In 2010, the popular social media sharing site, Blippy, found itself facing the brutal side of the internet. This online platform, which allowed users to post details of services and products bought online, was once referred to as the Twitter of personal finance.
However, a little over two years after its inception, Blippy was consigned to the digital wastebasket. It was involved in a scandal that saw a handful of anonymous users work out a way to search for the credit card numbers of registered members, via Google. This unexpected and very public release of sensitive data prompted users to start thinking about just how safe their favorite sharing sites really were.
While Blippy has disappeared from our screens, platforms like FourSquare continue to flourish and expand, possibly due to the inclusion of PR support, software outsourcing, and top tech trends.
The Value of Professional PR Support
The big issue here is that tech startups like Blippy must have professional PR support in place if they are going to deal with unexpected problems in a way that does not alienate users. For companies that handle sensitive data (credit card details, personal information, etcetera) it is essential to have an appropriate response strategy in place if leaks are ever to occur.
The bottom line is that the internet can be a dangerous place, for startups and customers alike, and there can never a 100% guarantee that an individual or an organization will not learn how to exploit your system. This is the nature of the internet – as safety features evolve, so too do the attacks on them. The difference between success and failure is knowing how to handle the attacks, which is why tech startups need professional PR support now more than ever.
Finding the Right Response to Big Problems
The way in which Blippy initially responded to its leak should tell you a lot about why it ran into so much trouble, and eventually shut down. As news of the attack on its user data emerged, the company released a statement that reiterated the fact that, legally, customers are not expected to pay for fraudulent expenses made via their credit cards.
While this is true, the statement completely failed to take any responsibility for the leak. It also implied that no real action needed to be taken because customers could solve the problem for themselves. They may have fared better with professional PR support.
For many contemporary tech startups, niche news platforms like TechCrunch are the answer when it comes to gaining exposure quickly. If, like Blippy, you have the outlet for communications, but not the skill to craft them, Invest in PR professionals.
Invest in Professional Help for Software Outsourcing
Professional help can mean the difference between spending an enormous amount of time and money in an extended learning process, and just being taught how to avoid mistakes before they are made.
Take software outsourcing as a good example of this – if it costs more money to acquire an IT department, why not just partner with an established one? Companies such as eliNext promise high quality and cost effective software development outsourcing.
It is more important than ever that startups do not neglect the value of professional help, just because establishing a brand is easier now than it was before. If anything, professional support only continues to grow in significance, because it means that new companies can learn how to traverse the tricky highways and byways of the internet.