Basically when you bring your cable signal in from the outside of the house, quite often the signal is not grounded properly.  This will cause lines to rise up on your picture when run through a receiver that will simply repeat the ground interference.  It took us a while to single out the cable box as the perpetrator of the problem, but after unplugging and plugging many different sources, it was obvious where the problem was coming from.  Here is an excellent explanation from Wikipedia:

In video, ground loops can be seen as hum bars (bands of slightly different brightness) scrolling vertically up the screen. These are frequently seen with video projectors where the display device has its case grounded via a 3-prong plug, and the other components have a floating ground connected to the CATV coax. In this situation the video cable is grounded at the projector end to the home electrical system, and at the other end to the cable TV’s ground, inducing a current through the cable which distorts the picture. As with audio ground loops, this problem can be solved by placing anisolation transformer on the cable-TV coax. Alternatively, one can use a surge protector that includes coax protection. If the cable is routed through the same surge protector as the three-prong device, both will be regrounded to the surge protector.

Luckily, this problem is easily solved with a small adapter called a Ground Loop Isolator.  It filters out the ground noise directly from the signal coming from the cable and so you get a clean signal into your cable box.  Putting this small Ground Loop Isolator on our cable signal and then directly into the cable box fixed the problem!

What’s the difference?

WordPress.org and WordPress.com are two different platforms that use the same blogging software. The difference is that they are hosted differently.

WordPress.org is where you get the software

At WordPress.org you download the open-source blogging software that you then have to install on your own dedicated server. In other words, you have to handle the technicalities – the installation and the hosting – on your own.

• The Good: You may want to use the open-source software on your own server to be able to upload custom themes and plugins, as well as to tamper with the code yourself to build a truly unique website. To do all these, of course, you need to be a technical expert, or hire one.

• The Bad: The disadvantages of using WordPress.org software on your own server is that you need some technical knowledge, as well as a reliable web hosting provider. On top of that, you’ll have to handle yourself website backups and version upgrades.

 WordPress.com is where you get the service

At WordPress.com you can set up your website and have it hosted by the people behind WordPress.com, through their own selection of hosting service providers. Most people create their website at WordPress.com because it’s simpler and easier than doing the hosting on their own.

• The Good: WordPress.com is the obvious choice if you want to quickly set up a website. All the technical aspects of website management, including software upgrades, backups, and security are handled for you, with your content being backed up automatically. Moreover, your blog will be on cloud hosting, meaning it will be on multiple servers, and so it will not go down because of a power outage or traffic spike.

• The Bad: The disadvantage of using WordPress.com is that you cannot edit the code of the platform, nor can you upload plugins or custom themes. However, for most small businesses just getting started with WordPress, these are not at all major issues.

Even if you choose to use WordPress.com, you can still own standalone domain, provided that you choose a dedicated hosting provider.

WordPress for small businesses – The Verdict

For most small businesses requiring a professional-looking website, with plenty of features, WordPress.com is the perfect solution, provided that you get your own domain, that is www.your-business-here.com, instead of your-business-here.wordpress.com.

In time, once your business website develops and you’re ready to expand its features beyond what WordPress.com is offering, you can make the move to using WordPress.org’s open-source software on your own.

How Google AdWords Works – The Auction Platform

Once you have created an AdWords account, you have to identify the keywords that interest you and decide how much you’re willing to spend on ads centered on them. The most relevant keyword from your account is entered into an auction together with your maximum bid and your ads.

The cost-per-click (CPC) is what you pay to Google when a user clicks on your ad. Your maximum CPC bid is multiplied with your advertisers’ quality score to determine which ad is shown where. The quality score is a metric that determines the relevancy of your ad to users.

Suppose there are three advertisers bidding for the same keyword. Bidder 1 has a maximum CPC bid of $3 and a quality score of 4. Bidder 2 has a maximum CPC bid of $2 and a quality score of 8. Bidder 3 has a maximum CPC bid of $7 and a quality score of 1. Google will multiply the CPC bid with the quality score to determine the ad ranking, and consequently the position of the advertiser’s ad.

