Recently  a company I worked on a project for, requested a contact for an external service. I provided the name of the first person I could think of. Now, I provided the contact without hesitation, however, I should have given second thought to the person / company requesting the information.

Why?

Regarding the person you are recommending, chances are, you know them or may have engaged with them personally or in business. The company or person requesting the information, you may not have engaged with directly.

What to do?

If you are confident that it would be a good match, provide the information. If you are uncertain, request permission from the company whose details you want to provide.

Does it matter?

In my personal experience it does. The company I worked on requesting the details turned out to be a bad payer. If you start suspecting this, in hindsight, I should have stopped working on the project. I also should have made the company I recommended aware of this.

However, at the end of the day, business is business and contacts are always welcomed. A little note to ones self in the future should be “will the company [being recommended] hold me accountable for anything” or “are they a good match?”. Giving a little more thought to an introduction could make all the difference to the way you are experienced in the market.

Almost as if you became a “credible source” or person “verifier”.

Something to think about.

Trust is fundamental to business. But on the web, where more and more commerce is moving, there are no visual or body language cues, no physical signs to help with gut feel. All you have is a website with some claims that may or may not be true. How can you tell the fly-by-nights from the worthies? One possible answer is to outsource the background-checking to an expert.

That’s where Shana Kay and her business, InfoInteg, come in. Kay has been in the IT industry for about 14 years as a developer, project manager and MD of a software development company. She says that InfoInteg is, at its heart, a trust provider.

“My partner Kevin Derman said he was frustrated with the state of web searches,” she says. “And his idea was to create a way to identify credible businesses. So we provide a way for businesses to have credibility online.

“We have different products. We don’t verify absolutely everything on your website, but we do verify that the company exists, that the people who you say work for you actually do and, if you’re making claims like you’re a specific partner with a big company, we’ll check with them that you’re listed. We do all this so the consumer doesn’t have to.”

The process is almost journalistic.

“You register for an account, pay via PayPal, and submit the domain you would like to have checked. We receive the request and immediately send you a piece of code that you can embed in your website. Once the verification goes through, the status will change from ‘in progress’ to ‘verified’.”

But isn’t this a throwback to the early days of digital certificates?

Kay says there is an important difference. Read the full article

here

.

Source: Brainstorm Magazine – December/January 2011 Issue

This article examines the problem with search and provides the first of 5 suggestions to become more effective information consumers. We watch what food we put into our bodies and it is time to consider what information we are putting into our minds.

Let me be clear we have to use search engines. There is currently no other effective way of navigating through 125 million domains to find the right information. So that is out of our control. What is in our control is how we use the search engine.

So the first tip for effective searching is: Go Deep to find the Gold

Research by the iProspect group examined our search habits and how they have changed over 6 years. The sad news is we have got worse. 90% of people only click on search results in the first 3 pages of results. That’s 30 results out of a possible million or so that the search engine brings back. 62% of people don’t go past page 1.

There is a high probability that some fantastic pages of crucial information are hiding further down than page three and so I would encourage you to go further into your search results to look for the gold.

It is also worth mentioning the difference between organic and paid search results. If you look at the top few results, you will see two words that are slightly grayed out saying “Sponsored Link”. These companies pay to have their result show up first on the list. It has no relevance over the quality of the information that is displayed on their website. So generally, unless you are looking for that specific company, go organic. Au Natural always tends to be better.

In summary, don’t be part of the 90% that gets the same information as everyone else. Be different, and dig deeper. In our next installment of this series we will discuss the second tip, Variety is the Spice of Life.

- Kevin Derman: CEO

Well, the reality is, even if we don’t realize it, it’s not. However, the online experience differs somewhat from our physical experience. This article looks at those differences and suggests ways to show your integrity online and maximize your sales opportunity. The major difference between an online business and a traditional bricks and mortar shop, is that it is difficult to gauge this mysterious element we call trust online. When we go into a shopping mall to browse and we walk into a shop we don’t know, we can immediately tell several things from the shop.

Firstly, they are paying rent in a mall and therefore we can assume that the landlord has vetted them as tenants and deemed them suitable. Secondly, we can see the goods in front of us, and judge their quality and verify their existence. We also know that if we hand over our money to the person on the other side of the counter, we will walk out of the shop with the purchased goods. The final element, which we gain from a traditional shop, is the element of trust. This is an intangible concept, yet without thinking we form a judgment within the first few seconds that we walk into the shop. It could be the display or even the music they are playing.

