iNDi Business Solutions - Kansas City Area Software and Web Development

Domain Name Renewal Scam

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:06:44 -0500

I just saw this invoice for the second time, and a different client. It is cleverly designed to look like the official domain renewal notice from your registrar (event though most registrars don't send domain renewal notices). Note the text that says it is for search engine listings (whatever that means, anyway). Notice the "Account number" that is there, even though you have no account with them. If you get these letters, please review them to the appropriate attorney's general - of your state and the state from which they are sent. Since they are engaging in mail fraud, there might be some federal agency that can help.

Note, this one is from a company called DomainUSA.

February & March - ECommerce Sites only $1695

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:28:08 -0600

If you have been looking to get your products online, don't miss out on this special opportunity. During February and March, we'll build you a full-featured E-Commerce website for only $1695, including a high-quality template (normal value of $300). This includes getting your products loaded into the system (we'll give you an Excel template to fill in), and complete setup of the site, a domain name with secure certificate, 25 email addresses, Search Engine Optimization, and more!

We'll even throw in the first 6 months of hosting, for free. If you don't already have a credit card processor, or a merchant gateway account, we can help you get that set up, or do it for you for no extra charge.

Web Designer / Developer - No Previous Work Experience Needed!

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 10:16:44 -0600

We are a fast-growing startup that provides affordable web solutions to small businesses across the KC Metro area. We believe every business needs a website, and we take a standard approach to delivering one. We offer our websites for a very small fee on a term contract basis, and provide all the hosting and necessary service. We believe there is a better way to build a website, and that we will revolutionize the way that the 50% of small businesses without a website will go through the process.

Get in early in this great opportunity! iNDi Business Solutions is seeking a motivated individual with HTML experience. If you can write a website in notepad, are comfortable with Photoshop, and are reliable and responsible, and comfortable working with multiple clients, we have a great opportunity for you. 50% of your hours will be flexible for your schedule!

If you are the person that can learn a new technology overnight, are completely comfortable with computers, and are looking for more independence than your current job offers, this is your chance. The position will be available Mid-January.

If you're interested, here's how the whole process will work:

Send in your resume to jobs@indibusiness.com
We will contact all qualified parties by December 8 to schedule a phone interview
If you get past the phone interview, we'll meet for an in-person interview and a technical assessment. We're not interested in what you can memorize for a test, but rather how you use available resources (Google, Problem Solving, etc) to complete the task in a logical manner. We're interested in problem-solvers, not dictionaries.
If we find one, we'll choose a candidate by January.

Your formal education is irrelevant. If you've done this on the side but never professionally, that's fine, too.

Required Skills:
HTML
CSS

Other Skills you might have:
PHP
ASP.net
MySQL
SQL Server

Email Marketing

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 11:23:19 -0600

After an extensive review of online Email marketing providers, we are happy to now recommend Intellicontact to all of our clients. Compared to the industry behemoth, Constant Contact, Intellicontact has excellent email templates and an interface that is much easier to use.

You can get started today with a trial account, and accounts begin at just $9.95 per month for 500 subscribers. As always, be sure to put an email signup box prominently on your website, which Intellicontact can provide.

Establishing Presence with a TeleBranch Number

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:36:23 -0500

In an earlier post, I recommended getting a virtual phone number for your business, instead of using a cell or home number. I've just found out a much better way of doing this, and it's through the phone company.

The phone company calls this a "TeleBranch" number, and it's usually used to forward branch office calls to a main corporate switchboard. But you can use it to forward your business calls to a cell phone, an answering service, or even your home phone.

In doing so, you keep the flexibility of routing your calls where you choose when your business increases. I've learned the hard way by giving out my cell number. With a TeleBranch number, have it go straight to your mobile phone when you're just starting out. When you open an office, you can convert the phone number to a real phone line.

Also, the number qualifies you for a white and yellow pages listing, which gets picked up by the other non-AT&T phone books. This is all well worth the price of about $15/month + usage fees (range from $.03-$.06 per minute in Kansas City).

Local Search Continues to Gain Momentum

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 17:04:55 -0500

Yet another installment of "You need a web site. Now!". The trend is clear: people are searching for your small business using Google, Yahoo, and MSN. They're using the Yellow Pages less and less. Add this to the fact that there are more Yellow Page books than ever vying for your money, and the Yellow Pages becomes much less attractive. I know of businesses spending thousands per month with virtually no result.

From Comscore Interactive:

Reston, VA, September 28, 2006 – comScore Networks, a leader in measuring the digital age, today released the results of an analysis revealing the size and growth of the U.S. local search market. Local search is defined as searches conducted by consumers on the local or directory (Yellow Pages) sections of leading search sites, and other searches identified as having local intent.

According to the study, 63 percent of U.S. Internet users (or approximately 109 million people) performed a local search online in July, a 43-percent increase versus July of 2005. Google Sites (30 percent) and Yahoo! Sites (29 percent) garnered the largest share of local searches in July. Microsoft Sites captured 12 percent of local searches, followed by the Time Warner Network with 7 percent.

We can get you a killer business web site for $99. Monthly pricing ranges from $50 - $79 based on contract term. Easy to update, easy to use. You no longer have an excuse for not having a web site.

Excel Tip - "Personal macro workbook in the startup folder must stay open for recording" resolution

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:16:13 -0500

If you receive the error "Personal macro workbook in the startup folder must stay open for recording" when trying to record a new Excel Macro, or if all of your previously-saved macros have disappeared, you can often recover the macros by taking the following steps:

Click on "Help"
Click on "About Microsoft Excel"
Click the "Disabled Items..." Button
Select the item in the list that says "Personal.XLS" and click "Enable"
If there is no "Personal.xls" file in the list, you will need to seek additional help or look in your backups

Google Now at 60% Market Share

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 09:10:08 -0500

According to Hitwise, Google reached 60% market share in July:

Small business is getting beaten!

