The DNS backlog has now been cleared by our engineers and all DNS updates will be processed in real-time .

8 May 2012, 2.30pm. 

Our DNS provisioning service is experiencing high load which is impacting the creation and modification of DNS records. There may be some delay in processing updates to DNS records. The operation of existing DNS records is not impacted.

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• Red Orange, Black, and Royal Blue  attract impulse shoppers;
• Navy Blue and Teal attract budget shoppers;
• Pink, Sky Blue, and Rose attract traditional buyers;
• Green is associated with wealthy and helps buyers relax;
• Yellow is optimistic and youthful;
• Colour increases brand recognition by 80%;
• 52% of buyers do not revisit a website due to poor design or aesthetics

How does your site rate?

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The new look makes it easy to scan our posts, get involved  with commenting,  and of course share our posts on twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

We will be posting all things related to getting your business online, marketing yourself online, and managing your business better using online tools. Our eBusiness specialists will be getting involved and posting some of their insights gained by helping thousands of customers.

What would you like to read about? 

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In a nutshell, the term “mobile web” refers to accessing the internet using a mobile device such as a smart-phone or tablet. It is important to differentiate the mobile web from mobile applications. The mobile web is delivered using open technologies like HTML, CSS and javascript, and will run on any Internet enabled mobile device. Mobile applications are developed for specific platforms like the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows mobile, J2ME mobile, Symbian, iPad. A mobile application will only run on the device it is designed for.

With the IDC predicting there will be over 1 billion Internet enabled mobile devices by 2013, the mobile web is booming. And as it continues to grow, so too does the mobile user experience. This is where mobile websites come into the picture.

So why would you develop a mobile website rather than a mobile application?

By developing a mobile version of your website, you are ensuring that users visiting your site via a mobile device are viewing it as quickly and efficiently as possible. A major benefit of mobile-developed websites is speed; they have the ability to load extremely fast. They’re also better accustomed to mobile screens; meaning the site displays within the screen width, which limits the need for arduous scrolling.

This is important, since a mobile optimised design will attract more visitors to your site if they find it useful and very easy to access information. So think about it; why wouldn’t you want to go mobile? Mobile devices are the new standard and are an evolving part of the web’s future. They are clearly the way forward for the mobile user experience.

If you’re still keen to develop a mobile application, our recommendation is to first develop your mobile website and then once you understand what your users needs are, develop a well targeted mobile application.

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Foursquare, however, refutes these claims and in the six months that followed its rival’s launch, foursquare says it saw its membership double. Data released at the start of June shows that Facebook is quickly catching up with the market leader and in some of its most popular locations it’s overtaken foursquare in number of check ins. The two share 98 per cent of the market share: foursquare claiming 67 per cent to Facebook’s 31 per cent.

Airports are the most popular log in places – long periods of waiting coupled with the perfect ‘look what I’m doing’ moment – and Facebook HQ also appears on the top 10. The majority of users are currently in America, but the top international location for check ins is surprisingly the MCG.

Users can add any business they want to check in to, but taking control of your company’s locations is recommended. With such a large database of users to target, making sure your details – such as address and opening hours – are correct can have a huge effect on driving people to your business. Updating deals – such as freebies or discounts for check ins at certain times – will also increase custom, as well as word of mouth advertising as Places users update their status to tell their friends of the deal they’re taking advantage of.

With 17.6 per cent of smart-phone users checking in to locations, and this number steadily increasing, these two companies look set to battle it out for a while yet with the ultimate winners being the businesses taking advantage of these services.

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SSL is the backbone of the secure internet and is needed to safeguard sensitive information that’s transmitted via the Internet. It keeps away cyber criminals who prowl after such information with the intention of using it illegally. SSL certificates will encrypt personal and sensitive data and protect the privacy of customers.

There are many SSL certificates to choose from, but how do you know what type is best for you? It can be a perplexing question that needs careful consideration based on your needs, certificate assurance, warranty and cost.

