In addition, if you have been paying attention, you know that Facebook has recently made some changes, which when utilized, can significantly improve your Facebook presence. If you are aware of the latest changes, but have not had a chance to explore them, here is a brief description of each.

1. Cover photo – Can be used to set the tone of your page. Use your logo, product pictures, etc. in a unique way to let people know who you are and what you do. However, keep in mind that you cannot have excessive wording. If you need help with a cover photo, talk to Page Progressive.
2. Private messaging – Interact directly with your fan base, providing they initiate the conversation. If you don’t have someone who can handle this interaction, you can disable the private messaging feature.
3. Admin panel – Manage posts, list company milestones, track analytics and so much more, so you can see what kind of an impact your product and posts are making.
4. Star and pin – Do you have a special weeklong promo that you want all your readers to know about, without having the event drop down to the bottom of the page? Then, pin it to the top of your timeline. Have a great picture that you want to show off? Then use the “star” feature and display it at double the size.
5. About section – This is the same as before, but it is a more dominant feature. Fill it out and use it to promote your business.
6. Linking – To add a link to your page, simply select the pencil icon, then choose, “link to the tab”. The link will appear in your dialogue box and you can copy and paste it into your Wall post.
7. Activity log – This feature lets you moderate, edit, highlight and delete content, giving you full autonomy over what is on your page.
8. Milestones – This is a fun feature that allows you to share your company’s history through pictures and special occasions, thus adding a more personable feel to your page.
9. Apps – These can be used to show off pictures (this app is always first), videos, likes, meeting notes and much more. You can select 3 additional apps to display and arrange them as you wish by clicking the down arrow and then the edit pencil.

Taking the time to update and utilize these 9 features can make a difference in your Facebook page’s effectiveness. If you need help with any of these elements, give Page Progressive a call, we are here to help!

Of course, a business that is not with the BBB is not necessarily untrustworthy, the BBB seal is merely a way to let others know what type of business you operate, thus making you more attractive than a business who is not an accredited BBB member. However, businesses listed with the BBB also receive other benefits. These accredited BBB benefits include, but are not limited, to:

• A Plaque/certificate – Lets onsite guests know that you are trustworthy and an accredited BBB member.
• A web link- You have an automatic link for your website, and while there is no significant proof that a BBB link builds Page Rank, having this link from a well-respected website certainly will not hurt!
• Dispute resolution – In the event that there are complaints regarding your business, the BBB will help, when appropriate, with conciliation, mediation and arbitration.
• Tax deduction – The expense involved for being an accredited Better Business Bureau member can be claimed as a business expense on your taxes.

As previously stated, perhaps the biggest boon the BBB offers your business is a seal of trustworthiness. But this seal is not something randomly given to anyone who wants to pay for accreditation. It is based on 8 principles that are part of the DNA of the BBB. Here are those 8 principles, or Standards of Trust, that all accredited BBB members must agree and adhere to, as stated on the BBB website.

1. Establish and maintain a positive track record in the marketplace.
2. Adhere to established standards of advertisement and selling.
3. Honestly represent products and services, including clear and adequate disclosures of all materials.
4. Openly identify the nature, location and ownership of the business and clearly disclose all policies, guarantees and procedures that bear on a customer’s decision to buy.
5. Abide by all written agreements and verbal presentations.
6. Address marketplace disputes quickly, professionally and in good faith.
7. Protect any data collected against mishandling and fraud, collect personal information only as needed and respect the preferences of customers regarding the use of their information.
8. Approach all business dealings, marketplace transactions and commitments with integrity.

Each of these principles has several elements and further explanations, which can be found on the BBB website. But as you can see, the BBB seal is not something given out lightly. However, the trust this membership invokes can go a long way to building your business in your community. So, if you are looking for a way to bolster your business, then perhaps becoming an accredited BBB member is for you.

