An exciting 2004 is in full swing -- offering opportunities for additional Internet success!  In this edition of LiveWire, learn ways to make your Website more profitable.  Discover the latest on the MyDoom e-mail virus, how to improve your odds in the fight against spam, Google's recent activities, and new product packages that will give your Website a boost! 

Spam, and Viruses, and Hucksters: Oh My!

The Google Shuffle

Dynamic in 2004: New Offerings

An Interview with Dale H. Tincher, President of Consultwebs.com

Announcements & Upcoming Events for the Legal Community

Cool Tools

Live Links: Recently Launched Sites

Maybe You Didn't Know
 

As you may have noticed, spam and virus activity are far heavier than in the past. For many of us, spam control is a daily battle. Fortunately, choosing the right procedures and tools will help.  Anti-virus protection, spam software and server-side options -- coupled with a few basic rules, will allow you to manage your Web presence.

MyDoom/Navarg Virus
One of the most severe attacks in several months comes in the form of the "W32/MyDoom" or "Novarg" worm(s). The worm is spread via email and is circulating so rapidly that anti-virus firms have raised threat warnings to "high risk". Security experts have estimated that one in three emails in cyberspace have been generated by the MyDoom.A virus. Unfortunately, "MyDoom" has not yet run its course.  A massive attack began as scheduled on SCO Group Inc. on Sunday, February 1st, and Microsoft servers are scheduled to be hit on Tuesday of the same week.  Microsoft and SCO have each offered $250,000 bounties for information leading to the arrest of the worm developers.

More information about the "MyDoom" email virus and current alert levels can be found at: http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=helpCenter&hcName=mydoom&cid=9547.

If you suspect your computer systems have been infected, McAfee offers a stand-alone utility to remove specific viruses: AVERT Stinger.

Because many spammers “spoof” the address of someone you know in order to trick you into opening the spam e-mail, do not open e-mail attachments that you are not expecting.  Call the sender if you unsure as to whether you should open an attachment.  

If your computer systems do not have virus protection installed, or you have not updated your anti-virus software, now is the time.

Anti-Virus Software
There are several effective anti-virus protection programs available.   Our recommendations include:

• Symantec's Norton AntiVirus™ 2004 protects your email, files, and instant messaging by instantly identifying and removing dangerous infections. Their latest software release also helps combat spyware and keystroke loggers.

• McAfee VirusScan protects your email and file sharing against all known viruses, and automatically updates your computer with the latest defenses.

For virus news and other updates, please visit our General Discussion Board and the FAQ section of our website.

Spam Solutions
Consultwebs.com has tested several Web server-based and PC-based programs . After numerous disappointments, we have identified two that meet our criteria for effective spam control:  Spam Inspector and MailWasher Pro.

Spam Inspector is user-friendly, inexpensive and works in conjunction with Outlook, Outlook Express, or AOL.  The program allows you to easily identify emails as friend or foe.

MailWasher Pro is an effective and trusted solution for controlling junk email. Often used in conjunction with Spam Inspector (a local PC software application), MailWasher scours your POP email account before messages reach your local machine.  If you are comfortable with your e-mail going through a third party vendor, in our opinion, MailWasher Pro is the best spam control solution on the market.

We invite you to view our updated Spam Tips article if you would like to learn more about spam.

! BEWARE OF BOGUS OFFERS !
Hucksters are sending e-mails warning that domain names are about to expire and advising that you sign with them before you lose your domain name.  Some are offering high search engine rankings at ridiculously low prices, while others request that you add their link to your site (reciprocal links).  Please visit our FAQ Section and Discussion Board whenever you have questions about these and other topics.
 

In December 2003, more than 61 million unique users "Googled" more than 4 billion indexed web pages and delivered more than 75% of the total search engine results.  Google recognizes that it must provide high-quality search results in order to maintain its user base and grow.

In an apparent effort to improve the quality of its search results, Google has made significant changes to its ranking algorithms.  The changes include adding a filter that removes sites that meet certain criteria.  Google appears to be watching for pages that have been highly "search engine optimized".  Additionally, Google seems to be filtering some highly competitive words and phrases such as "lawyers", "injury", etc.  Unfortunately, some legitimate, high-quality sites have been affected and their rankings have suffered.  Google works hard to provide accurate results.  We are certain that adjustments to the new filter will be on-going. Visit our discussion boards to learn more about 'money words' and the Google filter.

SUCCESSFUL TIPS TO IMPROVE WEBSITES:

Content, Content, Content!
An emphasis on applicable, high-quality and properly structured content is essential.  Effective content helps educate users and makes your website a resource for visitors.  Investing in building a top-notch, informative and educational website will be rewarded with high Google rankings -- and more visitors.

