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Hosting, Infrastructure & Software
Effective Tools to Detect Stolen Credit Cards, Part 1 Of 3
There are hundreds of branded tools that ecommerce merchants can turn to for help in catching fraudulent credit card orders. Some tools are free, and some come bundled or offered as additional...
Internet Security: The Seatbelt Is In The Trunk
Suppose you took delivery on your new car and the salesman told you, as you signed the order, that the seatbelt, antilock brakes, and the airbags were in a box in the trunk and that if you want to be...
Credit Card Fraud: How Big Is The Problem?
Reports of website data breaches, identity theft and credit card fraud are increasingly in the news. But is the problem as widespread as the coverage suggests?
Anyone who collects payments or...
Protect Customers' Data Or Lose Your Business
Interview: Ex-hacker Mitnick On Avoiding Fraudsters
You know that hidden bomb shtick in the movies? There's a bomb that's going to go off and kill a gazillion people. First, the good guys have to find it. Then they have to figure how to get into to...
Frameworks For Web Designers
I've written previously about frameworks and how they help developers build web applications. For the most part, my praise of frameworks has been directed at those of us who develop web applications,...
Tech Support: Application Programming Interfaces
One of the most exciting trends on the Internet today is interconnectedness. Application programming interfaces (APIs) help make this possible. For example, if I have created a blog at WordPress, I...
Pay-per-click Spyware and Other Scams
If you thought click fraud was bad, consider this: your Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing ads and Microsoft adCenter accounts are new targets for spyware applications, hackers and scam artists....
Tech Support: Passwords And Avatars
Can ecommerce merchants help their customers manage multiple user names and passwords?
Many websites require users to create an account to participate. This applies to social networking sites,...
Programming Notes: Linking To Payment Gateways
Payment gateways can be intimidating for many web developers. I have always found a certain amount of anxiety associated with them, particularly because of security requirements and presumed...
Get Organized With Advanced Searchbar
If you are like me, you enjoy organization. Everything needs to be in order so you can work efficiently and get to things you need quickly. Most likely you spend time on the Internet doing research...
On Vacation? Pointers To Stay Connected
I often find myself traveling with little notice. These trips include last minute family gatherings or clients purchasing new systems and wanting me by their side as they transfer data and confirm...
Pay-Per-Click Account Tools
A daily pay-per-click management routine can sometimes be a source of frustration. Thankfully, there are a few tools out there to streamline the process. What follows is a list of software that every...
What Is PCI Compliance And Should Merchants Be Concerned About It?
The major credit card issuers created PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance standards to protect personal information and ensure security when transactions are processed using a payment card. All...
Order Management Software: “Critical To Our Business”
Busy ecommerce merchants, those that process many orders per day, understand the importance of automating order fulfillment. It doesn’t take much time, these merchants know, to simply print an...
Personalized Search: Coming For Search Engines?
Personalized search could be the next big thing in search engine marketing. In fact, we are beginning to see the shift from homogeneous search results to personalized results already, and all major...
Site Monitoring Tools Help Prevent Downtime
In order for an ecommerce site to sell products and services, it must be continuously available to online customers. Any downtime could potentially cause a retailer to lose thousands of dollars....
What Are “Tags” And What Is “Tagging?”
Since around 2004, content tagging has become more and more common due to social networking, photography sharing and bookmarking sites. Tagging is known by a few different names, such as content...
Keyword Research Tools
Every diligent search marketing specialist should be constantly researching new keywords for his customers. Over the years, I've come up with a list of “must-see” sources for new keywords. Some...
Search Engine Optimization And Web 2.0
That well-used buzzword "Web 2.0" encompasses a number of technologies, including blogs, RSS feeds, wikis, tagging/folksonomies, podcasts, widgets, AJAX and Flash. Some of these technologies are a...
Programming Notes: Transferring A Domain Name
The process of transferring a domain name from one registrar to another can be daunting, and the exact process can vary slightly depending on the registrars involved.
The first thing to do is to...
Web Hosting Companies: Sources To Help You Choose
When it comes to selecting a web host, there’s a lot to choose from. It’s possible your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may have its own web hosting capabilities, and it’s not a bad place to...
Catalogs Can Complement An eCommerce Site
As ecommerce businesses begin to grow, a dilemma some may face is the decision of whether a catalog is an appropriate multichannel tool.
Latienda.com, which sells a variety of items not generally...
Product Spotlight: eBay Items, Mouse & Tablet, And More
Blog Your eBay Items
Have you ever found something on eBay that you really wanted to let your friends know about? Or is your business selling items on eBay and you want to cross-promote those items...
Windows Vista — Upgrade Now or Later?
More than 10 years ago, I sat in front of my TV in rapt excitement as I watched a promotion for Windows 95 and heard the Rolling Stones sing "Start Me Up!" As the magical on-screen mouse clicked a...
Internet Explorer 7 is Coming
The upcoming release of the Windows Vista operating system also means the impending release of the full version of the web browser Internet Explorer 7. Like most website developers, I toughed out a brief bout of panic as memories of the...
Tech Support - December 2006
I'm confused by all the prices out there for domain-name registration. My hosting company occasionally offers free domain name registration, yet I see some other companies charging up to $29.99...
Google Takes On Microsoft Office
Google's never made a secret of the fact that its vision of your future computer desktop does not include any Microsoft products. For Google, all you'll need is a browser, an Internet connection, and a Google account - everything else is...
Quick Query: Chad Herman
What does Second Bite do for online businesses?
Second Bite gives the merchant the opportunity to remarket to any individual who, for whatever reason, is not able to complete the purchase at the...
Experiencing Server Overload
Each month I talk about things I’ve learned by watching how other store owners run their businesses. Not that I don’t make my own mistakes, but I often try to keep my own embarrassing moments to myself. Until now... I’ve talked...
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