by Jonathan Crossfield

And the day started out so smoothly as well.At midday today, The Australian Domain Name Administrator (auDA) announced to the Australian domain industry that they had terminated the accreditation of Bottle Domains, the domain provider set up by Nick Bolton of Australian Style.Yes, that Nick Bolton – this week’s media villain and alleged corporate greenmailer who scuppered his own resolution to resolve the debacle of BrisConnections after selling his own proxy votes for $4.5 million.Makes it far easier to cast Bolton as the villain and auDA as the sword of righteousness when he’s already been attacked for his rampant capitalism in the press. But is that accurate or even fair? How is this an appropriate and constructive response that benefits the Australian domain industry? What about the innocent victims in all this – and there are a fair few thousand of them!Without going into details about security breaches and who did what when and reported which to who and responded how to wherever, the question still has to be asked whether stripping Bottle Domains of their accreditation is anything other than a ’scorched earth’ approach to registrars and damn the consequences. Whether Bottle Domains had breached their obligations or not, the ramifications of cancelling their accreditation causes far more damage to far more people and businesses.Cove is a domain name provider that resells from Bottle Domains, and as such has suddenly found themselves reacting to a situation not of their making but with potentially serious consequences for their business model. They now have to find a new registrar that fits their current IT set-up or spend more money developing and tailoring their website to accomodate a new api or reseller arrangment. And they are only one of a number of resellers caught unawares.Domain providers have been inundated with confused customers receiving emails from auDA regarding their Bottle Domains acoounts, concerned whether this is a scam or whether they need to take action. As domain providers received notification of the major event at the same time as everyone else, they have been unprepared to provide the advice and service the customers need at a time like this.And then there are the thousands of customers themselves, confused by media releases, auDA announcements and conflicting reports. Originally, the auDA announcement only covered Bottle Domains, prompting an announcement from BD this afternoon that .com.au domains could safely be transferred back to one of the other accredited businesses in the same group – the similarly named Bottle. Not long afterwards, News.com.au reported that Bottle and Domain Central may also lose accreditation, throwing attempts to reassure customers into doubt.According to News.com.au, Chris Disspain of auDA says, “We are currently considering what, if any, action to take in respect to those two (other) registrars bearing in mind there is a continuity of management between them and Bottle Domains.”Bolton is continuing to dispute auDA’s claims of wrongdoing. Earlier today, he commented to News.com.au that, “We are in state of disagreement with the position (of the) registrar and are taking measures to remedy the matter. We deny that there was a breach.”Breach or not, the losers in this situation are those workers who risk losing their jobs in Bolton’s domain enterprises and Bottle Domain’s resellers if the situation isn’t swiftly resolved. Then there all the customers inconvenienced (to put it politely) by being forced to find a new registrar. Many will also feel the need to transfer hosting, if confidence in Bottle Domains suffers – a risky and time-consuming process that can be a real headache for small business owners with limited technical skill.There is no doubt that Bottle Domains are not the only ones punished by auDA’s actions, making today’s announcement not only unfair but potentially damaging for the entire Australian domain industry and local online business.

By Jazial Crossley

With websites often operating on a global level, it can be difficult to know on whom to pinpoint the responsibility for an internet scam. With no one to place the blame on, consumers are left lost as to how they can reclaim stolen funds. By adhering to the following advice, you can stay safe when shopping online and provide your e-commerce customers with peace of mind.

Send Away The Scammers

Some credit card companies offer refunds on scam purchases, but it depends on the brand of card and/or your insurance policies. To be safe, make sure that a website’s payment portal is verified by Visa and/or has security certificates displayed. Avoid get rich quick schemes and remember the motto that if anything looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you come across a website or email that claims to earn you millions of dollars or trace your genealogy, be very suspicious. Investment websites are not worthy of your trust, so it’s best to stick to traditional methods of investment. The terms “anti-ageing”, “instant millionaire” and “this is not a scam” should set of immediate warning bells.

Quotes from so-called customers on the site are not quite enough to earn a security seal of approval. How do you know if the quotes are from real people, or made up? As above, enter the company name in to a search engine and analyse the occurrences of the business’s name on other sites. If you have lost money in an internet scam, phone the ACCC on 1300 302 502.

