Category : Internet
Happy Valentine’s Day – Google Style
Google always has a fun little something for us on special holidays, and Valentine’s Day is no different! Since their first Valentine’s Day doodle in 2000, Google has made their doodles more and more impressive!
The above image is from twelve years ago. Ready to see what they have for us today?
Happy Valentines Day, from all of us here at Smart Solutions!
Google Panda Details – Learn About the Google Panda Updates
Websites in every industry are affected by Google Panda—sometimes soaring and sometimes sinking in ranking because of algorithm changes. But for people who aren’t involved in web development or Internet marketing, these Google Panda updates tend to remain a mystery.
What is Google Panda?
Google uses an algorithm that helps sort its index, so that users see only the most relevant websites. While this algorithm is updated on a consistent update, there are often larger-scale updates that Google will announce, so that webmasters will be prepared for what will happen as a result. Google Panda was one of those circumstances.
Google Panda in its original form was an update that would increase the visibility and ranking of high-quality websites, and lower the ranking on content farms and low-quality sites. It should be noted that the Google Panda updates are simply an improvement, which affected about 12% of US queries. That number has gone up since the original Google Panda update, of course.
Google Panda Update Issues
Since its first launch in early 2011, Google Panda has had ten total algorithm updates, according to Search Engine Land. Each one has improved Google’s site index, although many quality websites have been penalized in the process. Why were these websites penalized? Because Google’s algorithm isn’t perfect. There will continue to be Google Panda updates in the future, and each one will improve the index.
There’s no reason to be afraid that Google will penalize your site through a future Google Panda update—as long as you keep your website high-quality. Don’t copy content from other websites, and keep your website regularly updated and user-friendly. you shouldn’t have any problems with Google Panda updates if you follow those simple rules.
Why the name “Google Panda”?
Lastly, while bloggers across the Internet have been able to create fun graphics with pandas in them—why would Google choose “Panda” as the code name for their algorithm update? Apparently, it was named after an engineer at Google who was key in getting the update started.
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What You Need to Know About the New Facebook Timeline Layout
Facebook’s newest profile update was unveiled in September of 2011, but not everyone got to see it right away. A lot of people used a developer’s trick to enable the new profile, and since then, people have been installing it on their own. Facebook has been offering it as a choice up to this point—they haven’t forced it on any users.
That is, until now. Facebook is now urging every user get their newest update—the Facebook timeline. And if you don’t get it yourself, Facebook will do it for you.
While the ever-present naysayers bemoan this latest update, the timeline also has a lot of supporters. But people from both sides are wondering—what kind of privacy risk is this? Each of the 800 million Facebook users are going to be getting this update in the next few weeks, so what should shouldn’t we know a little more about it?
The Facebook Timeline + Style
The Facebook timeline is the most attractive of past updates, and it’s definitely an improvement over the last profile look. The timeline allows you to have a cover photo—a banner over your entire Facebook profile, as seen in the picture below.
The Facebook Timeline + Privacy
None of your privacy settings will change when you get the timeline—the only difference is that all of your past Facebook updates are going to be more accessible. It’s going to be easier for people to scroll through your Facebook profile and see updates and pictures from four or five years ago—as long as you’ve had a Facebook account.
If you think you might have content back a few years that could potentially embarrass you now, it might be a good idea to go back through and delete or hide posts that you’d rather your new friends not see.
The Facebook Timeline + Past
The Facebook Timeline is the timeline of your life—a life that started before you ever logged onto Facebook for the first time. But now, Facebook is asking you to bring that information into your Facebook profile, though the timeline. You can add major events from the time of your birth to now, complete with pictures!
There is no reason to resist the Facebook Timeline layout (and even if you did, you’d get it anyway), so if you’re ready to fill out past information, make it look more attractive and hide a few past status updates and pictures, you can head to facebook.com/timeline now, and get started!
[Businesses can't get timelines yet, but while you're on Facebook, be sure to check out the Smart Solutions page!]
Get Details about SOPA
Over the past few weeks, the Internet has exploded with furious users. In one of the most amazing shows of the Internet community coming together, businesses across the United States have blogged, tweeted and even blacked out their websites with the single goal of stopping the bill SOPA.