More often however, it is the people that are serving us in the shop on which we base this trust. Now lets contrast this experience with searching for something online or browsing the web. The first thing we would typically do is turn to a search engine to look for an item we are wanting to purchase. Let’s say we want to purchase a Tissot watch. So we go to Google, Bing or one of the other search engines and enter the phrase “

Tissot watch” and up pops 2.66 million search results. Research has shown that less than 15% of people ever go past page three of these results. So, if we are one of the normal people out there, we will look at the first page of results, maybe page two at a push. The initial common thing we do is try to form an opinion of the URL. If it’s www.tissot.ch this might look very official to us and we might trust it more than www.buytissotwatches.com for exmple. The important thing is to realize that our trust radar is already active and we start making judgments and forming opinions.

Next we click on the link and the page starts to load. Here again our mind starts to make a judgment call on the site. Does it look professional? Did it load in a reasonable amount of time? Once the site has loaded our eye does a scan of the site in about two seconds. It is here that we decide on whether or not we trust the site or would consider purchasing anything off it. All of the above happens in a relatively short space of time. Sometimes as little as 5 seconds.

The reality is, that is the amount of time you have to win or lose your customers trust and subsequently the potential sale. So the question is, how does one maximize the opportunity when someone decides to visit your website or online store? The answer lies in trying to address that basic human instinct of trust and provide the visitor with a visual cue that they can trust that site, in a short amount of time as possible.

If you can display a seal that visibly shows that the site has been verified and can be trusted you are past the first major hurdle in getting someone to purchase form you online. That hurdle, is gaining their trust. This is the reason that trust certificates are gaining popularity. It is a method of informing your website visitors that your site has been verified and is trusted. Hence, they do not need to go through the process of trying to do their own searching to see if the business is legitimate or not.

Visual cues are one of the most effective ways of showing trust. It is recommended that one displays their Trust Certificate in a prominent place, not only so that the visitor does not have to search it out, but also because it plays a subconscious role in creating that feeling of trust, whether the visitor is looking for it or not.

A prominent place would be on or near the websites header or banner. If someone has to scroll to the bottom of the page in order to see it, they might miss it , and you might miss out. If you would like more information on getting a Trust Seal or Certificate for your website visit www.infointeg.com or mail info@infointeg.com and we would be glad to advise you on how to use one effectively for your website.

This means, I cannot win any of the really cool prizes :/ but you can. See rules below and good luck!

All you need to do is purchase an Infointeg Digital Certificate during September or October 2010 and you will go into the draw to win the iPod.

—————————————————————————————–

Infointeg (PTY) Ltd Competition Terms and Conditions

Entry is open to anyone except employees (and their immediate families) of Infointeg (PTY) Ltd, the sponsoring company/companies and/or agents involved in the competition.

• Competitions run until the end date stipulated on the promotional material. Late entries may be included at the discretion of the judges.
• The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• Our competitions are open to all customers.
• Infointeg (PTY) Ltd accepts no responsibility for incorrect addresses provided or items undelivered or lost in the mail.
• Prizes not claimed within three months will be forfeited.
• By entering into a competition, you agree to receive future correspondence from Infointeg (PTY) Ltd and in some cases the company sponsoring the prize. For more information, visit www.infointeg.com.
• Any prizes are not redeemable for cash.
• Entries made via SMS attract a charge. Please refer to the promotional material for actual cost per SMS.
• For future unforeseen circumstances Infointeg (Pty) Ltd reserve the right to amend competition rules at anytime.
• By entering into a competition it is deemed that you have read and understood these rules.
• In the case of a competition by means of a draw, the draw will take place within three weeks of the closing date of the competition.

That’s it, short and sweet. Enter our competitions, they will almost always have really awesome prizes I wish I could have since I love prizes almost as much as I love tickets (movie tickets, theater tickets, plane tickets etc).

Why you need a Digital Certificate?

1. More online visitors are looking for “trust seals” to make their decisions, not only for transacting, but to engage with you.
2. If you are in a competitive space and would like to have a differentiating component, get verified.
3. If you are a retailer, you definitely need one, 75% of consumers make purchase based on seeing a trust seal.
4. Member-based organizations, your members (and you) will benefit from offering the service which gives them credibility in the market place.
5. Bloggers, are you a true blogger, is your work original? Alternatively, let visitors know you are not a fat, bald, 50-something impersonating a thin, beautiful girl 20-something . And if you are a fat, balding 50-something who loves to blog, get verified too .

We are in the TRUST business. Why? When we trust someone (clients, suppliers, stores, banks etc), we are inclined to:

1. trade
2. transact
3. spend more
4. return

Try or buy a verification product today and see the difference.

