THE ISSUE WITH GODADDY’S MALWARE

On December 19th, 2022, users started to report that pages are randomly linking to various explicit websites and other nefarious destinations. The most obvious culprit would be some form of Apache redirect malware, or other commonly used frameworks – possibly a new breed of WordPress redirect malware. As more and more reports started to flood in, and developers scratched their heads about what the issue could possibly be, a through-line started to emerge pointing to the hosting provider.

Due to the extremely elusive nature of this issue (one could potentially reload a webpage hundreds of times and not see it, while another user will get it on the first attempt), troubleshooting the issue is extremely difficult. By capturing HTTP header data when these elusive redirects happen, we’re able to get a better idea of what’s going on.

The HTTP header is sent with every request and response and passes additional metadata fields along to the server and client. These fields may include the referring website, cookies, and the field relevant to this malware, location. The location header field is mandatory in a redirect response and tells the client where the requested URL has moved.

By capturing the malicious redirect we were able to determine that this redirect was coming from the server and was not a malicious script running in the browser.

While the full list of destinations are unclear at this point; some of the sites we’ve seen redirects to include a site with “bonga” in the url as well as “bestfnnce” – we’ve obscured the full URL’s here for your protection. Another trend we observed was the string “H8BfdGPh” contained in the URL’s – though this value could very well be randomized and individual to a project. One common indicator was the inclusion of “DOM=” and “URI=” passed through as parameters in the redirect URL such as “http://evil-domain-dot-com/H8BfdGpH?DOM=your-domain.com&URI=%2findex.php“.

These examples should not be considered as an all inclusive list; they are simply what we have observed so far in affected websites- we simply haven’t seen the full scope of outcomes yet.

The issue has been identified as GoDaddy redirect malware and speculation has led to the suspected cause being compromised load balancers on GoDaddy Shared Hosting servers. As of December 21st, 2022, GoDaddy has updated their status page acknowledging the issue and are surely working around the clock to address it. To understand the implications, let’s take a quick look at what a load balancer on a server is responsible for.

THE SUSPECTED MALWARE CULPRIT – GODADDY LOAD BALANCERS

A load balancer is responsible for distributing incoming network requests across multiple servers in order to maximize performance. This is done by ensuring computational work is split across more than one server, and if a server goes down, it redirects traffic to the other servers to prevent downtime. A compromised load balancer can intercept these requests and redirect them from their intended location.

THE EFFECTS

When dealing with redirect malware, the first instinct is to check the website server configuration. With the Apache web server, this would be in the .htaccess file. These would be immediately seen as out-of-place redirect or RewriteRule directives.

If the Apache configuration was ruled out as the source, the next step is to look for website files with injected redirect function calls. This code is often obfuscated with shell code or base64 encoding, but once decrypted would contain malware using the PHP header function to send a raw HTTP header, or in a JavaScript file containing a window.location.href assignment that would be executed in the browser.

HOW MALWARE COMPROMISES YOUR SEO & ONLINE AD CAMPAIGNS

In this instance the server files were clean, which could only mean the cause was within the shared host itself.
Another effect of this redirect malware is the potential for search engines to mark your website as unsafe. Search engines such as Google and Bing can crawl websites multiple times per day and are sophisticated enough to render web pages with JavaScript and CSS enabled. If the crawler notices it is being redirected to a malicious website, the website will be flagged and a warning message will appear so that users know the potential dangers ahead. This results in a significant drop in user visits, lower engagement, and mistrust among users. The search engine may even remove your website from the Search Engine Results Page, thereby destroying your organic search visibility. This could undo your hard work building rankings and take weeks or even months after your website is cleaned for Google to recognize that it is no longer compromised.