If you wish to beef up your content, but do not have the time or resources available to do so, please contact us.  We have added items such as FAQ’s, practice and business detail, and community pages (including photos) for several clients.  Community pages, similar to those on Munley, Munley & Cartwright's Website, can make your site more interesting and improve your rankings.

Networking
A Website's Google rankings are, in part, determined by the number of quality sites that link to that Website.  Networking and cooperating with high-ranking, non-competitors in your field can help both Website(s) rank higher. The more high-quality popularity links you have, the greater your chance of Web success.  Avoid, however, "link farms" that are not related to your type of business.  Link farms can harm your rankings.

In addition, inter-linking within your own set of Websites can help you maintain high rankings. Read more about the benefits of niche marketing.

Don't Break The Rules
Trying to 'trick' or 'fool' Google will NOT improve your rankings on a long term basis. Even worse, trickery can result in your site being 'black-listed'. To achieve search engine success, you should follow Google's guidelines, as well as developing and implementing a Web marketing strategy that works within Google's system.

Sponsored Ads
An additional way to improve visibility in Google is to invest in sponsored ads.  Sponsored ads are similar to pay-per-click programs. Google's sponsored ads allow you to target specific search phrases and user groups. To learn more about implementing Google's sponsored ads, or if you would like for us to manage your ads, contact us.

Please see our Search Engine discussion board for more detail on Google’s changes: http://www.consultwebs.com/appiesboard/index.php or contact Dale.Tincher@consultwebs.com at 919-272-8052 or 800-872-6590.
 

In our continued efforts to provide clients with the best in customer service and web success, Consultwebs.com Inc. is proud to announce several new offerings for 2004.  If you have any questions about the following services, please contact us.

Legal News Feeds
Scheduled for launch during the 1st quarter of 2004, Consultwebs.com is excited about the release of LegalNewsFeeds.com.  Many of our clients have expressed an interest in placing legal news on their Websites, however, the cost is often prohibitive and the product unsatisfactory.  L egalNewsFeeds.com has a better solution, providing the legal community with premium, tailored news feeds at a reasonable price.

We offer a selection of product packages.  Legal news feeds are current and can easily be customized for individual practice areas and/or geographic areas.

Keep an eye out for this dynamic new product!

Improved Stats Program
For those who desire more comprehensive Web visitor statistics than the standard reports that come with our Web site offerings, a Premium stats program is currently in development. View a demo of these extensive tracking reports here.

The upgrade to our Premium statistics reports will be $7 per month and a one-time $35 installation fee.  Gold and Platinum-level clients receive the statistics at no additional charge.  Please contact us at marketing@consultwebs.com if you would like further information.

Financial Convenience
Consultwebs.com Inc., now accepts all major credit cards. For your convenience, pay by phone: (919) 787-7558 or online, using the link in your invoice. If you prefer, you can also continue to pay via PayPal if you prefer. Please contact Pam Richardson with any billing questions you might have.
 

Why did you start Consultwebs.com?
I became extremely excited about the Web’s potential in the late 1990’s.  I felt that it would eventually replace the Yellow Pages® and other methods of distributing information. The Web made my work, at that time, seem uninteresting.  I enjoyed my clients, but being a networking, legal software and general marketing consultant for law firms, became too much like work, whereas the Web was great fun for me -- and was very challenging.

Why did you call the company Consultwebs.com (now Consultwebs.com, Inc.)?
I felt that businesses and law firms would want and need Web consulting. I also recognized that my consulting and marketing background would lend themselves nicely to Web consulting.

What is your background?
After college, I was a Lieutentant in the Army (Vietnam, etc.) for two years. I worked for two Fortune 500 computer companies in a marketing and sales management capacity.  Later, I worked for large network integrators that serviced law firms. I have always enjoyed marketed in a consulting fashion, using technology to solve business problems and increase profits.

How did you get started?
I stuck my neck out a mile, starting the company with basically no money.  I was convinced that the Web was going to revolutionize the way business was done and I couldn't wait to get started.  I worked hard -- 100+ hour weeks the first four years of our existence, but I enjoyed it and it didn't seem like work.

Every new business needs references.  I did the first Web site at no charge.  I did the next one for $700 when it should have cost the client several thousand dollars.  At those prices, I soon had a few clients – and they were happy to provide testimonials.  I worked out of my home and developed the first twenty sites myself.  I knew I wasn’t a great designer, but I also knew that I had to learn the business from every angle.   The Web had many limitations at that time and my designs were competitive with those of other designers. We have since added superb designers and programmers and I am very proud of the work we produce. (Recent Work)

There are many Web companies.  What makes Consultwebs.com different?
That is easy – our people and approach.  I cringe when I travel or make phone calls and experience poor service.  We have a team of professionals.  We appreciate our clients and we work hard to make their Web sites successful.  As a result of this hard work and philosophy, we can list all of our clients on our Web site without fear that they will be stolen by other designers.  We are proactive in looking for ways to improve our clients’ Web experience and success.   We are committed to being responsive to our clients and providing true value.

