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smb coronavirus survival kit : Step 1

STEP 1 :   Inform your website visitors on your current operational status.

This post is a development on item 1 on the list of :  Surviving the CoronaVirus : Small Business Basics

First things first, it’s very important that your website has mention of your business’ operational status in regards to the coronavirus pandemic.


In times of uncertainty like these we will all limit our displacements and prepare our routes with much more time spent on the internet than ever before.   Your SMBs website has to validate the status of your business’ operation without people having to call to see if you are still open. It’s as simple as updating your website’s homepage in a bold font saying:

coronavirus bla bla bla we are currently: open/closed/takeout only/video conference only/new safety measures / etc. until further notice kind of message.

What we’re doing for our clients is updating their websites with alert messages up front and center that can be updated stating their current operational position.

We consider it crucial for SMBs to have up to date operational status in regards to the coronavirus displayed on their website.

Whatever the way, get it done!

  Schedule a call with us

#coronaDetox #onlineSuccess #stayHealthy

Surviving the CoronaVirus : Small Business Basics

If you are a small business owner you need your website today more than ever. Its time to make it work. The amount of hours spent online is going to explode in the next few weeks & months and your clients movements are going to be very limited.

We’re a small business too, this is what we consider to be the first steps of surviving the SMB side of the coronavirus pandemic.

  1. Inform your client base and visitors about your operational hours and status on your website.
  2. Update your social channels.
  3. Update your voicemail message.
  4. Build a mailing list to be alert your clients on situational updates.
  5. If you are OPEN, then more than ever before, you have to make sure you get found for the right searches.
  6. Document for your losses and monitor provincial and federal Governmental SMB assistance programs.

That’s our plan for week 1.

As we navigate through this unprecedented storm our goal is to help as many SMBs as possible make it through the corona crisis to a sunny beach where all becomes “semi” normal again.

Moving forward the internet is officially your SMBs new best friend.

  Schedule a call with us

#CoronaDetox #onlineSuccess #stayHealthy

SSL Certificate Providing us with More Security

We have all noticed more and more websites that we visit today on Google Chrome and other browsers are marked as “unsecured”. Is this really the case? I pay to have a good referencing, a dedicated server, a webmaster who takes care of the updates to keep my website secure so what gives? Why do I see a message that the website is not secure?

Here is the easiest answer; There is no SSL certificate installed on the server where the website is hosted so Google indicates it is not secure.

The most extensive answer is what you need to know. Not having an SSL certificate does not mean that you have an unsecured website, it simply means that you are more vulnerable to hacking and phishing and that the connection between the server and your visitors’ browser is not secure. Huh? Let me explain.

All websites must be connected to a domain name to make them accessible via the Web. And all domain names use the default HTTP protocol. However, the URL link you visit does not always have a direct route and can cause hackers and scammers to steal information from the website you are visiting, unless the website in question has an SSL certificate.

What is an SSL certificate?

Good question! An SSL certificate makes a website accessible via the HTTPS protocol, which ensures that all website data that is exchanged between the Website server and the user’s browser is encrypted. It makes the course safer and that’s why the S is used in HTTPS and you see a small padlock in the navigation bar.

In the past, SSL was generally used to secure banking transactions, personal data collection and login information. Today, it has several advantages. Therefore, if you have a contact form, a dashboard login page, or an e-commerce, you should consider putting in an SSL certificate to improve the security of your website and inspire trust among your customers.

To find out if a website can be viewed safely, you can refer to the left of the URL link on your navigation bar:

What are the advantages of using an SSL certificate?

SSL certification offers you a multitude of security benefits and more!

SEO Benefits & Better Rakings

Our famous Google has begun to focus on websites with SSL certificates in an effort to make web browsing more secure. Since the SSL certificate enhances a website’s credibility, Google rewards websites with an SSL certificate by improving their ranking on Google search results.

Encrypted Connection

By offering this an additional layer of protection, the connection between the server and the browser that consults it is secured. In addition, in some cases, when you click on the padlock, it will indicate how many “cookies” are used.

Less Piracy and Phishing

Some hackers create a website identical to yours. Later, they can imitate your web server and make a user believe that they are visiting your site while in reality, they are browsing the same website as yours to steal personal information, such as your credit card number. The SSL certificate validates the authentication of the website owner / business owner.

Security and Privacy

All information that is completed on a contact form or during an online purchase on a website that holds an SSL certificate remains 100% private and even if someone discovers this information, they will never be able to understand the communication exchanges.

In a nutshell, the SSL certificate inspires confidence among your website visitors, provides you with increased security and protects you and your customers from the many threats on the Web.

This small padlock helps a lot to prevent hacker attacks that are based on illegal listening, while improving your online positioning. And we all know that having a good quality rating on Google is a key factor when trying to be at the top of the results pages!

How do I get an SSL certificate for my website?

To ensure the safety of visitors to your Web, Chrome requires that sites use certificates from approved organizations. At smbCoach, we offer you the SSL certificate at a low cost.

Google Scam: A Well-Established Trend Revealed

Google Phishing Process

Many of us have already received this famous call from a Google “Mike” informing us that our Google My Business listing is not complete and for $200, it will be able to update our business hours.

