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Archive for Online Tools and Tips
February 8, 2007 at 4:43 pm · Filed under Online Tools and Tips
Already have your google base feed set up? Great, it’s a free site. You can also register with dealtime.co.uk (shopping.com) to bring in more traffic. Google ‘adwords’ are a useful and cheap option to pull more traffic into your site!
Also..have you submitted your site to all the search engines? Using the Sitemap Beta Program you can register your website with Google, and with Yahoo you can submit your URL. Your domain name provider may offer you this service for nothing or a small fee. Try to go through and register with as many search engines as possible. Most are free! My domain provider registered my URL with 10 top search engines free.
Overture is a company by yahoo, which has the same facilities as Google adwords. There minimum is £1 a day, so be prepared to spend £30 a month of advertising with them.
It works on a pre-pay system so be prepared to invest around £70 initially.
You need to choose your keywords effectively and review them on a regular basis. If a program is NOT working for you then KILL IT! Give it a month to prove its worth, and if it is not performing then don’t waste any more money.
Remember that eBay is your main advertising tool, don’t forget to keep listing and always have a few items in your eBay shop!
Soak up all the free advertising, and if you can attempt search engine optimization yourself then do so. There are various guides on the web.
When going for a pay per click scheme use ‘KEYWORD’ targeted instead of ‘SITE’ targeted, site targeted is when your advert is displayed on relevant sites, you have to choose these but if you can’t see any decent sites to host your ad, then refrain. It is more expensive than key word targeted, and for example with Google I had about 150 clicks in a week from keyword costing around £5, but for the same £5 I only had 8 clicks for site targeted.
Be prepared to try out alternative advertising, but don’t leave it unattended. It is not a guarenteed success, so always monitor each scheme. Give everything a month, but be ruthless. More money spent of advertising the less money you have to list on eBay and invest in product!
February 8, 2007 at 4:41 pm · Filed under Online Tools and Tips
Great for bulk resizing of images! - http://picasa.google.com/index.html
A free software download from Google.
Picasa is software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures (even ones you forgot you had) and sorts them into visual albums organised by date with folder names you will recognise. You can drag and drop to arrange your albums and make labels to create new groups. Picasa makes sure your pictures are always organised.
Picasa also makes advanced editing simple by putting one-click fixes and powerful effects at your fingertips. And Picasa makes it a snap to share your pictures – you can email, print photos home, make gift CDs, and even post pictures on your own blog.
February 8, 2007 at 4:40 pm · Filed under Online Tools and Tips
Free HTML editor for auction descriptions and website content! http://www.coffeecup.com/free-editor/
The CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor is a drag and drop HTML Editor with Built-in FTP uploading. It has wizards for tables, frames, forms and fonts and comes with all HTML 4.0 and XHTML tags. The Free version also includes wizards for images, links and a Quickstart so you can create web pages fast.
February 8, 2007 at 4:39 pm · Filed under Online Tools and Tips
Legal Issues:
1. Hierarchy of legal jurisdictions (UK)
a. Standards & Codes of practice (UK bodies)
b. UK statute & common law
c. EU directives to governments
d. International agreements
2. Concerns are global
a. Domain names & trademarks, advertising, defamation, IPR, privacy, taxation of e-commerce
UK statutes:
1. Consumer Credit Act 1974
2. Health & Safety at Work Act 1975
3. Data Protection Acts 1984 & 1998
4. Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988
5. Computer Misuse Act 1990
6. Electronic Communications Act 2000
7. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
8. Law of contract, sale of goods, etc.
EU Directives:
1. Must be enacted into UK law
a. Often done through statutory instruments
b. Basis for privacy, H&S laws
2. Try to look at Europe-wide standards
a. Can conflict with basis of national law
3. Many changes due through this route
a. E.g. Harmonisation of aspects of copyright, taxation of sales
Protecting Privacy:
1. Privacy
a. The right to be left alone and the right to be free of unreasonable personal intrusions
2. Information Privacy
a. The claim of individuals, groups, or institutions to determine for themselves when, and to what extent, information about them is communicated to others
How is Private Information Collected?
