Don’t ask for client reviews once. Ask many times in many different ways! You can’t tell when a client will have the time and the focus to do a review. So ask often and make it easy! Here is a good example. Event Espresso is a plug-in for WordPress to organize events and ticket sales. They did a 7 day series of email lessons. At the bottom of #7, they inserted a link to their Twitter profile. They asked for a tweet. This is an easy type of review request. I didn’t have to think of what to write, look up their Twitter ID. Nothing like that! Click on the link and share the word.
Don’t Get Scammed!
I had another client get scammed last week by the “Microsoft noticed that your computer has a virus and we want to help” message that commandeers your computer.
MICROSOFT NEVER EVER CONTACTS YOU ABOUT A VIRUS OR PROBLEM
WITH YOUR COMPUTER! NEVER.
Do not call the number given in the message! Do not let unknown persons remotely access your computer. Do not give unknown persons your credit card info.
If you are ever in doubt, call me or text me at 480-433-9995 for help.
Or take these steps to get out of the lock.
Try to close your browser completely.
If that doesn’t work, hit Ctrl+Alt+Del to open your Task Manager and force the browser to close.
If that doesn’t work, power off the computer. Hold the power button down several seconds until it forces a shut down.
Unplug your modem. Then restart the computer. If the message shows up again, try to close it again. There is no Internet connection so it can’t do any harm at this point.
Shut down the computer again. Re-plug the modem. Turn on the computer. Open your browser.
If you see the message again, call one of my hardware referrals. Let them clean up the problem.
If you don’t see the message, say a gratitude prayer!
Building Bridges Business Solutions
602-604-5000
Les Ticey
Expert IT Support
480-217-3721
James Casteneda
Dan Gilbert’s 19 Rules for Business
Dan Gilbert is the owner of 100 companies. These are his personal “rules” of business and the way he encourages his companies to operate. Pretty sound advice! Click here to read more!
Interesting and Useful Websites
I wanted to share some good websites with you!
Home energy savers
Visit the US Dept of Energy site for tips for every room of your house!
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver
Medicinal Plant Information
Visit the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health website to learn about medicinal plants. Many of these items may be in your kitchen or garden! I have plenty of aloe vera plants to share with everyone!!
Breathing Break
One of the best ways to refresh yourself when you hit the afternoon doldrums is to take deep breaths. (Yes, yoga and pilates instructors, I have been listening!!) Here is a site that guides you for a breathing break. This will also work well for meditation. Focus on the graphic and breathing to increase your focus.
http://xhalr.com/
All That Tech Stuff!
Here is a cool site with lots of answers and lots of suggestions for you on all things tech – phones, online banking, Alexa, speakers, etc. The content ranges from simple “What is a platform?” to more complex “How to buy the right laptop.”
And it’s FREE!
How to Stop Being a Marketer and Start Acting Like a Publisher
Here is the most powerful take-away from this excellent article –Like many companies, Intel learned the hard way that third-party platforms “are a place to harvest an audience, not build it,” as Luke puts it. Intel “invested a lot of money to build up our fan base to 25 or 30 million,” only to discover that its organic reach was a puny portion of that total: 2,500 or so.
“Mark Zuckerberg is your landlord,” Luke says, referring to Facebook’s control of its audience. “He will change your rental agreement when he wants, and you can’t do much about it.”
Originally, the iQ team measured content success in terms of social engagement: the number of shares, comments, “likes,” and retweets.
Today, the iQ team follows a push-pull distribution model. “Just because you build it doesn’t mean that people will come,” Deb says.
Luke advises, “Push content to where people are discovering it, where they are. But don’t stop there. Pull them in to your own sites and your own infrastructure, and then convert them into email subscribers, harvest more data, get smarter about what kind of content they want to consume.”
THIS is successful marketing! This is relationship selling.
Do you agree? Are you moving this direction now in your own marketing?
Read the full article here.
Changes To Google Maps
Many of you use Google Maps on your website. You may receive a scary sounding email about the new Google Maps Platform and fees.
Do not panic! Google is charging for all maps services now. However, each account gets a $200 credit each month to cover the first 25,000 clicks on the map. So far none of my clients are hitting the 25,000 click level so the $200 credit will cover your fee.
If you want the details, here is the Google announcement.
Book Review: Your Brain At Work by David Rock
Just finished this excellent book this morning. I highly recommend it for anyone who has stressful days, difficult situations in their life or who wants to make a change in the world.
There is so much new information coming out now with improved technology about the brain and how it works. Mr. Rock takes the studies and theories and applies them to real life situations.
First he gives us a scenario. Then he discusses the new knowledge. Lastly, he re-writes the scenario using the knowledge so you can see it in action.
So it is easy to understand. Practical advice and application. And he’s funny at times.