by Felicien | Oct 23, 2017 | Education
:Using an App that Actually Helps You Read that Article Later
Saving articles to read later is something we do; we save. But reading the articles we save isn’t something we do as often. The reason: organization, or lack thereof. But with organization comes action. And the action is prompted by the right app.
There is a wealth of information on the web. Though the information is vast, the sources are not always the most reputable or responsible. When we find good articles to read, we want them, but we don’t always have the time to read them right there. Some of us just keep the tab open until there’s either too many open sites or your computer crashes. Some of us just bookmark it using the respective shortcuts offered by the various web browsers. Both these processes, the tabbers or the bookmarkers, so to speak, get what they want: saved articles to read later. But to what utility? Do you really go back and read them? How many of these articles did you actually save this way? Will you even find the article you want at the moment you want it, or will you have to scan and search endlessly because your list of to-read-later articles is way too long or seriously stress-inducing?
From an IT tech perspective, there’s no reason this should happen. You should be able to save your articles (or videos and/or podcasts) to read (or view and/or listen) at your convenience and on any of your gadgets (phone, iPad, tablet, Kindle, computer, or other), and you should be able to find the exact article you want without hassle. Technology is too advanced today not to offer this service. So why haven’t you already asked about such an app yet? Because, in fact, there are two apps that have been around for a few years, and with recent updates, they help you manage your read-it-later content so that you will indeed read them later.
Instapaper: It’s All About the Highlights
Instapaper has been around for a few years and is a popular content bookmarking tool for both iOS and Android devices. With Instapaper, you can “save anything,” “read anything,” and highlight and add notes, and much, much more. All you need to do is download the app Instapaper.
Create an account. It’s simple, just add your email and create a password and voila.
Download the extension specific to your browser: Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox. An Instapaper icon will appear in your reader toolbar. If you go back and forth between browsers on your different devices, you can log in and download the respective extensions. Instapaper also automatically syncs the articles to all your devices, whether it’s a Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Android, or another device.
Create folders. On the homepage of Instapaper, you will want to create folders in advance, if you already know a few subjects you want to be categorized for your article-saving pleasure.
Browse the web and identify an article you want to save. When you find an article, simply click on the button in the customized toolbar. The article is then saved to your Instapaper homepage.
Drag and drop saved articles to the appropriate file.
Instapaper has a sophisticated, completely clutter-free appearance. No ads, nothing to distract you. The best thing about Instapaper, however, isn’t its ease-of-use and management-friendly application, but it’s the extra intuitive tools.
Read offline. You can read anything offline. This is a fantastic tool for those who don’t want to overload their WiFi or who are travelers and are out of reach of
Highlight & Comment. To the innate researcher and forever-student, this tool is essential. You can add highlights and make comments directly on the article. One caveat, you only get to use this tool to a certain extent before you must pay for an upgrade. You can even tweet a highlighted section.
You can change the fonts in reader view to your preference.
Create Playlists. That’s right, you can create a playlist and have the article read out loud to you while driving, exercising, or sleeping. This, of course, is part of your upgrade.
Speed Reading. The text highlights the words as you read. It can provide “reading times,” too. But again, this is part of your upgrade.
Robust Search Engine. On the homepage, you can conduct a search and results are quite spectacular. You can make Instapaper your homepage and never need to leave it again. The search engine comes with the free version, this time there’s no need to upgrade.
Pocket: Because You Can Bring It Everywhere
Pocket is another app that’s been around for awhile, it was the original Read It Later app. Like Instapaper, Pocket offers a clutter-free reading and viewing experience as well as the capability to sync across all devices. But shared features almost end there. If you are saving more images, videos, or built-in media and are more socially inclined, then Pocket might be for you. To use Pocket, simply download the free app and begin. Some features offered or perfected by Pocket are not available through Instapaper:
Email articles to Pocket. Have you ever copied and pasted links to an email and sent them to yourself to save? But then they just get lost in the mix of your other emails? With Pocket, you can email the articles directly to add@getpocket.com.
Get social. With Pocket’s desktop app, you can save and share articles with others via email, Twitter, Facebook, Evernote, etc.
Get updates. You can have updates sent directly to Pocket.
