Kathryn Lively

It’s not uncommon to see how many businesses have an official Facebook page in addition their main website. As this social network grows in popularity, so people are likely to first come upon your Facebook presence before they realize you are set elsewhere on the Web. The more you socialize with friends and fans on the network increases the likelihood of traffic, and conversion of visitors to customers/clients. But can it be done without looking like you are using your profile to spam others?

A client once remarked on the limited capability of the Facebook fan page – one can only customize it so much. If you look at a standard fan page, there are options for sharing photos and links, and one can import an RSS feed for content and maintain a message board for people to chat. Certain applications may be used on a page – a weather gadget for travel related sites, YouTube plugins to display offsite videos – yet page owners run the risk of applications throwing fatal errors or not working correctly. The best method for winning fans to your page remains being social.

Like other social networks, Facebook promotes a viral method of connecting like-minded people. If you have fifty people committed as fans to your page or profile, it’s through these fifty people that you must attract more. Engaging fans in conversation, and sharing informative links and notes with corresponding commentary may ignite the interest you need to compel fans to share your page with others. Note, too, that users of Facebook enjoy the release of entertainment options the network provides. How often do you log on to find friends have taken a multitude of quizzes? You just may be able to use that sort of thing to you advantage.

Say you operate a retail shop or other business. Use the create a quiz application to manage one about your company – pose questions about when you were established, what products or services you provide, how many locations you have, and so forth. Invite friends to take the quiz and watch for a viral reaction.

Do you have friends who like to collect “flair” for their Pieces of Flair board? Create buttons with your logo and URL and send them to friends. Perhaps they will do the same and generate interest in your site. For every application or game making the rounds of Facebook, there just may be a way to incorporate your brand and get noticed. Give it a try and see far your name can go through the social channels.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on search engine optimization and professional SEO writing services.

You’re ready to take your business online, or perhaps you have an existing Web site and realize the need to upgrade the look and feel. While structure and ease of use on the front end is important for catching and keeping the attention of visitors, it’s equally vital to have a content management system (CMS) you can operate with little or no difficulty. You may find as you interview prospective Web designers that customized programs are available for your use. The question is, what should you look for in a good CMS, and what options are available to you?

Choosing the Right CMS for Your Website

Before diving right into the creation or renovation of a site, one must understand what a content management system is and does. The CMS of your website is where you, or your webmaster, handle the maintenance of the site. From adding new pages to editing current ones, setting up contact forms or widgets for social media, everything you do in the back affects what the actual site looks like. Think of the CMS as the fuse box in your home. You tinker with a few wires to make sure the lights are working correctly – so it is with content management.

Examples of Content Management Systems

Do you use Blogger or Wordpress to maintain a weblog? If so, you are using a CMS. Every time you log in to write a new post you manage your content through a specialized CMS program. Other programs, like Joomla and Drupal, allow site owners to create and customize sites for a variety of uses. You may find some designers use these systems when working with clients, or they may create a proprietary program for your use. If you go with the latter, it’s recommended to find a system with these features:

Easy Web Access – You want to be certain you can get to your site from anywhere. The backend should have an administrator log in page and dashboard for maintenance 24/7.

Drag and Drop Features – For sites with lengthy menu sidebars and widget capability, it’s nice to have a CMS that let’s you easily position links where you want them to go. A drag and drop feature for positioning modules on a web template is ideal for the novice user.

Ease of Graphic Placement – Photos can be a bear to manage online, so having a good photo editing systems in your CMS can help you upload, resize, and position graphics simply.

HTML and WYSIWYG Editor Options – For those who aren’t very proficient in HTML, an editor designed to work like a regular word processing program can assist site owners in page creation. Having the HTML option as well is a plus, for one can use it to tweak font sizes and colors. When shopping CMS systems, make sure yours works both ways.

Instant Publishing Ability – If you need to get a page launched immediately, you want a CMS system that publishes with the click of a mouse. Consequently, if you need to remove pages, you should be able to quickly.

RSS Publishing – These days RSS feeds can be imported into Twitter and Facebook. If you constantly publish new material, you should be able to syndicate as much as possible, and have a CMS that does it for you.

While there are other bells and whistles one may desire on a Web site, ask about these features when you talk with your site developer. Your Web should be simple to weave.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on SEO writing services and local ppc management.

