Question 1

What are Flowcharts?

Accepted Answer

Using an example of washing laundry, this video walks through the process of creating a simple flowchart and discusses why flowcharts can be useful in many other contexts. It teaches:

Why it’s important to be able to visualize a process
How processes can be understood and improved using a flowchart
Why organizations use flowcharts
How to structure a simple flowchart

Video Transcript:

To make one of these processes more efficient, we need a way to visualize it. This means laying out steps and decisions so we can truly understand how it works. With this understanding, we can improve the process or teach it to someone else.

A flowchart is a great way to draw and understand a process. The big idea is that almost any process can be drawn and analyzed using a flowchart.

Organizations large and small use flowcharts to understand and improve processes to help the them be more efficient. This could include how a product is built in a factory, how travelers move through an airport, or how a computer program is designed.

Let’s look at a simple example. Imagine it’s time to do the laundry. Your clothes need to be washed with a washing machine. We’ll use a set of standard flowchart shapes to draw this process.

Each process has a beginning, like deciding to do laundry. We’ll use an oval as our starting point. Now we need a way to connect that starting point to the next step, so we’ll use a line with an arrow. Next we’ll need to gather the clothes to be washed. This is an activity and we’ll use a rectangle for this step.

Now, we need to make a decision about the clothes with a yes or no answer. We’ll use a diamond that points to each answer. We’ll sort the clothes by asking whether the fabric is white or not.

This splits the process in two, with different activities. Clothes with colored fabric are washed with cold water and clothes with white fabric are washed with hot water.

In both cases, we take specific steps to add soap, turn on the washer and inspect the clothes when finished. With this process complete, we have another decision: are the clothes clean?

The clothes with colored fabric get a stain remover added and clothes with white fabric get bleach added.

We’ve now drawn a flowchart to visualize and understand a process. Each step and decision is represented, along with what to do when activities have different results.

By laying out each step of a process in a standard way, we can not only understand it and find ways to improve it, but help others learn and see it from a new perspective.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 2

What is an SSL certificate?

Accepted Answer

Have you ever noticed that some web addresses begin with “http” and others start with “https?” The difference is that “https” means the site has SSL security.

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It’s technology that keeps sensitive information, like credit cards, social security numbers, user names and passwords out of the hands of cyber crooks.

Here is a short video from GoDaddy explaining what SSL means in greater detail.

Important note: While I greatly appreciate GoDaddy's wonderful explainer video, I do not recommend buying services from GoDaddy. Instead, I recommend SiteGround.

Here is a transcript of the video:

*Security is a big deal to everyone doing business on the web. Learn how to keep your customers and your business safe with an SSL certificate.

Have you ever noticed that some web addresses begin with “http” and others start with “https?” The difference is that “https” means the site has SSL security.

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It’s technology that keeps sensitive information, like credit cards, social security numbers, user names and passwords out of the hands of cyber crooks.

How? By encrypting - or scrambling - data while it passes between websites and web servers, keeping it from being intercepted. Once it reaches the intended recipient it is un-encrypted.

Thinking you don’t need SSL because you don’t sell stuff online? Think again. Your SSL certificate tells visitors you are the legitimate and verified owner of your site. Showing that you’re serious about security is a great way to earn trust.

To add SSL to your website, you simply install an SSL certificate. When your site has SSL from GoDaddy, a padlock icon as well as “https” appears in your customers’ browser bar to show that information they send to, or receive from, your site is safe from hackers.

You can also add an SSL site seal to your pages, to make it even more obvious to visitors that you’ve got their back.

And, bonus! An SSL certificate can boost your rankings in search results. Google and other search engines reward secure websites to encourage all website owners to get on board.

No business is too small or too new to protect its online customers and business reputation with an SSL certificate.

Question 3

What is Online Photo Sharing 2?

Accepted Answer

Today, we’re taking and sharing more photos than ever before. In the moment, it’s easy to forget that sharing photos can represent both fun and risk. By understanding the basics of photo sharing and how to share responsibly, we can reduce the risk and focus on the fun. This video teaches:

Why photo sharing is more popular than ever
How people often interact with online photos
What kinds of data and information are included when sharing online photos
How online photos create a digital footprint that can become a risk in the future
What you can do to reduce the risks

Video Transcript:

These days, it’s no wonder that digital photos seem to appear everywhere.

Cameras on smartphones and other devices mean it’s inexpensive, easy and fun to snap digital photos wherever you are. But what happens after the photos are taken? How you share your photos is important.

