There is one rule that typically holds true for all small businesses — they care about their customers. To a small company, customers aren’t just another cog in the mechanism, they’re the lifeblood of the business. Many small business rely on the support and repeated business of a loyal user base. So as a small business owner, naturally, you want to take care of your customers.

Here are a few tips for how “going the extra mile” can be applied to your web site. We’ve put together a list of five things you can do to make your customer’s time on your site more enjoyable and more productive.

Read the rest of this article at Mashable

To read the full version of this article, please visit Appfrica.net.

Rapportive is a Gmail extension that will change the way you interact with your email and your contacts. Rapportive shows you everything about your contacts right inside your inbox. Users can immediately see what people look like, where they’re based, and what they do. Rapport can be established by mentioning shared interests. You can grow your network by connecting on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and more ( for a full list of potential social network adds click here). There’s also the ability to record thoughts for later use by leaving notes. The notes are private, visible to only the user and they follow every contact you have to any email they send you. Another bonus feature is that Rapportive replaces those ads to the right of every email you open, creating a much more useful and engaging email inbox.

The first key to using Rapportive is to link your Google profile within the extension. Within your Google profile, it would be wise to at least connect your Linkedin account which will assist Rapportive in bringing every email you receive to life. You also have the option of looking at an email contact’s Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and any other social network they choose. If you are not connected to any of their networks, Rapportive gives you the option of connecting with them right from the email. The Rapportive plugin is currently available for Firefox, Safari and Chrome only and only works with Gmail (Google Apps too, but you need a start Gmail address book too).

Rapportive will also sync with your Tungle.Me profile as well. To schedule a meeting with somebody who uses Tungle.me, just click “Schedule” in their Rapportive profile. Their calendar will appear, showing only the times when they’re available. You propose some times, enter a topic, and you’re done. Rapportive is also developing additional CRM tools to use within the Gmail platform. These tools are called raplets, and enable third parties to plug in free or paid CRM tools, social media monitoring applications, accounting software programs and more. These tools include services such as MailChimp, BrightPearl, BatchBook and Crunchbase.

Keep an eye out for additional premium features coming soon. Don’t fret though, there will always be a Freemium version as well. Click here to download Rapportive and leave us your thoughts in the comments section.

While no one knows how long even the most popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter will last, the content posted to those sites will probably live on long after their creators have died.  What happens to a user’s tweets, status updates, pictures, videos, blog posts, and other types of online content after death?  Is there a way for those who are still alive to access the content of the departed?  Here are a few ways for you to safeguard your social media existence even after your time on earth comes to and end.

Deathswitch

This site provides what it calls “information insurance”.  The site determines if you are alive by sending regular messages prompting for your password.  If you don’t respond for period of time (which can be configured by the user), Deathswitch will send several more messages.  If you still don’t respond, then the system will assume you are dead or unable to access email due to an extreme injury and begin sending messages to your loved ones.  You can also configure Deathswitch to send messages to Facebook and Twitter so that you can make that final wall post or tweet.

Entrustet

If you don’t want an automated service like Deathswitch to manage your post mortem social media existence, you can use Entrustet.  This site stores digital assets like the passwords to blogs, social media sites, email accounts, and other online properties.  Your online profiles can be given to an heir (who can use them on your behalf) or automatically deleted.  Entrustet provides services to help you create a will or trust and lets you assign an executor who will make sure your last wishes are honored.

E-TOMB

If you want a physical landmark for your dearly departed social media existence, then E-TOMB may be for you.  While it currently only exists as a design, this tomb stone provides a solar powered server that houses your blog posts, Facebook profile, tweets, and other personal online content.  After being placed over your grave, E-TOMB provides visitors with a special cross shaped bluetooth key the ability to view your content on a mobile device.  Friends and family can also use the bluetooth key to share memories they have of you.