Most Web companies focus on design.  We realize that a beautifully designed and planned Web site will not be successful if it is not marketed properly. We invest a great deal of time learning our marketing clients’ businesses and goals, then applying our consulting expertise to help make their sites successful.

What do you enjoy least and most about the Web?
I enjoy least the number of hucksters and spammers on the Web, falsely promising results. I most enjoy hearing clients tell me about the new cases and customers they've received from their Web sites.  We have wonderful clients, some of whom have increased their revenue in excess of seven figures by using the Web properly.  I enjoy visiting with our clients.  Interestingly, I didn’t meet many of them initially. However, I have since been fortunate to meet many of our clients as I travel (photos).  I also enjoy how a small business can grow affordably and “level the playing field” by using the Web creatively.

As I mentioned, I get excited as our clients achieve success.  We have two law firm clients who, in less than two years, took their new firms to incredible levels using only the Web for marketing. One solo practitioner went from zero to more than eighty legal cases per month in fourteen months (The Rhonda Nielsen Story).

How has Consultwebs.com changed?
Consultwebs.com, Inc., has grown considerably.  Over our five years, we have added eight extremely talented professionals and are in the process of adding two more.  We look for highly skilled individuals who are client-service oriented. Our “old-timers” include Vice President, Lisa Vaughn and Programming Manager, Magnus Simonarson.  Our production team includes designers, programmers, project managers, copywriters and a comptroller. We work closely with seven subcontractors for specialty needs and overflow work.  A busy client recently asked what he had to do to get a Web site up.  I told him that his task was to sign the agreement -- our team would do the rest.  We interviewed his firm members, wrote his content, took photos, created the designs, added him to directories, and developed his search engine presence.

We have clients throughout the United States.  Thanks to the Web’s reach, most of our current projects are outside North Carolina. We travel frequently and have spoken at seminars this year in numerous locations, including Las Vegas, New York and Wisconsin.

We are proud of our endorsement by the North Carolina Bar Association as a Technology Assistance Provider (TAP) consulting firm and speak frequently at their and other CLE programs.  We have been featured in Fortune Small Business magazine and has been among the Top 65 search engine optimization companies GLOBALLY for two consecutive years.  I become very excited when I think about our past and future.

What do you see in the Web’s future?
We have witnessed impressive Web growth, but we haven’t seen anything yet.  We are still in the early stages of the Web's evolution. Technology is now in place that allows a lawyer or businessman to (at any time) wirelessly access a Web site by using a small PDA, Tablet PC or notebook computer.  The PC user can also make phone calls through the PDA, Tablet or notebook computer.  People can be productive anywhere, whether they are in an airport terminal, standing in a line or waiting in a courtroom. This convenience and accessibility will make  many of the traditional information sources obsolete and will make the Web “the information source".  We are working with numerous technologies to insure that our clients can tap into the Web’s potential.  We want to insure that our clients are entrenched in the Web when the next growth wave hits.

More Information
 - Listen to Dale's audio on Web marketing -- click here
 - Dale's published articles include local and national legal periodicals.
 - Visit Dale's full bio -- click here

You can learn more about Consultwebs.com, Inc., at http://www.consultwebs.com.
 

Upcoming Events
There are many opportunities for the legal community to participate, network and learn from technology events throughout the U.S.

February 2-4, 2004
LegalTech February in New York
More Information
 

For Sale
Are you an attorney who handles Ephedra lawsuits? Would you like to generate more case leads? Contact us if you would like to be the sponsoring law firm for Ephedra-Lawyers.com.
 

Blogs (short for Weblogs), are web pages with frequent updates, arranged chronologically. Blogs are usually similar to Web journals, diaries, or 'what's new' pages. A blawg, although defined in the same way as a blog, is typically a frequently updated website that deals with legal profession issues.

A blog/blawg is a customized publishing system that is installed on Web servers and enables individuals to easily update the content through any computer with a browser and Internet access. An excellent example of a blog and blog resource site, developed by attorney Jerry Lawson, can be found at http://www.netlawblog.com. Jerry's topics include legal technology, marketing, ethics, resources, current legal data, etc.

To view our thoughts on the differences between a blog and a bulletin board, please see our discussion board post.

If you are interested in adding a blog / blawg to your website, we can assist. Consultwebs.com utilizes MovableType blog software on our servers.   We can have you blogging in no time.

