Statistics compiled by Google, based upon the Google Analytics software that is running on websites around the world (and probably including your own) demonstrate that 50% of all website traffic is now mobile. In fact, this past holiday season, 22.5% of all online sales came through mobile devices (which are defined as either phones or tablets). Those numbers are impressive. Google is now warning website owners if their sites fall short of being mobile-friendly ... what they refer to as “critical mobile usability errors”, with the presumption being that these sites will soon be penalized in search results. Google is reportedly ready to begin downgrading those sites that are not configured for proper display on smartphones. The impact of that upon an older website could be tremendous, since the #1 source of new traffic to most websites is generated through organic searches on Google.

Taking steps in that direction, if you currently perform a Google search from your phone, the search engine results page will now label sites that are deemed to be mobile-friendly. Sites that fail that test typically display text that is too small to read on a phone, links that are too close together for fingers to navigate, or the lack of a mobile viewport (requiring users to pinch and zoom in order to view content). A site that is not mobile-friendly is not only at risk of losing out in its search ranking, it is losing its owner business today.

Before you panic, check your site. Fortunately, Google has provided a quick online test that will let you know whether or not your site is mobile-friendly. Go to the following link, where you may enter your URL:

 https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

If your site passes the test, congratulations are in order. If it fails the test, it is time to at least think about budgeting for a replacement. If you are concerned about mobile traffic to your site (and you should be concerned!), there are decisions to be made, and you probably do not want to indefinitely delay making those decisions. Your new site should adhere to a specific set of best practices. There are new websites being launched every day that are based upon old methods. Investing in one of those today is roughly equivalent to going out to buy a new car but coming home with a horse and buggy instead.

Read this entire story on the Pelland Advertising blog:
http://blog.pelland.com/2015/02/04/mobile-is-not-just-a-city-in-alabama/

A responsive website is, quite simply, the only type of website that your business should consider today. It utilizes the latest technology, allowing a single site to present fluid content that is optimized for viewing on every device – from desktop and laptop computers through tablets and smartphones. These are the sites that consumers prefer, and these are the sites that Google prefers. Sending money on anything less is basically throwing money at obsolete technology. Pelland Advertising has more experience in building responsive websites than any other company serving the family camping industry. The following examples represent only 3 of the new responsive sites that we have launched within the last 10 days. We would love to talk with you about why your site should be added to our list.

We are pretty proud of our new work, and our clients are thrilled with the results. Most important of all, our clients’ customers like what they see, and this translates into reservation requests for the coming season!

Everybody has problems with their computers from time to time. Files may get corrupted, programs crash, and sometimes a software update contains unanticipated bugs. Worse yet, you could inadvertently install malware on your computer, typically when opening an e-mail or an e-mail attachment. One of our clients recently called us, telling us that he was suddenly experiencing a problem synchronizing Microsoft Outlook with his reservation software. Later that day, he called again with the “good news” that Microsoft was helping him to resolve the problem. Out of total coincidence, he had been the recipient of a telemarketing call from a dubious outfit that calls itself “Tech Zone Windows”. The caller led our client to believe that he was a Microsoft representative, charged his credit card $199.00 (which was a less expensive alternative to his original $599.00 offer), and was using remote access to do who knows what with the client’s computer! Perhaps the company was actually scanning his computer and removing malware, something that anybody could do themselves for free. Far more likely, it was installing spyware and accessing sensitive information.

Microsoft has actually warned consumers about this and similar scams, where the callers impersonate help desk engineers from legitimate software companies. According to a Microsoft survey of 1,000 English language computer users back in 2011, 15% said that they had received one or more of these calls, and 22% of those who had gotten a call were tricked by the scam and paid an average of $875.00. Continuing with the Microsoft report, 79% of those who were victimized by one of these scams reported some sort of financial loss, with 17% discovering money withdrawn from their bank accounts, 19% reporting passwords stolen, and 17% becoming victims of identity theft. A majority of victims also incurred significant costs in subsequently having their computers repaired or replaced after the experience.

If you are uncertain about a company, we always suggest performing a quick Google search from the company’s name followed by the word “scam” or “complaints”. In the case of Tech Zone Windows, a Google search for “Tech Zone Windows Scam” currently produced 2,970,000 search results.

Read this entire story on the Pelland Advertising blog:
http://blog.pelland.com/2015/03/02/do-not-fall-victim-to-the-tech-support-phone-scam/

To read more about the Microsoft user survey, read the following Microsoft security bulletin:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx

At Pelland Advertising, we have been designing and printing highly effective four-color process brochures and related collateral advertising products since our 1980 start in the New England ski industry. We began producing campground brochures in 1982 and have become the leading supplier of brochures and rack cards in the industry. Our brochures and rack cards stand out from the crowd. Best of all, we have a unique ability to design websites and collateral advertising that work hand-in-hand, creating a powerful branding and identity for your business. There are few companies that offer this ability to effectively coordinate online and print advertising services in a manner where the complete package of services far exceeds the sum of its parts. Here are a few examples of collateral advertising products that we have produced for campground clients in recent weeks.

Pelland Advertising has become a major source of supply for the production and printing of campground site maps, an alternative to waiting months (or longer) for a sales team to pressure every business in town to buy space that just ends up cluttering your map with ads. Our ad production and printing prices are probably much less than you expect, and they are the perfect solution for campground owners who realize that “free” is not necessarily free. Here are a few examples of maps that we have produced for other campground clients.

Again, we hope to see you at an upcoming trade event. If you cannot attend one of these, please do not hesitate to give us a call or send us an e-mail. We would love to spend some time with you, if not face-to-face at least one-to-one, answering your questions and offering suggestions on how we might help you to grow your business. Thanks!