A Day in the Life of an Award-Winning Content Marketer

Courtesy of  Workingthewebtowin.com

By Hector Cisneros

Often a prospect will ask me how much it costs to advertise on the web. They may even be more specific and ask, "How much to build a website or engage in blogging or pay per click?" When I answer the question with, "It depends on lots of things", I often get a perplexing look. This, I  believe, is because most businesses feel their question is a simple one. However, just because the question is simple, doesn't mean the answer should be simple as well. Especially if you're guaranteeing success and not just selling them some advertising. And that's where the difference lies. At Working the Web to Win, we start with the premise that we "Must Succeed", not just sell them a marketing service. So, in this episode, I thought I would share some of the details that go into achieving that success for our clients. That way, if you're talking to an advertising sales rep, you can ask them if they also provide this kind of extensive service. So buckle up and get ready for a whirlwind tour as we explore the "Daily Life of an Award-Winning Content Marketer".

Why the Internet is A-Buzz with UFO and Ancient Aliens and Why Marketers should Care?

Courtesy of Pixabay

By Hector Cisneros

As a Marketing professional, I am always intrigued by emerging trends. A trend that seems to be reaching a crescendo is the interest in UFOs and the search for the beginning of the human race. While studying astronomy and biology in college, I noticed how the frontiers of those sciences were constantly being expanded by new discoveries. I also noticed how bogged down science had become in its own dogma. Today, it seems that new scientific discoveries happen every day and the antiquity of human civilization has jumped from 5000 BC to 12000 BC in the wake of these discoveries. So what does this have to do with marketing? These trends are exciting and are drawing massive attention to the TV, radio and especially the Internet viewing public! Millions of people are following these trends and these are golden opportunities for specific businesses to take advantages of this global phenomena. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore these trends and why they are golden marketing opportunities for many industries and professions looking to find a loyal and fervent audience to share their marketing message. So get ready for a marketing trend that's out of this world as we explore the alien craze, a true worldwide phenomenon.

The Connectors Latest Prognostications for the Coming New Year and Beyond

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of flickr.com

Every year I stick my neck out and make predictions about what's world-changing events that are going to happen on the World Wide Web. I base these predictions on the clues I see happening on the Web every day. I also spend time researching trends and even know that some events repeat themselves because some internet players never learn. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, I will provide what I see as the coming attractions from the future headlines of World Wide Web. So I'm breaking out my crystal ball to share with you, what I see as the good, the bad and the ugly for 2020 and beyond.

Thwarting Cyber Thieves (Reprinted from https://insuranceorangepark.blogspot.com)

Image Courtesy flickr

As a marketing company, we have been warning about the dangers of cybercriminals since 2012. We believe that cybercrime is not only a threat to the trustworthiness of Internet ecommerce structure, but it is also a direct threat to the very freedoms we hold so dear as Americans. We have written extensively about this subject. In fact, any search on cybercrime or Cybersecurity will bring forth a list of dozens of articles. Today's episode of Working the Web to Win comes to us from one of our favorite clients, Catherine Powell, the owner of A Plus All Florida Insurance of Orange Park. Her article delves right into the heart of cybercrime and how it can drastically, negatively affect your life.  So without further a due, read and share - Thwarting Cyber Thieves.

The Renewal of the Browser Wars

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of flickr.com/

You may be asking yourself, what's so important about which browser I use? It's immensely important! The problem is that most internet users don't pay much attention to which browser they are using, they just use whatever browser comes with the device they own. In 2012, I wrote an article called; "Battle of the Browsers - Internet Dominance and Why Your Choice Matters!" Well today, it matters even more than ever before. Giant Internet companies affect more influence today than the analog TV industry did 20 years ago. More people rely on blogs today for their news, and Internet TV is taking over where analog TV left off. The main difference is that digital Internet giants can track everything a viewer sees and they can decide what content is then offered up as interesting to the user.  

This also means that they can directly influence all purchases, our beliefs, and our political opinions as well. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will discuss the importance of choosing a browser that has your best interest at heart.  We will look at browser performance, privacy, security and most important of all, the integrity of the results provided for any given search. So get ready for battle as we explore the Renewal of the Browser Wars now taking place on a digital device near you.