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 17:32:16 -0500

Another good bit of info from Steve Rubel:

A new report from eMarketer reveals that the Fortune 500s are outpacing some of the fastest growin companies in the world when it comes to the adoption of blogs. Only 1.5 percent of the 200 companies on Forbes' "Best Small Company" list have a blog. Meanwhile, Wired and Socialtext say 5.8 percent of the Fortune 500 are blogging.

Biz Blogging Benefits

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 16:02:40 -0500

From Steve Rubel:

...76 percent of corporations that blog have seen a direct spike in Web traffic and related media coverage. Additionally, some 42 percent said at least one post on their blog has affected the company or brand, in most cases in a positive way...

Business Blogging Basics Class

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 15:24:38 -0500

Last night we held the Business Blogging Basics class for 7 attendees. Despite the hot weather, the event was a success. One of the attendees, Chuck Bell, has already set up his blog.

The next event is on August 28. I hope you can make it.

Networks Have more to Worry about than Fast-Forwarding

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 13:11:39 -0500

It’s being reported that ABC executives want DVR companies to disable fast-forwarding during commercials.

Much has been made about the ability to skip commercials with your DVR. Since TiVo is the originator of the DVR and its main innovator, it has become the verb to use when you want to save something to your DVR. “I’ll TiVo it”.

Sure, the ability to skip commercials is great. I can watch a 30 minute show in 20 minutes. 1.5 hours of TV becomes 1 hour.

But are the networks aware of TiVo’s biggest threat?

Newer TiVo boxes can connect directly to the internet. Since they are internet enabled, they can download internet content. Combine that with the hard-drive and on-demand abilities, and Tivo is now a television network. Maybe even the television network.

How does it work?

Another way to describe a TiVo is “a box that saves your favorite content, whenever it is played, and allows you to watch it anytime you want.” This is the way many people watch TV. The network is irrelevant. With some marketing savvy, any show could bypass the network gatekeepers and go direct to TiVo. RocketBoom did – and the resulting talent fallout shows a glimpse of what happens when the network is no longer relevant. The balance of power shifts to the talent, or at least equalizes it. Not only will networks lose viewers, they will have to compete on lower margins for high-quality content.

Imagine a future where the web powers the marketing of new shows. Sites like Digg and YouTube will allow dedicated fans to “dig” out the gems and present them to your TiVo. If you like them, subscribe to the show. Gatekeepers need not apply.

TiVo can win because it can be the bridge between the internet and your TV. People still like their TVs. People like on-demand. People don’t like most of what the network chooses for us. People don’t like when the networks tell us we have to watch a show. Shows will need to think creatively about how to monetize their content. Embedded ads? Product placement? Subscriptions? Donations? Those who win will be those who figure all this out.

Digg This Story!

Ship Your Free Samples TODAY

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 23:32:22 -0500

I just took advantage of a free offer of a new razor for my wife. After signing up online, here's the response I get:

(click image to see full-size)

So, you've taken time out and submitted their form. You filled in the details. You click submit, then WHAM!

"Thank You for your interest in Schick® Intuition® razors. You will receive your sample within 8 weeks."

Sorry buddy, by the time you get this package you'll have long forgotten you signed up. We'll send it to you when we get around to it, bozo! After all, we have paying customers, so we won't waste TOO much of our valuable time on you.

That's what it feels like.

Wouldn't it be remarkable if it said:

"Thank You for your interest in Schick® Intuition® razors. Your shipment will be in the mail today! If you'd like to know where the package is, you can track it at this link."

They don't even have to go so far as giving a link. Just tell us it's on its way NOW!

Know Where your Ads Appear

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 11:07:49 -0500

In this hilarious video, a Hotels.com ad plays just before a very negative news report about the company:

Deceptive Blog Practices

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 23:24:24 -0500

A new service launched today that promises to pay bloggers to write positive things about their clients. The service, called PayPerPost is pretty disgusting and is the antithesis of the nature of the blogosphere. Unlike others, I am not concerned. This will fail quickly and quietly. The blogosphere is about transparency and this is not. It will be an easy link-buying solution for some brands, but they will quickly find themselves in some spammy neighborhoods and get penalized for it.

Here is my response to the founder's response to another blogger:

Ted, I'd like to address your response.

>>I guess this is how the guys at Google felt when they started allowing paid links.

A more accurate analogy would be about how those failed search engines felt when they stuffed paid placements into SERPs with no differentiation. Google clearly delineates between search results and sponsored links.

>>Today I received an email from a mother who told me she lost her job and that is going to help her pay the rent.

You could rationalize *anything* like this. The ends do not justify the means. This is a stock political answer.

>>Is that the downfall of the blogosphere? If it is then I am happy to be a part of it.

No, it's not the downfall. If a poorly executed idea could cause the downfall of the blogosphere, it was nothing to begin with. This will fail quickly exactly because of the nature of the blogosphere.

>>What about companies like Buzz Agent? Same exact concept, just done in person with product.

The concepts are related, but nowhere near the same. I am a buzz agent. There is NO quid pro quo with Buzz Agent. They send me stuff, and I pass it on if I like it. They are simply getting products to influencers and trying to track the results. I've *never* received any pressure to do otherwise. They've never even suggested I do so. When the products are crap I promptly forget them.

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