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Is Your Internet Marketing Campaign Like a Shotgun… or a Scalpel?

Going online, building a new small business website, or even just putting together an ambitious online marketing plan for the first time can all feel like opening a giant door to the world's customers. No matter what your limitations were before, you can now reach new buyers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, virtually anywhere on the globe.

In most cases, that's a really great thing.

And how could it not? Actually, opening the marketing floodgates can actually be a big hindrance to some smaller businesses because it can pull them away from their core focus. Here's the problem: no matter what you sell, there are probably dozens of other companies in the world that sell the same thing, or something similar… and the vast majority of them are online. So the people who buy from you now usually don't do so because they don't have any other choice, but because you offer something distinctly unique.

If you can find that unique quality, then you can take it and make it the core theme of your online marketing campaign. You can use it to explain why people are better off buying from you than they are for many of your competitors, and you can say clearly with conviction. But without any of those things, you're "just another vendor" trying to make a buck online. In that case, why should anyone choose you, when there might be someone closer, cheaper, or that they're more familiar with?

When it comes to marketing, online or off, you should think of your campaigns as scalpels, rather than shotguns. In other words, you shouldn't just be looking for "anyone with a few dollars to spend," as much as you should your perfect customer. If you can stick to that approach, and find these people gradually, then they'll reward you by buying again and again, not to mention sharing information about your business with their friends.

It's a very big world out there, filled with lots and lots of customers for what you sell. Just be sure to keep perspective and look for the ones that make the most sense – we can promise it will end up being better business for you, and a lot more fulfilling for them.


More Great Data Protection Tips

Recently, we've been showing how small and medium-sized businesses can take steps to prevent cyber attacks and digital theft. That's because, even though you might not be as big a prize to hackers as a major retailer like Target is, there are probably lots of thieves who would love to gain access to your files. And that's not even counting the data loss risks that come from floods, fires, and other everyday disasters that can destroy your technology.

With that in mind, here are a few more great ways to keep your digital files (and reputation) from being lost:

Keep data backups offsite. By keeping backups in a remote location (and transmitted through an encrypted connection), you protect yourself in the event of a theft inside your company's walls. Plus, you'll have access to your files if you need them following a fire, flood, or other disruption to your office.

Have a trained team overseeing your data. Often, business owners and executives either don't know how to spot the signs of a cyber attack, or are too busy to look out for them. With the right hosting and IT security team on your side, you'll have somebody who knows what to look for and can take preventative steps at the first sign of trouble.

Don't overlook the little things. As we mentioned in the past, little things like changing passwords and updating hosting software can go a long way toward keeping you protected. Don't forget the simple steps, and you won't be vulnerable to the most obvious kinds of online attacks.

The bottom line on data security is that it starts with the right philosophy and lots of planning. Why not let the Kinetik team look for risks in your IT structure and show you how to protect your business? Call or email us today for a free consultation.

5 Great Tips for Avoiding Data Loss

When news breaks that mega companies like Target and national banks had been the victim of a huge cyber security breach, business owners and executives around the country immediately started to wonder how vulnerable their companies were. 

That's a good question, and an extremely important one in the digital age. It goes without saying that very large businesses, and those with extensive e-commerce operations, need to have multiple security layers in place to protect customer data. But, even if you don't have millions of customers, or billions at stake, there are a handful of important tips you should follow to prevent data loss and theft:

1. Back up everything, and back it up often. Regardless of whether the data loss comes from a hacker or power surge, you should have backup copies of your most important files in place and ready to use.

2. Update your hosting software frequently. The kinds of cyber attacks that affect most small businesses aren't sophisticated. Instead, they rely on known exploits in software packages like WordPress. By updating yours frequently, you can often close the door to would-be opportunistic thieves.

3. Change passwords regularly and don't use obvious words or phrases. We've all heard this advice before, but it still holds true. In the same way that you shouldn't make your pin number "1234" (something that nearly one out of 10 people do), your company's passwords shouldn't be easy for automated software to guess.

4. Restrict access to trusted personnel. In a lot of small businesses, anyone borrowing the owner’s or manager's password can get access to anything on the company website, or in databases. That's a prescription for disaster. Set different security levels so that employees can access what's needed, but not more.

5. Keep an eye on your technology. Often, you can prevent digital break-ins before they happen, simply by paying attention to things like the number of failed logins to your website or server. The closer you’re watching things, the less opportunity thieves have to catch you napping.

Feel like your company’s online security isn't what it should be? Talk to a member of the Kinetik team today to see how we can help.


