|
My_First_Year_In_Cyber_Space
| My First Year In Cyber Space
My first year as a Cyberpreneur was a steeplearning-curve. I was
an Anthropologist beforestarting an online business, so I had a
lot to learn.But even if you were in offline-business before
goingonline, you may still have to learn some new skills -online
business is a whole new ball-game. Here aresome of the things I
learnt in my first year in CyberSpace:
(1) Be careful who you register your domain with.Some domain
name registrars make it very difficult tochange your web host. I
registered my first twodomains with a registrar that caused me
more headachesthan I care to think about. When I needed to
transferone of my domain names to a new web host, my
originalemail address had changed. I was no longer able tosend
them an email from that address and so I couldn'tauthenticate my
request for domain transfer. So Itried to update my personal
record with my new emailaddress. I got a message saying that I
could onlychange my email address by sending an email from
myoriginal email address (which no longer existed). Sothen I
tried using my password. Again, I got a messagesaying that my
request for transfer of domain mustcome from my original email
address.
This bureaucratic nightmare went on for 4 weeks. Toadd to my
frustration, I was communicating with amachine, not a human
being. By the end of that time Ihad no less than 35
computer-generated emails tellingme that my domain could not be
transferred.
Finally, I sent my request for domain transfer in a5-page fax,
including photocopy of my passport. Theythen sent me an email
saying my request for domaintransfer could not be processed
because my request wasnot on company letterhead. So I designed a
letterheadand re-submitted the 5-page fax. Finally, 6 weeksafter
my first request, my domain was transferred.
To avoid this kind of experience I recommend you
useregister.com:
http://www.register.com
Using their online Domain Manager, it took me lessthan 2
minutes to transfer my domain!
(2) A slow-loading index page is still one of themain reasons
that online businesses lose customers.Surveys show that the
average surfer will wait no morethan 8 seconds for a web page to
load before moving onto another website. So 'load-time' is a
vitalconsideration when you choose a web host. Below is theURL
of a web host directory that allows you to comparethe load-time
of different web hosts:
http://www.hostfacts.com/resources/speed.php3
I use this tool whenever I'm looking for a new webhost.
(3) Once you've designed your home page anduploaded it to your
server space, check to see what itlooks like to other people.
What you're seeing may notbe what other people are seeing.
I once designed a home page I was very proud of - Ihad added a
piece of JavaScript that gave the day anddate. Then one day I
checked my home page atAnybrowser.com. I was horrified to see
that my homepage was invisible except for my company logo and
thenavigation bar. For 2 weeks my home page had beenvirtually
blank to most visitors! So take a minute andlook at your website
through the eyes of yourvisitors:
http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html
(4) If a customer asks you for a refund, give itto them
immediately, even if you think it'sunjustified. You'll be out of
pocket by a few dollars,but your name and your integrity will be
intact. There are so many scams on the Internet that your
mostprecious commodity is your good name. Remember thesewords
from Shakespeare:
"Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he
that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not
enriches him, And makes me poor indeed." (Othello, Act III.
Scene III.)
(5) Reply to emails quickly. Nothing impresses memore on the
Internet than a rapid response to abusiness enquiry. Try and
respond within 2 hours, orat least within 24 hours.
(6) Never reply angrily to abusive emails.Remember: your reply
could be passed on to otherpeople and used against you. An
abusive email can bevery disturbing (I've had three in the
lastyear-and-a-half), but the best thing to do is ignoreit.
Better still delete it - that way you remove itfrom your life
and you remove the temptation to reply.
(7) Lastly, never give up. Most successes are due -more than
any other factor - to sheer persistence:
"Nothing in the world can take the place ofpersistence. Talent
will not; nothing is more commonthan unsuccessful men of talent.
Genius will not; theworld is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence anddetermination alone are omnipotent. The slogan,
'presson' has solved, and always will solve, the problems ofthe
human race." (Calvin Coolidge)
(c) 2001 by Michael Southon
About the author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to get massive free publicity and dramatically
increase traffic and sales. Click here to find out more:
http://www.ezine-writer.com
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
| |
| |
