Title: Six Ways to Save Your Site and InternetAuthor: Jason OConnor URL: http://www.oakwebworks.com Copyright: 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------- TERMS OF REPRINT
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Six Ways to Save Your Site and Internet
By Jason OConnor © 2004 http://www.oakwebworks.com
You are not only a Web Consultant, Internet Entrepreneur, or Web Business Owner; you’re also an Internet user. Since you are reading this article, you have already achieved a certain level of Web sophistication.
It is vitally important that when you make decisions regarding a website, an Internet program, an e-marketing campaign or a Web service, you take advantage of fact that you are a Web user also.
What this means is that practicing Golden Rule will guide you more than any article, book, tape, class or seminar out there. Let’s slightly alter this Rule to fit 21st Century Web world:
“Always create an experience on Web for others exactly how you would like experience to be for yourself in a similar situation.”
Here are top four biggest concerns, negative aspects, and downfalls of Internet today:
1.Spam 2.Viruses 3.Privacy 4.Identity theft
Here are top 6 ways you can alleviate these concerns for your customers or website visitors:
1) Don’t practice Spamming
Sounds simple, but spamming is painfully ubiquitous today. However, there are people out there who conduct email marketing with integrity. They have excellent success while avoiding everything that even hints of spam. They get much better returns than spammers. Why ever consider spamming again?
2)Offer an opt-out option – and make it prominent
Again, this is simple, and we’ve heard it a million times, but it can’t be repeated enough. Generally speaking, make opt-out checkbox next to email form field.
3) Have a Privacy statement/page – and make it obvious and easily accessible
In England, this is a law, and it’s policed. I wish it was this way everywhere. Place you’re Privacy link somewhere that a person filling out info on your site can easily see it. Make statement comprehensive. And stick to what you state in statement, to letter, or you are inviting legal action.
4) Take a highlight out of Privacy statement and place it right on web form
For example, directly above your web form, have a statement similar to this: “[Your Company Name] does not share, sell or give away email addresses or personal information to any other organization or company. You can be assured that your email address will never leave [Your Company Name] and you will never receive spam as a result of giving us your email address.” Make this in regular sized font, maybe even bold. The point is to make user feel comfortable.