What happens when you send a file by email. Do you just trust that it’s secure?
There’s a new product out called SecureZIP - The next generation of ZIP, that could be of use to you. It can be used with email or on your desktop to help with your data security.

At the moment, they’re offering free downloads of this software at www.securezip.com. I don’t know how long this will last, but it’s probably worth trying out, especially if you’ve had security issues in the past. The download is a full version, not a trial.

This is for more than just protecting your emails. It can protect your passwords and other private information you store on your computer. Just about everyone has something that needs protection on their computer.

In this case, I don’t really mean search engine optimization. Google’s Website Optimizer is designed to help you test your site and improve your conversions. However, you have to be an AdWords customer in order to join.

There should be a link to it in your AdWords panel. It was in mine under Campaign Management.

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If you run a website, learning a programming language such as PHP can be incredibly useful. It’s a service you can offer to others, or you can use it on your own.

Choosing the right kind of PHP training for your style can be the trick. Many people do best having someone else teach them. Others can just pick up a book at the bookstore and go to it on their own. Which is best depends on your learning style.

Of course, having someone else teach you costs a lot more, but it has the advantage of there being a person you can ask questions of and who can show you where you are making mistakes. A mistake in your PHP can lead to security issues with your website, so getting it right is very important.

PHP is something I’m hoping to pick up sometime. I know a very few basic commands in it, but I’d love to know enough to customize scripts and such to meet my own needs.

Giving up a bit of control and letting someone else do the work is tough. However, delegating can really help you in the long run.

Think about your taxes? Did you do them yourself or did you hire someone? Was it the best use of your time and money?

These are the things you need to think about with your business in general. Taking the best advantage of the resources you can find, including other people, can be an advantage.

Of course, you have to pay attention to how things are going. If you aren’t getting back financially more than you’re putting in, delegation can be a mistake.

Technorati Tags: delegation, outsourcing, home business, hiring help

Not all online business is 100% online. For that matter, not all brick & mortar businesses belong only offline. Some things do well when combined.

The goal of http://www.AzizzleAuctions.com is to bring local services up for bidding. It’s another way for local services to market themselves and for people to find great deals on these services.

Right now the site only has a small number of auctions going, but a fair number of registered users. Not all cities have any auctions at all going.

Right now, the site is free for buyers and sellers to use. That could make it another way to get the word out about the services you may have to offer that could be on a local basis, even if your main business can be done online. Attracting business in your area is a generally good idea.

No? Why not?

Of course, if the answer is yes, then good. You know better than to just leave your site sit.

A site that doesn’t change often enough can be viewed as potentially outdated by search engines. This doesn’t mean you need to update daily, unless things change in your industry that quickly, but regularly updated information that is valuable to your target audience is a good thing.

Not all changes have to be actual changes to your text. You can move images around, change fonts, change colors of headlines, and so forth, to see what brings in the best response from your visitors. Make these changes when you’re satisfied that you don’t need to make changes in what you’re saying, or as you make small changes in the text. You might be surprised at what works best.

As you work, remember that no page will be perfect forever. It may need more links pointing to it, it may need minor changes, it may even need to be completely reworked. No market is completely static. Customers come and go. So do competitors. If you want to stay ahead, you need to work for it.

Technorati Tags: website changes, website text, content

I’m like a lot of webmasters, I think. Sometimes I spend too much time going over my stats. Other times, not nearly enough.

I’ve a few different ways to get the stats on my sites. Most come with AwStats, but I’ve seen other statistic packages, and I’ve also tried Stat Counter and Google Analytics. Of them, Google Analytics is easily the most impressive, but also a bit complicated at times.

It makes sense to me that sometimes you would want to use an analytics company to really take advantage. The statistics available are wonderful, so the idea of having someone help a beginner understand everything that is offered sounds quite appealing, or for those who want to spend the money, having someone help you take the most advantage of the capabilities of Google Analytics.

This company’s offering are pretty interesting; everything from basic to making content groups so that a business can get the most information possible. This is great information to have when you want to know what directions are the most profitable for your business.

You might want to check to be sure.

Most of it works for me, except I’ve managed to avoid using all forms of IM for about the past 5 years. Used it back when my husband and I were dating to chat late at night, but that’s it. Just never got hooked.

However, I did #9 just recently, or at least pretty close. It was actually my uncle’s reputation (he knew the guy), plus my websites that closed the deal.

Did #10 when I quit my medical transcription job.

It’s a fun list you should check out if you work online.