PSPINC Official Company Blog

Announcement: NewsMAIL Social Media Icon Update

Feb

Sample newsletter template with updated SNS icons ↓

Dear valued customer,

Thank you for choosing NewsMAIL email broadcasting services by Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

We will update NewsMAIL services with the following changes:

- Support more social media links to YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Yelp, Foursquare and Ameba
- Update the look of all SNS icons

Please note that there will be no downtime for NewsMAIL services during this update.
If you have saved newsletters with previously set social media links, only the icons will be updated and the links will remain the same when broadcasting.

The release schedule is as follows:

* USA Pacific Standard Time
- Feb 10th (Wed) 9:30am-10:00am

* Japan Time
- Feb 11th (Thu) 2:30am-3:00am

PSPinc provides services with uptimes of 99.9%

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.

Create a contact-less digital restaurant menu for your customers with ImaMenu

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.

#PacificSoftwarePublishing #PSPINC #WebandEmailHosting #SeattleBellevue #SoftwareDevelopment #WebDevelopment #ApplicationDevelopment #Bloguru

#marketing #newsmail #pspinc #sns #update

What is a "Secure Password"?

Feb

Passwords have been around forever. You use them to log into everything you access online.

Is your password secure?

We used to be able to create a 3-5 character passwords without any complexity and this password was good. Nowadays with everyone having an online presence creating a secure password will ensure your accounts aren't compromised. So what is a "Secure Password" exactly.

A secure password is between 8 - 16 characters long and includes upper case letters, lowercase letters, a number, and a special character. You start to think though, "How am I ever going to remember this!?!"

Well there are several solutions but right now we will talk about mnemonics (neh-mon-nics). Mnemonics is defined as, "the study and development of systems for improving and assisting the memory." You might remember this from school. For example, in IT, there are the 7 layers of the OSI model:

Application
Presentation
Session
Transport
Network
Data Link
Physical

We used the first character of each word to to write out a simple sentence that was easier to remember.
"All People Seem To Need Data Processing"

The same can be applied to passwords. Do you read poetry? Do you have a favorite book or phrase that stands out to you? You can use this to create a secure password. Let's try it out.

I enjoy poetry so I will base my example off of that. One of my favorite poems is The Tyger by William Blake.
(https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43687/the-tyger)

We will use just one of his stanzas to create our password:

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

With this we can use the first or even second character in every word to create a password:

ttbbitfotn (first character in each word)
yyurnhofhi (second character)

This doesn't seem very secure though so we have to salt it up a bit using our secure password rules, so we can for example do:

TtbBitfoTn
uppercase and lowercase but still not secure enough, lets pepper it some more:

1TtbB2itfoTn!
13 characters long, uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers and a special character.

With the above password I only used the first 2 lines of the stanza and already created an easy to remember password. If I ever forget the password I know it was based off the poem so by reading the poem it will help me to remember this password.

Thank you for choosing Pacific Software Publishing inc., your Dreamersi provider.
Technicians are standing by Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm (PST) ready to assist your technical issues. We can be reached at (425) 957-0808 or 1-800-232-3989

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

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

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

#TechTips

What is responsive design?

Feb

Years ago web design was a lot simpler than it is today. People could only view websites on desktop computers, and the options for screen sizes and resolutions were very limited. For this reason, those websites are what we refer to as ‘fixed width’. Meaning no matter what size your browser window was, the website would never change.

With the advent of mobile devices (phones and tablets) of all shapes and sizes, this proved problematic. Having to pinch and zoom and scroll horizontally as well as vertically made the web viewing experience hard to navigate.

Enter "Responsive Design"

Responsive Design is an approach that makes web pages render appropriately on a variety of devices or screen resolutions. How it works is elements of the website change position, size, and visibility depending on how much space is available.

Where you may have a multi-column website layout on a desktop computer, a general rule is you would scale down to a single column display on a mobile device so everything stacks nicely. With a phone, it is really easy to swipe vertically with your thumb to navigate content.

More than one way to build a responsive website

There are many methods, approaches, and strategies for Web Developers to create a responsive website. A couple popular ways to build a responsive website are:

Mobile-first: It’s the idea of first building a website for the lowest browser size (mobile). This version should display the most basic functions and features. Anything that is perhaps unnecessary is hidden or pushed further down the page. As you advance to tablets and PC’s, additional interactions, effects, and complex layouts are slowly added over time.
Graceful degradation: This is the opposite, you start with the design at the most advanced end (desktop computers). As you scale down you start to limit functions, reduce the number of columns, and deliver a beautiful single-column mobile experience.

