There are a couple of hiccup areas that even advanced WordPress users struggle with when backing up their sites, some stumbling blocks that we will address right now here it

Not Backing Up Your Information Altogether

The most common mistake that people is guilty of each and every single day when backing up WordPress is simply that they don’t back it up. Most people just assume that their host is doing all of the heavy lifting on their behalf, and that the issues that other people face just won’t affect them. Or, they’re not exactly savvy when it comes to web technologies and are ignorant of all of the dangers that just having a website pose – blindly chugging along without any real consideration to keeping their information or data safe.

Only Backing Up the Posts and Media that You Have Uploaded

A lot of times, people think that they have backed up their WordPress site when in reality they have only backed up the posts and media that they have uploaded on their own. And while this very often forms the backbone of their site, the truth of the matter is that you will lose any and all custom changes you’ve made to your template, plug-ins that you’ve installed and configured, and a whole host of other options that will take hours and hours of work to re-create – if you’re able to at all. This can have a disastrous impact if you decide to say switch hosts at any point in time, or let your web hosting account lapse – as you lose all of that time and effort simply because you didn’t back up the entirety of your WordPress site.

You Have to Test Your Backups On A Regular Basis

Finally, just a backing up all of your Word press information and details is not enough – you have to actually ensure that each and every one of those backups is in fine working order should you ever need to use it. This is a detail that escapes even many professional WordPress backup experts, simply because we’ve come to rely on tools and technologies to be almost infallible.

It only takes a couple of seconds to verify that your WordPress site backup is in fine working order, giving you the peace of mind to move forward with whatever changes, upgrades, or customizations you were looking to maintain.

All in all, you’ll want to make sure that you are consistently backing up your WordPress site in its entirety on a regular basis, insuring that you are collecting a backup of each and every component of your site, and that you actually test all of your backup files in at least a single dry run as often as possible.

About Today’s Guest Author:
Edward Dennis is a marketing manager at Web24, a VPS and dedicated server hosting provider in Australia

With ATM fraud on the rise, it is important to take measures to protect yourself from being a victim. Even if ATM fraudsters do not steal your physical ATM card, they can still use techniques such as skimming, shoulder surfing and phishing to steal your ATM card details and PIN that they may use to withdraw cash from your bank account.

Ways to Protect Yourself from ATM Fraud
• Always survey your surroundings carefully before swiping or inserting your card and inputting your pin number. Some crooks insert tiny pinhead cameras near ATM machines to record customers’ information. Better yet, only use ATM machines examined regularly by certified fraud officers. If you spot any suspicious looking devices, do not conduct any transaction. Moreover, when using any ATM machine, ensure you stand as close as possible to the ATM and shield your hands while typing your ATM card pin.

• Be wary of ATM machines that take longer than usual to complete your transaction. In case you notice an ATM is too slow or it is performing transactions you did not request, remove your ATM card as soon as possible since these may be telltale signs of machine tampering.

• Ensure you get regular statements from your bank detailing your ATM transactions. Using these statements, you can determine if anyone else is making ATM withdrawals from your account. If you cannot recall when and where you made withdrawals, consider having your statements analyzed by a fraud examiner who has fraud examiner certification to determine whether there have been any suspicious activities in your account.

• If you suspect that someone has stolen your ATM card details, you should contact your bank as soon as possible to block all transactions from your account until you can be issued a new card. What’s more, you should change your ATM pin as frequently as possible.

• Under no circumstances should you accept the assistance of strangers that offer to help you to perform ATM withdrawals. If your ATM card gets stuck in an ATM machine, call your bank branch immediately and ask for assistance. One of the common ploys ATM fraudsters use to commit ATM fraud involves rigging the ATM slot on ATM machines and then staying close by to “assist” individuals whose ATM cards get stuck. Unfortunately, once an ATM card gets stuck, only the bank personnel can retrieve it and anyone who insists that they can help you retrieve it is most likely a fraudster who wants to get your card details.