Your Customers Don't Need More News, They Need Better Insight

Even a few years ago, standard advice from a web designer online marketing team would be to start a blog and RSS feed on your website, and to populate both with company or industry news as often as possible. After all, what better way to keep people informed and build your own content profile at the same time then by giving them a constant taste of what's going on the world?

That makes sense, until you fast-forward a handful of years and find that everyone's doing it.

In fact, with the sheer number of news sites out there, RSS feeds available, and even real-time search engine updates, the problem isn't that people are having any trouble finding what's going on, but that it's hard to sort through all the news and find information.

With that in mind, one easy way for you to set your website and business apart from all its competitors is by giving visitors what they really crave: insight and advice, rather than a steady stream of data. Unless your customers are living in a cave, they already know what's going on – what they want from you is a better sense of what new developments mean to them.

That means populating your site with columns, blog posts, and other updates that center on sound business advice. Don't just tell people what you saw, fill them in on what it means to them, what future implications could be, how they might profit from it in the future, and so on. Before long, you'll find that you won't have to seek visitors just through search engines and online newsletters, because they'll be telling each other about you and showing up on their own.

There were plenty of places for people to go and find news online, and they probably do the job better than your company could. But what no one can duplicate is your specific industry knowledge and insight, so keep that in mind and give your customers what it is they really want.


Email Best Practices

While the variety of social media outlets we use on a daily or weekly basis have changed how we communicate, email is still the method of choice in business. And it’s used a lot: according to the Radicati Group, email is still the predominant form of business communication, with over 100 billion business email messages sent and received each day in 2013.

For business, email is the primary way to communicate, and having a well‑formed email signature and maximizing its effectiveness is a boon to any type of business entity. When contacting clients via email, there are some best practices to construct an effective signature, keeping in mind the preferences of both the recipient and the email client.

Begin the email signature with an accepted signature delimiter: essentially two hyphens together, this element helps email clients recognize the separation of the body of the email from the proceeding signature lines. 

A good signature will include the individual’s name, company, position or title, and contact information. Lines of text in a signature are better kept to three lines, and 72 characters per line, which generally eliminates text wrapping to the next line. With so many ways to make contact, it’s best to choose one or two to use in the signature—having several options may feel overwhelming.

When using graphics, it's best to have an absolute URL graphic, meaning the graphic should be pulled from the server. For instance, the logo or any icons in a signature should be located on the company server, and then be linked in the signature using the actual URL to that.

It’s important to note that, for some email clients, more than one image for every 40 words can be flagged and end up in the spam or junk folder, so using an appropriate amount of images will ensure messages arrive in the client’s inbox intact.

Located in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, Kinetik IT is a full-service information technology and Internet services provider, offering a wide array of technology and internet strategy solutions, as well as sound advice.  To learn more about services and products, and to stay up to date with Kinetik IT, visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Hacking Webcams

When whistleblower Edward Snowden released classified NSA documents in May 2013, the world suddenly became acutely aware of government surveillance of civilians—even of those who posed no threat to national security.

According to the Guardian, GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters, the UK version of the NSA) “files dating between 2008 and 2010 explicitly state that a surveillance program code-named Optic Nerve collected still images of Yahoo webcam chats in bulk and saved them to agency databases, regardless of whether individual users were an intelligence target or not.” Disturbingly, many of these images, it is reported, are explicit in nature. And, of course, it’s not just the government: hackers have also figured out ways to spy via webcam.

Unlike many viruses, Mac webcams are just as vulnerable as those installed in PCs. Most laptops with built-in cameras come with an important privacy feature: a light that activates when the camera is in use, with seemingly no way to be deactivated. Information to the contrary has come to light, however. As quoted in the Washington Post, “Marcus Thomas, former assistant director of the FBI’s Operational Technology Division in Quantico, said in a recent story in The Washington Post that the FBI has been able to covertly activate a computer’s camera — without triggering the light that lets users know it is recording — for several years.”

Since the release of the Snowden documents and what’s come to light in their aftermath, we’ve learned much more about the extent to which monitoring occurs, and have become more vigilant about online and network security, as well as the processes our computers employ while in use. 

While technical fixes exist to remedy this situation, sometimes an easy, old-fashioned approach is the most effective: physically obstructing the webcam while not in use. This can be accomplished by simply placing a post-it note over the lens, though more creative options are readily available on Etsy, including puffy felt stickers, snap-on plastic covers, and, of course, hand-crocheted ghost cozies.

To learn more about services and products – including Computer Network Managed Services & Remote Monitoringvisit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik on Facebook, LinkedIn oTwitter.

