Website Forge Blog: Posts in E-mail https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html Website Forge Blog: Posts in E-mail en Wed, 17 Nov 2021 10:03:55 +0000 Mail Spoofing; What is it? And what can you do? https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=mail-spoofing-what-is-it-and-what-can-you-do https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=mail-spoofing-what-is-it-and-what-can-you-do Mail Spoofing What is Mail Spoofing, and why do people do it?!?

 

The word spoof means falsify. A spoofed email is one in which the sender changes parts of an email to look as though it were written by someone else. Typically, the sender's name or email address and the body of the message are changed to appear as though they're from a legitimate source such as a bank, newspaper, or company the recipient does business with.


The reason scammers change email information is to get people to trust them. They hope recipients of the message will take additional steps, such as following a link to a fake website intended to collect personal information (a process known as phishing); or open, read, and respond to emails about products or services they want people to buy.


How Spoofing Works

 

Scammers/spoofers change different aspects of an email to disguise the true sender, including the following properties:
 

FROM: Name and email address
REPLY-TO: Name and email address
RETURN-PATH: Email address
SOURCE IP: IP address


The first three properties can be easily altered by using settings in Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail, or other email software. The fourth, the IP address, can also be altered but doing so requires sophisticated knowledge.

 

Why Scammers Spoof

 

In the case of phishing, the scammer sends a spoofed email message, which has a link to a website. The message may look legitimate, and even have the logo of a company the recipient does business with, such as a bank, so the recipient may not think twice about clicking. However, if the link is clicked, it goes to the scammer's website, which is fake and has been set up to collect personal data.


The recipient may be asked to enter a username and password, and then given a message that the website is down. Meanwhile, the scammer has collected the recipient's login information for the actual site and is busy taking money out of their bank account before they realize what's happening.

Another scenario involves scammers who run illegitimate businesses. Their email messages get flagged as spam before anyone can read them, so they spoof them to make it look like the messages are from a legitimate entity. The emails may appear to be from an ordinary person, a real company, or a government agency. The purpose of this scam is to get recipients to open the messages and read the spam advertising inside.
 

Types of Spoofing Software

 

While some spoofed emails are changed by hand, the majority are created by custom software. For example, the use of mass-mailing ratware programs is widespread among spammers. These programs run built-in word lists to create thousands of target email addresses, spoof the source email, then blast the email to those targets. Or, the ratware takes illegally acquired lists of email addresses and sends spam to them.

Mass-mailing worms are also common. Worms are self-replicating programs that act as a type of virus. Once on a computer, a mass-mailing worm reads the email address book of the recipient, then falsifies an outbound message to appear as though it's from a contact in the recipient's address book, and sends it to the entire contact list. This process may offend recipients, and tarnish the reputation of the innocent sender.

 

How to Recognize and Defend Against Spoof Emails
As with any con game, your best defense is skepticism. If you don't believe an email is truthful or that the sender is legitimate, don't click the link or enter your login information. If there's a file attachment, don't open it. If an offer in an email seems too good to be true, it probably is, and your skepticism will save you from giving out your personal information. Finally, study examples of phishing and spoof email scams to train your eye to distrust these messages.

 

What to do if you Find You've Been Spoofed

  

 Many times you won't even know your email has been spoofed until you've received a bounce back from an invalid recipient.  This means that someone pretended to be you (using your email address) and sent an email to an email address that doesn't exist.  And the server bounced that message back to you.  What do you do if you get one of these bounced back messages?  A spoofed email does not mean that your email account was hacked or hijacked.  It simply means that someone pretended to be you.  And anyone can do this.

First, there is currently no way to stop spoofing, especially if they masked their IP address.  Email wasn't built to make sure the person sending the message is who they say they are. And that's created a headache for billions of innocent email users out there.

My additional advice is to also report it to your Internet Service Provider. They have more time and tools to do more research and may be able to block messages from the IP address. Of course, the IP address can be spoofed. But ISPs are constantly fighting this too. If you have phishing, spoofing or malware issues, contact your ISP:
 


You can also report spam, phishing, spoofing and other email annoyances to these sources:

    U.S. Federal Communications Commission: consumercomplaints.fcc.gov or 888-225-5322
    U.S. Federal Trade Commission: Forward phishing emails to spam@uce.gov; file a complaint at ftccomplaintassistant.gov; or read more at consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0003-phishing  

 

Also, as an extra precaution in case your email was compromised by such things as keyloggers, you should scan for any malicious software and remove any found.  Then update your email passord to a new complex password.

 

 

]]> Mail Spoofing What is Mail Spoofing, and why do people do it?!?

 

The word spoof means falsify. A spoofed email is one in which the sender changes parts of an email to look as though it were written by someone else. Typically, the sender's name or email address and the body of the message are changed to appear as though they're from a legitimate source such as a bank, newspaper, or company the recipient does business with.


The reason scammers change email information is to get people to trust them. They hope recipients of the message will take additional steps, such as following a link to a fake website intended to collect personal information (a process known as phishing); or open, read, and respond to emails about products or services they want people to buy.


How Spoofing Works

 

Scammers/spoofers change different aspects of an email to disguise the true sender, including the following properties:
 

FROM: Name and email address
REPLY-TO: Name and email address
RETURN-PATH: Email address
SOURCE IP: IP address


The first three properties can be easily altered by using settings in Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail, or other email software. The fourth, the IP address, can also be altered but doing so requires sophisticated knowledge.

 

Why Scammers Spoof

 

In the case of phishing, the scammer sends a spoofed email message, which has a link to a website. The message may look legitimate, and even have the logo of a company the recipient does business with, such as a bank, so the recipient may not think twice about clicking. However, if the link is clicked, it goes to the scammer's website, which is fake and has been set up to collect personal data.


The recipient may be asked to enter a username and password, and then given a message that the website is down. Meanwhile, the scammer has collected the recipient's login information for the actual site and is busy taking money out of their bank account before they realize what's happening.

Another scenario involves scammers who run illegitimate businesses. Their email messages get flagged as spam before anyone can read them, so they spoof them to make it look like the messages are from a legitimate entity. The emails may appear to be from an ordinary person, a real company, or a government agency. The purpose of this scam is to get recipients to open the messages and read the spam advertising inside.
 

Types of Spoofing Software

 

While some spoofed emails are changed by hand, the majority are created by custom software. For example, the use of mass-mailing ratware programs is widespread among spammers. These programs run built-in word lists to create thousands of target email addresses, spoof the source email, then blast the email to those targets. Or, the ratware takes illegally acquired lists of email addresses and sends spam to them.

Mass-mailing worms are also common. Worms are self-replicating programs that act as a type of virus. Once on a computer, a mass-mailing worm reads the email address book of the recipient, then falsifies an outbound message to appear as though it's from a contact in the recipient's address book, and sends it to the entire contact list. This process may offend recipients, and tarnish the reputation of the innocent sender.

 

How to Recognize and Defend Against Spoof Emails
As with any con game, your best defense is skepticism. If you don't believe an email is truthful or that the sender is legitimate, don't click the link or enter your login information. If there's a file attachment, don't open it. If an offer in an email seems too good to be true, it probably is, and your skepticism will save you from giving out your personal information. Finally, study examples of phishing and spoof email scams to train your eye to distrust these messages.

 

What to do if you Find You've Been Spoofed

  

 Many times you won't even know your email has been spoofed until you've received a bounce back from an invalid recipient.  This means that someone pretended to be you (using your email address) and sent an email to an email address that doesn't exist.  And the server bounced that message back to you.  What do you do if you get one of these bounced back messages?  A spoofed email does not mean that your email account was hacked or hijacked.  It simply means that someone pretended to be you.  And anyone can do this.

First, there is currently no way to stop spoofing, especially if they masked their IP address.  Email wasn't built to make sure the person sending the message is who they say they are. And that's created a headache for billions of innocent email users out there.

My additional advice is to also report it to your Internet Service Provider. They have more time and tools to do more research and may be able to block messages from the IP address. Of course, the IP address can be spoofed. But ISPs are constantly fighting this too. If you have phishing, spoofing or malware issues, contact your ISP:
 


You can also report spam, phishing, spoofing and other email annoyances to these sources:

    U.S. Federal Communications Commission: consumercomplaints.fcc.gov or 888-225-5322
    U.S. Federal Trade Commission: Forward phishing emails to spam@uce.gov; file a complaint at ftccomplaintassistant.gov; or read more at consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0003-phishing  

 

Also, as an extra precaution in case your email was compromised by such things as keyloggers, you should scan for any malicious software and remove any found.  Then update your email passord to a new complex password.

 

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Mandi Davenport) E-mail Uncategorized https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=mail-spoofing-what-is-it-and-what-can-you-do#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=mail-spoofing-what-is-it-and-what-can-you-do Thu, 08 Aug 2019 08:42:24 +0000 http://www.websiteforge.com/uploaded/images/Blog%20Stuff/intruder.png Important Rules for Mass Mailing https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-rules-for-mass-mailing https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-rules-for-mass-mailing NOTE* Anytime you intend on sending out a mass mailing take these rules into account:

 

The Requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act Rules

 

In order to remain on the good side of the email spam law, you'll want to be sure you're abiding by the following:

 

🏷️

Your heading information may not be false or misleading. This means the fields "From", "Reply-To", "To" and all routing information like your domain name and email address should correctly identify you or your business where the message initiated.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

   💡

Your subject line must reflect the content of your message. No deceptive subject lines or "click bait" that doesn't appropriately state what the email is about.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
 💰

Your message must be designated as an advertisement. You have some options how to make this happen, but the fact that the email is an ad must be stated clearly and conspicuously somewhere in the message.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

    📍

Your location must be clearly stated. A valid physical postal address must be included in the email you're sending. Your address may be represented as a current street address, a post office box in the United States, or a private mail service that you've registered with a receiving agency in the United States.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here:

For Campaign Mailers

For a One Time Mailer
❎

You must allow for an opt-out. Marketing opt-out rules state that you must include a clear explanation of how an email recipient can opt out of getting emails from your company in the future. The opt-out option required by the marketing out-out rules should be easy for a standard reader to identify and understand. This might include a different color, font size or prominent location within the email.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

    🚫

Opt-out requests never expire. If you have received an opt-out request from an email address, the opt-out time never expires. The only time you may use that email address is if you receive a new opt-in request from the same address.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
📥

Include a return email address or a means to allow recipients to communicate with you. This can be done in many ways. You can include a simple email address for communications, or you might want to direct users to your website.  Both of these mentions can be done by linking. 

