I always feel like somebody's watching me (Small Business E-Commerce Link Digest – August 28, 2009)

Damn you, GEICO, and your resurrection of Rockwell’s 25 year-old hit. Now I’ve got that song stuck in my head all the time. Plus, my kids don’t understand how I knew the song the first time we saw the commercial.

Still, unlike the famous New Yorker “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog” cartoon, it looks like people increasingly are watching you. Even if you’re a dog. Take a look:

• Mashable reports the IRS is surfing social profiles for unreported income. Think twice about that next time you tweet you’ve turned a huge profit. You know, when there are huge profits to be made again. ;)
• Speaking of government watchdogs, the FCC launched a full-scale probe of the wireless industry. This could lead to more open platforms in the mobile business – and greater use of the mobile web. Ubiquitous internet connectivity meets ubiquitous government oversight.
• Lots of hubbub and speculation over the last couple of weeks about Forrester analyst/social media guru Jeremiah Owyang leaving Forrester research and turning up at a Silicon Valley consulting firm. Jeremiah set the record straight himself, but it’s a classic example of what happens to your brand when rock star bloggers leave companies. Not only were people watching Jeremiah, but they’re watching to see how Forrester responds. I suspect both will do just fine.
• Seth Godin reminds us that it’s a good idea to keep an eye on what your competition is up to, especially when they’re doing a good job of watching what your customers are doing.
• Tired of watching your customers leave your site prematurely? Well, Avinash Kaushik offers some great tips for improving bounce rate. Paired with this list, you can watch your business soar. Just don’t tell the IRS. (KIDDING!)

Alright, folks. That’s it for this weekend. But, unlike Rockwell, you won’t have to wait 25 years to hear thinks goodness again. We’ll be back next week. Enjoy!

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Avinash Kaushik, blogging, blogs, bounce rate, business blogging, e-marketing, internet business, internet marketing, marketing, measurement, metrics, mobile, online marketing, social marketing, social media, social strategy, Jeremiah Owyang