These days, it isn’t unusual to hear stories about people who have had their identities stolen, credit ratings trashed, and reputations put at risk. The Internet, unfortunately, provides a forum for making identity theft easier and more expedient. However, there is no need to panic, for one can take measures to decrease the possibility of this happening to you. Common sense and vigilance are the keys to keeping your identity – and consequently your finances and future – safe.

Good Steps to Take to Prevent ID Theft

If you are concerned about private, sensitive information being exposed for thieves to use against you, there are things you can do to maintain your security, especially on the Web. Here are a few suggestions for keeping your ID your own.

Shred Important Documents and Receipts: Once you are finished with invoices, credit card statements and anything else that has personal or financial information, make sure it is shredded thoroughly. But watch for personal shredders, because even the craftiest white collar criminal can piece together strips. Look in your area for community shredding events, where professionals will take your paperwork and shred it with an industrial strength machine.

Be Careful When Shopping Online: Buying products and services via the Internet may be easy, but if you give credit card information over an insecure website you risk exposing that information to hackers. Look for the lock icon on your browser when you shop, and only make purchases from sites you trust. If you receive e-mail newsletters from vendors, be wary of clicking through to websites unless you have opted-in to a specific mailing. Many times scam artists disguise e-mails to look like a legitimate company advertising to you. Sometimes hovering your mouse over the links will reveal a dubious address.

Change Passwords Periodically: If you are the type to use the same password for a multitude of protected websites, consider mixing it up a little, and changing your password from time to time. Do not use a password closely associated with you – children’s names, phone number, etc. – that somebody could figure out.

Give as Little Information on Yourself as Possible: Social media is a popular trend right now, with millions of people using Facebook and Twitter to connect to friends. If you feel the need to be social, don’t give out too much information about yourself. Use an e-mail address with a gender neutral ID and try not to volunteer geographical information if you can.

For more tips on Internet identity safety, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is a good source, and the site of the Federal Trade Commission offers good tips for consumers and businesses. The more you know, the better you can protect yourself, and your identity.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Virginia Beach shredding and Virginia web design.

Perhaps you know the craving. You may be enjoying a healthy-sized plate of hot wings or succulent barbecue ribs, and you suddenly desire a cold beverage to help savor the enjoyment. No fizzy soda or plain glass of ice water will do – you need a beer, frosty and sharp with the right amount of flavor to compliment your meal. Why settle for a standard name brand, though, when you can try the unique taste of a drink brewed regionally? If you live in the Mid-Atlantic area – Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland, you’ll find a host of micro-breweries to try.

So where are the best lagers? Next time you’re browsing a specialty liquor store, or on the road and looking for an interesting attraction to tour, consider making the following stops along the way:

Weeping Radish Brewery – Outer Banks, NC

For over twenty years, the Weeping Radish has been the place to go for beach brewed goodness. Visitors to the Outer Banks can tour this working farm and eco-friendly brewery, where you’ll find delicious pale ales and full-bodied lagers created in the old German style. Grab a case of homemade root beer to go, too, and try a cold wheat beer at the brewery’s restaurant with some authentic Carolina BBQ.

Starr Hill Brewery – Charlottesville, VA

Based near the rolling hills and valleys of Shenandoah, Starr Hill is known for its award-winning tastes and trippy-looking labels. Beer connoisseurs may enjoy the Dark Starr Stout, described by the brewery as a liquid equivalent to “Grandma’s pumpernickel bread,” or the Festie, an Oktoberfest style lager.

Clipper City Brewing Company – Baltimore, MD

Organic beer? You bet! This Maryland brewery offers two varieties of organic beer – a traditional amber ale and a bold raspberry wheat. For others tastes, Clipper City has Holy Sheet, brewed in the manner of the old Belgian Abbey monks, and Peg Leg, a dark chocolate stout, among many others.

If the craving for a unique regional beer hits you, try any of these Mid-Atlantic brands. Just remember to drink responsibly and in moderation.

These days a potential client coming to your door wants to know two things: 1) Can you put my website at the top of search for my relevant keywords, and 2) How soon can you make it happen? While we all would like to have the crystal ball that tells us when to expect the fruits of our SEO labors to bloom, answering either of these questions can’t occur without some heavy explanation into how search engine optimization works. As you win the confidence of clients and take on the tasks, you might find utilizing social media is a good way to expedite some goals, but what happens when you take on too much work?

