• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Good Books
  • Tools
  • Blog
  • Darren
  • Contact
  • Hire Me
Small Biz Geek

Small Biz Geek

Small Business Design, Marketing & Technology Journal

Solving small business design, marketing & tech problems

  • The Internet
  • Marketing
  • Graphic Design
  • Web Dev
  • Web Design
  • Social Media
  • Privacy & Security
  • Tech
  • Misc

Blog Posts 📝

Insights, thoughts, ideas, tutorials, guides and warnings for the small business owner.

Competitors Can Easily Edit Your Google and Facebook Business Listings 🤨

Published: December 3, 2019; Updated: July 4, 2023 Filed Under: Marketing

Rivals can edit public online business info

It’s possible for competitors to maliciously edit your public Google and Facebook business information listings. These attempts by rivals to mislead your customers could be happening right under your nose and you might not even notice.

Waiting on Final Images for a WordPress Website? Use this Handy Thumbnail Placeholder Trick 🪟

Published: June 25, 2019; Updated: July 30, 2023 Filed Under: Design, Web Development, WordPress

A handy WordPress media uploader hack for dummy image placeholders in your website build, with a quick swap when the final versions are ready.

Stop GoDaddy Spamming Branded Footer Links to WordPress Installatron Sites 🪧

Published: May 8, 2019; Updated: September 10, 2023 Filed Under: Web Development, WordPress

Remove GoDaddy footer links from WordPress websites

GoDaddy’s love of advertising on customers’ websites is annoying. Fortunately, the branded GoDaddy backlinks inserted into WordPress sites generated by quick-install apps can be removed.

Dealing with Negative Comments on Your Paid Social Media Posts 👺

Published: April 1, 2019; Updated: September 10, 2023 Filed Under: Marketing, Social

Photo of a person typing on a laptop keyboard

If you’re thinking of running paid social media ad campaigns, be prepared for trolls. Although their intent is to derail and undermine, the spotlight will be on you more so than usual.

Don’t Be a Boring Bastard! Use Your Business Website “About” Page to Build Trust with Prospects 🥰

Published: September 4, 2018; Updated: September 12, 2023 Filed Under: Marketing, Video

Pixelated Digital Heart

Don’t allow your business website “About” page to be a predictable romp through all the cliches we’ve seen before. Leave out the bragging and chest beating. Do this instead…

Magazine Advertising Scam: Rogues Impersonate Crime Prevention Officers 🤥

Published: June 12, 2018; Updated: May 19, 2025 Filed Under: Marketing, Miscellaneous, Scams

Crime Prevention Magazine Fraudsters Impersonate Police and Telephoning Biz Owners to Sell Advertising

Fraudsters are impersonating the police and telephoning self-employed people to sell advertising in a fake crime prevention magazine. They claim to be partnered with Trading Standards.

Privacy and Data Protection is a Matter of Life and Death ☠️

Published: May 22, 2018; Updated: September 13, 2023 Filed Under: Internet, Legal, Security

Elizabeth Denham

A data protection failing can threaten everything from a person’s bank account to their life, or, at the very least, cause damage and stress.

Magazine Advertising Scam: Bogus Children’s Cancer Charity Misleading Small Businesses 🤥

Published: March 13, 2018; Updated: August 28, 2023 Filed Under: Marketing, Miscellaneous, Scams

Kids for Life Bogus Charity Magazine Cover

Don’t be misled by this classic magazine advertising scam in which small businesses seeking exposure are hoodwinked by ruthless rogues claiming to be running a real charity. This particular operation is called “Kids for Life”. It was heavily criticised on an edition of BBC Radio 4’s “You and Yours”.

UK Businesses Electronically Processing Data Are Legally Required to Register with the ICO 👥

Published: February 13, 2018; Updated: March 5, 2024 Filed Under: Internet, Legal, Marketing, Operations

Do you run a UK company, partnership or sole proprietorship in which you electronically collect and keep data that identifies individuals? You need to notify the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is the independent regulator enforcing the laws that govern privacy.