Simple Ways to Avoid Cyber Theft

A recently released Australian study estimates that $300 million is lost each year to online fraud, up 16 per cent from $261 million in 2012. With the average value of illegal transactions totaling almost $200, these individuals aren’t losing a fortune. Still, losing any amount of money to online fraud is unpleasant and unnerving, leaving one to wonder where the breach occurred, and how the sensitive data was accessed.

While big box stores have gotten flack in the past year for not having adequate security measures in place, fraud experts suggest the biggest concern for consumers is not where they shop in person; rather, using online websites to shop leaves shoppers’ financial secrets vulnerable to cyber-thieves. 

Fortunately, there are simple ways for the average individual to guard their information. Kinetik I.T. President Josette van Stiphout shares some basics for keeping information safe. “When opening an account online,” she suggests, “the first thing to do is to choose a unique username and strong secure password—not the obvious ones.

Any device connected to the Internet is at risk for exposure to malware, viruses, and hackers. Keeping devices clean, as well as keeping current with updates—which often include security fixes—for software, applications, and operating systems will also help mitigate the risk of infection or intrusion.

Everyone loves posting to social networks, but keeping your personal life, well, more personal, is another way to safeguard information. Posting images of vacation while on vacation may seem innocuous, but it can be a clue to cyber thieves that you may not be paying close attention to your finances. Another threat is using unsecured Wi-Fi networks and public hotel computers. Ward Clapham, vice president of recovery services at Absolute Software in Vancouver, British Columbia is quoted as saying in an NBC article, "Because they're on vacation, they most often want to quickly check an email, or post a picture to Facebook, and blindly connect to a network not knowing or caring who runs it or its security setup."  Cyber thieves are setting up Wi-Fi networks for the sole purpose of getting a hold of your personal or financial data.

In addition to not using unsecured connections, Internet users should also ensure they’re using secure websites, the URL of which will begin with “https.” These sites are able to encrypt login details prior to sending it to the server, keeping it safe from prying eyes.

It’s possible remain cyber-theft free by being aware and using some foresight. Whether you or your business has been the victim of cyber-crime, Kinetik offers disaster recovery audit, planning and implementation services to get you back on your feet. Located in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, Kinetik IT is a full-service information technology and Internet services provider.  To learn more about services and products, and to stay up to date with Kinetik IT, visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Should You Use QR Codes?

Factoid: the QR code (short for Quick Response Code) was first designed for the automotive industry in Japan. Introduced in 1994—long before we had smartphones to scan them with—the code’s purpose was to track a vehicle’s progress through the manufacture process.

Today, QR codes can be found everywhere from magazines to corner benches, directing consumers to sites ranging from real estate to women’s fragrance and everywhere in between. They may be standard black and white, or colorfully graded to include a company’s logo. They can even be gigantic and composed of people holding umbrellas: the current record-holding world’s largest QR code encompassed 27,000 square feet, composed of 2,503 employees of the Coca-Cola company in n Zhengzhou City, China standing in formation, holding raised red and white umbrellas.

As useful-yet-novel as QR codes may be, when using them for your business, or when scanning codes in your personal dealings, there are several functionality and security issues that must considered. Security concerns regarding QR codes fall into one of multiple camps: where the code was generated, how the code is scanned, and the code’s destination.

Code Generation

QR codes can convey an enormous amount of information: while a standard barcode can represent up to 20 characters of information, QR codes can carry thousands of characters. There are hundreds of free code generators online, making it easy for hackers, and others with malicious intent to create a code, post it, and wreak havoc on all those who dare scan it.

When using a code generator, ensure you’re working with a stable, reputable company, and consider the lifespan of the material on which the code will appear. Codes may be considered proprietary by the company whose software you’ll use to generate it, so if the company closes or is acquired, the code may point to a 404 error message page. In addition, if QR codes go out of favor, a brochure meant to be relevant for several years suddenly becomes outdated.

Uncertain Links:

When scanning a code, how can you be certain where it leads? Simply because it’s implied by the information surrounding it? QR codes may convey direct or indirect links, which can be either safe of malicious, and you’ll never know until you scan (without a preview option, that is). Because a QR code’s information is unintelligible to the human eye, users have little indication of where the code may lead, and malicious QR codes may install malware on devices, or direct the user’s device to a questionable website.

Scanning Apps

QR code reader apps used to scan the codes carry their own set of issues, and there are currently no standardization requirements for these apps. Look for readers that allow you to preview the link before visiting the site. Apps include QR & Barcode Reader and Norton Snap both have this functionality.

When incorporating a QR code into your business materials, it’s imperative—for both your own safety, and that of your potential customer—to take security into consideration. Choose a reputable company to develop a QR code strategy: in addition to the aforementioned considerations, look for a company that offers a pricing plan, has a good grasp of the safety concerns involved, and appropriately accommodates error correction. With a bit of knowledge and the right tools, QR codes can work for you, your business, and your customers.