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

    ↪️

Be sure that you're not using incentives asking to forward your messages. Forwarded messages that contain incentives for forwarding contain commercial messages and don't usually contain the opt-out mechanism.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
📧

Be sure you are receiving opt-out messages. It means nothing to have an opt-out tool if you refuse to receive opt-out emails. Marketing opt-out rules require that you ensure that opt-out requests are in an Inbox folder of the email account that you routinely check and that the messages aren't being blocked or rerouted by a spam filter.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

   🎖️

You must honor opt-out requests. Once you receive an opt-out request, you must process it within ten days. Make sure that you or your customer service representatives properly process and honor the received opt-out requests in good faith. 

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
💲

You may not charge a fee or require additional information to honor an optout request. Marketing out-out rules indicate that all that you may require for an opt-out request is an email address for the recipient. You may also require recipients to visit a single page on the internet as a condition to opt-out of a website.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

    ⛔

Once a recipient has opted out of your emails, you may not use his/her email address in any form. You may not transfer that email address as part of a sale or a marketing list. You may not send additional messages. The only thing you may do is transfer the email address to a company that will assist you in complying with the CAN-SPAM email spam law.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
📈

Monitor how others act on your behalf. There are companies available to handle your email marketing. This means that they can send emails on your behalf, but you are not allowed to transfer your legal responsibility to your email marketing company.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

      
     
See the rules as they are outlined from the FTC.GOV site

 

 

]]> NOTE* Anytime you intend on sending out a mass mailing take these rules into account:

 

The Requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act Rules

 

In order to remain on the good side of the email spam law, you'll want to be sure you're abiding by the following:

 

🏷️

Your heading information may not be false or misleading. This means the fields "From", "Reply-To", "To" and all routing information like your domain name and email address should correctly identify you or your business where the message initiated.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

   💡

Your subject line must reflect the content of your message. No deceptive subject lines or "click bait" that doesn't appropriately state what the email is about.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
 💰

Your message must be designated as an advertisement. You have some options how to make this happen, but the fact that the email is an ad must be stated clearly and conspicuously somewhere in the message.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

    📍

Your location must be clearly stated. A valid physical postal address must be included in the email you're sending. Your address may be represented as a current street address, a post office box in the United States, or a private mail service that you've registered with a receiving agency in the United States.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here:

For Campaign Mailers

For a One Time Mailer
❎

You must allow for an opt-out. Marketing opt-out rules state that you must include a clear explanation of how an email recipient can opt out of getting emails from your company in the future. The opt-out option required by the marketing out-out rules should be easy for a standard reader to identify and understand. This might include a different color, font size or prominent location within the email.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

    🚫

Opt-out requests never expire. If you have received an opt-out request from an email address, the opt-out time never expires. The only time you may use that email address is if you receive a new opt-in request from the same address.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
📥

Include a return email address or a means to allow recipients to communicate with you. This can be done in many ways. You can include a simple email address for communications, or you might want to direct users to your website.  Both of these mentions can be done by linking. 

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

    ↪️

Be sure that you're not using incentives asking to forward your messages. Forwarded messages that contain incentives for forwarding contain commercial messages and don't usually contain the opt-out mechanism.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
📧

Be sure you are receiving opt-out messages. It means nothing to have an opt-out tool if you refuse to receive opt-out emails. Marketing opt-out rules require that you ensure that opt-out requests are in an Inbox folder of the email account that you routinely check and that the messages aren't being blocked or rerouted by a spam filter.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

   🎖️

You must honor opt-out requests. Once you receive an opt-out request, you must process it within ten days. Make sure that you or your customer service representatives properly process and honor the received opt-out requests in good faith. 

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
💲

You may not charge a fee or require additional information to honor an optout request. Marketing out-out rules indicate that all that you may require for an opt-out request is an email address for the recipient. You may also require recipients to visit a single page on the internet as a condition to opt-out of a website.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

    ⛔

Once a recipient has opted out of your emails, you may not use his/her email address in any form. You may not transfer that email address as part of a sale or a marketing list. You may not send additional messages. The only thing you may do is transfer the email address to a company that will assist you in complying with the CAN-SPAM email spam law.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.
📈

Monitor how others act on your behalf. There are companies available to handle your email marketing. This means that they can send emails on your behalf, but you are not allowed to transfer your legal responsibility to your email marketing company.

WebsiteForge Customer see how here.

      
     
See the rules as they are outlined from the FTC.GOV site

 

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Mandi Davenport) E-mail Tips and Advice Uncategorized https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-rules-for-mass-mailing#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=important-rules-for-mass-mailing Wed, 30 Jan 2019 12:12:28 +0000 How do you stay in touch with your clients? https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=how-do-you-stay-in-touch-with-your-clients https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=how-do-you-stay-in-touch-with-your-clients 5 Awesome Ways for using WebsiteForge to re-market to your Clients:

 

 

These days there are so many ways to stay in touch with your clients.  You have Email, Text, Phone calls, Live Chat, and so many other ways. 

 

I want to talk today about Remarketing.  The growing consumer trend of comparison shopping, combined with the increasing number of comparison sites and meta-search engines, means that many customers on your site will also be looking at competitors' products and prices at the same time. With our Email Remarketing tools, it ensures you that your brand stays in the forefront of your consumer's mind so you can convert your abandoning customers when they are ready to buy.
 

1. Recover Abandoned Carts

Increase conversions from abandoned traffic with intelligent, personalized and branded emails and a click through conversion rate of up to 30%
 
 

2. Target, Re-market, and Upsell to previous customers

New Customers vs Existing Customers:

It's 68% more expensive to acquire $1 from a new customer than it is to upsell current customers (forEntrepreneurs)

You can see a general overview of the mailer here.

 

3. Announce your new products

Did you know you can setup automatic notices to go out, not only to your customers, but to Facebook and Twitter too!?!  This is a great way to inform your customer base and new potential customers about the items you have.

 

4. If you don't want to offer coupons offer STORE CREDIT!

 Our Virtual Wallet feature is a huge hit!  This option let's you setup rules so that you can offer a credit accumulation for purchases.  Let me give you an example.  Let's say, you want to offer your customers $5 in store credit (to come back and use at a later time) when they spend $100.  You can do that!  Not only can you do that you can even specify items that may be excluded from the shoppers future purchases if you desire to make such a restriction.  Once you setup the rules for your clients to accumulate their virtual dollars, next you just need to let them know about it!

75% of consumers say they favor companies that offer rewards (Virtual Incentives)

Loyalty programs have a higher influence on Gen Z and Millennial consumer spend than on Boomers (66% vs 58%) (Bond)

 

5. Announce your offers often

There are several ways to do this in our system.  But I recommend doing it with a blog post!  This option can email your clients, and post to your Facebook and twitter accounts for you...AND post information about it on your website.  It's the most efficient way to get the word out!

 

 

 
]]> 5 Awesome Ways for using WebsiteForge to re-market to your Clients:

 

 

These days there are so many ways to stay in touch with your clients.  You have Email, Text, Phone calls, Live Chat, and so many other ways. 

 

I want to talk today about Remarketing.  The growing consumer trend of comparison shopping, combined with the increasing number of comparison sites and meta-search engines, means that many customers on your site will also be looking at competitors' products and prices at the same time. With our Email Remarketing tools, it ensures you that your brand stays in the forefront of your consumer's mind so you can convert your abandoning customers when they are ready to buy.
 

1. Recover Abandoned Carts

Increase conversions from abandoned traffic with intelligent, personalized and branded emails and a click through conversion rate of up to 30%
 
 

2. Target, Re-market, and Upsell to previous customers

New Customers vs Existing Customers:

It's 68% more expensive to acquire $1 from a new customer than it is to upsell current customers (forEntrepreneurs)

You can see a general overview of the mailer here.

 

3. Announce your new products

Did you know you can setup automatic notices to go out, not only to your customers, but to Facebook and Twitter too!?!  This is a great way to inform your customer base and new potential customers about the items you have.

 

4. If you don't want to offer coupons offer STORE CREDIT!

 Our Virtual Wallet feature is a huge hit!  This option let's you setup rules so that you can offer a credit accumulation for purchases.  Let me give you an example.  Let's say, you want to offer your customers $5 in store credit (to come back and use at a later time) when they spend $100.  You can do that!  Not only can you do that you can even specify items that may be excluded from the shoppers future purchases if you desire to make such a restriction.  Once you setup the rules for your clients to accumulate their virtual dollars, next you just need to let them know about it!

75% of consumers say they favor companies that offer rewards (Virtual Incentives)

Loyalty programs have a higher influence on Gen Z and Millennial consumer spend than on Boomers (66% vs 58%) (Bond)

 

5. Announce your offers often

There are several ways to do this in our system.  But I recommend doing it with a blog post!  This option can email your clients, and post to your Facebook and twitter accounts for you...AND post information about it on your website.  It's the most efficient way to get the word out!

 

 

 
]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Mandi Davenport) E-commerce E-mail Tips and Advice Uncategorized WebsiteForge is your unfair advantage https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=how-do-you-stay-in-touch-with-your-clients#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=how-do-you-stay-in-touch-with-your-clients Thu, 10 May 2018 11:25:56 +0000 11 ways to improve your E-mail blast! https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=11-ways-to-improve-your-e-mail-blast https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=11-ways-to-improve-your-e-mail-blast Have you recently started sending out blogs or newsletters and wondered "What can I do better"?  Or "how can I improve my Click Through Rate"?