People like Matt Cutts, Jimmy Wales and Craig Newark worked together to influence members of Congress enough that the bill was shelved earlier this week. However, Congress brought it back, and it is set to be voted on next week. Many business websites have publicly opposed this bill together, by organizing a blackout on January 18.
But while many businesses fight back against this bill, several others wonder—what exactly is SOPA? Not everyone has been a part of this revolution, so it’s understandable that a lot of people got left in the dark on the subject.
What is SOPA?
SOPA stands for “Stop Online Piracy Act,” and is a bill that was introduced in late 2011. Wikipedia summarizes the details quite well, and we’ve included an excerpt here:
The originally proposed bill would allow the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as copyright holders, to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement.
Depending on who makes the request, the court order could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators such as PayPal from doing business with the allegedly infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites.
The bill would make unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content a crime, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison for 10 such infringements within six months. The bill would also give immunity to Internet services that voluntarily take action against websites dedicated to infringement. This would make copyright holders liable for damages, when they knowingly misrepresent that a website is dedicated to infringement.
Although Wikipedia is against SOPA, they provide a pretty fair representation of what it is. It’s a bill that could stifle free speech on the Internet, potentially censoring business websites that host content. It has good qualities, of course, as any bill would; supporters remind us that it will protect global intellectual property, and say that it’s needed in order to enforce copyright infringement on the Internet worldwide.
Smart Solutions’ Stance on SOPA
At this time, Smart Solutions does not support the SOPA bill in its current form, for the same reason that Internet professionals across the world don’t—it eliminates free speech on the Internet, and goes completely against the reason that the Internet was created in the first place.
Google has played a big part in this movement, and you can help them by signing their petition: End Piracy, Not Liberty.
What are your thoughts on SOPA? Let us know in the comments!
The Google +1 Button – Why Should a Business Owner Care?
Search is going social. We’ve tasted this through Bing and Google’s recent social search activity, but Google has now taken the lead with a new advancement—the +1 button.
You’ll definitely want to keep the new +1 button on your radar, and get familiar with what it does. It will slowly gain attention and begin to influence search rankings.
The button appears just to the right of the link text on Google. If someone likes a particular site, they press the button. If others have +1’d the site also, you’ll see how many have just under the URL, as shown below.
How does this affect rankings
If Google thinks you and your competitor’s sites offer relevant information to a particular search term, both will appear in search results. However, if your competitor has 136 +1s from visitors while you have eleven, your competitor could potentially outrank you.
Although SEO practices and up-to-date content are still the best way to get high rankings, the new Google +1 button is going to become more important. As people use it—and start relying on it more—it will become more beneficial to your website.
What you can do now
Install the button. If your business website has a Facebook like button and a Twitter follow button, it might be a good time to add a Google +1 button alongside other buttons. You’ll want to advertise it; get some friends to +1 your website, and maybe mention it on your social media outlets.
You can choose to use the +1 button first without any count through the advanced options link. Then switch to the version that does show a count when you have gained some worthy numbers. Don’t be surprised when this button starts gaining speed.
Resurgence of Print with QR Codes
Just when we thought print advertising was dying, it’s taking off again thanks to QR Codes. Embedding Quick Response (QR) Codes in a variety of printed materials and advertising vehicles is helping businesses engage with their customers in fresh ways. A simple scan of the barcode by a smart phone—or other like device—directs customers to a promotional mobile web page where they can receive tickets to an upcoming concert, get 20% discount from their favorite retailer, or share trailer of a great movie they just saw with friends on Facebook.
The customer benefits are obvious—access to great deals and information with a simple scan of a barcode. What about the benefits to a business? They are even better.
The cost of rolling out a marketing campaign and not knowing whether it reached your audience is one reason print has suffered in recent years. It’s costly to print ten thousand brochures and when details change more expense is needed for reprinting. Now businesses can use one QR Code for multiple marketing activities and incur only a one-time expense. Because all that needs changing is the mobile web page that the link leads to—not the campaign material. Another huge advantage of QR Codes is businesses receive response instantly whether their campaign is working.
Where to Get QR Code
Multiple websites exist that offer free QR Codes, but most redirect connection through their website. Here’s a list of QR code generators to start with to determine who is best for your business. Good luck.