Recently we scored phenomenal success with a client by creating a Facebook page that attracted nearly 2,500 fans in less than a month! That the client practically sells itself - a southern travel destination - helped enormously, but the fixes we made to the site allow us to update with pertinent information without having to log into every single network profile we set up. As you take charge of more accounts, knowing the shortcuts to take when promoting websites can be a boon to your own business.

RSS is Your Friend

The beauty of syndicating content is that once you place it in a primary spot, usually a blog, you can set up a feed practically anywhere else. If you have a client for which heavy article marketing is conducive, you can set up a weblog with RSS capability (Wordpress and Blogger, for two), and use the content to feed an accompanying Twitter account and Facebook page. Squidoo, a growing social network for business users, also accepts multiple feeds into their pages.

Maintaining a blog for a client, too, permits the use of widget to bring in supplemental content that can be helpful for blended search. Feed the blog with RSS or XML links from video sites like YouTube, plant the client’s social bookmarking links from Delicious or pictures from Flickr.

Essentially, one task for an SEO client could look like this:

Article posted to off-site hosted blog > fed to Facebook page, Twitter, Squidoo lens, and RSS widget embedded on main site.

Depending on the business involved, more specialized networks may permit feeds. A good SEO trick for a book author would be to sign up for Amazon.com’s AmazonConnect program and feed a blog into that client’s page.

The only caveat to this approach: it is advise to check up periodically on the social pages and profiles you create. You can’t always rely on e-mail to notify you when a visitor makes a comment or when somebody tries to spam your space. Plan your course, monitor your progress, and you will find you can become quite adept at juggling multiple SEO clients through social media.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on social media optimization and local ppc services.

It is estimated that the average American office worker uses over a hundred pounds of paper annually for various tasks. When you think about a company of a hundred employees, you realize that’s ten thousand pounds of paper! One can only guess how many Social Security numbers, payroll designations, legal documents, and other important notes are printed and passed around a building in one year.

As companies turn to greener options like increased utilization of e-mail and word processing documents, the need to store excess paper is certain to fade. Yet, to simple dump everything in the trash poses risks to corporate and personal security, so the best option for cleaning house is to start shredding.

Should a company handle document shredding in-house? Believe it or not, there are risks associated with that as well. By hiring a licensed, bonded contractor to shred your business papers, you can save your company money and time and maintain productivity. Here’s how:

Employee production remains on company work. Say you have half a ton of back-logged documents to shred. To take a worker off his current task and move him to something else slow production. Contracting a professional shredding service eliminates the need to restructure.

In-house security leaks are reduced. As an employer, you are certain you have hired trustworthy people to help run your business. Placing one person in charge of shredding private documents, however, grants him access to information that may not be his to know. To prevent possible leaks, hiring an outside company is the better solution.

Safety measures must be recognized. Depending on the type of shredder you plan to use in-house, your company could be held liable if an employee has an accident. Somebody inexperienced in mass shredding could get hurt if clothing gets caught in a machine. A professional shredding service, with workers trained in the field, reduces this risk.

A professional shredder completes the job. Say you have a large amount of paper to shred. Removing employees from their work to take care of it could lead to problems with the actual destruction of the documents. Somebody may thing the job too arduous and boring and might not shred as well as needed, thereby allowing important information to be found and abused. Using a professional shredding service ensures the job is done correctly.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Norfolk document shredding and local PPC advertising.

If you Twitter, or use some other form of microblogging, you’re aware that URL shorteners are seen sometimes as a blessing. If you need to get out a message and find the URL link is too long to accommodate everything you have to say, the use of a URL shortening service allows you the wiggle room. It’s not uncommon to see the same URL root spread out among dozens of the Twitter accounts you follow - in this respect the shorteners are convenient and quick and, depending on the type of microblogging service you use, automatic.