Fight For Your Right

Current Australian legislation states that the ACCC can take action under the criminal consumer protection provisions (which attract monetary penalties) in the Federal Court. As a consumer, you have the right to make a complaint against a company or individual who has failed to provide the products and services money has been exchanged for. The claimant must demonstrate that the product supplied by the manufacturer or importer was defective, and that the defect was the cause of a loss or injury. The problem with online fraud is proof, when websites can disappear from a domain and leave evidence that is transferable to the real world of transactions.

Safety-Proof Your Site

Your website needs to be as safe an environment for the customer as a physical, walk-in shop would be. “As a merchant, you want to process transactions as securely as possible,” Brett Fenton, Chief Operating Officer of Netregistry advises.

• People trust credit card transfers because they can, depending on the credit card provider, come with the added safety of being able to cancel fraudulent transactions.
• Money orders or Western Union Transfers, when paying for products, come across as a little technologically backward these days. Stick with something like StoreXpress that keeps payments to you secure.
• Include offline contact details, and respond to customer enquiries.
• User-generated content like a forum, where customers can comment about your service, will help to prove you’re genuine and make potential clients feel more secure

It’s Not All Bad News

The shady characters lurking on the internet can unfortunately give the whole e-commerce industry a bad name. While it’s true that are some wicked scams online, there are also many reputable businesses trading fairly and offering superior service. One of the greatest pleasures of online shopping is having access to stores the world over rather than being restricted to the tenants of your local mall. With a credit card, you have the freedom to make purchases from retailers on a global scale from your own home in a way that was never possible before the internet. As long as you follow standard safety and security procedures, your shopping should be hassle-free.

Got a domain name sat on the shelf? Have you registered domain names but have yet to find the time, motivation or advice to do anything with them?

You’re not alone. Every month thousands of domain names are registered and left ‘orphaned’ without a website. Many expire after the two year registration period, the novelty having worn off. There are many reasons why these domains can remain unused and unloved, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Reasons for Domain Abandonment

Registering the domain name is the first part of the online process, but many potential online entrepreneurs stop at this step for various reasons.

• Unsure of the next step
• Lacking the time to research, build and administer a website
• DIY attempts to build a website fail
• No firm online business plan
• Only securing the business name to prevent anyone else grabbing the domain
• Concerns over the cost of developing a full website
• Fear of failure
• Seemed like a good idea at the time

It is true that many online services websites assume a greater degree of internet knowledge than the average business owner or layman would possess. Sometimes, finding the simple instructions and advice can seem too difficult, leaving you with a domain you don’t know how to use.

It doesn’t need to be this way. It is possible to get your domain working for you quickly, easily and inexpensively. If you have long term plans for a larger website, fine. But releasing a small, simple site can get you one step closer to your major goals and prevent your motivation stagnating.

Step one: Hosting

Hosting doesn’t need to be expensive. In fact, for your first website, it may cost you no more than four cups of coffee a month. If you don’t understand what web hosting is or why you need it, don’t panic. Web hosting is equivalent to renting the space for your shop – except in this case it is on a computer server and is dramatically cheaper.

For more information on web hosting – how it works and what it all means – read “Web Hosting – Do You Know What You’re Paying For?”

Web hosting can be set up with a phone call or with a few clicks online.

Step two: Building a website

The easiest way to get a website up and running would be to use the website builder software that comes with many hosting accounts, such as Netregistry’s free SiteBuilder. Website builders allow you to build a website with no programming skills whatsoever. Merely drag and drop the elements and images, type in your copy and the software assembles the finished site for you.

If time and confidence are preventing you from building your own simple site, there are many design services available to build whatever you need. By noting down websites that you believe are effective or present the right look and feel for your business, you can easily provide enough information for a designer to develop a website for you – and it doesn’t need to be expensive. Most of the expense in websites comes when additional features are added; such as content management systems, interactive features, Flash imagery and so on. A simple five page website can not only cost a lot less, but still appear professional and drive sales enquiries.

