Help your Customers Feel More Secure by Becoming PCI Compliant

Online consumers are becoming more aware of how serious Identity Theft and Hacking is in today’s inter-web world. This is great, because fraudulent activity has dropped with more and more online customers signing up for online security with companies like Trust Guard.

However, we are now coming across the ironic problem where businesses are not taking their online security as seriously as they should be – just when websites have become more vulnerable than ever. If your business is processing credit cards for your business, it is not only recommended and preferred that you are PCI (Payment Card Industry) Compliant, but it is actually against the law to be processing without it.

On a side note, if you are running credit card transactions and are not PCI Compliant then you are, in essence, telling your customers that you don’t care if their information is hacked.

By not being PCI Compliant, statistics have shown that the percentage of sales decreases. Companies who go from non-compliance to being PCI Compliant generally increase sales by 30% in just the first month! That should make any company want to be PCI Compliant regardless of the rules set by the data security council.

So why are some Business Owners ignoring PCI Compliance Requirements? My thought is that business owners may not understand the importance and security benefits of PCI Compliance.

If business owners were to think of PCI Compliance as insurance for their credit card processing, then perhaps they would be more willing to comply. Think of car insurance: no, you don’t get in accidents every day, or even every year, however if you did and you didn’t have insurance --- you would wish you did.

PCI Compliance is the same way. Businesses that do not have a PCI Certificate of Security Seal are going to be out of luck, paying for any losses due to fraud on their own. These charges for fraud and identity theft against a business are usually around $20,000 - $50,000 per case. If you are protected by a PCI Compliant company though, they will offer you protection in these cases and help cover any losses just like an insurance company would.

Being PCI Compliant is not only a smart thing to do for an instance when you are faced again fraudulence and hackers, but it is also the right thing to do. Having security scan and seals that show potential consumers that their information is safe will nudge more of them to purchase from you. Your customers will feel safe and protected when they see that your site is PCI compliant.

Hackers Can Now Hack HTTPS Sites

November 12, 2013 in USA Today a story was released notifying all Internet users that hackers now have the ability to probe https weaknesses. For those of you who aren’t sure how serious this is, you may be wondering what exactly https is. Https is the URL Heading, so every “secure” (the word represented by the letter “S” in “https”) website you visit begins with https://. If hackers are able to infiltrate this “secure” URL, then that means they will be able to hack into nearly all websites. 

Usually SSL certificates provide the security and create the secure “https” site. But the problem is that the sites getting hacked into aren’t scanning their own sites from vulnerabilities that hackers use to infiltrate website coding. This leaves Internet users completely vulnerable to their hacking – regardless of their “secure” status.

RohitSethi, Special Author for CyberTruth in USA TODAY said, “This doesn't mean that HTTPS is broken - it still provides strong protection against many online threats.” But for individuals and corporations, the lesson here is that SSL certificates shouldn't be the only source of online protection.

“…While so much is riding on the Internet's ability to function securely and protect its users, not enough is being done to keep pace with a growing number of threats that could diminish the reliability of the cryptographic systems that make a secure Internet possible.”

With this information, it makes it even more crucial for people to use Secure URLS and IP Addresses and to scan their site to search for loop holes used by hackers to access websites.

Trust Guard, the leader in website security and online business verifications, has been the proven choice for protecting thousands of online businesses against hackers. When you are visiting websites online and you see the security seal of Trust Guard, you can know that the site will be protected against hackers.

Promote Your Business Online

 This article is for the business owners out there who are trying to improve their current business. In our technologically advanced world, it’s important to know how to best market your business so that your customers will visit your site and then buy from you once they get there. 

Today, most people are able to fast-forward through TV Commercials with DVRs. Because of this, spending tens of thousands of dollars marketing on television isn’t necessarily going to be the most effective tool for most small online businesses. Comparatively speaking, few people still listen to the radio with CD Players and iPods in cars, often making the radio another ineffective way to market in today’s new technological world.

Today, more than ninety percent of all internet users purchase products and services online. They go on the Internet in search of whatever it is they may need. They look up coupons, deals, discounts and find lots of businesses who advertise their products and services online! If your business is not on the World Wide Web, you are losing a lot of potential revenue and brand exposure.

