To see if your PC is infected you can go to this DNS Checker website to see if you have a problem. If you do have an infection you need to have your system cleaned so that come July 9th the Internet will not appear to go dark.

To keep your system clean make sure that you keep your anti-virus software up to date, install all Windows security patches and updates, install all Adobe Flash and PDF reader updates and Java updates, and download and run a malware remover program like Malwarebytes.

A high resolution 20″ LCD monitor from Acer with a 3 year warranty.

At just $99 this is a great deal. But hurry it ends 4/27.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1068941&CatId=1410&SRCCODE=MDOTTD&MobileOptOut=1

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The first link talks about what makes a good contest, the second highlights ten companies that have been successful with their contests.

http://goo.gl/mag/KOQIO

http://mashable.com/2012/01/09/online-contests

The WordPress workshop will be held April 24 & 25 from 6:00pm-9:00pm. The Online Marketing workshop will be held April 26 from 6:00pm-9:00pm.

February’s workshops were almost sold out and the class reviews were excellent so don’t miss out on your chance to get a leg up on your competition

To register visit our Workshop Registration page.

So how do you do it? It’s simple you need a fan-gate. A what? That’s right a fan-gate. This “virtual” gate to your Facebook page requires visitors to like your fan page before they can access fan-only content.

Use it to get email addresses and more by offering fans coupons, special product pricing, special promotions, and more. Great you say, so how do I get started?

There are a number of contest / promotion Facebook apps out there to choose from. Since you are just starting out you might want to start out with a free version of an inexpensive app with no monthly fees to get your feet wet. We suggest the Fan Page Engine at http://fanpageengine.com.

You can start off with their free version, with limited features and upgrade to their premium paid version for just $47.

Check out their video for 5 reasons to use them. As always if you need help implementing these online tools we can give you a hand.

According to comScore, the Pew Internet and the American Life Project, Google is the search engine to optimize your site for. According to comScore in February, 2012 Google showed a 66.2% share in search engine volume. In the same period Microsoft’s Bing share was 15.3% and Yahoo was 13.8%.

The survey by Pew of 2200 Internet users found that 83% of those surveyed used Google for their search needs. Yahoo was a distant 6%. So if you are looking to put your website in front of the most number of eyeballs Google is still the gold standard.

With the new Facebook timeline feature available for business and cause fan pages you will need to review your Facebook Page and make some changes. You will have until March 30 to make changes and decide to publish the new format before Facebook makes the change for you.

Here are some of the important changes you need to review and make changes as necessary.

Cover Image

With the introduction of the Timelines feature, you have the option to upload a landscape-oriented cover photo to your fan Page. The image must be at least 399 pixels wide, though Facebook suggests 851×351 pixels. Your may also need to adjust you Page’s profile picture. Facebook suggests a square image that is at least 180 pixels wide.

Pinned Posts

You can now also feature important brand and business posts by clicking the star icon on a post, this makes it wider. You can also use the pencil icon provided to “pin” the post to the top of your Page, you can also hide it, or delete it entirely.

So what is Pinned? Pinned posts are Page posts that a site admins has chosen to display at the top of their Facebook Page. A pinned post will always appear on the top-left of the Page’s Timeline. It is marked with a flag on its top-right corner. Pinned posts will stay pinned for seven days. After that the post returns to the date it was originally posted on the Page’s Timeline. Only Page admins can pin posts created by the Page. Visitor posts cannot be pinned.

A company can use the pinned post feature broadcast important information. Great for schools posting weather-related schedule changes, companies promoting sales, etc.

Apps

Directly below your Page cover photo are various icons that link to your photos, likes, and installed Facebook apps. The default is for your photos to appear in the first position, but you can change the order of everything else. Facebook allows a maximum of 12 apps to be shown.

If you want to reorder the apps that appear below the cover photo, simply expand the apps menu by clicking the drop-down menu to the right of your Page’s apps. Hover over the position where you’d like to put an app and click the pencil icon that appears. Then choose the app you’d like to swap into that spot from the menu.

Milestones

Another new feature is Milestones. You can highlight key posts and they are automatically expanded to widescreen and are visible to everyone visiting your Page. To add a Milestone you click the book icon in the sharing tool at the top of your Page’s Timeline. You can the enter a headline, a location, a date, post details and a photo if you wish, then click Save. You can also click the + icon from anywhere on your Page’s Timeline to post a milestone or other type of story to a particular date. Milestone photos should be 843×403 pixels.

