Today in 1912 - Captain Albert Berry made the first successful #parachute jump from an #airplane in Jefferson, Mississippi. If you had to pick one…would you rather go #skydiving or bungee jumping? #SSLLC

Today in 1912 - Captain Albert Berry made the first successful #parachute jump from an #airplane in Jefferson, Mississippi. If you had to pick one…would you rather go #skydiving or bungee jumping? #SSLLC

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Google is considering giving a Boost in its search-engine results to Websites...

A powerful voice at Google wants websites to be more secure.

In a move that experts say could make it harder to spy on Web users, Google is considering giving a boost in its search-engine results to websites that use encryption, the engineer in charge of fighting spam in search results hinted at a recent conference.

The executive, Matt Cutts, is well known in the search world as the liaison between Google's search team and website designers who track every tweak to the company's search algorithms.

Mr. Cutts has also spoken in private conversations about Google's interest in making the change, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person says Google's internal discussions about encryption are still at an early stage and any change wouldn't happen soon.

A Google spokesman said the company has nothing to announce at this time.

Encrypting data transmitted over the Internet adds a barrier between Web users and anyone that wants to snoop on their Internet activities or steal their information.

Google uses its search algorithm to encourage and discourage practices among Web developers. Sites known to have malicious software are penalized in the company's rankings, for instance, as are those that load very slowly. In total, the company has more than 200 "signals" that help it determine search rankings, most of which it doesn't discuss publicly.

If Google adds encryption to the list, websites would have a big incentive to adopt it more widely.

"This would be a wonderful thing," says Kevin Mahaffey, the chief technology officer at mobile-security company Lookout. He says encryption ensures that a user's data can't be seen by others as it moves across the Internet, that it can't be tampered with, and that it gets to the correct recipient.

Internet users were jolted this week by disclosures that a popular encryption scheme, known as OpenSSL, contained a bug that could allow hackers to steal personal information. Still, despite any vulnerabilities, experts say it is safer to encrypt data to keep it secure.

Danny Sullivan, founding editor of the Search Engine Land blog and host of the conference where Mr. Cutts voiced support for encryption, believes Google ultimately may not favor encrypted sites in its results.

"Rewarding sites for [encrypting pages] in the algorithm would be a huge step," says Mr. Sullivan. "It also possibly causes an immediate change by all the wrong sites," he says, referring to sites that focus more on gaming Google results than developing good content.

Google is among many Internet companies that have moved to encrypt more of their services in recent years, including Gmail and Google Search. It stepped up those efforts last year, moving to encrypt traffic between its data centers after revelations that the National Security Agency was exploiting vulnerabilities in Google's infrastructure.

More websites are encrypting their pages. Still, some encrypt only parts of their pages, which can leave users vulnerable to attacks, says Matthew Green, a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University. He says hackers can take advantage of such vulnerabilities by capturing "cookies," for instance. This can allow hackers to track where users are going to log into a website as someone else.

To highlight security vulnerabilities on the Web, Eric Butler, a software developer at Uber, in 2010 designed an extension for the Firefox Web browser called Firesheep that snooped on users logging into insecure websites, allowing the Firesheep user to impersonate that person at the push of a button. "All websites should be using [encryption] everywhere with no exceptions," Mr. Butler says.

Publisher: Scriptable Solutions
Source: http://www.scriptablesolutions.com/article.cfm?ArticleNumber=93

Veterans Donation Depot has just Launched their Brand New Website

The Veterans Donation Depot has just launched their brand new website, courtesy of Scriptable Solutions! This charitable organization is dedicated to financially supporting those men and women who bravely served in the United States Armed Forces. Visitors are now easily able to make donations, aiding and improving the general welfare of all veterans as well as finding recent articles, photos, upcoming events, and more.  A Great Cause + A Great Website = A Great Success!

