the sephone blog

As business owners- sure gas prices effect how we do business.

• Do you take the meeting for a probable project knowing the likelihood could be 50:50 and it will cost a tank of gas?
• Do you expect the client to always make the trip??
  Would they??
• Now who would blame them if they dont?

So what to do?

For Starters- Make your customers know (or re-enforce) they can do business with you online or atleast give them enough information regarding you and your services to be able to make a good decision.

Yes, OK I know you are already doing this…. but it cant hurt to refresh the message.  Especially now- keeping your site fresh and relevant is more important than ever.

Would you  buy a stale loaf of bread from a reputable baker? or would you expect them to have the freshest in town.  If not- then  go to the next one down the street- sometimes sacrificing quality over “value”.

This doesnt take alot of effort, but some.

IF you can- offer incentives or specials to entice them to “come-in” or log-in.  Anything that makes sense is something to consider-  Just don’t give things away.

Marketing is the last thing to cut when times are difficult- same with your web presence-  keep it fresh- and drive more people to it any way you can!  The more the merrier.  Right!?

A Side Note!

Twice this week two of our clients experienced undesired domain expiration syndrome (domainus_expiridius latin).  This is where the client does not own their own domain and allows their hosting provider or marketing company register the domains in their own name. Then through a series of events- the domain is allowed to expire and the related website stops serving….  This could be terminal!

If you are not referenced on the domain record as the registrant…Admin Contact… then YOU DONT OWN THE DOMAIN.

Unscroupulous organizations can use that as a means to hijack your domain or in this case- allow it to expire due to lack of response regarding a renewal notice, then buy it and try to “Sell” it back to you.

Dont let this happen to you.  Make sure YOU are the named contact as the ADMIN contact on the domains you own; and that the email address associated with it is current.  Your hosting provider can be the Billing and Tech contact- but you should be the admin contact.  Also see if your provider can set it to automatically renew.  We do!   This way- it should never end up in the bit-bucket!

There are exceptions to every rule- so just because your provider does register in their name- doesnt mean they are bad or wrong-  it could have a valid reason.

But-  did you lose a domain?   How much did you spend to get it back??

Ask yourself that.  Can you afford to lose your domain?

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