Is a Broken Contact Form Silently Killing Your Business Leads? (2025/608)
Your contact form might be working against you — without you even knowing it.In this episode, Charly dives into how broken contact forms can silently sabotage your business by blocking leads, frustrating potential clients, and destroying your brand credibility.📌 You’ll learn:✅ Why broken contact forms go unnoticed until it’s too late✅ The common causes — outdated plugins, spam filters, poor mobile optimization✅ How to prevent lost leads with simple tests and backups✅ The tools and habits that keep your forms reliable and responsive✅ Legal considerations when saving form submissions🔗 Try Gravity Forms here: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/gravityforms(Charly receives a commission for purchases made from this link)🛡️ Pro tip: Don’t rely solely on your form — include clickable phone numbers, emails, and social media contacts too.📢 Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comFollow us:Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comRumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleethamOdyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleethamFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleethamTwitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgrInstagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leethamLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleethamLinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shineApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager
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Should Your Small Business Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)? (2025/607)
Is that “WAF” checkbox on your hosting plan worth paying for? In this episode, Charly demystifies Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) — what they do, how they work, and whether your business actually needs one.📌 You’ll learn:✅ The difference between regular firewalls and WAFs✅ How WAFs protect your site from login attacks, form abuse, and malicious requests✅ The pros and cons of software, appliance, and cloud-based WAFs✅ Why plugins alone may not be enough to secure your website✅ When a WAF is a smart investment — and when it might be overkill🔗 Try Cloudflare's free WAF here: https://www.cloudflare.com/plans/(Charly receives a commission for purchases made from this link)📢 Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comFollow us:Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comRumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleethamOdyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleethamFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleethamTwitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgrInstagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leethamLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleethamLinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shineApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager
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Why Is Free Email Marketing Disappearing — And What Can You Do Instead? (2025/606)
Email marketing platforms are slashing or removing free plans — and it’s not just “greed.” In this episode, Charly breaks down the real reasons behind the shift and offers practical alternatives for small businesses, side hustlers, and local clubs who still need to build and maintain a list.📌 In this episode, you'll learn:✅ Why free tiers are vanishing across major email platforms✅ The economic and technical reasons driving this change✅ How regulation and spam filtering standards play a role✅ Low-cost alternatives like list-holding, form tools, and pay-as-you-go credits✅ Strategies for rare senders who don’t want monthly fees🔗 Explore email alternatives like Amazon SES or Mailgun for credit-based sending(Charly receives a commission for purchases made from this link)📢 Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comFollow us:Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comRumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleethamOdyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleethamFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleethamTwitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgrInstagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leethamLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleethamLinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shineApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager
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What Happens If Your SSL Certificate Expires — And How Bad Can It Get? (2025/605)
An expired SSL certificate isn't just a tech oversight — it can tank your traffic, stop your sales, and trigger total chaos in your email, CRMs, and customer trust.In this episode, Charly breaks down exactly what happens when your SSL certificate runs out, why it often gets missed, and what steps you must take to avoid disaster.📌 Here’s what you’ll learn:✅ What browsers, users, and search engines do when your SSL expires✅ Why auto-renew doesn't always work — and what to do about it✅ How an expired certificate affects email, payment gateways, and APIs✅ Simple tools (like Let’s Encrypt and Cloudflare) to keep certificates current🔗 Check out our hosting:https://askcharlyleetham.com/hosting-services(Charly receives a commission for purchases made from this link)📢 Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comFollow us:Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comRumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleethamOdyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleethamFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleethamTwitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgrInstagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leethamLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleethamLinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shineApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager
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Are You Paying Hidden Costs in Your Cloud Hosting Plan Without Realizing It? (2025/604)
If you're using AI to write your blog posts, product descriptions, or web copy — are you still the legal owner of that content?In this episode, Charly breaks down the murky (and evolving) world of AI content ownership. Just because the words came from your prompt doesn't mean the law sees them as yours. Learn how to protect your brand, stay compliant, and avoid accidental public domain content.📌 Inside this episode:✅ Why AI-generated content may not be protected under copyright laws✅ How platform terms (like ChatGPT vs others) affect content ownership✅ What makes human input the key to owning your AI-assisted work✅ The risks of copycat content, reuse in training, and regulatory issues🔗 Check your AI platform's rights policy here: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/aipolicies(Charly receives a commission for purchases made from this link)📢 Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comFollow us:Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.comRumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleethamOdyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleethamFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleethamTwitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgrInstagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leethamLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleethamLinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shineApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager
About Rise and Shine: Your Daily Dose Of Business Tech Inspiration
Where small business tech meets plain English.
Charly Leetham brings decades of hands-on experience helping business owners harness technology - without drowning in jargon or wasting time on fluff. Whether you're a DIY'er trying to make sense of your website, emails, or software, or you just want to know if your IT team is talking sense, this podcast is for you. Each episode is packed with practical advice, real-world tips, and insights from the trenches.
If you've ever thought, "There’s gotta be a better way to do this tech stuff" - you’re right. Charly is here to show you how.
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