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

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
For immediate release

Hosted Accommodation Australia, the national peak organisation
representing owner operated, quality hosted accommodation today
announces the launch of new corporate and consumer websites.

Corporate Website: www.hostedaccommodationaustralia.com.au
Consumer Website: www.australianbedandbreakfast.com.au

The organisation’s key role is to encourage and support small to
medium accommodation businesses to provide an exceptional accommodation
experience.

The new corporate website is packed with useful information for
newcomers who are developing a business, online marketing initiatives
for experienced operators, advice on selling or purchasing a business,
links to the latest tourism research data and the ability for comment on
current issues. Membership of Hosted Accommodation Australia enables
secure access to numerous other resources including an active members’
blog, exclusive discounts and management fact sheets.

The new consumer website is unique in Australia as it is the only
national website specific to this industry to exclusively list quality
assured accommodation. Only business owners whose accommodation and
service meet the quality standards required by Hosted Accommodation
Australia are admitted to membership.

Listings on the consumer website include bed and breakfasts,
farmstays, guesthouses, self catering cottages, houses and apartments.
As distinct from holiday houses and serviced apartments, member
properties are required to provide exceptional service and hosting
commensurate with the type of accommodation the clients have selected.

Website visitors can view in depth information for each member
property including multiple images, guest reviews and a map, as well as
relevant regional and state/territory information.

Both websites utilise the latest technology and an increasing number of members offer a ‘Book and Pay Online’ facility.

Hosted Accommodation Australia’s Chairman, Ciaran Cryan is confident
that the new websites showcase this important sector of the tourism
industry. “They will provide both domestic and international consumers
with choices in superb accommodation and give our members the effective
support they need to manage and promote their businesses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT LIZ PRYOR
Hosted Accommodation Australia Ltd
PO Box 422, ELTHAM VIC 3095 Australia
P:1300 664 707 or (03) 9431 5417 F: 03 9439 4933
admin@hostedaccommodationaustralia.com.au

A few months ago I wrote about the fake booking requests and how they must be profitable for the perpetrators.

It must still be profitable because they keep on coming, with variations, so the old adage of “It’s too good to be true”…. still applies.

Here’s a recent example:

HELLO FROM Unique Vacations (UK) Ltd

Do you have availability for these booking below:

Their requirements are:
Check in:  06th APRIL 2012
Check out: 16TH APRIL 2012

Couple 1
Mr and Mrs SCHNUR DANIEL
ROOM: DOUBLE

Couple 2
Mr and Mrs MOSS FRANK
ROOM: DOUBLE

PAYMENT TERMS: 100% CLIENT’S CREDIT CARD PAYMENT IN ADVANCE.

I await your offer and after which we can negotiate our commission charges and procedure.

We remain at your service if you need any further information regarding this reservation.
Yours.

HENRY BODE

Unique Vacations (UK) Ltd
The Freehold Centre,
Off Green Lane,
Hounslow,
Middlesex,
TW4 6BX
England
+44-7006000500
email: infovacations7@gmail.com

Apart from the obvious typos and errors, I also did a check on the “Business” name and telephone number…. no result!

If you answer these, not only are you confirming your email for further spam, you run the risk of being ripped off.

The first recorded instance of unsolicited internet messaging was an advertisement for a (now-defunct) computer supplier sent out in 1978 on ARPANET, the Defense Department network that was the predecessor of the modern internet.

The term “spam” came into colloquial use in the 1980s.  Popular belief is that electronic spam is named after the canned meat product. It isn’t!   It’s actually a reference to a popular sketch by the British comedy group, Monty Python’s Flying Circus.  In the sketch, a group of Vikings in a restaurant loudly chant “Spam, Spam, Spam” until all other conversations are drowned out—a wry comparison to the way electronic rubbish can quickly swamp an inbox.

Before you submit your information anywhere online, you should make sure that the site you’re visiting is reputable, and will not make your email address or personal information available to anyone else.

• Check privacy policies on web sites and mailing lists. Trustworthy companies and listservs (mailing lists) will have a link to their privacy policy on their websites.  Read through the policy to find out exactly what the web or listserv administrators plan to do with your information before you give them your email address.
• Watch out for default options and checkboxes. When you sign up or register online for some services or products, you might be presented with check boxes that offer to send you email announcements or special offers.  These options are usually pre-selected by default, so if you aren’t interested in receiving these kinds of notices, remember to uncheck them before you continue.
• Open a separate email account. Consider getting a “dummy” or “decoy” email account from a free email service (Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail are a few) to divert spam from your primary account – their filters are very good as well, so they reduce the amount of checking that you need to do.  Use this “decoy” to sign up for mailing lists, shop online, or join social networking sites. This way, if the account gets too filled with spam, you can simply delete it.