To find out, we gathered feedback from many different entrepreneurs online on how they use their strategies for improving email newsletter click-through rates.  While all of these suggestions may not be for you, hopefully you will be able to get some great ideas for future mailings or blogs to increase the Click Through Rates (CTR) on your website! 

They share their tips below:

Use Buttons Instead of Links for Key Calls to Action

 

 
more

We managed to drastically increase the click-through rates of some of our key emails and newsletter links simply by transforming links embedded in text into big green buttons. Users are instantly aware of where we want them to click, and the impact is even more noticeable on mobile devices. It's far easier to click on a large button in an email on your phone than it is to click on a link.

 

 

Share Something Unexpected

 

 
😱

When you've sent out a survey, created a new product or built something new for your audience, leave a little suspense in the newsletter. Give some background on why the reader should care and tease them with the answer, which is something they must click to see. If done with the right tone and content, you'll see an increase in engagement. But use this strategy sparingly lest your newsletter feel like click-bait!

 

 

 

Write Your Call to Action Like a Headline

 

 
start-button.jpg200x200

We run a popular daily email on innovation called Wakefield, so we've done quite a bit of testing over the years. We all know an enticing headline increases open rates, but we don't all treat our call-to-action the same way. With a CTA, you get the benefit of the buildup before enticing readers to click. For example: “I've just told you that X company is hiring like crazy. See all 52 jobs here.” It works.

 

 

Use More Pictures and Less Text

 

 
gallery.png400x400

We like to keep our newsletters picture friendly with as little text as possible. The logic is to keep it simple since we all have too much email already. Lots of product pictures help to convey the message and offer the chance to click on what interests them without a bunch of clutter. Our open rates average 36.7 percent and clicks 7.16 percent, which I think most would agree are quite good and are trending up.

 

Utilize Videos 

 

 
 movies

At a recent small business expo, I attended an email marketing workshop offered by a leading SEO firm. They had tested multiple email formats and determined that a video offering received the highest rate of click-throughs. Instead of leaving a reader to a sales page or content page, try linking to a video that pitches your product instead.

 

 

Offer Expert Commentary 

 

 
 people

People love to hear what other people have to say, especially if it's a known key influencer. Give your readers a break from your brand voice, and give them a rare opportunity to listen to another.

 

 

Personalize the Message 

 

 
laser_black 

 

An email is more actionable when it directly affects the person reading it. Is there data you can collect about your reader that can be tailored to their interests or needs? Use it to trigger an emotion within the reader, which ideally will have them clicking for more.

 

 

Hire a Good Copywriter 

 

 
 1446141832_khexedit

Healthy open rates and poor click-through rates imply that the content is failing to interest and engage the reader. A skilled copywriter will craft content that is engaging and link it to an effective call-to-action. We all get too much email. If you want your emails to stand out, they'd better offer something valuable and interesting to your audience. A copywriter can help with that.

 

 

Make Them Time-Sensitive 

 

 
 preferences_desktop_notification

Make your subject lines calls to action, and make them time-sensitive. When a reader knows prior to opening the email that action is needed soon, you can get better results. You might try a subject line like, “48 Hours to Save Money on the Latest Tech”.

 

 

  Use Power Words

 

 
 1453854332_bolt

Power words are words that produce visceral meanings. If someone is reading your newsletter and it generates a powerful emotion inside of them, you have reached them on a deeper level. For example, instead of saying that the performance of your product “beats” the competition, say that it “annihilates” the competition. Some other examples of power words are accidentally and stumbled upon.

 

 

Show What's in It for the Customer

 

 
1479428717_coin-dollar

Consumers always want to know what is in it for them. If you give them a reason or incentive within the newsletter subject, it will attract more attention. For example, giving away a free Apple watch, an iPad, or even a free usage of your product.

 

 









 

 

]]> Have you recently started sending out blogs or newsletters and wondered "What can I do better"?  Or "how can I improve my Click Through Rate"?

To find out, we gathered feedback from many different entrepreneurs online on how they use their strategies for improving email newsletter click-through rates.  While all of these suggestions may not be for you, hopefully you will be able to get some great ideas for future mailings or blogs to increase the Click Through Rates (CTR) on your website! 

They share their tips below:

Use Buttons Instead of Links for Key Calls to Action

 

 
more

We managed to drastically increase the click-through rates of some of our key emails and newsletter links simply by transforming links embedded in text into big green buttons. Users are instantly aware of where we want them to click, and the impact is even more noticeable on mobile devices. It's far easier to click on a large button in an email on your phone than it is to click on a link.

 

 

Share Something Unexpected

 

 
😱

When you've sent out a survey, created a new product or built something new for your audience, leave a little suspense in the newsletter. Give some background on why the reader should care and tease them with the answer, which is something they must click to see. If done with the right tone and content, you'll see an increase in engagement. But use this strategy sparingly lest your newsletter feel like click-bait!

 

 

 

Write Your Call to Action Like a Headline

 

 
start-button.jpg200x200

We run a popular daily email on innovation called Wakefield, so we've done quite a bit of testing over the years. We all know an enticing headline increases open rates, but we don't all treat our call-to-action the same way. With a CTA, you get the benefit of the buildup before enticing readers to click. For example: “I've just told you that X company is hiring like crazy. See all 52 jobs here.” It works.

 

 

Use More Pictures and Less Text

 

 
gallery.png400x400

We like to keep our newsletters picture friendly with as little text as possible. The logic is to keep it simple since we all have too much email already. Lots of product pictures help to convey the message and offer the chance to click on what interests them without a bunch of clutter. Our open rates average 36.7 percent and clicks 7.16 percent, which I think most would agree are quite good and are trending up.

 

Utilize Videos 

 

 
 movies

At a recent small business expo, I attended an email marketing workshop offered by a leading SEO firm. They had tested multiple email formats and determined that a video offering received the highest rate of click-throughs. Instead of leaving a reader to a sales page or content page, try linking to a video that pitches your product instead.

 

 

Offer Expert Commentary 

 

 
 people

People love to hear what other people have to say, especially if it's a known key influencer. Give your readers a break from your brand voice, and give them a rare opportunity to listen to another.

 

 

Personalize the Message 

 

 
laser_black 

 

An email is more actionable when it directly affects the person reading it. Is there data you can collect about your reader that can be tailored to their interests or needs? Use it to trigger an emotion within the reader, which ideally will have them clicking for more.

 

 

Hire a Good Copywriter 

 

 
 1446141832_khexedit

Healthy open rates and poor click-through rates imply that the content is failing to interest and engage the reader. A skilled copywriter will craft content that is engaging and link it to an effective call-to-action. We all get too much email. If you want your emails to stand out, they'd better offer something valuable and interesting to your audience. A copywriter can help with that.

 

 

Make Them Time-Sensitive 

 

 
 preferences_desktop_notification

Make your subject lines calls to action, and make them time-sensitive. When a reader knows prior to opening the email that action is needed soon, you can get better results. You might try a subject line like, “48 Hours to Save Money on the Latest Tech”.

 

 

  Use Power Words

 

 
 1453854332_bolt

Power words are words that produce visceral meanings. If someone is reading your newsletter and it generates a powerful emotion inside of them, you have reached them on a deeper level. For example, instead of saying that the performance of your product “beats” the competition, say that it “annihilates” the competition. Some other examples of power words are accidentally and stumbled upon.

 

 

Show What's in It for the Customer

 

 
1479428717_coin-dollar

Consumers always want to know what is in it for them. If you give them a reason or incentive within the newsletter subject, it will attract more attention. For example, giving away a free Apple watch, an iPad, or even a free usage of your product.

 

 









 

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Mandi Davenport) E-mail Tips and Advice https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=11-ways-to-improve-your-e-mail-blast#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=11-ways-to-improve-your-e-mail-blast Mon, 11 Dec 2017 13:41:35 +0000 Increase Conversion by adding Product or Blog Reviews to your site https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=increase-conversion-by-adding-product-or-blog-reviews-to-your-site https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=increase-conversion-by-adding-product-or-blog-reviews-to-your-site Increase Conversions with Product Reviews (And for Info sites use BLOG REVIEWS!)

 

The stats
 

  • According to several online stats, 50 or more reviews per product can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rates.
  • 79% Of Consumers Trust Online Reviews As Much As Personal Recommendations
  • 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from a site which has user reviews. (iPerceptions).
  • Site visitors who interact with both reviews and customer questions and answers are 105% more likely to purchase while visiting, and spend 11% more than visitors who don't interact with UGC. (Bazaarvoice, Conversation Index).
  • Consumer reviews are significantly more trusted (nearly 12 times more) than descriptions that come from manufacturers, according to a survey of US internet users by online video review site EXPO. (eMarketer).
  • According to many online sources, reviews produce an average 18% uplift in sales.

Did you know that your WebsiteForge website already has a built in feature for you to use product reviews?  See these videos on adding reviews to your site.

 

If you have an information website and you would like to get more leads off of your site for your services.  Blogging about your services and allowing people to review those blogs can do the same thing for you!  (I also strongly recommend putting testimonials up about your services and products) Here is a helpful video about blog reviews. 

 

Have you ever emailed a client post purchase and asked for a review?

 

Contact Support if you would like assistance in setting this up.

]]> Increase Conversions with Product Reviews (And for Info sites use BLOG REVIEWS!)

 

The stats
 

  • According to several online stats, 50 or more reviews per product can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rates.
  • 79% Of Consumers Trust Online Reviews As Much As Personal Recommendations
  • 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from a site which has user reviews. (iPerceptions).
  • Site visitors who interact with both reviews and customer questions and answers are 105% more likely to purchase while visiting, and spend 11% more than visitors who don't interact with UGC. (Bazaarvoice, Conversation Index).
  • Consumer reviews are significantly more trusted (nearly 12 times more) than descriptions that come from manufacturers, according to a survey of US internet users by online video review site EXPO. (eMarketer).
  • According to many online sources, reviews produce an average 18% uplift in sales.

Did you know that your WebsiteForge website already has a built in feature for you to use product reviews?  See these videos on adding reviews to your site.