Although this “Mike” doesn’t speak a word in French, he also promises to put you on the front page on Google. This famous “Mike” and these types of companies try to make you believe that your current services (Local Listing Management, Search engine optimization, Adwords campaign, Facebook campaign, website, and/or Google My Business page) are not adequate and/or that your money is being misspent, among others.

People who make this kind of phishing attempt are very cunning, are often well informed about the companies to contact, and know how to be credible and insistent.

 

Learn to avoid these sharks

Unfortunately, it is absolutely impossible for Google or Facebook to contact you directly. In addition, Google never guarantees a first placement in search results or Adwords. So beware of any company that makes these kinds of promises!

Although we cannot guarantee you first page or first position on Google, we work in collaboration with reputable partners in the world of the Web to offer you Search Engine Optimization, Local Listing Management & Adwords services to better position you on the Web. CodeMountain and its partners are here to help SMBs like you, who want to have a notoriety on the Web and improve their positioning.

You may receive calls on certain occasions regarding your services with us. So here is the list of codeMountain partners who can call you:

RankingCoach – World leader in SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Image Marketing – Certified Google AdWords Specialist

 

Google’s Identity Theft Guidelines

To make you even more aware of the phishing attempts currently present, I invite you to read the following 2 links to Google articles, from their official site, concerning all known phishing attempts and how to react to such a situation:

https://support.google.com/faqs/answer/2952493 

https://www.google.com/safetycenter/everyone/start/report-robocall-scams/

 

In a nutshell, if this type of call occurs, we suggest that you:

  1. Keep calm, let him know that you are aware that this is a phishing attempt and hang up immediately.
  2. Please do not provide your password or credit card number.
  3. Notify us of the situation by sending an email to support@codemountain.ca and giving as much detail as possible about the incident.
  4. Report this incident to international consumer protection and network enforcement via this link: https://www.econsumer.gov/fr/FileAComplaint – crnt

 

It is by being collectively aware of the problem & having the right reactions that you can protect your company from cybercrime!

 

If you have any questions or require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact one of our digital experts at support@codemountain.ca or by phone at 1-855-810-5255.

FAQ on the SEO service offered by smbCoach

Services SEO pmecoach

Are you thinking of choosing our SEO service or have you already registered?

Here are some answers to your questions!

 

Which keywords should I choose?

Choose the most important keywords for your business and those that reflect your products and services. Ideally, these keywords should already be on your web page. Keywords that are too vague are often used by competitors and will therefore be more difficult to reference. The more precise the keyword, the more targeted your visitors will be.

Do I really have to create a subpage for each keyword?

Yes and no. Keyword groups or synonyms can be optimized on the same subpage. However, in general, there should be a subpage for each of your keywords. It is important that each keyword is naturally integrated into relevant content so that Google takes that page into consideration and offers it first in its search results.

Can I hide subpages?

No, each optimization must be done for the visitor and not for the search engine. Subpages must therefore be accessible to search engines as well as visitors. It is strongly recommended that these subpages are directly linked to the homepage and inserted in your navigation menu.

Do I need to visibly insert keywords on my page or can I hide them?

Keywords must be inserted directly into the texts of your pages. This is the only way the search engine can display your content when someone searches one of your keywords. They are and must therefore be visible. If the search engine does not find the keyword on your site, it will then choose another site. Furthermore, hiding keywords is contrary to Google guidelines, which can bring you more disadvantages than advantages.

How can I delete or modify keywords?

You can remove or change your keywords by contacting a smbCoach agent at support@codemountain.ca. You can also change their assigned importance, and add new ones (only if you have space left).

Please take into consideration that each change related to the keywords will lead to new tasks to perform! You will also lose the evaluation of all deleted keywords.

Why don’t I have any rankings in my evaluation?

If you have just started optimizing your website, your data is still being collected. You should see your data in two to three days.

If this is not the case, don’t worry, search engines only need time to consider the changes we have made to your website before sending you the results.

You will have to wait on average between 3 to 6 months before seeing the full impact of your changes in your rankings and then modify your data if necessary. If a keyword is still not classified, you should check if the keyword is too general.

How long does it take for me to appear in the rankings?

It depends on a lot of factors, so it’s difficult for us to answer that question. However, overall, SEO is a long-term process that requires time and patience.

Why is my ranking going down?

It is quite normal to see your rankings go up and down, especially at the beginning of an SEO optimization. Indeed, the search engine performs constant evaluations of your webpage, so it takes a little time before your rankings stabilize. You will have to wait between 3 to 6 months before seeing the real impact of your keywords and their rankings, before taking other measures.

Am I likely to encounter problems with search engines if I optimize my site myself?

Yes, by choosing to optimize your website yourself you risk affecting the natural SEO of your website since different resources will indicate to follow different instructions, leaving you in a whirlwind of steps to go through. With smbCoach, you will have a dedicated team that uses the tools of rankingCoach, and all tasks proposed respect the guidelines of search engines.

What makes rankingCoach different from other SEO tools?

rankingCoach is an SEO strategy, customized for your website. Unlike other tools, you will receive a program tailored to your business and SEO goals. By analyzing your site, keywords, industry data and competitors, rankingCoach will determine a customized SEO strategy for your business that the smbCoach team will apply to your website.

 

Want to know more? Contact us!


Source: This coach’s kitchen article of interest is brought to you in collaboration with rankingCoach™