Top 6 Reasons Online Businesses Fail

Did Google Label Your Blog Harmful?

A few months ago, one of my clients reported that her blog had been labeled harmful by Google. You can see this when you look at her site in a Google listing:

Now, normally, when a hacker injects code into a website, it is, in my experience, in the form of a file. They find an insecure directory (usually with 777 CHMOD) and upload a bad file to the site.

So when my client reported this to me, I scanned her files with a fine tooth comb — and found nothing.

I then upgraded her blog software, in an attempt to overwrite whatever file was messed up. Afterwards, I checked the dates on all files to make sure there wasn’t some rogue file sitting around messing everything up. Nothing.

But I have figured out what the problem is now.

Because Wordpress had a security hole in version 2.3, the hacker was able to inject the bad code directly into a post.

I’ve found the codes by doing a search directly on the blog for the term:

iframe

Then edited the post to remove the highlighted code.

Read this post to for more information on how to remove the downloader virus.

How to find out if your site is infected

UPDATE: Thought I’d add some more instructions on how to find out if your site is affected by this. If you have already found out that your site has been deemed harmful by Google, simply do a Google search on your domain name. your listing will look like the first screenshot above.

In your Google listing, click the title of your site’s entry. Google will then take you to a page warning you that visiting the site might be harmful to your computer. In the warning’s second paragraph, you’ll want to click the link to Google’s Safe Browsing diagnostic page. (This is the link to that page for Mundane Superhero.)

You’ll see a line that says something like:

Malicious software is hosted on 1 domain(s), including wp-stats-php.info.

What to do if you’ve been hacked

If you follow the instructions above and discover that your site has been hacked, you’ll need to follow the original instructions in this post to remove the code from your blog posts.

Next, read Google’s instructions for sites that have been found to have malware.

At the end of this post, you’ll see instructions for signing up for Google’s Webmaster Tools (Which I highly recommend!), verify your site, and requesting a review of your site.

Finally Friday: It’ Ain’t Over Yet

Whew! What a week!

I redesigned my church’s website, started planning a couple of summer internship programs and started a project to consolidate two of my websites. I know there was more than that… ahhh…yes! I interviewed two new guests for Product Seller’s Talk Radio. One guest was Jennie Willis, and you can listen to her interview about a bad web hosting situation.

My guest for next week is Regina Baker from WAHMcart. We’re both excited about our interview and I can’t wait for you to hear our ideas!

Tonight, I will most likely go scrapbooking with friends from church and tomorrow I’m photographing a friend’s wedding. Church is all day Sunday and then CW has a double header for baseball Monday night.

I’m worn out just thinking about it!

So, how did your week go? Are you experiencing the end of school craziness?

Did You Know That You Were Selling People’s Information?

I sure didn’t? I bet you didn’t either!

But apparently, we’ve been pegged by PC Magazine as a bunch of unscrupulous small businesses owners. Instead of spending our days creating the products we love, changing diapers, teaching our preschoolers how to read and answering boatloads of customer service emails, we’re actually sitting back waiting for someone to enter their email address so we can sell it.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I have no idea who would want to buy my client’s email addresses. I don’t even want to know who would want to do that.

I have also take the necessary precautions to protect my client’s data — and my client’s customer’s private data, including using PCI complaint servers and scripts, encrypting my client database, using strong passwords and an SSL connection.

My friend Lynette from Tech Based Marketing quotes PC Magazine software expert Neil J. Rubenking:

When you buy something at a small, lesser-known online store, there’s a decent change they will sell your address to spammers … Sign up for a newsletter? Your address could certainly get sold.

What?! As I pointed out before — how many of us even know how to sell an address? Most of us are just trying to figure out how to setup our store, run our business, sell our products and make however much money we need to cover costs and make a small profit. We’re more concerned with providing our customers with customer service and a product that they will love, than with figuring out how to sell a few hundred email addresses.

Talk about lumping a bunch of honest small business owners in with a bunch of unscrupulous scammers who really have no interest in running a legitimate business.