Adding E-Commerce to Your Company’s Lineup (Reprinted from Small Business Groups Blog)

Courtesy of pxhere.com

Many business owners often ask us if it makes sense to add an E-commerce store to their business instead of just a website. Our answer is "It depends on many things". You may ask what are those things. One of our clients, "Small Business Group" a business consulting and CPA firm, just published a great article that addresses this question. So, in this week's episode of Working the Web to Win, we will follow Ben Kinsey lead by discussing the elements necessary for a successful E-Commerce store as we explore Small Businesses Groups article about adding an online store to your company's lineup. 

7 Case Studies To help you Win at internet Marketing

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Pixabay

In the almost ten years that Working the Web to Win has been in existence, we have met with over a thousand prospects and over 300 clients. What amazes me is that many of both the prospect and clients make the same marketing mistakes. We thought we would put together a resource article to help businesses avoid these common marketing mistakes. After thinking about it, we decided to provide a list of some of our best articles along with an abbreviated case study covering each of the top seven digital marketing venues. So, in this episode, we will take a close look at the most common mistakes actual clients and prospects have made in the top seven digital marketing venues used on the World Wide Web today. So buckle up and tune into this week's BTR show, and be ready to have the facts come at you fast and succinctly as we provide 7 case studies to help you win at Internet Marketing.  

It's time to let your Website Evolve - What it has to Have to Win on the Web

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

In the history of business, no medium has evolved as fast as the Internet.  When I created my first website in 1993, websites were only changed when your business changed. These changes usually had to do with adding employees, address, or phone number changes. Typically a website's content would slowly change over a number of years. This was often related to advancements in HTML or if the business evolved. This usually meant every 3 to 5 years a major refresh would be implemented. Today, however, there are many evolutionary forces at play. Not only do you need to keep up with the changes to your business, but you also need to contend with the rapid evolution of the web as well. These factors include changes associated with social media, customer/prospect sentiment, web access platforms, customer data protection, and WC3/ADA compliance, just to name a few. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will address the ever-changing evolution of the World Wide Web and how this affects the need for your web property to get refreshed, upgraded, and evolved. So, tell your friends and associated to read and share this article and also to tune into the BTR and YouTube show as we tackle the subject of whether it's time for your website to evolve.

Missing Out on Social Media Sales? Get A Second Chance with Touch Marketing

Courtesy of Pixabay

By Hector Cisneros

With organic social media marketing venues like "Facebook and Twitter showing weaker results than in the past, we thought it would be a good idea to talk about some marketing venues that are producing tangible marketing returns on your current investments. In particular, touch marketing has always been a good way to garner additional sales from customers and would-be prospects. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will take a hard look at a few tried and true touch marketing methods that always generate recurring sales. So read on and tune into this weeks Blog Talk Radio episode listed below as we delve into "How to Get a Second Bite out of the Apple with Touch Marketing.

Is Word of Mouth (AKA Referral Marketing) Worth the Effort?

Courtesy of flickr.com

By Hector Cisneros

I have been directly engaged in word of mouth marketing (AKA Referral Marketing or Social Networking) for more than 35 years. I often hear business owners say that they tried networking at Chamber of Commerce events and even hard contact networks (exclusive membership organizations), and they felt that the return on investment was poor or nonexistent! Well, this statement can be true and false at the same time. It has been my experience that, for the most part, you can only get back a return based on the time and effort you put into any endeavor.  In this episode of Working The Web to Win, we will take a hard look at organized word of mouth marketing, to see if high returns are real, luck, or just fancifully marketing on the parts of the referral organization's marketing department. So get ready to learn my firsthand experiences as to whether referral marketing works and if so, what makes it work and how can the reader minimize the investment in time, money, and energy to get the maximum return for their marketing dollars. 

10 Reasons Why a Web TV or Radio Show Can Enhance Your Businesses Credibility

Courtesy of workingthewebtowin.com

By Hector Cisneros

Recently I was asked, why have we kept doing our internet radio and Web TV show for so long. The answer is simple, it's a great way to showcase your expertise and at the same time, produce quality marketing elements that can be used for a long time. The fact that we continue to do our internet show speaks volumes about how we feel regarding its effectiveness at producing credibility. It also provides many high ranking factors, including increases in traffic, social engagement, authoritative back-links and a host of other beneficial marketing effects. There are, however, some prerequisites and principles that must be adopted for any type of show to be a success. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will discuss these principles and prerequisites so that our readers can understand what is needed to develop their own show, even if it means outsourcing any elements or skills required for success. Creating a quality show is based on knowing and taking care of the audience, and that is where we are going to start.