These two apps are perfect for the person who wants to read and view it all but just can’t do it right then and there. Instapaper is better for the researcher-type who wants to devour what he or she reads and engage the text, while Pocket is better for the social-type who want to engage friends or followers. But for the person who is all these things, you might want to look at these two apps as complementary. Like all things today, we section off pieces of ourselves for different interests, there’s no reason our apps can’t be used in the same way.
by Felicien | Oct 23, 2017 | Education
By following these simple steps, you can make your website stand out from the crowd with shining star ratings in Google’s search results.
Have you ever tried searching for your own business on Google? If your business has a website, you likely pay attention to the content on your site, the efficacy of your site’s search engine optimization, how you advertise your site, and perhaps even its Google Analytics. Have you ever considered what your website looks like as a Google search result, though? Many business owners overlook this simple, yet important step in driving traffic to their websites. An organic search result listing which is well-designed and organized with respect to relevancy and aesthetics will ensure you make a great first impression on your webpage’s potential viewers.
When searching through Google for other reasons, you have probably noticed that some webpage listings, which appear on the list of search results, include a star rating in addition to the site’s title, meta description, and meta tags. Although Google does not publicly release the specific parameters of its search algorithm, one can speculate the great difference that a good star rating which appears next to a website on a Google search results page makes when the average internet user selects one website while choosing to ignore the rest. The increased traffic to your webpage, as a result of displayed star ratings, should work well to improve your page’s place in search results for at least your top few keywords and keyword phrases. Not only do star ratings draw a surfer’s attention to your search listing, they also immediately gain your company priceless earned media (i.e. trusted reviews and word of mouth advertising from your customers).
Simple Steps to Stardom
You or your web developer can make short work of affixing a star rating (and its added credibility) to your website with the help of either a plugin or some basic backend HTML coding. Follow these simple steps to stardom:
Get Rated and Reviewed– You can skip this step and go on to those which follow, but if your business has no existing online reviews or ratings, then Google will not be able to locate or calculate an average star rating to display on the search engine results page. To gather reviews, you will need to encourage your customers to rate your business, products, services, or their experience with you on a trusted review site, in an acceptable format, or on your Google Business Page. Google provides a complete list of the types of reviews which they consider trusted, here.
Add a Schema Markup to Your Website– Once you have acquired a sufficient number of online reviews and ratings from customers, you can manually add directions to your website which specifically tell Google’s search engine crawler about all of the great, new reviews you want your customers to see when they search for you. In order for Google to detect your reviews, you will need to add a schema markup to your webpage. This schema should include various types of structured data for Google to read in order to learn more about your webpage and type of business. While you could include all sorts of data in the footnotes of your page, the most pertinent information for star rating purposes includes defining your company as a local business or a more specific sub-category and specifying your product or service. You will also need to point Google to your business name, address, logo, business hours, phone number, and email. You will also include a geolocation section in the schema, which defines your location’s latitude and longitude (NASA will help you determine your coordinates here). In the schema, you will add information to define the number of reviews you have and your average star rating, which will help Google include this on your page’s search result listing. As your reviews increase and the average rating changes, you will need to manually adjust the rating in your schema.
Take a Shortcut Using a Plugin– Manual entry for the schema is the best way to ensure the most accurate search engine results and star ratings for your webpage. If, however, you feel uncomfortable with the code, you can add a plugin to your website to handle entering the schema (or structured data) on your behalf.
Give It a Test Run– Once you have either entered all of your webpage’s structured data yourself or had a plugin fill in the blanks with an automated scan of your site, you can test the data using Google’s handy Structured Data Testing Tool. Enter your web address into the search tool and scan through the results looking for noted errors or warnings. This tool can help you locate typos, incorrect data, or data which might not add up in all of the right places. If the tester finds an error, go back and correct the issue and then re-test to make sure all of your data is in order.
Wait and Watch– Your search result listing stars will not appear immediately after you have completed the setup process. It should take Google’s web crawlers about four or five days to re-crawl your recently updated website and add the star ratings to your listing on the search results page.
