SWeCS NEWSLETTER - December 2007
Hi %%First Name%% and welcome to this month's South West eCommerce newsletter.
Thankyou for your support throughout the year, and we wish you all the best for Christmas and for 2008. Please note that our office will be closed from 22 - 27 December 2007.
In this issue...
- Beware Domain Registry Pty Ltd Scam
- How To: Add A New Web Page Using Webedit
- TV Ads - Don't Forget Your Website!
- Resources For Small Business
BEWARE DOMAIN REGISTRY PTY LTD SCAM
Many of you will have received a letter from Domain Registry Pty Ltd recently, asking you to register a domain name. There are a couple of big problems with this:
- The letter is made out to look like an Invoice, when it is not. Although at the top it says "Domain Name Available", further down it looks like an Invoice, and we have received a number of queries from customers wondering why they have to pay, so it is obviously catching some people unaware.
If you look closely, you will notice that the domain name they are offering is most likely a .com version of your .com.au domain, or something similar. That is, you are not required to purchase this domain, it is simply an invitation to purchase another domain.
- Whether you've been caught off guard, or genuinely want to buy it, the price they are asking for is around 600% above market value. For example they are asking $249 for a .com domain name for two years, when the industry average is around $40. Even with the free iPod Shuffle they are offering, people are being significantly overcharged.
If you receive this kind of letter from Domain Registry Pty Ltd, you can safely discard it. If you do wish to purchase the domain name they are offering, we invite you to visit our domains website at http://domains.southwestecommerce.net.au and buy it for $20!
What can you do if you got stung by the scam? Unfortunately, not a lot. We've heard some suggestions that because they have put the words "Domain Name Available" on the letter, then they can get away with it (we can't confirm if this is true though). We would still suggest doing the following:
1. Complain. You can complain direct to Domain Registry Pty Ltd, but I wouldn't wait too long for an answer - as yet they have not replied any of our messages. However if you are a customer of theirs, you may be able to get in contact with someone there. Failing that, try complaining to your local Consumer Affairs Department. Send them a copy of the letter if you still have it.
2. To avoid paying the expensive renewal fee when it's due, you may want to consider transferring your domain name to someone else. Unfortunately, under the .com domain rules, when you transfer a .com domain name you have to pay for an extra year of registration. But for most domain sellers (including us) that is only around $20. Then the domain will be transferred and when it comes up for renewal again, it will be at the lower rate of the new registrar, instead of $249 again.
If you have received a letter from Domain Registry and have a story to share, please email us.
HOW TO: ADD A NEW PAGE USING WEBEDIT
in this new section we go through step-by-step guides on how to solve common queries that we receive. This month is about how to add a new page to your website (Webedit customers only).
- Log into your WebEdit control panel
- In your file list, find any page, but preferably one that is similar to the one you want to create. Click on Copy.
- On the next page, enter a name for the file, without spaces, and make sure that it ends in .htm or .html
- Click on OK.
- The new page will now be created, which will be an exact copy of the other one. Back at the file list, scroll down to the new page you created and click on Edit. You will now be able to edit this page with your content for this new page.
- Don't forget to link to the page from somewhere else, or nobody will find it!
For any WebEdit related queries please contact us at admin@southwestecommerce.com.
TV ADS - DON'T FORGET YOUR WEBSITE!
We've recently seen a few TV advertisements for businesses where we have created a website for them. Nice, brand new websites. But unfortunately, for whatever reason, the website has not been listed in the TV commercial.
Remember that a website that is not advertised is often like a lonely island - nobody will find it unless you tell them it's there. Make sure that your website address is mentioned everywhere - and not only in TV commercials but on company letterheads, business cards, newspaper ads, radio ads, answering machine messages... everywhere! That way you can be sure to get the best return on your investment, and people can check out your products/services anytime - even when you're closed.
RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESS
Browse through the SWeCS Ecommerce Library, full of FREE information about getting more out of the Internet. Sections include Web Site Development, Web Site Promotion & Internet Marketing, Online Commerce, Computer & Technical Issues, and Miscellaneous.
The SWeCS Newsletter archives provides a wealth of FREE information on small business and the Internet. Browse through the main topics or search for your particular query.
Start up another income stream, by earning commissions for each referral who signs up for one of our services.
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