Internet Marketing Ethics

Internet Marketing Ethics Presented by: Tammy Alexander, Director IACT Presented for: Knoxville Business & Technology Expo, Nov 3, 2006 Agenda Part 1: A. Internet Scams – – – – Click Fraud Sponsored Links Domain Name Fraud Copyright & Trademark Infringement B. Protecting Your Online Brand from the Inside Out – – Hiring Website Experts Training Personnel Part 2: • Online Marketing Strategies – – – – – Search Engine Optimization Directory Listings Website Statistics Website Usability Interactive Elements Scams Click Fraud Takes advantage of pay per click ad programs. Source: Google AdSense, 2006 Click Fraud Source: James Hyman, Green Bandana Productions, 2006 Click Fraud Source: James Hyman, Green Bandana Productions, 2006 Click Fraud Protection • Audit Website Files – Duplicate IP Addresses? – Whois Lookup: http://www.arin.net/whois/ • IP: 66.0.232.179 • Domain: http://www.godaddy.com • Only advertise with reputable companies • Use Anti-Click Fraud software Source: James Hyman, Green Bandana Productions, 2004 Sponsored Links Source: James Hyman, Green Bandana Productions, 2004 Domain Name Fraud • Registering, selling or using a domain name with the intent of profiting from the goodwill of someone else's trademark. Domain Name Fraud Typosquatting – Mispellings of domain names – EX: fountianheadcollege.com – Protest Websites (legal) • http://www.namedroppers.com “walmart” Domain Name Fraud Remedies – Request the domain name • Purchase? – Cease and Desist – UDRP – ACPA Domain Name Fraud Domain Name Registrars Are they part of the domain name fraud problem? Domain Name Fraud ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers 848 accredited Registrars Domain Name Kiting Source: http://www.domaintools.com/internet-statistics/ Domain Name Stuffing Domain Name Fraud • Fees to become an ICANN Registrar: • $2,500 x 250 (estimate new per year) = $625,000 • $4,000 x 848 (yearly fee) = $3,392,000 • $5,000 x 848 (estimate variable fee) = $4,240,000 • $0.25 (estimate average new yearly registration) x 571,919,595 = $142,979,898 • $0.25 (estimate average new yearly transfers) x 50,884,285 = $12,721,071 Domain Name Fraud Length of Agreement • Domain names may be registered from 1 year up to 100 years at one time. Registering a domain name for a longer period of time will most likely result in a significant discount. This is a good practice for an established business, as there will be less room for failing to renew an expiring domain name. Domain Name Fraud Renewing • Domain name Registrants may fail to renew in a timely manner. This could result in additional fees, or even worse, losing the domain name. Usually, the Administrative Contact is contacted by email if the domain name is about to expire. The Billing Contact might also be contacted for billing purposes. Domain Name Fraud Reading the Fine Print Domain names are registered for fixed periods that are subject to renewal. If a customer has selected our “auto-renew” feature for a domain name registration, we will attempt to automatically renew the domain name registration approximately 60 days prior to the domain name registration expiration date (subject to the terms related to the “auto-renew” feature found in our Service Agreement and on our web site). If a Network Solutions reseller has selected the “auto-renew” feature on behalf of their customer(s), we will attempt to automatically renew the domain name approximately 15 days prior to the expiration date. If a customer has not selected our “auto-renew” feature for a domain name registration, we send several communications to customers and/or the agents acting on their behalf to alert them that their domain name registration services will expire on a certain date. If a customer does not renew the domain name registration by the expiration date, the domain name registration is subject to deletion at any time after that. In an effort to help our customers avoid unintentional deletion of their domain name registration(s), we may, but are not obligated to, provide our customers with a “grace period” after their domain name registration services expiration date(s) (a “grace period” begins on the day after the date of expiration). We currently endeavor to provide a grace period that extends 35 days past the expiration date, to allow the renewal of domain name registration services. During this period a customer can renew a domain name registration; however, a grace period is not guaranteed and can change or be eliminated at any time without notice. Consequently, every customer who desires to renew his or her domain name registration services should do so in advance of the expiration date to avoid any unintended domain name deletion. (“Deletion Policy,” n.d., ¶ 1) Domain Name Fraud Reading the Fine Print In the first paragraph, the Registrar is stating the following: • If the Registrant chose the “auto-renew” feature, [Company] will attempt to automatically renew the domain name 60 days prior to the expiration date. This will be charged to your credit card or other payment method. If the payment method is unusable, the company will try to contact you via email in an effort to renew. • If the Registrant does not respond to the above communication and the domain expiration passes, the Registrar may delete the domain at any time. • The Registrar includes a “grace period” of 35 days; however, it states explicitly in this policy that they are not obligated to honor this policy. Domain Name Fraud Domain Name Pinching Now let’s take a look at the second paragraph of the Deletion Policy: If an expired domain name registration is not renewed during any grace period provided by us, pursuant to our Service Agreement, rather than delete the domain name registration, we may, in our sole discretion, attempt to find a third party who is interested in registering the domain name, and then renew and transfer the domain name registration to that third party on the customer’s behalf. This renewal and transfer process is called a “Direct Transfer.” We will not attempt to complete a Direct Transfer of a domain name registration after expiration if the customer to whom the domain name is registered has notified us by e-mail at backorderservice@registar.com stating that he or she does not want us to proceed with such a transfer. In this case, the domain name registration will be deleted. A customer’s failure to notify us that they do not want us to complete