Mobile ready website.

Did you know that:

1. 90% of mobile phones today can browse the web
2. By 2014 Mobile Internet usage will overtake Desktop usage.
3. Half of all local searches are done from a Mobile device.

In case you didn’t notice, mobile phone technology is taking off. In 2010 there were more mobile phones in the world than AM/FM radios… in 2011 there are more mobile phones than toilets. Makes you want to ask yourself some big questions but, either way, this technology has seen staggering growth and smart phones are now becoming a very common way for the masses to access the Internet. Google’s stats tells us that Internet usage of smart phones and tablets dramatically peaks after 6pm each day and people are using multiple entertainment / online devices simultaneously. Likely what most people are finding in their homes already…. they’re watching TV, at the same time as updating their Facebook status on their iPad, texting their friends and they may have their computer in the background to check in on a few emails. Or various permutations thereof. In other words, over the last 5 years we’ve become digital mutants.

What does it mean for the humble website operator? Mull over whether it’s time to make your website smart phone friendly. Those weeny phone screens suck for viewing standard sized web pages, so check your Google Analytics stats and if you’re seeing more than 5% of your usage using mobile phones (let’s stop and do the math, that’s 50 people for every one thousand visitors), then you may want to consider creating a special mobile friendly version of your site that’ll enhance mobile viewability.

If you don’t own a Smartphone, an alternative is an IPod touch with Wi-Fi or this emulator that you can download and install to view the sites.

This news site has been made mobile-ready if you want to see an example of a Worpress conversion. If you want your site converted to be mobile ready why not contact Webdzine for a competitive deal and get a free QR Code like this:

QR Code

Don’t Fall for the Online Scams

Social Networking Frauds

According to The Nielsen Company, the amount of time we spend on social networking and blogging sites increased 210% over the past year, with the leading sites boasting
hundreds of millions of users.  These virtual communities are a great way for us to stay connected with our friends and family, but unfortunately they also can connect us
to scam artists.

Criminals are constantly developing increasingly clever ways to use these popular sites to run their cons.  They may hack into an account, pass themselves off as your friend, and then trick you into downloading malicious software. They may make a desperate, emergency plea for you to send them cash to a mail box (this scam often comes by email with a spoofed address) or they’ll lead you to a fake web site that asks you for your private banking information. Quizzes and games that ask for your cell phone number so that the results can be sent to you are another scam and you don’t know you’ve been conned until you see mysterious charges on your next phone bill.

Protect yourself

If something you get from a friend looks unusual – e.g. an odd-looking web address or wording that doesn’t sound like something they would normally write, double-check with them, in person or over the phone, and ask if they sent you the message.  In a recent case, I received an email from a friend, purporting to be stuck overseas after having lost passport and wallet and would I please send some cash so he could get home….. I knew they were home so I rang them to advise that this had happened and a similar message had been sent to every contact in their address book!

To avoid your own account being hacked into,  protect your login information and use strong passwords (easy for you to remember, but hard for others to guess)  that you change frequently. My personal preference is to use a password manager, so I only need to remember one password.

Limit what you share on your profile page or as part of online games.  Revealing information like birth dates, cell phone numbers, travel plans, and activities that take you away from home can expose you to all kinds of criminal activity, including identity theft,  stalking and home robbery.
Install and run anti-malware software that can automatically block any malicious files before they land on your computer and do damage.

Media Release 19 March 2011 Launch of New Websites

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