Heartbleed: Still an Open Wound

It’s been a month since the news broke of the Heartbleed bug—“a serious vulnerability in the popular OpenSSL cryptographic software library.” OpenSSL software helps keep information security while in transit over the Internet and corporate networks.This weakness created a vulnerability in encrypted information, allowing attackers to eavesdrop on supposedly secure communications and access critical information like website encryption keys, usernames, passwords, and user data. Heartbleed was such a concern that governments around the world got involved with warnings to banks and other businesses to create fixes to their servers and asked them to notify their customers to change passwords.  

While the world breathed a collective sigh of relief when the bug appeared to have been squashed, recent reports indicate that more than 300,000 serves are still vulnerable. More concerning is this number is only the official tally—an unknown number of servers may also be “unofficially” vulnerable.

Being proactive to safeguard your information is of the utmost importance. The first step is determining whether the websites that have access to your private information has been compromised. Several checker tools have been created, including McAfee’s Heartbleed Test site, as well as LastPass, Qualsys, or Filippo Valsorda. If the site is safe, change your password. If the site is not safe and may be vulnerable, do not change the password, but closely monitor information associated with the site—credit card use, changes made to the account. Only change the password once the site has been patched, and create a long, strong password, using a mix of characters, symbols and numbers. The days of using the same password across multiple sites is gone, so consider using a password manager to keep track.

Kinetik I.T. offers disaster recovery audits, planning and implementation services, as well as a wide array of technology and internet strategy solutions.  To learn more about services and products, and to stay up to date with Kinetik I.T., visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Online Security Measures for Individuals

It often starts out small – a five-dollar purchase that shows up on in the bank statement, a strange email notification, a hacked social media account. Day in and day out, personal information is scattered around the web, in places you might not even realize. From broadcasting our location on Facebook and Foursquare, to extolling our professional credentials on LinkedIn, and expressing opinions on Twitter and Wordpress, our lives are more of an open book than ever before.  So how, as individuals, can we ensure our information is safe? Kinetik I.T. President Josette van Stiphout offers some suggestions. 

The most fundamental step, she explains, is making sure no one is spying on you. “For individuals, let's start with something simplistic – really making sure that your computer doesn't have spyware installed. What can happen ‑‑ if you're an individual, and you do online banking, and you're not aware that there is spyware on your computer, they can obtain your bank account numbers, your personal information, and they can access your online financial data.” Take these steps in verifying the security of your computer and accounts:

Computer safety: Make sure that your computer is clean before you do any online transactions related to banking or personal information – install a good anti-spyware software and regularly download the anti-spyware definition updates, or set up automatic updates. 

Create a strong, complex password. Microsoft suggests that the stronger your password, the more protected your computer will be from hackers and malicious software. Create an effective password following these guidelines:

·      At least twelve characters long.

·      Does not contain your user name, real name, or company name.

·      Does not contain a complete word.

·      Is significantly different from previous passwords.

·      Contains characters from each of the following four categories: Capital letters, lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. 

Ensure data security: When online, only deal with secure and encrypted websites that are from a credible source. For this final step, van Stiphout explains that simply looking for the https in front of the domain will indicate if your data is encrypted. “Especially when making online purchases, you want to make sure that https prefix is there, and you should see a little lock on the bottom of the toolbar that shows that the session is encrypted,” she said.

She adds, “If you do online purchases, never order from a company that doesn't have a name or address that is verifiable. I always research the company before I do any online transactions with that company.Verify that the company indeed has an address, contact information, that's all verifiable.  You should also find out the safety rating of a web site before visiting it. Norton and TrendMircro are good will have safety ratings.  When in doubt, don't visit the site.  Better safe than sorry. Spyware and viruses can be hard to get rid of.  Your personal information can be compromised and you could lose date if your computer has to be rebuilt with no adequate data backup.  This all takes time and can be very costly. 

Last but not least: Be aware of phishing emails/scams, where you make receive fake notifications from an organization that is posing itself as a legitimate company. These notifications are designed to encourage you to click on links and steal your identity by acquiring information such as your username, password etc. 

Kinetik Information Technology is a premier provider of internet and information technology solutions and resources that move our clients forward. Kinetik I.T.'s mission is to design and develop world-class web sites, internet marketing strategies, web, database, custom software & online shopping cart applications; as well as to provide the resources and network technology that move our clients forward, enabling our clients to reach their full business potential.

To learn more about services and products, and to stay up to date with Kinetik I.T., visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik I.T. on Facebook, LinkedInor Twitter.