Email Phishing Scam from TD Banknorth (not)
I received an email from TD Banknorth (not) today that was an obvious phishing scam. Just in case you happened to receive a similar email today, you can safely delete it.
The telltale signs?
- Addressed to "TD Banknorth Customers." Doesn't seem very specific. Even if the bank doesn't include your name, they're likely to realize that you're just one person, not all of their customers.
- "We Kindly as you to confirm and update your details". Unnecessary capitalization of Kindly, and no period at the end of this sentence.
- "We offer you a new convenient and safe high-quality level of service to handle you ATM card." I think they meant "your."
We're all in trouble if phishing scammers ever learn to use good grammar.
But most importantly? They ask you to click through the email to their "site." Any legitimate bank will not include a link to their site and instead ask you to visit them by typing in the bank's URL. When I looked at the source code, I could see that the link is actually going to http://www.upshotokai.com/modules/Forums/language/north/index.htm which is obviously not a TD Banknorth URL.
Last Minute Reminder for Maine Innkeepers
If you're an innkeeper and looking for new ways to better market your business online, there's still time (barely!) to registrer for the New Innovations in Hospitality Technology Seminar, put on by the Maine Innkeepers Association.
I'll be talking about how blogs can help attract more traffic and keep your rooms filled. In addition, David Boggs will be speaking on search engine marketing
and advertising, and Mary Skinner from InnLink will be talking about
online bookings and social marketing.
It's tomorrow, Thursday 4/26, from 10am - 4:30pm for just $49.
For more info or to register, call Gregory Dugal at 207.865.6100.
An Uninspired Approach to Email Marketing
Here's an uninspiring come-on line I see all the time on Web sites:
Join Our Mailing List
followed by the obligatory signup box.
I can't imagine too many people giving up their email address at a Web site they've just discovered based on a value proposition like that. It's basically the dating equivalent of opening with "give me your number." This approach will definitely turn off your best prospects, and you'll only get numbers from the most desperate people out there. (In case you're confused, I'm arguing that this is a bad thing.)
If you want to get subscribers to your email newsletter, you need to give them something in return. In fact, you should position the email newsletter as a value-added item that complements the free white paper, raffle entry or other giveaway you're offering.
If you'd like some concrete examples of how you can build your subscriber base, as well as how to get your emails delivered, opened and read, be sure to check out our email marketing seminar, How to Use Email Marketing to Grow Your Business, on Wednesday, 5/9/07, in Portland, Maine.
Rich Brooks
Email Marketing Seminar in Maine
How to Act Like a Spammer
Nobody likes to think of themselves as a spammer. However, too many businesses (and non-profits!) act like one when they start up an email newsletter.
Just because you have someone's email address doesn't mean they want to hear from you, much less receive an email newsletter on a regular basis. Even when you have a business relationship with someone they may not be interested in getting weekly or monthly missives with links back to your site or store.
I've worked with many companies who are frustrated that they have hundreds or thousands of emails in their database and I tell them they can't just add these emails to their subscriber base.
"But they want to hear from us!"
"But they're our customers!"
"But we're offering something that will really help them!"
"But we're just trying to provide them with important information!"
Some of these may be true. But put yourself in the shoes of your customers, prospects and suspects for a moment. Do you enjoy suddenly getting a colorful HTML newsletter that you never subscribed to? Is there anything that a new vendor can do to piss you off more quickly then start sending you spam?
So how do you get your contact database to subscribe to your email newsletter? Here's the advice I give most companies.
- Plan on getting most of your new subscribers through your Web site. Have your Web developer set you up with a Email Service Provider (ESP) like Constant Contact. (There are plenty of excellent ESP's out there. Flyte happens to be a reseller of Constant Contact, but that happened after we had been using them for a while.) Add the subscribe box to most if not all of your Web pages.
- Give site visitors a reason to subscribe. No one needs yet another email newsletter. So give them a compelling reason to share their email with you; I call this "email bait." Target the needs or desires of your audience. We use a few different downloadable articles like "10 Questions to Ask Before Setting Up a Web Site" and "The 11 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Bloggers Make." Other compelling arguments might include a raffle for Red Sox tickets, discounts in your online store, or a trial offer of your product or service.
- Invite your contact database to subscribe. Even some purists may blanch at this, but personally I think it's OK. Send this email to your database, informing them that you have a new email newsletter your launching and explain why they would want to join. If you've created a compelling piece of email bait, let them know that as well. Then link to your Web site where they can subscribe. Let them know that if they don't want your newsletter there's nothing they need to do.
