PSPINC Official Company Blog

Bloguru: Rich Text Editor Now Available!

Feb

20

With Bloguru, our ad-free blogging platform, you can now stylize your blog’s text easily without any coding knowledge! We’ve updated our blogging platform, which includes adding a rich text editor to the post content editor, making it easier to bold, italicize, underline, strike-through, align, and add links to your text. You can even stylize your blog even further by changing text color and adding background color to text as well.

We’ve even added Undo and Redo buttons for when you accidentally make a mistake or want to restore your previous content. But for users with coding knowledge, there’s now a source code icon in the top right, letting you edit the look of your blog even further.

Sign up for Bloguru for free today.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #bloguru #business #contenteditor #css #editor #html #pspinc #richtexteditor #smallbusiness #sourcecode #style #technology #text #update #web #webdesign #webdevelopment #webhosting #websitebuilder #websites #webtools

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 155 “Google Ads”

Feb

16

The biggest ad network today on a global scale is Google, which makes sense because it’s also the most popular search engine. But the fact that the Google Display Network (Google’s advertising network) reaches over 90% of worldwide internet users isn’t the only reason advertisers love it so much. It’s also the fact that Google Ads can fit with almost any budget. And Google specifically designed its algorithm to help marketers accomplish their marketing objectives.

For a small business, Google Ads is arguably the best way to increase brand awareness. Google’s Display Network reaches over one billion users every month, which is a testament to how much potential reach your ads could have. An effective Google ad campaign is highly dependent on two things: overall budget and effective ad copy and graphics. But striking the right balance between the two isn’t a skill every small business owner has. That’s why we offer marketing services to those who could use a little more help with their marketing strategy. And that, of course, includes helping you create an effective paid ad campaign on Google.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #b2b #blog #branding #business #businesstips #businesstools #digitalmarketing #google #googleads #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #smallbusiness #socialmedia #tech #technology #web

How To Market Your Business with QR Codes

Feb

14

Within the last few years, QR (quick response) codes have become more popular, serving as a contactless, and therefore, sanitary, way of providing customers with information in person. A QR code is a graphical representation of digital data like a barcode. However, the difference between the two is that people can use a smartphone to scan QR codes because most have a QR reader built in.

Engineer Masahiro Hara first invented QR codes in 1994 to track vehicles and assembly line parts, but they didn’t become popular until the invention of smartphones. But even then, users still had to download an app to scan the QR code, crippling its adoption. Then, there was another surge in 2017 when Apple integrated a QR reader into their phones, and other smartphone companies followed suit. But that also died out shortly afterward. Then, the popularity of QR codes returned in 2020 amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Marketing with QR Codes

One of the most popular use cases involves companies marketing their business with QR codes. For businesses with physical locations, QR codes bridge the gap between digital and non-digital marketing efforts. Not to mention, they’re generally free or inexpensive and easy to use. With QR codes, marketing to customers in person becomes much easier to track and measure. Some marketing examples of QR codes in use include:

QR code menus. They lead users to digital menus online, providing a touchless option for health-conscious restaurant-goers.

business card front and back with a qr code on the front

Business cards with QR codes. They quickly guide users to someone’s website, online portfolio, or social media pages.

someone scanning a qr code from an in-store sign that a retail worker is holding up for them

Retail store signage encourages shoppers on the go to check out your loyalty programs, review storefronts and overall customer experiences, or view online catalogs when pieces go out of stock or are no longer available in store.

Museum, library, and/or park brochures. They provide visitors with additional information on displays and exhibits.

a woman scanning a qr code on a package while sitting in the front seat of a car

Audio QR codes. They help brands personalize their messaging on product packaging or greeting cards.

The adoption and popularity of QR codes have wavered in the past but grew exponentially within the last three years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. And the trend only continues today. The reasoning behind why is simple: they're fast, easy, sanitary, and inexpensive. And it's exactly why businesses like ours continue working in QR code software development.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

The term "QR Code" is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.

#app #apple #blog #branding #business #businesstips #businesstools #customerservice #digitalmarketing #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #mobile #officetips #sales #smallbusiness #socialmedia #tech #technology #web

Enter to Win One Year of Pass Wizard Pro for Free

Feb

13

Fill out this Pass Wizard survey to enter to win one year of Pass Wizard Pro for free. With this information, we’ll be able to improve our customers’ experiences and get a better idea of what features we should prioritize in our future development work.

To enter this giveaway, users must already be a Pass Wizard user (free or Pro), fill out the survey, and enter their Pass Wizard email at the end of the survey. This contest ends at 11:59 pm PST on Thursday 3/9.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#b2b #blog #business #businesstips #businesstools #cybersecurity #giveaway #mobile #passwizard #passwordmanager #pspinc #security #smallbusiness #softwaredevelopment #survey #tech #technology #web #webdevelopment #webhosting #website #webtools

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 154 “Organizing Your Workflow”

Feb

9

Managing your business can be difficult, juggling both your customers and employees. But you need both when running a business of any size. An organized management system reduces the chance for mistakes to happen and increases overall productivity. It also improves the overall work culture, giving employees more transparency, trust, and control over their job.