 

If you have an information website and you would like to get more leads off of your site for your services.  Blogging about your services and allowing people to review those blogs can do the same thing for you!  (I also strongly recommend putting testimonials up about your services and products) Here is a helpful video about blog reviews. 

 

Have you ever emailed a client post purchase and asked for a review?

 

Contact Support if you would like assistance in setting this up.

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Mandi Davenport) E-commerce E-mail Tips and Advice Uncategorized Website Design https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=increase-conversion-by-adding-product-or-blog-reviews-to-your-site#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=increase-conversion-by-adding-product-or-blog-reviews-to-your-site Wed, 04 Nov 2015 08:36:36 +0000 WebsiteForge Features for your website https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=websiteforge-features-for-your-website https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=websiteforge-features-for-your-website

Ever wonder what you're missing out on?

 

 

WebsiteForge adds new features on a regular basis. 

 

Some features are applied automatically system wide.  

 

Some features require you to add them to take advantage of them...

 

We want to help you identify the best ways to take advantage of the features that we offer.

 

Email our Recommendations team and we will take a look at your site and make some recommendations just for your website!

 

If you have Remote Hands, most features we recommend can be implemented by the Remote hands team.  They just need to be notified that you wish to implement the feature.

 

Also be sure to sign up for new notifications from the manual site for regular updates on new features.

 

 

THIS IS FREE, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT TODAY! :)

 

 

 

]]>

Ever wonder what you're missing out on?

 

 

WebsiteForge adds new features on a regular basis. 

 

Some features are applied automatically system wide.  

 

Some features require you to add them to take advantage of them...

 

We want to help you identify the best ways to take advantage of the features that we offer.

 

Email our Recommendations team and we will take a look at your site and make some recommendations just for your website!

 

If you have Remote Hands, most features we recommend can be implemented by the Remote hands team.  They just need to be notified that you wish to implement the feature.

 

Also be sure to sign up for new notifications from the manual site for regular updates on new features.

 

 

THIS IS FREE, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT TODAY! :)

 

 

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Mandi Davenport) E-commerce E-mail Uncategorized Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=websiteforge-features-for-your-website#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=websiteforge-features-for-your-website Wed, 28 Oct 2015 15:28:03 +0000 E-learning Videos - Website Forge https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=e-learning-videos-website-forge https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=e-learning-videos-website-forge Hello everyone!  Been a while since I blogged.

 

We have started rebuilding our video library from scratch at http://videos.websiteforge.com 

 

You can also subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel at https://youtube.com/websiteforge 

 

Our goal is to add roughly 20-40 vidoes per month.  They should cover basics up to the more complex features!

 

Take a look at a few play lists on our YouTube channel:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's really important we get your feedback on the videos.  So please feel free to comment!

 

Have a great Holiday Weekend!

 

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

Website Forge

E-Commerce Web Site Design

]]> Hello everyone!  Been a while since I blogged.

 

We have started rebuilding our video library from scratch at http://videos.websiteforge.com 

 

You can also subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel at https://youtube.com/websiteforge 

 

Our goal is to add roughly 20-40 vidoes per month.  They should cover basics up to the more complex features!

 

Take a look at a few play lists on our YouTube channel:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's really important we get your feedback on the videos.  So please feel free to comment!

 

Have a great Holiday Weekend!

 

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

Website Forge

E-Commerce Web Site Design

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-commerce E-mail Payment Processing Tips and Advice Website Design https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=e-learning-videos-website-forge#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=e-learning-videos-website-forge Fri, 27 May 2011 20:52:06 +0000 SECURE PASSWORDS! Use them https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=secure-passwords-use-them https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=secure-passwords-use-them Hello Website Forge Community.


Some of you may have received notifications that ask you to choose more secure passwords for your email.


It is very important you change your email passwords immediately if so.  If you choose passwords that are easy to guess -- people can abuse your mail account by sending spam or using your email for illegal activity.


Unfortunately there are bad people out there that are always coming up with ways to hack and abuse web sites.  Don't be a victim.

 

You should have passwords that are 8 characters long and have at least one number in it.  This is a bare minumum.


Thanks and have a great day!


Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

 

 

]]> Hello Website Forge Community.


Some of you may have received notifications that ask you to choose more secure passwords for your email.


It is very important you change your email passwords immediately if so.  If you choose passwords that are easy to guess -- people can abuse your mail account by sending spam or using your email for illegal activity.


Unfortunately there are bad people out there that are always coming up with ways to hack and abuse web sites.  Don't be a victim.

 

You should have passwords that are 8 characters long and have at least one number in it.  This is a bare minumum.


Thanks and have a great day!


Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

 

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Important Notifications https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=secure-passwords-use-them#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=secure-passwords-use-them Sun, 20 Feb 2011 11:21:33 +0000 Forging Ahead - Website Forge Tech Tips - 8/9/2010 https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=forging-ahead-website-forge-tech-tips-8-9-2010 https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=forging-ahead-website-forge-tech-tips-8-9-2010 I have a real short blog post today.  Enjoy!

  • Are you a "skimmer"?
  • I wrote this on my iPad..
  • What do successful people have in common?
  • FREE unlimited Website Forge training classes

 

Are you a "skimmer"?
 
My wife says I am. Though I try not to admit it... I do catch myself reading an entire email in one glance. That certainly leaves plenty opportunity for me to miss important information.
 
It's definitely embarrassing when reply to a customer and theyhave to email me a second time saying "thanks for your fast reply but you didn't address my other two questions..."
 
I think my best suggestion is to wait until you have a full minute to give a proper reply. In our world of iPhones, iPads, Androids, and windows mobile phones....   We feel compelled to reply immediately to show commitment to our customers. That's great -- just try not to do it at the expense of a valuable reply.
 
I know those out there reading, know me personally, can cite at least one time where have made this mistake.... Believe me when I say I know I am just as guilty as anyone. I'm always making an effort to slow down.
 
I wrote this on my iPad in the car...
 
Yes right now I'm writing in the passenger seat on the way to visit family. Is the iPad just a large version of the iPod touch? YES! It is. In fact I was disappointed when I first tested Andy's iPad (VP of our core development team).
 
Then I tossed it in the car. Then I started replying to email real fast. Then realized I had not charged the iPad for the last 4 days and it still had plenty of battery. Then realized I could remotely connect to my desktop from anywhere. And on and on...
 
Bottom line, it's more convenient, more durable, cooler, and more efficient than a full sized laptop. I was not, and am not, an official "Mac fan" -- I AM a believer in my iPhone and iPad. I use them every day.
 
NOTE!! The hidden benefit is how an iPad can keep my kids occupied for hours at a time when you need a break!

 

 

What do successful people have in common?
 
Google it!  I did -- I'll save you the time.  The one thing you'll find in every single article or book is --  TENACITY!
 
 
That's right.  It's not brain power.  It's not education.  It's not money.
 
In fact many successful people are too dumb to realize they failed.  So they kept trying. 
 
"Successful people are too dumb to realize they failed"
 
- Successful people wake up every day ready to fight.
- Successful people don't make excuses when things don't go their way.
- Successful people often find very creative ways to solve a problem.
- Successful people may "fail" over and over again.  But don't see it as failure.
- Successful people eventually achieve what they want because they keep trying!
 
Don't buy the expensive books.  Google "what makes a person successful.." you'll see the same over and over.
 
FREE Unlimited Website Forge Training Classes!
 
I keep saying it and saying it.  I'll say it again.  Website Forge customers get FREE UNLIMITED LIVE TRAINING.  Take advantage and go to www.support.websiteforge.com and sign up today!
 
Shane Merem
web site design and e-commerce
 
Note: I almost always sit down and write my blogs in one shot.  So it's very possible I don't catch every single typo.  I'd rather get more valuable information out there than stress over typos.  So don't beat me up too much over it :)
 
 
]]> I have a real short blog post today.  Enjoy!

  • Are you a "skimmer"?
  • I wrote this on my iPad..
  • What do successful people have in common?
  • FREE unlimited Website Forge training classes

 

Are you a "skimmer"?
 
My wife says I am. Though I try not to admit it... I do catch myself reading an entire email in one glance. That certainly leaves plenty opportunity for me to miss important information.
 
It's definitely embarrassing when reply to a customer and theyhave to email me a second time saying "thanks for your fast reply but you didn't address my other two questions..."
 
I think my best suggestion is to wait until you have a full minute to give a proper reply. In our world of iPhones, iPads, Androids, and windows mobile phones....   We feel compelled to reply immediately to show commitment to our customers. That's great -- just try not to do it at the expense of a valuable reply.
 
I know those out there reading, know me personally, can cite at least one time where have made this mistake.... Believe me when I say I know I am just as guilty as anyone. I'm always making an effort to slow down.
 
I wrote this on my iPad in the car...
 
Yes right now I'm writing in the passenger seat on the way to visit family. Is the iPad just a large version of the iPod touch? YES! It is. In fact I was disappointed when I first tested Andy's iPad (VP of our core development team).
 
Then I tossed it in the car. Then I started replying to email real fast. Then realized I had not charged the iPad for the last 4 days and it still had plenty of battery. Then realized I could remotely connect to my desktop from anywhere. And on and on...
 
Bottom line, it's more convenient, more durable, cooler, and more efficient than a full sized laptop. I was not, and am not, an official "Mac fan" -- I AM a believer in my iPhone and iPad. I use them every day.
 
NOTE!! The hidden benefit is how an iPad can keep my kids occupied for hours at a time when you need a break!

 

 

What do successful people have in common?
 
Google it!  I did -- I'll save you the time.  The one thing you'll find in every single article or book is --  TENACITY!
 
 
That's right.  It's not brain power.  It's not education.  It's not money.
 
In fact many successful people are too dumb to realize they failed.  So they kept trying. 
 
"Successful people are too dumb to realize they failed"
 
- Successful people wake up every day ready to fight.
- Successful people don't make excuses when things don't go their way.
- Successful people often find very creative ways to solve a problem.
- Successful people may "fail" over and over again.  But don't see it as failure.
- Successful people eventually achieve what they want because they keep trying!
 
Don't buy the expensive books.  Google "what makes a person successful.." you'll see the same over and over.
 