a Direct Transfer constitutes that customer’s consent to the Direct Transfer. As described in our in our Service Agreement, customers are eligible to receive between fifteen and twenty percent (15-20%) of the Net Proceeds generated from the Direct Transfer. (“Deletion Policy,” n.d., ¶ 2) Domain Name Fraud Reading the Fine Print Here’s how it works: • The Registrant’s domain name expires and the Registrar is unable to contact the Registrant (domain name owner) for renewal. • Domain names registered through The Large well-known Registrar that meet the above conditions are placed in the Domain Name Auction Company’s database. • Anyone can sign up for the Domain Auction service and backorder domain names. A backorder involves monitoring a domain name for expiration. • If the domain name is sold at auction, the DOMAIN NAME AUCTION COMPANY, DOMAIN REGISTRAR, INC., and the Registrant (owner) receive a percentage of the sale price. Domain Name Fraud Reading the Fine Print The third paragraph of the REGISTRAR Deletion Policy states: If an expired domain name registration is not renewed as outlined above, absent extenuating circumstances, we will delete the domain name registration. Registry Operators may provide registrars with the ability to “redeem” a deleted domain name registration for a customer, and we, in turn, may (but are not obligated to) provide customers with an ability to redeem a particular domain name registration. Such a Redemption Grace Period (RGP) is not guaranteed and customers should renew their domain name registration services in advance of the domain name registration expiration date(s) to avoid deletion of domain name registration services. Currently, the Registry Operators provide an RGP for 30 days from the date of deletion. If we decide to provide the redemption service to a customer, we charge a fee of $150 to redeem and renew a domain name registration during the RGP. If the domain name registration is not redeemed by the expiration of the RGP, it is then placed on “Pending Delete” status for five additional days, after which it is deleted and the domain name character string is then once again available for registration. (“DeletionPolicy,” n.d., ¶ 3) Domain Name Fraud Valid Contact Information Domain name Registrars will use this information to notify the Registrant of changes in the domain name such as pending renewals, expiration dates, etc. • • • • • • • Administrative Contact is e-mailed with this information. If he doesn’t respond, the Technical Contact may be contacted (but there is no guarantee that the Registrar will pursue additional contacts.) Regularly perform a “whois” search on the domain name. Refrain from using free e-mail accounts (May expire) If the Registrant chooses to use someone else for the Administrative and Technical Contacts, he should make sure that the person is a trusted source. The best practice is to have an e-mail address that the Registrant maintains control over. Do not allow a web site designer or a web hosting company to use their contact information for domain name registration. When registering a website for a business, the name of the Registrant should be the company name. Domain Name Fraud Understanding the Agreement • • Always read the fine print when registering domain names. Registrars do not have incentive to secure domain names. It is also important to note that in the second paragraph of the REGISTRAR Deletion Policy, the REGISTRANT has a way to opt-out of the Direct Transfer process: We will not attempt to complete a Direct Transfer of a domain name registration after expiration if the customer to whom the domain name is registered has notified us by e-mail at backorderservice@REGISTRAR.com stating that he or she does not want us to proceed with such a transfer. In this case, the domain name registration will be deleted. (“Deletion Policy,” n.d., ¶ 2) Unfortunately, this statement is lost in a sea of legal wording, and is probably missed by most. Domain Name Fraud Domain Name Management • If registering multiple domain names, keep all of them under one account • Lock the Domain name locking prevents any domain name changes by third parties from occurring. • Do not use a Registrar that allows domain name transfers via fax notification. • Consider registering domain names for a longer period of time. • Allow one person to manage domains (including renewal) • Register misspellings and protest domain names Domain Name Fraud Strong Passwords When setting up the domain name account with the Registrar, make sure strong passwords are used. Guidelines for strong passwords include: • Use something that is not easily guessed. For example, if the domain is google.com, donot use “google” as the login name, and “google123” as the password. • Use a login and password that is unrelated to the website. • Use a difficult password that is at least 8 characters long, and a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. • An example of a good login and strong password for the aforementioned “google.com” scenario might be: login: ZickEer4 password: qw!@R5uP Copyright & Trademark Infringement Case Study Copyright & Trademark Infringement Case Study Copyright & Trademark Infringement But wait, there’s more... Copyright & Trademark Infringement Remedies – Copyright & Trademark Infringement • Look up owner, ask to be removed. • Write hosting company, point to DMCA, get site taken down. – a service provider shall not be liable to any person for any claim based on the service provider’s good faith disabling of access to, or removal of, material or activity claimed to be infringing or based on facts or circumstances from which infringing activity is apparent, regardless of whether the material or activity is ultimately determined to be infringing. • Make sure your logo is trademark and copyright protected. Protecting Your Business from the Inside Protecting Your Business Employee Disclosure • What are your employees saying about your business on the Internet? • Are they using their work email address? • Disclosure can be innocent (blogs, tech support, discussion boards, personal websites, etc.) Protecting Your Business Employee Disclosure Remedies • Electronic Communications Disclosure Policy • Continuous monitoring of company instances on the web – EX: Google “@yourcompany.com” or admin@yourcompany.com – http://www.myspace.com – http://www.facebook.com Protecting Your Business Offline Scam • Domain name