Let’s say you take a photo with a group of friends and share it on social media so your friends will see it. They learn about your life, leave comments and “like” your photo. You love to see those likes!

In some cases, you may be able to identify or “tag” your friends in the photo. You may also be able to add the location where the photo was taken. The photo itself may even have information about your phone and other data you never see.

This means your photo is much more than a pretty picture. It’s a digital marker of where you were, when you were there, whom you were with and more.

As you take and share photos online, you leave a digital trail that can become a permanent part of your online identity. The problem is that it’s difficult to know how your photos and online identity will be used in the future.

An old photo you shared could come up in a job interview. Or when applying for admission to a university. It could be used without your permission in advertising or for other purposes that reflect poorly on you. Photos shared publicly today can potentially become problems tomorrow.

The reality is that photo sharing is fun and safe for the most part. But awareness is key. Before sharing photos on apps and websites, consider the risks. You can always choose to make your account or individual photos private so only friends can access your photos.

If you’re not sure, consider sending photos in texts or private messages. Also, learn about settings on your phone and favorite apps. You can usually turn off features that add location information to photos.

And remember, when you take photos of friends, you have a responsibility to make sure the photo is shared with care. It never hurts to ask if it’s OK to share photos of them publicly.

It’s easy to forget about the risks of sharing photos. By sharing with respect and responsibility, there’s no end to the connections you could make, the fun you could have, and the likes you could earn.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 4

What is Terms of Service Agreements?

Accepted Answer

What it teaches:

Using technology often means having a relationship with a company or organization. Accepting their Terms of Service agreements can be a required part of using the service. This video teaches why these agreements exist, and how they can impact users. It teaches:

How Terms of Service agreements are easy to overlook
How lack of awareness about these agreements could cause problems
Why Terms of Service agreements exist
How Terms of Service can be used to understand a company’s policies

Video Transcript:

The first time you use an app or online service, you’re likely to see a checkbox that says something like, You agree to our Terms of Service. To proceed, you have to check the box.

You might assume that the Terms of Service doesn’t really matter or reading it isn’t worth your time. So, you check the box without knowing what it says. And that’s where problems can begin. Think about it this way.

Imagine visiting a water park with slides and pools. Before you jump in, you need to sign a contract that looks a lot like Terms of Service. The water looks inviting, so you quickly sign it and jump in.

Then two weeks later, a commercial for the water park appears and there you are, in a swimsuit, on TV. You’re horrified and frustrated. How could this happen? They didn’t ask me about this. Did they?

The contract you signed when entering the park was legally binding. That contract said your image could be used in advertising, but you never saw that section. Now, it’s too late.

The water park contract and Terms of Service on websites and apps are similar. Both are meant to make the relationship between you and the company clear and help avoid disputes.

So that check mark has a lot of power. When you check it, you are agreeing to a set of rules, written by the company, that could impact your privacy, your access to the site and your ability to resolve disputes with the company, among other things.

An example is social networking. Before using a new service, you must check the Terms of Service box. This time, however, you read it and find that it outlines items like ownership of what you share and what represents misuse of the service.

Down in the middle of the document you see information on privacy and find that the company has the right to sell your personal information to other companies, including your email address. In another section, you learn that your account can be closed at any time, without notice.

Suddenly, this new service looks different to you. The terms of service has details that matter and could influence your decision to join. This time, you decide it’s not worth it.

Reading and understanding the Terms of Service agreement provided a way to know your rights and understand the website’s policies. So, it’s not just a single checkbox. If you check it, you are agreeing to a number of checkboxes for rules that could matter to you.

If the rules seem fair to you, check the box and dive in. But if you don’t agree with them, you have the freedom to not check the box and find another service that better fits your needs.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 5

What is Smart Grid?

Accepted Answer

This video focuses on the basic ideas that make up the smart grid, which is the next generation of the network that delivers electricity to our homes. It teaches:

What's wrong with the current grid
What makes the grid "smart"
How it will help us reduce the use of fossil fuels
How it will help us reduce blackouts
How smart meters will help us manage electricity usage

Video Transcript:

It’s easy to take electricity for granted. But modern life would not be possible without it. To keep it going, we need more efficient ways to manage electricity.

For over one hundred years, coal and other fossil fuels have been used by power plants to produce the electricity we use every day. The Grid is a network of power lines and substations that carry electricity from power plants to homes and businesses.

