A Note About Referral Spam

If you have your own website or blog, you may have been excited when you've checked your traffic analytics to see that an unexpected website has been sending you traffic. Then, you've visited that referring website, only to find that a link to your site doesn't exist anywhere. The scenario that I've described may be a case of referral spam. I've noticed that a lot of referral spam URLs end with the .ru suffix. In many cases, the owners of these referral spam sites are hoping that you will visit their sites, and click on an ad, or follow a link to a product page, from which you will make a purchase. Be aware of what you're doing when you visit a site from a phantom referrer.

Remember Your Call to Action

When you're creating online media, it's easy to get overwhelmed with the details of code, multilayered Photoshop files and deadlines. It's also easy to get caught up in the excitement of the process and in the "coolness" of the visuals that you're creating. Throughout the process, it's important to continually remind yourself of the purpose of the project. Mostly, you'll want to prompt a visitor or a user to do something, and that prompt is called a "call to action". Some important questions to keep in mind:

• What do you want your visitor to do?
• How will you ask them to do that thing?
• If they are prompted to click somewhere, what does the landing page look like?
• Do you need to gather information from visitors (do you have a form)?

If you're trying to make a sale, then ask for the sale! A while back, I took a call from a salesman. I had enough interest in his product that I agreed to participate in his hour-long webinar. Following the presentation, I was still interested in the guy's product. To my astonishment, he never asked me to become a customer. You'd be amazed at how many salespeople never ask for a sale and how many websites don't have a call to action.

Web Design: Your Comps and Rough Drafts Should Look Like Finished Websites

Whether you're putting together a series of layouts for a client, or for a group of coworkers, be sure to create images that look like finished website pages. You may have a mind that can imagine creative possibilities and fill in gaps in patterns, but there is usually someone in your client group who can't think in those terms. You may have done your homework: studying the competition, analyzing traffic patterns, conducting focus groups, but if you present a design with "placeholder photos," there is usually always one person in the group who can't admire or accept any part of your work because "that person in the photo doesn't work here." You will enhance your chances for success if your early drafts contain photos that might actually get used in the final project. Attending to such details will also enhance your reputation as a top-level designer, and it will create work for a photographer ;-)

Exceptions to this rule: many smaller clients who don't have staff members or brick-and-mortar assets will be happy to see your selection of stock photos.

Tips for Creating Successful HTML Email Messages

If you're making the effort of putting together an HTML email template, then you'll want to take some steps that will enhance your message's chances for success. Some of the services offering free email accounts (i.e. Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) work to keep spam out of user's inboxes. Messages with very large images (both in terms of file size and dimensions), embedded media, or long lists of recipients, may not pass through filters set up by email service providers.

Here are some factors to consider when making an HTML email message:

Images

• Host the images on a Web server
• Use absolute URL for the image links
• Use compressed images (avoiding gradients helps; fewer colors helps)

Code

• Use 90s-era HTML; avoid CSS
• Width should be 600 pixels or less
• Keep the layout very simple, with minimal use of tables
• The layout should be vertical, with minimal use of cells flowing horizontally 
• Try to use HTML text for your headline, rather than placing that text on an image

Test

• Send your message to accounts that you've set up with multiple services (Hotmail, Gmail, etc.)
• Have friends help you test the message

Purpose

• Remember your call to action: is the message linked to a landing page where your recipients may fill out a form or take some other action?

These tips should serve as good guidelines for creating your HTML newsletter. Remember, some in your audience may prefer text messages or tweets over email. Best of luck!

UTogger's Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy & Terms of Use for UTogger.com
If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at braxtonblue [@] gmx.com.

At www.UTogger.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by UTogger.com and how it is used.

Log Files
Like many other Web sites, UTogger.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons
UTogger.com does not use cookies.

DoubleClick DART Cookie
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on www.UTogger.com.

.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to your users based on their visit to www.UTogger.com and other sites on the Internet.

.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include: Google Adsense.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on UTogger.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks
to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

UTogger.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. UTogger.com's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

Terms & Conditions

1. UTogger.com is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

2. UTogger.com maintains this Website for your personal entertainment, information, education and communication. Please feel free to browse the Website. You may download material displayed on the Website for non-commercial personal use only.

3. While UTogger.com uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-date information on our Website, UTogger.com makes no warranties or representations as to its accuracy. We assume no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of the Website.

4. Use of the site is at your own risk. Neither UTogger.com, any of its agencies, nor any other party involved in creating, producing, or delivering the Website is liable for any direct, incidental, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages arising out of your access to, or use of, the Website.

5. UTogger.com assumes no responsibility, and shall not be liable for, any damages to, or viruses that may infect, your computer equipment or other property on account of your access to, use of, or browsing in the Website or your downloading of any materials, data, text, images, video, or audio from the Website.

6. Any communication or material you transmit to the Website by electronic mail or otherwise, including any data, questions, comments, suggestions or the like is, and will be treated as, non-confidential and non-proprietary.

7. Anything you transmit or post becomes the property of UTogger.com or its affiliates and may be used for any purpose, including, but not limited to, reproduction, disclosure, transmission, publication, broadcast and posting. Furthermore, UTogger.com is free to use any ideas, concepts, know-how, or techniques contained in any communication you send to the Website for any purpose whatsoever including, but not limited to, developing, manufacturing and marketing products using such information.

8. This site is published for educational/information purposes only. We do not suggest you make use of this information in any way. The owner of this site, nor any one affiliated with it can be held responsible for the use or misuse of the information contained within this Website.

9. A link to or from UTogger.com does in no way indicate that UTogger.com endorses or supports the site. Should you wish to use any of the information on the site, feel free to do so, however you must mention where it came from and offer a link to UTogger.com.

10. Some listings and the information contained therein may have been externally sourced by us and are posted in the Directory in an unsolicited manner. If your business or community group is listed and you do not wish to remain on the Directory or do not accept these Terms & Conditions please notify us so that we may remove your site. We reserve the right to reject, refuse or remove a listing at any time for any reason and without being obliged to provide any reasons to you.

11. We welcome your questions and comments on these Legal Terms and Conditions. If you have any questions or comments specifically relating to our Terms and Conditions please email to braxtonblue [@] gmx.com