October 2016 | Page 2 of 2 | The Web Authority

October 10, 2016October 8, 2016

When It Comes to AdWords Management More Expensive is Not Better

Google Partner Badge — McCord Web Services is a Google Partner.

As a Google Partner and AdWords Certified Professional for over ten years I can easily say that I know AdWords.

What makes the difference in my services and those of others in the industry?

Personal attention. Although we have a specific program, as your account manager I am accessible. If you have questions, I will have the answers. I have personally found that our degree of personal attention and communication when your program is first set up and running is very important.
We have a specific process for AdWords setup. I have found from experience that working your account daily during the first four weeks allows for better testing and quick identification of what works for your account and what does not. It is the nimble and proactive attention that helps your account get started in performing for you fast. Others may only work your account once a week or once a month.
We have an hourly rate. Other services will bill 10% or more of your ad spend with a minimum charge. For example one firm I know of charges $699 a month even if your ad spend is $2,500. They only check your account once a week and are not available by phone but once a month. We on the other had bill $799 for set up and first four weeks of account management and then $300 the second four weeks, and follow a pricing grid from $185 to $425 for our management fee monthly based on your ad group numbers and ad spend. Prices come out lower for most clients than with other services.

I told one client who started with another firm and then stopped their services, due to non-performance, and came to us that I could charge him more if he felt that was the deciding factor of AdWords account management capability.

My feeling is that you can pay more but will not get the same high level of quality service as we provide for Google AdWords with other service firms. There is a reason why Google considers us in the top 5% of all Google Partners – it’s performance for our clients and attention to even the smallest details. Find out for yourself why with a free consultation.

October 5, 2016September 30, 2016

Asurion – The Best Protection for Your Smartphone

If you do business via smartphone like me, to have your phone go on the fritz is enough to have you pull your hair out. I use a Samsung Galaxy S5 and am not really wanting to upgrade to have a not waterproof phone or one that may burn me when I hold it. With my phone on the fritz and having just returned from vacation, I needed help fast.

For two years I have had extra insurance coverage for my phone and that of my staff. We use Asurion through Verizon. In less than 30 minutes on the phone with Verizon and then less than 10 minutes with Asurion, I had a new refurbished phone on the way.

I was concerned about getting a refurbished phone, but I have to say the phone I got had a brand new battery, looked sparkling clean and totally new. Glitchy behavior gone, my smartphone is now back to work and my old phone returned in the mail – all with totally no hassle.

I am so pleased with the process that I wrote this post just because I felt it important to share with my readers the service, speed, and hassle-free solution that Asurion has provided.

Thanks Asurion! My refurbished phone is great and I’d never know it was not brand spanking new.

Oh, P.S. I got a free one year no question warranty on the replacement phone giving me total peace of mind.

October 3, 2016September 30, 2016

Don’t Get Bumped Off the Grid by “Frontier” Hackers

I have just returned from vacation in Alaska and am here to tell you that the real frontier is alive and well. Surprisingly enough to me, there are those who relish living in Alaska off the grid in a “dry cabin” – without water, sewer heat, internet or even generator power.

My photo for this blog post is of the Hubbard Glacier which is 6 miles wide and 250 feet tall just above the water line. You can get an idea of scale from the tiny 6+ passenger boat in front by a calved iceberg.

It is this very real independent “frontier-like” spirit that makes Alaska so wonderfully wild and beautiful, but this same spirit lurks malevolently on the Internet. Surfing endlessly using high tech tools, spiders and robots in a cyber world that has no real boundaries are criminals, spammers, and schemers who are looking for easy targets. An unsecured WordPress website and even an html based website can be prey to these savvy attackers.

The best way to stay safe in this frontier environment starts with a super secure password for your FTP access, WordPress logins and hosting account. I do not mean using the most popular password in America which is baseball and putting a 1 behind it. I mean creating a password that is nearly gibberish and may even be hard for you to remember that contains capitals, symbols and numbers. My team likes to spell out passwords but exchange e’s for 3’s and a’s for @’s.

Don’t forget that you should have different passwords for different sites so don’t use your Facebook password for your FTP access and your WordPress login. I recommend using a password application like one that comes with Norton’s Internet Security or using a Word document to track your sites and unique logins to stay sane.

I do consider your best defense when it comes to hacking is to be proactive and to switch up your passwords every three months. As inconvenient as this sounds, getting hacked and having to pay for a clean up and losing business while your site is reworked is costly and even more inconvenient. Stay safe, it can be wilder than Alaska out there on the Internet!

All the Best,

Nancy C. McCord