Users of Twitterfox, a handy Firefox extension that lets you track folks from a pop-up screen on your browser, will note that URLs too long to appear in posts are cut using TinyURL, perhaps the best known of the shortening services. What TinyURL does is take a long URL like this:

http://www.highsearchranking.com/index.php/2009/05/01/are-url-shorte…s-good-for-seoare-url-shorteners-good-for-seo/

and make it shorter through its own root and a random extension, like this:

http://tinyurl.com/djvfvq

Some services, like TinyURL, have recently allowed users to customize the URLs, so the first string above could be also marketed like this:

http://tinyurl.com/urlshortshsr

The downside to this, for one, is that more popular names may be taken. “url-shorteners”, for example, was.

Good to use on the go if you Twitter constantly, but are shortened URLs good for your site’s SEO? In observing recent trends in Twitter, it isn’t difficult to see spam accounts are on the rise, and the inclusion of such a URL, however innocuous the preceding text may appear, could lead to a phishing link. It stands to reason one should look on shortened links carefully, clicking through only if you are certain the source can be trusted. The use of another company’s URL root in your posts, aside from your own domain, might also set back marketing efforts. The more people see your name, the more apt they are to remember your URL. Long strings cut short risk the dilution of your brand as you micro-blog.

This is not to say you should never use a shortening service. One suggestion, if you must promote long URLs for specific pages on your site, would be to use a service that lets you customize their link name. Make a spreadsheet and record all the customizations - using your brand in every way possible - and drawing from that list as you Twitter. With many services the shortened URL is permanent, so you can reuse them as needed.

Another suggestion for marketing via Twitter is to create alternative pages on your site with short file names that best describe the content. This way, you can provide good text before your link and get everything in under the character limit.

URL shortening services are handy in a pinch, but ultimately it is important to promote your own domain in Twitter, Facebook, or other social networks.

The best of Atlanta is yours to explore, at a great price! As thoughts on vacations turn to worry with finances in flux, rest assured you can enjoy a day of fun in this classic southern city for fifty dollars. You can absorb the city’s history and experience global cultural phenomena which originated right here. A day in Atlanta provides not only a learning opportunity, but the chance to have some fun.

How can see Atlanta on $50 a day? Here is our suggested itinerary for exploring the cultural icons synonymous with Georgia’s state capital.

Early Morning – Visit the Gone With the Wind Museum.

After seventy years, the image of Scarlett and Rhett locked in a passionate embrace amid the chaos of the Civil War is still one of the most recognizable in cinema. Though the movie was not filmed on location, Atlanta nonetheless plays a significant role in the film’s conception. You’ll see original props and costumes from the sets, and personal memoirs from the film’s actors and the author of the book, Margaret Mitchell. A must for movie buffs. Price: $7; Total: $7

Lunch – The Varsity

“What’ll you have? What’ll you have?” asks the cashier. For over eighty years this Atlanta institution has served up hot dogs, burger, and the best onion rings in the South. No visit to the city is complete without lunch at The Varsity. Most combo meals, like two chili dogs with fries or rings and a soda ($6.99) go for seven dollars and under. Price: $6.99; Total: $13.99

Late Afternoon – Visit the World of Coca-Cola

Pop quiz: where was the most famous soft drink in the world invented? Atlanta! A century later, the city remains the headquarters of the Coca-Cola Company, and you can experience the history and flavor of this and other soda created by the beverage king at the World of Coca-Cola. This interactive museum is one of the most popular attractions in the city, and a great place to sample Coke and other exotic soft drinks for free. Price: $15; Total: $28.99

Dinner – Williamson Brothers BBQ

What’s a day in the South without a succulent barbecue dinner? Williamson Brothers is known for serving up the juiciest cuts of pork, chicken, and beef in their signature sauce. It’s a favorite among local celebrities, and it can get busy so be sure to budget your time in Atlanta well so you can enjoy dinner. A pork plate with two sides, iced tea, and a slice of homemade pecan pie for dessert will fill your stomach and keep you within your spending limit. Price: $20.97; Total: $49.96

For just fifty dollars, you can have a wonderful time in Atlanta, embrace the local culture and savor the taste of the South. A vacation here is more affordable than you think.

A quiet garden of azaleas, a lazy sunset over the Castillo de San Marcos, a leisurely stroll down the hidden alleyways of the historic district…the idea of a romantic weekend in St. Augustine evokes many desirable images. If work has you down and stressed, and you’re eager for a few days to recharge and renew an intimate relationship with your partner, a getaway to the nation’s oldest city just may be the cure. More affordable than other Florida destinations, St. Augustine provides couples with an endless itinerary of relaxing activities, perfect for celebrating a second honeymoon or anniversary, or simply to celebrate love and life.