renewal sent directly to accounting department (sample) • Remedy: Training Protecting Your Business Hiring Website Experts • Marketing (Online and Offline) – Know where your ads are being placed • Advertising.com and askjeeves.com case – Know if Internet Marketing is being outsourced, and to whom – If so, make SURE you review the terms of the contract • Split leads on pay per lead? • Key words? • Cost per click on click campaigns, which company, terms of agreement, fraud protection? • Multiple domain names? Business retains ownership? Protecting Your Business Hiring Website Experts • Search Engine Experts (SEO) – Provide proof of results – Review strategy carefully – Know your buys well – Be involved in keyword development and verify that keywords are being used. Protecting Your Business Hiring Website Experts • Website Designers – Register domain names in business name – Common contact address – All access info (host, registrar, etc.) Protecting Your Business Conclusion Know your online presence inside and out! Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Search Engine Optimization • Search engines are often defaults for other search engines • Google is the most important engine • Directories are NOT search engines Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Search Engine Optimization Meta Tags • What are they? – Website: http://www.fountainheadcollege.edu – “View”  “Source” – Between the tags – – – Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Search Engine Optimization Meta Tags • Content is KING! – – – – Choose relevant keywords. Write sites content (based on keywords) Create a title tag (based on keywords) Create a description tag (based on keywords) Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Search Engine Optimization Search Engine Submission • Submit by hand (not auto) – Google: http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl – http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=2156221 Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Directories • Examples: – Yahoo – Open Directory Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Directory Submissions • Examples: – Yahoo – Open Directory • Reviewed by Humans – Yahoo: http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html – http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=2156221 • Most Important: Follow Rules! Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Analyzing Website Statistics • Statistic Software – for traffic – EX: • Webtrends: http://www.webtrends.com • MetaSun: http://www.metasun.com/ • Free: GoogleAnalytics: http://www.google.com/analytics/ – You may already have statistics Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Analyzing Website Statistics • Analyzing – Take a snapshot of stats – Monitor monthy – focus on • • • • Site paths Entry pages Keywords Unique Visitors Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Analyzing Website Statistics http://www.alienresistance.org/screenshots.htm Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Analyzing SE Statistics • Web Position – http://www.webposition.com • Competitive keyword analysis • Site SE visibility • Keyword suggestions – Be very careful using doorway pages (SPAM) • Hand Submit Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Website Usability • Design for your visitors, not yourself! #1: Clear Navigation System: – Where am I? – Where have I been? – Where can I go? Source: http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/design_no4.htm Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Website Usability • Navigation – Keep it consistent (links on same place on every page) – Use appropriate text inside links (don’t leave guests wondering where a link might go) – Make sure text links are emphasized – Use text links on every page as an alternative to graphics – Include a home page link in the nav system – Logo should always link to home page – Include search capabilities Source: http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/design_no4.htm Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Website Usability • Content – Keep it clear and simple. – Place most important and relevant information on the home page. – Make page content easy to scan (emphasize important points) – Add alt text on all graphics – Contrast! (make sure site is easy on the eyes) Source: http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/design_no4.htm Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Website Usability • Support your brand – Keep colors and typefaces consistent. – Keep page layout consistent. – Custom error page. – Create a good tagline and use it on every page. – Use logo on every page. Source: http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/design_no4.htm Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Website Usability • Provide Good Method for Feedback – Keep forms short and be sure to note which fields are required. – Remember your international users and don't require information they may not have - like area codes or ZIP codes. – Present complete contact information including your business phone number and postal address. Source: http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/design_no4.htm Ethical Online Marketing Strategies Website Usability • Usability Testing – Test site on real users – Do visitors enjoy using the site? – Do they understand the site’s purpose? – Is there incentive to return? – Are they experiencing errors? Source: http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/design_no4.htm Ethical Online Marketing Strategies • • • • • • • • Interactive Website Elements (A Sticky Site) Email a Friend (site, link, article, etc.) Quick Polls/Surveys Opt-in E-mail Link In text ads (articles) Graphical ads (banners, buttons, etc.) Chat with a Representative Blog Keep content fresh Source: http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/design_no4.htm Summary • Proactively protect your online presence – Know your website – Know how advertisers are marketing your business online – Educate yourself on online fraud – Provide training for employees & develop email communication policies • Create a strong Internet presence by using relevance and target your market • Implement optimization and interactive strategies Questions? tammy.alexander@fountainheadcollege.com 865-688-9422 Presented by: Tammy Alexander, Director Center for Information Assurance & Cybersecurity Training (IACT)