All StartLogic customers are eligible to receive up to a $50 Google AdWords advertising credit when they sign up for Google AdWords. So, whether you've had your online store for years but have been putting off trying Google AdWords or you've just set up a website for your business and are eager to get visitors to come check it out, here's your chance to try out targeted online advertising. Interested in trying out a new customer acquisition tool? Login to your vDeck control panel at yourwebsiteaddress/vdeck (example: www.123.com/vdeck) to sign up!PLEASE NOTE: One credit available per customer. For terms and conditions, please click here |
Tech Tip: Account Security  After spending time to build a website and upload it to the server, security is a very important aspect to take into consideration. Malicious users are abundant on the Internet and a few steps that can be taken to protect yourself require very little time or effort. Researching 3rd party scripts (example: guestbooks, form mail, bulletin boards) before using them on the website may reveal vulnerabilities or possible problems and help in your decision on which script to use. Secunia.com is a website devoted to enumerating vulnerabilities and bugs that may prove helpful in your research. Passwords should be reset often (at least once a month) to stop attackers from guessing your password or cracking the password with many failed attempts. Passwords may be changed in the vDeck control panel under preferences in the top right hand corner. When selecting a password, try and make it impossible to guess, preferably using letters, numbers, and special characters. Some applications may require special permissions to allow write access to specific files or folders. Files and folders in your account that have permissions set to 777 are wide open to attackers. Permissions may be changed in the vDeck control panel under host manager -> file manager by clicking the 3 digit code to the far right of each file. If a program requires permissions remain set to 777 you may want to evaluate whether the program is worth the potential security risks. Please Note: If you have a Windows hosting account, the above tip does not apply. Thank you, Matt Kandoll, Tier 2 Tech Support |
 By Pamela HazeltonPractical eCommerce It was a phase, until it started costing money and taking time away from already busy schedules. Too many business owners had the wrong expectations, so links to the tool are seen less these days. I’m talking about live chat between online stores and visitors. If used properly, though, a live chat tool can result in repeat visits and purchases. Live chat software can run as little as a $100 license fee, or up to $100 or more per month via a service. What you will pay depends on the features you need, but let’s not forget about time - our most valuable resource. The software doesn’t run itself, which means time spent chatting with customers will cost significantly more than the software itself. The time spent chatting with a shopper (chats can run from minutes to hours) is dependent on the shopper’s needs and understanding. It’s not for all visitors-some shoppers refuse to initiate chats, which are more impersonal. You can’t expect a high percentage of visitors to use the tool, nor can you expect a high percentage of those who do to make a direct purchase. The key to finding the right tool is to know your needs. If you aren’t concerned with maintaining chat logs or statistics, you can expect to pay less than those who want in-depth analysis. Either way, you need a tool that works in the most environments and in secure mode (to avoid SSL alerts due to insecure calls). Read more... |
 www.pandasintl.comIn the mood to purchase a gift from Asia? Then check out Panda’s International’s new site at www.pandasintl.com, which was designed by StartLogic. There, you can find all types of eastern treasures. This site includes shopping cart functionality, enhanced layout and quicker loading times than the company’s old site, which has made it even easier for visitors to shop for items of interest. The company, which has been around for 20 years, has brought a whole new dimension to its business by going online. The company’s old site was essentially a glorified catalog, but with the e-commerce abilities of the new site, the company has seen a significant increase in sales since its launch in recent months. About 90% of all customers who have purchased online through the site have reordered and most old customers have doubled their orders when purchasing through the new site. In addition, the ecommerce site will save the company money. "We can now do away with our printed catalogs and flyers," says Thomas Hsu, Director of Business for Panda’s. The addition of this functionality has been a time-saver as well. "I really don’t like programming and coding at all even with my background as an IT manager before," adds Hsu. "Having StartLogic host and design this new site really takes the monkey off my back... StartLogic has built a solid stepping stone for Panda’s International Trading Co. to expand their e-commerce business and this also enables me to be more focused on personal career advancement from the technical side to the management role." As for the future, Hsu hopes to add more products, which he says is pretty easy to do with his new system. He has also has added an email update signup list that customers are already joining and he will use to promote his products in the future. Interested in learning more about StartLogic’s design services? Please call 1-800-725-8064 x5005 9-5:30 M-F, 7-3:30 Sat. MST/AZ Time. Do you want your site to be considered for our next Site of the Month? If so, please email us at newsletter@startlogic.com |
