Web Talk

As an independent business owner, we like to think that we are free to run things the way we want to. We presume that nobody owns us. This may not be the case, however, for our website.

We all know that we don’t have exclusive rights to our own name – someone else could have been given the same name by their parents. This may cause a bit of confusion if they live in the same neighborhood or go to the same school.

However, in the world of business it is more important to have the exclusive right to use our own business name and not have it encroached upon by someone else. Governments don’t allow the same name to be registered as a business name by two different organizations.

In the world of the internet (also called the World Wide Web) uniqueness of website names is maintained by an international (non-governmental) organization that coordinates the registration of all website names (also called domain names). When you pay a fee for registering your domain name you are is essence paying for the exclusive right to use that particular name and no one else anywhere in the world can infringe on that right. The domain name of your website is a primary asset of your business. It is the unique name by which you are known to all the search engines.

Unfortunately however, even though you have paid to have a domain name registered, you may not have been given the authority to manage or control where it sends people to find you website. This only becomes important when you want to change website vendors. When you want to exercise your freedom to have your website improved by a different vendor or even simply moved to a different website hosting company, you may encounter a surprise.

It may turn out that the original vendor named themselves as the “administrative contact” even though you are listed as the official owner of the domain name. This means that you need their permission to change where the domain name points to. Usually this is allowed as a courtesy by the administrative contact. However, I’ve recently seen a case where they charged a fee to allow the domain name owner to have his domain pointed to his new website.

It’s an even nastier surprise when you discover that the original vendor didn’t even bother to list you as the owner but simply registered your domain name as belonging to them. In either case, you have been paying for a registration that you didn’t really own in the true sense of being able to control or change it at your own discretion.

by Arthur Hart
President, Websites by Ideal
516-382-0861, http://websitesbyideal.com

“That’s obvious advice,” you may be thinking, “I’d never promote my competition!”

Well unfortunately, if you have one of those so called “free” websites that you’re paying $133 per month for, you are in fact promoting your competition without realizing it. At the bottom of each page of your “free” website, the visitor finds a link to the website of the directory company that built the website for you. Following this link takes them to a directory of all the people in your same line of work. And it’s a safe bet that your company isn’t listed first.

Try it for yourself. Scroll down to the bottom of one of your website pages and click on the ad logo placed there by the directory company. When you get to their website, pretend you’re someone looking for the services you offer and see how easy it is to find your company.

If you are appalled at what you discover, don’t despair – we’ve already rescued others who were inadvertently promoting their own competition. We do it by redeveloping your website and moving it to your own hosting space at a reputable hosting company. Once this transition is made, you’ll no longer be paying good money every month to help promote your competitors.

For advice and information on how to get started with your website rescue mission, contact Websites by Ideal at 516-382-0861 or mailto:info@websitesbyideal.com

by Lorraine Hart
President Ideal Consulting Services, Inc.
516 826-6725, www.IdealConsulting.net

With the advent and growth of the World Wide Web many companies and services have been jumping on the band wagon. There is undoubtedly opportunity on the web, but there are also significant land mines out there. Before you jump in or if you are already in, before you commit to some of the promises being made, please use just a little caution.

Recently I have come across a number of situations where promises have turned into problems. Following are some cautions.

If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t good. Beware of the free website offers. In the cases I have seen, the web developer either links you to your competitors or ends up charging you a huge monthly fee to maintain the free website. I have seen fees as high as $281 per month for a free website.

Regarding linking to other websites, I just want to say be careful. Links are or can be good, especially links to you, but beware of linking to a site where your prospects can find your competitors.

If you are new to the web or if you are expanding your presence on the web, make sure you own your own domain name (that is your address on the web). Just because you pay for it doesn’t mean you own it – so just check it out. Sometimes a third party will offer do get you more visibility on the web. Some of these companies will purchase a different domain name, duplicate your website and then send prospects to that website. If you decide to cancel your services with that company, they own the new domain name that has been getting all that traffic and has built up a presence on the web.

A similar situation occurs when your web developer has your website directed to their website. It is common for web developers to use this while they are developing your site, but once your website is completed, it should be found directly on the internet, not as a “sub-domain” of another website. To find out if this is the case with you simply type in your website and then look in the bar at the top when your website comes up. If it starts with anything other than your website name you are part of another’s site.

I am seeing more and more promises from companies to get you top listing on the web. I am also seeing promises of key-word clicks. Some of the services are excellent, but unfortunately many of the services are not what you think they are. The one many of my clients have been telling me about is the offer to get high placement or promise that you they will be listed “first or second, etc.” Often this is not quite what you think it is. Instead what they are promising is that you will be first or second in their directory. This, of course means that your prospects have to first find their directory and then they can find you.

Earlier I mentioned duplicate websites. There are a number of ways that this is being done and an explanation of the advantages and disadvantages is beyond the scope of this article. With the internet becoming the place to go for information and because of constantly changing rules it is difficult for anyone to stay fully informed. However there are certain cautions that you must know about.

For more information, please email or call Ideal Consulting.

by Lorraine Hart
President
Ideal Consulting Services, Inc.

I am often asked about websites. These questions range from “should I?”, “must I?”, “should it be fancy?”, “should it be simple?”, “is it cheap?”, “is it expensive?”, “can I live without it?” The answer to all those questions is yes, and it depends. If you haven’t stopped reading by now, you deserve some real answers to those often asked questions.

In answer to the question “should I?” I am tempted to ask you if you should have a phone or more to the point a cell phone. Why do you need to have a website? Quite simply, because as a business it’s the thing to do and people expect it. That does not mean that you are going to get an influx of new clients simply because you have a website. However if and when you do take the plunge or when you decide it is time to redesign your website you will want to take some steps to make it possible to find you on the World Wide
Web. One of the simple steps is to include your website in all your other promotional materials. Another step has to do with what the technicians refer to as making your website search engine friendly. This is also known as search engine optimization or SEO.

Practically speaking what can your website do for you? It can serve as a good communi-cation tool; it can give you the opportunity to brag a little or a lot. It is an opportunity to show off your work, to show how you are different and of course to show that you are up with modern technology. Even if doesn’t really matter, people like it. Often, even if people never visit you online, it makes them feel good to know you have a real “address”.

The next question is how fancy should it be? That depends on you and your potential guests. Some people like very fancy, with lots of bells and whistles, others like very simple. Tastes vary greatly, just as they do in styles of houses, furniture and even clothing. I like simple, but that’s me. What do you like? More importantly, what will your visitors like, or should I say those who you want as potential clients. Keep in mind that although the animation and music can add life to your website, these features can also become very
annoying. Costs vary greatly and no, quality is not directly proportional to cost. I have seen some very nice, inexpensive websites, but unfortunately, I have also seen some very expensive, really bad websites. Beware of the very high cost and very low cost solutions. Make sure you know what you are getting so you can compare your options. If you plan to have a gallery of photos, you will need more space and more pages.

One of the first steps in planning for your website is deciding what to call it. Even if you are not quite ready for building your website now, you should still decide what name you want and buy that domain name now. Then you will have your name when you are ready for it.

Part of your planning process must include website maintenance. Although you may not want to be bothered with major updating, you absolutely do want to have the ability to make simple changes and updates. And it has to be simple. Unfortunately we have probably all heard of people waiting weeks and months for a simple change.

Once you take the plunge you will be glad you did. In addition to a storefront on the web, you will have another way to communicate to your clients.