So, for Bidder 1:

3 x 4 = 12 ad rank

For Bidder 2:

2 x 8 = 16 ad rank

For Bidder 3:

7 x 1 = 7 ad rank

If we sort bidders by score we get:

1. Bidder 2 – 16 ad rank
2. Bidder 1 – 12 ad rank
3. Bidder 3 – 6 ad rank

Although Bidder 3 has made the highest bid ($7), the other two bidders rank above him or her because of their superior quality score. Bidder 1, despite his or her having made the lowest bid ($2), comes on top because of his or her superior ad score (8 compared to the Bidder 1’s 4 ad score).

How Much You Pay For Your Ads

With AdWords, you pay the minimum possible amount for the position you win if people click your ad.

The formula Google uses is…

Your CPC price = the ad rank of the advertiser ranking below you / your quality score + $0.01.

Let’s consider how the formula applies with the bidders introduced above. The bidders sorted by ad rank:

Bidder 2 will pay an actual CPC of…

12 / 8 + $0.01 =  $1.51

Bidder 1 will pay an actual CPC of…

7 / 4 + $0.01 = $1.76

Bidder 3 will pay more, and so on.

As you can see, a high quality score helps you pay a lower CPC.

Other biding methods include CPM and CPA.

Definitely not! Google+ may not be Facebook, but it still is a powerful platform through which you can effectively spread the word about your business. And what’s more, Google+ for business has 3 benefits Facebook doesn’t.

1. 1.                   Circles

Google+ Circles can be used as to target messages to certain customer groups, based on location and demographics. For example, you can create Circles that include loyal customers only, and offer them news or content that only they can see, thus further consolidating your relation with them.

Ultimately, Circles let you better manage your followers and target messages more effectively, to ultimately improve customer engagement.

1. 2.                   SEO Boost

If you’re trying to get your business website up there at the top of the search results, Google+ can help you. Google+ business pages are quickly indexed and can be easily followed. Moreover, users can give them a +1. All these will boost your website’s search engine ranking.

We know for certain that Google takes into account the buzz your website generates on social media websites when determining its search engine ranking. So, by having a popular Google+ business page, you increase your website’s search engine ranking. Not to mention that you also build authority.

1. 3.                   Direct Connect

With Direct Connect users can instantly access a brand Google+ page when using the Google search engine. Direct Connect works like this: the user searches for ‘+brand’ (+pepsi, for example) and he or she is immediately sent to the the brand’s Google+ business page, in this case Pepsi, without having to go through the search results first. Google+ Direct Connect helps users find you more easily.

Note that Google+ Direct Connect doesn’t yet work for all Google+ business pages. Google explains that it determines a page’s eligibility for Direct Connect algorithmically. To increase your chances of using direct connect, link your Google+ business page to your website, and improve the relevancy of the former.

Google+ has SEO benefits, Direct Connect, and Circles, all of which can help you better connect with your customers. But these are not all the benefits Google+ can have for your business. To discover them all, create your own Google+ business page and experiment the many features available.

Google Places lets you provide essential information about your business, as well as a brief description, images, and directions, so that prospective customers can find you more easily.

To use Google Places effectively it’s crucial that you ensure the information in your listing is correct and up to date.

Here’s how to set up a Google Places listing for your business.

Step 1

Go to http://www.google.com/places/, find ‘Get your business found on Google’ and click on Getting started.

! It’s important to use a Google business account, rather than your own personal account. Keeping business accounts separate from personal accounts prevents misunderstandings, as when local customers in search of the the location of your store end up knocking at your home door.

Step 2

Once you sign in with your business email, enter the phone number of the business, the one actually used at the physical location of your business. Make sure the phone number is valid.

Step 3

Enter your business as a new listing, or select it from the list.

Step 4

Next you have to fill out all the information related to your new listing. This is essential to boost local traffic with Google Places. The more time you spend on filling the listing information, the better the listing.

Consider the search terms that people may use to discover your business, and sprinkle them through the listing description. Try to think of the people who know your business exists, as well as of those who don’t, but who may be interested in what you have to offer.

• Add several relevant images and videos about your business. The higher their quality, the better. For each photo and video add a relevant description, preferably one which includes the keywords used by your business.
• Select multiple categories.
• Select as many payment options as your business supports.

Step 5

Verify your listing by mail or by phone. Verifying by phone is much quicker.

5 Tips when Using Google Places

• Sprinkle keywords throughout your business description.
• Don’t add a keyword to your business name. The name in the listing should match exactly the name of your business.
• Create a Google Places listing for each of your locations.
• Ask your customers to leave feedback on your Google Places page.
• Use Google analytics to monitor your Google Places business page.