FREE Unlimited Website Forge Training Classes!
 
I keep saying it and saying it.  I'll say it again.  Website Forge customers get FREE UNLIMITED LIVE TRAINING.  Take advantage and go to www.support.websiteforge.com and sign up today!
 
Shane Merem
web site design and e-commerce
 
Note: I almost always sit down and write my blogs in one shot.  So it's very possible I don't catch every single typo.  I'd rather get more valuable information out there than stress over typos.  So don't beat me up too much over it :)
 
 
]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Just for Fun Tips and Advice Uncategorized https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=forging-ahead-website-forge-tech-tips-8-9-2010#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=forging-ahead-website-forge-tech-tips-8-9-2010 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:24:54 +0000 Major Cluster Upgrade - HUGE speed boost - Website Forge https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=major-cluster-upgrade-huge-speed-boost-website-forge https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=major-cluster-upgrade-huge-speed-boost-website-forge Hello Website Forge Community!

 

As most of you might have noticed -- we performed a huge hardware and file system upgrade over the weekend.

 

The most noticable difference will be the speed of your web site.  The front end server hardware is significantly faster.

 

Also this upgrade should resolve the recent intermittent issues that a few of you experienced the last couple of weeks.

 

The upgrade went rather smooth with very few service interruptions.  And any issues were resolved VERY quickly.

 

We value you as a customer and hope you enjoy the new hardware!

 

P.S. Just let us know if you have any questions or run into any glitches -- we will handle them asap!

 

Shane Merem

support@websiteforge.com

www.websiteforge.com

E-commerce web site design

]]> Hello Website Forge Community!

 

As most of you might have noticed -- we performed a huge hardware and file system upgrade over the weekend.

 

The most noticable difference will be the speed of your web site.  The front end server hardware is significantly faster.

 

Also this upgrade should resolve the recent intermittent issues that a few of you experienced the last couple of weeks.

 

The upgrade went rather smooth with very few service interruptions.  And any issues were resolved VERY quickly.

 

We value you as a customer and hope you enjoy the new hardware!

 

P.S. Just let us know if you have any questions or run into any glitches -- we will handle them asap!

 

Shane Merem

support@websiteforge.com

www.websiteforge.com

E-commerce web site design

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-commerce E-mail Important Notifications Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=major-cluster-upgrade-huge-speed-boost-website-forge#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=major-cluster-upgrade-huge-speed-boost-website-forge Mon, 17 May 2010 13:56:18 +0000 Website Forge iPhone Order Manager is here! https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-iphone-order-manager-is-here https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-iphone-order-manager-is-here Hello Website Forge community!

 

I'm pleased to announce that Website Forge has developed an iPhone application to allow you to manage your Website Forge store from anywhere!

 

Click here to download our new iPhone Website Forge Order Manager!

http://www.websiteforge.com/180.html

 

I look forward to your comments!

 

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

 

]]> Hello Website Forge community!

 

I'm pleased to announce that Website Forge has developed an iPhone application to allow you to manage your Website Forge store from anywhere!

 

Click here to download our new iPhone Website Forge Order Manager!

http://www.websiteforge.com/180.html

 

I look forward to your comments!

 

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-commerce E-mail Payment Processing https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-iphone-order-manager-is-here#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=website-forge-iphone-order-manager-is-here Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:14:58 +0000 Website Forge Upgrades 5/10/2009 https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-upgrades-5-10-2009 https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-upgrades-5-10-2009 Hello Website Forge customers and associates:
 
We have a few very helpful upgrades to announce:
 
-  QUICKBOOKS POS Compatibility is here!
 
This is very exciting.  For those of you who operate retail stores with Quickbooks POS, you can now syncronize your products, customers, images and orders in a near real-time connection. 
 
This means:
-  When you add products to Quickbooks POS, your products automatically upload to your Website Forge site.
-  When you sell products and services from your Website Forge web site, your customer and sales records will download to your Quickbooks in near real time!  No importing or additional steps necessary!!
-  Contact sales@websiteforge.com for pricing and support regarding this new feature!
 
- HUGE Email campaign's and product Import's
 
You may notice a new area under your Dash Board called "Scheduled Tasks".  This is great because when you send very large email campaigns or import very large product files -- you won't have to wait for them to finish.  Instead you can just walk away and wait for the process to finish.
 
To do this start your email campaign or import and then view the "Scheduled Task" area to see when it is completed.
 
Notes:  This allows them to run for an arbitrary amount of time not limited with timeouts, session lifetimes etc. No need to split files into smaller pieces. Files up to 50 MB are accepted.
 
Normally tasks are executed immediately right after another, however if there are many tasks being run by other users, the system may wait until there is more resources available.

- UPS shipping methods now have a new setting called "Every Item in Separate Package"

When this option is enabled, the shipping amount on the checkout form has an informational icon which displays detailed quote when moving the mouse over it.  This is for people who ship each item in a separate box and must rate the shipping costs accordingly.

-  Multiple images in one field for members.
 
To enable you need to edit the settings of the Edit Profile frame on the mX_edit_item.html page (for membership) and of the Customer Info frame on the mX_customer_info.html page (for ecommerce).  And then set the uploader mode dropdown next to the image field to "Lite (Multiple Images)". This will allow members to upload several images to one image field.

- PayPal PayFlow was upgraded to the latest specs.

- Improved Java uploader stability and error resistance.

 

Make sure you contact support@websiteforge.com if you have ANY questions regarding these upgrades!

 

Website Forge

www.websiteforge.com

Web Design and E-commerce

]]> Hello Website Forge customers and associates:
 
We have a few very helpful upgrades to announce:
 
-  QUICKBOOKS POS Compatibility is here!
 
This is very exciting.  For those of you who operate retail stores with Quickbooks POS, you can now syncronize your products, customers, images and orders in a near real-time connection. 
 
This means:
-  When you add products to Quickbooks POS, your products automatically upload to your Website Forge site.
-  When you sell products and services from your Website Forge web site, your customer and sales records will download to your Quickbooks in near real time!  No importing or additional steps necessary!!
-  Contact sales@websiteforge.com for pricing and support regarding this new feature!
 
- HUGE Email campaign's and product Import's
 
You may notice a new area under your Dash Board called "Scheduled Tasks".  This is great because when you send very large email campaigns or import very large product files -- you won't have to wait for them to finish.  Instead you can just walk away and wait for the process to finish.
 
To do this start your email campaign or import and then view the "Scheduled Task" area to see when it is completed.
 
Notes:  This allows them to run for an arbitrary amount of time not limited with timeouts, session lifetimes etc. No need to split files into smaller pieces. Files up to 50 MB are accepted.
 
Normally tasks are executed immediately right after another, however if there are many tasks being run by other users, the system may wait until there is more resources available.

- UPS shipping methods now have a new setting called "Every Item in Separate Package"

When this option is enabled, the shipping amount on the checkout form has an informational icon which displays detailed quote when moving the mouse over it.  This is for people who ship each item in a separate box and must rate the shipping costs accordingly.

-  Multiple images in one field for members.
 
To enable you need to edit the settings of the Edit Profile frame on the mX_edit_item.html page (for membership) and of the Customer Info frame on the mX_customer_info.html page (for ecommerce).  And then set the uploader mode dropdown next to the image field to "Lite (Multiple Images)". This will allow members to upload several images to one image field.

- PayPal PayFlow was upgraded to the latest specs.

- Improved Java uploader stability and error resistance.

 

Make sure you contact support@websiteforge.com if you have ANY questions regarding these upgrades!

 

Website Forge

www.websiteforge.com

Web Design and E-commerce

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-commerce E-mail Important Notifications Payment Processing Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-upgrades-5-10-2009#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=website-forge-upgrades-5-10-2009 Mon, 11 May 2009 15:55:59 +0000 Website Forge News - Feb 15, 2009 https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-news-feb-15-2009 https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-news-feb-15-2009 Website Forge News Topics:

 

-  Unprecedented FULL 12 Month Guarantee on Website Forge web sites!

-  Customer Service at it's Best!

-  Google struggles with SAAS solutions

-  Take full advantage of your SEO technology

-  A look at Dabble DB -- A great new web idea

 

Unprecedented FULL 12 Month Guarantee on Website Forge web sites!

Website Forge has long been the ONLY company to provide a real 30 day money back guarantee. 

 

The only company to survey their customers every 7 days during their project development. 

 

The only company to provide unlimited pages, products, and bandwith in a CUSTOM DESIGNED web site.  The only company that includes hundreds of thousands of dollars of improvements to it's clients every single year.... 

 

Once again we have gone over the top. 

 

We are so sure you will love your Website Forge web site we will back it up with a 12 month guarantee.  That's right.  If after ONE FULL YEAR you don't love your web site -- we will refund your entire purchase price!

 

No other web site company has the confidence in their company to offer such an amazing guarantee on their custom web site solutions... NOBODY!

 

 

Customer Service at it's Best!

 

I received a call Friday night from Dale Spenrath (CEO of www.posprocessing.com) around 7:00 PM asking me if Website Forge was having any techincal issues. 

 

I told him I was unaware of any problems.  Dale was already on the phone with the technical guys at Linkpoint to see why our mutual customer had called him with a card processing problem.

 

I hung up and a few minutes later Dale called me back on my cell phone and informed me that Linkpoint did, in fact, have some temporary problems and it would be resolved in a couple hours.  I was able to notify our clients so they could be aware of this issue.

 

When was the last time Henry Ford and Good Year's CEO called each other to work out a technical detail for their car owners?  I just call that "Customer Service at it's Best!".

 

Take full advantage of your SEO technology

 

I make it a point to run our clients through a few questions to make sure they are doing all they can to promote their online business.

 

1.  Have you enabled your "Google Sitemaps" feature in your web site yet?

 

2.  Have you exported your products (if any) to Google Base? (formerly called Froogle)?

 

3.  Have you spent time every day/week/month to improve your site copy with keyword rich content? 

 

4.  Have you considered rewriting your product descriptions to help prospective customers make the decision to purchase your product?