Activity Log

Facebook Pages also have an Activity Log that lets you review the history of your Page and change the settings of individual posts. Only a Page’s admin can see the activity log. To find your Page’s Activity Log visit your Admin Panel and select “Use Activity Log” from the “Manage” drop-down menu. If you are updating your Page, you can drill down to see all your Page’s stories organized by date, star posts from here, hide and delete posts, change the date and report and remove spam posted on your page.

Admin Panel

The “Admin Panel” is where you can monitor Page’s performance and also respond to people using your Page. The Admin Panel is selected by clicking the link above the date selector in the upper-right corner of your Page. To close the panel, just click the “Hide” button in the top-right corner.

From Admin Page you can also view new notifications, respond to fan’s messages, view your Page insights, access your activity log to moderate content on your Page, and access the Edit menu to make changes to your Page’s settings.

A new feature are messages. Fans can now message a page directly allowing for better customer service for companies marketing online.

For Facebook’s official page to read more on these new features please visit http://www.facebook.com/about/pages.

The reality is that for many tasks the technology 5-6 years ago is still absolutely adequate for the tasks that they were originally purchased for. While it is true that some software titles require more horsepower as they add often unneeded features most applications will continue to run for years on the current equipment a business has. I have one client still running an accounting application that is 12 years old and is still running on the same server it was originally installed on.

Does that mean that you should always run a piece of technology into the ground, or not buy the latest tech gadget like smartphones, tablets or faster WiFi connections? The answer of course is no. The correct approach is to objectively review currently available technology options and determine if there is a business case for upgrading.

Many times an upgrade may only be some additional memory, or upgrading to two monitors to increase a knowledge worker’s productivity. Changes that do not disrupt but provide added value. I see many businesses buying ink jet printers when they should be buying laser printers because their printing needs do not dictate the extras cost of printing black and white pages on an ink jet.

When it comes to embracing new technology like portable computing devices, tablets, smartphones, ultrabooks, etc. you have to look at your business processes and see how these new devices can enhance existing procedures, or can create new opportunities. Because they are so many options available you need to carefully research your options and if necessary engage the services of a professional to help you navigate through the myriad of options.

A recent study by Fasthost in the UK provided the folllowing insights:

• For 1 in 3 firms, implementing new business technology such as smartphones, notepads and computer software, has failed to improve efficiencies
• Only 1 in 4 SMEs seeks advice from an IT professional.
• Only 1 in 10 firms disappointed with a piece of technology has gone back to their technology supplier or IT advisor to ask for help.

To read the entire press release follow the link below.

Press Release – Fasthosts Urges Small Firms to Work More Closely with Their Tech Suppliers

That’s right. If you want to give your users the best experience on the web and on mobile devices like phones and tablets, create a mobile version of your web site. This is a win-win for both you and your customers.

By providing the best experience for both of your target audiences you are going to have happier users. And we all know that happier users are better for business. Of course there is more effort involved in creating two versions of your website, but if you plan your site properly, and use the correct tools you can create an optimized experience that will pay long-term dividends.

Remember that online marketing is a rapidly changing business, new features and capabilities will also be just on the horizon. Stay on top of these trends and your business will be more appreciated by your customers and potential customers.

If you need help selecting the right tools or optimizing your site for mobile do not hesitate to ask us how we can help. We can analyze your existing site and help you make changes, or we can create a site from scratch that makes your business looks its best online no matter how people choose to view it.

The major review sites are:

• Yelp!, the 800 pound gorilla in the review world.
• Google Places has integrated the former Hotpot into the site and are adding reviews rapidly.
• Judy’s Book is another popular site that has over one million user reviews.
• Angie’s List is a user paid site that concentrates on service businesses.
•  Yahoo Local is similar to Google Places with over 50 million reviews.
• Merchant Circle is a smaller site with less accurate searches.
• Citysearch has more editorials than reviews and concentrates on restaurants and bars.
• Insider Pages, owned by Citysearch covers service businesses that Citysearch does not.

All of these sites let you claim your business listing for free and most let you respond to reviews and some like Google and Yahoo! let you add many marketing tools to their sites.

All of these sites that are applicable to your business need to be claimed and nurtured to help you create and maintain your online reputation.

For more information about these sites see the following article from PC World.

Beyond Yelp: Which user review services matter?