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July 2008

Tip of the Month

Error pages - you know how when you visit a site and go to a page that's no longer there, you usually see that "404: File not found" message? Did you know that, on your own site, you can replace that with a custom error page that matches the rest of your website?

And when you do, you can include links to other parts of your site so the person doesn’t just leave - apologize for the problem and offer them other choices. This is a great way to keep them on your site longer.

Domain Name Registration

You have at least one domain name, and maybe a few more. How do you keep track of them so you don't lose that all-important identifying brand for your business?

The Registration Process

When you sign up for a domain name on your own with any registrar like GoDaddy, Register.com, Network Solutions or many others, you have to fill out one or more forms and will probably be asked to choose four contacts for your account. Usually these are something like Administrative, Billing, Alternate Billing and Technical.

I'd recommend you list yourself for all four contacts, except perhaps the Technical one, which can be your web developer, IT person, or anyone you designate.

Make sure that your email address is correct! This is how the registrar will contact you to notify you of expiration dates or account status. If you change your email address, always make sure to visit your registrar’ site and change it in your account profile too. If they can't contact you, you may lose your domain name, and if this happens it can be difficult to impossible to get it back (unless you're willing to pay for it, in some cases).

Own Your Own Domain!

If you have someone register a domain for you, make sure that they have you listed as the account’ owner (you should be the Billing and Administrative contact at a minimum). If you’re not, you are not in control of the domain - the person that registered it is. They own the domain, not you - and this can cause big problems down the road.

There are many stories about unscrupulous web designers registering a domain on behalf of a client, then the relationship changes and the designer demands what amounts to a ransom to get it back. This is why I encourage clients to register themselves rather than do it for them.

Privacy

Ever receive a mailing from a company you’ve never heard of telling you that your domain name is about to expire, and that you should renew with them immediately? How do they find out this information?

ICANN, the governing body that oversees domain names, maintains a publicly accessible database called WHOIS. When someone searches for domain ownership information in WHOIS (http://www.whois.org), they see all of your contact information, including your phone number and mailing address. Everyone has access to this online.

Many domain registrars will offer a privacy option for your new name for an additional fee. With private registration, the registrar creates new proxy contact info for you on the spot. If you can choose private registration, I’d recommend doing this because it will block or reduce both email and snail mail spam.

How Many Years?

Hopefully, you plan to have your website for a number of years. Google and other search engines now check to see how long your domain is registered for when they index your website's pages. Registering for multiple years seems to give sites a small edge in search engine rankings - like Google considers you to be more serious about what you're doing. Five years is recommended, and 10 is great.

If you have questions about this month’ topic, please email me at dac@redkitecreative.com, call 970-372-2125, or visit my site at http://www.redkitecreative.com. I'll be happy to help you!