Remember, it only takes a moment to destroy the good will you've created with your customers. Better to have a small list of interested subscribers than a large list of people you're frustrating with every email.
Are You Our Peter Parker?
Flyte needs a Peter Parker.
We're looking for a talented freelance photographer for an upcoming Web project that will include photos of Greater Portland (Maine.)
It doesn't matter if you're a professional photographer with years of experience or a talented amateur...as long as you have an eye for what makes Portland and the surrounding area such a great place to live.
For more information check out our jobs page.
Boot Camp for Your Business
I meet every other week with a couple of fellow business owners to discuss the challenges and rewards of running our own businesses. We share what works and what doesn't, books we should be reading, services we could benefit from, and so on. It's been a great use of my time.
Lynnelle Bianco is the driving force behind our group, as she puts on these type of groups to help business owners set goals and attain them. (She also blogs here at MaineToday.com).
She's putting on a BOLD Business Boot Camp that starts this month, and if you want to get on track to achieve your objectives and increase your business, this is the place to start. I've found that my own experiences in working with Lynnelle have helped me determine where I need to put my effort and how to say no to distractions.
Boot Camp space is limited, so act soon. The Boot Camp starts on April 25th. To learn more and register, visit the BOLD Business Boot Camp information page.
Web Site Copywriting: 10 Tips for a More Effective Site
What's the most under appreciated element of a successful site? The copy. Nothing is more important to the success of your Web site--yet more overlooked--than the words on the page.
Writing for the Web is a completely different exercise than writing for printed material. You never know where people are going to start (depends where the search engine drops them), what order they'll read your copy (due to all the links), or how the pages will look (thanks, non-compliant browsers! I'm looking at you, Internet Explorer.) Unfortunately, most Web site owners don't realize this until the 2nd or 3rd iteration of their Web site, if at all.
Thankfully, Susannah Ross has written a great article for old hands and newbies alike called 10 Tips for Building a Better Web Site.
From breaking up your information (#2) to using more verbs (#8) to
anticipating users' questions (#5), she shines a light on issues you
may have overlooked the last time you wrote copy for your site.
If you're Web site isn't delivering the traffic or business you think it should, be sure to check out 10 Tips for Building a Better Web Site. If you need an expert opinion, maybe you need a Web site audit.
Rich Brooks
Maine Web Site Design
What's a Wiki?
Have you heard co-workers or your teenager talking about wikis? Have you wondered if it's a secret language, an undiscovered night spot, or what the "kids are calling it these days?"
Well, wonder no more. Tonight at 7pm I'll be talking wikis and Wikipedia with Rob Caldwell on WCSH-6's evening news program 207.
Sustainable Business Conference in Maine
If you're looking for ideas and inspirations for creating a sustainable business, I've got the ticket.
MEBSR is putting on its Spring 2007 conference with two keynote speakers and one very handsome workshop leader. (At least my mom says so.)
I'll be speaking on Holistic Web Marketing: An Integrated Approach to Online Success. If you've been looking to leverage the Internet to generate more leads, convert more visitors into customers, and connect with your customer base, this is the workshop to attend.
So what to do when you're not learning how to drive qualified leads to your Web site and convert them? Well, Paul Farrow, former CEO of Moss, Inc. will be one of the keynotes speaking on "Sustainable Business: It's Not If, But When & How." I've had the pleasure of getting to know Paul over the past few months; he's a great speaker, filled with great ideas, and worth the price of admission alone.
Brian Kuehl, partner at Clark Associates and Harvard Koeb Fellow will be the other keynote, speaking about "Turning the Ship: Environmental Transformation of the U.S. Economy."
Other workshops include:
- Business Problem-Solving Roundables
- Are You Ready? Crisis Planning & PR in the Trenches
- Global Climate Change: Local Knowledge, Action & Solutions
- Brand Positioning: The Good, Bad & Risky of Incorporating Environmental Sustainability
- Tapping a Valuable Labor Source: Employing Individuals with Disabilities
- The Trash You Generate: Recycling Opportunities in a New Light
- Holistic Web Marketing: An Integrated Approach to Online Success (that's me!)
- Strategies for Improving Workplace Productivity
- Community-Owned Department Stores: The Powell Mercantile Success Story
In short, something for everyone.
The conference is Thursday, May 10th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, Maine.
- Members before 4/30: $100
- Members after 4/30: $150
- Non-members before 4/30: $125
- Non-members after 4/30: $175
Through some weird loophole, if you actually pay on 4/30 it's free.