Scottie’s Building Services

Scottie’s Building Services has been a family owned business since 1986. Today, they are recognized throughout Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina for their excellence in exterior building maintenance services. So what type of needs or concerns do you have for your home or office? After all, these structures are important and it is vital that they are taken care of. At Scotties, you can get help for the following jobs:

• Interior or exterior window cleaning
• Pressure washing
• Glass restoration and sealing
• Parking deck cleaning and restoration
• Architectural metal maintenance
• industrial cleaning and high dusting
• post construction cleaning

Each of these jobs can take a considerable amount of time for someone who does not have the necessary tools to keep your location looking its best. There is no reason to schedule extra hours for clean up or to settle for a less than pleasing job. Simply contact Scottie’s Building Services to learn how they can help you. With their 25 years of experience, Scotties is sure to provide what you need.

With Love from Jesus

Page Progressive has also been a part of a local ministry group’s website production. With Love from Jesus ministries began in 2000 in a couple of garages. Today, it is operated out of a much larger facility that serves over 4,000 families in the Raleigh, NC area.

So what exactly is With Love from Jesus? The WLFJ ministry is a 501©3 non-profit, whose mission is providing food, household items, clothing, furniture, computers and even vehicles to those in need. This is made possible by many contributors in the business community, as well as churches and private supporters. When it comes to the distribution of goods, WLFJ is helped by youth groups, churches and local businesses, in addition to area ministry leaders.

And who are the WLJF ministry leaders? That would be Jerry Boyd, Jack Brinson, Roger Corbin, Jane Harrod, Scott Landis, Sam and Linda Williams, Vince DiMondi, Terri Smith, Sonny Wilson, Annette Hall, Keith Strandtman, Troy and Tracey Cordin and Greg and Tara Flowers.

Like any ministry, WLFJ always has needs. These needs cover a broad scope of items, volunteer participation and monetary support. If you would be interested in learning how you can be a part of this ministry, check out their website.

Page Progressive is proud to be a part of these local entities and would love to help you promote your business or organization. If you are interested in updating your website, give Page Progressive a call!

Okay, so you may be wondering why cheap web host provider plans are included in this list. After all, what’s wrong with saving money in business? Well, just as some of the actions above can end badly if an inferior item or service is used, choosing a cheap web hosting provider can also have results that you are less than pleased with. In fact, choosing a cheap web hosting provider can even result in costing a lot more than you anticipated! So, why should you not choose a cheap web hosting provider? Here are 5 reasons not to opt for a low cost web hosting plan.

Don’t use a Cheap Web Hosting Provider because…

1. Cheap web hosting companies often promise 99.99% uptime. This means that the server you’re hosting on will be up, not necessarily your website. For example,  your website (or another site hosted on the same server as you) could experience a  sudden high level of traffic. This could lead to your website shutting down or perhaps just come to a crawling pace.
2. Backups leave much to be desired. You want your site backed up frequently. Some cheap web hosting plans say they provide backups, but the details are a bit sketchy. Be sure you understand how often the backups are done. Good backups can be expensive and keeping several versions of your files takes up space. Consequently, many web host providers do a poor job.
3. Customer support is lacking. While many cheap web hosting plans provide 24-7 support, they don’t say where that support is located. Many users of inexpensive web hosting plans have found that these cheaper web hosting companies are farming out support services to countries where the staff are not qualified to answer your questions. In fact, you may not be able to get a person via telephone at all. If your website get’s hacked and your business is on the line, many cheap web hosting companies won’t help and will leave it up to you to restore the site from a backup or fix the problem yourself.
4. Low rates often mean high costs later. Be sure you carefully read the fine print. Many low cost web hosting plans are only inexpensive at the outset and rates will significantly increase after a set period. Others may stay the same price, but there is a loss of service features after several months.
5. The web server is not located in the U.S. This may not seem important, but it is. Consider this, if you are in Raleigh, NC and your provider is in Canada, it can take longer for your site to load, which means that you risk potential customers leaving your site before you ever get to meet them.