 

If you have answered NO to any of these questions.. Please reply here and we will have our team give you some specific actions so that you can get the most out of your web site...

 

Google struggles with SAAS solutions

 

I am a freshbooks.com customer and I ran across a couple good articles.  Recenly they posted a message about Google and some problems they have had supporting their SAAS (Software As A Service) products.  You will find the article interesting.

 

www.freshbooks.com/blog/2009/01/30/google-proves-saas-is-hard-even-for-big-guys/

 

A look at Dabble DB -- A great new web idea

 

If you are "show me the data" kind of person -- take a look at Dabble DB.  You can cut and paste any excel file data into a web page and create awesome drill down charts and graphs in minutes. 

 

I created dozens of charts from a bunch of my boring excel reports and it's a great concept.

 

Check it out at www.dabbledb.com

 

Thanks, Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

Web Design and E-commerce

Love it or get your money back!

 

]]> Website Forge News Topics:

 

-  Unprecedented FULL 12 Month Guarantee on Website Forge web sites!

-  Customer Service at it's Best!

-  Google struggles with SAAS solutions

-  Take full advantage of your SEO technology

-  A look at Dabble DB -- A great new web idea

 

Unprecedented FULL 12 Month Guarantee on Website Forge web sites!

Website Forge has long been the ONLY company to provide a real 30 day money back guarantee. 

 

The only company to survey their customers every 7 days during their project development. 

 

The only company to provide unlimited pages, products, and bandwith in a CUSTOM DESIGNED web site.  The only company that includes hundreds of thousands of dollars of improvements to it's clients every single year.... 

 

Once again we have gone over the top. 

 

We are so sure you will love your Website Forge web site we will back it up with a 12 month guarantee.  That's right.  If after ONE FULL YEAR you don't love your web site -- we will refund your entire purchase price!

 

No other web site company has the confidence in their company to offer such an amazing guarantee on their custom web site solutions... NOBODY!

 

 

Customer Service at it's Best!

 

I received a call Friday night from Dale Spenrath (CEO of www.posprocessing.com) around 7:00 PM asking me if Website Forge was having any techincal issues. 

 

I told him I was unaware of any problems.  Dale was already on the phone with the technical guys at Linkpoint to see why our mutual customer had called him with a card processing problem.

 

I hung up and a few minutes later Dale called me back on my cell phone and informed me that Linkpoint did, in fact, have some temporary problems and it would be resolved in a couple hours.  I was able to notify our clients so they could be aware of this issue.

 

When was the last time Henry Ford and Good Year's CEO called each other to work out a technical detail for their car owners?  I just call that "Customer Service at it's Best!".

 

Take full advantage of your SEO technology

 

I make it a point to run our clients through a few questions to make sure they are doing all they can to promote their online business.

 

1.  Have you enabled your "Google Sitemaps" feature in your web site yet?

 

2.  Have you exported your products (if any) to Google Base? (formerly called Froogle)?

 

3.  Have you spent time every day/week/month to improve your site copy with keyword rich content? 

 

4.  Have you considered rewriting your product descriptions to help prospective customers make the decision to purchase your product?

 

If you have answered NO to any of these questions.. Please reply here and we will have our team give you some specific actions so that you can get the most out of your web site...

 

Google struggles with SAAS solutions

 

I am a freshbooks.com customer and I ran across a couple good articles.  Recenly they posted a message about Google and some problems they have had supporting their SAAS (Software As A Service) products.  You will find the article interesting.

 

www.freshbooks.com/blog/2009/01/30/google-proves-saas-is-hard-even-for-big-guys/

 

A look at Dabble DB -- A great new web idea

 

If you are "show me the data" kind of person -- take a look at Dabble DB.  You can cut and paste any excel file data into a web page and create awesome drill down charts and graphs in minutes. 

 

I created dozens of charts from a bunch of my boring excel reports and it's a great concept.

 

Check it out at www.dabbledb.com

 

Thanks, Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

Web Design and E-commerce

Love it or get your money back!

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-commerce E-mail Important Notifications Payment Processing Tips and Advice Website Design https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-news-feb-15-2009#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=website-forge-news-feb-15-2009 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:00:39 +0000 Important Migration Notification 1/9/2009 - Website Forge https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-migration-notification-192009-website-forge https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-migration-notification-192009-website-forge ***** IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION ***

 

Hello Website Forge Community!

 

We are performing an important upgrade and migration over the weekend.

 

On Saturday evening 1/10/2009 we will syncronize our current set of database servers with our new cluster.

 

On Sunday evening 1/11/2009 we will reconfigure our directors and firewall rules to redirect traffic to the new set of database servers.  They may be a few minutes of down time related to this step. Nothing serious is expected.

 

This new upgrade will provide additional space, bandwith, redundancy and speed to your web sites and e-commmerce applications.

 

Thank You

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

www.magnusoft.com

 

]]> ***** IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION ***

 

Hello Website Forge Community!

 

We are performing an important upgrade and migration over the weekend.

 

On Saturday evening 1/10/2009 we will syncronize our current set of database servers with our new cluster.

 

On Sunday evening 1/11/2009 we will reconfigure our directors and firewall rules to redirect traffic to the new set of database servers.  They may be a few minutes of down time related to this step. Nothing serious is expected.

 

This new upgrade will provide additional space, bandwith, redundancy and speed to your web sites and e-commmerce applications.

 

Thank You

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

www.magnusoft.com

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Important Notifications Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-migration-notification-192009-website-forge#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=important-migration-notification-192009-website-forge Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:28:00 +0000 Important News - Paypal/Declined Orders/And more.. - Shane Merem https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-news-paypaldeclined-ordersand-more-shane-merem https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-news-paypaldeclined-ordersand-more-shane-merem Hello Website Forge partners.. Here are a couple imporant things you need to be aware of...

 

1.  HIGH NUMBERS OF DECLINED SALES?

 

Some of you experienced unexplained declined sales on your web site.  At the time we verified that the Website Forge system was working properly.  We have more information that specifies what happened.  You can read about the CitiBank system issue here: http://www.websiteforge.com/custom/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=2445#2445

 

2.  PAYPAL EMAIL REGARDING EMAILS?

 

Paypal sent out a message saying they would reduce the number of email notifications they send.  This will not affect any Website Forge customer.  The website forge system already sends out emails to confirm orders, etc.  So there will just be less redundancy.

 

Extra Feature: YOU LOVE TO PLAY POKER ONLINE?

 

Please check out a new web site I just launched.  It's a Pre-Flop poker calculator. 

 

It's a great way to learn how to play Poker and figure out your odds.  I'm offering you a $10.00 off discount if you would like to take advantage of it.  http://www.preflopadvantage.com (Use coupon code 99013 to get the $10.00 discount)

 

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

Web Site Design and E-commerce

 

 

]]> Hello Website Forge partners.. Here are a couple imporant things you need to be aware of...

 

1.  HIGH NUMBERS OF DECLINED SALES?

 

Some of you experienced unexplained declined sales on your web site.  At the time we verified that the Website Forge system was working properly.  We have more information that specifies what happened.  You can read about the CitiBank system issue here: http://www.websiteforge.com/custom/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=2445#2445

 

2.  PAYPAL EMAIL REGARDING EMAILS?

 

Paypal sent out a message saying they would reduce the number of email notifications they send.  This will not affect any Website Forge customer.  The website forge system already sends out emails to confirm orders, etc.  So there will just be less redundancy.

 

Extra Feature: YOU LOVE TO PLAY POKER ONLINE?

 

Please check out a new web site I just launched.  It's a Pre-Flop poker calculator. 

 

It's a great way to learn how to play Poker and figure out your odds.  I'm offering you a $10.00 off discount if you would like to take advantage of it.  http://www.preflopadvantage.com (Use coupon code 99013 to get the $10.00 discount)

 

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

Web Site Design and E-commerce

 

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-commerce E-mail Important Notifications Payment Processing https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-news-paypaldeclined-ordersand-more-shane-merem#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=important-news-paypaldeclined-ordersand-more-shane-merem Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:00:13 +0000 How secure is your password? Your role in security! https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=how-secure-is-your-password-your-role-in-security https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=how-secure-is-your-password-your-role-in-security

Are you one of those people that have a hard time remembering your password?

 

Do you....

  • Always use the same password so you don't forget it?
  • Use a password that is easy to guess like birthdates, children names, spouse names, or pets?
  • Think because you add a number 1 after the password it becomes safer?

Think again... You would be surprised how easy it is to guess your password.

 

If you are serious about the security of your web site and e-mail.... Make sure your password is difficult to guess.

 

For instance....

(I know many of you will resist a totally random password with upper case, lower case, and numerical digits because it's very hard to remember so here are some tips that are more reasonable)

  • Use a random word in a document or book, then type it backwards or add random numbers to the word.
  • If you insist on using a name -- use names of people that are NOT close to you.  People that you met only once but can remember. 
  • Use punctuation in your password
  • Use different passwords for different types of logins.  Use harder passwords for your banking, etc. (some banks enforce harder passwords and changing it often)
  • Change your password once per month

Ideally you should use a random password generator like this http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/ to generate a properly mixed and random password.

 

Hope this friendly reminder helps keep your important data secure!

 

P.S.  If you would like to provided LIMITED access to your Website Forge account, please contact support and ask for "Sub Accounts" so that you can provide limited access to your team members or service providers.

 

Shane Merem

Website Forge

www.websiteforge.com

Web site design and e-commerce

 

 

*******     IMPORTANT WEBSITE FORGE UPDATES     ********

 

- Looking for fresh testimonials for our new site so please email sales@websiteforge.com with your testimonials and we may post them on our web site

 

- Our new Website Forge Community Forum is online.  Make sure you join today!  Share and Learn from other Website Forge users!  CLICK HERE to visit the www.websiteforge.com/forum

 

- Weekly Teleclasses are available for your further education!  Visit http://support.websiteforge.com/113.html to signup for your FREE teleclasses.