Benefits

By setting up a Google Places listing for your business you’ll boost your Google ranking for local searches, making it easier for locals to find your business. Hence, a significant local traffic boost is like to follow, as a result of increased local searches. A Google Places listing will also consolidate your online presence, making your business look professional.

But even more than a local traffic boost, you’ll get more local customers: Google says that today, 97% of consumers search for local businesses online.

Facebook ads are different from AdWords ads

With AdWords you create ads based on keywords. With Facebook advertising you create ads based on the interests of your target audience. The difference is significant because with the Facebook ads you’re targeting people not based on what they need right now, but rather on what they might need.

Does that mean a lower conversion rate?

In theory; perhaps, because the way Facebook ads work make it less likely that consumers will buy your product right away. But in practice, conversion rates don’t have to be low, because those consumers who see your Facebook ads have no reason not to follow up on your offer.

There are also some who say that Facebook ads are not really that effective because people don’t want to be bothered by ads when socializing. That’s food for thought. But you have to remember that Facebook has a huge user base – there will always be people interested in what you’re advertising, so long as you’re offering something of good quality.

Facebook advertising is cheap

At the moment, the average cost-per-click (CPC) for Facebook ads is two or three times times lower than the AdWords CPC. That’s because with AdWords the CPC increases with the popularity of the keywords.

With Facebook ads, on the other hand, if you do your research beforehand and target your ads based on who the audience is, your advertising becomes outstandingly effective, and thus CPC costs are reduced.

Demographics

A great thing about Facebook ads is that you can target consumers based on their demographics. You can know the sex, the age, and the other essential information about the person clicking your ad. That information is not available with AdWords, where you don’t really know for sure whether the person clicking your ad is 20 or 60 years old. You can only speculate.

Getting Started

If you’ve made up your mind to use Facebook advertising, then it’s important to do it right. The key term is experimentation.

There’s no formula for advertising effectively on Facebook. You just have to get started, learning the basics as you do so, and then experiment with different targeted ad campaigns, while monitoring the results.

What many SMBs that just start using Facebook observe is that it takes some time for them to fine-tune their ad campaigns and get their target audience right. In other words, start small.

Conclusion

Facebook ads are, compared to Google AdWords, a different way of advertising based on what people like rather than on what they are looking for. Right now they are appealing because they are cheaper than Google ads, but this may change in the future.

For SMBs, the best strategy is to use the combined power of Facebook ads and Google ads.

For small businesses wanting to establish an online presence, WordPress is an obvious choice.

Easy to Set Up and Maintain

WordPress has been designed to be easy to set up and use even for people who have little or no technical knowledge whatsoever. From registering an account, to setting up a website, to adding and updating content, all is simple and straightforward.

This means that average small business owners can maintain a WordPress-based website by themselves, without having to enlist the services of a website admit or web developer. WordPress lets you change the theme of the website, the layout, the widgets, and the way your content is presented all by yourself.

Flexible Content Manager

Adding content to your WordPress-based business website is super-easy, whether it’s videos, images, audio, or any other multimedia. What’s more, the platform lets you enable other people to add content as well. For example, you can have your employers contribute content, and do it from their own unique users’ profiles.

On top of that, WordPress comes with a commenting system that increases user interaction, helping you maintain a fresh website. And having a fresh website is crucial if you want to reach the top of search engines.

SEO Friendly

WordPress has a big advantage over other content management systems: it comes out of the box with good SEO. This means attaining a high Google ranking for your keywords becomes easier. The CMS is optimized for search engines, making it excellent for business websites that build their content around relevant keyword phrases.

To further boost your WordPress SEO, purchase a premium theme and add the All-in-One SEO Pack, or powerful SEO plugin from the official WordPress Plugin Directory.

Extensive Customization

As of March 2012, there are over 18,000 plugins in the WordPress Plugin Directory. Many of those plugins can add to the functionality of your website, making it more interactive, and ultimately, more appealing.

Among these plugins stand out those that let you add social functions to your website, making it possible for visitors to share your content on social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, or StumbleUpon. The more buzz your content generates on social media websites, the greater your online reputation and the higher your Google ranking.

WordPress is Free to Use

But probably the best thing about WordPress is that with all its features, it’s still free. That’s what makes it the ideal platform for small businesses. Any small business owner can download the software and set up a business website without paying anything, except for the hosting costs, if they choose dedicated hosting.

