Virtual Views - The View From Here : October 2008

The fastest way to communicate with the greatest amount of people in the shortest amount of time is by email.

There use to be a joke, The fastest communication: telephone, telegraph and tell-a-woman. I think the reason you don't hear this joke any more is not because it is an old and worn but because it is out dated. The fastest way to reach a wide audience, in today's modern world, is to send an email.

Last week I received some great responses to my blog. I would like to thank all of you for your comments. Due to the response from the Active Rain community and because I know some of the horrific details of that fiasco, I thought the subject would make a great email. My title was Alert: Malicious Spyware on the Loose.

I sent the email to everyone on my contact list, personal and business. The email was opened and read by all the recipents.

So, what is my point? Simply, not all of the emails you send out need to be real estate or marketing related. You can share valuable information with your clients, prospects, relatives and friends (everyone on your contact list).

The next time you read a blog or an article that has valuable infomation, send that information by email to those in your contact management database. They will appreciate the it. For example, just sending the free support phone number and the link to the free safety scanner provided by Microsoft would be of value to anyone.

Your email could quickly reach hundreds of prospects when the recipent forwards your email to someone they know, that would also benefit from the information.

Most people forward emails as soon as they have read them. You could find that you have not only reached hundreds of people you don't even know, but you did it in a matter of hours, with a minimum of time invested on your part.

When you give you always receive back. By sharing safety tips, alerts, articles, and the like you are letting your contacts know you care about them, on every level, not only as a potential transaction. Because you care, your name will stay in their minds. When the subject of your email or real estate comes up in a conversation they are more likely to recommend you or suggest that the other party should be on your email list.

Emails can increase your presence (in the fastest way possible) not only in your home town but around the world!

    
 

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Pamela Cendejas

This blog is being posted to alert you to some very malicious and aggressive spyware. 

It seems there is no such thing as safe surfing anymore. According to one expert, one of every thousand pages on the web are infected with some type of spyware.  Neither the website owner nor the victim of the spyware even know that they have been infected!

It is more important than ever to have a good Anti-Virus program. In addition, however, you need to be sure you are protected from spyware as well. Because there are thousands upon thousands of spywares, no one product can fully protect you.

To me, spyware used to mean an innocent "little bugger" was watching what I surfed on the Internet and then sent me advertisements and pop-up ads that would appeal to me based on my web browsing. That may have been true at one time, but not any longer.

One of my assistants was infected with a Trojan (spyware) from the Zlob family. This particular spyware is very aggressive and malicious. It can hijack your homepage, hijack your search engine and it can hijack your IP Address as well.  This Trojan will change your dynamic network settings, taking control of your web browser and search engine. It will also block Windows updates and downloads as well as updates from your Anti-Virus provider.

After running several reliable and reputable spyware removal products (some free, some purchased) the Trojan remained and became progressively more malicious. This Trojan even knows when you are trying to remove it and it can be very vengeful!  While trying to remove the spyware via a removal tool, this Trojan crashed Windows which, in turn, "fried" the computer's mother board. 

After purchasing a new computer, my assistant found that as soon as she clicked on Internet Explorer, the culprit was back. Her IP Address had been hijacked so, even though she had a new computer and the computer was not infected, the Trojan still had control.

I am going to cut to the chase here as the details are like a Halloween movie - long and gory.

My assistant called a very reputable anti-virus company with a fine reputation and a great product for assistance. After 21 hours of intense system checks and fixes, the problem could not be corrected. By the way, the assistance from this company was not free, there was a charge of $99.

My assistant then called another anti-virus company. The problem was resolved in a matter of minutes and it was FREE! Who was able to provide the magic cure? Microsoft!

Microsoft provides free support to any Windows user experiencing a Virus or Spyware problem. For some reason, this is not a well known fact and the various computer service providers are certainly not sharing this information.

To be sure you are not infected with a virus or spyware, go to www.safety.live.com. This is a Microsoft site and provides a free scan that not only removes viruses and spyware, it will also check your registry keys and your hard drive for any problems. 

If you have a virus or spyware issue that is not resolved, then just call 1-866-PCSAFETY.

Don't suffer needlessly. Write that phone number down and save this site to your Favorites. You will be glad you did.

By the way, my assistant paid over $400 purchasing products and paying for the computer repairs that were recommended by the experts. She had to buy a new computer. No one was able to help or provide an answer until she found Microsoft's FREE service.

    
 

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Pamela Cendejas

No, this is not going to be a blog on senior citizens or a way to determine your age by what games you play or hobbies you have. I am using the term "Are You Old" in relation to your website.

Did you ever get a business card from someone who looks about 19, but when you meet them they look more like 119? The same thing can happen to your website. One of the things that our "cyber big brother" (aka search engines) looks for when ranking sites is fresh content.

So, how old are you? Are you fresh, young and new again? Websites, like people, can be "timeless" with a little effort. What about all those glamorous movie stars that never seem to get old? How do they keep their youthful look and figure? They work very hard at it! Well, airbrushing helps a little, too. But, seriously, to stay looking young and to keep from appearing old does take time and work.

It is time for you to put some more time and work into your website to keep it from looking old and outdated. I am not talking about the design - although you may want to consider that option. I am talking about content. What has changed in the industry, your area of service and/or your life since you first designed your site? Communities change. Our market certainly has. Is your college grad still in first grade? I often laugh when I come across a real estate website saying how "hot" the market is. Obviously, this site owner hasn't updated that page for awhile. I am not preaching doom and gloom. Investment in real estate is one of wisest decisions a person can make.

Now, what if that website owner freshened up that page up a bit, letting their site visitors know why now is still a good time to buy or sell? Old content is stale content. Your readers don't like it and neither do the search engines. Have you checked your rankings lately? Your website placement may not be what it once was because there in nothing new.

What is old can be new again without reinventing the wheel. I suggest that you take an objective look at your website to see what is out of date, what is old and what can be refreshed. Your homepage is your curb appeal and your content is the selling feature. I know you are Realtors® and not webmasters; nor should you be. But, your website is like a home and must constantly be cared for, maintained and improved if it is going to show pride of ownership.

If you are pressed for time or do not have the needed skills, then do what homeowners do. Hire someone! Remember, quality content is what your website visitors are looking for. Quality content is what the search engines are looking for. It just may be time for a facelift!

    
 

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Pamela Cendejas