The Marketing Square

Site Domain May Be Expired

Rebekah Brown — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:05:44 +0000

Your domain has expired
You go to your site and it says that your domain is hosted by GoDaddy, network solutions or a multitude of other registers. You don’t know what to do. Your Web Guy set it up for you and your domain is under him. There are ways to get it back, but it does require some work from your Web Guy. So you need to use words like transfer domain control, please. They might not know what you are talking about, there are several domain hosts that simplify the process. Working with one of them its as simple as a couple of clicks to change it over to you. Here’s the thing, Google gives you points based upon how long you have had your domain, so it’s important for you to hold onto it. Simply getting a new one is really your last option. Think of all the printed materials and e-mails you have sent out that contain your domain. It’s time to get that domain back and hold onto it.

Ask the Web Guy
Contact a qualified Web Guy to solve your website problems. Send the Web Guy, Jonathan Maue, a question and it may be selected for posting on The Marketing Square website. Maue will respond using 14 years of website construction and digital expertise to answer your questions.

[contact-form]

Passwords Can Keep You Out of Your Site

Jonathan Maue — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:00:19 +0000

I can’t find my passwords so how can I get into my site?
The web guy set it up, but now you need your passwords in order to make changes, right? Many times you can contact your host unless you don’t know who your host is? There are tools for that too, but things can get complicated really fast, especially if you didn’t have your own server plan and are just an add-on domain to your Web Guy’s site. Best advice: pay for it yourself with a credit card to ensure the host company will talk to you because you pay the bills. Or find a Web Guy you can trust.

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3 Hours Activating Not-So-Smart Phones

Rebekah Brown — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:32:29 +0000

Verizon said that there were no reported problems, “no ma’am, what you’re experiencing…”

Bull torso! I know a lie when I hear it. Three hours, two computers, four e-mail accounts, two cell phones, two smart phones and three VZW operators and two supervisors later, two Droid X were activated. At midnight.

Get ready for some lies and some time to get to the sleek but not-so-smart phone up and running. (Remember: beauty and brains…not generally a hand-in-hand situation).

It was chronicled in reviews in July. It’s September and still happening:

1. There are no activation directions in the box (six ultra teeny tiny books, no hints on activation. Just turn phone on.)

2. No directions expressing the need to synch contacts on G-mail or through VZW backup assistant BEFORE activation (If you have 500+ contacts don’t do anything VZW tells you. Hang up, use backup assistant check in on VZW account online and G-mail and protect your contacts! Or go to a VZW store.)

3. Setup G-mail BEFORE activation

4. You will be calling VZW when Google and VZW passwords force errors

5. Have VZW account and online passwords handy and they won’t work so call VZW again

6. Oh, wait. You’re still on the phone waiting because they lied to you about G-mail synch issues

7. Don’t call after 11 p.m. (Pssst, their tech staff isn’t available. Demand a supervisor.)

8. Have a landline or another phone available to call from when your Droid X doesn’t activate properly (because get this: they want to call you to calm you down cuz you’re mad now)

9. And have your Google account, VZW online, and a third e-mail account available to receive all the new passwords you have to setup

9 a. Wait, it takes 3-5 days to get your new VZW password (keep your old phone on “airport mode” and sure, you can access your contacts like this — VZW suggestion, not mine)

10. Other than that, the phone is cool

Secure Checkouts Secure Sales

Jonathan Maue — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:34 +0000

My website isn’t secure and buyers are stopping before checkout…why?
There probably used to be a lock icon that would come up when you checked out, now it’s not there and sales have plummeted. Is your SSL up to date? Are you using a shared certificate? Do your images link properly? All of these issues could lead to this. Ask your Web Guy…

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Some E-mail Addresses Will Draw SPAM

Jonathan Maue — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:00:14 +0000

Why am I getting lots of SPAM?
Every day you are getting 30 messages promising you health, wealth and computer help, but you didn’t sign up for these e-mails. Maybe it’s because you have an info@yourdomain.com e-mail address, or maybe it’s because your e-mail address is plastered all over your website like stickers on a VW bus. Either way, there are solutions for all these problems. Your website could be the source of this and it’s time to clean it up….maybe its time to ask your Web Guy…or get a new Web Guy.

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Improperly Built Sites Can Increase Hosting Costs

Jonathan Maue — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:00:45 +0000

Why did my host sent me a bandwidth notification?
You don’t know why you went through 1500 M/B’s this month, but they are saying that every additional meg is going to be XX or they want you to upgrade to a more expensive package. You don’t know why?
Maybe it’s because you are hosting a “cool” video that is 90 megs per view? Or maybe it’s your bloated visuals and images that are sized improperly. Or maybe your Web Guy was placing music files on there for his buddies to download. Either way, there are simple solutions to these problems.