1. By individuals providing data during registration, searching, purchase
2. From Internet Directories
3. By making your browser record information about you
4. Server logs of what you browse
5. From e-mail monitoring
Five principles of e-commerce privacy:
1. Notice/Awareness – Notice to make informed decisions.
2. Choice/Consent – on use of personal information. Consent may be granted through ‘opt-in’ clauses requiring steps.
3. Access/Participation – Must be able to access their personal information and challenge its validity.
4. Integrity/security – Must be assured that data is secure and accurate.
5. Enforcement/Redress – methods should exist. Alternatives are self-regulation, legislation for private remedies, government intervention.
Company Guidelines:
1. UK - the relevant legislation is Data Protection Act 1998
2. USA - few laws directly controlling use of personal data
a. Privacy Act 1974 - regulates Federal record keeping
b. 1997 ‘Framework for Global e-Commerce’ from Clinton Admin. - recommended self-regulation
c. Federal Trade Commission Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (from 21/4/2000) - before collecting personal information from a child under 13, must have consent of parent.
Web Site Registration:
1. Much information can be gathered
2. Presents problems for sender & recipient:
a. Who will receive the data?
b. How will the data be used - business planning, sale to a third party, appropriately?
c. Is the data correct?
d. Who really sent it?
99.99% of statistics are made up on the spot:
1. 10th User Survey by GVU suggests:
a. 40% of all users have falsified information when registering online
b. 66% of all U.S. and European respondents don’t register as they don’t know how the information is going to be used
c. 63% don’t feel that registration is worthwhile considering the content of the sites
d. 58% don’t trust the sites collecting this information from them
2. http://www.gvu.gatech.edu/user_surveys/
Protecting Intellectual Property:
1. Copyright - Copyright Design & Patents Act, 1988 gives protection for literature, including :
i. Derived works - translations, adaptations);
ii. Art (inc. applied art - jewelry, furniture etc.);
iii. Computer programs
b. Copy; distribute; record; perform; broadcast;
i. Lawful only with authorisation of copyright owner
c. Case: Shetland Times v. Wills (i.e. ‘Times’-v- ‘News’)
i. Court decreed that headlines had copyright protection, and hence could not be linked without authorisation
2. New EU directive on copyright harmonisation due soon.
Trade Marks:
1. A sign (words, pictures, colours etc.) - a means of identifying a business capability for particular goods/services
a. Protection through registration
2. E-commerce problems for trademarks:
a. Domain name problems - misuse; cybersquatting & selling; character string problems (e.g. CANDYLAND case - Hasbro v. IEG Ltd. 1995)
b. Deep linking (e.g. case: Ticketmaster v. Microsoft, 1997; Ticketmaster 2001)
c. Metatagging (e.g. case: Playboy v. Calvin DL, 1997)
More Intellectual Property Issues:
1. Trade Secret
a. Intellectual work such as a business plan, which is a company secret and is not based on public information.
b. Corporate espionage via internet technologies is said to be a problem.
2. Patent
a. A document that grants the holder exclusive rights on an invention for some years.
b. Case: Amazon v. Barnes & Noble (1999) for 1-click purchasing.
Public Key Infrastructure:
1. Aim: secure and trusted environment for the conduct of electronic commerce.
2. Digital Signatures authenticate the identity of the sender and give assurance of message integrity, and thus can provide a system of non-repudiation.
3. Smart Cards - implements PKI in hardware rather than merely in software, for greater security.
a. Card can contain PKI chip containing user’s private key, which can only be used by someone with physical possession of the card (WHAT YOU HAVE), and knowledge of a secret pass phrase (WHAT YOU KNOW) plus perhaps a biometric identifier (WHO YOU ARE).
b. Time/date-stamping - by third party
Implications for business internet usage:
1. Specify the rules of electronic contracting and jurisdiction prevailing when buyers, brokers, and sellers are in different countries
a. Establish whether encryption, e-certs required
2. Have a policy to ensure compliance with law (esp. in UK – e.g. Data Protection Act 1998)
3. Ensure that sites do not breach copyright (including within intranets)
4. Be aware of infringing laws (e.g. on data handling, content, trading) of other nations if scope is beyond own national boundaries. Â < Prev
February 8, 2007 at 4:38 pm · Filed under Online Tools and Tips
Basic communication is open & uncontrolled
Internet growth = more attacks on computers and networks
70% of organisations have experienced some form of attack (2000)
42% of organisations in 1996
But reporting has declined – why?
Negative Publicity – 52%
Fears that competitors would use it against them – 39%
Didn’t realise they could report it – 15%
Commercial financial loss is estimated at 6% of sales rev.