Make Your Page a Star
If you want to improve your business, your webpage’s search results, and bring your page to the top of the list with star ratings which are displayed in your customers’ and potential customers’ search results, but do not feel comfortable making the back-end changes to your website yourself, our skilled IT professionals can help you. In addition to setting up your star ratings, we can also provide advice on optimizing your existing webpage to improve your search engine results with back-end coding designed to assist web crawlers when they read your page and its riveting content to boost your click-through rates. To learn more about how we can help your business convert more leads through improved search engine results, contact us today. We look forward to being an integral part of your company’s online success.
by Felicien | Oct 23, 2017 | Education
Half of all small businesses suffered a cyber attack in the last year. Is your business ready to recover?
How well is your business prepared to recover quickly from a cyber attack? A recent Ponemon study reported that half of all small businesses had been targeted by malicious hackers within the past year. Sadly, many small- and mid-sized businesses lack a tested recovery plan. These attacks can cripple operations and in the worst cases, put victims out of business permanently. If your excuse for not creating a recovery plan is that your company lacks resources, then you will certainly lack the resources to recover your computer systems.
Five Ways to Prepare for Rapid Recovery From Cyber Attacks
Hopefully, you already have implemented good security software and policies. Nothing can offer your company a 100-percent guarantee against cyber attacks or even accidents that might damage your data and computer systems. If you get hit, you need to make certain that you can bounce back fast.
Consider including these steps in your rapid recovery plan:
Backups
As a start, you should ensure that you have an automatic system to create backups of your data, software, and even computer systems. If the worst happens, you can simply wipe everything clean and start over. It’s not enough to just create backups. You really need to make sure that your recovery software and processes have been tested long before you need to rely on them to keep operating.
If you think that creating a reliable backup and recovery system is beyond the scope of your company’s skill, you may consider investing in a third-party service that will handle the job for you. Having systems and data backups stored offsite also helps to protect your valuable assets against physical threats like fires or storms.
Use Encryption Software for Sensitive Data
Do you store credit card numbers, sensitive patient data, or anything else that would harm you and your customers if it falls into the wrong hands? If so, you should use software that encrypts that data before it transmits it over or outside of your network. Even if hackers steal encrypted data, they shouldn’t be able to make use of it.
Your encryption protection should also include communications, so make certain that your employees use email and text messaging systems that offer encryption security. That could mean limiting the use of personal phones or at least, ensuring that employees use secure apps that you may provide for them.
Monitor Your Network for Suspicious Activity
Really, the best way to detect malicious activity from inside or outside your company is to keep gathering data about how your systems get used. Monitoring software can provide full reports and also send alerts and block suspicious activity. You can use software or even a third-party security service to help you with this task if it falls beyond the scope of your company’s resources.
According to the Ponemon report, these outside security services have become increasingly popular with SMBs because they offer them affordable access to the same kind of expertise and tools that larger companies may already benefit from.
Enforce Good Security Policies
The Ponemon report found that mistakes made by employees and contractors accounted for a good share of issues with digital assets. You may need to work with a consultant to create good IT governance policies to protect your company in this age of cloud computing, phishing scams, and employees’ mobile devices.
After you create those policies, you need to make sure you educate employees about how to adhere to them and how you plan to enforce them. You may also add an extra layer of protection by using a cloud-based gateway service that will control, monitor, and report upon all access attempts. With these services, you can set access rules that will automatically enforce your security policies. If an employee tries to access your accounting system with his mobile phone, the system won’t allow it and will keep a report.
Create Crisis-Ready Alternate Systems for Critical Functions
Instead of waiting for backups to complete, you might have alternative systems setup just in case your primary computers get corrupted. These days, some companies even take the extra step of using multiple cloud providers to store data and software just in case the primary provider has problems.
Having to duplicate your business systems will certainly cost more. However, the assurance of business continuity may make it a great investment if you do suffer from a cyber attack. As recently as this year, Amazon Web Services had problems that impacted some customers for several hours in the middle of the day. Having the luxury of instantly switching to an alternate system can save some companies thousands of dollars.
Why Invest in Rapid Recovery From Cyber Attacks?
Consider the example of a small, Midwestern company that lost its network because an employee accidentally clicked a link in a phishing email. This online retailer found itself infested with ransomware. The ransomware encrypted all of the company’s records and demanded $50,000 in exchange for the decryption key. The company’s owner actually paid the ransom, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the encryption key did not work. The backup systems had not been attended to, and the owner ended up closing the company because he could not afford to rebuild from scratch.