Malware associated with your website can also be extremely detrimental to your online advertising campaigns. Your ads will be immediately suspended if Google, Facebook, or any other online advertiser detects malware on your site. Your website will also be flagged and can even be blacklisted from using their platforms in the future.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR GOOGLE ADS ACCOUNT WAS SUSPENDED FOR MALWARE

If your website is suspended due to malware, you will have to go through an appeals process to certify that your website no longer contains the malware the online advertiser initially flagged. Suspended accounts are barred from running any ads, so appealing these suspensions promptly is very important. It is critical to ensure your appeal includes a clear explanation of the issue, and steps taken to resolve it in order to expedite this process.

THE SOLUTION

Considering the obvious risks associated with the situation, we recommend immediate migration to a different hosting service until the issues are resolved, or temporarily disabling the website by way of DNS. The risks outlined above outweigh the inconvenience of your site being inaccessible; not to mention the additional resources and headaches involved with damage control around this unprecedented event.

This is the Madhouse experience. Rapid, simple, reliable solutions – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
We build strategically-driven, award-winning marketing campaigns that drive crazy amounts of traffic through beautifully navigable websites and apps supported by online ads, e-blasts, and insights drawn specific to your users. Everything’s tracked, measured, analyzed and refined to maximize engagement and drive conversions. No marketing dollar goes unaccounted for.

Let us take care of the technical stuff so you can focus on driving your business forward. Madhouse offers a full suite of digital services including:

• Cutting-edge website and app development backed by award winning creative
• Full marketing packages for virtual, in-person or hybrid applications
• Consumer engagement campaigns via social and e-blasts to understand your customer, vice-versa.
• Technical expertise and client support so when situations like this incident pop up, we have you covered.

I UNDERSTOOD SOME OF THOSE WORDS… BUT NOW WHAT?!

Luckily, our clients are covered with our complimentary emergency hosting service for situations just like this. We’ve proactively reached out to any clients who have opted to host their websites independently on GoDaddy, and provided a temporary server they can use until we’re satisfied that our clients’ sites are at no risk. Business as usual.

We love collaboration, responsiveness and transparency.

Let’s connect. 

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Make User Experience a Priority

An attractive website that is easy to navigate and doesn’t confuse visitors is the goal. Multiple studies prove that well-designed websites convert at a higher rate. Your brand is also impacted by the execution of your website. A brand is strengthened by high-quality web design and an intuitive experience, while the opposite will drive users away before you have the chance to impress them.

The following principles will help you build a visually pleasing website:

• Design a page that doesn’t distract from your conversion goal (e.g., register page, checkout page, etc.)
• Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and reads well on all the popular phone screen sizes. We’re an Apple team, A.K.A. the superior team, but our Android friends deserve to read websites as well.
• Optimize your site speed so your users don’t get the spinning wheel of death.
• Only use high-quality images
• Organize your website so it is easy to navigate and predictable for users
• Use landing pages for specific campaigns

Making it easy for visitors to take the next step is a key component of optimizing for conversions. We’re a visually focused society, so making the user journey clear and intuitive is essential.

Write Content that Engages and Converts

There are two sides to every Madhouse marketing campaign that sets us apart from our competitors. We call it the Head and the Heart. The Head is the tangible differentiators that separate your product or service from the crowd, while the Heart is the emotional pull that shows customers their lives will be better with your product in it.

You also need to know your audience and write directly to them. Learn the language they use and utilize it well. This way, you’ll earn their trust and convert them into a lead much easier. At Madhouse, we believe creating buyer personas is a valuable exercise at this stage.

Write Impactful CTA’s

Make your call to action as compelling as possible and encourage your users to take action. A good CTA gives meaning to your content and can even tilt the odds in your favour when users have decision fatigue. Most importantly, a great CTA will create a sense of urgency and improve your conversions.

Use some of the following tips to jog your creativity and write the best CTA:

• Use strong action words such as ‘Join’, ‘Buy Now’, or ‘View’
• Provoke enthusiasm or emotion by incorporating modifiers such as numbers or promises.
• Make it conversational and trustworthy

Building a website which generates leads as well as the ones we produce here at Madhouse isn’t an easy task. But focusing on a great user journey and writing compelling copy and CTA’s will make an impact in your sales funnel and start converting your traffic into tangible leads.  