Another friend, Alice Seba, remarks in the comments area of Lynette’s site:

Morals and ethics aside, I don’t think most smaller online retailers are aware of or would know how to get into the lucrative opportunity of selling personal information. It’s the big companies that know and do this, unless they explicitly state they don’t.

For the record Lynette, I don’t think it’s illegal to do so. I think it becomes illegal if you state you don’t, but do anyway.

Interesting point, huh?

I take great care with my client’s information, because I am one of them. I am a WAHM, too. I know what it means to have your information leaked. I would not do this.

It’s the big companies, as Alice says, with their inch-thick terms of use that collect millions of names — and then suddenly you start receiving all kinds of junk.

That’s my opinion. And I see it’s shared by Lynette and Alice.

What do you think? What has your experience been?

Have you had a small product-selling business sell your information? Have you had a large business do this? Would love to hear your stories.

Customers Really Can Be Wrong, Part 2

After yesterday’s post, I thought it would be a good idea to clarify my position on customer service.

As I’ve said before, customer service is a partnership. The customer and the business have responsibilities, kind of like in a marriage.

The businesses’ responsibilities include:

• Providing the advertised product or service
• Working with the customer to give them what they ask for
• Being respectful and considerate
• Being honest

This reminds me of a customer service experience when I was in high school, working at McDonald’s. A man walked in and very sheepishly said that his wife, who was waiting in the car, wanted a bread and butter sandwich. Was there any way we could provide one?

My co-worker, who took his order, said, “Sure!” She found two hamburger buns, buttered them and toasted them slightly. Then wrapped this sandwich and sold it to the man. I don’t know how much she charged, but that’s not really the point. She found a way to provide him with what he needed.

This brings me to the customers responsibilities, which include:

• Asking for exactly what you want
• Working with the company to figure out what you want
• Being respectful and considerate
• Being honest

Now, if the man at McDonald’s had come into the store, rudely demanded a bread and butter sandwich, complained that it was made on a hamburger bun and not a slice of white bread and then expected to receive it for free — I’d say he was wrong and should be sent packing.

Use Caution When Buying Shopping Cart Software

Welcome to Episode #33!

One of your key pieces of software for an online store is your shopping cart. You will need specific features to help showcase your merchandise but it also needs to be easy enough to navigate so customers can make a purchase. Having a cart that is too complicated or not secure will scare off potential clients.

This week my guest is Jennie Willis from Tutti Frutti Kids and she shares her troubles setting up an online store with a host who did not care about her success and with a shopping cart that was too complicated and did not have the key features Jennie wanted. Jennie is now a satisfied user of Shop Kit Plus and has many tips for avoiding the troubles she encountered.

If you have additional questions about Shop Kit Plus or how to start your own online business, I offer different private coaching packages. Sometimes a little one-on-one time is all you need to make sense of all this ecommerce information.

Have you experienced troubles with hosts or shopping cart programs? Feel free to share how you resolved your issues by leaving a comment below.

Wise Words Wednesday: Customers Really Can Be Wrong

I know, I know. I’ve been harping on this one for awhile now.

I just don’t like it when I hear stories from my clients or design partners who have been bending over backwards for someone so long and so far, that they risk breaking their back, rhetorically speaking.

So, when I saw this article called “Customers Can Be Wrong” at 3tailer, I had to share it with you.

One woman who frequently flew on Southwest, was constantly disappointed with every aspect of the company’s operation. In fact, she became known as the “Pen Pal” because after every flight she wrote in with a complaint.

She didn’t like the fact that the company didn’t assign seats; she didn’t like the absence of a first-class section; she didn’t like not having a meal in flight; she didn’t like Southwest’s boarding procedure; she didn’t like the flight attendants’ sporty uniforms and the casual atmosphere.

Her last letter, reciting a litany of complaints, momentarily stumped Southwest’s customer relations people. They bumped it up to Herb’s [Kelleher, CEO of Southwest] desk, with a note: ‘This one’s yours.’

