by BrandMinded | Feb 13, 2023 | digital marketing, website design
When developing a website, business owners tend to think about design, content, and how the site will serve their client base. Those things are certainly important, but it’s easy to overlook one other critical factor: security.
Specializing in website design and development in Tampa, BrandMinded understands how to build sites that are safe. Here are 10 keys to consider when it comes to website development — and how to know whether or not your site is secure.
1. Firm Up Your Passwords
According to Matthew Hall, Senior SEO/SEM Specialist at BrandMinded, strong password management is key.
“I can’t overstate how important it is to have long, unique passwords for each point of login,” he says. “All of those should also have two-factor authentication. This stops someone from hijacking your website or server when you have an easy-to-guess password, or your password information from another site was revealed in a data leak.”
At BrandMinded, we use one of the most secure and user-friendly password managers available.
2. Lean on Extra Security Tools
The more secure your website is, the better. Hall recommends a Cloudflare Pro plan for extra safety.
“This allows for not only super-fast and easy-to-change DNS settings, but it also provides us with DDoS mitigation, a WAF (Web Application Firewall), bot management, rate limiting, and additional end-to-end security certificates if we need them.”
Adding security plugins through your website builder can help too. They can help keep malware and other security threats at bay.
3. Use an SSL Certificate
An SSL encrypts sensitive information and prevents unauthorized people from accessing it.
“Having an SSL certificate on your website is of absolute importance these days,” says Hall. “That would definitely be the first line of defense. Also, modern browsers now warn you if a site is not secure — so already you would be losing a lot of potential visitors because they are notified that your website is not secure.”
4. Implement a Regular Backup Policy
This can come to the rescue if important information is compromised.
“If the server goes down, or even if your website is hacked, having a backup will allow you to get back up and running quickly without having to start from scratch,” says Hall. “BrandMinded backs up all clients’ sites every single day and stores them on a separate server so that we always have access to these files and can restore them at any point.”
5. Never Save Credit Card Information on Your Own Server
This seems obvious but you’ll want to be very careful with how you handle credit card information.
“Most days, this is automatically captured with the payment processor, but we have still seen some sites that collect this information and save it on their own server,” warns Hall. “Honestly, for most businesses, it is never worth the hassle of protecting this information. This also makes you a target for hackers and malicious users.”
6. Update Your Software
No matter what kind of content management system (CMS) you’re using, be sure to update it as recommended. It’s a simple step that can prevent serious security issues. Otherwise, you could set the stage for a security breach.
7. Safeguard Your Content Management System
Think carefully about which employees will have access to your CMS — then train them so that they understand your security expectations. This can help prevent seemingly minor errors that could lead to a security breach. It’s also wise to have a system that keeps track of who’s accessing the site.
8. Safeguard Your Devices
Devices like company computers and mobile phones could post a security threat if you aren’t careful. To keep your website safe, be sure that all devices that are connected to your network are malware- and virus-free. You might also consider requiring that all usernames and passwords be changed every few months.
9. Be Cautious Uploading Files
File uploads can give hackers easy access to your system. That includes your website, data, files, and server. An easy preventative measure is using an extension or plugin that can scan files before they’re uploaded. That can help you weed out potentially harmful files — and the scammers behind them. As a leading Tampa website development firm, we take extra measures to ensure your security.
10. Go with a Reputable Platform to Build Your Website
If taking a do-it-yourself approach to website development, you’ll want to use a platform that has built-in security measures. That means vetting different website builders and understanding their safety protocols. If you don’t have the time and energy to spare, partnering with a digital marketing agency is probably your best bet. We can do the heavy lifting for you so you can focus on running your business.
At BrandMinded, you can rest easy knowing that your website is always in safe hands. Contact us today to learn more!
by BrandMinded | Sep 16, 2022 | digital news, News, website design, website redesign
Our client Working Spaces is a company committed to excellence. An innovative leader in commercial office furniture and design, they are known for the “world class customer experience” they provide for each of their clients every day.
So, when it came to designing and launching a dynamic new website, BrandMinded Digital Marketing did was it always does. It provided a “world class customer experience” in return.