Both options have their pros and cons. Regardless of the approach, having a Designer making thoughtful choices is critical to ensuring your website is best optimized for whatever device your customer is using when navigating to your URL.

A few important considerations when building a responsive website

As your website scales down to mobile, your navigation should be contained within a ‘hamburger menu’. It is a fairly universal practice to manage your navigation, users can click to expand a full list of navigation items. This will save you space and make your nav links more manageable.

Previously mentioned, but as you scale down to mobile it is best to utilize a single column layout and stack everything to make it easy to read.

Make sure to utilize proper line height, spacing, and size for your typography as your screen size decreases.

We are really just scratching the surface here on responsive design. There is a lot to learn and take into consideration when planning your website.

If you don’t know whether your website is responsive or not, test it for yourself. Size your browser window down until it is really small. If the elements on your page don’t adjust and you are stuck with a horizontal scroll bar in your browser, odds are your site is NOT responsive.

It can be overwhelming but if you need advice or help with designing and developing a responsive website please let us know. We have a team of talented Designers and Developers skilled at making responsive websites. You can visit our Design Solutions page to take a look at our work and learn more about what we can do. You can call us toll-free 1-800-232-3989 or request a quote online.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

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

PSPinc Creates Tools For Your Business

#MobileWeb #PSPinc #ResponsiveDesign #SoftwareDevelopment #WebDesign #WebDevelopment

Announcement of WebdeStats 2 Update to Delay Log Collection

Feb

Dear Valued Customers,

Thank you for choosing Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

We are changing the WebdeStats 2 log daily collection time from the current running at 0:30AM to 2AM in PST.

We will conduct WebdeStats 2 update as scheduled below and do not expect any downtime.

* USA Pacific Daylight Time
Feb 5th (Fri) 10am - 10:30am

* Japan Time
Feb 6th (Sat) 3am - 3:30am

PSPinc provides services with uptimes of 99.9%

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

We would be happy to answer any of your questions by phone or email.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

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

PSPinc Creates Tools For Your Business

#PacificSoftwarePublishing #PSPINC #WebandEmailHosting #SeattleBellevue #SoftwareDevelopment #WebDevelopment #ApplicationDevelopment #Bloguru

#dreamersi #pspinc #update #webdestats

Branding: Extending your personal brand into your website

Feb

When creating a business website, there are several things you can do to make the website feel like an extension of your company. If done correctly, your website should feel like an advertisement for your brand.

Using your logo

For this blog we’re assuming you already have a logo (if not that’s an entirely separate conversation). Do you have a brand guide? If so, there are probably specifications within that guide to let you know how your logo should and should not be displayed. If not, here are some basics:

Sizing - what is the native size of your logo? Do you have a vector or is it a fixed size? Take some time to figure out how small you can make it without looking bad or losing readability, this will be especially important when developing your mobile site.

Transparency - make sure you’re using a transparent file type, nobody wants to see a logo sitting in a white box on top of a gray background. Which brings up one more point:

File Type - the most popular file type for a logo is a PNG as it supports transparency while retaining image quality. SVG’s are a great option as well. Avoid using JPEG as it is a non-transparent file type.

Using your colors

Chances are you already have a color scheme for your business which may be reflected in your logo. How you integrate these colors into your website depends on what your company’s colors are, but here are some tips:

Use the darkest color for your text. If your logo/color scheme doesn’t include a dark color, then use black or something close to it.

Use your most eye catching color for your “Call to Action” buttons, or other areas that need a pop of color or that you want to draw attention to. Reds, blues, greens, whatever your brightest and most eye catching color is.

If your color scheme includes a light or muted color this may be a good choice for a background color for areas that need to be separated from other content.

Using your font

Another good way to extend your brand into your website is by utilizing your company’s chosen font:

The first thing you need to do is make sure you are allowed to use your font online. For certain fonts you can only use them with the right license, so check to see if your font is copyrighted and if so, what type of license you have to use it.

Ideally your company is using a web font, such as one found on Google fonts. If so then including your font will be as easy as adding a single line of code to your markup.

In the even that your font is not web based, but you do have a liscense to use it online, then you’ll likely need to use an online web font converter tool - such as the one found on Font Squirrel - to create .woff files which you can upload and call by way of the @font-face rule in your CSS.

Need some help with all of this? The PSPinc design team would love to help you create a stunning business website which showcases your brand.