Madhouse is always here to help turn your struggling online sales funnel into a consistent source of leads. Talk to us today to learn more.

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Why Marketing Experience Matters

As one of Toronto’s most dynamic digital marketing agencies, the team at Madhouse has learned one lesson above all: experience is everything. Our experience is a fusion of efficiency and expertise that allows us to accelerate our clients’ brands past their competitors.

Madhouse specializes in the new home real estate marketing sector, where we have been branding and curating amazing customer experiences for years. How many years, you ask? Collectively, our terrific team boasts over 125 years of experience in strategy, and creative and digital marketing.

Experience Leads to Success

Our experience in creative and digital marketing really shines through in our successes. Almost all of our recent launches have sold out. From the master planned Roxborough community in Hamilton to Cobie’s stacked townhomes in Cobourg to Enclave’s luxurious townhomes in North Ajax, we repeatedly prove that Madhouse can sell out new home developments anywhere across the GTA. We have a proven formula that is based on our experience, knowledge, and insight into each unique market. Utilizing this formula, we develop curated messages and mediums for each target demographic that hit home with the audiences we strive to reach.

Our team also boasts extensive experience in new condo development marketing. The map below illustrates all the high-rise projects the talent on our team brought to market over the past several years:

Like professional athletes, we consistently refine our game so that we can continue to perform at our best and create the exceptional experiences that sell our clients’ new home communities.

Our Three Pillars: Strategy, Creative & Digital

Experience makes the Madhouse team faster, smarter, and stronger in the areas that matter most — strategy, creative and digital. Every marketing initiative our team tackles is supported by this pillar trifecta. Our ability to develop effective marketing strategies and utilize our exceptional creative and digital teams to execute said strategies is what gives us a competitive advantage.

We build the first pillar, strategy, by utilizing research metrics and data analysis to identify our campaigns’ unique target audiences. Figuring out exactly what kind of users, and their needs and desires, need to be spoken to allow our team to build out an exceptional strategy that paves the way for a successful campaign.

Once we have the first pillar in place, our creative and digital teams get right to work building our next two pillars. By utilizing the information from our strategy, our teams create custom digital experiences that speak to what the end-user needs and desires out of their new homes. Speaking our audience’s language is critical, as is communicating our messages across platforms our target buyers engage and interact with every day. Speak their language on their terms.

Our digital pillar not only provides us with a powerful and precise medium to create awareness, it also provides us with data we use to fine-tune the reach and effectiveness of our campaigns. We also utilize Search Engine Optimization (SEO) analysis and insights to ensure our clients’ websites rank high on Google and other search engines. Tapping into these organic audiences provides our clients with another stream of user data and potential revenue.

Seeing all three pillars work together to create successful campaigns is extraordinary and is something the Madhouse team works hard to achieve.   

Provide a Carefree Experience

Experience goes both ways, as we leverage our experience marketing new home developments to provide our clients with a carefree experience. The Madhouse team always rolls up our sleeves and does all the heavy lifting and jobs other agencies typically don’t like taking on.

Be it signage by-laws and permitting, rendering management, product design consultation, sales office interior design, site measurements, or supplier consultation and direction, we have our clients covered so they can focus on their end — building stunning homes for their customers.

24/7 Client Support

Madhouse takes our clients’ needs to heart, so we are always ready to engage when the rubber hits the road. Whether it’s rain or shine, evenings or weekends and especially opening events, we are there to lend our support. When our clients are selling, WE ARE THERE supporting them in-person, or virtually, to ensure the end user has a streamlined experience.

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We’ve had a lot of launch dialogue lately with our clients as to which route they should go for upcoming sites, in-person or virtual?

Even with the constant change in direction by leaders and health authorities, we believe the answer is virtual and here’s why:

1. Online normalcy. Most buyers feel safe, secure and comfortable with a digital experience. It’s more common now than it’s ever been, especially for first-time buyers and even empty nesters.

