The New Year is a time of reflection, planning and also of (eek!) resolutions that are basically, being aware of bad habits or failure which adversely affect our everyday lives and wanting to change it all.

This is the first part of this series,10 Web bad habits to cut loose in 2012.

1. Make your updates (WordPress, the browser, etc.) when they go out; these updates will not only beautify your web experience, they are often “patch” of security, therefore, especially in the case of WordPress, are super important if you do not want to end up with a site hacked!
2. Make regular back-up of your websites; You’ll thank me if (knock on wood for you) your site or the server onto which it was hosted are hacked. Think about it, how long did you take to write and research your posts? So make a complete backup of your site along with your databases. Also ask your host if it’s something he does regularly. You can store the backup on your computer, on an external disk or on an online service such as Dropbox.
3. For that matter, also make a backup of your computer. If you have a Mac, Time Machine will take care of it for you:) Get yourself a hard drive and you’re good! (Mine can contain a Terra)
4.  Be smart when sending emails, I did a full post on this topic here. No caps, no CC (use BCC for your small mailing lists, otherwise use a service like Mailchimp), use of the images below 200k and check your spelling:)
5. Remove the music on your website. I have music already playing on my computer, the cacophony engendered by the arrival on site with a tune makes me close that page. I’m not the only, I assure you!
6. Change your browser to FIREFOX! Download it here, it’s free,  and put an end to the absurdity that is Internet Explorer. I swear that your web experience will be better.
7. Stop using Twitter as a classified ad for your sales and products. Instead think: conversation, meeting, sharing.
8. Ahem, close your browser if you do not need it to work.
9. 2012 is the year of the e-conversation: do not hesitate to participate in online conversations on blogs do comments, socialize, leave your mark. But …
10. STOP adding impertinent no-use content on the Internet. Content “me-myself and I” is not read, you might even lose fans and follower! Really, no one cares about what you ate for lunch ^ _-

Something I forgot? Feel free to add it in the comments! Next post: getting organized.