 

P.S.S.  I have added every Website Forge user to this BLOG.  We send important upgrade and system notifications via this BLOG.  If you want to login to change your settings to be removed from the BLOG emails use the same username/password you use for your websiteforge.com login.

 

]]>

Are you one of those people that have a hard time remembering your password?

 

Do you....

  • Always use the same password so you don't forget it?
  • Use a password that is easy to guess like birthdates, children names, spouse names, or pets?
  • Think because you add a number 1 after the password it becomes safer?

Think again... You would be surprised how easy it is to guess your password.

 

If you are serious about the security of your web site and e-mail.... Make sure your password is difficult to guess.

 

For instance....

(I know many of you will resist a totally random password with upper case, lower case, and numerical digits because it's very hard to remember so here are some tips that are more reasonable)

  • Use a random word in a document or book, then type it backwards or add random numbers to the word.
  • If you insist on using a name -- use names of people that are NOT close to you.  People that you met only once but can remember. 
  • Use punctuation in your password
  • Use different passwords for different types of logins.  Use harder passwords for your banking, etc. (some banks enforce harder passwords and changing it often)
  • Change your password once per month

Ideally you should use a random password generator like this http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/ to generate a properly mixed and random password.

 

Hope this friendly reminder helps keep your important data secure!

 

P.S.  If you would like to provided LIMITED access to your Website Forge account, please contact support and ask for "Sub Accounts" so that you can provide limited access to your team members or service providers.

 

Shane Merem

Website Forge

www.websiteforge.com

Web site design and e-commerce

 

 

*******     IMPORTANT WEBSITE FORGE UPDATES     ********

 

- Looking for fresh testimonials for our new site so please email sales@websiteforge.com with your testimonials and we may post them on our web site

 

- Our new Website Forge Community Forum is online.  Make sure you join today!  Share and Learn from other Website Forge users!  CLICK HERE to visit the www.websiteforge.com/forum

 

- Weekly Teleclasses are available for your further education!  Visit http://support.websiteforge.com/113.html to signup for your FREE teleclasses.

 

P.S.S.  I have added every Website Forge user to this BLOG.  We send important upgrade and system notifications via this BLOG.  If you want to login to change your settings to be removed from the BLOG emails use the same username/password you use for your websiteforge.com login.

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-commerce E-mail Payment Processing Tips and Advice https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=how-secure-is-your-password-your-role-in-security#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=how-secure-is-your-password-your-role-in-security Thu, 15 May 2008 09:38:41 +0000 https://www.websiteforge.com/72m17/members/5130151/images/wf_logo_320.gif Websiteforge Publish Notification https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=websiteforge-publish-notification https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=websiteforge-publish-notification Recently, we've created an email notification that will notify the site administrator everytime their website has been published.  This is to ensure that you are aware that the button was indeed clicked and at what time.  If you are receiving these emails and have not clicked the green Publish Site button, then please notify support@websiteforge.com after checking these areas first:

 

1.  Are any of your sub account users able to republish?

 

2.  Does anyone else on your team have your login information and therefore were able to republish your site?

 

3.  Did you ask one of the WF team members to republish after making changes to your site?

 

4.  Were you working quickly and forgot that you clicked on the button? (I've done this myself :|)

 

As a rule, WF does not publish customers' sites unless specifically requested.  We don't want to publish anything you're not prepared to have on your live site.

 

Thanks and have a wonderful day!

 

Olivia E Guerrero

Customer Service

Project Manager Assistant

Training Specialist

 

www.websiteforge.com

 

 

]]> Recently, we've created an email notification that will notify the site administrator everytime their website has been published.  This is to ensure that you are aware that the button was indeed clicked and at what time.  If you are receiving these emails and have not clicked the green Publish Site button, then please notify support@websiteforge.com after checking these areas first:

 

1.  Are any of your sub account users able to republish?

 

2.  Does anyone else on your team have your login information and therefore were able to republish your site?

 

3.  Did you ask one of the WF team members to republish after making changes to your site?

 

4.  Were you working quickly and forgot that you clicked on the button? (I've done this myself :|)

 

As a rule, WF does not publish customers' sites unless specifically requested.  We don't want to publish anything you're not prepared to have on your live site.

 

Thanks and have a wonderful day!

 

Olivia E Guerrero

Customer Service

Project Manager Assistant

Training Specialist

 

www.websiteforge.com

 

 

]]> olivia@magnusoft.com (Olivia Guerrero) E-mail Important Notifications https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=websiteforge-publish-notification#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=websiteforge-publish-notification Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:10:48 +0000 OOPS! 270 times! Accidential Email https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=oops-270-times-accidential-email https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=oops-270-times-accidential-email Hello everyone.  I am very sorry about the 270 emails sent by our new blog.  We are in the process of importing the posts from this Word Press BLOG to our new Website Forge BLOG.

 

Denis (programmer), accidentially allowed each imported post to be emailed to the subscribers.  It was a human error and I am sorry about the inconvenience.

 

Please don't mark the posts as spam as you won't receive real posts in the future.

 

Thanks for your understanding.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Website Design and E-commerce

 

 

 

]]> Hello everyone.  I am very sorry about the 270 emails sent by our new blog.  We are in the process of importing the posts from this Word Press BLOG to our new Website Forge BLOG.

 

Denis (programmer), accidentially allowed each imported post to be emailed to the subscribers.  It was a human error and I am sorry about the inconvenience.

 

Please don't mark the posts as spam as you won't receive real posts in the future.

 

Thanks for your understanding.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Website Design and E-commerce

 

 

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Important Notifications Uncategorized https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=oops-270-times-accidential-email#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=oops-270-times-accidential-email Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:14:25 +0000 There is no "Legal SPAM" - Please don't do it! https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=there-is-no-legal-spam-please-dont-do-it https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=there-is-no-legal-spam-please-dont-do-it Hello.

 

This morning I'm writing in the BLOG out of frustration.  Yesterday I was told that some of our customers are getting emails returned.  The returned message reports that they are a spammer, or their email is blocked.

 

This is because an organization called www.spamhaus.org added one of the Website Forge mail server IP addresses to their "spammer list".  Spamhaus is a widely used source for identifying and stopping spam mail.  Just about any spam filter may use them to help avoid spam.

 

Why did we end up in this evil list?  It's because one of our Website Forge customers purchased a list of emails and mass mailed it.  He did not do it with the intent to spam, I'm sure the place that sold him the list assured him that the list was a list of "opt in users" and a great list.  Then he was probably convinced that it was "Legal" to spam if he added a few key items to his email.

 

Well, let me tell you first hand.  There is no "Legal SPAM".  Here is the rule -- If you did not obtain the email address from a person directly through your web site, then do not use the email address.  It's that simple.

 

- Do not  buy ANY lists.  I don't care if Pope Benedict himself swears the list is clean and legal!
- Do not visit web sites and harvest email addresses.
- Do not pay a company to do it all from their own "special spam servers" (Spamhaus.com will do a reverse  lookup on your domain and STILL block our servers)

 

Better yet, if you have even the smallest inkling to send any type of mass mail -- Call me first!  E-mail support@websiteforge.com or visit live chat and ask to get in touch with me. 

 

Please understand that though this customer thought he was "following the law", thousands of Website Forge customers are potentially affected by this issue.  In extreme cases we have to take the "offending customer" offline to get our IP removed from the spam list.  I don't want anyone to experience any type of hassle sending email for any reason.

 

I emailed the situation to someone at SpamHaus and they are so arrogant and unforgiving that he only replied once in 24 hours and he did not yet remove the block.  I am stuck waiting for this guy to check his email and hope he believes me when I tell him the spam issue has been resolved.  It's ridiculous (don't get me started on how these spam organizations conduct themselves).

 

I will work non-stop until this issue is resolved and send an update.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Website Design and E-Commerce

 

]]> Hello.

 

This morning I'm writing in the BLOG out of frustration.  Yesterday I was told that some of our customers are getting emails returned.  The returned message reports that they are a spammer, or their email is blocked.

 

This is because an organization called www.spamhaus.org added one of the Website Forge mail server IP addresses to their "spammer list".  Spamhaus is a widely used source for identifying and stopping spam mail.  Just about any spam filter may use them to help avoid spam.

 

Why did we end up in this evil list?  It's because one of our Website Forge customers purchased a list of emails and mass mailed it.  He did not do it with the intent to spam, I'm sure the place that sold him the list assured him that the list was a list of "opt in users" and a great list.  Then he was probably convinced that it was "Legal" to spam if he added a few key items to his email.

 

Well, let me tell you first hand.  There is no "Legal SPAM".  Here is the rule -- If you did not obtain the email address from a person directly through your web site, then do not use the email address.  It's that simple.

 

- Do not  buy ANY lists.  I don't care if Pope Benedict himself swears the list is clean and legal!
- Do not visit web sites and harvest email addresses.
- Do not pay a company to do it all from their own "special spam servers" (Spamhaus.com will do a reverse  lookup on your domain and STILL block our servers)

 

Better yet, if you have even the smallest inkling to send any type of mass mail -- Call me first!  E-mail support@websiteforge.com or visit live chat and ask to get in touch with me. 

 

Please understand that though this customer thought he was "following the law", thousands of Website Forge customers are potentially affected by this issue.  In extreme cases we have to take the "offending customer" offline to get our IP removed from the spam list.  I don't want anyone to experience any type of hassle sending email for any reason.

 

I emailed the situation to someone at SpamHaus and they are so arrogant and unforgiving that he only replied once in 24 hours and he did not yet remove the block.  I am stuck waiting for this guy to check his email and hope he believes me when I tell him the spam issue has been resolved.  It's ridiculous (don't get me started on how these spam organizations conduct themselves).

 

I will work non-stop until this issue is resolved and send an update.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Website Design and E-Commerce

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Important Notifications Tips and Advice https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=there-is-no-legal-spam-please-dont-do-it#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=there-is-no-legal-spam-please-dont-do-it Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:14:25 +0000 WebsiteForge video library continues to grow! https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=websiteforge-video-library-continues-to-grow https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=websiteforge-video-library-continues-to-grow With 27 new videos to choose from -- take a look and let us know what you think!  So far customers that have used the videos are giving us great feedback.