The levels of encryption, cost and the insurance vary between vendors, but popularity and reliability are also important factors to consider. VeriSign (now Symantec) is the largest and clearly the most popular amongst consumers and due to this, people tend to trust it more than others. Some big and trusted websites such as PayPal, Tigerdirect and Best Buy, all use Symantec – which definitely scores points when customers are looking to choose between vendors. VeriSign also comes with a free daily malware scan that alerts users to any suspicious software found on the website.

While encryption and ownership of GeoTrust and RapidSSL are essentially the same, there are some noticeable differences in the roots, with the former using “GeoTrust” and the latter using “Equifax” root. There is also a difference in the verification process that takes place during their purchase.  Both of them issue certificates that are not licensed per server, which means one certificate can be used for an entire web-farm.

The SSL certificate vendors provide insurance against the misuse of certificates and this differs from one vendor to another. Symantec provides warranties of up to $250,000 while GeoTrust and RapidSSL offer a $10,000 warranty. The higher the insurance, the more inscription/authentication is provided by the SSL vendors.  There are no free trials and contracts are purchased for a minimum of one year. Although Symantec does cost the most, it provides a 30 day free trial which the other SSL vendors do not offer.

Another point to consider is that Symantec also provide an extended validation SSL certificate which, in supported web browsers, turns the browser bar green when enabled. This gives instant reassurance to visitors that the website is trusted and secure.

In short, while the SSL certificates provided by many vendors may be quite similar to each other, they do also have some definite differences – whether significant or insignificant. Some of the fundamental ones have been listed in the following table:

PRODUCT NAME           PRICE PER YEAR            MULTI-YEAR OPTIONS           SPEED OF INSURANCE   REFUND POLICY
VeriSign                           $390 onwards                   1 to 5 years                                   Up to 2-5 days                   30 days
GeoTrust                          $140 onwards                    1 to 5 years                                   Immediate                          7 days
RapidSSL                           $45 onwards                      1 to 5 years                               Immediate                          7 days
Thawte                              $140 onwards                    1 to 5 years                                   Up to 2-5 days                   30 days

The differences between Symantec,  GeoTrust, and RapidSSL

An SSL certificate can be obtained from amounts as low as $45 to as high as $3000 per year. Whilst the type of encryption can be the same, the cost is determined by the rigour of the certification process as well as the assurance and warranty that the vendor can provide.  Symantec is the most popular SSL provider and is used by most large websites. Despite paying a few thousand more, it can be a safe bet in protecting the personal and financial information of your customers

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Although a PHD isn’t required, a career in social media goes well beyond getting paid to play on Facebook all day, avidly tweeting and giving inspirational presentations around the world.  Down the bottom of the chain is a community manager.  This role involves spam management on company blogs and forums, writing SEO online content and selling ads.  A little further up is a social media strategist who develops engaging social media strategies for clients of the agency you work in-house with.  Their role is based around building a company’s online presence and building a larger audience of followers.

Social media consultants, managers and directors are also lucrative jobs which have emerged.  The roles suit people who are very social media savvy, competent at evaluating options and can efficiently customise and manage social media plans for individual businesses.

Social media jobs are often filled by recent university graduates.  That doesn’t mean they’re not accessible if you’ve already established yourself in the workforce.  Having a background in copywriting or journalism, marketing and computer technology will make it much easier to score a career in a web 2.0 job.  And the pay is great, too.  According to Simply Hired, the average salary for a social media job is $55,000.

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Harvey Norman just launched a daily deals site and Myer recently announced an offshore e-commerce website.  It’s taken them years to finally realise the power of the internet and in 2011 they are all jumping on board to accommodate the demand of growing online customers.

Whilst it is growing strongly, online retail is still a niche market with online sales accounting for only 3.4 per cent of Australia’s total retail spending.  Although this may sound small, it’s actually a booming industry which will be worth $37 billion in Australia alone.  So it’s no wonder that the retail giants are heading online.   With the recent $80 million investment made by James Packer in CatchofTheDay.com.au for a 40% stake in the company shows how many investors are seeing online as the future.