2. Virtually human. Video sales calls, marketing automation, VR tours and personalized messages may not replace face-to-face, but they definitely help make a connection.

3. Digital versatility. Renderings and animations, 3D suites and interactive site plans can help consumers visualize your project and can be updated in real time. Plus, if you decide to pivot to in-person, you can utilize all these assets in your presentation space. 

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The time to strike is now. The market is booming with strong immigration numbers and some individuals and families still choosing to live and buy in the GTA. For those looking outside the city, housing in small towns is being expanded by well-known GTA developers. Affordability, quality, and trust can be found on multiple levels from home prices and taxes, to the cost of living and raising a family.

People are leaping well beyond the edges of the GTA to the shores of Cottage Country and small Ontario towns in between. Looking for their first home or in the case of empty nesters, a move-down home with an active, outdoor lifestyle.

This is possible due to digital tools and the paradigm pivot that many companies have made due to the Covid pandemic. Spotify is one of the latest mainstream companies to announce a ‘work from anywhere’ model, which allows employees to work from home, its offices, or a combination of both.

Adaptable singles, couples and young families now have the digital tools and employment flexibility to work from home, from the cottage or virtually anywhere with a stable internet connection. People are consciously making the decision to sell their current home, move out of the city and start fresh.

For empty nesters and couples with adult kids, the attraction to places like Collingwood, Blue Mountain, Wasaga, Prince Edward County, Cobourg, Grimsby, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls is getting stronger.

Towns outside of the GTA and other big cities have a lower density and more open outdoor spaces. They can also be safer locations for raising a family and encouraging a more active, outdoor lifestyle. Especially for those who enjoy skiing, hiking, mountain biking, camping and sports. A getaway with typically lower crime rates than higher density locations with bigger populations.

These places offer more affordable homes and amenities that foster an active lifestyle – and all the same shops, services and big box stores you’d find in the GTA. While maintaining a relatively short commute back to the city. Not to mention the proximity to wine country, craft breweries and boutique restaurants.

Moving away from the big city in the current global climate is a no-brainer. Many of our clients are embracing the paradigm pivot and building incredible new homes in Collingwood, North Ajax, Huntsville, and Cobourg. Comfort, safety, space and affordability are the new leaders in choosing where to live.

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Since a majority of us have pivoted in some way, shape or form over the last year to re-align ourselves with this new social landscape, we took some time to reflect on our corporate values and wanted to share them with you. We call them…

THE (MAD)HOUSE RULES

1. Tell the whole story. The tangible differentiators (head) and the emotional pull (heart)
2. Respect the bottom line. We’re here to make you more money. See rule #3
3. Do the right thing. We only make a recommendation if it’s in your best interest
4. Roll up your sleeves. We do black lines, permits, rendering management and more
5. Standby on Saturday. When you’re selling, we’re supporting. In-person or remotely
6. Make it easy. The prep, planning, details and execution are on us.
7. Be transparent. No ulterior motives here. We say it like it is and back it up
8. Experience is everything. Ours, yours and the consumers. That’s what matters most
9. Celebrate the wins. The team, the work, the growth, and the passion

To learn more, visit the rules.

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It’s no myth that working from home can be challenging. Especially when it comes to a work/life balance when family is at home too. We’ve come up with a few tips that have helped us ease into the transition over the past year, and we want to share them with you!

Develop a work support system: we are all about embracing the team environment and working together, leaning on each other isn’t just encouraged, it’s part of the job description.

Exercise and meditate: Right now, we are in the middle of a month long plank challenge, supporting each other to build strength. We also support and encourage each other to go on walks and get outside for fresh air whenever we can.

Identify what you love about your job: Working in a pandemic can be overwhelming for anyone, but it helps when work isn’t a place you dread going to. Take a few minutes each week to pause and evaluate what you love about your job, and take every opportunity to build on those things until it’s harder to think of what you don’t love.

Set Goals and Priorities: Goals are crucial to success! Our strategy is goal based, whether it’s for a client or for our employees, we make sure that we’re consistently reaching higher.

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