According to a report in the Denver Post, over half of small businesses close within six months of devastating cyber attacks. Those that do survive, lose hundreds of thousands of dollars to lost time, damaging press, and their recovery. Instead of hoping that your business won’t fall victim, you can prepare to recover quickly and minimize damage.
by Felicien | Oct 20, 2017 | Education
Running low on data or headed to an area with no internet connection? Learn how to quickly and easily download articles for offline reading.
While much of the country has fast and easy internet access, there are still pockets where connectivity is a challenge. If you’re headed into one of those spots with low access or if your data plan is running low, it’s good to know that you’re able to quickly store the information from an article and read it offline at your leisure. Google announced that more than 45 million web pages have been saved for offline viewing, so clearly there is a big demand for this functionality. The Google Chrome recently simplified the task by allowing you to save an article for offline access with a few taps.
Read-It-Later Apps
Over the past few years, there’s been a significant rise in the number of bookmarking, or “read-it-later” apps. Whether you need this functionality because you’re in the middle of a task and get distracted and want to create a reading list to pick up on later or if you’re headed into a dead zone, millions of Americans have jumped on board this relatively new way to consume content. Instapaper is arguably the most prominent of this type of read-it-later app, as it allows you to aggregate content from a variety of different sources and downloads it efficiently to your mobile device for consumption at a later date and time — regardless of whether you have an active internet connection. Flipboard is another popular app that provides offline access via a “Fetch” functionality. While Flipboard works based off of aggregating content for you based off of topics or brands that you select and the system believes you will appreciate, Instapaper allows you to select the content that you add to your “paper” for later reading via a browser plug-in.
Limited Internet Access
While fast internet access is a given for most people, a current Pew study notes that nearly 30 percent of Americans do not have high-speed internet access at home and nearly 20 percent of Americans have no internet access at home at all. While these numbers continue to drop, they don’t indicate all the spaces between home and their workplace where it can be challenging to find access. Many restaurants now provide free access, making it easier than ever for individuals to connect to the internet for a short period of time and download a number of articles or pages to read offline at a later time when their connection may be more limited.
Reading on the Go
However, it’s the amount of travel — for business and for pleasure — that is most likely to impact our overall lack of or reduced connectivity. Despite the rise of teleconferencing as a valid business communication tool, business travel continues to rise and is expected to hit all-time highs due in large part to the easier transfer of data between geographically disparate organizations. Overseas travel for business is also on the rise, and with the cost of in-flight connections still, high travelers are increasingly looking for ways to stay productive while moving locales. Downloading articles for offline reading can be a great way to catch up with recommended reading from colleagues or superiors even when travelers are on the road.
Saving Content for Offline Viewing
Google has a long history of responding to user needs, and with the massive initial demand for offline content, the search giant looked for ways to simplify the overall user experience and add value to readers. Offline reading access is a relatively new feature for Google, as it only launched in December 2016. Here are the steps required to save articles for offline reading using Google Chrome:
Launch the Chrome browser from your mobile device
Select the URL of the page you wish to download with a long press
You’ll be presented with the option to ‘Download Link”
This feature is also available from the New Tab page for all suggested articles
Additionally, if you’re in a location without internet access and you want to be able to select something to download when you have access again, Google has also made this scenario easier. Hitting a page when you don’t have an active connection brings up a new button, allowing you to “Download page later”.
Reading Your Articles
Once you’ve downloaded the content, viewing the articles is a snap. Opening a new tab in Google Chrome provides you with a list of articles that have been downloaded and are available for offline viewing. You can also navigate to the articles similar to the way you look for content in History or in Bookmarks. It’s good to note that articles saved for offline viewing are only available to the specific device that you selected, not for all devices that are connected to your Google account.
Saving articles for offline reading is only one of the many ways that Google continues to listen to customers and provide the most effective user experience possible. If you’re ready to find ways to reach your customers more efficiently, contact {company} today at {phone} or via email to {email}. We will work with you to optimize operations and ensure that your systems have the necessary security for your business.
by Felicien | Oct 20, 2017 | Education
Accounting firms that move into the cloud become more efficient, more productive, more mobile, and, perhaps more importantly, more profitable. Here are the clear benefits of what to expect when you move your firm into the cloud.
