• What does http mean? http (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is basically the protocol computers use to transfer information that form a website.
• What does https mean? Https in simple terms is the secure version of http, the ‘S’ standing for secure. It means that all the communications between your browser and the website are encrypted. This is especially important when dealing with ecommerce or submitting contact forms for example.
• July 2018 is when Google Chrome will start warning users when they visit a site that is not secure (http). It is estimated that around 50% of internet users have Chrome as their browser so the effect of these messages could be massive.
• How will this affect your business? If you don’t change your website protocol to https your business could suffer as a result.  Visitors could be put off by a security message popping up when they visit your website and this could in turn lead to reduced site traffic, a fall in online sales, reduced number of enquiries etc.
• Why does Google want businesses to change to https? https will protect your site and it’s users and uphold the integrity of your website. Google are working hard to ensure everyone has a safer online experience.
• Do you need to upgrade your site to https? It makes sense to think about upgrading to https if your site is currently http especially If you have a contact form or any data is transmitted through your website. Google Chrome can start to have an impact on your website and business from July.

Whether you choose to change your site to https is obviously a decision for you and your business. Ultimately Google set the rules and want to help us be more secure in our online activities. In the long run it will pay dividend to follow these rules to get the best results for your business. And given that such large number of users will be accessing your site via Google Chrome.

If your website is hosted by Creative Remedy on a CMS system, be sure to contact Sara for a chat about making your website secure.

What does GDPR stand for?
General Data Protection Regulation (Previously Data Protection Act 1998).

What is the Purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation?
The purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation is to make companies large and small responsible and accountable for all data stored within your business. That means every single piece - including that stored on paper and electronic data.

What Businesses are Affected by GDPR?
If you answer yes to the following questions, GDPR affects you and your business:

• Do you store your customers’ contact information?
• Do you manage personal data on behalf of customer(s)?
• Do you create invoices with customers’ details?
• Do you send email marketing campaigns to your customers?
• Do you have a website with a contact form or newsletter sign-up form?
• Do you have an existing data policy? Is it up-to-date?

How Do I Get Compliant?
There is a very short time to get compliant - between now and 25th May 2018 (even though the new policy was released two years ago!). The consensus is that if you already have a data policy, as long as you are making steps to upgrade it to the new regulation you won’t have ICO knocking at your door. Similarly, if you don’t have a data policy in place, start work on it now. You need to show that you have made a good start by 25th May 2018.

Brief Guidelines For Creating Your first Data Policy?
If you are a small business, you need to create your own data policy document that describes:

• The types of data you hold
• The volume of data
• Whether it is sensitive, high or low risk data
• How you obtained your data
• Why you obtained it
• How long you plan to retain it for
• Where you store it e.g. what software and what hardware you use

You need to show you understand how to keep your data safe and the risks your business administers by holding the data. You also need to show that you know how to report any data loss if you have a data breech.

Support for GDPR:
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has many resources to help get you GDPR ready.

• GDPR: 12 steps to take now
• Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Here are 5 ways to start growing your contact list ethically. Start in a morally correct manner that sits well with everyone and great things should follow.

1. People you already know
Start with people you already know, this could be friends, family or past colleagues. These people already know you and will be fantastic ambassadors of you, your company and products and services. Don’t forget to ask their permission first (yes including family).

2. People who buy from you
When a sale is complete, ask them to provide and email address and opt-in to news, offers and further communication. This can be online through the check-out process or in-store when they are waiting for a service or made a purchase.

3. Share and forward
Encourage existing subscribers to share and forward your amazing news and offers. This can be done by including social media icon links and a ‘forward’ button or ‘email to a friend’ button. Honing your list based on recommendations can be valuable to your business.

4. Lead generation
Provide free information, samples, whitepaper, guides or tools through a landing page. Something with great added value to the customer, that solves a problem they may have. Most people are happy to provide basic contact information if it will help them personally or their business.

5. Easy choice
Allow people an easy choice. Make it easy for potential customers to sign-up for news and offers easily on any platform. E.g. add a sign-up form to your website, a sign-up widget to your social media, opt in on a contact form, sign-up form at an exhibition, workshop or other public event.

Tips:

• Some social media platforms allow you to upload a contact list to broaden your network.
• Add an email sign-up your email signature, not everyone you email is on your email list!
• A paid for service from Linkedin allows you to export your contact list.

See our Blog: Email Marketing... Keeping on the Right Side of The Law