- http://www.qurify.com/en/
- http://quikqr.com/
- http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
- http://www.snapmaze.com/
- http://www.qreasy.com/
- http://onlineqrlab.com/
Happy World IPv6 Day. So, what is IPv6?
Today is June 8th—World IPv6 Day. Everyone at Smart Solutions would like you wish you Happy World IPv6 Day.
So what is IPv6?
The Internet operates by routing small packets of data independently across networks as specified by an international communications protocol known as the Internet Protocol (IP). Each packet of data contains two numeric addresses that are the packet’s origin and destination devices.
Since 1981, Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) was the publicly used version of the IP, and it is currently the foundation for most Internet communications. The growth of the Internet has mandated a need for more addresses than what IPv4 can provide. Its successor—Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) allows for vastly more addresses.
IPv6 allows the ability to build larger and more efficient networks and support greater international interoperability. Businesses can implement better just-in-time processes, increase mobility features and location-based services, leading to greater economies of scale. Examples include access to information in real time and increased remote business capabilities.
IPv6 versus IPv4
| Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) | Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) | |
| Address Size | 32-bit number | 128-bit number |
| Address Format | Dotted Decimal Notation: 192.149.252.76 |
Hexadecimal Notation: 3FFE:F200:0234:AB00: 0123:4567:8901:ABCD |
Table courtesy of American Registry for Internet Numbers
IPv4 currently supports a maximum of about 4.3 billion (4,294,967,296) unique IP address. IPv6 supports 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 addresses. Try reading that number.
With the enormous growth for the need for new IP addresses, switching to IPv6 is the answer. IPv6 should meet the world’s IP addressing needs well into the future.
Benefits of IPv6
IPv6 implements additional features not present in IPv4.
IPv6 was designed with scalability and extensibility in mind. This allows many different kinds of devices besides personal computers, like mobile phones, notebooks and wireless handheld devices, to engage in using the Internet.
IPv6 simplifies aspects of address assignment, network renumbering and router announcements when changing Internet connectivity providers. Network security is also integrated into the design of the IPv6 architecture, and the IPv6 specification mandates support for IPsec as a fundamental interoperability requirement.
How about a fun IPv6 test?
How Yelp Can Help Your Business Grow
Yelp’s purpose is “to connect people with great local businesses.” It was founded in 2004 and as of August 2010, had over 12 million reviews on their site. Around 38 million people visit Yelp in any given 30 days.
Yelp is basically a business review site, a search engine for local businesses and a social network combined into one. Yelp users can rate, provide pictures, write reviews and update information on local businesses.
So that’s the user side of it, what about the business? How would a business profit from using Yelp?
The answer is simple: find out what people think about you. Whether your business is a coffee shop, a hair salon, a fine dining establishment or a dog groomers, Yelp allows users to rate your business and write reviews about what they thought about their experience.
But what can you do to promote your business through Yelp?
Another thing that people do on Yelp is search for services they require, based on customer reviews. They might see your company on Yelp, but they won’t necessarily want to go there unless they see good ratings and reviews.
We suggest getting reviews in the easiest way possible: asking for them. Now, we certainly don’t mean bribing (“Give us a good review on Yelp and we’ll give you a free coffee next time you stop in!”), but rather by shooting out an email to past customers, asking them to tell you what they think… on Yelp.
Every time you go to write a review on Yelp, they’ll tell you the same thing: “Please don’t review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you’re connected in any way to the owner or employees.” And they mean it. Their tagline says it all: “Real people. Real reviews.”
Don’t give (or give bribes for) fake reviews, no matter how much you need them! A past customer is fine to ask reviews from, but don’t ask your family or employees to review your business.
Here’s what you need to do to get started on Yelp:
- If you don’t have an account, start one. Review other businesses, establish a following, find people you know and befriend people like you.
- Claim your business. Head over to https://biz.yelp.com/signup/ and see if your business is already on Yelp. If it is, great! If it isn’t, you’ve got a clean slate to start with.
- Get all the information you can onto Yelp. Don’t be too wordy, but make sure you include all that your business encompasses.
- Shoot out that email! Tell your past customers that you’re now on Yelp and that you’d love to hear what they thought of you!