Today, the grid has problems. It needs updating and is running at capacity. When power lines break or powerplants can’t produce enough power, blackouts can occur – and that’s a problem that can cause fatalities.

At the same time, today’s grid often relies on a single power source and doesn’t provide detailed information on usage, making electricity difficult to manage.

To address these problems in the past, we simply built new power plants. But now we can work toward sustainability and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by using a smarter grid.

Here’s how…

The Smart Grid means adding sensors and software to the existing grid that will give utilities and individuals new information that will help them understand and react to changes quickly.

Let’s say a tree falls on a powerline and one thousand homes lose power. With the current grid, utility employees often physically re-route power, which takes time.

With the Smart Grid, sensors and software would detect and immediately route the power around the problem, limiting the issue to fewer homes.

And there’s more. The price of electricity changes throughout the day, but we can’t see it with the current meters on our homes. It may be expensive during peak hours and cheap late at night. With new Smart meters at your home, you could set your dishwasher to run when power is cheap. This provides more control of your energy bill and helps prevent blackouts at peak hours.

The Smart Grid also means news ways to use renewable energy. Power generation can now be distributed across multiple sources so the system is more stable and efficient.

It’s this ability to communicate and manage electricity that makes the grid smarter and helps us avoid burning more fossil fuels in the future.

The Smart Grid is still a few years away, but soon we’ll be able to manage our energy bill, help the environment and help the economy by making more informed decisions about how we use electricity.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 6

What is Identity Theft?

Accepted Answer

We all use names, account numbers and passwords to verify our identities to organizations, but these can be stolen by criminals and cause us financial ruin. The key to avoiding this problem is awareness and understanding ways to keep our identities safe. This video teaches:

Why our identity is so important in everyday life
What criminals do when they steal a person’s identity
Why sensitive documents are a risk and how to keep them safe
How criminals use phone calls, emails and fake websites to fool people
Why it’s important to review your bills and bank statements

Video Transcript:

Having an identity is just part of being human. Your name, birth date, relationships and more define who you are and help others identify you as a unique person.

The problem is that your identity isn’t very secure without attention. A criminal can easily steal it, pretend to be you and cause serious problems.

Think about it this way… Organizations like banks depend on each customer having a unique identity. They establish this with information like your name, social security number, address and birthdate.

Once your identity is established, it becomes easier to work with the bank, manage your finances, withdraw money, and apply for credit cards and loans. Online, you can use passwords and PINs to access your accounts and personal information.

If a criminal steals your identity, they can fool organizations and access the same resources you can. If this happens, they can change your contact info, billing address and login information so you lose access. Then, they can apply for credit cards and loans that put you in debt and ruin your credit, before you even know there’s a problem.

Identity theft can happen to anyone and it takes years to recover. The key to reducing this risk is awareness.

In order for a criminal to steal your identity they need your personal information like account numbers, passwords, medical records and social security numbers.

This information often appears on documents that criminals may be able to find when we’re careless. Always keep sensitive documents in a safe place and if possible, have a mailbox with a lock. Be careful what you put in the trash and shred any documents that may be a risk.

Your computers and devices can also be risks. Use strong passwords and PINs, and a password manager to help make it easy.

Criminals may also contact you directly, posing as an organization, and fool you into handing over the personal information they need. Remember, organizations like your tax office and banks will NOT call you to ask for personal or account information. Be aware and never give out passwords, PINs or social security numbers over the phone.

The same is true with email and websites, where criminals are very good at appearing official. If an email looks suspicious or asks for your account information, don’t click any links. Just delete it.

Protecting yourself also means paying close attention to bank statements and bills. If something looks out of place, contact the organization immediately.

Above all, remember that your identity is a target for criminals. Don’t make it easy for them and you’ll be able to avoid years of problems.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success in building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 7

What are Web Browsers?

Accepted Answer

What it teaches:

Web browsers are among the most frequently used software on any personal computer or device, yet they are often misunderstood. This video covers the basics of web browsers and explores features and tools that may be new to many users. It teaches:

The concept of the browser as software that makes web pages easy to use
The basic navigation features such as back and history
The use of keyboard shortcuts and menus for accessing features
How browser extensions and add new features
The use of tabs, search and “find” options

Video Transcript:

When you use a computer, software makes it easy to write letters, edit photos, and watch a video. The same is true when you connect a computer to the Web. Software makes web pages useful and easy to navigate. This software is called a web browser.

