Thursday, September 6, 2007
Whenever you encounter a popular name online, attached to a dot com or dot net, you might be wondering when you can one day get enough financial clout to put up your own immensely famous web company. With a dot com or dot net address that is easy to recall, you can have visitors flocking to your website easily, potential customers looking for a good deal on your products and services, and ordinary, run of the mill Internet surfers just curious to see what you are all about.
Not all dot com or dot net addresses last forever. When companies move out of the Internet and find new business opportunities to sink their teeth into, they can leave their domain name hanging. Along with this domain name is a built in market: because a large number of people have been going to the domain name and its adjoining website for so long, an expired domain name literally has its own market hanging on to it. With a lot of traffic, you can have a potential website waiting for you to create it.
Note, however, that domains do not simply expire and run into the next highest bidder arms. When a domain name passes its expiration date, it rests in a forty day static period, where the current owner of the domain name can still re enter it into a domain name registry. After forty days of not being touched, the domain then goes into a thirty five day period where the owner can still re enter it into a domain name registry, but for a much higher fee than when it was offered. After all these grace periods, the domain has finally expired, and the next owner can be you.
You can look for expired, or soon to expire domain names in domain registries online, which can advertise which domain names may soon be up for grabs. When you finally get that expired domain name, you have to get down to business. Because you have a constantly flowing market that goes with the domain name, you are pressed for time to create a new website that this market will go to when they type the old domain name into their web browser address bar. If the domain name is related to a site that you already maintain, then you can redirect it to your site and have all the traffic run over to your side of the Web universe.
If you must create a new website, do so within twenty four to forty eight hours of purchasing the expired domain name. You do not have to create a site heavy with graphics or animation: you need five or more pages of useful content that can contain information relevant to the domain name, and useful to the website visitor. Prepare to meet this incoming traffic head on by enrolling in affiliate programs and posting your AdSense ads in strategic places in your new website.
When creating a new website, follow all the rules of good web design. Make sure that your text contrasts well with your background without straining the eyes of your visitors. Avoid putting too many graphics or animation that can slow your site down when it loads into the browsers of your website visitors. Make sure that your site is secure enough to accept payments from your buyers should you offer products or services online. Lastly, make sure that you have well-written content that you can update regularly, keeping your readers coming back for more.
These are only a few tips in correctly using expired domain names. Be on the lookout for expired domain names by updating yourself constantly. Do research on popular domain names and web content that you can work on. You, too, can earn money, web traffic, and online fame, if you have enough mettle and know how.
Ronald Firquain is a writer, marketer, entrepreneur, webmaster and has 16 years of computer knowledge. You can download e-books for making money online, building a website, improve your golf game, playing guitar and much more. For more information go to: eBooks Mall
Out of Control WWW Domains
People take advantage of small business owners who leap into the online world without the knowledge to make proper choices. Registration of a www domain gives you a license for a set period of time, and must be renewed to retain control, so you do not own it. Don't wait to be asked the next question "Do you control your website domain?" because twice in 2007 I designed custom websites for clients who lost control due to an uncooperative originating party who registered the domains in question.
In both cases the client paid for their domain. In the first instance the registrar simply registered the new domain in their company name, not the client's. In the more recent situation, my client bought a business and the previous owner did not take action to transfer the registrant information. Each relationship deteriorated to the point where the clients felt compelled to register another domain, and fortunately the productivity of each business site was insignificant, so the downside of letting it go was minimal.
Each finally realized the risk of a hostile party pulling the plug on their website, and came to me for help. After lengthy discussions, and advice for attempting to regain control of their www domains, each entrusted me to register a new domain. The only recognized authority as the bona fide registrant of a domain is the administrative contact listed in the worldwide registry for a given www name. To be more specific, it is not the person shown, but the email address of the administrative contact in the registration who controls a domain.
It is not the billing contact. It is not the registrant. It is not the technical contact. All correspondence affecting control of a www domain must originate from the administrative contact email address listed in the registration files. Regardless of the person listed, whoever can reply to emails as the adminsitrative contact for that domain is the only recognized authority.
Small business owners are at risk whenever they buy a website domain, and the risks increase if you acquire a business that includes a website. If you buy an established business with a productive website you could lose significant revenue and good will depending on the previous owner. Most sellers will cooperate and transfers will go smoothly. In the rare case of deals being made and then a hostile relationship develops, the legal recourse may only exacerbate the financial loss.