Stolen Credit Card Email Scam Targets Small Businesses and Service Providers 💳

Published: January 30, 2018; Updated: August 29, 2023 Filed Under: Internet, Legal, Miscellaneous, Scams, Security

Hand holding a credit card in front of a laptop computer

Get wise to this socially-engineered credit card fraud operation that hinges on the recipient invoicing someone who is not who they say they are for a project that doesn’t exist.

Nuisance Calls, Emails and Empty Promises: The Bungling Incompetence of Yell.com 🙉

Published: December 12, 2017; Updated: September 25, 2024 Filed Under: Legal, Marketing, Sales

Nuisance Calls, Emails and Empty Promises The Bungling Incompetence of Yell

I’ve honestly had it with Yell, or hibu, or whatever their trading name is. This outfit doesn’t understand the meaning of the words “please stop calling me”. Their services are rubbish too.

“Don’t Make Me Think: Revisited” – Steve Krug (Book Review) 📘

Published: November 14, 2017; Updated: February 17, 2024 Filed Under: Books, Design, Web Development

Don't Make Me think - Steve Krug

A person of average technical ability must be able to navigate your website easily. This is required reading for anyone wanting to create a better experience for their visitors…

How to Report Fake Negative Google Reviews 🤖

Published: October 10, 2017; Updated: September 9, 2023 Filed Under: Legal, Marketing, Social

Fake Negative Google Reviews

The Google business review system is suffering from fake negative comments commissioned by competitors or published by trolls acting alone. What can you do to combat this? 

How Safe Is Your Password from the $450 Billion Cybercrime Industry? 😈

Published: September 12, 2017; Updated: March 5, 2024 Filed Under: Internet, Scams, Security

Cyber criminal wearing a hooded top

How strong is your password? In 2016, cyber criminals profited $450 billion and show no signs of slowing. We need to be on a war footing.

QR Codes Could Get the Chance They Deserve Thanks to iOS 11 🔗

Published: August 8, 2017; Updated: October 10, 2024 Filed Under: Design, Software, Web Development

QR Codes

QR codes are great in theory. They’re a novel means for accessing information via smartphone, but the adoption rate among consumers is fairly low. That could change…

Claw Back Time and Improve Business Communications with Private Videos

Published: June 13, 2017; Updated: September 12, 2017 Filed Under: Audio, Operations, Software, Video

Private Videos for Business Communications

Need to explain a difficult concept? When business associates are unable to get together, prerecorded digital screen capture video is an effective multimedia memo…

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Subscribe to Blog Feed

This form subscribes you to the entire blog feed.

Your email address won't be shared. You'll never be spammed. Check your inbox to confirm opt-in.

Primary Sidebar

Looking for Something?

Welcome to My Blog

Hello, my name is Darren, a blogger from the UK writing about problems and opportunities in small business digital marketing.

Topics covered:

  • Web design
  • Web development
  • Graphic design
  • Marketing
  • SEO
  • Copywriting
  • Social media
  • Privacy & security
  • Time management

Recently Reviewed Book

Photo of the book "F*cking Good Content" by Dan Kelsall

“Fucking Good Content” – Dan Kelsall (Book Review) 📘

This short, funny book is a reality check, pattern interrupt and life-saving antidote to all the ineffective, eye-rollingly bad marketing vomited into our minds.

Footer

Primary Navigation

Home
About Darren
Good Books
My Tools
Blog Posts
Hire Me
Contact Me

Derby & Nottingham Area

The Internet
Marketing
Graphic Design
Website Development
Website Design
Social Media
Technology
Miscellaneous
Privacy & Security

Let’s Connect

Twitter
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS

Small Business Blog · Privacy Policy · Commenting Policy · Website Disclaimer · ICO number: ZA305900


Written and designed by Ilkeston Web Design

  • Home
  • Good Books
  • Tools
  • Blog
  • Darren
  • Contact
  • Hire Me