for promoting your business and reaching new customers.

STATEMENT: “I don’t have the time for social media!” RESPONSE: Understandable! It’s important to know that you don’t have to be on all of the social media platforms and it doesn’t have to consume all of your time to use it effectively for your business or organization. the most important part – you don’t have to have a lot of time allocated to use social media for your business! Social media is a valuable tool for small businesses and organizations. It’s a great way to connect with potential and current customers, and it can help you build relationships with them. Social media also allows you to share your company’s story, connect with other businesses, and find new leads. Not all social media platforms will be highly beneficial for every business or organization. It’s good to know where your customers are and what your goals for using social media are before signing up to use one and expecting it to be a good fit for your needs. Learning social media is rather easy, so it should not be a big time-consuming task unless you have a lot of interactions on your platforms or are learning how to use the platforms or in general, how to best use social media as a whole for your business. There are ways to set up posts to save you time and there are methods that you can use to maintain your busy schedule and still implement social media into your marketing and customer service strategies.