Do It Yourself

Since online sites come and go, some people may be uncertain about using Deathswitch, Entrustet, or E-TOMB to store their social media existence.  However, it is relatively easy to replicate the functionality of these services by drawing up a will that reveals what should be done with the passwords and contents of your social media profiles.  You can even record videos that are stored in a safe deposit box and only played in the presence of people you specify after your death.  While not as automated or organized as the online services mentioned above, a detailed will is a proven solution that should be a part of any one’s preparation for death.

For the two of you still using Hotmail (I kid…I think), you will be happy to find out that Microsoft has added some nice new features to its email service, the most notable of which is the ability to now chat amongst Facebook friends while cruising your inbox. Earlier, this functionality was released only to those who use the Windows Live Messenger for PC, but now you can shoot off messages to Facebook contacts (provided they are in your email contact list) directly from your inbox.

But that’s not the end of Window’s improvements to Hotmail functionality – Here’s the quick rundown:

Share more photos – You can now send up to 10GB of photos at one time via Microsoft’s new SkyDrive service.

Track packages directly from you inbox – If you’ve sent an email with a tracking number for a package you are sending (or receiving), you can now track that package directly via Hotmail, versus copying the tracking number, opening up a new tab or window, going to www.[USPS & FedEx].com, and pasting the tracking number (Hotmail supports light versions for DHL and UPS that will provide links to the carrier’s website).

View even more videos from inside Hotmail – In addition to viewing Hulu and YouTube videos from your inbox, you can now watch Daily Motion and Justin.tv videos without leaving Hotmail (provided the message received included a link directly to those videos)

Hotmail now supports Subfolders – If you’re a neat freak like me, you will welcome the fact that you can add folders to folders for more specific email organizing (similar to the folder functionality you are used to with Outlook).

If I were a betting man (which I’m not, but for the sake of my closing argument, let’s pretend that I am), I would venture to say all these new features are getting folks ready for the release of the Windows Phone 7 OS Microsoft wants us to buy into. Similar to how Android phones jive well with Google, Microsoft wants to spice up their otherwise average Hotmail experience by loading it up with new features just in time to entice folks to actually use Hotmail with their shiny new WP7 gadget, instead of instantly downloading Google Sync to make sure they get all their emails.

This week Apple is expected to announce a subscription plan for newspapers which should increase sales and revenue of the iPad. Word on the street is that Apple probably will take a 30 percent cut of all subscriptions sold through the company’s online App Store, and as much as 40 percent of the advertising revenue from publications’ apps. Major metropolitan papers across the country are getting ready to roll out their own apps and have been in discussions with Apple. Newspaper industry leaders hope tablet devices and subscription-based digital editions can help newspapers stem, if not reverse losses incurred after they began offering content online for free years ago.

Apple would not have agreed to this deal with the newspapers if they were not getting the lion’s share of the revenue. By creating an intermediary relationship with the newspapers and eliminating the option to   pay a fee for entry into iTunes, Apple has created a steady stream of revenue. Newspapers will also not be able to include the digital app as part of a “bundle” which would include the print versions as well. While it may seem newspapers are potentially on the losing end of this deal. If it’s similar to the deal Apple struck with book publishers, newspaper can potentially return to profitability. Eventually, revenues could exceed the levels seen pre-smartphone days.

Subscription cost has not been released yet, but I would suspect it would be in the range of $7.99 – $9.99 per month which may include a morning and evening digital edition of the newspaper. If the price trends higher, iPad adoption might not be as high as forecasted due to existing Internet, text versions and RSS feeds from newspapers.

The X-factor that could benefit the newspapers in the future is the upcoming release of an Android Tablet which plans on having similar apps for newspapers in their market. Renegotiations could happen in a few years at which time newspapers will have additional market research and leverage to allow them to get a larger piece of the advertising revenue pie.

Are you ready to subscribe to your favorite newspapers through iTunes? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section.

