November, 2008
memDesigns - Website & eMarketing News from Molly Morris
You're more than just a pretty page.
Don't lose your domain name
Generally, the domain registrar will notify you by email of your renewal options well before your domain expires, but only if they have your current email address. If they don't, and your reminder is lost, here's what could happen:
If your domain is a .com, then your registrar will likely give you a 30-day grace period during which you can renew it at the regualr fee. After that, your domain goes into a redenption period, typically another 30 - 90 days, during which it is still not released to the public, but you can only claim it back after paying a minimum $100 redemption fee (and these actual fees can be much higher - recently I saw one at $180), plus the regular renewal fee. Finally, if the domain is not renewed nor redeemed, it will be made available to the public and someone else can get it.
If your domain is a .ca, then following any grace period provided, it will be immediately released to the public. There are no redemption periods for .ca's.
The moral of the story is make sure you update your contact information with your domain registrar anytime something changes.
3 Tips to Get Your Website Ready for the Holidays
Molly Morris, November, 2008
Retailers are already in full holiday mode, in everytype of media including, of course, the web. We all want our websites to help make us money, and what applies to business-to-consumer retailers, also applies to business-to-business operations.
A recent survey by eMarketer, the Internet market research and trend analysis people, predicts that online holiday sales will increase by 10% this year over 2007.
Whether you are selling goods or services to the general public or other businesses, now is the time to prepare your online marketing strategy. Here’s a to-do list to help get you started:
1. Add a seasonal promotion to your home page. Everyone loves a deal, and everyone’s receptive to online coupons and discounts. Put a special deal up front on your homepage, and make sure you link to it in your email campaign. In a recent ICOM survey of
2. Launch an email marketing campaign if you haven’t already done so.
If you don’t already have a significant email list, start building one now. You can obtain local business directories that may have addresses you can import to your database, and use a professional, e-marketing solution like ConstantContact, or speak to your web hosting provider who may have an e-marketing package to offer, to build and manage your email campaign. These services will also help you ensure that you are not spamming or violating any mass emailing rules.
3. Use viral marketing to your advantage. Leverage the features of recipients’ e-mail software (i.e. Outlook), and transform a standard e-mail campaign into a powerful viral marketing initiative. Encourage recipients to “share” or “forward” the e-mail to a friend, perhaps offering a referral incentive. Not only will you spread the message but you may also increase the size of your e-mail list for future mailings.
Read more articles on website design and maintenance.
Learn more at http://www.memdesigns.com.
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