There aren’t many “scandals” that can truly live up to their name, but the ongoing investigations into the Rupert Murdoch/Fox News allegations are giving us a little bit of everything: public outrage, high-tech spying, multiple police entities from different countries, and even lots of half-denials from various people in positions of power. The only thing that’s missing is salacious details from someone’s young, foreign, and impossibly beautiful nanny.

Believe it or not, however, the unfolding drama holds a few important lessons for small business owners and online marketers everywhere. Here are three things your company should definitely learn from the scandal taking place across the front pages:

It’s a good idea to update your web security frequently. Granted, most of the story in question revolves around stolen texts and the like, but the point remains: There are people out there who would love to know things they don’t have a legal right to know. Make sure that your data – and your customers – are protected online.

Better yet, you should have someone who knows what they’re doing handle it for you. From experience, we have learned that most businesses tend to put off updating their websites, and especially hosting software and security packages, far longer than they should. If you’re serious about protecting what you have online, not to mention the future of your company, then get some expert help with the job.

The public won’t forgive you for doing the wrong thing. The biggest lesson for businesses to come out of this whole thing is that if you do something terrible you will eventually be caught, and the public will be anxious to punish you for it. This applies to high crimes, of course, but also minor annoyances like selling e-mail addresses, lying to your customers, and engaging in other shady tactics. In the long run, the men and women who buy from you are your most valuable asset; remember that and treat them appropriately.

Want help avoiding the biggest blunders in Internet marketing? Then contact eKzact Solutions – One of Calgary’s best web design and online marketing team – for a free consultation today.

The biographies and presentation descriptions for professional speakers in Canada are a bit like items on the menu at an upscale restaurant – they all sound good, but you have to read between the lines a little bit if you’re going to find something that’s a good match for your audience’s appetite. That’s because lots of speakers can be great, but you need a keynote or presentation that’s perfect for your group and event.

Here are a few things you should look for in presentation titles and descriptions that can help you narrow in on the right fit:

Overall topics and focus. Obviously, if you’re looking for a speaker on Internet marketing, for example, then the speaker who specializes in human resources isn’t going to be a great match. Likewise, someone who speaks on dozens of unrelated topics isn’t as likely to have as much knowledge or background in any of them as a subject expert is, so think carefully about the type of personality you want to hire.

Energy and enthusiasm. You can tell a lot about a speaker’s personality from the couple of short paragraphs in their presentation descriptions. If they’re filled with energy and excitement, then there’s a good chance their keynote or breakout session will, too. Likewise, a lack of enthusiasm should be a big red flag that their session might let attendees down.

Short, succinct points. Unless you have hours and hours for your speaker to talk, they’re going to need to sum up what they know into bite-sized chunks. If they can’t describe what they’re going to talk about in less than a couple of pages, then don’t be surprised when they ramble on stage, too. Giving a solid, professional presentation is as much about brevity as it is detail, so look for the right mix.

Details and content. Sometimes, you’ll see a presentation that’s perfect for your group, if it can only be tweaked slightly. Assuming your speaker knows his or her material well, this isn’t normally a problem if they’ve been given enough time to prepare. Still, make sure to ask any questions you have about their content and focus beforehand, so that you can have them make any necessary adjustments.

One of the great tragedies in life, and business online, is that nothing lasts forever… and that very few things even last for very long. Get a fantastic haircut, and you’ll quickly find your hair hasn’t stopped growing; buy a wonderful suit, and you’ll notice that it’s only a matter of time before it has to be taken in or out because you’ve either gone on a diet, or need to.

In some ways, it’s the same with your small Calgary business website. Even if you invest in a high-quality design that fits your company perfectly, impresses visitors, loads correctly across all kinds of browsers, and helps your company to make more money, it’s probably going to need to be tweaked or updated eventually.

The good news is that great websites don’t have to be completely replaced very often. In fact, it’s often a matter of just making a few small changes when you need them. Here are a few things you should definitely add or review on your business website, even if you aren’t ready for a major redesign:

Social media links and integration. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you already know that social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are big business. It’s important that you have links to your profiles and content on these sites, since they can make it easier for people to find you outside of your business website, and vice versa.

Search engine optimized pages and content. Moving onto the first or second page of the results for your most important keywords on Google, Yahoo, and Bing can be an enormous boost to your business, but it’s getting harder to improve your search engine rankings all the time. For that reason, it makes sense to review your pages from time to time, to ensure that they’re optimized, and that you are still emphasizing the right keywords and phrases.

Product descriptions and prices. It goes without saying that accuracy, especially in product descriptions and prices, is an important part of the upkeep on your business website. Still, there are a surprising number of companies that regularly fail to keep this kind of data current. Whether you’re using a content management system or not, be sure that your site is up to date.

FAQs, contact information, privacy policies, and other details. More and more, people are basing their online buying decisions on how certain they feel that you’re going to do what you say you will, how quickly they can expect their order, and what they think you’ll do with their personal information. Make it easier for them to buy with clear, customer-friendly details on your business website.