Your Computer Lady

You are here: Home / Archives for Internet

By Leave a Comment

Pixel Tracking

Yesterday I went to a website to see what they offered in home meal deliveries.  I didn’t set up an account. I didn’t request a quote.  Just looked around the site.

15 minutes later there was an email from the company in my Inbox. 

This was done with pixel tracking.  While I was on the site, a piece of code gathered my information and added it to the company’s database. 

Emails from Service Providers like Constant Contact and MailChimp use pixel tracking. That’s how they know who opened an email or clicked on a link in the email.

Facebook ads and Amazon.com use pixel tracking. Any search on Amazon will result in plenty of ads popping up on your browser offering the same or similar items.

So it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s helpful.  But you should have control over who is gathering information.

First line of defense – Turn off image downloading. (Instructions here.)  The pixels are hidden in graphics. If you don’t download the graphics, you can’t get a pixel tracker.  You can always choose to download graphics in an email from a safe source.

You can gain additional control by installing extensions in Gmail or other email softwares to block the tracking.  I’ve installed PixelBlock in my Gmail. Another option is Ugly Mail. Each software is going to be a little different. Google “pixel trackers in Yahoo” or something similar to see how your provider handles them.

Share the post "Pixel Tracking"

By Leave a Comment

Working Securely While Working Remotely

“In today’s digital workplace, more organizations offer the option for remote work in an effort to cut overhead costs, reach talent in other geographical regions, and give employees a more flexible schedule. In fact, 74% of organizations believe that flexible working has become the “new normal”. Now, in light of the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), some organizations are even requiring remote work. “
Click here to read the full article. 

Share the post "Working Securely While Working Remotely"

By Leave a Comment

COVID-19 Won’t Stop Us!

Kudos to the Phoenix Women’s Leadership Summit for fast, creative thinking.  Instead of cancelling the conference, they switched to Live Streaming and On-Demand.  They sweetened the offer with 12 monthly webinars and a pass to next year’s conference.  Good marketing!  Good community building!

Phoenix Women’s Leadership Summit

Share the post "COVID-19 Won’t Stop Us!"

By Leave a Comment

What Do You Base Your Decision To Open An Email On?

” 57% of email subscribers spend 10-60 minutes browsing marketing emails during the week. – ChoozOn

90% of email gets delivered to the intended recipient’s inbox, whereas only 2% of your Facebook fans see your posts in their News Feed. – Forrester Research

68% of Americans say they base their decision to open an email on the ‘From’ name. – Campaign Monitor

Across all editions, Outlook accounts for 56% of all desktop email opens and nearly 16% of total opens in any environment. – Campaign Monitor

Six in ten (61%) American workers who use the Internet say email is “very important” for doing their job. – Pew Research

Non-office-based workers to say the Internet, email, and cell phones have given them more flexibility in the hours they work (51% vs. 19%) but also that these tools have increased the amount of time spent working (47% vs.18%). – Pew Research”

Statistics from: https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/email-marketing/2016/01/70-email-marketing-stats-you-need-to-know/

Share the post "What Do You Base Your Decision To Open An Email On?"

By Leave a Comment

Warning of Ransomware attack

Just received this notice from the software manufacturer that I use to protect my WordPress websites.  Please read and take action!  “Ransomware” is a hack that takes control of your computer and demands a ransom to release it.  Do not fall for this trick!

A massive global ransomware attack on machines running the Windows operating system is underway and spreading quickly. We have published a public service announcement that gives you a high level overview of the attack along with advice on how to protect yourself.

You can find the full post on our blog….

Regards,
Mark Maunder
Wordfence Founder & CEO

 

Share the post "Warning of Ransomware attack"

By Leave a Comment

Dropbox Hit With Reused Passwords

Dropbox was accused of a security breach. They state that their database wasn’t attacked. BUT hackers used passwords they stole from other sites to try to access Dropbox accounts.

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/10/14/dropbox-blames-security-breach-on-password-reuse/

This is why you can not use the same password for multiple accounts!  This is a serious problem. Please!  It’s worth the effort to make your data safer.

Option 1
Use LastPass.com to record and input passwords. I will help you set it up if you need some assistance.  Basic service is free. Premium to sync multiple devices is only $12 a year.

Option 2

Create a series that you can remember but changes with each account.  Should be at least 8 characters including a capital letter and a special character.

Example:  Series is 12yahoo34$%

Then for your Google account it is 12goOgl34$%
        for Southwest Airlines it is    12soUth34$%
        for Yelp it is                        12yeLp34$%

Call me for help!

 

Share the post "Dropbox Hit With Reused Passwords"

News from our Blog

Plant Your Friggin\' Tree!
I love this discussion with Pat Lencioni and team about the NEED to make decisions now and move in the right direction. I agree with him. We can\'t wait for \"normal\" to return. It\'s not coming back.  ...
PayPal
PayPal has a new \"Smart\" button to use on your website. It offers PayPal, Venmo, major credit cards in one easy click. Much easier for your clients! There are other options you should check out too.\r\n...
Pixel Tracking
Yesterday I went to a website to see what they offered in home meal deliveries.  I didn’t set up an account. I didn’t request a quote.  Just looked around the site.\r\n15 minutes later there was a...
Adapt Your Marketing Strategy
Charles Darwin did not say the strongest or smartest of the species survive. Darwin meant those who are most capable of adapting to their environment gain the upper hand and survive. This is true for ...
90{9391cd469848d14a29b33be97375143616131db8e4fd0e80987efc1b2f7fc624} Fail
Harvard Business School Professors Robert Kaplan and David Norton state, “90{9391cd469848d14a29b33be97375143616131db8e4fd0e80987efc1b2f7fc624} of business strategies fail due to poor execution.” I have tools to help you improve your execution. A Marketing Calen...
Marketing
\r\nOne of the worst things to hear from a client is \"Oh, I didn\'t know you did that!\" So use your Marketing Calendar to ensure that you are covering all services/products on a regular basis. Keep those...
Marketing in Times of Uncertainty: Tips From Top Marketing Pros
Another excellent article from Social Media Examiner.  These pros often work with larger companies who have social media teams. Not always, but often.  So I added my thoughts for my small business p...
Different Types of Logos
Here is a really good article describing the different types of logos. These are terms and concepts you should be familiar with as a small business owner. When you talk with your web developer or your...
Updated Statistics on 17 Marketing Strategies
This article title is a little mis-leading. Don\'t pass it by if you are an established business. In fact, it may be more important to an established business. Over time we can get into a marketing rut...
New Guidelines for Online Marketing
This is a GREAT article about our new world and how we can and should market our businesses. Practical suggestions and tips. Using reality to put our best foot forward.  Please read this!\r\n ...