| Your Business E-mail and Web Site |
From "Home Office"
episode HOF-104 |
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E-mail and Domains E-mail -- or electronic mail -- has become as important as the telephone for most businesses, and the e-mail address you choose can help reinforce your business identity. To obtain an e-mail address, you'll need to have an account set up with an internet service provider. You may want to go through one of the large, national ISPs like Yahoo or AOL, or you may want to look into a local provider. Try to use your own name or your company name in your e-mail address, such as JoesGarage@aol.com. Because there are millions and millions of e-mail users on the Internet be aware that, if you use a common name or phrase, it may have already been taken by someone else on a major ISP. Selection of a professional e-mail address is one of the elements within the overall concept of your business identity. If possible, it should tie in with your company name and other communication materials to underpin your company image. One way to ensure that you can get the e-mail address you want, and at the same time further solidify your business presence on the Internet, is to register a domain name. A domain name is used to identify a particular computer on the Internet, and it is defined by an alphanumeric name. The domain name makes up part of the URL (uniform resource locator) or Web address and acts as a pseudonym for the computer that hosts the internet presence. As an example, chances are good that at this moment you're reading this page from DIY's site, found by going to www.diynet.com. In that URL, "diynet" is the domain, signifying the server on which DIY's online information resides. If you are ready to take your business online, you first need to register your domain name. Your domain name might be www.'your company name'.com. While signing up for a domain name is easy, it's might be hard to find a name that you like that is available. Believe it or not, there are over 40 million registered domain names out there, so you may have to get a little creative. Here are some steps for registering a domain name: - Make a list of possible names you would like to register. Remember the more common the name the more likely that it has been taken. Get creative and come up with a list of unusual names. Your domain doesn't always have to be your company name. It could also describe your business. For example a craft company called "Crafts by Colleen" could be registered as www.greatgifts.com. Try to keep the name short and easy to remember.
- Go to a Web site that is an official internet registrar such as Network Solutions, Register.com or Domain Name Registration. You can also go to a Domain Name Resource Directory (such as www.dnresources.com) for a list of many domain name registrars.
- Once you found a site, enter the name of the domain name that you would like to register. This will enable you to search a database of names to find out if your proposed name is taken.
- If the name is already taken, keep trying with the list of names you created. You can also try different suffixes, if you tried .com without any luck try .org, .net or any other suffix that the domain name site has to offer.
- Once you found a name that works, register the name.
- Registration usually gives you exclusive use of your domain name for two years. The average cost per year is $35.
- Remember that if you really want a domain name that is taken you cmay be able contact the owner and offer to buy the name.
- List your domain name on your business cards, letterhead, brochures and other promotional materials to tie together your identity on paper as well as in the virtual world.
Ever wonder what those suffixes in URLs -- like ".com" and ".org" -- mean? The suffix .com stands for commercial and is generally used for sites involved in commerce -- selling products or services for profit. The suffix .org is a miscellaneous designation and is generally used in association with not-for-profit organizations. The suffix .gov is used for sites associated with government agencies. The suffix .net stands for network infrastructure machines and organizations.
Building a Web Site Once you've purchased a domain, you can go about the business of actually establishing your company's presence on the Internet. If you're well versed in computer skills, you might consider designing your own Web site, particularly if you don't have anything very complex in mind. There are numerous reference books on the market that can help you with that endeavor. However, keep in mind that your site represents you and your business, and it is accessible from computers all over the world. Good web design requires expertise in basic design principles as well as technical know-how. Considering the importance of your site in communicating and promoting your company's business, you may want to leave the design to professionals. Kenton Kuhn is a web-site design specialist with Intellinet. "I don't think you can overstate the importance of having a Web site in today's economy," he says, "Your competition is going to have one. A well-crafted site can do two things: bring new customers through the front door and better serve existing customers. The great news is that, in today's economy, a one- or two-person office can have the same type of great looking and functional site that a large corporation has." In most cases, a "great looking" site can be put together and launched in three to four weeks for a cost of around $1000. The cost will vary, of course, depending on the size and complexity of the site. And what is a "great looking" site? Since a Web site is by nature a visual medium, there is an amount of subjectivity in how it will be perceived by different individuals. To some extent, Web design is an art, and with art people "know what they like" even if they can't explain why. There are, however, some fundamental principles to keep in mind. First, the pages should be designed so that they load quickly. If potential customers have to wait for elaborate graphics or intro-movies to load, they may become frustrated and leave your site. Also, remember that the computer monitor is horizontal in shape, unlike a standard printed page. Many users dislike having to scroll down to read lengthy blocks of text. There are exceptions even to these rules. For example, a graphics or film firm may need an elaborate site to show off their capabilities. A web-design specialist can help you strike the right balance between simplicity and beauty. A Web-designer will need to know the primary purposes you intend for your site to serve. Among the most common uses are: - Generate income through promotion
- Cut down on the number of phone calls by providing answers to commonly asked questions.
- Disseminate information
- Boost brand-awareness
- Sell products via online ordering
The goals that you want to achieve through your site will shape the look and feel of the site as well as the functionality. According to Kenton Kuhn, a common mistake that small firms make is simply trying to turn an existing brochure into a Web site. While the basic content might work for both, the design should be approached differently. People read differently online from the way they do from printed materials. What works for print design may not work on the Web. The most well received sites are usually the simple ones that communicate the critical information quickly and without requiring the user to do a lot of searching. Keep your message and the functionality of your site simple and straightforward. Finally, don't assume that once the site has been designed and launched that the work is over. Web sites should be regarded as dynamic, and used to keep your customers or clients updated with fresh and current information that's relevant to your company. Maintenance should be ongoing. The term most often used in association with maintaining a Web site is "hosting." Web hosting refers to the computer on which your site resides. Once the design is done, it must be maintained on a server so that people can reach your site from any internet-capable computer at any time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The content of the site must also be accessible to the owner so that modifications can be made as the need arises. Various internet-based companies offer web hosting, including most internet service providers. They provide hosting services for a fee that may range from around $20 to several hundred dollars per month, depending on the size and complexity of the site. When selecting a hosting company, a dominant consideration should be the quality and availability of their technical support. Choose one in which you can reach and talk to a live person when you have problems or questions about your site's appearance and operation.
RESOURCES :
Internet registrars
Following are some sites where you can go to research and/or register available domain names.
Network solutions: www.networksolutions.com
Register.com: www.register.com
Domain Name Registration: www.domainnameregistration.com
Domain Name Resource Directory: www.dnresources.com
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