Before we continue, consider the 3 things you need to get your new small business website online.
1. You must select and acquire a www domain name that is not already taken, and pay the registration fee.
2. You must find and pay in advance or month to month for hosting which is storage space for your pages.
3. You must have a website design whether it is purchased with a business, done in-house, or contracted.
Each of these involve services without a tangible product. There is nothing physical that you receive to put in a safety deposit box for secure storage. Domains, websites, and your site graphics are all digital and therefore more susceptible to problems controlling and protecting your rights. The exception would be having all files on a CD or DVD, yet the mechanics involved of having the files online and controlling their use means there is still untold risk involved for unwary small business owners.
Due diligence is critical in any new business venture. Some people registering domains on behalf of clients are looking for a residual income stream. If a small business owner does not ask, or know to ask, some registrars will intentionally keep their name as the administrative contact on domains they acquire on behalf of clients thinking they have them locked up as a customer indefinitely. In most cases it works unless that customer learns of more cost effective options, or in the worst scenario, their relationship becomes hostile. The real disasters are companies holding www domain names for clients, and then the registrar goes out of business and the administrative contacts become a non-existant email address.
That last one happened to one client who contacted me. It took more than one year of wasted time and frustration before they established control as the legitimate holder of the www domain, and during that year their site was offline.
In conclusion, you do not own your domain. You own the license. You must be wary and should get several opinions before you delegate the process of acquiring a www domain, and let it be known up front that you must be listed as the administrative contact for your website. Shop around to make sure the price per year for your domain is not excessive. Take the same approach to understand hosting. Finally, consider the website design and cost involved, and make sure you are comfortable with your choices before agreeing to proceed.
Jim Degerstrom writes small business advice based on 30 years in management, sales, and marketing, including GM or President of small companies in 5 states. He is proficient in website and graphic art design, and runs his online Small Business Resource Center and offers advice on his Small Business Advice Blog from Kissimmee, Florida USA.
Why you Should Own your Own Domain
It can be very tempting to go with a free web hosting service that takes care of all the details, without your having to own your own domain name. That’s a route that many individuals, bloggers, and even small businesses take. It can be a false economy, however, especially if you’re trying to build a brand.
Let’s start from the assumption that you either have or are planning to launch a small business. It almost doesn’t matter what kind of business. You see the Internet as a way for you to reach customers, and you want to project an air of professionalism. Even if you’re aiming for a “down-home” friendly feeling to your business, you want your potential customers to trust that you’ll handle their orders promptly and properly, fix any problems, and – above all – that you’re not going to pack up and vanish overnight. If you’re using a free web host, your site will probably have a domain name like http://www.freewebhost.com/youronlinestore. How professional is that?
Let me answer that in two words: not very. Your customers would much rather shop at a place like http://www.youronlinestore.com/, which gives a greater sense of permanence. It gives you a brand you can build on. With the other URL, people can tell at a glance that you’re using a free web host, and what kind of message does that convey? It says that you’re not willing to invest money in your own business (and with how little it costs to register a domain name, there really is no excuse for that). Would you buy from someone like that? If not, why would you expect prospective customers to buy from you?
If you’re using a free web host, as you would have to if you don’t have your own domain name, you can expect that host to place ads for its service on your site. It doesn’t matter what kind of site you have. To make matters worse, the free web host might even place Google Ads or other search-related ads on your site. Think about this: because you don’t own your own domain name, your free web host could even place ads for your competitors on your site – and make money from them! If that doesn’t seem likely, remember that Google Ads and similar services display ads that are related to the content on the web page, so it’s entirely possible that ads promoting your rivals could show up on your site.
The Internet is up 24/7. Site owners expect their websites to be up 24/7. And if they aren’t, they’ll call their web hosts to complain; that’s you, and you might find yourself working 24/7 just to keep up with your customers’ needs. But that’s just the most obvious manifestation of the problem with being your own boss. The work never stops.
It isn’t just customers either. If you’re a reseller web host, you’re dealing with the company from whom you’re buying your hosting space. If you aren’t, you’re buying your own equipment and dealing with suppliers, whose workers and products may or may not be reliable. You also have to spend time promoting your business, which involves a lot more than just slapping up a web site.