So that’s Yelp in summary, but the site certainly has a lot more to it than what we’ve mentioned here, so we suggest taking some time to get to know the site and what it’s all about!
Who Controls Your Facebook Page?
Disgruntled former employees can be a scary thing. Disgruntled former employees controlling your business’ Facebook page is a whole new level of scary.
Facebook can be a great way to market your business, but it’s important that you know what you’re doing as you set it up. Many companies have made the mistake of letting an employee create the business Facebook page from his or her own account. Why is this a mistake? Well, it’s not, if this employee is trusted and likely to be with the business long-term. If, however, he or she isn’t, you as the business owner might be in trouble.
There are a couple things you want to keep in mind when you begin your Facebook’s business page:
- The creator is unchangeable.
Yes, if you create the page, you will forever be in charge of that page (or at least until Facebook updates that area of their site). So, if Stacey from Marketing creates your company page, she will forever be in charge of that page, even if she quits or is fired, she still has control. - Create the page yourself or choose a loyal employee who is in it for the long-run.
Stacey from Marketing might only be here for the next couple of months, but Johnny, the president or CEO, will likely be with the company for much, much longer. Johnny would be a good choice for the creator of the Facebook page because he’s likely to be with the company long-term.
What if it’s Too Late?
Maybe you’re already past the point of creation. Maybe you let Stacey from Marketing create the page. Maybe Stacey from Marketing is no longer with the company and did not part on good terms. How do you get your Facebook page back? Try these three steps to regain your Facebook page:
- DMCA Notice of Copyright Infringement
If someone else owns your Facebook page and is not willing to give it back or allow you to have access to it, you may be able to gain it back with this Facebook form. Only fill this form out if you are willing to give an electronic signature and are able to prove that you own the name of the business. - Notice of Intellectual Property Infringement (Non-Copyright Claim)
Signing this and proving that you own the business could help you get back your business’ Facebook page. - Username Infringement
This final step may ultimately be your best bet in gaining access to your Facebook page and successfully regaining ownership of your online reputation.
With any of these three steps, be sure to read and answer the questions carefully and honestly. Remember that an electronic signature is just as valuable as a written one. You will also need to show proof, so be sure to fill out all of the questions asked of you, and provide information that identifies you as the owner of the name and business.
Try all three of these steps to raise awareness of your case. Nothing is more important than protecting your brand, so be persistent – and with some initiative and luck you might just find victory.
On the other hand, if Stacey from Marketing left on good terms, it would probably be best to have her delete the page and then recreate it under someone else’s account. A lengthy process, certainly, re-acquiring “likes” and getting all your information back up there, but it will be worth it to have your Facebook page back in your own hands.
The best way to avoid this situation altogether? Choose your creator wisely.
20 Things…
Have you ever wished that someone would just write a book about the internet? A book that would answer questions such as, “What is the Internet,” for instance?
If, hypothetically, such a book were to be released, who would write it? A well-informed corporatio, certainly; a power player in the Internet world, definitely; a company that everyone knew enough about to trust, for sure.
Who better than Google?
The Google Chrome Team has put together a book all about the internet. The simple, easy-to-read book that thousands of internet-users across the nation have been holding their breath to read has finally arrived. Not only that, but it features the illustrations of the award-winning German illustrator and children’s author, Christoph Niemann.
Still not convinced? Well, one more thing… it’s free.
20 Things I Learned About Browsers and the Web, describes itself as “a short guide for anyone who’s curious about the basics of browsers and the web.” It discusses topics as basic as ‘the internet in general’, all the way to things such as ‘protecting yourself from malware and HTML5.’
The combination of Neimann’s illustrations and the Google Chrome Team’s knowledge has led to a clever and informative booklet, full of information that everyone browsing the internet ought to know.
Unfortunately, like everything else, 20 Things has some problems. Although the pictures add to the fun of the book, it does have a total of 62 pages. It doesn’t seem like much, but to our attention deficit society, that might prove to be a drip too long. However, this is an e-book (of course) so if you leave and come back, it will ask you if you’d like to resume reading where you left off! That should help people get through the full content.
So take a moment and head over to http://www.20thingsilearned.com/ and look through the book! If you don’t have time to read it, at least take the time to enjoy Neimann’s colorful drawings.
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