Soon after launch, the new Working Spaces website was honored with the prestigious Hermes Creative Gold Award. The Hermes is an international award recognizing outstanding work in the industry of electronic media and website design. Judges for the award are industry professionals who look for companies whose website design and user experience exceed a high standard of excellence and serves as a benchmark for the industry.
“We are extremely proud of this award, “says Working Spaces COO Tim Carroll. “We are committed to always providing a world class customer experience, and that goal extends to our website and creating the best online experience possible for our customers.”
At BrandMinded we are also extremely proud of this award. Click the link and see why the judges were so impressed. www.WSpaces.com.
by BrandMinded | Aug 31, 2022 | custom website, digital news, News, website design, website redesign
Keeping websites fresh and modern is essential to maintaining a thriving brand. When years go by without attention to website design, features can get outdated while the look and feel gets stale. When the opportunity presented itself for our long-time client, Atlanta Medical Clinic, to rebuild their website, we developed a full, site-wide redesign.
By adding new features and stronger visual elements, we created a more modernized look to the website that was organized for easy navigation. With the addition of a helpful chatbot and a recent patient reviews pop-up, our team was able to make the site more user friendly and implemented a strong push on calls to action.
“From top to bottom the whole website was built with the user experience in mind,” says Seth Sullivan, our graphic designer for the site. “Creating a website where people can comfortably and conveniently find treatments for their pain was the driving force behind the design.”
Working with a long-time client is always so rewarding, but building a website from scratch is just as fun! Reach out to the BrandMinded® team today to get started building or redesigning your website.
by BrandMinded | Aug 22, 2022 | digital news, News, website design, website redesign
Building a quality company starts by building a quality culture. That means creating a culture that allows team members to be proud of the work they do and feel they are making a difference. So, when the opportunity presented itself to build a new website and help increase donations for an inspirational non-profit called the Merrell Noden Track Club, the BrandMinded Team jumped at the opportunity.
A talented and elite runner, Merrell was an even better person. So, when he passed away from cancer in the Spring of 2015, friends and family were inspired to do something to keep his memory and wonderful positive spirit alive. The result is the Merrell Noden Track Club, a non-profit that provides high level coaching for high school runners whose high schools do not provide winter track.
To date, the MNTC and taught hundreds of high school runners, male and female, to embrace the love of running and sportsmanship that Merrell embraced every day. It has also helped dozens of high school runners to attend top universities where they have continued their running careers.
Most importantly, as he did his entire life, the MNTC allows Merrell to keep bringing people together and forming lifelong friendship. We encourage to visit MNTC.run, learn more about Merrell and please donate whatever you can.
by BrandMinded | Jul 27, 2022 | digital news, News, website design, website redesign
After a period of evolution and expansion for our non-profit client, ForHearts Worldwide, this spring we launched their new website, ForHearts.org. For almost 40 years, ForHearts Worldwide has been a non-profit organization that saves lives by creating a network for providing implantable cardiovascular devices for people in need in developing countries around the world. Harnessing their power of giving to heart centers across the world, ForHearts expanded their services and broadened their mission this year with the hope of saving more lives outside their previous specialty. Thus, it was the natural time to develop a new website to showcase their mission’s growth while expanding their reach to new donors.
In an effort to optimize the website for non-profit necessities, the design and functionality lead viewers to the most critical information and calls to action. By placing easy-to-use donation forms and buttons across all pages of the site, the design offers a practical and user-friendly way to help our client achieve their brand mission: collecting donations to save lives. Sharing their brand mission clearly and evocatively was our top priority.
“Providing visuals to educate viewers and familiarize them with the world they are helping is essential to donor appeal,” says Seth Sullivan, our graphic designer for the site. “The human element of non-profit brands is what those potential donors need to see. Recognizing just how easy it is to help someone through this website can be the difference between life and death.
As our clients’ brands develop, the BrandMinded® team puts all hands on deck to ensure their success. Check out our work on ForHearts’ new website at https://forhearts.org/ and contact us today about launching your own website.