The evolution of Social Media into an Advertising Platform - What you Need to Know

Courtesy of Flickr

By Hector Cisneros

Before the 2016 presidential election, the rules for using social media as a marketing platform were producing great results for many businesses. The marketing shenanigans that took place during the election exposed some of the questionable policies and algorithms many of the social media and search platforms were using. This has forced them to take draconian measures where now they filter posts to the point that most businesses are finding that what used to work well doesn't work at all anymore. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore some of the most important changes that have occurred in top social networks and provide a plan to help you move forward successfully. Today, businesses will need to rethink their social media game-plans because social media has evolved into social advertising. 

Dogs and Cats Rejoice - Here's the Latest Cool Products for our Four-Legged Friends

By Hector Cisneros 

Courtesy of Flickr

In America, we love our four-legged friends almost as much as our children. Some people say that their pets are their children. I personally love dogs (and to some extent cats). Today, a dog or a cat living in the 21st century has opportunities not available to them a mere decade ago. For example, pet healthcare has advanced significantly. There are even a variety of customized prosthetic devices available for pets today. To make it even more interesting, we have robotic devices that will play with our pets while we are at work. There are pet TV shows, pet trackers, high tech pet clothing and even pet booties to protect their paws in winter. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore the wonderful world of 21st century pet products, how they are marketed to consumers and what the latest dog or cat fancier is considering for their favorite four-legged friends. So get ready to curl up with your favorite canine or feline as we jump into the world of 21st century pet products.

The Latest on Cybercrime - Ransomware, Hack Attacks and Massive Data Breaches

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Pixabay

It seems like yesterday that I wrote, "The Latest Hack Attack - Equifax Breach Exposes 143 Million Americans".  However, soon after that article I wrote, "Massive Data Leak Exposes 340 Million Americans Personal Data - Now What!". In fact, when I searched our blog on the term "data breaches", 11 articles showed in the list.  If I added internet security and hacking, I'd get another two dozen more articles listed. We are a marketing company, so you are probably wondering why I'm writing about cybercrime and hacking. Well, the fact is this; cybercrime has a direct affect on the amount of trust consumers place in the internet. Without a high level of trust, people won't buy or use the internet for research and shopping. Without that trust, we as a marketing company would be out of business. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore the latest, data breaches, hack attacks and ransomware events taking place in the USA. We will also provide a list of resources to help you protect yourself from becoming a victim of cybercrime. So be ready to have your confidence shaken and then restored as we explore the latest  Cybercrrimes, including Ransomware exploits, Hack Attacks and Massive data Breaches that have taken place recently.

Privacy Lost! - The Piracy of Privacy Revisited - Now Everything is Listening in!

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Wikipedia

In John Milton's Epic Poem, Paradise Lost, we see the dilemma that Adam and Eve found themselves in when they chose to partake of the forbidden fruit of the Tree of  Knowledge of Good and Evil. Mankind today has also found itself in an ethical dilemma where we have to choose between the convenience of using Artificial Intelligence to make life "easier and faster" at the cost of giving up our ability to live private lives without big brother listing in on our every word? Today we live in a world where every smart device tracks our movements, listens to what we say and records all of our actions with our families, friends and co-workers. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will discuss this dilemma and explore ways to recapture some of the privacy we have lost. So read on and tell all  your friends that all is not lost. There is still time to take back some of what has been given away.

The Internet of Things (IoT) Give Birth to Star Trek Like Healthcare

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

If you ask the average person if they want to be healthy, live longer, be more active in their retirement years, you would get a big fat "YES", as the answer almost every time. What if you asked - If we could make going to the doctor for a check up - painless, quick, easy you would get a big fat "YES". But what if we said that we could gather all your health vitals remotely using a health scanner followed by a five minute video teleconference once a year, if no problems are found. Wouldn't that even be better. Again the answer would be a big fat "YES". 

So If I told you we have Star Trek like technology available now that could provide all your vital health information and could eliminate most doctor visits, what would you say? Most people would say, "You're kidding, right!". But I wouldn't be kidding! In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore the exploding healthcare IoT (Internet of Things) industry that is making Star Trek like healthcare a reality for many consumers in the 21st Century. So read on about the rapidly evolving IoT of healthcare and how it will affect your personal health in the present if you so choose.