To make your life even easier, I've attached the registration form. It also includes information on MEBSR's June 7th Leadership Forum at the Mariners Church in Portland, Maine. That one I'm especially excited about, as Bo Burlingham, editor-at-large of Inc. Magazine and author of Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big
Hope to see you there!
Rich Brooks
Sustainable Web Design
What Do Search Engines and Love Have in Common?
They're both blind.
Search engines can read text, but they can't "see" images. So, if a lot of the "words" on your home page are actually images and not HTML text, search engines may not be able to determine what your site is about.
How is Google going to rank you on page one if it can't read what you have to say about your products, your company, or who you work with? And how can you tell what Google or Yahoo is able to read from one of your Web pages? For that, we turn to a tool called SEO Browser.
Let's take a look at a search I ran this morning on maine construction company. The first result is from Wright-Ryan Construction's Web site. (This may seem biased because they're a client of flyte's, but I swear that was just happenstance.)
The result was not actually Wright-Ryan's home page, but rather an internal page on the Merriconeag Waldorf School in Freeport. (Remember: every page of your site is an opportunity to rank well.) To see this page as the search engines see it, we turn to SEO Browser.
This is what the page looks like through the eyes of a search engine. Although this page is short on copy, there's still quite a bit of content for the search engines to grab onto. The fact that the page title includes the word "Maine Construction Company" is a big help as well.
The second result is from Ryder Construction who is not a client of ours. (See, you can rank well on your own if you know what you're doing!) Here's what their pages look like from Google's perspective.
The next three results are a little off topic, so if you're a Maine construction company looking to drive more traffic through the search engines, opportunity is knocking!
What can you do to improve your own ranking at the search engines? Put yourself in the shoes of these search engines by checking out your site at SEO Browser. If what you see is confusing, or doesn't do a good job of explaining what you offer, or doesn't include any of the words you'd like to rank well for, rewrite your copy.
Make sure you get that new, keyword-rich copy where it can do the most good:
- titles,
- headers,
- body copy and
- intra-site links.
Then just sit back and get ready for more qualified leads at your Web site.
Blog Marketing for Maine Innkeepers
If you're a Maine Innkeeper and you're looking to attract more guests this summer here are two suggestions:
- Attend New Innovations in Hospitality Technology Seminar, put on by the Maine Innkeepers Association, where I'll be speaking about how a business blog can help attract more traffic and help fill your rooms. In addition, David Boggs will be speaking on search engine marketing and advertising, and Mary Skinner from InnLink will be talking about online bookings and social marketing.
- Don't tell the competition.
This is an all day seminar to be held on Thursday, April 26th at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown in Freeport. It will run approximately 10am - 4:30. The cost is $49/person.
For more information visit the Maine Innkeepers Association Web site or call Gregory Dugal at 207.865.6100.
The Dangers of Relying on Google for Business
It was a dark and stormy night. The hunchbacked innkeeper shuffled into the gothic entranceway towards the four travelers who had been mysteriously drawn to the mansion on the hill.
The light from the fireplace flickered eerily on his face as he informed them that the main road--the only road--to the nearby town had been washed away. They would be stranded here for quite some time; no traffic could come in or out for the foreseeable future.
I know what you're thinking: woe to the innkeeper! How can he continue to run his business now that the only path to the outside world lies in ruin...destroyed by forces outside his control?
Take a lesson from the unfortunate innkeeper: don't rely too heavily on any one method for online lead generation...even if that method is Google. In fact, especially if it's Google.
If you'd like to find out effective ways to diversify your portfolio of incoming links and increase the traffic coming to your Web site, be sure to check out our newest issue of flyte log: The Dangers of Relying on Google for Business.
Rich Brooks
Gothic Search Engine Marketing
Want to Rank Well at the Search Engines? Plan Early
OK, I'm just back from vacation, so I'm going to slip back into the blogging with an easy layup.
Too many Web site owners still think that to rank well for a keyword, i.e., "travel," "bed & breakfast," "dog training," it's just a matter of mentioning it to your Web designer as the site's about to launch, or tell the search engines this is what you want to rank well for.
However, good search engine optimization begins during the planning phase of your Web site, including the site architecture.
Eric Enge has an important article called 12 Quick Site Architecture Tips that is a must read for any business about to start the process of building a Web site or planning a revamp.
If search engines are important to the success of your Web site, doing this work up front will offer the best return on investment you can imagine.
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