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I had an urgent client email today about Facebook. Every time my client tried to post a link to his website on Facebook, the description would display as a spam ad for Viagra. He needed it fixed, and fast.

The answer was is in the meta data. Meta data is what web designers use to help describe the contents of a website for web browsers and programs like Facebook. The problem is that Facebook has its own special form of meta data called Open Graph. On the one hand, it’s one more thing designers and small business owners have to keep up with. And, if you are active on Facebook, you know how often they change things up.

It can be frustrating and confusing trying to keep up with all the advances happening online.
But, on the other hand, Open Graph lets you do some pretty cool things on Facebook. So it’s a good idea to get to know it.

Once I set the OG meta data in the header, he had full control of his website description. Problem solved. You might still be wondering why spam showed up in place of the site description. Check out this post on website security.

What other things do you wish you could tweak in Facebook? What about the thumbnails that show up? Leave me a comment below and we will figure it out together.

Ever have a business hunch? That creepy crawly in the pit of your stomach nagging you to do something? I had that feeling today and it kept whispering: check your spam folder.

I know enough to check it every once in a while for that wayward email among the male enhancement supplements and offers for free Rolex watches. But, I usually forget for many months at a time.

Today, I listened to my hunch. As I was scrolling down through the usual suspect promises, I saw an email from a client. Not just any client, but someone I correspond with at least once a week. I had to blink twice. We have exchanged hundreds of emails over the years, so why did this one get sent to spam? The answer is – I have no idea!

If I hadn’t listened to that little nagging whisper, I would have missed a very important email. In fact, along with her email was an appointment reminder that had special instructions, several legitimate PayPal notifications, and a newsletter I signed up to.

We get lulled by the sophistication of our technology into thinking that everything is working flawlessly, but the truth is that computers cannot always simulate the judgement of a human mind. We need to stay on top of our own spam folders.

More importantly, if it is happening to the email we receive, then it is probably happening to the email we send. This is vital if you send mail through your website. For example, if you use an email address like Twila_at_webdesignbytc.com, contact your website guru to make sure it is set up to reach people’s in boxes and NOT their spam folders.

Site security can overwhelm us. In fact, sometimes it is easier to just not think about it. But unless you have a web master whose full time job is to protect your site, even you could be at risk.

I remember one client’s whose health website was hacked into over night. One day the site was fine. The next day all her images, text, and branding had been replaced by anti-government propaganda. I was a new designer at the time and ended up learning a lot about website security.

If you have a website, blog, WordPress setup, or anything else online, here are some quick security must-haves

• Password Security. Don’t skip this step. I know we all use one or two easy to remember
• passwords – our pets name, kids name, our favorite sports team, or a combination of
• important dates. But for the sake of your WordPress account, Facebook page, and other business-related web platform, use a strong password. Here is an article with 5 ways to generate strong passwords.

• Verify Your Addons. Are you using a free template, plugin, add-on, or script? Great! Just make sure to verify that what you are downloading and installing on your website is from a verified source. Ask yourself – is the site credible? Are other people using it? Do they have a social media page and is it active? What is their reputation?

• Back Up Everything. Make sure to back up everything, often. Backups should include all your files, images, platform configurations, and database tables. Find programs that help you back up your site. For example, if you are using a platform like WordPress, try using Duplicator or BackupBuddy.

When in doubt, hire a web designer to review your site security. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is true for our health, and the health of our websites.