Filter your email account

Most email programs are equipped with spam filters that automatically sort out the spam from your incoming mail.  None of these filters are 100 percent foolproof:  the filter can sometimes misidentify a legitimate email as spam, so you should regularly check your spam or trash folder to make sure that you haven’t missed any important messages.  On the other hand, the filter could be letting too much spam through.

Here are three easy tips on how to deal with the spam that’s slipped through the cracks:

• Do not reply to spam. If you come across a message that appears to be spam, don’t respond to the email: responding allows the spammer to verify your email as a legitimate address.  You can, if you wish, report the message as spam to your site administrator. (Most web-based email programs have a linked option to let you report any incoming message as spam.) 
• Disable graphic downloads. Some spammers place trackable graphic files in their messages, which allow them to verify that you’ve received and opened their email as soon as the images begin to download on your screen.  To be on the safe side, disable the automatic download of graphic files in your email program. (Most email programs disable automatic graphic downloads by default, but you should double-check to make sure that this option has been turned on.)  You can always choose to “download pictures” when you receive an email from a trusted sender, but it’s best to avoid doing this if email is from someone you don’t know.
• Don’t follow links in spam messages. If you’ve received an unsolicited email, don’t click on any of the links in the body of the message—including any links that give you the option to “unsubscribe” from messages like it in the future.  This is yet another tactic that spammers use to confirm whether or not your email
  address is legitimate.

Protect your online privacy

Because the World Wide Web is so ever-present in our lives, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the internet is still a very public space. As a result, you should be careful about the kind of information that you make available online. Before you post anything about yourself on the internet, decide whether it’s information that you want or need to have out in public.

• Avoid posting your email address online. One way that spammers can pick up your email address is by using a harvesting program that hunts through web pages and picks up any email addresses it finds.  If you need to have your email address available online for business or professional purposes, consider posting it in a format that’s not easily recognizable to an email harvesting program, for example: yourname-at-gmail-dot-com.
• Monitor your online privacy settings.  More and more people are using social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to keep in touch with their friends, family, or business partners.  However, these sites can also share the personal information that you post with third-party programs—unless you specifically instruct them not to.  If you frequent any social networking sites, periodically check to make sure your privacy settings are configured to the level of  online privacy that you want;  the settings sometimes can change if the site decides to reconfigure its privacy or information-sharing protocols.
• Beware of untrustworthy applications on social networking sites.   Many social networking sites offer applications you can use to take quizzes, play games, or send your friends virtual “gifts.”  But you should be aware that these applications also have access to your (and your friends’) personal information. Some malicious programs will sell this information to mailing lists or advertisers, while others will go so far as to steal your login information, sign in to your account, and then spam your friends.  With this in mind, be careful about downloading new applications to your account, and remove or disable any applications you don’t feel comfortable sharing your information with.

Mobile: Is It Time To Make Your Site Mobile Friendly?

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.

To be competitive with other B&Bs, innkeepers need a website to showcase how wonderful their bed and breakfast is.

Here are some practical recommendations on what to put on a B&B website:

1. How to make a reservation – Include several options for making reservations such as:  phone, email and booking through anonline system.  To save yourself and your customers’ time, post room availability on your website.
2. Rates - Post your room rates and include any seasonally adjusted rates, group rates, longer stay rates and entire B & B booking rates.  If you have special packages, you may want to include these here, or have a separate page outlining them.   Some ideas are wedding, corporate, tour and golf packages.  Mention any included items like complimentary breakfast and internet.  Also, link to your “Policies” page showing cancellation requirements.  Another important item to include is how you accept payment such as MasterCard, Visa, traveller’s cheques, cash, etc
3. Contact Info – Including an address, phone number and an email makes an inn appear more legitimate and trustworthy – have all these details even if you use a contact form.  Also,remember that people coming to your B & B may quickly need your contact information, so having it easy to find will make it easier for them.  They might just be referring someone to you!  There are many ways of preventing an email address being harvested by spam robots, but one of the simplest is to write it out like this: enquiryquestion [at] yourdomain [dot] com.
4. Room Descriptions - Dedicate separate sections to each room.  Include at least one picture, but more is better of each room.  Describe the facilities of each room like:
• room name (so visitors will know which room is which when making a reservation)
• room rate
• number of people that can be accommodated in the room
• type of bed(s) like twin or queen size
• any electronic devices (tv, dvd player, radio, alarm clock)
• room view or similar feature (e.g. garden, city, lake)
• bathroom access (e.g. shared with other guests or you have your own, hairdryer)
• individual temperature control, air conditioning
• in-room coffee or tea
• safe for valuables
5. About the B&B – A general description of the architecture, history and layout of your B&B may be what convinces people to stay with you.  Emphasize any special details that make it unique compared to other B&Bs.  Include lots of pictures.  If your B&B has won any awards or has been mentioned in the news, then include it here.  If you can link to the news article praising your B&B that’s even better.
6. Amenities - These  can be included with your “About the B&B” section or separately.  If you have any of the following offered, list them on a separate page:
• Kitchen common area (is it a full kitchen with stove, microwave, fridge etc.)
• Swimming pool
• Laundry services
• Ironing board access
• Movie or book library
7. Map & Directions – Post a map of your general area and make sure any nearby attractions like the beach, shopping and nearest highway are labeled.  Google Maps is a good source for this.  Also, include written instructions on how to get to your B&B from the nearest highway(s).
8. About the Innkeepers – If part of your appeal is how you like to interact with your guests, add this section along with a photo of yourselves. Write about why you opened the B&B and your years of experience.
9. Meeting Rooms – If you have rooms ideal for business meetings and special events, include several pictures of the room made up for different occasions.  Also, include room dimensions and any equipment you provide like internet and table set up options.
10. About the Local Area – This will demonstrate your knowledge of the area and your enthusiasm for wanting to help guests get the most out of their visit.  Links to each place is a great start and if there are stand out places you recommend, it doesn’t hurt to highlight them. If there are festivals, you may want to  list them here or link to a place that lists them already. Describing typical weather conditions may be helpful too to tourists (e.g. June to August – sunny and  humid with temperatures 70 – 90 °F).  If applicable, show a breakdown of what your local taxes are and include any links to sites where tourists can get any tax rebate that may apply. The basic gist is to provide any information that someone from outside your area would find helpful.
11. Testimonials – A great idea is to post positive comments from your guests. You can gather these by leaving a comment card on or near your guest’s bed the night before they leave or put a stack of comment cards in a common area.  Make sure you get explicit permission to post any comments and to help you get permission, indicate how the person will be identified (e.g. Chris D. from London, England).  Another option which will boost your credentials is a link to a site with comments about your B&B like tripadvisor.com.
12. Blogs and Newsletters – These items will add extra interest in your website and over time, may increase your ranking on search engines like Google. Search engines will generally rank higher sites that are regularly adding new content. You can write about:  local events,  favorite attractions,  popular restaurants and helpful tips.
13. Policies Page – Explain check-in and check-out time (you could use these for a bonus such as late or early check-in) and the minimum number of nights.  This will help you and your guests avoid any confusion. If you also offer pick-up and drop-off service from the airport or complimentary food, make sure
    to mention this too.

Don’t forget to make sure that you site is also mobile-friendly.

Checking out at the grocery store recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. I apologized and explained, …”We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.” The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”

She was right about one thing — our generation didn’t have the green thing in “Our” day.

So what did we have back then…? After some reflection and soul-searching on “Our” day here’s what I remembered we did have….
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building.
We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the tram or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then? Please post this on your Facebook profile so another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smarty-pants young person can add to this.

The upgrade appears to have gone smoothly. If you do have problems with the site please contact us and let us know what went wrong.

In this time of rising tension between the West and Middle East, it is probably a good idea to learn what is required of you, should you have Muslim guests stay.

Diet

It is important to be aware of the special dietary needs of Muslim guests – any meats served should be halal, which means “lawful”. Pork and pork products are “haram”, which means forbidden, and other haram foods are:

• animals that were dead prior to slaughtering
• animals not slaughtered properly or not slaughtered in the name of Allah
• blood and blood by products
• alcohol
• carnivorous animals
• birds of prey
• land animals without external ears

Sensitivity in these matters is very important.

Prayer

Prayer timings can be accessed through several websites – they change through the year, but this is a good reliable website.  Why not print the timings for the month and have it available in the guest room?

Provide a list of Mosques in or near your neighbourhood for those guests who may wish to pray there.

General Info

If at all possible, ensure that the bed positions do not have the foot of the bed pointing towards Mecca.

Have a list of halal food reasaurants in you local guide.