Another online shopping sensation is voucher and deals giant Groupon (called stardeals.com.au in Australia),  most people might be aware of a lawsuit between Scoopon.com.au(an Australian copy) where Scoopon registered the domain name, Groupon.com.au.   Groupon is dubbed the fastest growing company in history, where the company is expected to apply for an IPO in the coming months, would value Groupon at US$30 billion, not bad for a company which only founded in November of 2008.

Last week clothing retailer Colorado announced its collapse, revealing plans to close more than 109 stores. Just weeks before, heavyweight bookstores Borders and Angus & Robertson closed 82 stores. This highlights the dire state of traditional retailers who are hurting due to the increasing popularity of online shopping.

Experts are tipping eCommerce in Australia to grow around 20 per cent of total spending, while traditional retail sales sit at 2.7 per cent. But why is shopping online so popular? For one, the internet isn’t restricted by physical space the a traditional store is. It’s limitless. Consumers can shop for anything whenever they want. They’re not restricted by store operating hours and can purchase at the convenient click of a mouse. Most stores even offer discount postage if you buy multiple products.

The online world is going to be a tough market to compete in for traditional retailers considering large US competitors, the strong Australian dollar, and low barriers to entry. Any Australian small business can create their own online shop and start competing with the big brands online. With the right online marketing strategy a small business can often be more successful in their category than big retailers.

With Australian retail sector experiencing the worst year in two decades and online retail growing strongly, the future of Aussie retail is definitely online.

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A domain name should reflect your organization’s name and should give an insight into what your business represents. Choosing and registering a domain name is a big decision as you could potentially live with this choice for a long time.

Firstly, choosing the domain name, which could be different from the actual business organization’s name, must be done.  It should be registered as quickly as possible to avoid ‘Cyber Squatters’ from taking your domain name and holding it ransom for large amounts of money.  Cyber Squatting is very common in TLDs such as .com, .co, .co.uk, .ca,co.nz to list just a few, however in Australia; the auDA (Australian Domain Administration) has implemented tight policies to tackle this issue. To register a domain name in Australia, the applicant must have a registered Australian business – for example an ABN, ACN or RBN – and even extensions such as .org.au are closely regulated with only non-profitable organizations allowed to register. There are still cyber squatters in the .com.au domain space, however.  Also, generic key phrases such as ‘domain names’, ‘melbourne real estate’, ‘coffee’ etc. can only be registered by businesses which meet the criteria and can prove their eligibility.

If your organization is new and you haven’t decided on a name yet, having an attractive domain name can also help you select your company’s name. With the internet having a major role to play in today’s economy, having a good domain name can make a great difference to your sales and popularity.

Since the internet has become very competitive, having a generic domain name like melbournerealestate.com.au is a very good decision. Although it’s long, it contains the generic key phrases ‘Melbourne real estate’, and a lot of users would search this key phrase through search engines. In most cases, established websites in that sector such as real estate development firms would purchase this domain as another address through which visitors can access their website.

Using a generic Australian domain name will help people remember your products and services and can thereby increase business sales. It could also help you get a good resale value if you want to sell the website later.  Furthermore, the generic words in a domain name will make your website easier to locate through search engines.

To get started, make a list of all the products and services your business will supply then add all of your preferred business names and the locations you will be operating in. Use this list to search for available domain names until you can find a name that’s available for purchase, has good generic keywords, and is memorable to users.

Once you’ve chosen your domain you can get started building your website.

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SSL is a concept little understood by most people. Many people ask us, what are the benefits of SSL? How secure is SSL? In this post we try to answer all your questions.

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, an encryption technology originally developed by Netscape.  It lets private information to be transmitted by forming an encrypted connection between the web browser of your visitor and your web server. The information can be totally guarded against privacy problems like eavesdropping, forgery of messages and tampering of information.  To activate SSL for a website, you need an SSL certificate that acts like an identification and installs SSL on a server. It is used by online businesses to have secure websites for classified information transfer. Mostly transmitting information like credit/ debit card numbers, personal information and other private data, it is safe to use SSL certified websites.