Check Out PSPinc Design Solutions

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

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

PSPinc Creates Tools For Your Business

#PacificSoftwarePublishing #PSPINC #WebandEmailHosting #SeattleBellevue #SoftwareDevelopment #WebDevelopment #ApplicationDevelopment #Bloguru

#Branding #PSPinc #WebDesign #WebDevelopment

PSPinc What’s New Newsletter Vol. 49 " Using Web Sites to Handle Business"

Feb

Vol. 49

Many people may think that websites are just for sending information. However, websites are not just a one-way medium like paper or television. Not only are websites a tool for sending out information, but also for collecting it as well. That collected information can be processed by a program and sent back out again.

Think about online shopping, for example. Without the Internet, you would have to select products from a catalog and mail or fax an order form to place your order. Even with television shopping, orders are placed by phone. However, in the Internet age, you can see a product on your screen and order it directly.

Using this method, the Internet allows server programs to perform tasks that were previously impossible. We at Pacific Software Publishing, Inc., are a software development company that can do all of the consulting, design, development and operation of such business systems.

If you are interested in learning more about the systems we have developed, please contact us at https://pspinc.com.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.
info@pspinc.com
1404 140th Place NE, Bellevue, WA 98007 USA
800-232-3989
425-957-0808

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

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

PSPinc Creates Tools For Your Business

#dreamersi #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #webdesign #webdevelopment #webdexpress #websitebuilder

How to Setup ImaMenu

Feb

What is ImaMenu?

ImaMenu was created to help restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. PSPinc offers ImaMenu to any type of business that wants to create its own menu using ImaMenu for totally free.

Why ImaMenu?

Unlimited Menu Items

Group & Organize Menu

Make Changes Instantly

Easily Embed Links Anywhere

Works on Any Device

Multilingual Support

Want to learn more?

How to setup your menu

Step 1
Go to ImaMenu and click "Get Started"！

Step 2
Setup your "Account Information" or "Business Information". You can enter the business information that you want to show to your customers.

Do you have social media accounts? Go ahead and link your SNS accounts to ImaMenu, and don’t forget to click "Sign Up"！

Step 3
Once you sign up, you can quickly add menu categories and each of your dishes. For each dish, you can include Item Name, Description, Category, Allergen/Dietary Option information, Item Number and Price. Of course, you can also add photos. After you filled in the item information, you are good to go!! Again, don’t forget to click "Add Item"！

After you have created your menu, you can share it with your customers. You can embed a generated QR Code or URL link in your print or digital collateral to share with your customers. It can be in your website, SNS, posters, or flyers.

View a Sample menu

Have any questions? Need Help? Contact Us!
Call 1-800-232-3989 or email us at support@pspinc.com if you want to get a hold of us!

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

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

PSPinc Creates Tools For Your Business

#PacificSoftwarePublishing #PSPINC #WebandEmailHosting #SeattleBellevue #SoftwareDevelopment #WebDevelopment #ApplicationDevelopment #Bloguru

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

#Contactless #ImaMenu #PSPinc #Restaurant

Impact of Website SEO with Search Engines: Keywords

Jan

Website SEO (search engine optimization) is an extremely important factor in creating a website. It is the process of optimizing a website so that it can maximize the number of visitors that find it by being ranked high on the list of results in search engines.

Today we are going to discuss keywords and the impact they can have on your website.

What are keywords?

Keywords are ideas and topics that define what your content is about. In terms of SEO, they are the words and phrases that searchers enter in search engines. If you boil down everything on your page — all the images, video, copy, etc. — to simple words and phrases, those are your primary keywords. As a website owner and content creator, you want the keywords on your page to be relevant to what people are searching for, so they have a better chance of finding your content among search results.

Why are keywords important?

Keywords are important because they are the linchpin between what people are searching for and the content you are providing to fill that need. Your goal in ranking on search engines is to drive organic traffic to your site from the search engine result pages. The keywords you choose to target will determine what kind of traffic you get.

Keywords are as much about your audience as they are about your content. You might describe what you offer in a slightly different way than how your customers may search for it.

To set the right keywords, create content that ranks well organically and drives visitors to your site, you need to understand the needs of those visitors. It is not a stretch to say that setting appropriate keywords is a basic element of online marketing.

Planning to get started with your own website? PSPinc is here to support you!

PSPinc offers WebdeXpress, an easy-to-use web builder tool, to establish your website. We develop our software tools such as WebdeXpress with SEO in mind!

Contact us online or call us toll-free 1-800-232-3989 today if you want help getting started!

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

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

PSPinc Creates Tools For Your Business

#PacificSoftwarePublishing #PSPINC #WebandEmailHosting #SeattleBellevue #SoftwareDevelopment #WebDevelopment #ApplicationDevelopment #Bloguru

PSPinc What’s New Newsletter Vol. 48 "Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. logo"

Jan

Vol. 48

Do you know why the Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. logo is shaped like this? It has to do with the history of PSP as a company. Nowadays, PSP is mainly in the business of hosting web sites and mail servers, but that's been the story since 1996. Before that, we were in a different business all together.

