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Trick or Treat!
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Greetings!
Welcome to the fourth edition of The Maestro Monthly, an email newsletter published by The U.P. Web Maestro. The intent of this publication is to bring you news and updates on U.P. Web Maestro services, local business news, as well as general Web related business tips. (Please note: if you do not wish to receive this email or other messages from us, you can safely click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.)
Don't Get Caught When Others Go Phishing
by Nathan Lyle (The U.P. Web Maestro)
The email looks official... PayPal is telling you that you have to log in to unfreeze your account, or to update your information, so you click the link and enter your password on the website that comes up. In almost every case, you should not have done so. Almost more common than email viruses are emails that are "phishing". People set up fake websites that look like real websites, that prompt you to log in. When you do, they then have your login information and can log in to your real account. The most common versions of these at the moment are messages that appear to come from PayPal, or a bank. There are several ways you can guard against getting taken in by these emails.
- Don't click on links in email
Unless you're absolutely sure you know who the email is from, and were expecting it, don't trust the link. If you were expecting the message, and it's personalized rather than something that reads like a form letter, it's more likely to be okay.
- "Mouse over" before clicking
What you see is not always what you get. The link destination does not need to be the same as the visible text on the screen. Most email programs let you move the mouse over a link (without clicking) and give you some information about that link, usually in the lower left or right corner. The address you see there is more likely to be the actual address than what you read in the message itself.
- Type the address yourself
Though it's more of a pain, you're safe by typing an address into a browser yourself rather than just clicking. That way you're more aware of what address you're actually entering, and you can't be tricked by a bait-and-switch.
- Access your accounts your regular way
If you have a PayPal account or online bank account and receive a message about your status or some other problem, access your account the way you typically do rather than through a provided link to see if there really is a problem.
[read full article]
A Great Tag Line Can Bring In The Clients
by Lynne Saarte
What is in a tag line? A tag line is a great way for you to attract the attention of your target clients. Whether you are printing your collaterals with an online printer or a traditional one, a tag line in your marketing collaterals can go a long way in generating the leads for your business.
A catchy tag line can be your answer to the question your target clients ask about you - what do you do? What can your business do for me? Your tag line can provide the answer in short sentences.
So how do you create a great tag line? Here are a few techniques to help you come up with a great tag line when printing you collaterals, whether with the help of a print online provider or a conventional printer.
A great tag line is a great way to break the ice. When you have a lucrative business, it shows that you are able to master the key to having a lot of people know about what you do and what you have to offer. And that is where your tag line can help you start a conversation rolling with your prospective clients. This is especially true when you're looking at referrals for your business. Your tag line can be your quick words when people ask you what you do. Your tag line can open doors of opportunities for you to further invite people to ask more questions, which in turn can help you build new relationships with new clients.
A great tag line is simple and easy to say. It may be short, but a tag line that is very difficult to roll off your tongue is not so great after all. A tag line should not be a tongue twister that it can sound different when relayed. Not only will you get your target clients confused, you also make it easy for them to associate your business with something strange.
A great tag line has simple words. Do not over-indulge yourself with highfaluting words in your tag line. And steer away from jargons as much as you can. The goal of every tag line is to make it easy for your target clients to understand what you do - quickly. If they get confused or even feel uncomfortable with the technical words you used to describe yourself, they are more than likely to forget you and your company.
A great tag line is interesting. A basic purpose of your tag line is to encourage your target clients to want to know more of what you do. But the way you say it can also backfire instead of convince your target clients to feel comfortable with you. Make sure your tag line then can attract consumers as well as make them feel comfortable talking to you about their problems.
Finally, a great tag line is definitely fun to say! When you talk about your business with fun and passion, other people will see that you love what you do. They are more likely to ask more questions about your business when they feel that you know what you are talking about.
About the author: Lynne Saarte is a writer that hails from Texas. She has been in the Internet business for some years now, specializing in Internet marketing and other online business strategies.
Miscellaneous Maestro Minutia
If your business provides services to other businesses and you would like to submit an article for consideration in future newsletters, please do! We're always looking for helpful information to share with our readers, and we'll even include the article (if used) on our website.
We are currently looking at offering some classes... is there a particular topic you would like an opportunity to learn more about? Would you see more value in learing how to program HTML and CSS with a simple text editor, or learning how to use a full featured editor like Dreamweaver? Or would you rather see something general in using the Web to market your business? Let us know!
That's it for this newsletter! Please feel free to let me know what you find useful or what you'd like to see us cover in future issues.
Sincerely,
Nathan Lyle
Phone: (906)228-5884
Email: nathanlyle@upwebmaestro.com
Web: www.upwebmaestro.com
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Business Tip
Trade Website Advertising
Find another local business who's customers or clients compliment your own, and talk them into trading space on each other's websites for a banner ad. For example... if your business sells bingo accessories, talk to a church where they hold regular bingo tournaments. You could each benefit from mutual exposure. Or maybe you sell flowers, in which case a funeral home may be a good business to approach. Ads don't have to be anything fancy, but having them link to your site is the best option, as it makes it easy for people to find you and helps with search engine visibility.
Web/Technology News
Trapped girls update Facebook page instead of calling cops
Authorities are concerned about a choice made by two girls lost in a storm drain in Australia. Instead of calling the police or their parents, they posted a message on Facebook. Though things worked out okay for the two girls (one of their friends saw the post) but authorities worry that people may not seek appropriate assistance in emergencies.
[read more]
Using Cybercitizens to Hunt Down Hackers
In an attempt to gain some ground on hackers, Symantec is attempting to recruit victims and other computer users to help them go on the offensive and hunt down hackers. "It's time to stop building burglar alarms to keep people out and go after the bad guys," says Rowan Trollope, senior vice-president for consumer products at Symantec, the largest maker of antivirus software. Symantec is one of serveral companies exploring this method. Beginning in September, Symantec will start asking customers to opt in to a program that will collect data about attempted computer intrusions which then forwards the data to the authorities. They will also begin posting the FBI's top 10 hackers on their website, where customers visit to download updates. Next year the company will even begin offering cash bounties for info leading to an arrest.
[read more]
Diet Facebook
If you like Facebook but are overwhelmed by all the stuff jammed into it, take a look at Facebook Lite. If you're trying to get your Grandmother to sign up, this version might be an easier sell.
[read more]
Browser-based Microsoft Office
Working on competing with Google's online office applications, Microsoft is stepping into the ring. While not as easy to use as Google Apps or Zoho, the software is still being developed. Microsoft has stated that it is still in pre-beta form and has a number of known issues.
[read more]
Free Software
Notepad++
Notepad++ is a free (as in "free speech" and also as in "free beer") source code editor and Notepad replacement for Windows. This powerful text editor does a great balancing act between a simple to use interface and lots of great features. If you do any editing of HTML (or javascript, PHP, etc.) you should definitely check this option out.
[download]
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