We are very pleased to announce the start of a new Web site for Candy Kraft Candies. Located at 2575 Western Avenue in Altamont, New York, they have a rich history that dates all the way back to 1932. This exciting new site will be at www.candykraftcandies.com. This is going to be a very yummy site, and you are sure to want to visit it as soon as the launch is completed.
Stay tuned for more information.
Time is running out if you have not registered for my presentation at the Southern Saratoga Chamber of Commerce on May 16. The title is “Making Your Web Site Work for Your Business.” Topics will include Defining the Goals of Your Site, Knowing When Your Site is Working, Getting On the Search Engines, Promotion and Web Advertising, and an Introduction to Easy E-Commerce. The details are at http://www.southernsaratoga.org/inner.asp?show=PC&pageid=29.
I intend this to be a highly informative presentation. There will be a Q & A session, so be sure to bring your questions.
See you there!
We have just launched the new Web site for Peaches Cafe. It is at www.peachescafe.net. Peaches is a well known award-winning restaurant located in Stuyvesant Plaza here in Guilderland. The site features the Peaches Cafe menu, and includes the daily specials. Visit today!
The question of passwords came up here at Web HQ recently and this is a good time to pass on a few tips. Passwords are crucial in protecting your online identity. Unfortunately, many of us use passwords that are either too simple or use the same password for several different applications. Each account or application should have its own password. If you work in an office or other situation where people can see what you have on, or in, your desk, do not write them down and stick them on your computer or bulletin board. No matter what the circumstances, don’t let people see your passwords.
Simple passwords are a problem, too. Examples include the name of your cat, hometown, nickname of your third cousin on your mother’s side, the brand of your favorite car, or anything that is a “plain language” name or phrase. Software “guessers” can rapidly run through a combination of words to discover your password. People who know something about you can often guess your passwords if you use the names of your children or birthdate.
A year or so ago a number of articles in “the trades” suggested using passphrases and fiddling them as if they were on one of those vanity license plates. How is this done? It is actually quite easy to make, but hard to break. You just have to be sure to combine letters and numbers. Make some of the letters in capitals and you may have a good passphrase.
Let’s say that you want to use “Go Yankees in 2007.” Convert that to “g0Yank33sIN2oo7″ and you have a passphrase that will be much harder to crack. If the system that is protecting your account accepts keyboard symbols, you might try g0_Yank33s-!N2oo7.
Some companies, including banks and Web hosting firms, have methods of assigning random passwords. It isn’t unusual to be assigned something like Tg7rC8*VYi, which looks exactly like the arbitrary pressing of keys on the keyboard that it is. But these are hard to recall, so most people end up using the “little slip of paper” technique of memory enhancement.
The main thing to remember is that it is necessary to make passwords that are difficult for others to figure out, and once you have made them, keep them away from prying eyes.
There is an interesting article in yesterday’s online Forbes magazine that discusses how some Web sites are are being placed in a sort of “supplemental index.” This supplemental index is something that Web developers know about, as do Web marketing experts who keep up on these things. Unfortunately, most Web site owners are not aware of it unless their site disappears from the main Google listings.
The main thrust of the article is that incorrectly optimized Web pages can be automatically classified as problematic and get put into the supplemental index, which effectively delists the site! Read the piece for details and examples.
This will be one of the topics that will be covered on June 13 at the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce’s Lone Rangers meeting. I am planning to make a presentation of optimizing Web sites for the search engines. Keep an eye on www.guilderlandchamber.com/lr/ for the official notice.
Meanwhile, read the Forbes article and then check your site.