As time passes and budget allows, additional features can always be added, but by starting with a simple website, you can launch an online business and get the ball rolling sooner.

Domains Have Feelings Too!

Domains like to be used. They are designed for one thing – to point to your website. Without a website, domains lie orphaned, just waiting for the registration period to expire in the hope someone else may register them and put them to work.

For a few dollars a month (if you used the website builder software) your domain can become active and working for your business. After all, if you keep it simple and cheap, it will be a lot easier to return on that investment. One domain name and a small hosting account may only require a couple of sales per month to put you in profit.

So if your grand online plans aren’t ready to launch or if motivation, time or money have prevented you from thinking about your domains for a while, dip a toe in the water with a cheaper, simpler website solution and make your domain names happy once more.

Turn Your Domain into a Business Machine

If you don’t already have a domain name, register it by clicking this link.

Call 1300 725 913 today.

It may seem obvious, but many websites fail because they don’t clearly articulate why – or even what – a visitor to the site should do. Sure, you as the business owner want them to buy your product or enquire after your service, but have you told them that? If you have lots of traffic coming to your website, are you directing it in the best way to lead as many people as possible to the right outcome?

Every website should have a specific goal. For some it may be to process complete transactions, for others to generate enquiries, or answer customer support queries or drive people to the high street store, etc, etc. If you know what the goal of your website is, it needs to be clearly articulated throughout the site to increase the chances of a visitor taking your desired action.

When designing a website, each page should have a purpose that contributes to the goal – otherwise, cut it out. An ‘About Us’ page can provide reassuring information about your experience and areas of expertise, helping convince a customer to trust your offer. A product page obviously provides detail on each item or service that can be bought. The home page introduces visitors to the site and directs them to the best way of continuing their quest. Each of these pages should offer a further step along the chain to the desired result.

Ideally, a webpage should have a single goal, so as not to confuse or overwhelm the reader. If you provide too many different choices for the user to take, the result may be that they take none. If you have a vision in your mind of the journey your perfect customer will take through the site, you can enhance those pages to increase the chances of this occuring. If the best action for the customer to take on the “About Us” page is to then choose a product, ensure that theme is woven into the copy and easy one-click access is provided to do just that. If you would ideally want the customer to lodge an enquiry after viewing a product page, clearly articulate that in a prominent position and ensure the customer knows how to do this.

The call to action

The call to action is a key part of any marketing copy. It is the short phrase or line that motivates the reader to take the desired action. Successful calls to action have a number of features.

1. They are time bounded, meaning that the reader has to act now or risk missing out. This places urgency on the reader to do something straight away rather than think about it. Sometimes this is a deadline, such as the closing day of a sale. Sometimes it can be related to impulse and inspiration. “Act now!”

2. They repeat the key benefit of the offer, briefly and persuasively.

3. In some cases, there may even be an element of risk associated with not taking the offer. “Can you afford to risk your family’s safety?” “Act now, before your competition does!” Risk and fear can sometimes be powerful persuasive techniques, but only if your product warrants it. No one would market a child’s doll that way.

4. The catchier the better. You want to engage with the customer and that often takes a bit of creativity. If the customer is going to read your words, make them worth reading.

A classic example of a call to action, emblazoned across car bumpers and lamp posts all over the world, is Herbalife’s “Lose weight now. Ask me how!” It contains urgency – “now” – reiterates the benefit – “lose weight” – and explains how to take action – “ask me how” – all while being punchy and even rhyming.

By ensuring your web pages contain calls to action at relevant points can help motivate your visitors to take the action you want them to take.

Usability

A key component of a customer’s ability to do what you want is making it easy for them. How usable is your site? Does the menu make it easy to identify where to go? It is usually safest to stick with commonly used page titles and menu items as users have become familiar with what they mean and can easily find their way around. We all know what to expect from an “About Us” page, but would everyone assume the same from “Company Info”? That title could equally apply to a page containing contact details and therefore is more ambiguous.

Your goal in planning a website is to keep customers on the path. The fewer forks in the road and the fewer confusing signposts can help lead your site visitors where you want them to go.