It is absolutely critical that computer users understand that disasters do happen.  Almost as important as admitting it can happen to you, is recognizing the cost of data loss. Most people don't realize how much they have invested into the data on their hard drive. Forget about the obvious things like financial data (Receivables, Payables, Tax Information, and Inventory), which we know would be disastrous to lose. Instead think about the man-hours re-installing the base software on your computer, reconfiguring your environment to suit your preferences again.  Also, think about losing your email addresses and Internet bookmarks. Without a full data backup, getting up and going again could easily cost you many,many days of productivity. How much is your time worth to you? 

And all of that depends on IF you can salvage and restore the data.

You react to this by saying, "I'm safe.  I backup to a portable storage device such as a CD, DVD, flash drive, or an external hard drive."

My question is, where are you storing those devices?  If the backup is in the same location as your hard drive you still run the risk of losing your valuable files due to fire, theft, or other unforeseen circumstances. Also, viruses and malicious software programs can easily wipe out all information stored in your flash drives or DVDs.

I recommend you try an online data backup service. It's the best and safest way to prevent computer data loss whether for personal or business use. A backup computer data service automatically and regularly stores all critical files in a remote server.

An online data backup service offers a lot of advantages over storage devices. First, it enables you to access your documents from any computer at any time from anywhere. That is possible because the online backup service uses Internet connection to save your files. An online backup service can help you keep your files safe and secure because it offers password protection and encryption.

 

While you may not reside in an area known for inclement weather or natural disasters, everyone is susceptible to data loss.  Utilizing an automatic online service is just as important as buying insurance, with a much lower price tag.  Contact us for more info. . . .

It is important to keep your website up-to-date and error free. Sites lose credibility if their content is not updated or links do not work.  And potential customers disappear.

There are a number of actions you should undertake regularly as part of your website maintenance to ensure that the image of your business does not suffer because of poor performance or user perception of your site.

Checking links
You should regularly check the links on your website to ensure that they all work and do not cause 404 errors (page not found).  If there are significant numbers of links, consider checking a portion of them per week as a rotating maintenance operation.

Ensure that any time-sensitive links are removed when no longer relevant. It is annoying for your users to click on a link and find that the topic is no longer there or the special offer has expired.  Don't forget to check links to/from your own pages to ensure that every page is fully functional.

Checking advertising or sponsorship banners
If your website carries advertising or other types of sponsorship banners, then you need to check that the affiliate is still active. A common problem facing many website owners is a discontinued sponsor link, with your user clicking through and failing to reach the affiliate's home page.

Spelling and typos
Web designers will commonly use a syntax-checking program to catch errors and typos before the site is fully operational. You should also carry out such checks regularly once the site is live.