In sixty seconds, Kelleher wrote back and said, ‘Dear Mrs. Crabapple, We will miss you. Love, Herb.’”

Wasn’t that great? Herb’s response illustrates exactly what we should do when we have a customer who refuses to be happy.

Alex at PositiveSharing.com has a list of Top 5 reasons why the maxim “the customer is always right” is actually wrong.

Here are my thoughts as a WAHM on his reasons:

1. It makes employees unhappy.

You may think this doesn’t apply to you because you are a solopreneur — no employees. But you’re forgetting someone — YOU. I have heard many stories of women who started a business, doing what they love, serving others. They were providing great service.

But then the jerks came along and demanded more than they paid for, bellyached when things didn’t go they way they wanted them to, nevermind that this is not what they’d paid for.

Just last week, one of my design partners had a client purchase one template. By the end of two months, my partner had created five templates for different sections of her site and the client was complaining that things were taking too long. Well — one template normally takes two weeks. Five templates — we’re looking at a little more than two months! This client still had only paid for one template.

Had my partner stood by the customer is always right maxim, she would still be working on the site, creating new templates and losing money every minute for a client who did not know what she wanted and was never going to be happy.

2. It gives abrasive customers an unfair advantage.

If you think that all customers are going to be so happy with your product that they’ll never even dream of uttering a complaint, must less make unreasonable demands in abusive and uncivilized ways — you are wrong.

You can have the best product in your industry and there will be someone who doesn’t like it. Interestingly enough, the more successful you become, the more of these abrasive customers you will find.

You must remember that no one has a right to treat you with disrespect and to demand more than they have paid for. Respect yourself and get rid of those whiners!

3. Some customers are bad for business

Respect and dignity, the terms Alex uses in his post, are more important than money. If you are wanting to be treated rudely and disrespectfully, go get a job on Hell’s Kitchen.

Otherwise, this is your business. You get to decide you who work with. Pick those people who have great attitudes, respect you and WANT to work with you.

4. It results in WORSE customer service.

When you give yourself the power to say no to a customer, to tell them that you no longer wish to do business with them, you improve your customers service. Here’s why:

• You’ll be able to care more about other people, including customers
• You’ll have more energy
• You will be happy, which means more fun to talk to and interact with
• You will be more motivated

On the other hand, if you are constantly dealing with customers who try to run over you, you’ll quickly become demoralized:

• You are not valuing yourself
• You’re telling yourself that being treated fairly is not important
• You’ll convince yourself that you have no right to respect from customers
• You’ll have to put up with everything from customers

If you were an employee of your company, handling your customers, would you want to work for you?

5. Some customers are just plain wrong.

There. I said it. (Again, right? LOL!)

Alex puts it like this:

The fact is that some customers are just plain wrong, that businesses are better of without them, and that managers siding with unreasonable customers over employees is a very bad idea, that results in worse customer service.

And in my words:

The fact that some customers are just plain wrong, that businesses are better off without them and that you siding with unreasonable customers over your own rights as a human being is a very bad idea, that results in worse customer service.

Is Accepting Credit Card Payments Necessary for Online Business Owners

For online business owners today, offering the options customers want is a vital aspect of winning the sale. Multiple payment methods give consumers a choice, but credit card payments are far and away the most popular. Credit cards are convenient for consumers to use and sites that accept them show higher revenues from impulse purchases and other add-ons.

There are two ways that ecommerce sites can arrange to accept credit card payments. One is by establishing an online merchant account through the business owner’s own bank or through a company that specializes in online merchant accounts. Another is to use a third-party service to process the payments.

Online Merchant Accounts – An internet merchant account is essentially a separate bank account that allows you to accept credit card payments without having to actually see the card or card user in person.

Funds from credit card purchases, less the agreed-upon fees, are deposited into the merchant account, then moved to the owner’s business account on a regular basis (usually within 48 to 72 hours). The primary disadvantage is that approval for merchant accounts is more difficult to obtain for internet businesses than for standard retail businesses. Every company has its own qualification guidelines and fee schedules.