How to Get Good and Inexpensive Web Hosting

Okay, so you have seen the drawbacks of using a cheap web host provider, but that doesn’t change your budget. You need a good and inexpensive web host provider. This may seem like a bit of a conundrum, so here are 5 solutions from Web Hosting Secrets Revealed.com for using a cheap (under $5 a month) web hosting provider.

1. Software charges - Cheap web host often promote add-ons and software for an additional fee. Take your time to research the features before signing up for these.
2. Overselling server space – Before setting up with a cheap web host provider, check the out on Pingdom or Uptime Robot (both are free to use) to find out what the performance rate is.
3. Spam Attacks - This is a common problem with cheap web hosting. You can check out the Web Hosting IP on SpamHaus Block List as soon as you have your account. If your server is on the list, request a change. If the cheap web hosting provider is not willing to do this, get a new host.
4. Fees – There are several ways these can hurt you, the first has been addressed but (see number 1) but the other two are cancellations and renewals. Some cheap web hosting providers will sometimes hide their cancellation fees in the fine print. Don’t get caught by this. Go to the Terms of Service page, hit CTRL and “F” and look for words like “cancel”, “refund” or “fee” then read any comments in which these terms are found. Renewal fees can be just as dire. Pay close attention to the cost of renewing your subscription.
5. Long-term costs – Some cheap web hosting providers are only cheap if you are willing to sign a multi-year contract and pay the entire cost up front. Unless the provider allows a refund and cancellation at any time, this is a bad idea.

Cheap web hosting- it is really a matter of getting what you pay for. No, it may not be as bad as a weak Doberman pinscher leash or as dangerous as a faulty parachute, but when it comes to supporting your business website, having poor service can be just as detrimental. If you are trying to decide how to invest your web page development budget, and want to be sure that you get the most for your money, then contact Page Progressive. We will be happy to help you determine the best web hosting plan for you.

Enter the Timthumb Vulnerability Scanner. This is a free plugin for WordPress that will scan your site to see if you are using an outdated version of the timthumb.php file and if so, fix it for you.

If you host with Page Progressive, then we’ve scanned our server and patched any old timthumb.php files but if you are hosting elsewhere, it’s possible your host has not scanned for it and you may need to check to make sure you are not vulnerable to this exploit. It could lead to your site getting hacked and allow malware to be distributed though it, and that will ruin just about anyone’s day.

The Moxie Solution is a new client of Page Progressive that has recently launched and focuses on helping you become all you can be. The Moxie Solution is the ideal place to attend if you are interested in developing your full potential in every aspect of life. They offer personal training sessions, workshops and even camps for children/teens where they can get a jumpstart on discovering their gifts and talents while learning how to have moxie. Some of the things learned at Moxie Academy are how to:

• Inspire your peers and press your superiors
• Deal with a change in management
• Make effective decisions
• Find intrinsic satisfaction in various areas of life
• Build relationships

For students, attending the workshops at Cary Academy can make a significant difference in their scholastic, business and personal endeavors. The topics covered  in these sessions include the following:

• Building self-confidence
• Leadership skill
• Critical thinking
• Youth entrepreneurship
• Youth finances
• Planning  and problem solving
• Goal setting

At the Moxie Solution you are certain to learn what you need to be a success. Why not take a few minutes to see what classes and sessions they have and see how they can help!

1. SEO
2. Link Building
3. Paid Advertising
4. Social Media/Email Marketing

Click here to watch an archived recording of the presentation or you can watch it below!

Read the full article here.

And, while the majority of enterprises have adapted with the times there are still those who have not. One of these groups is the church. In fact, studies have shown that nearly 25% of churches do not have a website and that many of those who do have a website, have an antiquated site that has content severely out of date (i.e. last post was 2-3 years ago). Sadly, church websites are often boring, uninviting and “too churchy.” However, a church website does not have to be bland, nor should it only appeal to the needs of your congregation. Rather, there are specific elements a church website should and should not contain. Here we will discuss some of those elements.