You open a browser with a click, and it connects you to web pages using web addresses or URLs. You simply type an address in the address bar, or click a link on a web page, and your browser uses the address to find the right page.

Computers and mobile devices come with browsers automatically, but you can also download new ones for free, and even have more than one on a computer.

But browsers do a lot more. To explore the options, we’ll use menus like this and keyboard shortcuts, which make things happen by pressing two buttons at the same time.

For example, with billions of web pages and long addresses, it can be hard to keep track of what’s important to you. A browser can help by remembering where you’ve been over the short term using the back button, or over time with the history menu. And you can add a bookmark for any page to get back to it quickly.

And a browser is a little like a vehicle - you can customize it to make it your own. Instead of new wheels and a stereo, you can add browser add-ons or extensions. These can be downloaded from your browser’s website and plugged right into your browser with a click. But your browser does a lot without extensions.

For example, you may need to see three websites at the same time for comparing movie times. Instead of opening three browsers, you can just open new tabs in a single browser window. As long as tabs are turned on, you can add new tabs from the browser or with shortcuts.

And what would you do without search? Thankfully, most browsers come with a search box built-in. Just enter a keyword here and your browser will take you directly to the results.

Browsers also make remembering passwords easy. When you enter a password, your browser can remember it for the next visit. But be careful, using this feature on shared computers is like giving strangers your car keys.

Oh, and here’s a great shortcut. If you’re looking at a long page of travel info and only care about Hawaii, your browser can search the page. Just “find” it using the “edit” menu or the keyboard shortcut and those words will be highlighted on the page.

And finally, browsers need to be updated regularly. Be sure to install updates when asked. This will keep your browsing safe and sound.

A web browser is your window to the online world and knowing what’s possible can make it work for you.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 8

How do I host videos professionally? (not YouTube)

Accepted Answer

To start with, I want to answer the question of why would you even want professional video hosting?

Typically professional video hosting is applicable when you are setting up a membership site or an online course.

There are software tools that help you with course hosting or membership sites, and some of those provide video hosting along with the service. Example of this is a company like Podia that I personally use, and they provide unlimited video hosting, unlimited courses, and so on, for $39/month.

Another example of this is Kartra, which is an all in one platform for your website, sales funnels, membership site, email marketing and so on. However, this is a classic example of limitations in video hosting. Their cheapest plan is $99/month, but they have a limit of 50 videos total. Their next plan is $199/month, and allows you to have unlimited videos. So it is important to know the pricing and features of whatever software you end up choosing and list out what you actually need.

If you are going to go with a software product like Kartra or Podia, you probably don't need video hosting.

But let's assume you want to set up your website on WordPress or ClickFunnels or EranFunnels. You may want to consider having professional video hosting for your landing page, sales page, webinar page, etc. These services are all great, but the video hosting is simply not included (with the exception of EranFunnels, there's a solution I set up for this exact problem, more on that later).

Professional hosting has hard costs, i.e. the companies who provide this service pay for storage. YouTube is free become it monetizes from advertising, but other companies require paying a subscription. There are a number of companies that provide this service. To name a few along with small input from me about having used them:

Vimeo = Great choice is you want basic video hosting. There are not special features like branding colours for your video play. If you want to see what vimeo looks like, ClickFunnels uses that for their sales pages. Here is an example from the Dot Com Secrets sales page - the video you see there, that's vimeo video hosting.

Wistia = the best choice, but also the most expensive one, a completely over-priced option in fact. It costs $99/month on their smallest plan. It's simply not worth the price in my opinion. Wistia is in fact the company that Podia partnered with. If you pay to Wistia directly, $99/month you get 10 videos limit. If you pay Podia $39/month, you get Wistia video hosting quality for unlimited videos. Makes no sense, but that's why I'm saying there's no point paying Wistia directly. To see an example of Wistia quality video hosting, you can check out a preview of one of my courses.

VooPlayer / Spotlightr = this is a new player in the market but having used their service, it is a good option and a budget option. It was previously called VooPlayer and they either rebranded as Spotlightr or another company bought them - I'm not sure which. Either way, I personally did not like their pricing complexity, there are a lot of variables, and I found the admin office a bit difficult to navigate. However, this is a great option especially if you only want up to 5 videos hosted for example, as at the time of writing this, they have a free plan for up to 5 videos and 1GB limit total. If you want to just host a few videos, it's a good option. Like I said, I'm not a huge fan of their player, but it's a good budget option for professional video hosting.