Variety of types of attacks – financial fraud, sabotage, data theft
unauthorised access, denial of service
Why now?
Growth in commercial transactions on the internet
Security & usability are inversely related
Security considerations are low down commercial priorities
Security depends upon the Internet as a whole
Dominance of Microsoft makes world susceptible – Melissa virus
Hacker community growing & easier to hack – script kids & micro virus
Your Business and Security:
But Business Requirements are:
Security, Privacy, Confidentiality & Integrity of transactions
Security fears are a major obstacle to e-business growth
Identity may be easily faked & signature is often required
Security Issues that may arise:
Customers’ concerns – is the web site legitimate?
Does it contain malicious code
Will private personal information be distributed to others
Company’s perspective – is the customer legitimate?
Will he/she try to alter web pages or content
Will he/she try to implement a DoS attack
Both are concerned about eavesdropping & information integrity
Security Concerns:
Confidentiality – controlling access to information
Integrity – data & programs to be free from unauthorised change or loss
Availability & Legitimate Use – continual access to authorised users
Non-Repudiation – ability to ensure that neither party can deny transaction or have anonymity
Requires a legal framework within which to punish offenders
Security = compromise – cost vs. perceived security
Difficult as security is always a cost and there is no way of measuring return on investment
Risk Management:
Authentication - of the web site or the buyer / participant
Requires some credentials, e.g.
knowledge – password
Physical – card, fob, etc
Biometric – fingerprint, retina scan, face recognition.
Authorisation - access rights to certain areas
Auditing – log files & journal files
Information Security Policy – iterative development
List all resources requiring protection – routers, firewalls, etc
Define physical access restrictions to servers, PCs etc
Define electronic access to the above
Catalogue threat for each resource and perform risk analysis
Security Threats:
Discover key elements of the network /system
Scan for vulnerabilities – network sniffers, etc
Hack system to gain access to administrator levels
Disable /remove traces from log/journal files
Steal files, source code or alter data.
Install back doors or Trojan horses to permit undetectable re-entry
Security Defences:
Growth Industry
Anti-virus software
Access Control Software /Hardware
Physical Security
Firewalls
Encryption
Intrusion Detection
Encryption & Firewalls:
Encryption
Symmetric Systems – same key to encrypt & decrypt – DES
Asymmetric Systems – also known as public key encryption
Different key to decrypt – RSA (Rivest, Shamir & Adelman)
Digital Signatures – utilise the public key of organisations
Firewalls
Packet Filtering Routers
Accept or reject packets of data
Application Level Proxies
Repackage packets between 2 network cards
Hide IP addresses of communicating internal servers
E-Payment Systems:
Credit Cards dominate the Internet
PAIN problems persist
Privacy – keep transaction details private
Authentication – prove you are who you say you are
Integrity – no alteration to transaction details without detection
Non-Repudiation – a binding agreement
E-payment system is going to require Issuer – bank or ISP
Regulatory authority – an (independent) agency
E-Payment Criteria:
Independence – of specialised facilities
Interoperability & portability – also mesh with existing systems
Security
Anonymity
Divisibility – deal with small cash sums
Ease of Use – i.e. similar to a credit card
Facilitate a transaction fee
B2B – incentives as lower costs & immediate payments
Basis for all e-payment schemes is Public Key Infrastructure (RSA)
E-Payment and Digital Certificates:
Organisations provide digital certificates authenticating organisations.
Such as Verisign, Trust-e
SSL – secure socket layer
Web browser/server takes care of everything
SET – Secure Electronic Transaction
Encrypted protocol for handling & verifying card validity, authorisation & purchase processing
February 8, 2007 at 4:33 pm · Filed under Online Tools and Tips
A company’s customer experience can be considered as part of its brand and includes the quality of the customers’ interactions with the comapny and its products. Uniformity of the brand across the channels of all customer contact will increase brand recognition. By using online and offline advertising, email marketing and public relations you can create dominant brand awareness and increase customers confidence and loyalty.
Your brand needs to be unique, recognisable and easy to remember.
Unfortunatly also the interent makes it difficult to protect a company’s brand from misuse. Rumors and customer dissatisfaction can spread quickly through forums, message boards and chat rooms. It is also not difficult for other people to use a company’s brand on their own site or to sell products illegally.
You can surf the web for signs of brand abuse or hire companies such as www.ewatch.com or www.netcurrents.com. Such companies surf the web for news, rumours and monitor brand abuse.
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