[contact-form]

Website Appearance Varies by Browser

Jonathan Maue — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 06:00:48 +0000

My site looks fine in Firefox, looks terrible in Internet Explorer. Why?
There are many different browsers and sites look different in Firefox than they do in Internet Explorer. Why? Internet Explorer conforms to its own set of standards. Firefox is more in line with the W3C standards, but Explorer reads padding and positioning statements within the code differently. There are many tools to check to see how your browser looks in both and in older versions of Explorer. You need to be aware that there are many computers out there that are running older versions of the software you or your developer have. Seeing your site on your developers website is different than what someone else sees on their laptop or home computer.

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What Every Web Guy Should Know

Jonathan Maue — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:42:49 +0000

Everyone has a “Web Guy.” It’s usually a relative or maybe a neighbor kid. It could be a friend. But you got him (or her) for free. Tell the truth.You don’t pay him. He hooks you up with the basics and because you’re technologically challenged you’re ecstatic that he’s helping you. Whatever he does is just great.

Until there’s a problem.

Your Web Guy Isn’t the Problem
There are many website problems out there, but the biggest is that you’ve decided to use an unqualified person to run the Internet and revenue-driving portion of your business.

If you expect success on the web, you aren’t going to get it cheaply if it’s going to be done right. But the rewards and hassle-free approach to digital business can propel your brand forward.

Another Way to Look At It
When you take your car to get new brakes, you wouldn’t do the brakes yourself or have your nephew who had watched someone else do brakes work on your car. Certainly there are many ways to cut costs, but your Internet presence should be handled by a qualified Web Guy.

It’s helpful if you use a web firm, maybe someone who has been building websites since the web was young…maybe even someone who sees the bigger picture beyond the zeroes and ones.

Awkward Silence
You call your Web Guy because something isn’t right with your website. It’s all jacked up. You’re panicked but you dial his number, take a deep breath and wait while the phone rings. You’re going to ask him to check it out if he’s got time today. But the phone keeps ringing. And ringing.

There’s no answer. Voice mail. Your Web Guy is on vacation.

National Computer Chain Store Service
You call up a national computer chain to see how much they’ll charge to look at your site….can they look at your site?

The conversation goes a little like this:
“You have the passwords?” they ask.`
“No,” you say.
“Well you’ll be needing those,” they say. “They’re kinda important. We can’t access your site without them. Who’s your web host?”
“I don’t know,” you say.
“We need that to get into your account. No, we can’t break into your site. You sure you don’t have an e-mail from him with this information?”
“No,” you say. “Nothing.”
“Well you’ll have to wait for him to get back from vacation. Good luck.”

Questions to Test the Qualifications of Your Web Guy

Is my site on Google?
Do you use web master tools?
Do you program in Flash or HTML?
Can you edit raw HTML?
How do you compress your images?
Can you put my site on Google analytics?
Can you add e-mails to my site?
What if someone leaves the company? How do I get those e-mails?
I have old e-mail accounts, want to consolidate to one, can you help me do that?
How can I increase my page rank?
What can I do to increase the likelihood that my site will be found in local searches?
Can you send me a list of sites you’ve built?
How can I get in touch with you?
Where do you host your sites? Why do you host them there?

[contact-form]

Visitors Test Websites Daily

Rebekah Brown — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:42:28 +0000

Test 1: Image
When clients visit your website the first thing they check is appearance and image.

What does your look say about you and what is your image? Is it apparent when people look at the site or do they have to click through to find out more. It’s not a treasure hunt. Visitors want to know what you’re all about and should see it.

Test 2: Function
The second test will be functionality. How well does your website work? Is it user-friendly or does it take forever to load?

Few clients will look past a dated, confusing landing page. But if you can’t be reached with one click because the site is down, an error message pops up, or a link is broken, the visitor has moved on to the next website.

Test 3: Contact
Does your e-mail form work and how quickly can they reach you? Can they reach you? Do you have a prompt that is updated to tell them that you will contact them immediately or within an hour? Does it link to your phone? Do you bother to respond to e-mails?

Do clients have to call you or can they catch you on Facebook or Twitter? Does your telephone number accept calls 24 hours a day? Will you be able to answer questions or will you drop the ball and lose a prospective client?

Test 4: Checkout
Some clients may be visiting to buy a product unless of course your PayPal button is broken.

Your checkout cart may be sticking…a little. Your product pictures may not allow them to click through to the next page or enlarge or get product details. Your form may be dysfunctional or you may not be “safe” to shoppers.

Success or Failure is One Click Away
Every link on the site should push visitors to another level of your site. But one bad click will stop the visitor where they are.

It doesn’t matter that you’re fixing it soon or that an existing client sees this and has been with you for years. Your website tells a visitor everything they need to know in one click.

Can your site pass these tests?

Welcome to The Marketing Square

The Marketing Square — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:31:27 +0000

We specialize in building e-commerce and content-rich websites that are user-friendly for visitors and administrators. We provide clients instant Search Engine Optimization, Google rankings and searchable content to drive traffic and sales.
Welcome to The Marketing Square.