Overall, by ensuring simple safety measures such as keeping your ATM card details to yourself and taking time to review your bank statements thoroughly are good tactics to keep your money safe. Be proactive and stay safe from ATM fraud by following the precautions above and heeding the advice of your bank’s ATM safety officers.

Links

http://blogs.wsj.com/wallet/2008/11/13/tips-to-prevent-atm-fraud/

http://www.wcb.com/home/about/security/protect/atm

Editorials are the best links to acquire if you want higher ranks. Google prefers these links because customers and other people are usually adding the link, not you. This is why guest posting has become quite popular as many companies are finding that posting a relevant article and linking back to their site can improve their ranking.

To prepare for the future, you need to plan on the links. You cannot continue to engage in spam linking. This will hurt your site and will not do much to reward your customers. Links coming from spam sites will merely become a place that your target audience does not frequent. The clicks to your site from these links won’t do you any good.

What you need to watch out for is creating patterns. This is what Google is looking for. If you are leaving guest posts or comments on other blogs and sites, make each one unique. You need to change out the authorship and link-back to your site so there is not a pattern. If Google feels that you are using the same anchor text, they start to detect patterns and it will not be long before they ban your site.

The best way to improve your links is to find high-reward links that you cannot control. What this means is you want people posting about your company. The links people choose will be random pages on your site, not the landing page every time. You need to pursue links where you do not control the link nor the anchor text. This practice can be incredibly challenging and confusing. Hiring Orange soda to deal with link building and online marketing can save you from a serious headache.

Rotating your anchor text will help you to gain proper linking. This doesn’t ask people for much as you can change out the anchor text so it fits within the content on the blogs or sites you are linking with. Ask companies for attribution. What this will help to do is reach out to the blog owners as they give you the link and it gives an anchor text a natural feeling, which is a higher value from what you find with controlling the anchor text directly.

For the layman black as a color is simply black. Different printers, even by the same manufacturer, print blacks differently, the results depend on the paper, the inks, the settings and the software used for printing. Ink technologies are different inside the many printers now available in the market.

Different Blacks
Color cartridges have three colors: cyan, magenta and yellow, and the black cartridge has the black ink, so in all, the printer by default uses all four inks CMYK (the K stands for black) even in black printing. The commonly printed blacks depending on the ink technologies used, the setting and your requirements are:

Rich cool black – consists of cyan: 40 percent, magenta: 0 percent, yellow: 0 percent and black: 100 percent.

Rich warm black – consists of cyan: 0 percent, magenta: 0 percent, yellow: 40 percent and black: 100 percent.

Photoshop black – used specially with Photoshop and consists of cyan: 75 percent, magenta: 68 percent, yellow: 67 percent and black: 90 percent.
Rich black – a combination of cyan: 75 percent, magenta: 50 percent, yellow: 50 percent and black: 100 percent.

Deep rich black – a combination of cyan: 60 percent, magenta: 40 percent, yellow: 40 percent and black: 100 percent.

True black – some experts consider a combination of 100 percent of each of the colors CMYK as a true black, but this uses a great deal of ink and may cause color bleeding on the printed paper as the heavy printing causes color saturation and is slow to dry.

It may also cause problems in the printer. Black inkjet cartridges give you true black without the mix of any other color. Simply black may give a flat visual effect, so using cyan: 75 percent, magenta: 68 percent, yellow: 67 percent and black: 90 percent may give the effect of true black, but the black will be richer.

The Resurgence of Monochromatic Printers
However, if you are serious about using black and specially want to print only in black and white, and not color, you should use a monochromatic printer, so you can avoid experimenting with different blacks and get the results you want. This is especially good if you do digital printing of black and white photos and you want a high DPI resolution with a sharpness and clarity.

The kind of black you use will depend on what you want printed and how it looks in the final result. If you are not happy when using only black toner, try one of the many combinations for black and see which one looks the best for the purpose you require.
Do keep in mind that final results will vary and what you see on your computer may not be exactly replicated in the print form. Ink technologies have advanced so much and with the concurrent software, you can specify exactly which percentage of which ink you want when printing.