Terrorist's Are Now Using Drones to Attack People and Infrastructure Targets

By Hector Cisneros

The first time we at Working the Web to Win took a real interest in Drone technology was in 2013. Back then it was exciting, held great promise and also cast a dark shadow. There were technological issues, licensing and cost questions and of course privacy concerns. Most worrisome for me was the possibility that these devices could be used as a deadly weapon for assassination and terrorism. In 2014, terrorism rose its ugly head in a big way as terrorist began to utilize the internet (especially social media) to spread the message of hate. Fast forward to 2019 and the reality of commercially available drones being used as weapons for assassination and terror is now a reality. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will cover many of the latest assassination and drone terrorist attack that have happened around the world. This is a very serious and important subject. Make sure you read and share this article with your friend, family and co-workers. This threat is here. 

How Smart is a Smart Home? Reprinted from Life Happens 365

Courtesy of  Flickr

Smart Homes are all the rage these days, but are the all they are cracked up to be? Can you actually do all the things the commercials say without things going haywire or worse?? Are they easily hacked? Can you protect your Smart House like a regular home? Our client Diane Tait from  A & B Insurance wrote this great article posted on her blog called Life Happens 365. We loved this article so much that we decided to reprint it in its entirety here on our blog and share it with all of our regular readers. So enjoy this article and then share it with your friends. Make sure you heed her warnings as well. At the end of the article we will supply some additional links to help with cyber security as well. So without any further Adu, read "How Smart is a Smart Home?".

Apple Vs Android Phones - a 180 Day Comparison of which is easiest to use.

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

I have been hearing the argument about who has the best smartphone since Apple released its first iPhone in 2007. Smartphone users are very passionate about their phones. They argue about which is the fastest, the most secure, the thinnest, which has the best picture and features. You name it, smartphone users argue about it. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, I will relay my 3 month experience of using and carrying both an Android and an Apple smartphone at the same time to evaluate what I think is the best of these systems. So read on and see some of my surprising findings as I tell you about my experiences carrying and using both an Android and Apple smartphone simultaneously for the last four months.

Bulletproofing Your Digital Domain (Reprinted from Small Business Group)

Courtesy of  Flickr

We often write about hack attacks, hackers, cyber criminals and cyber security. This episode called "Bulletproofing Your Digital Domain", is from one of our clients (Small Business Groups) who published this article on how to protect your digital assets and cyber security. We think you will enjoy it because it's factual and get straight to the point with regards to the risk that all business have when using digital assets like websites, video channels and social media pages. Small Business Groups blog offer a good selection of great articles covering Business management and account tips. If your looking for good advice on how to improve your business, their blog is a good place to start. You can also contact them for a FREE Consultation there as well. So enjoy their article and make sure you share it with your friends, I know I will.

Our top 12 reasons why mobile computing rules the world

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of PxHere

Would it be great if you could find a marketplace that is huge, easily accessed, is global and has a infinite variety of customers to choose from? There is such a fantastic place, it's called the internet and the bulk of the customers are mobile! That is one of the main reasons mobile computing king? But to fully understand the answer to this question, we need to take a look back in time to where it all began, followed by a peak of where mobile is going. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore how the mobile revolution has affected our personal and business lives.  We will provide our top 12 reasons why mobile computing rules our digital world and predict where we are going next on this great adventure. Read on and share this article with your friends as we show the top 12 reasons why mobile computing rules the world.

Are Windows 10 Updates Causing More Problems than they Fix?

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of  Wikimedia Commons

Last week I spent 2 hours waiting for my Windows 10 computer to complete an update after I got into my office. I don't know about you, but I hate waiting on my computer to start up, much less waiting two hours for an update to complete. For me, time is the most precious commodity in the universe, and wasting time on unnecessary updates just makes me mad. Now don't get me wrong, I want to install all bug fixes and security updates, but not at the expense of my most valuable and productive morning time. Many might tell you to schedule your updates for later, but the fact is that if you're your computer is not running Windows 10 Pro, you don't always have a choice of whether the update is downloaded and installed. To make matters worse, some updates break your system forcing you to wait through the rollback process. God forbid that  a critical failure takes place and you have to reinstall your entire system (OS and apps)! In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will address the current problems that Windows 10 updates are causing for its user base. We will include links to many articles that discuss the  problems occurring along with in-depth workarounds to help fix Windows 10 update issues. So read on and get some relief from the constant drudgery (some would say hell) of Windows 10 updates.

10 Principles of Internet Marketing Success - Why they Matter in Content Marketing

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Workingthewebtowin.com

Have you ever wondered why some companies marketing is phenomenally successful for long stretches of time while others seem to burst onto the marketing scene and then quickly fade away? Many marketing companies rely on tricks and manipulative techniques while hoping a big flash splash will do the trick. Another school of thought emphasizes research-based marketing with a principled approach where ads focus on value, testimonials, wholesomeness, honesty, and persistence. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will compare and contrast the two schools of marketing and provide 10 principles we believe produce long term positive results.