The high quality of the platform combined with its ease-of-use, make it possible for any starting small business to establish quickly and freely an online presence, by creating a website that looks professional and that can easily be maintained. That’s why WordPress is a great platform for small businesses.

Small to Medium-sized Businesses and Standard Routers 

Large companies are well aware of the importance of a business-grade firewall, and thus use at least one. It’s small business owners, those who often run their business from home, who often don’t use adequate firewalls and thus are at risk most. The risk usually appears because their router is not made to be used on a business network.

A router is the address of your Internet connection. A Comcast or Verizon router is the intermediary between your business and your ISP, and directs incoming and outgoing traffic accordingly. For average internet users, such a router is all right from the point of view of security. But for businesses, it’s not.

The basic Verizon or Comcast router doesn’t filter out viruses or inspect traffic. Neither does it detect intrusions. This basically means security risks for any business that relies on the web for its operations, such as an e-commerce website that processes credit cards and collects user data.

Firewalls Help You Be in Control of Your Network

Firewalls help you control what occurs in your business network, allowing you to contain any security problems that may arise.

Here are three types of attacks all businesses with an online presence are exposed to when using standard firewalls.

• Network packet sniffers – a hacker intercepts unprotected Windows NT network packets, stealing information.
• IP spoofing – an outsider tricks your business computers into recognizing him as a trusted source, by using an IP address recognized by your network.
• Password attacks – a hacker guesses or cracks the password used by one of your employees, accesses his or her computer, and steals data.

A business-grade firewall filters traffic between your network of computers and the web, dramatically reducing the risks of having your customer information stolen or intercepted.

What Does the Firewall Do

A business-grade firewall can do a lot of things to protect your business. 

• Blocks incoming traffic according to predetermined rules. For example, you can prevent employees from using Twitter, Facebook, or social media while working.
• Blocks specific websites. For example, you can block access to all adult websites. This doesn’t only increase the productivity of your male employees, but also reduces the risks of virus infection – many adult websites have been notorious for spreading viruses.
• Allocates internet network resources. For example, it can prevent a certain group of employees from accessing the web.

A firewall can also monitor network activity and create a log. Having access to such a log when a security breach is identified helps you contain and fix problem faster.

Conclusion

While standard firewalls may be sufficient for average Internet users, they are not secure enough for businesses, especially for those that process credit card information online or store customer data. To increase their security, businesses can use a business-grade firewall.

Why Facebook Ads Are Effective 

Facebook Ads can be used to target a specific demographic. While with Google AdWords, for example, it’s hard to know who actually gets to see your ads, with Facebook Ads you have a good idea of who does, because you can decide who to target before submitting your ads. That means effective advertising, with usually a lower cost-per-click (CPC).

Benefits of Facebook Ads

Facebook ads can have significant benefits for your business.

• Website traffic boost

Facebook ads can direct viewers to your website, or landing page, boosting your traffic significantly. Many marketers find that landing pages work best for ads targeting products for businesses.

What’s important to keep in mind is that by targeting specific demographics, Facebook ads can send to your landing page the customers that are most likely to purchase what you’re selling.

• Fan page friends increase

You can also use Facebook ads to direct viewers to your Facebook fan page, with the aim of increasing your likes and number of fans, and consequently the popularity of your brand.

A fan page helps you interact with your customers and build loyalty. Fan pages are powerful because they can be used as platforms to effectively promote new products or services.

• Lower advertising costs 

Being highly targeted, Facebook ads help you reach exactly the audience you’re aiming for. This advertising efficiency means that you get more value for each dollar you spend on ads.

• Opportunity to reach mobile users

Millions of Facebook users log into their account daily through their smartphones, tablets, or other hand-held devices. So your ads won’t reach only notebook or desktop users, but also to mobile users.

• Ads that stay longer with viewers

Facebook users are not passive: they create information. They make up a highly engaged audience, which is clearly reflected by the fact that about half of Facebook’s total users log into their accounts daily.

What this means is that Facebook ads are highly visible and, when inventive, clever, or amusing, quite memorable.

Advertising on Facebook

Facebook ads are highly effective yet relatively cheap. They can help you get more traffic for your landing page, boost the number of fan page fans, and ultimately sell or promote your products and services.