After being approximately two years late in the multi-room DVR game, Direct TV has announced their addition to the marketplace. There have been other solutions in the past if you had a Windows computer and the necessary cords to connect a computer to a television. However, this is the first official feature offering and it is very impressive. A few facts to consider:

• You can connect up to 15 TV’s (who has that many televisions in their house?) to one HD DVR. However, each TV must have an HD receiver. You cannot connect a television that has a normal receiver.
• Unless you have an internet connection going to every receiver that you want to be connected to the main DVR, Direct TV must come out to install the service. Basically, they add some filters, wiring to an antenna (which might need to be upgraded as well) and will also update your HD  receivers. Don’t worry, as long as you have a current HD DVR, they can keep that active (I was worried about losing many shows I had waiting for me). Cost for this upgrade comes out to around $175 as long as you don’t add many services.
• The actual monthly cost for the service is only $3 per month. Very cheap compared to the programming costs for the majority of Direct TV other features.
• You can record two shows at one time while watching other shows that have been recorded. You can also record two shows and watch a “live” event on another TV.
• If you have the mobile app or a computer, you can still set you DVR from a remote location. This feature has actually been a god-send as you are sitting at work and remember you forgot to record this new show that is premiering tonight.

This service was installed in my house approximately two weeks ago and I love it. Whether I am using this service to watch some cooking shows I record while cooking in the kitchen or if I am catching up on “Entourage,” “True Blood,” or the last season of “Breaking Bad” before I go to sleep, this simple addition is golden. The only drawback is that you must have an HD receiver on every television you wish to activate the service. Nonetheless, I am sold. Direct TV customers, do you have this feature already? What do you think … is it worth it? Meet me in the comments section.

What started off as a comedy battle between friends, actor and comedians Royale Watkins and Anthony Anderson, has now turned into the most interactive comedy show online. The Mixtape Comedy Show, is a mixture of professional comedians, and live musical performances, streamed live on Facebook. The monthly show, hosted at New York’s Gotham Comedy Club, has featured the likes of Tracy Morgan, Donnell Rawlings and Tony Rock. If you’re looking for the comics featured, in this month’s February 21st show, you wont find it. “We’re more focused on the Mixtape Comedy brand…”, says Watkins, co-creator of the site. Instead, the Mixtape Comedy Show is focused on bringing together a surprise lineup, which may I say, has yet to disappoint.

I had the pleasure of speaking with actor/comedian Royale Watkins about this new online venture. Royale, who had his own short-lived sitcom on NBC in 1995, said this is the most important project he’s ever done. “The site brings fans just a keystroke away from some of their favorite actors and comedians. This gives the fans an ability to interact with the comedians in real-time after their set. That type of interaction is priceless.” “This month’s lineup, in particular the musical guess, will create a shut down situation.” says Watkins. For those of you in the New York area, buy tickets here. If not, join me on here on facebook today on at 8:00EST to watch.

If you’ve installed the latest version of the Firefox (3.0.12), you may have trouble browsing MediaTakeOut.com. Internal pages at MTO, one of the most visited African-American websites online, were blocked by Firefox because malicious software found on some of the sites pages. According to the Google Safe Browsing Report generated by Firefox:

Of the 956 pages we tested on the site over the past 90 days, 110 page(s) resulted in malicious software being downloaded and installed without user consent. The last time Google visited this site was on 2009-07-22, and the last time suspicious content was found on this site was on 2009-07-22.

Malicious software includes 20 scripting exploit(s). Successful infection resulted in an average of 1 new process(es) on the target machine.

Malicious software is hosted on 4 domain(s), including zbestprice.org/, applepie.gd/, bubbled.cn/.

1 domain(s) appear to be functioning as intermediaries for distributing malware to visitors of this site, including lemonia.ws/.

This site was hosted on 1 network(s) including AS36351 (SOFTLAYER).

It looks as if the site works fine on most other browsers (Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer) , but if MediaTakeOut’s readers use Firefox at the same percentage as  Blackweb20.com users (about 25%), MTO could be losing out on a large chuck of traffic.

It’s unclear where the malicious software is originating from or which pages are affected, but my previous experience leads me to believe that the malicious software may be coming from some of the sites advertisements.