BEWARE of Identity Theft

Gone Phishing!! That's the sign that hangs on the web today. But this is not a leisurely activity. This is serious business (or should I say crime.)

Phishing refers to the scams that are rampant on the internet today that are aimed at stealing your identify. If you get email, you've probably gotten one from a well known bank, Ebay or Paypal, that says your account will be suspended if you don't log on and update your information. While the emails may look official (and even have the company name in the From address) they are not. The link will take you to a fake site. Once you enter your information, the identity thief has you. They can access your ebay account, your paypal account or your bank account.

One rule of thumb -- never follow the link in any email, even if you think it's legit. Instead, go to the company's web site and login there.

I read a recent article about another scheme that was even more serious. While no reports have surfaced in the US, it could be a matter of time. A bank in S. America reported that a piece of spyware was redirecting some online banking users to a fake site. What the spyware did was change the address in Favorites to their fake site. When you log in, they can captured your account information.

If you don't have a spyware program on your computer, you should. Go to www.lavasoft.com and download Ad-Aware. It is a free program, but in PC World Magazine tests, it out performed several paid versions. Keep it up to date and run it at least weekly.

We at 800biz.com are here to help our clients in any way we can.

Writing Articles can increase your search engine ranking.

In today's search engine world, content is still king. The days of filling meta tags with keywords and getting a good ranking are gone. If you want your site ranked well under a certain key phrase, your site better have good content about that key phrase.

One way to keep your customers or clients informed is by writing articles, such as this blog. An article does not have to be a long, literary masterpiece. In our busy world, people don't have time to sit and read. Write a short article that gets directly to the point. Tell the reader why the article is important to them, then give them the information.

Writing articles is also a well-known technique for establishing yourself as an expert in your field and getting inbound links to your site. Furthermore, it is just as effective for building your opt-in mailing list. All you have to do is put a link to your newsletter subscription in the byline of the article and submit the article to websites, directories, and ezines. I think writing articles is actually one of the best ways to build your list because the readers already see you as an expert. They will think of you as a knowledgeable individual and someone they can trust before they even join your list. Profits will roll in much faster from these subscribers.

If you would like help setting up a blog or creating articles for your web site, contact 800biz.com.

Your Newsletter Should Be Making Money For You!

If you don't have an email newsletter, why not? Unless your customers or clients can only use your product or service once, you should be communicating with them regularly. A newsletter is the perfect vehicle. You can announce new products or specials, give them useful tips or pass on information you feel is important.

One of my clients uses her newsletter in a very successful way. She holds a drawing from her newsletter subscribers for a free product. She announces the monthly winner in her newsletter, while announcing new products she has available. It isn't long after the newsletter goes out that the orders for the new items start rolling in.

Pack your newsletter full of useful information, free resources, tips, tools, and anything else your subscriber list will be interested in. Also, be sure to make it fun and add your personality to it. Then your subscribers will enjoy reading it and get to know you at the same time.

Contact 800biz.com if you would like to set up an easy to use newsletter program on your site.