Facebook Privacy

In case you are vigilant in your privacy settings Facebook released its updated privacy settings today:
http://www.facebook.com/policy.php

Most of it seems straight ahead. I did find one thing “good to know”:

If I click on an ad…MY privacy settings don’t apply – the advertiser’s do. No way of knowing what those might be.

And if I choose to purchase from a Facebook online page my shipping information also is not protected. Easy to understand the vendor needing the information, but hopeful THEIR privacy policy is in place. A reminder: read the privacy policies before purchasing.

This item is curious: “Delete uploaded contacts. If you use our contact importer to upload addresses, you can later delete the list on this help page.  You can delete the email addresses of friends you have invited to join Facebook on your invite history page.”

The above really applies if you allowed Facebook to gather contacts from your Yahoo email client.

In conclusion the policy writes: Risks inherent in sharing information. Although we allow you to set privacy options that limit access to your information, please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable. We cannot control the actions of other users with whom you share your information. We cannot guarantee that only authorized persons will view your information. We cannot ensure that information you share on Facebook will not become publicly available. We are not responsible for third party circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures on Facebook. You can reduce these risks by using common sense security practices such as choosing a strong password, using different passwords for different services, and using up to date antivirus software.”

Facebook does a pretty good job of allowing us to choose our privacy levels, and still relying on us to be responsible: not a bad mix.

Reviews

One of the major changes online has been for customer reviews. These can come from any number of sources:
Facebook
Yelp!
Search engines now cull these into their search results, particularly on Google Places (used to be Google Maps), Bing and Yahoo Local listings. These help drive your website.  Think of it as a “buzz” – someone is talking about your business. Even the negative can be a positive.

There are reviews services which charge a monthly fee to get reviews for your business. As a business owner you supply your clients’ email address or phone numbers and the company will contact them. (You can also put this review info on a note attached to each invoice you give to a client.) Once your client reviews your business the reviewing service contacts you and you can approve or disapprove allowing the review to be posted.

That can be the pitfall: if you never have any negative feedback – the believability factors in: are you screening your reviews? IF you have negative feedback and you address it – which most open source (Yelp!, Google, Yahoo! etc.) are now allowing you bring legitimacy to your business.

Everyone knows not every customer will be happy, but the way you engage an unhappy client speaks much about your effort in customer service. Thus the negative: becomes positive.

At this time of year I am reflecting on my business.  I am looking to improve my business and offer more to my clients.  I invite my clients to review my services online – on Facebook, wherever you are comfortable. Thank you to all this past year and your continued trust in me to help you make choices for your online business presence.

Merry Christmas!

Google Instant

It’s been a year of changes to the web. Google has rolled out new ways to search, intuitive ways it thinks we’re searching, local search, Google Maps becoming Google Places with the “tag” available for $25.00/month and Google Instant.

Probably the biggest change has been what happens when you begin to type in Google’s search bar. Instantly you are seeing possibilities.  Once you hover over a website listing you’ll see preview of the website. You don’t even have to click the link.

As a web owner this has significant meaning. The sooner the user can see your web page – the more chance they will click through to your website. If you are using Flash (entire website, or slide shows, moving graphics) – you now have a lag time for the page loading, and risking it not previewing accurately.  Cluttered web pages and small tiny graphics become a blur. Keep your website design simple and bold. It will be readable on a small scale, for this preview. A simple website also will view on mobile phones will less issues. My oldest client’s website is extremely lean and trim – as browsers have evolved we have had virtually no compatibility issues and the site continues to display with speed. 

Simple web design has another plus. 2010 was the year Google owned up to what was guessed for years: how quickly your website downloads (speed) DOES matter for its index/ranking. Once again the simple website will have an advantage.

Ever notice that Amazon’s design remains old school – basic web design? It will display on phones, quickly on desktops, iPads – no conflict and speed is never an issue.

It’s a win-win design!