Over the last several months email issues have risen dramatically along with frustration levels.

If you are having email issues please read on.

Spam has become a MAJOR issue and companies around the globe have sought the best solution and unfortunatly there is no one single solution to solving this epidemic. What has come about is a way of verifying email through what’s called SMTP Authentication. If you would like to read about what that is, here is a link with all the details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMTP_Authentication.

More and more companies are requiring this authentication. In order to accomodate this, there are a few settings in your email client (Outlook, Windows Mail, Eudora, etc.) that will need to be changed. Many of you will already have this complete and will not have to worry about it but it would be best to verify that it is in fact complete.

There are 2 settings that must be checked within the mail client settings:

1. My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication

When that is checked…

2. Use same setting as my incoming mail server

Those two settings will resolve many of the issues we are having and allow your outgoing mail to comply with these new authentication requirements.

Unfortunately, we are not masters of all software and email clients. If you are not sure how to do this, please open your email and find out what version you are using under the help > about menu. Simply Google the following to get your answers.

smtp authentication settings for insert your email client and version here

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call.

German Watchdog Warns of Internet Explorer Breach

Read complete article here

By JUERGEN BAETZ Associated Press
BERLIN September 18, 2012 (AP)

The German government agency overseeing IT safety is warning of a security breach in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and recommending people use other browsers until the problem is fixed.

The browser’s “weak point is already being used for targeted attacks,” the Federal Office for Information Security warned, adding that the code behind the attack is freely available online and might therefore spread rapidly.

A spokesman for Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday the company is aware of the issue and is working on soon rolling out a software update, a so-called patch, to fix the browser’s security features.

“This is not a massive problem. There have been only a small number of targeted attacks,” said spokesman Thomas Baumgaertner. He could not provide a figure of the number of attacks recorded so far.

The browser is used by hundreds of millions of consumers and workers around the world.

In its warning published late Monday, Germany’s IT watchdog called on people using Windows XP or Windows 7 operating systems and Internet Explorer versions 7, 8 or 9 to switch to alternative browsers until Microsoft updates the browser’s security features.

Attackers lure users to an infected website, for example through an emailed link. Visiting the website then allows hackers to introduce codes to take control of the user’s computer, the BSI agency said.

Baumgaertner noted that people should always be vigilant when clicking on links from unknown sources. He also added that many antivirus programs might already be updated to protect their users against attacks through the browser loophole.

The holidays are fast approaching and the season has begun. Everywhere you look, you can see signs of the season – the spirit is in the air.

It is no different on the web. Sites are adorned with holly berries, jingle bells and Christmas lights. We have all been to websites that transform by season or adopt a holiday theme. Google for instance, always changes their logo based on season and/or holiday. This is a great way to soften and warm the cold and often times impersonal world of the internet.

It also adds a certain dynamic feel to your site and lets the customer know you are committed to keeping up with trends and not becoming stale.

The designs that we create will be completely customized to YOUR company based on the colors and layout of your site. Take a look at http://www.chalifourgroup.com for an example

Once again we are offering the following affordable packages:

• One time Package ~ $99 – Holiday or seasonal header added to the top of your home page
• Seasonal Package ~ $199 – Change your home page based on the 4 seasons
• Holiday Package ~ $249 – Change your home page based on the upcoming holiday, this is based on 5 holidays (Your choice of any 5 holidays) and the 4 seasons

If this is something you would like to take advantage of, please call us at (603) 783-9333

All of us here at The Chalifour Design Group would like to recognize the fact that there have been many challenges to overcome over the past few weeks; The unprecedented amount of snow last weekend, the preceding power outages and let’s not forget the Patriots loss to the Steelers. We feel that you, our valued customers, deserve a break of some sort.

We would like to offer you, at no charge whatsoever, an additional hour of sleep this weekend.

When you go to bed on Saturday evening go ahead and set that clock back a full 60 minutes as our gift to you!

We hope this email finds you well and in prosperity.

Sweet Dreams!

The Chalifour Design Group Team!

Good Morning,

I wanted to take a moment to answer a few questions that have been coming in. The recent server upgrade has been very successful and as a result of the success we have taken a few additional steps to insure better security and smoother operation.

The first thing was a push of stored emails. Many have already seen a huge diluge of old emails come pouring into their mail box. This is a result of older emails that have been stored. Some people set their email settings to retain a copy of every message on the server in order to view the email at another location (Such as home or another office). These emails build up over time and we have to push them out to maintain space.

The second thing we did was change some of our dedicated IP addresses for our eCommerce customers. We have also reset many passwords that were in desparate need of recycling. If you experience any FTP issues or connection issues, simply give us a call (603-783-9333) and we can correct any connection credentials that may have changed.