For the vast majority of consumers, the ideal, perfect internet service providers need to have one major attribute; a reliable and uninterrupted internet connection. With this level of service, there needs to be the ability to stream services such as YouTube, Netflix, and other media streaming services without disconnecting or constant buffering. This can be difficult in most households, especially homes where more than one device is connected to the internet. You might be on your laptop, while your spouse is using their Wi-Fi enabled phone. Simultaneously, you might have one of your children playing an online game on a video game console. This can be frustrating when your internet is being slowed down by the strain of having multiple devices.

That is where the desire to have a fast, reliable connection comes in. There are multiple factors in deciding which internet service providers would work best for you. For example, calculating how much bandwidth you use will help you determine what you will pay. If you are a casual internet user living by yourself, you probably will find that you won’t need to shell out much at all for an internet package. However, if you find yourself using the internet heavily for video streaming, online gaming, or similar activities, you might want to go for one of the higher level plans.

The thing is, no one likes paying outrageous prices for an internet connection. That is why, when looking for internet service providers, you want to go with a company that offers the benefits of both a fair price and good speeds. You will also want a company that has good uptime; it is extremely crucial that you have a reliable connection that is not constantly being disconnected or in need of maintenance. Nothing is more aggravating than needing to wait for someone to come out and do repairs before you can so much as check your email again.

In addition to price point and uptime is the type of connection you require. If you are in need of not only using the web via a wired connection on your computer or laptop, but also requiring Wi-Fi on your smartphone, tablet, or gaming console, then you will need to go out and buy your own router or find an internet services provider that can supply you with one.

In the end, it all comes down to what your needs are in determining what the perfect internet connection is. Not every person needs the same time of connection, and it is up to internet services providers to assist you with finding what works best with your needs, budget, and lifestyle. Whether you are a light user who only needs to check email every so often, or a person who is at the computer or on your smartphone around the clock, the perfect internet connection is defined by what gives you the least frustration and the most satisfaction as a user.

• Before focusing on any changes that might need to be made to your computer to make it function more efficiently, begin by scanning your computer for viruses.  Computer viruses tend to install hidden files and programs that continue to run in the background behind other programs.  This can drastically slow down your computer.  One way to ensure that your computer does not become corrupted or slowed down by unexpected viruses is to use quality virus protection software that routinely scans and removes unwanted information.
• Run a disk cleanup program to remove excess information and unused programs.  Your operating system will often come equipped with a program that can quickly scan your local hard drive or other connected drives to search for stored information that is no longer needed.  This may include temporary internet files and other partial saved files that are no longer needed.  Running this disk cleanup will removed unused files to give you more space on your hard drive as well as speed up your computer.  In addition you should regularly check the programs you have installed on your computer.  When you find there are some you no longer need or use, removing them will free up space and allow your computer to run quicker.
• Often your computer will become slower if the hard drive and other components become clogged with built-up dust.  To remove the dust you can simply blow out the fans to clean off the dust.  This will help keep the computer overheating and allow it to work more efficiently.  The simple act of blowing out the built up dust can help improve the speed of your computer.
• Based on your computers specifications you can opt to install additional memory.  Memory can make your computer run faster by giving it faster and better access to memory.
• If you find that after many of these tips your computer still continues to run slow.  Replacing the hard drive can help to speed up your computer by giving it additional storage space which allows your computer to access important files faster.   Click here to see the many options of hard drives available.

These tips will help to speed up your computer, but if you continue to notice glitches, hang-ups, or other concerns it may be time to consider replacing the computer or specific computer components.  Often a hard drive change can help to give your computer a fresh start.

An infographic by the team at The Logo Company

You business may be thriving and doing well in spite of the current recession, but imagine how well your company could be doing if you had a custom logo design. One custom company logo designer is here to tell you why it’s vital that you get one.

A logo is a customized image, often a graphic or specific lettering, and it represents your company’s first impression. It should be relevant to your company and their products and services, yet versatile and flexible so that it can be used within social media, webpages, letterheads, advertising materials, products, and everything else.