On the client side, you want all the important data you have on them to be secure and organized. That way, you can provide great customer support and gain insights you wouldn’t otherwise have. For employees, an organized management system will help prioritize tasks and optimize the overall workflow. That’s why we created PSP Pilot, a CRM (customer relationship management) designed to simplify managing, operating, and logging daily tasks for your business. Get started for free today by signing up for PSP Pilot.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#b2b #blog #business #businesstips #businesstools #customerfeedback #customerservice #customersupport #officetips #pacificsoftwarepublishing #pilot #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #psppilot #smallbusiness #tech #technology #webtools

How to Set Up a Facebook Ad

Feb

7

One of the easiest ways to increase visibility online as a small business is through paid ads. As we’ve mentioned before, organic social posts have a limited reach. One of the easiest and most affordable paid advertising options is Facebook ads.

Facebook makes it easy for marketers to create and run ads. After logging into Facebook, you’ll find the Meta (Facebook’s parent company) Business Suite on the left navigation bar, which is where you’ll be able to set up, monitor, and review your Facebook Ads. After opening Meta Business Suite, you can start by clicking on Ads on the left-hand side after selecting the Facebook page you’d like to run ads from. Then, click on Create Ad in the top-right corner. From there, you have three different options:

From There, You Can:

meta business suite create ad screenshot

Create Automated Ads

Facebook offers this option to make it easier for beginners, as it adjusts over time based on its algorithm. However, automated ads don't give marketers as much control over their ads to make them as specific as they might like them to be.

Boost Existing Content

If you already have a well-performing social post on either Facebook on Instagram, this option lets you boost that post. Boosting essentially helps that post be seen by more people, increasing the likelihood that users will take whatever action you'd like them to, whether it's engaging with the post or clicking on a link.

Start a New Ad Campaign

This option lets you choose a specific goal that you'd like your marketing campaign to accomplish. To start, you'll choose a goal, which could be:

· Getting more website visitors.

· Promoting your post.

· Promoting your business locally.

· Getting more leads.

· Getting more messages.

From there, you'll input the information to create the ad, which could include targeting options, ad copy, images, ad scheduling and duration, placements, and payment information. Then, clicking on "Promote now" will start your ad campaign.

Monitor Your Ads

meta business suite ads summary screenshot

After setting up your ad campaign, you can continually monitor it as it runs as well as after it ends. To see how your ads are performing, check Ads Summary, which is the default screen you'll see when clicking on Ads on the left navigation bar. From there, you'll see the Advertising Summary, Recent ads, Recommendations, and Audience sections.

The Advertising Summary shows you:

Overall reach: the number of people who saw your ad. This, however, doesn’t include multiple views from the same people.

Post engagement: the number of engagements people made involving your ad. This could include liking, commenting, sharing, or clicking on the link included in your ad.

Link clicks: the number of clicks your ad received.

Page likes: the number of likes your Facebook page gained because of your ad.

Recent ads will show you your most recent ad campaigns, with the option to view all ads if you’d like to see how a past ad performed. Recommendations, as the name suggests, show suggestions Facebook recommends to help you improve your overall ads. And lastly, Audience gives you more insight into your audience, i.e. your Facebook page followers and those who interacted with your past posts and/or ads. That information includes demographic data like age, gender, and location as well as where your ads were placed.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#ads #advertising #b2b #blog #business #businesstips #businesstools #digitalmarketing #facebook #facebookads #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #meta #metabusinesssuite #smallbusiness #socialads #socialmedia #tech #technology #web #webtools

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 153 “Lead Generation with Online Forms”

Feb

2

While increasing overall sales is the ultimate goal for small businesses, working to generate leads is just as important. Lead generation involves generating customer interest for a product or service, hopefully resulting in a sale. It’s an important part of conducting business because it helps your company continue to grow and expand as time goes on. And it’s even more important for those selling products and services to other businesses. If you nurture your leads well, it’ll increase the chance of customers coming back time and time again, resulting in a steady flow of business for your company.

In marketing, lead generation usually involves collecting your customers’ or web visitors’ information (a lead) through some kind of form. Within that form, it usually asks for basic customer information and a way to contact them. That way, even if users don’t immediately purchase from you, businesses can reach out to them to drive interest, hopefully inching them closer to the purchase stage. So, create and embed an online form easily with InforMakers. No coding necessary!