 

Click here to see the updated video index: http://www.websiteforge.com/support/55.html

 

Videos on site management, import/export, and email configuration are included in this list.  There are many more.

 

Please post your suggestions if there is a demonstration video you would like us to add to the list.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Website design and e-commerce

 

]]> With 27 new videos to choose from -- take a look and let us know what you think!  So far customers that have used the videos are giving us great feedback.

 

Click here to see the updated video index: http://www.websiteforge.com/support/55.html

 

Videos on site management, import/export, and email configuration are included in this list.  There are many more.

 

Please post your suggestions if there is a demonstration video you would like us to add to the list.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Website design and e-commerce

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-commerce E-mail Tips and Advice Website Design Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=websiteforge-video-library-continues-to-grow#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=websiteforge-video-library-continues-to-grow Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:14:25 +0000 E-mail space usage and domain name status added to Member's Area https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=e-mail-space-usage-and-domain-name-status-added-to-members-area https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=e-mail-space-usage-and-domain-name-status-added-to-members-area Hello everyone.  I wanted to drop a note to make you aware of a few new subtle changes in your member's area.

 

Start by taking a look at your "site list" and you'll find a green  or a red  next to each of your domain names. 

 

The green  means your domain name is valid and configured to the proper DNS name servers. 

 

The red  means your domain is either expired or misconfigured.

 

We will soon add some automatic notifications to make you aware of a change in status so you can react quickly.

 

Next take a look at your "Manage Email" area.  We now show the mailbox usage next to each mailbox. 

 

One of the most common reasons people stop receiving mail is because they have their e-mail program misconfigured to "Leave mail on server".  This causes the mailbox to fill up and stop accepting mail.   Now you can see how full your mailboxes are. 
Contact support@websiteforge.com with any questions.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Website design and e-commerce

 

 

 

]]> Hello everyone.  I wanted to drop a note to make you aware of a few new subtle changes in your member's area.

 

Start by taking a look at your "site list" and you'll find a green  or a red  next to each of your domain names. 

 

The green  means your domain name is valid and configured to the proper DNS name servers. 

 

The red  means your domain is either expired or misconfigured.

 

We will soon add some automatic notifications to make you aware of a change in status so you can react quickly.

 

Next take a look at your "Manage Email" area.  We now show the mailbox usage next to each mailbox. 

 

One of the most common reasons people stop receiving mail is because they have their e-mail program misconfigured to "Leave mail on server".  This causes the mailbox to fill up and stop accepting mail.   Now you can see how full your mailboxes are. 
Contact support@websiteforge.com with any questions.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Website design and e-commerce

 

 

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Tips and Advice Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=e-mail-space-usage-and-domain-name-status-added-to-members-area#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=e-mail-space-usage-and-domain-name-status-added-to-members-area Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:14:24 +0000 Form "spamming" countermeasure added to Website Forge https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=form-spamming-countermeasure-added-to-website-forge https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=form-spamming-countermeasure-added-to-website-forge Since spammers are here to stay -- we are forced to constantly battle each new spamming method.  Some spammers will abuse your contact forms with an automated script or software.

 

We have added a "Code Verification" field type to the Feedback Form module.  This is what you commonly see as an image displaying several letters or numbers that you have to read and retype to submit the form. 

 

This human readable image assures that your form is not mass submitted by a script or software.

 

You add this control just like you would add any form field.  Contact support@websiteforge.com if you have any questions.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
E-commerce and web design

 

]]> Since spammers are here to stay -- we are forced to constantly battle each new spamming method.  Some spammers will abuse your contact forms with an automated script or software.

 

We have added a "Code Verification" field type to the Feedback Form module.  This is what you commonly see as an image displaying several letters or numbers that you have to read and retype to submit the form. 

 

This human readable image assures that your form is not mass submitted by a script or software.

 

You add this control just like you would add any form field.  Contact support@websiteforge.com if you have any questions.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
E-commerce and web design

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Website Design Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=form-spamming-countermeasure-added-to-website-forge#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=form-spamming-countermeasure-added-to-website-forge Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:14:24 +0000 E-mail BLOG posting notifications https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=e-mail-blog-posting-notifications https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=e-mail-blog-posting-notifications Hey everyone.  Please sign up for notification e-mails using this link: http://www.websiteforge.com/custom/websiteforgeblog/subscribe-to-blog/

 

Now you won't miss important Website Forge related upgrades, updates or information.

 

Shane Merem
http://www.websiteforge.com/
Web Design and E-commerce

 

]]> Hey everyone.  Please sign up for notification e-mails using this link: http://www.websiteforge.com/custom/websiteforgeblog/subscribe-to-blog/

 

Now you won't miss important Website Forge related upgrades, updates or information.

 

Shane Merem
http://www.websiteforge.com/
Web Design and E-commerce

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=e-mail-blog-posting-notifications#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=e-mail-blog-posting-notifications Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:14:24 +0000 Opt-out option for your e-mail marketing https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=opt-out-option-for-your-e-mail-marketing https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=opt-out-option-for-your-e-mail-marketing Recently more and more customers have asked for an opt-out option for their Membership Module's e-mail system.

 

The reason we had not done this in the past is because we don't allow and still do not allow spamming.  You may email any customer or subscriber you have -- they are a customer and should expect communications from you.  Therefore an "opt out" feature really did not apply (in our opinion).

 

We do, however, undertand the urge to follow good email practices -- which  many of you interpret as providing an opt-out link. 

 

So, due to many customer requests...  We have added an opt-out option to the bottom of emails sent using your mailer.  Please test it out and let us know what you think.

 

Contact LIVE SUPPORT or support@websiteforge.com with any questions.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Web Design and E-commerce

 

]]> Recently more and more customers have asked for an opt-out option for their Membership Module's e-mail system.

 

The reason we had not done this in the past is because we don't allow and still do not allow spamming.  You may email any customer or subscriber you have -- they are a customer and should expect communications from you.  Therefore an "opt out" feature really did not apply (in our opinion).

 

We do, however, undertand the urge to follow good email practices -- which  many of you interpret as providing an opt-out link. 

 

So, due to many customer requests...  We have added an opt-out option to the bottom of emails sent using your mailer.  Please test it out and let us know what you think.

 

Contact LIVE SUPPORT or support@websiteforge.com with any questions.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Web Design and E-commerce

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=opt-out-option-for-your-e-mail-marketing#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=opt-out-option-for-your-e-mail-marketing Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:14:23 +0000 Website Forge adds "Greylisting" to your anti-spam toolbox https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-adds-greylisting-to-your-anti-spam-toolbox https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-adds-greylisting-to-your-anti-spam-toolbox SPAM has become one of the most annoying aspects of the internet.  It's bad enough that you receive unsolicited e-mail urging you to purchase something -- now I receive e-mail all day long with random jibberish.

 

Website Forge already checks mail against "blacklists" and uses "rulesets" to help identify SPAM. 

 

A new method of figthing spam is called "greylisting".  Most hard core spammers will use special mail server software to blast out SPAM.  Because many of the messages sent are rejected for one reason or another -- the spammer's servers generally do not attempt to re-deliver the message.  In other words, just one attempt is made to send the spam.

 

A normal e-mail server will attempt to resend the e-mail several times every few hours or so.

 

Here is where the "greylisting" comes in.  A greylisting server will reject the first attempt of any suspicious email.  IF the sending server attempts to re-deliver the same message, the message will be allowed to move to your INBOX.

 

It's true that some valid e-mail might be delayed at times, however the reduction of spam can be very substantial.

 

I was receiving up to 50 e-mails per day and after enabling this "greylisting" feature I received only 3 spam messages this morning and 35 valid emails.  It works!

 

To learn more about greylisting you can follow this link: http://greylisting.org/

 

How do you enable greylisting for your Website Forge e-mail boxes?

 

Login to your Member's area and go to the "Manage E-mail" area.  You can edit individual mailboxes and check the "enable greylisting" checkbox.

 

REMEMBER! You may experience some delay in e-mail when you enable this feature.  However the average delay should be around 2 hours or less and often 15 minutes.  This delay depends entirely on the re-send setting of the sender's mail servers.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Web Design and E-Commerce

 

]]> SPAM has become one of the most annoying aspects of the internet.  It's bad enough that you receive unsolicited e-mail urging you to purchase something -- now I receive e-mail all day long with random jibberish.

 

Website Forge already checks mail against "blacklists" and uses "rulesets" to help identify SPAM. 

 

A new method of figthing spam is called "greylisting".  Most hard core spammers will use special mail server software to blast out SPAM.  Because many of the messages sent are rejected for one reason or another -- the spammer's servers generally do not attempt to re-deliver the message.  In other words, just one attempt is made to send the spam.

 

A normal e-mail server will attempt to resend the e-mail several times every few hours or so.

 

Here is where the "greylisting" comes in.  A greylisting server will reject the first attempt of any suspicious email.  IF the sending server attempts to re-deliver the same message, the message will be allowed to move to your INBOX.

 

It's true that some valid e-mail might be delayed at times, however the reduction of spam can be very substantial.

 

I was receiving up to 50 e-mails per day and after enabling this "greylisting" feature I received only 3 spam messages this morning and 35 valid emails.  It works!

 

To learn more about greylisting you can follow this link: http://greylisting.org/

 

How do you enable greylisting for your Website Forge e-mail boxes?

 

Login to your Member's area and go to the "Manage E-mail" area.  You can edit individual mailboxes and check the "enable greylisting" checkbox.

 

REMEMBER! You may experience some delay in e-mail when you enable this feature.  However the average delay should be around 2 hours or less and often 15 minutes.  This delay depends entirely on the re-send setting of the sender's mail servers.

 

Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
Web Design and E-Commerce

 

]]> blog@websiteforge.com (Shane Merem) E-mail Website Forge Upgrades https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=website-forge-adds-greylisting-to-your-anti-spam-toolbox#comments https://secure.wf-api.com/newsite.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:feed=rss2;post=website-forge-adds-greylisting-to-your-anti-spam-toolbox Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:14:23 +0000