Now, most business owners who haven’t started online think that it is too expensive. It’s true that many web hosting companies and web developers charge an arm and a leg to get entrepreneurs and established owners started with a business website. The good news is that not all web development and hosting companies are expensive.

I found an amazing company who helped me to host my new website for just five dollars a month. Just 5 Bucks hosting allowed me to make my business successful online by hosting my website at a reasonable fee. Their customer control panel is easy to understand and gave me access to a free software program called WordPress which, along with their inexpensive hosting, made it possible for my domain name to go live and online in a matter of hours.

With my new website, I have increased my brick-and-mortar only sales by 20%!

It is easy to get started online. And, despite what many people think, you can host an efficient, professional website for just five dollars a month.

Build Your Business Online with Cheap Hosting

I am a young entrepreneur venturing to own my own dance studio. I have the studio, mirrors, costumes, dance shoes, music and everything else I need to get started except for a high number of clients. Currently, the studio I am taking over only has 50 dancers enrolled. But in order to just break even with all expenses, I need at least 120 clients.

Clearly, I need to find an effective way to market my new business, so that I can increase my client base. However, since I am just starting up, I also do not have a lot of extra money to spend marketing my business.

So, I did some research to find the best ways to promote my new business without spending a lot of money. What I found is that today, in the business world, my new business needs to be seen online. Today, everyone searches for just about everything online – even dance studios for their children.

This led me to research how to get started online.  Did you know that you can buy a domain name for $10 a year then host it –get your business posted online – for only $5 a month?It is true!

You can also get started by simply creating free Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Linked-In and Blog accounts for your business. Having multiple online locations (social networking sites and a website) enables more people to be able to see your brand name, products and services online; therefore increasing the awareness others have of you and your business.

The reasons why you want to have a personal website along with the social networking sites is that they help validate your business. If a client finds you on Facebook or Twitter, for example, it increases the chances of them finding your business’ site online. However, if you do not have an official website, your business will look less credible.

Having an official online website, builds your creditability. It will also help you to increase your page rank on Google, so that more clients can see your business when searching topics related to your business.

If you have a Business Facebook Page, and on it you post a link to your website, Google (and other search engines) will recognize this as an “Authoritative Link” which puts you ahead of other businesses in the search engine’s rankings.

The best way to market your business is to get started online. Create a professional, personal website and host it for just 5 dollars a month. Then connect it to social networking sites to increase your client base. It is guaranteed to help you bring in more clients by helping you legitimize your business in the online world.

Outstanding Orthodontics: Having the Best Dentist Can Help Improve Your Personal and Family Life

When my husband was just a little boy, he fell off the top bunk bed and hit his mouth on the ground. His teeth un-aligned and became completely crooked, spread apart, and poking outwards in all directions. His poor smile was so crooked that he never felt like smiling.

Through his teen years his self-esteem was so low because of his crooked teeth. He felt like he couldn’t talk to anyone because his mouth was so messed up. He was so embarrassed of his smile that he almost never made friends or went on dates. When he was 21 years old, he and his parents could finally afford to get braces. His smile has slowly gotten straighter and straighter, and with it his entire demeanor has changed. Since he got braces his confidence has skyrocketed, and he is smiling more. The more he smiles, the more his day-to-day life improves and everyone around him can see a drastic change.

We started dating a month after he got braces. His teeth were still very crooked, but with his cute dimples and bright blue eyes that really shine when he did smile, I still loved his smile. 

Now we are happily married and he is getting his braces off in less than a month. His teeth are so much straighter and you can tell that he is happier just knowing he has a bright, straight, beautiful smile.

Many people refer to online dental sites to find local dentists and orthodontists.  Our smiles are one of the most important physical features we have. It is the first thing other people see, and people often judge us based on first impressions. This is why it is so crucial to find the most outstanding orthodontic dentist to help brighten and straighten your own smile and the smile of those you love. My husband can now be proud of his smile and this helps us both smile more often together.