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #business #businesstips #businesstools #digitalmarketing #form #forms #informakers #leadgeneration #leadnurturing #leads #marketing #marketingtips #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #sales #smallbusiness #tech #technology #web

Dreamersi: Sender Verification Feature Available

Jan

31

Background of Development

Are you ever frustrated with the large amounts of spam every day? When cybercriminals send spam or viruses via email, they never send them from their actual email addresses. These days, spam emails come in all sorts of different ways. So, we developed a feature to identify emails coming from bots and malicious spammers from those that are not. We thought this could save you from dealing with large amounts of spam emails.

Purpose and Features

a man and woman looking over some papers while sitting in front of a laptop

To receive emails from specific addresses, this feature will be incredibly useful as it’ll ensure you don’t miss important emails, like an order confirmation email. You can register known email addresses in advance with people you know you’ll communicate with as well as your customers’ domain names in the Verified Sender list.
When enabled, this feature will send out an email to those not already on the Verified Sender list, asking them to authenticate the sending address. Then, rather than getting stored in the recipient’s inbox, it’ll get sorted into a separate folder. After that, authenticated emails from verified addresses and domains will get delivered to your inbox.
Additionally, the “Allow Senders to Opt-In” feature will add the sender’s email address to the Verified Sender list as soon as verification completes. Then, it’ll move all emails from that sender, including those already received, to the inbox.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 1-800-232-3989 or email us at support@pspinc.com .

We would like to answer your questions by phone call.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#business #businesstips #businesstools #dreamersi #email #emailhosting #feature #mailv5 #officetips #pacificsoftwarepublishing #pspinc #security #smallbusiness #spam #tech #technology #update #web #webtools

The Difference Between Building a Site from Scratch Versus Using a CMS

Jan

31

As of November 2022, there are nearly two billion websites on the internet, according to How to Geek. Before content management systems (CMS) existed, users created sites from scratch, which took a considerable amount of time. But it gave web developers a lot more control over all elements of a website, and that continues to be the case today. But creating websites with a CMS is even more popular today. In fact, more than 84 million websites are built with a CMS. The reason why is simple: it lets anyone create a website easily. Web developers have knowledge of coding languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, among others. With a CMS, users can create websites without the need for a web developer or designer.

While using a CMS can be easier and faster, there are still reasons why some may prefer to build a site from scratch. A CMS will generally offer a free plan, but they’re relatively limited feature- and storage-space-wise unless users upgrade to a paid account. Building a website without one gives developers more control over the hosting environment, giving them more freedom to add unique features to their site. Templates featured on a CMS are attractive, but it also results in multiple sites with the same or very similar site designs. Starting from scratch results in a much more unique site design as well as the ability to add other features that may not be available through a CMS.

Building a Website from Scratch

To create a website from scratch:

Add text, images, navigation bars, and other site building blocks with HTML

Add styling elements with CSS to design your site. A business site should match the look and feel of your brand.

Add more advanced functionality to your site by writing some JavaScript.

Upload the HTML file to your server to be filed away in your database.

From there, you can update the content or make other changes by downloading the files from the server and changing the HTML code by hand. Then upload the files back to the server after checking to make sure the code changes you made don’t result in an unexpected or undesirable result, like breaking a link.

Building a Website with a CMS

A CMS, or content management system, allows users to create, edit, and publish content online without any coding knowledge or experience. To build a site using a CMS:

Create an account on a CMS platform. We recommend WordPress or WebdeXpress, which is free with our Dreamersi web hosting.

Open the content editor to create and edit the content on your site. Without needing to write out any code, you can bold text, add links, and insert images among other things by dragging and dropping blocks or clicking a few buttons.

When you’re done creating or editing content, click on the Publish button and the CMS will display it for your website visitors.

To customize your website even further with unique features or design elements, invest in custom development or custom design services. For more informational videos, check out our "What Is" series on our YouTube channel.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #business #businesstips #businesstools #cms #contentmanagementsystem #dreamersi #hosting #seo #smallbusiness #tech #technology #web #webdesign #webdevelopment #webdexpress #webhosting #website #websitebuilder #websites #webtools #wordpress

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 152 “Customer Feedback”

Jan

26

While making sales and converting leads is important in business, it’s also important to know how your customers feel about your overall company and your products. Getting their overall feedback will help you figure out what the best aspects of your products are. And it’ll give you a good idea of what you could improve. If there are features that really hinder your product or service, customers won’t want to buy the product. Or they’ll return it not long after purchasing it. So, knowing where you can improve will result in a better overall product.

There are various ways you can gather your customer’s feedback. While it’s easier to just ask for a review, many people aren’t willing to write out their thoughts. Instead, companies usually ask customers to rank products based on the number of stars they’re willing to give, or the number they give from one to five, or one to ten. But we personally love using faces as a scale with our customer feedback system, Opinion Stand. It’s quick, easy, and much more expressive than a star or number. Sign up to get started.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.