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Domain
Names (Check
domain name availability)
Your Domain Is Your Castle
Why is it so
important that you register your own web
domain yesterday? And why is this the best
business investment you’re likely to
make this year? And how do you do it if,
like me, you’re easily confused?
Imagine that Telkom could give your
business a single phone number that you
could use for the rest of time, anywhere
in the world. No matter who was calling
you, nor where they were calling from, nor
where you were at the time of the call –
they could reach you. Wouldn’t you be
prepared to invest R155-00 in such a
number? And if this was a limited offer
because there were only 5000 such numbers
available, wouldn’t you want to invest
in such a number today – even though you
might only use it next year?
That’s pretty much what a domain name is.
You register a name on the Internet that allows
people to find your business easily, forever –
just like a universal telephone number. Your
minimum investment is just R155-00, followed by
R95-00 each year.
Below are a few of the many reasons I feel
that this domain issue is so important.
Firstly, nobody else can steal your name!
It takes years to create a reasonable
impression with your business name, so why
throw all of that away? What would happen
if one of your competitors registered your
name and simply rerouted all requests for
that domain to their own web site. Not
very ethical – but it’s happening. Why
not register your domain today?
Secondly, it buys you freedom from the
tyranny of any single Internet Service
Provider. Most of us have iAfrica, Mweb,
or free.Absamail or Yahoo addresses. They
know that you're unlikely to move because
you have too much invested in THEIR email
address - so you will put up with all
sorts of abuse like slow speed, blocking
of email without your knowledge or consent
etc.. If you have your own domain and
email address - joesoap@your-own-domain.co.za
- you can move it anywhere you want,
whenever you want, for any reason at all.
Your email address will never have to
change again!
Thirdly, it might possibly bring in some
sales! If you actually do get to the point
of creating a web site, and it’s
registered with the various search
engines, occasionally someone will search
for the products or services you sell and
will contact you. The Internet is
increasingly becoming an essential part of
all our lives. In the future we will use
it more and more often to find stuff. Over
time your site gets entrenched in various
links all over the place.
Creating your own web site is really
awfully easy. Even if you don't have the
required degree in rocket science [I know
that it's necessary based on the prices
web site developers sometimes charge!] you
can set up your own web site in a few
minutes using templates.
My first web site was a template driven
‘masterpiece’ in 2000, which cost
nothing to create. In English ‘template
driven’ means that you answer some
questions about your company and your
products, and then you click OK and that
magically creates a web site for you.
Voila! Instant web site. It won’t be the
best in the world – but that’s not the
important issue. The important issue is
that it will exist. This allows folk to
check you out without wasting your time on
the phone.
A last word on this template process. You
can simply use all the material you have
already been using for your quotes and
letters - all the writing you have already
put in about your firm, it's products,
it's clients, etc.. Why not register your
domain today?
Fourthly, a web site can save you money in
communicating with your clients. The first
thing I do when looking for information
– sales or support – is to visit the
supplier web site. It’s quicker, easier
and much less frustrating than fighting
with your switchboard and hearing
Greensleeves as sung by the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir and recorded in 1927
using the latest wax recording disk! If
you include links to international
suppliers or information sources – you
offer me added value. Happier clients and
lower costs - that's got to make sense! So
why not register your domain today?
Fifthly, it adds significant value to your
business when you want to sell it. How
much value would it add to your business
to be able to ask a prospective buyer to
'search' for you, and to see you popping
up at the top of any list? But this takes
time to happen. Once you have a web site
you can submit it to the thousands of
search engines on the web. I did this very
simply by following an option my hosting
provider offered. Within a few weeks I
checked out a few search engines and found
I was appearing! Why not register your
domain today?
Sixthly, it’s fun! When you see how easy
it is to register a domain and set up a
web site, you’ll laugh at the fear most
of us carry right now about how complex
this is. If you want to start taming this
technology beast, this is about the
easiest place to start.
Original
article by:
Peter Carruthers
Business
Warriors
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