Are you confused about domain names?

Read on for total understanding

Although there are a multitude of domain name tags, the ones relevant to business in Australia is the dot com dot au (.com.au)  or the dot net dot au (.net.au)  We can arrange registration for either for the small sum of $50 for 2 years.

If you are targeting an overseas market then you may wish to include a dot com (.com) or dot net (.net) in your portfolio.   You can legally have both and in many cases you are advised to have at least a dot com dot au and a dot com.  The cost of the dot com is $21.95 per year with registration available for up to ten years.

Why would I buy more than one?

If you already know the domain you are seeking and you are ready for your domain registration call us now on 1300 302 698    Don’t let someone else beat you to it .

If you need more information please read on:-

 I don’t understand how all this cyber space stuff works.

Imagine a parallel world where all the real estate is just like magic carpets floating around. Now when you register a domain name that puts that name on one of the pieces of cyber real estate.  Just as there is only ONE real life property, there is only one cyber life domain property. 

Now when you purchase hosting from your Internet Hosting Company there is a thin line that is attached to the property and a cyber letter box is attached which means emails can travel to and from the site.

 And when you create a website, the domain name is the address and the website sits on the real estate just as your home sits on your piece of land..   Simple eh!

Domain Names – What you should know. 

If you currently have an email address with a hotmail or yahoo tag - and then try to tell people you are in business, they will know you are not serious. So who do you think you are kidding? Using the ID of your internet provider is better - but not much.

What is happening there is that you are setting yourself up for major loss. At some time in the future, for whatever reason, you are going to want to change your internet service provider. There is much competition in the area and one of the ‘extra’ benefits will tempt you. The problem then is – how do you notify everyone who has your ‘old’ email address? You can’t. So much of the money you spent on advertising your business has gone down the tubes. Now don’t tell me that won’t happen to you. That is what One-Tel customers thought too. You are supposed to be MANAGING your business so let’s get on with the program.

OK so how do you ensure that you won’t lose your contacts? Easy – buy your own domain name. What does it cost? Nothing compared to the potential loss without it. We can help you register your own domain name for as little as $50 including GST and the registration service. That means your ownership of a particular domain name is assured for the next TWO YEARS.  

Domain Name Hosting  

The next step is to have your domain name hosted. We can provide that service for only $120  for one year  (Yes including GST) Be smart- arrange it all while you are arranging your domain name.

OK now you can have emails that show your domain name. How many? Up to 10 which is ample for most small businesses. So you may have say, sales@XXV.com.au, info@xxv.com.au, tony@XXV.com.au, mary@XXV.com.au etc.

Still confused? OK imagine the domain name as a piece of land – it has a name but no-one can find it until you put up the letterbox (hosting the domain name). Apart from the fact that you won’t lose contact with clients and suppliers, you have added image and credibility into your business. Every time you send out an email your name is going out into the market place and reinforcing your advertising.

I have heard people say they don’t need a domain name because they won’t have a website (yet or ever). Even without a website, ownership of a domain name that is connected to your business has value for both the reasons above and to assist in the protection of your intellectual property (your business name).

What is to stop someone starting up in competition with a similar name and grabbing the domain name that should have been yours?

Nothing!!!

What is to stop them riding on the back of your advertising dollar?

Nothing!!!

Protect your Business Name.  Call us now to check whether your preferred domain name is available or to talk about possible domains that will work well in your market.  Check them out and  BUY NOW.

It’s the cheapest insurance you can have in today’s market place.

DO IT NOW!  Phone  1300 302 698    and ask for Maggie   

You will need:

• Your Business Registration number and/or ABN
• Office address
• Current email address

ABN’s not needed for dot com only domains.

But wait there is more!!!

 In order to appear professional it is always advised to have a domain name and to direct emails through it.    For many businesses it is not necessary to have a website especially in the early stages.

You need to have a domain name and then ‘host’ that domain name.  Read on for information on Hosting and the dangers in being complacent.

Beware the Sandbox !!!

What is the Google Sandbox?

So why not just get your emails and then set up your website later.  Well we have to play the game according to the rules set by the search engines.  We start a business as part of a long term goal and so the sooner we are ‘seen’ the better it will be for us long term.

We advise our clients to commence hosting – even at a low rate- as soon as they buy their domain name so that Google won’t sandbox the domain.  What does that mean?

When Google spiders notice a new domain and they notice there is nothing happening, they are likely to ‘sandbox’ the site   This means they record that there is nothing happening and don’t revisit for anything up to two years.  This is the same thing that will happen if you have a site and don’t change the content for some time.  

The solution is simple.   Start your website as soon as possible after purchasing your domain name even if it is a simple template based with a little content related to your key words.We can help you with your first basic website - The one that keeps Google interested.

The question always is ‘do you need help getting your business online?’ We can help you get your website going and provide domain name registration, email and web hosting. We will help you design your own website or refer you to one of our specialist designers – as you wish. And where you are confused we will walk you through the process so you know exactly what you are doing and why.  

So let’s look at the relative costs.