To test-drive our blog/blawg software, feel free to use and post to our demo blog:
http://demoblog.consultwebs.com/

Login: http://demoblog.consultwebs.com/mt.cgi
username: demo
password: demo

For more information on how to use blogs, contact us at info@consultwebs.com.
 

Some of the latest Web work by the Consultwebs.com Team includes:

• Platinum (multi-site) Web Campaign developed and launched for prominent Pennsylvania law firm - Munley, Munley & Cartwright
   

• Platinum (multi-site) Web Campaign developed and launched for Boston, MA law firm - Kantrovitz & Associates
   

• Kardaras & Kelleher, Litigation Lawyers - New York, NY
   

• New Bern & Jacksonville, NC Law Firm: Jones, Garland & Peterman
   

• Llano-Permian, Texas and Oklahoma Environmental Engineering Firm
   

• National Association for the Advancement of Multijurisdiction Practice
   

• John C. Wunsch Law Offices, Cerebral Palsy Lawyers
   

• Website for the Milwaukee Bar Association's annual Wisconsin Law & Technology Conference & Expo
   

• Springfield, MO, Larson Law
   

• Nielsen & Associates, CA Law Firm: California Lemon Law Lawyers, San Bernardino Personal Injury Lawyers
   

• Kraft & Associates, Texas Auto Accident Injuries
   

• Belluck & Fox, New York Law Firm - Crestor Lawsuits, Silicosis Help, New York Silicosis

• Crouse Law - NC Aviation Law Website
   

• Coover & Barr, Attorneys at Law, Maryland
   

• Martin J. Ganderson, Attorney at Law, Norfolk VA
   

• First Flight Centennial - Official Website
   

• Travis Sasser, Cary (NY) Bankruptcy Attorney
   

• Leadership Coach.us: Executive Coaching Firm
   

• Law Office Systems, Inc. - New Site Design
   

• Neil A. Davis, Attorney at Law, Michigan Injury Lawyer
   

• Wegman, Hessler & Vanderburg, Cleveland Ohio Lawyers
   

• Parker Lincoln Commercial Realty - Raleigh, NC
   

• Ullman & Allen, NC Family Law Attorneys - Johnston County Family Law
   

• Lichtenstein Fishwick & Johnson P.L.C., Virginia Litigation Law Firm
   

• Mineo & Mineo, North Carolina Law Firm specializing in Aviation Law
   

• Ocean State Law & Mediation Center, Rhode Island
   

• Teague & Glover, Northeastern NC Law Firm

COMING SOON!

• 5th Annual Consultants & Technologists Dinner, Chicago - TheDinner.net
   

• MicroLaw , Automation Solutions for Lawyers - Redesign
   

• Hardison & Associates Platinum Web Campaign, North Carolina Personal Injury Law Firm with focuses on Broker Stock Fraud and Welding Rod Litigation.
   

• Platinum Web Campaign for Heard & Smith, Texas Law Firm - Main Site Redesign, Social Security Disability Website, Estate Planning & Probate Law
   

• Preferred Communications: Satellite Communications Solutions | Asset Tracking Products & Services | Satellite Voice & Video Data
   

• John Korzen, Appellate Lawyer - North Carolina
   

• Advancement Project, Washington D.C. - Redesign
   

• Sullivan Law Firm, NC Criminal Defense Lawyers - Redesign
   

• Brent Adams & Associates, North Carolina Law Firm - Redesign
   

• Lawrence H. Bloom, New York Divorce Attorneys

• Brown & Crouppen, Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers

WEB DOMAINS - We provide new domain names for $12.95 per year (.com .net and .org and .info).  Other domain extensions such as .us and .biz are often priced at $5.95. Extended purchase terms are as low as $7.95 per year. You may renew your existing domains with us for the same prices.

DISCUSSION BOARDS - We offer discussion boards with topics ranging from Legal Software, and Personal Injury Law Resources and News, to Web Marketing and Promotion.  We can also place discussion boards on your site.

WEB HOSTING - Consultwebs.com offers hosting on our dedicated servers and virtual servers. We offer packages for businesses and law firms. Our monthly hosting prices typically range from $14.95 per month to $125 per month. We also offer numerous additional options such as pre-designed, customizable input forms (Guest Books; Information Request Forms; mailing lists; e-commerce systems; Intranet shells/templates) and features that include databases and discussion/bulletin boards.  Please see Promotewebs.com to view the features some of our clients have added to their sites.

DIRECTORIES - Consultwebs.com owns more than 80 directories, including 60+ legal directories.  Clients are given a free one-year listing in the directories and can renew at significantly reduced prices.

WEB SET-UP - What is the best e-mail, computer and network configuration for your organization? We can assist in setting up your Internet system to mesh with your computer network.