The SSL activation on a website can be identified by a padlock icon in the web browser and a green address bar.  Moreover the URL of the website changes from http:// to https://.  Doing this gains you trust from your customers as they would only prefer SSL certified websites.  One SSL server certificate can protect one domain or a sub domain.  A trust seal provides validation that you can display on your website that indicates that it is certified by SSL.  It can be displayed on secure or non-secure pages also and added to pages where personal or financial information is collected to build trust.

Overall, having an SSL certificate improves security over the web when transaction such as payments and private details such as credit cards are taking place.   If yo operate an eCommerce website, it is important to provide a safe platform for your customers, thus the increase in customer confidence/trust will improve your website reputation.  There are a few different company’s which manage SSL certificates such as the top dog Verisign, GeoTrust, RapidSSL and Thawte.  Prices start from only $45 up to $2000 per year depending on the size of your website, so it’s a small investment to make considering the increase in security and consumer confidence it can bring.

What is TLS?

A new technology to SSL and bringing it to the next level is the TLS – Transport Layer Security.  It has two layers, the lower layer or the TLS Record Protocol and the upper layer called the TLS Handshake Protocol.  The TLS Record Protocol is present on top of a reliable Transport protocol, for e.g. the TCP.  It provides privacy and gives reliable connections.   The TLS Handshake Protocol secures the connection and provides authentication using the concept of asymmetrical cryptography that provides a secret key for negotiation.

TLS uses a range of ciphers and is independent.  It offers many advantages over SSL.  It has been gaining popularity in the recent years as it is getting phased into network security products that originally used SSL.  TLS is also known as the new version of SSL, popularly known as SSL v3.1. Another difference between the two is the message “No Certificate” used to be present for SSL but was removed as it seemed redundant.  TLS assumes that the client can return an empty certificate message if there doesn’t exists a certificate.

What is the difference between SSL and TLS?

TLS uses HMAC for generating key material but SSL uses RSA. The former produces a pre-master secret and then the master secret, but the latter generates just the secret key material. Certificate verification stage is complex in SSL but is simple using the handshake in the TLS. Message authentication is done by H-MAC in TLS but MD5 or SHA in SSL. Regarding the Baseline cipher suites, SSL supports RSA, Diffie-Hellman and Fortezza/DMS cipher suites, but TLS has stopped using the Fortezza/DMS suites. It also has the facility of adding cipher suites in the future.

A recent survey called the SSL Survey Results 2011 by SSL Lbs found the following figures.

• Only 32 percent of SSL sites were configured well enough to be graded an “A”
• 57 percent of SSL certificates use 1024-bit RSA keys or less; minimum 2048-bit is recommended
• Virtually all SSL certificates are signed using SHA1 RSA hashing algorithm. Use of vulnerable MD5 has virtually been eliminated, while SHA2 has barely started deployment. (Note that NIST recommends using SHA2, but industry support for SHA2 is still lagging.)
• Close to 50 percent of trusted servers support the insecure SSL v2 protocol; there is virtually no support for TLS v1.1 or v1.2
• 63 percent of servers support weak ciphers of less than 128 bits
• 35 percent of servers support insecure SSL renegotiation
• Only 21 percent of sites redirect to SSL authentication
• Only 15 percent of sites use secure session cookies only
• 22 percent of sites use mixed (HTTP and HTTPS) content
• Only one third of login forms are protected with SSL

From the results, it suggest a higher level of SSL is required in order to improve and protect your eCommerce websites.  A higher authentication RSA key of  2048 bit is required.  Most importantly, the price difference between 1024 bit and 2024 bit is only about 15.20%.

Why is SSL important for eCommerce websites?

SSL builds trust with customers. Google recently announced a change to the AdWords policy and now require websites  to have an SSL when “collecting payment and certain financial and personal information”. Given advertising using AdWords is a must for all eCommerce websites, not having an SSL certificate could mean you’re in breach of the AdWords policy and unable to run ads.

If you’re collecting personal or payment information online, then offering a secure means for people submitting their information can build trust and credibility, and this can help your business grow.

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