25 Do’s and Don’ts of Church Websites

1. A good church website will communicate with church members, Christ followers moving to the area and looking for a new church and non-Christians in the community.
2. Be sure to avoid churchy language as much as possible, as this can actually be a turn off to non-believers. For instance, instead of “ministries” say “Things We Do.”
3. Do not use your website as tract distribution site. Rather use it to help build relationships for the community around you.
4. Your church website should convince non-believers that: It is made up of real people; you understand and offer help for their life problems; the church is a community and family whose unconditional love is waiting to welcome them; and, that God can meet them and help them where they are.
5. Remember, the church is people. Your church homepage should have pictures of people, not the front of the building. However, do not include names of church members-especially children- on the site unless you have signed consent.
6. Having some brief testimonials from church members will personify the site.
7. Make page headings exciting. Don’t just say “Teens”, use verbiage such as “What’s Happening in the Teen Department.”
8. Have a page designed specifically for new guests to the site that gives all the important information in one place so guest do not have to sort through multiple pages to determine who/where you are. Some of these elements would be:

• Mission Statement – People want to know who you are and what you do.
• Denomination and Affiliation
• Church Service Details – Length of service, type of music, etc. This is a great place to have a video clip.
• What to Wear- Today’s churches do not all require suits, ties and dresses. Let guests know what type of clothing is common, as it will allow them to visit without standing out. This is an ideal spot for a picture.
• Kid’s Program Details- Let parents know what type of check –in procedures there are;  if your workers have passed background checks; whether or not your workers have passed CPR/First Aid training, etc… Parents want to know their children will be in a safe environment before they attend.
• Pastor(s) Bio- A bit of info about the church leadership will help guests (and new members) have a better understanding of your church and various ministries.

9. Do not overload the homepage with information. The homepage is the doorway to the church-not the family room.

10. Avoid churchy graphics- doves, stained glass windows, doves, etc…
11. Keep important information above the fold.
12. Never use a “splash page” for your church website. These are viewed by many as annoying and tend to repel site guests rather than attract.
13. Keep the same overall appearance on each page.
14. Use colors and page layouts correctly; talking to or hiring a graphic designer will ensure that your color choices send the message you want. (Many web design companies have graphic designers on staff that can help with this.)
15. Make sure your site is mobile-device friendly.
16. Don’t leave out-of-date content online. If you are going to have a church blog, be sure that it is up to date. The only thing worse than no content at all, is content that is months (or perhaps years) out of date.
17. Be sure to proofread. Typos, incorrect word usage (their/there), misspellings, etc… reduce credibility. Also, when proofreading, have several people involved and work from a print-out, not by reading onscreen.
18. Keep your target audience in mind as you write the site’s content.
19. Do not use fixed font size in your coding. Also, text should be black on a white or near white background. In addition, use a font that is easy to read. Good examples are Calibri, Arial,Verdana, Times New Roman and Tahoma.
20. Is the site easily navigated? A difficult site design can result in people leaving your site and choosing not to visit your church.
21. Be sure you can be found physically. Have a page with directions, address, service times and phone number.
22. Your website should load quickly. Most people are impatient and will move to a new page rather than wait.
23. Have a URL that is easy to remember.
24. Stay connected. Have someone who daily checks for, and answers, blog post comments or other interactive elements such as social media sites your church may use.
25. Pray! Although listed last, this is by far the most important step you can take regarding every element of your church’s website design.

These are but a few of the many elements of designing a church website. There are other aspects of the process-such as coding, keyword usage, graphics, tables and more, that all add (or not) to the usability and find-ability of your website. So, if you would like to have a church website, or perhaps need to upgrade your existing one, give Page Progressive a call. As website developers and Christ followers, we recognize just how important your church website is.