Internet Explorer Safety Fears

Fears have been raised by the German Government regarding the safety of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Concerns over IE's security have escalated to such an extreme that experts speculate it would be possible for criminals to control people's computers remotely and access private information such as passwords. This month the German Federal Office for Information Security have made a stand to protect potential victims, issuing a warning advising Internet users to find an alternative browser.

Microsoft have conceded that IE was at fault for the recent attack of Google's systems but protest against claims of the continued risk for IE users. Microsoft recommends that users should increase their security settings to avoid serious risk. Doing this canconsequently block some safe websites, making for a difficult browsing experience. Ultimately, increasing security settings on IE is still not a water-tight guarentee to protect all users from attack.

With Microsoft IE prevailing with such a monopoly, it is easy to forget the plethora of alternative browsers on the market; Fire fox, Google Chrome, Opera and Safari to name but a few. None of these are vulnerable to the security flaw cuasing such alarm to the German authorities.

The head of Microsoft Uk's Windows Client Group, John Curran has dismissed the need to swap browsers, but many users are moving to these alternative browsers in a bid to protect themselves. The safety scare has come at a very bad time for Microsoft, as Google has just launched a new version of Google Chrome, and the latest release of Mozilla's Firefox has just been released. Firefox is our preferred browser here in the Toolkit Websites office. If you'd like to download a copy and help keep your internet browsing secure, you can do so from:

www.getfirefox.com

Find out more about Toolkit Websites, Web Design in Southampton, Hampshire, UK and how they can help your business grow.

Ensure your CMS comes with Passionate Support

Most of our new clients are coming to us asking for websites with a CMS or Content Management System.

Content Management Systems are great. They let you update the text, images and links on your website so you can keep your website updated yourself. Usually they work within a framework on a website, allowing the overall design of the website to remain the same around the updatable content. You get the best of both worlds, a fantastic looking website and control over your website content.

However, not all content management systems are created equal. They all differ in complexity, offering various levels of control over your content. Some of them are free, and some you have to pay for. So what should you look for in a CMS?

Simplicity
The CMS should be easy to use. You should not be daunted by endless jargon or complex menus. It should be web based to make it easy for you to update your website on the go.

Search Engine Friendly
Your CMS must be built to be search engine friendly. It should let you control link title text, image title and alt text, page titles, page aliases and meta keywords and descriptions.

Support
A good CMS should come with great support. Rather than just being a free system bolted on to a website design that leaves you with an unmaintained support forum, you should be looking for passionate client support. Great support means being able to contact a UK based support team by phone and email, and being able to access in depth step by step guides.

Frustrated with a complex content management system of their old website, some of our new clients were amazed when they first had a go at using the Toolkit, our content management system. It's easy to use, and gives you great control over the different areas of a website. It's been built to be search engine friendly, and should you ever get stuck, a friendly UK support team are only a phone call away. We even offer over the phone training using a remote access system to ensure our clients are confident using the Toolkit.

Come to Toolkit Websites, Web Design in Southampton, Hampshire, UK for a website with a content management system that can help your business grow.

Happy Christmas from Toolkit Websites

We had our Christmas party on Thursday and a thoroughly good time was had by all!

We hope you have a fantastic festive season, and a team of support staff will be in the office throughout apart from Christmas Day and the 27th December to answer any queries you might have.


Find out more about Toolkit Websites, Web Design in Southampton, Hampshire, UK and how they can help your business grow.

Toolkit Team Loves to Bowl!

After our best ever month yet again, the Toolkit Websites team went bowling to celebrate.

A great evening was had by all, with Sales Manager, Rich wiping the floor with the rest of the team.



We were especially impressed by the elegance of Tristen, the operations manager's bowling style and the awesome UV lighting.


Find out more about Toolkit Websites, Web Design in Southampton, Hampshire, UK and how they can help your business grow.

Google Place Pages - Boost Your Business Google Presence

If you're running a business or organisation with a local target market, you should use Google Place Pages. It's an extension to the Local Business Centre, the online business listings provided by Google and attached to Google Maps.

Rather than just having a listing on the map, you have the opportunity to create a page about your business that ties in with the information Google has about your business and local area.

To try this out, why not search for something local in Google and click on one of the pin markers on the map in the local business results. For example, if you search for ‘Plumbers in York’, you’ll see a map in the Google results. There'll be a list of York Plumbers on the left and a larger map on the right. Against each list entry there’s a ‘more info’ link which can display information like services, people, reviews, transport links and so on.

With the Place Page service, you can customise this to include detailed information on your business or group such as opening hours and services offered. So what are you waiting for? Get customising your Google Local listing with a Place Page!