Up until 1996, our main business was licensing U.S. software, providing Japanese language support, creating Japanese language packages, and selling them in Japan through Japanese distributors. Yes, as the company name suggests, Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. was engaged in software publishing.

Let me tell you about the relationship that exists between the publishing business and this logo. We translated U.S. software into Japanese and sold it in Japan through an exclusive distributor assigned to each title. At that time, these distributors did not want to reveal the existence of PSP. The reason for this was to make it appear that the distributors were not selling PSP’s services as distributors, but rather the software as their own products, all ready for sale.

The original company logo could identify PSP easily. Therefore we had to create a logo on the package that was not easily recognizable as PSP. This is the reason why the logo does not look like it says PSP at first glance. It is interesting to note that even now, when creating and selling web hosting and other Internet server applications, licensees try to hide the existence of PSP. It seems that no matter how much time passes, no matter how much business changes, PSP will always be behind the scenes and something to hide.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.
info@pspinc.com
1404 140th Place NE, Bellevue, WA 98007 USA
800-232-3989
425-957-0808

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

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

PSPinc Creates Tools For Your Business

#PacificSoftwarePublishing #PSPINC #WebandEmailHosting #SeattleBellevue #SoftwareDevelopment #WebDevelopment #ApplicationDevelopment #Bloguru

#pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter

Securing your WordPress Website

Jan

WordPress is the largest CMS (Content Management System) in the world, with over 60% of market share in the CMS market. WordPress started in 2003, it now powers 39.5% of all websites on the internet. With its popularity, WordPress has become an attractive target for hackers. If your website gets hacked, hackers can steal you and your client’s private personal data. Infected websites can also be used to attack other websites, or to send out mass spam. Follow our guide below as we walk you through the easy steps to securing your WordPress website.

Keep Your WordPress Updated

According to studies, 44% of reported hacking was caused by outdated WordPress websites. Of all vulnerabilities facing WordPress, 52% was related to outdated plugins. It is very important to keep your WordPress website updated. To update your WordPress core installation:

1. Click on Dashboard on the left menu, then click on Updates. If there is a new version of WordPress, it will be listed here.

Automatic background update was introduced with version 3.7 back in 2013. However the automatic updates do not include updates to plugins. In order to turn on automatic updates for plugins, first you need to make sure you have WordPress 5.5 and above. Follow the steps above to update your WordPress core.

Once done, follow the instructions below to enable auto plugin updates:

1. Login to your WordPress admin. Mouse down the left menu and click on Plugins.

2. Check the box next to plugins to select all the plugins. Then click on Bulk Actions drop-down menu above and select "Enable Auto-updates".

Updating WordPress plugins select checkbox

3. Click Apply, now all your plugins will be automatically updated.

Updating WordPress plugins apply updates

Update Your Password

Creating a strong password will prevent you from getting bruteforce attacked. Hackers can crack short and easy passwords in a matter of hours. If you have not updated your password in the past year, we recommend reading our "How To Create A Strong Password In 2021" article to learn how to create a strong password for your site. To update your WordPress admin password:

1. Click on Users, then Profile.

2. Mouse down and click Set New Password, give it a strong password, then click on Update Profile below.

Install Wordfence Security Plugin

Wordfence is a popular firewall security plugin with built-in malware scanning. It has over 150 million downloads and is completely free to use. Wordfence will help you secure your WordPress website, prevent bruteforce login attacks, scan your installation for vulnerabilities, and email you reports of activities and warnings.

To install Wordfence:

1. Mouse over to Plugins, and click Add New.

2. Type in Wordfence under keyword search box, it will display Wordfence.

3. Click on Install Now, and once installed click on Activate. That’s it.

In Conclusion

WordPress is a very powerful tool that empowers users to create beautiful and professional websites. With the rise in its popularity, care must be taken to ensure a safe and enjoyable browsing experience for all. Securing your WordPress website is not only the responsible thing to do, but it’s also the right thing to do. If you need assistance with your WordPress website, call PSPinc today at 1-800-232-3989, or contact us online.

Looking for a WordPress host? Check out Dreamersi today. Secure and reliable web hosting, with easy 1-click WordPress installs.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

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

PSPinc Creates Tools For Your Business

#PSPinc #Security #WebHosting #WordPress

PSPINC Official Company Blog

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Announcement: NewsMAIL Social Media Icon Update

What is a "Secure Password"?