New York SBDC Research Network

More and more people are browsing, shopping, and doing business on their phones and tablets. Currently, 11.3% of the digital population uses mobile  only , compared to 10.6% desktop only use*. This may not seem significant now but these numbers will continue to grow as mobile capabilities advance and mobile devices become more and more integral to day-to-day life.  Seriously, if you are not mobile ready you are missing an opportunity to connect with mobile users who may be future customers and partners. So how do you get started? You see, mobile is really about your audience. Here are some tips to help you get started. Click  HERE  to learn more!

The Internet has gone visual. With the world moving at the speed of a tweet, getting your message out there can be tough—especially if you're only using words. Studies show that our brains are more efficient at processing images than words. Some 75% of Americans have used emoji to communicate to others. Virtual corkboard site Pinterest has 53 million unique monthly users. Even Facebook is leaning hard into the image game, as evidenced by its recent $1 billion acquisition of Instagram, which has 300 million users itself. Images overlaid with text—often called Internet memes—are a popular way for brands to reach their audiences. Ride that popularity wave by creating your own marketing images for distribution. As your followers and fans share the images, your products, your logo, and your brand spread to people you may not have reached otherwise. Read more from Marketing Profs

From New York's Libraries Information Network offers this advice from the Office of Cyber Security 1.Use Strong Passwords: Passwords should have at least eight characters and include letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers and special characters. It is important to maintain separate passwords for different accounts to reduce the likelihood of one password being compromised, which may make other accounts vulnerable as well. Developing good password practices will help keep your personal information and identity secure. ALSO 2.Limit the Use of External Devices 3.Avoid Phishing and Social Engineering Attempts 4.Be Cautious When Shopping Online 5.Limit the Use of Administrator Accounts 6.Update Your Software 7.Protect and Secure Mobile Devices 8.Enable Your Firewall 9.Use Anti-virus and Anti-spyware Programs 10.Secure Wireless Networks

Over three years ago, I blogged about the efficacy of ClickZ for website user session information. But there's so much more to the site: statistics, white papers, news articles, expert columnists. It is, as it claims, "news and expert advice for the digital marketer."

From Hill Library : The Internet Intelligence IndexTM can assist you in gathering information to support your competitive intelligence efforts. It contains information from a variety of sources, including links to over 600 intelligence-related Internet sites, covering everything from macro-economic data to individual patent and stock quote information. The Internet Intelligence IndexTM is divided into three main categories: General Business Internet Resources, Industry-Internet Resources, and International Internet Resources. The Index is compiled by Fuld & Company, a top research and consulting firm in the areas of business and competitive intelligence.

Websites come, websites go. But are they really gone ? Not always. There's something called The Wayback Machine , where you can retrieve old versions of current, or even defunct websites. It's not every page, and it's not every version of a given page; some companies block access to their pages. It's not just curiosity, though, that fuels the Wayback's usage. Once, I had a question that involved accessing a form or document from the Bureau of Indian Affairs website. For some bizarre legal reason, the BIA page was blocked, but I was able to access the piece using the Wayback Machine to get an earlier version of the BIA site. Here are 50 Fun Ways to Use the Wayback Machine .

One of the reasons as to why the Research Network decided recently to go all-digital can be found in the results of this survey . Wells Fargo & Gallup frequently conduct surveys of small business, with a specific emphasis lately on the role technology plays in a small business owner's management style. As you can see, this is an attitudinal survey, asking business owners what they think might happen if Internet access went away, etc. Nonetheless, such attitudes are a driving force in how business owners conduct their operations. I've handled a few recent requests where the client didn't have an email address. Since addresses can be obtained freely, I'm not sure why neither of them had one. Perhaps it's a reflection of a personal philosophy, or a sign of discomfort with certain technologies. However, perception is key, and surveys like this serve as guides as to what small business owners see as the expected norm in the American economy. It's been said many

Among the tools librarians use are...OTHER LIBRARIANS. A librarian posted the query above, and several librarians - including yours truly - came up with some nifty solutions. Here, with her permission, is the summary: Several people recommended Nielsen and one person mentioned Comscore. Comscore is the chief competitor of NetRatings. The Pew Internet & American Life Project was another recommended source. Cyber Alert was recommended as a good source for information on web analytics and definitions of web stats. ClickZ was recommended as a great source for the definition of a web user and related information & definitions. *** Also, remember the bad old days when someone was quick or smart enough to register a company name before that company did, forcing the latter to buy back its own name - at exorbitant rates - for the URL? I've gotten an occasional request to find out how to do that! Well, tell your clients this: DON'T. It's called cybersquatting , and there