What’s the perfect setup for a football Sunday? Everything within reach from the remote to the recliner and all of the best snacks. Without moving much, you have everything you need to enjoy the big game. Does your accounting firm offer this same type of high-level access? Can you “reach” everything no matter what you need, where you are, or when you need it? You should. It’s essential to today’s profitable and successful accounting firm. It’s time to move your firm into the cloud.
Why Your Firm Needs to Embrace the Cloud
Many accounting firms have heard a great deal about the “cloud.” Don’t view it as an ominous, overbearing object in the sky. It’s actually an investment you’ll make and then wonder why you waited so long to make your move. When you embrace the cloud and move your accounting firm into it, you’ll gain incredible connectivity and mobility. This generally leads to a highly effective way of managing your business, growing your clientele, and eventually, scaling.
All of this comes from one, specific benefit of the cloud. It frees your firm from all physical location limitations when operating any component of the business. Imagine, for a moment what this may mean. Your company’s staff connects through the cloud to all stored data and components of your business. This creates several benefits.
First, you and your staff can work anywhere. You can connect with your clients at their office. You can pull up files from last year in the middle of the night to soothe the worries of a client. It’s possible to network with others over the span of space to communicate in real time about actual information and funds. Everything is within reach no matter where you, your client, or your staff is located.
Next, recognize the benefits this has on the day-to-day operations of your organization. You can reduce the number of physical offices you have. It’s no longer necessary to have numerous locations across the state. You can meet with your clients at their office, connect over the cloud, and share information.
Your staff no longer needs to work from multiple local offices. Instead, resources are poured into just one location. This saves you significantly. There’s less of a workforce to manage, pay, and provide benefits too. And, you have your most talented professionals to work with on a routine basis. You also need to spend less on servers, one of the more costly components of business operations. All of this cost-savings directly impact your business’s bottom line.
It sounds so good, but is it really that easy and clear?
Going back to that football Sunday example, think for a moment about what goes into the process. You still need to put some time and hard work into creating that man cave. You still need to invest in the equipment including a big screen TV and the most comfortable of recliners. You also need to set up your technology, buy the food, invest in the right layout, and so on. In other words, yes, there’s work to be done to set up the cloud, and it is not always simplistic or fast.
Moving to the Cloud Is a Big Step, But a Worthwhile One
There is an element of patience and a bit of an actual investment in the move into the cloud. The set-up process is not complex, especially when managed by a company with significant experience. The biggest challenge comes from overcoming the fear of change. Many accounting firms and their employees hesitate to make this transition for fear of what it will do to the day-to-day operations.
The change your firm experiences will be in moving what’s on your servers right now to the cloud. This must be done in a very systemic way to ensure it functions properly. Your software will be integrated. Your functions will work in the same manner. This doesn’t amount to a significant amount of change in the way your team will operate in terms of inputting data, making calculations, and compiling reports.
Here’s the Bottom Line: Why You Need to Move
Where are the core benefits of moving to the cloud? Here’s what every accounting firm needs to know.
It makes your firm more efficient. Every component of operations is done in the most efficient manner. That saves you money.
It saves you time. You spend less time navigating software and moving from place-to-place. You need fewer labor hours to accomplish the same tasks.
There’s better realization of data within reach. You can quickly calculate what your client needs to know. You can then use this information to provide advice and guidance.
It provides an opportunity to build revenue. You can cross-sell services more efficiently. You can handle more clients without adding more staff or operational cost.
The accounting firm gains insight into key areas of opportunity. You provide a better level of service to your clients.
Accounting firms that move to the cloud become better capable of meeting their clients’ specific needs. They also become problem solvers that are fast and efficient. Your business is impressive. All compliance requirements are met. All IRS components are handled in a streamlined manner.
The key to achieving this goal is to work with a provider that’s capable of helping you to create the best football Sunday. It’s incredibly easy to see these benefits and to move your firm into the cloud. Not doing so gives your competitors the opportunity to achieve more and to do so faster.
by Felicien | Oct 20, 2017 | Education
Is Your Charitable Organization at Risk?
If tomorrow’s headlines read your non-profit organization’s data and donor info was breached, what would be the ramifications? Are you taking enough appropriate steps to stop cybersecurity threats?