Vidello = I saved the best for last. This is the one that I personally use. I pay $297/year. Their affiliate program is set up so that buy using an affiliate link, you actually get it cheaper ($22/month). I have a full video tutorial showing the software and the inside.

Since the paid plan let's you have 200 videos, you may not need that much. Because of that, I set up a solution with EranFunnels, so users of EranFunnels can buy video hosting from me directly (hosted by Vidello) for $12/year per video. Usually this makes sense if you only need 1-5 videos. Anything beyond that, you might as well go with the full Vidello plan yourself.

To summarize:

Option 1: Set up your entire tech set up with a company like Podia or Kartra and not have to worry about buying video hosting separately.

If you want to discuss your personal circumstances, feel free to email me directly to support@eranbucai.com

Question 9

What is ConvertKit?

Accepted Answer

Convertkit is an email marketing software (or an email service provider) that is specifically built around the needs of bloggers, writers, podcasters, course creators, YouTubers, content creators and others who are working to build an audience.

The platform helps you to increase your email subscriber list and automate email marketing with drag-n-drop email sequences, workflow automation rules, landing page templates, custom opt-in forms, and more.

It has all the basic functionality you expect from an email marketing software.

Autoresponders (email sequences)

It has segmentation options so you have multiple lists and trigger different responses based on people's engagement with your email.

I have personally used ConvertKit and it is a great software to use. I have been on their free plan, and that's mainly what I use (limit of 1000 subscribers). I am not a paying subscriber.

I did a video review on ConvertKit showing you the inside. You can check it out here.

Question 10

What is Saving Money (Compound Interest)?

Accepted Answer

This video introduces the basics of using a bank or credit union to earn money from compound interest. It tells the story of Jasmine, who saves money to buy a home. It teaches:

How money earns interest in banks
Interest rates
How compound interest works over time
Saving for a future goal

Video Transcript:

Take just a minute, and think about the future you'd like to have. To get there, you need to be responsible and save your money so that it grows over time.

Meet Jasmine. She's 20 years old, and her goal is to buy a home in the future. Jasmine is already saving for that future home purchase and recently learned how to save responsibly.

When she was younger, she had a piggy bank and often added money to it. The problem with a piggy bank was that her money just sat there. She got out the same amount she put in.

Instead of using a piggy bank, Jasmine found a way to help her money grow over time by saving it in a bank or credit union, where she can easily get it back when she needs it.

While it's there, the bank uses her money to help other customers who need to borrow money. It's like Jasmine is loaning her money to the bank. Because she's helping the bank, they add a little extra money to her account automatically.

It's these payments from the bank that help her money grow over time. This extra money is called "interest", and it's paid to Jasmine over the course of a year. The amount of interest she earns is based on two things: The amount she has in the bank, and the Annual Percentage Yield or APY, which is a rate set by the bank. Here's how they work together.

Let's say you deposit $100 in a savings account with a 3% APY. That $100 will earn $3 in interest over the course of a year. Now, you could take that $3 in interest and buy a latte. But you decide to leave it in the bank.

This way you have more money in the bank, and earn interest on $103 instead of https://www.dotcomtruths.com/$100. As long as you leave it alone, your money will grow even faster because the interest adds up year after year. It's called "compound interest" and this simple idea will help Jasmine buy a home. Here's how.

In her piggy bank, Jasmine has saved $5,000. But for the home she wants, she knows she'll need more, and realizes that smart saving is all about thinking long term. If she deposits this in a bank, and earn 3% APY, that $5,000 would become $9,000 in 20 years. That's $4,000 more thanks to compound interest. $9,000 is good, but it may not be enough.

To help her money grow even faster, Jasmine decides that she can add $100 to her savings each month. That's $1,200 a year - even more money to earn interest! This will be a huge help. Jasmine can see she's getting close.

With the $5,000 she has saved, plus the money she adds monthly, she can save $29,000 over 20 years, if she saved it in a piggy bank. But with compound interest from her bank, that $29,000 could become over $42,000 in 20 years. A nice start on buying her dream home! All she had to do was add money to her savings regularly, and watch it grow! Yay!

If you're ready to save responsibly, visit a bank or credit union and talk with a financial professional about APYs and savings.

The keys to smart saving are to start today, add money regularly, and watch how compound interest can help your money grow and grow.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visitingEranFunnels.com/software.