Join our Silicon Cape group and win!
Follow us on Twitter and win!
Buy now and win!

We look forward to helping you stand out from the crowd. Infointeg, get verified today!

I believe that one should behave the same online as in the real world. In fact, one has more freedom online and therefore should be more careful. It helps build your credibility if you are consistent, especially in business.

Being myself is critical to people getting to know me, it does not make sense to be someone else online, as the is always the chance of a real life meeting occurring, and then what? Here are some of my social media media rules to help me connect and live it :

1. Be genuinely genuine
   As I engage with anyone, whether online or in the real world, I behave the same. If someone does not like you in the online space, chances are, they won’t like you in person, so … keep it real .
2. Respond, respond, respond
   Everyone is busy, but take the time to respond to voicemails, direct messages and emails. Responding shows that you respect the time the other person has taken to make contact with you. Even if you are unable to provide immediate assistance, scheduling some time in the future instead of simply avoiding a following up is much more effective.
3. Share
   Sharing your experiences whether they are challenges or success stories, shows you are human and accessible. The power of influence is not necessarily in your ability to demand attention, consider your influence stemming from external resources who share the stories you have shared with them. Tweet interesting resources, blog about your challenges and successes and when someone asks in person, giving them honest feedback makes all the difference.
4. Don’t slate your competitors
   We all have competitors. Unless you have a real #BrandMinus to report, slating your competitors shows a degree of unprofessionalism that potential clients steer clear from. This also shows potential clients or investors that you handle things with integrity and professionalism.
5. Don’t spam your clients/customers/friends
   This relates to being personal. In business and in your personal life, spamming is a big don’t. It only takes a few spam emails for your “you” brand to disappear. Be personal and appropriate with your messages. (PS: “Insert boy/girl/religion here” will not love you any less if you don’t pass the email around 20 0000 times)
6. Don’t integrate all platforms into one
   Different platforms (online and offline) have certain audiences and integrating all into one may show that not much thought has gone into what you are saying. Be considerate and appropriate with your messages. This way, people will see how you engage with different audiences but still have the consistency of who the “you” brand is.

All of the above are ways to help manage your online profile and help you be seen as honest, credible and one who works with integrity. I guarantee, people are drawn to those characteristics. It all builds up to a little (large) thing I call “trust”.

Happy “socializing”,
Editor: Shana Kay

On invitation by the Cape IT Initiative, Infointeg was invited to participate in the Cape Software Showcase Exhibition (funded by Department of Economic Development of the City of Cape Town) which ran concurrently with ICSE this year.

It was an inspirational experience to see students from all over the world, interacting with each other as well as industry members.

Chris Vermeulen (Bandwidth Barn) and Jenny McKinnel (CITI) were available to visitors and students to spread some of the entrepreur success stories as well as encourage them to consider venturing into the entrepreneurial world. The students passing in and out of the conference hall had such an air of excitement about them. All eager to venture into the world of technology and gain more knowledge and insight into various business opportunities.

From an entrepreneurial point of view, the showcase was an amazing experience to be part of, as the entrepreneurs were given a platform to showcase their work as well as interact with the public.

What made the Cape showcase stand out from the crowd, was the way it was presented to the public. The theme took the form of “a three-dimensional experience of going on a journey through “forests” of trees and along a “wall” of curved screens, exploring and learning about the Cape software eco-system, and meeting some of the people who drive, influence and support the industry“. Jenny McKinnel.

We hope the the Cape Software Industry runs again next year as new or up and coming entrepreneurs would benefit from having this kind of platform to showcase their businesses. Add to this, the benefit of students seeing entrepreneurial success stories and the ICT industry being seen as a fun / creative / innovative industry to be part of.

Why would you want an Infointeg Digital Certificate?

1. Are you in a competitive space and need to stand out from the crowd?
2. Are you new to the online world and would like consumers to trust your brand and see you as credible?
3. Did you know that more consumers are more likely to transact with you if they see some kind

If you’ve answered yes to any of the above, you may need one.

Send your details to be notified of go-live or we will register on your behalf if you send the following details to us:

• Your name
• Company name
• Website address to be verified
• Contact number
• Contact person

More sneak peak specials to follow. Watch this space.

The competition which was launched as part of City of Cape Town’s initiative to position Cape Town as a leading enabler of entrepreneurship. The categories a business could enter are:

• idea stage
• start-up stage
• growth stage

Infointeg entered the start-up stage category, and took 2nd place with Personera taking the 1st prize. Congratulations to all winners ツ.

For more information on the CTEC visit their website.
For more information on the winners, visit the Bandwidth Barn.

The Infointeg Editor