What is the best way to enjoy St. Augustine? Here are a few ideas to make your weekend a romantic and memorable experience:

Stay in a Bed and Breakfast! The historic district offers blocks and blocks of B&B inns, each unique in style and amenities. Booking a weekend at a small inn gives you the cozy atmosphere of home and the added exuberance of Florida hospitality. Keep an eye out for couples’ packages and specials offered by the inns, and let your hosts act as concierge for your trip by recommending the best attractions and dining in the area.

Share a Bottle of Wine! Local San Sebastian Winery offers free tours of their facility, complete with a tasting of their latest vintages. Splurge on a few bottles – one for a cozy night at the inn, the other to take home – and take in some lively jazz music at their upstairs wine bar.

Enjoy a Spa Day! The resort area of Ponte Vedra is known for luxury accommodations and amenities. Take a day and be pampered with a full couples’ treatment of massages, facials, and pedicures.

Take a Carriage Ride! Hire a horse-drawn buggy to gently guide you down the historic streets of St. Augustine. A romantic ride makes a perfect prelude to dinner at one of the city’s top restaurants, like 95 Cordova or Columbia Restaurant.

Walk the Beach! The advantage to a weekend in Vilano Beach, Ponte Vedra, or St. Augustine Beach is that the crowds are lighter than one will find further south. This makes the sunsets more intimate and shores peaceful, so you can reconnect with your partner on a leisurely walk in the sand.

For a romantic escape, St. Augustine and the beaches of North Florida provide the luxury of a high-end resort without the high prices. Consider your next weekend away at the heart of this historic and sunny area.

So the work week has left you stressed and exhausted – it’s time for a breather! Perhaps you and your other half have contemplated going away for the weekend, but are put off by high costs and travel hassles. If you live in the South – or, pretty much anywhere in the country – an extended weekend in Atlanta may be the ticket to reviving romance and refreshing yourself before returning to the grind of the workaday world. Impossible? Expensive? Absolutely not!

The Romance of the South, the Luxury of the Big City

Moonlight and magnolias, delightful summer breezes, and lush foliage may come to mind when contemplating an intimate trip to Atlanta for a few days. The beauty of staying in Cobb County allows you to experience everything the city has to offer – upscale dining, fascinating historical interests, and Georgia’s natural beauty. Whether looking for a honeymoon destination or just a weekend of quality time with the one you love, here are few suggestions to make your Atlanta vacation a memorable, enjoyable time.

Enjoy a Spa Day! You’ll find a number of resorts in the area which offer extended menus of relaxation and rejuvenation treatments for men, women, and couples. Indulge in a couples massage, then be pampered with individual facials and manicures. We recommend Renew Day Spa and Wellness Center and Euro Spa Body Care, both of Marietta, and Bella Dia in Acworth.

Celebrate Romance in the Arts! Nothing typifies romance in the South more than the iconic image of Rhett and Scarlett locked in a passionate embrace. The Gone With the Wind Museum is a must-see for all cinema enthusiasts – you’ll see artifacts from original movies sets in addition to author Margaret Mitchell’s personal copies of her book.

Afterward, snuggle up at the Cobb Energy Centre and enjoy a performance by the Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Opera, or any of a number of shows presented by the Atlanta Broadway Series.

Soak Up the Sun! Who say you can’t enjoy the shore in Atlanta? Spend a day splashing around Sun Valley Beach in Powder Springs and you’ll think the coast has shifted a bit closer. A beautiful, woodsy area surrounds a nearly two-acre pool bordered by man-made beach. Relax on a lounge chair, or slip down the twisting waterslides for a day of fun.

Toast Many Happy Years to Come! For elegant, gourmet dining, Atlanta gives you – literally – the world on a platter. Try JOEL Restaurant for an eclectic French taste, Fusco’s via Roma for the best of Italy in Cobb County, or the nationally renowned Canoe with splendid views of the Chattahoochee River. Share a bottle of wine and toast the perfect weekend getaway.

For exploring the great outdoors or settling on the balcony to savor the warm spring and summer nights, Atlanta offers couples endless varieties for a romantic trip.