Another important element to getting a great custom logo is to have a great custom logo company design your logo. You need real design professionals who understand current trends, marketing, color theory, and design elements. Imagine what a logo or new and updated logo could do for your company!

• The Headline: This is where you will tell your audience what your site has to offer. This should be a simple statement and easy to understand by viewers.
• A sub-headline: This is where you are going to add a brief description of what you do or offer. Make sure this is valuable content that will encourage the reader to continue viewing the page.
• List the businesses benefits in an appealing manner. This is your opportunity to sell your business. Ensure you clearly highlight what you have to offer and why you are the best choice.
• Be sure to incorporate a call to action, or two. This will motivate the viewer to “act now” or “find out more.”
• List the many features your company has to offer. This will further sell your company to potential customers.
• Insert either printed customer testimonials or videos of satisfied customers. Real reviews will make customers further trust the product or service you have to offer.
• Ensure your site utilize easy navigation tools that will make using your site easy and fun.
• Offer an incentive for visiting or buying something from your site. This can be free items, information or other incentives that are appealing for potential customers.
• Images and videos. There is no doubt that high-resolution images and videos are very appealing for your site. However, do not overuse these elements as it can make the site overwhelming or slow to load.

Building your site using these guidelines will help ensure you have an effective site that encourages visitors and makes your site appealing for those who visit. Keep in mind you need to sell your business, product or service without seeming overly pushy. This will ensure that visitors know what you have to offer and are intrigued to learn more. While you want sales or traffic for your site if you are overly aggressive or do not clearly state the benefit for the potential customer, you may find yourself with an ineffective website. Keep the design simple and the font and images easy to see and read. There is no doubt that every business must have a web presence in order to be successful and it must be designed effectively to ensure that it is easy to navigate and view. Use Final Cut Pro classes to help you learn more about web design and how to make your site stand out.

10. Sherwin Williams

The paint company has been using this logo since 1906, which put some limitations to the printing design. Red was used for the paint to help it stand out against the blue background, making it look like the company wants to cover the world in blood.

9. A-Style

This logo is clever in its crassness: Once people see their “A” is stylized to resemble two people having sex, it’s hard not to notice the logo. 

8. Catholic Church’s Archdiocesan Youth Commission

Introduced in 1973, it depicts a priest overlaid with an inverse-colored child. Unfortunately, the child design’s head is at the level of the priest’s waist, lending sinister undertones to the commission after numerous sex scandals surrounding the church.

7. Kidsexchange

This is proof that kerning is important: Thanks to a lack of a space, this logo can be read as “Kid’s Exchange” or “Kid Sex Change.”

6. The Mac Store

This chain of Apple computer retailers has a perfectly normal-looking logo except when it’s used on the stores’ neon signs. Thanks to the curves and close quarters of the bulbs, the sideways “THE” becomes an upright “WTF.”

5. Gravity Defyer

The company chose a sperm as its logo to represent the “rebirth” that users feel from wearing these spring-soled shoes. After retailers refused to carry products with this profane imagery, the company switched to a flying bird design.

4. The Gap

After using the same logo for over 20 years, the clothing retailer introduced a new design in late 2010. The generic text was hated by designers and consumers alike, leading the company to switch back to their old logo after less than a week.

3. Olympic Logo of London 2012

Despite spending over $600,000 for a printing design that would be on everything from t-shirts to event signs, the result was a series of geometric shapes that westerners criticized for looking like Lisa Simpson performing a sexual service, while Iran threatened to boycott the event because they said the logo spelled out “Zion.” 

2. Mont-Sat

The unfortunate placing of the antenna receiver makes it look like this dish is very… er… happy to see new customers. After realizing critique of the design was getting more attention than their services, the company switched to a more generic text logo.

1. Kostelecke Uzeniny

While a 1920s-era logo has been circulating the Internet for years, this Czech sausage manufacturer is still using the same image of a man who appears to be fellating one of their products.

Author Bio

Alice is a freelance graphic designer and blogger who enjoys helping businesses achieve success with professional web design. She frequently utilizes the services of Snap.