|
Welcome to capeTWisco.com |
Are you the ruler of your Domain? In this day and age, there isn't one possible reason why any business or organization doesn't own their own domain name. The Internet has easily surpassed the telephone book for information gathering and you need to embrace the trend or get lost in the dust. Most of all, securing a domain identical to your business name is the highest and best use of your marketing dollars. Through companies like www.GoDaddy.com you can register your domain for less than $10 a YEAR and it includes e-mail, a free "billboard" on the information highway and/or web forwarding and masking to name a few. It's even a good idea to purchase additional versions of your Domain (for misspellings) and for your events, promotions or programs. Each of these can act as a forwarding address that all lead your patrons TO YOU! I've created this example to illustrate how Web Forwarding and Masking works. If you've entered this page from our members' site, you'll notice that the address in your browser reads: http://www.doorcountyvisitorbureau.org/capetwisco.htm but, if you if you click on: www.capetwisco.com you'll notice that this same page shows up with my custom domain name. The same can be done with your InnLine Page. So, what's happening? I secured the Domain Name www.CapeTWisco.com (an altered "Escape to Wisconsin" bumper sticker) - and, instead of building another website, I simply pasted the URL of my web page into the Web Forwarding feature offered by GoDaddy.com. I also activated the "Web Masking" feature so when you are redirected to my page, you will also notice that capetwisco.com shows up in the address line instead of the original web address.
If you have any questions about this at all, please let me know. phil@doorcounty.com
A word or two about e-Mail addresses. I can't say enough about the importance of reflecting your "Brand" in your e-mail. I cringe when I see members using "disconnected" e-mail addresses that have nothing to do with their business name - or worse yet, a "free" e-mail addresses like: beerprincess@hotmail.com. If I'm doing business with you, I have to question your integrity when you are using an anonymous e-mail address through a free service.
What can you do about it? 1.) When you register a domain, it typically comes with at least one personalized e-mail (if not more) and a feature called a "Catch-all" account. A Catch-all account receives any e-mail sent to your domain - even if your customer has misspelled or guessed your address unsuccessfully. i.e. info@capetwisco.com ; email@capetwisco.com ; phil@capetwisco.com ; phill@capetwisco.com ; fill@capetwisco.com etc. even though I've really only activated one account, I will still receive all of them. These accounts can also be setup to automatically forward to the e-mail address you are currently using so you don't have to check multiple accounts. 2.) If the above is not an option for you, you are invited to request an "Alias" address through the Door County Visitor Bureau. An Alias address is simply a forwarding address that routes your mail into an existing account. The alias address will be setup with your BusinessName@DoorCounty.com - which also tells your customer "Who you are" and "Where you are". This way your e-mail will have a professional finish with a promotional value. To request your Alias e-mail address, e-mail your request to Phil Berndt at phil@doorcounty.com. Please include the name of your business and the address you wish to have your incoming e-mail forwarded to. It's all very easy but, the choices can be easily overwhelming. If you ever have a question or would like some help wading through the information, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm happy to help where I can. Phil
|