Check out the new website for The Veterans Donation Depot

Author: Scriptable Solutions
Source: http://www.scriptablesolutions.com/article.cfm?ArticleNumber=85

The Patriot Soil Project is Officially Live and Ready for Visitors

The Patriot Soil Project's new website is officially live and ready for visitors! Through the planting and growing of hundreds of "Patriot Trees" across the United States, this remarkable foundation honors America's fallen heroes.  Visitors to The Patriot Soil Project will now find detailed information about this national initiative, how to become a part of it, and ways to support it. In addition, current photo's, press releases, documentaries, and ways to donate can all be easily viewed and accessed.

We have had an amazing time creating a website design that represents the integrity of this incredible cause and we are honored to have played a small role in helping. Keep up the great work Patriot Soil!



Author: Scriptable Solutions
Source: http://www.scriptablesolutions.com/article.cfm?ArticleNumber=82

A Mobile Website For Devara Is Up Next

Devara, a leader in the promotional products industry, will soon be mobile courtesy of Scriptable Solutions.  With thousands of distributors across the country, it is essential for Devara to be accessible on a variety of mobile devices.  Soon clients will be able to view product details and pricing with a click of a button.  Businesses getting fancy...we love it!



View our web design portfolio to see some of our work.

Author: Scriptable Solutions

Source: http://www.scriptablesolutions.com/article.cfm?ArticleNumber=83

SOCIAL MEDIA USER TO PAYING CUSTOMER

Ultimately, marketing is about making sales. Brand recognition and engagement are simply aspects of revenue generation, but in the end, you want to convert people from users who engage with your brand via social media to paying customers.

Why Social Media

Social media marketing takes the relationship marketing theory to a new level. One of the keys to marketing is to build a solid relationship with the customer, and relationship marketing proposes that the customer-business interactions cannot be focused on the final sale. If they address the consumer’s interests and needs, then the brand loyalty and sales will come naturally.

Social media gives your company a platform to create these human relationships. It’s an opportunity for your company to be transparent and relatable. Use your social networks to humanize your company; let people see the soul of the company. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are not the best place to offer advertorial messages or coupons. This is where you explain the passion and social goals of your business and encourage the consumer to engage.

The Marketing Newsletter

One marketing avenue you can offer via social media is the company newsletter. The newsletter serves a special place in the conversion process—it is for people who want to increase their knowledge on a subject. Newsletters need to be full of topic-specific (usually industry-specific) information. Do not use the newsletter to give general information about your company, and remember that these are not update or feel-good pieces (that’s what your social media is for).

Take a hard look at your goals for your newsletter, and tailor the format and content to reach these goals. Are you trying to increase the number of leads? Better qualify people to speak to your sales team? Keep the customers you have? Gather your answers and create a plan of action.

Best Practices

Don’t just throw together a generic newsletter and hope it sticks, however. Follow these best practices so you’re not wasting your time (and theirs):

• Write for the Web. Craft clear, concise and grammatically correct content that’s relevant and compelling for your intended audience. Meet Content has a comprehensive list of writing guidelines that’s helpful.
• Go for “the ask.” Include a call to action in your newsletter. Tell readers what you want them to do, whether that’s to sign up for your service, call you or buy your product. Kuno Creative offer six simple tips to creating a strong call for action.
• Make it easy for them to pay you. Create a streamlined payment process that offers your users-turned-customers payment flexibility. Chargify offers subscription management services that enables customers to upgrade from one plan to another, download statements and access a self-service help portal.
• Hire a professional designer. Or, use an email newsletter service like MailChimp. The last thing you want to do is send out an amateurish newsletter—no one will take you seriously.

Publisher: Scriptable Solutions
Source: http://www.scriptablesolutions.com/article.cfm?ArticleNumber=98

Today in 1965 - Michel Jazy ran the mile in 3 minutes, 53.6 seconds. He broke the #record set by Peter Snell in 1964. What’s your PR? #SSLLC

Today in 1965 - Michel Jazy ran the mile in 3 minutes, 53.6 seconds. He broke the #record set by Peter Snell in 1964. What’s your PR? #SSLLC

www.scriptablesolutions.com