Can you Prosper With Paid Web Advertising Alone? You can if you do it Right

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy  of  Picpedia

There is no doubt that Google is the biggest advertising player on the World Wide Web today. You can advertise on Google Ads (formally AdWords), Google's Banner Network, and YouTube just to name a few of its advertising properties. But is Google  advertising all you need? Is ad placement the best way to generate bonafide leads and are those calls you get saying your Google listing needs to be updated real or just some ad agency fishing for business. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore the ins and outs of advertising with Google, show you what mistakes to watch out for and provide you with several ways to maximize your return on your marketing investment.

How to Use the Web to Enhance your Business or Professional Reputation

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

A businesses reputation is more important today than ever before. the same is true for products or an individual. If your reputation is weak or little is known about you, your business or product, people assume you are not as good as a business with a well-known name  or as someone who who has garnered a couple of dozen 4 or 5-star Google reviews or Facebook ratings. So, what do you do if you are doing a great job but you few if any five star ratings? Just how can you go about building your good reputation without trying to use black hat internet trickery (which can hurt your reputation). In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will discuss more than a dozen ways to improve your reputation so you can compete with anyone on the web.

The Do's and Don'ts of Digital Marketing

By Carl Weiss

Courtesy of Flickr

Unlike all you Millennials out there, I still remember a world that did not revolve around the smartphone and the Internet.  Way back in the dark days before the turn of the century, publishing hadn’t changed all that much in the past 150 years since the Gutenberg Bible was first published.  Back in the 20^th Century, publishing relied on the printed word.  That meant cutting down trees, hiring printers and staging book tours to promote your latest novel or self-help book.  In short, it required a lot of effort to achieve a minimal result.  Unless your book was picked up by a major publishing house, the odds of getting it into bookstores (which were all brick and mortar) was slim to none.  Even worse, the expense of printing and promoting any book back then was staggering. 

Reprinted From Life Happens 365 - Are Autonomous Trucks the End of the Road for Truckers?

We have written about drones and autonomous vehicles on several occasions. When we came across this article from one of our clients, we knew we had to reprint it. We felt it tied right in with our previous published articles and that our reader would really enjoy this subject matter since it will affect us all sooner than we think. We urge you to read Diane Tait's article - "Autonomous Trucks the End of the Road for Truckers?" 

By Diane Tait

Image courtesy wikimedia

Autonomous vehicles are all the rage these days.  You can’t turn on the TV or fire up an online newsfeed without hearing or reading about an auto manufacturer that is putting billions into developing self-driving car technology.  Even Tesla is now spending big bucks to develop automated big rigs.  With this in mind, the commercial trucking industry is in for a rethink on a massive scale in the not too distant future.  The question is, how will this new technology affect the livelihoods of the 3.5 million professional truck drivers in this country.

Re-published in its entirety - "Is There a Digital Data Disaster in Your Future?"

Image courtesy of Pixabay

It is rare that we allow other authors to ghost blog on our  site, but sometimes we have clients that produce great articles worth sharing. Yes we can share them on our social nets, but that only a short lived exposure for them. So we have decided to republish a few article that we have found to be worth showcasing to help our clients out. The article we select are relevant to our following and the articles are of high quality, are timely, relevant and also provide sufficient infotainment that we feel our readers will get the full benefit from our republishing our clients work on our blog. So with Catherine Powell's permission and our delite, we present in its entirety;

Here's a Dozen Reasons Why The Term SEO (AKA Search Engine Optimization) Is Obsolete

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

By Hector Cisneros

I often hear the term SEO in conversations. This happens when consulting with clients or just talking with friends or associates. Yet, few of the people I speak with have a handle on what SEO means to the average business owner. Sure, if you ask them what SEO means most will retort "Search Engine Optimization". However, if you take the question just one step further, you find that the person you're talking to gets stymied, and often resorts to a reply of "I don't know what's entailed". By the same token, I ask prospects what kind of marketing they are engaged in and they will say I have a guy who is doing SEO work for them. Again, when I ask specifically what their "SEO person" is doing, I get the reply, "I don't know"! The truth is - SEO is not just one thing. Twenty years ago SEO did mean on page Search Engine optimization, but today SEO involves hundreds of ranking factors and dozens of both on and off page elements that need to be optimized to maximize your results. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will cover a dozen factors that show the term SEO is vague at best at that we should be using a new term like Search Marketing or Content Marketing. So pull out your checklist and get ready to cross your T's and dot your i's as we pull back the curtain on the term SEO.