Is Your Charitable Organization at Risk? Cybersecurity Tips for Non-Profits
Almost weekly, we hear about an internet or computer security breach at a large retailer, bank, or recently, a major credit reporting service. These breaches create problems for not only the companies involved but for their customers. Personal information is often exposed, and the carefully crafted reputation a company may have built for years or decades can be destroyed.
As of yet, we haven’t heard of any major breaches at a non-profit organization. The key words are “as of yet.” Non-profits often store a significant amount of data about their board members, employees, volunteers, donors, corporate supporters, and more. A security breach for a non-profit will not only be embarrassing but it could have significant adverse effects on future funding. These are some of the reasons non-profits should be proactive in taking steps to button up computers and online security. Here are nine cybersecurity tips of which non-profits should take note.
Increase the difficulty of your passwords and change them at least quarterly. If your organization is using simple passwords because it is “easier”, you should keep in mind it also makes it easier for others to gain access. Many experts agree that the most secure passwords should be a random series of eight letters and numbers with at least two capital letters included in the sequence. With the frequent turnover in staff members and volunteers, passwords should be changed at least every three months. Don’t allow staff to write their passwords on Post-It notes attached to their computers. It happens.
Set security protocols for staff and volunteers in writing. Don’t assume those around you know about phishing and spear phishing and the dangers lurking behind pop-up ads and downloads. Many non-profit organizations have older volunteers who may not be aware of the latest dangers and tactics being used to gain access to data. Having staff and volunteers sign off on a one-sheeter acknowledging they understand basic security guidelines can demonstrate they are aware of the potential problems.
Upgrade security software. Of course, non-profit budgets are tight but they will get much tighter if there is a breach in your data and donors feel their information is not secure. Make it a point to get security software from a major supplier that you can feel comfortable with and keep it updated. Providing a secure firewall or malware protection after experiencing a cybersecurity attack will do little to build confidence in your organization.
Upgrade computers and hardware. The older your equipment is, the more likely it is susceptible to a cybersecurity threat. Board of directors may not be willing to invest in new computer systems just because of the bells and whistles they include. If the security of their sponsor and donor data is at risk, however, it may get their attention and provide support for new equipment. If your non-profit has not looked into TechSoup for deep discounts on software and hardware, it should. The application process can be a bit tedious but the savings are significant.
Make sure your online donation processing is impregnable. It is critical your donors have absolute confidence when making online donations. While services like PayPal are simple and relatively easy to set up, they may not instill the confidence of a more robust payment system. Giving donors payment options can also help facilitate more and more frequent donations.
Limit access to important files and data. One of the benefits of working for a non-profit is that there is often a team atmosphere, with staff and volunteers working toward a common goal. Unfortunately, this can lead to sloppy security and over-sharing of files and data. Computers may be left unlocked when not in use and unnecessary personnel may have access to sensitive files. Limiting access will not only protect your information in-house but will help in limiting external access.
Back up data on an external drive. How quickly can your organization restore current data and software if you had a significant hard drive crash? Computers are generally more stable than ever, but this can lead to a false sense of security and even complacency about backing up data. Make sure data is backed up regularly and frequently and the back up is kept off-site. This can be done in the cloud, on a CD or on an external hard drive. If the hard drive on your computer or server were to irretrievably crash today, what would the ramifications be? If you don’t know or if the word “disaster” comes to mind, create an off-site backup and restoration plan.
Get professional assistance. If you are not confident in the steps you are taking in keeping your organization’s data secure from threats, get the advice of someone experienced in the field. Discuss cybersecurity with other profit and non-profit organizations you may come in contact with and ask for recommendations. Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be that complicated when it is made a priority but if you are not comfortable taking it on, get the help of an expert.
Document the steps your organization takes to protect the security of its data. In the event of a cybersecurity attack, it won’t take long for fingers to be pointed and blame to be placed. This is why it is important to have a security plan in place and document what is being done. This can demonstrate, even after the fact, that your organization was aware of the possibility and was taking proactive steps to keep its computers and data safe. This should include how your social media is handled and who is responsible for it.
Make cybersecurity a priority, get everyone involved, and document your plan and processes. Greater awareness can go a long way in protecting the data of your non-profit organization.