The main benefit of having a online merchant account is that the transactions appear on your customer’s credit card bills under your business name. This will help reduce the number of chargebacks you get from customers who don’t remember a purchase, and see it listed on their accounts under the payment gateway’s name.

Also, once you are processing $1,000 a month in sales or more, an online merchant account becomes more affordable than other solutions, as the per-transaction fees tend to be less expensive.

Paypal – Third-party services such as Paypal eliminate the need for a merchant account. They offer real-time processing of payments and transfer of funds to the business owner’s account for a fee, usually a small flat rate plus a percentage of the sale total per transaction.

Other features available might include a shopping cart that the business owner can install on the website, conversion from U.S. dollars to foreign currency, the ability to accept multiple forms of payment (such as electronic debits or echecks), customer service, and set-up assistance.

PayPal offers three account types, two of which can be used by merchants to accept credit card payments: the Premier Account and the Business Account. An individual can open a Premier Account, but a Business Account can only be opened by a registered business. A 2.9 percent fee is charged for receiving a payment, but as the dollar volume increases, the rate drops. Premier and Merchant Account holders can incorporate special html code into their website to create a “Buy Now” button. With one click, the customer is taken to a payment page to complete the transaction.

PayPal also provides a shopping cart to merchants. This software lets the consumer select multiple items for purchase, then proceed to the payment page to pay for all selections at once.

The cost for setting up a merchant account, processing gateway, and shopping cart can range from $500 to $1,500, even more if the etailer chooses to hire a web developer to consult on or install the system. However, this initial investment can be well worth it for the serious business owner.

For the start-up or small business owner, third-party services such as PayPal may provide a more accessible, affordable alternative to traditional banking options.

Teaching Tuesday: Should I Start A Separate Businesses?

Pat Sandy submitted this question to our survey:

I am trying to help my mother-in-law get her business on line and I also want to do the same for myself with a different product. My mother-in-law designs counted cross stitch graphs and wants to sell them (she completes a sample of which a photo has been take). I make quilts and wall hangings. I think these need to be two separate businesses and would appreciate your advice. Thanks.

My response: Whether or not you run separate businesses, or start one business depends on a few factors.

First, do the two of you have the same vision for where you want the business go to? This is very important. Let’s say person wants to start a business, but is really just in it for fun. She just wants to sew when she can and really is interested in making some money from a hobby. On the other hand, the other person is serious about building a business, earning a profit and paying off some debt.

If these two people start one business, there will soon be friction over where the business is going to go. In many cases, this can result in lost relationships, and sometimes in loss of the business altogether.

So, my advise is to make sure you’re on the same page with your mother-in-law.

Second, are the two products related. If one person is selling baseball bats and the other person is selling baby slings, you’re going to run into trouble. Those two products have nothing to do with one another, making marketing one business tough. In this situation, I’d recommend two businesses.

Since your product and your mother-in-law’s product are similiar — handmade crafts — you may be able to get away with running one business.

Third, you need to consider the target market. Do the same people who buy cross-stitch graphs also buy completed quilts and wall-hangings? It seems to me that a person who buys a graph is not going to be the same person who buys a completed craft item. I recommend you study your target market to find out.

If you’re still not sure which option you should choose, you’re welcome to try my one-on-one business coaching services.

The Top 5 Ways Businesses Get Scammed

Welcome to Episode #32!

A common part of running your own business or making your own product is solving customer service problems. It’s just a fact of life that you cannot make every customer happy.

But what happens when an irate customer feels entitled to a discount or refund? Do you have a return policy that is visible or acknowledged at the time of purchase?

This week I discuss the Top 5 Ways Businesses Get Scammed and share some advice on how to take steps to avoid these situations.

Have you been scammed by a customer? Feel free to share the steps you took to resolve the problem by leaving a comment below.

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