As always, we are at your service and here to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you and have a great week!

Hello All!

We have discovered that the new server has a bad write sector on one of it’s hard drives and we are taking measures to correct the problem. Despite this current hardware issue, we have been experiencing some exceptional speeds and our bandwidth limitations are wide open. I trust you have noticed the increase in speed or at the very least noticed nothing which is ultimately our goal.

Transparency with web hosting is imperative, and for many of our customers this transparency has become normal and expected over the last 15 years. We strive to continue with that focus and second only to transparency is accessibility. We are always “A phone call away” and readily answer questions, solve problems and reassure that all is well and moving forward with technology is one of the ways we accomplish this.

Thank you for your patience and I will keep you posted if any further issues are expected.

In our desire to better serve our customers, a committment to technology has been extremely important to us. In order to maintain the fastest and most reliable technology delivery systems, we have recently upgraded our servers.

Over the last several days you may have noticed some slow-downs with your website or you may have experienced some email issues. This is as a result of a migration from the old to the lightening fast.

We feel that it is very important to communicate with our customers and let you know that our committment goes far beyond a design project.

If you would like the technical specifications of our new servers, please drop me a line and I will email you the specs.

I apologize for any inconvenience this migration may have caused you or your business but rest assured, we will continue to strive for the highest standards for our service and our technology.

Once again, I want to thank you for your business and we continue to be at your service.

It was far overdue and you know what they say about the cobbler’s kids being the last to receive shoes.

We have been working on this re-design in order to offer a more simple and user friendly website and also an example of an exceptionally designed website that has been “Google-ized”

We are on the first page of Concord NH Web Designer in an organic Google search and working our way to the #1 position in a variety of keyword searches.

A re-design is something that needs to be considered by everybody. It is certainly not what you want to hear after spending money having a site designed. You can compare it to buying a new car or having your house re-painted – A necessary step in keeping up to date with technology and your competition.

One of the bold steps we took with this re-design is a larger interface. The Internet is starting to “Get Big” Monitors are becoming larger and larger and we decided to take advantage of that. There are many monitors that will have a scroll bar on the bottom of the browser in order to see our entire site but in the true spirit of staying current with advancing technology, we are accommodating the future rather than adhering to the past.

Please take a look at our new site by clicking here or by using the link on the right.

Have a great weekend and I look forward to your feedback!

You may spend a small fortune on advertising and marketing but have you thought about the value of a referral? I truly feel that a good referral from an existing customer is one of the most valuable assets that a business can acquire.

BUT…Have you asked yourself where prospects are going to find out more about your company?

If an existing customer passes on your name along with a glowing recommendation, then you are doing things right. In today’s day and age of information, many times these recommendations are researched anonymously through website visits.

A website is an excellent tool for you to disseminate information and share your company strengths. It can also be a place that could cause a prospect to move on to one of your competitors. If your website has old or poor graphics, outdated news and information, links that don’t work or missing images this could reflect in a negative way on your company.

The Internet has become the number one information resource and it is no longer a casual marketing tool. It is critical that your web presence is your best first impression. If you are not sure about how you look or what impression you are giving then it is likely that you need some help.

We have been in the marketing and web design business for over 15 years and we know what we are doing. If you or someone you know is not sure then please contact us and we will give you our opinion. Yes, we may recommend an overhaul or a new design but in many cases, our recommendations are very inexpensive and the return on investment has been huge.

We recently designed a website for a small Concord based company. Within three weeks of the launching of the website the company closed a $20,000 job which was a direct lead from a Google search – How cool is that?

Remember it’s all about perception and first impressions!

Blogging is quickly becoming a major tool that is being added to the list of resources that companies use to reach their customers.

May people think that a blog is simply a way to communicate with friends or disseminate information to the world of unknown people. Some say that it is a waste of time and others say they simply don’t have the time.

Let me start by telling you that a blog can be the single most important marketing tool that a business owner can have.

• It is a way for you to communicate information to customers and prospective customers alike

• It is a tool that will incorporate customers into your company electronically

• It can help create interest in the products and services you represent

• It is a tool that can direct more traffic to your website

• Everytime you make a change or post something new, your subscribers receive an email notification automatically

• It is a mechanism that will allow subscribed users to comment on what you have to say

• It is a great way to keep customers up to date with your business

• It is incredibly easy to post new information and is all web based which means it can be done from any computer any time

• It is convenient.

Simply said; Communicating with your customers and potential customers has never been easier.

I encourage you to contact us to find out how you can start blogging and disseminate information quickly and drive more traffic to your website!