In fact, the number of skills you need to operate your own company is staggering. You are your own salesman, marketer, bookkeeper, trainer, IT person (particularly important when you’re a web host), website designer, purchaser, quality control person, customer support, and on and on. If you are missing any of these skills, you have to acquire them yourself by taking the time to read books, attend classes, or do whatever it takes. Your other option is to hire someone with these skills, either as a full-time employee or as a contractor.
If not having the right skill set is one reason that many web hosting businesses fail, another reason is time management. Let’s face it, you can’t be available to your customers every single moment; you have to sleep sometime. Don’t assume you won’t get a phone call at three in the morning from one of your customers with an issue. It’s not unusual to put 15 hours a day into your business, and it’s unlikely that you’ll be at the top of your form the entire time. If you’re not naturally well-organized, you can look at time management as another skill you must learn before starting your own business, whether it’s web hosting or another field.
Of course, this feeds right back into the point that there’s so much to do when you’re running your own business. You want to refine your business plan and grow your business, but when you’re caught up in daily activities it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. How can you work on maximizing your growth when five customers are screaming at you because they can’t get to their sites to update them, the new server hasn’t been set up yet, your customer support person is down with the flu, the firm handling your web connection has you on hold, some of your bills are overdue because some of your customers are late with their payments, and your pay-per-click advertising campaign just ran out of money for the month? Sure, that’s overly dramatic, but you probably get my point.
Any business is going to need some start-up capital. That comes out of your pocket and the pockets of those you can convince to invest. You need this before you open your doors (figuratively or literally) to your first customers. You might not need too much at first: a domain name, a website, the cost of a reseller package, and so forth. But costs will mount as you continue, especially as you make the effort to look polished and professional. You may well find that you have to go to a bank to secure a loan, possibly even take out a second mortgage on your house or run up painfully large credit card bills.
That’s just one part of the equation. How are you going to produce income for your business? Do you know how much you need to charge customers and what kind of web hosting packages you need to set up to turn a profit? If you’re offering free web hosting or low-cost web hosting in exchange for advertising, do you know how much money you need to make from advertisers? This is one part of the business you can’t afford to fill with pipe dreams. Do your research!
While we’re on the topic of money, are you certain that putting your money into your own business really is the best investment? In economic circles, this is referred to as “opportunity cost.” What didn’t you spend that money on so that you could spend it on starting a web hosting business? Would you get a better return by putting that money into a retirement account, with compounded interest? That’s just one possible alternative; think about the income you’d be giving up on the money you’re putting into this business.
And speaking of income, how long do you think you’ll be able to last without much of one? If you’ve spent most of your adult life getting a regular paycheck, starting your own business will be an eye-opening experience. You’re not getting that wonderful deposit every other week anymore, but your creditors will still want you to pay them just as regularly. If you can get your business started while you’re still employed, that will help, but the very nature of a web hosting business may cause it to intrude on the work time of your “day job.” It’s not a long term solution if you’re serious about making your business more than just a hobby. You may also find that you actually net less money as a business owner than you did as an employee.
Matt Inglot pointed out that “As human beings we tend to find change uncomfortable, but there isn’t much room to be in a placid comfortable nook when you’re an entrepreneur.” He went on to explain how entrepreneurs must always be willing to try new things. As a web host, you have a huge incentive: the competition. If you’re not prepared to adapt to a changing field, they certainly are. And there are plenty of web hosts out there, because many have been attracted to the industry by the same kinds of dreams that are getting you all fired up.
You have to come up with ways to make yourself different from the rest of the field, and stand out positively in the eyes of prospective customers. Indeed, you must continue to offer advantages over the competition after you win your customers over, because there is nothing to keep them from switching to another web host if they aren’t happy – and there are a ton of web hosts who would be happy to have that business.
And there’s no getting around the fact that starting and operating your own business is a lot more stressful than being an employee. Oh, it’s true that some personality types actually find it less stressful, but most people tense up when they constantly have to make decisions with too little information. When it comes to being an entrepreneur, taking risks is in the nature of the beast. Do you try to attract bloggers? How about pod casters? What about controversial websites (and how do you define “controversial”)? Will customers pay more for that new service you’re offering – and will it cover itself with the money you make from it?
There you have the major reasons that you shouldn’t go into the web hosting business. I hope that I’ve busted some of your illusions so you can examine the idea with clearer eyes now. And if I haven’t completely dissuaded you, at least now you know the pitfalls you’re likely to face along the way, and can prepare for them.
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