The Current Evolution of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) in the World

Courtesy of WorkingTheWebToWin.com

By Hector Cisneros

AI - Artificial Intelligence, the world is a buzz with the term. Tons of commercials tout that it's will be the savior of mankind. Many of the latest movies are featuring it, and of course the main players are all saying that their AI is the best for your needs. But what is true and what is hype? How much can your Google Assistant, Amazon's Echo, Apple's SIRI, Microsoft's Cortana and IBM Watson really do? In some cases a lot less that they say and in some cases more than you know.  It's like any tool, it can be useful when operated properly, it can be a spy, a weapon or even an expensive toy, but regardless of any potential dangers, the world is clamoring for this Star Trek Tech in huge numbers. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore the state of the top AI contenders. What they can and can't do, as well as providing resources so you can decide whether you're ready for an artificially intelligent world. So get ready to prompt your favorite AI devices for more information as we delve into the Current Evolution of our AI world.

Google Caps off the Latest Social Media Seismic Shift

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

Do you feel the ground beneath your social media feet quaking? That freight train sound you hear in the media background is the tornadic winds of change sweeping in from Google, Facebook, Instagram,Twitter and LinkedIn. The social media giants are rearranging the organic playing board so that it no longer looks like anything a business owner would recognize. In this episode of  Working the Web to Win, we will explore the recent major marketing and policy changes that have taken place among the social media giants and explain how these changes are affecting businesses, their marketing budgets, the traffic generated from their efforts and the return on investment they are receiving. We will also provide some new strategies which we feel will make a difference. So pull out your calculators and get ready to digest the changes that are afoot, as we delve into the current Social Media Seismic Shift that is taking place.

It's that Time Again - Time for the Annual Digital Renewal

Time to Clean up, Revise, Secure and Backup Your Digital Devices

Courtesy of Workingthewebtowin.com

By Hector Cisneros

For those of you who know me ,you'll recall that I was involved in I.T. and also a network systems engineer. All told I spent 30 years making sure that the computer systems under my care were running at peak performance. Today, computers are far more complicated and the amount of system maintenance is many times more than was needed just 10 years ago. The fact is, most failures that digital systems have (i.e. computers, smartphones, tablets and the like) are caused by failure to maintain software updates of varying kinds. In fact, any time the operating system receives an update, it brings forth a time-consuming cascade of additional updates, that if ignored will lead to varying degrees of failures and vulnerabilities.  In this episode of Working the Web to Win, I will explore the importance of what I call the Annual Digital Renewal Process. That is - engaging in the necessary system maintenance to maintain effective digital devices. I will look at the necessary steps involved and provide the reader with a step by step checklist to make sure you keep your digital devices in tip top running condition. So break out your notepad and get ready to jot down these tips as I cover the right way to "Clean up, Revise, Secure and Backup your digital devices.

Can you live without Microsoft by using Chrome and still be productive?

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

As a writer who researches and writes about marketing, digital security, tech trends and all things internet, I am always concerned about losing my ability to use my computers to access the internet and then write about the subjects I'm interested in. I have been doing this long enough to remember internet outages due to DOS attacks, power outages due to hurricanes, and a more recent issue - that of constant updates which often break the operational ability of my systems. This last problem has led me on a search for alternatives to my dependency on Microsoft products as my primary tools for writing,  doing internet research and managing my computer. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, I will explore my experience of living without Microsoft products for a couple of weeks to see if I can still get all my work done in a fast and efficient way. So get ready to take down some notes as I discuss the pros and cons of living without Microsoft and switching to Chrome for three weeks.

10 Things Your Online Marketing Manager Doesn’t Want You to Know

Courtesy of Flickr

By Carl Weiss

Is it possible that your online marketing manager isn’t being completely honest with you when they are presenting your monthly progress reports? It’s not only possible, it’s probable! In fact, many of the results can be skewed for a multitude of reasons. On top of that, most online marketing companies put the cart before the horse, selling you a product or service before they even inquire to your specific needs. In this week’s episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore issues of how online marketing companies portrayed products and results so that our readers won’t get deceived by unethical tactics.  So, get ready for another eye-opening journey as we explore "The 10 Things Your Online Marketing Manager Doesn’t Want You to Know."