Are you tossing $100 in the trash?

Many businesses have received a coupon from Google in the mail (the postal mail, that is) worth $100. Most people don't know what to do with the coupon, so lots of people  have been throwing them away.

If you do have one of those coupons and you haven't thrown it away yet, give us a buzz. 262.767.8887. It really is worth a hundred bucks! And, it's an excellent way to push your Web site to a better position in the search results. In other words, using your FREE $100 for some online advertising could ultimately result in more people visiting your Web site.... and finding out what you offer ....and then buying the things you offer.... which is how you make your money!

The Short Story: Google's $100 coupon = money in your pocket.

Don't throw it away. Give us a buzz: 262.767.8887 or email or comment on this posting!

PS: We never lie. There is never a guarantee that your site will be ranked higher in search results. And, if anyone says anything resembling the word "guarantee" when talking about Google rankings, they're not telling the whole truth. Your rank depends on lots of things, including

• your competition


• how savvy they are about online marketing


• your location


• and most of all the quality of your site. It needs to have a great structure, lots of keywords, links and informative content (among other things)

Domain name hijackers -- the nerve!

Here’s a note to us from one of our BeeLine customers. She writes:

Hi, I received notification and an invoice from the Domain Registry of America for a reply to register my website. I don't recall if this is something your company has done for my website or not. Please let me know how I should respond.

Thanks,
Mary

Grrrrrr. This makes me so mad. Domain Registry of America sends you an “invoice” indicating that your domain name is expiring. They ask you to pay immediately to keep your Web site available online. Wow. The nerve of some people.

Trouble is, Domain Registry of America has NOTHING TO DO with your domain name. If they snag you into paying the fake invoice, THEN, they have succeeded in taking control of your domain name. In essence, control of the domain name results in control of your Web site.

You’ve worked hard to promote your business through your Web site by including your Web address on all your printed materials, billboards, and other advertising. If someone nabs your domain name, you may need to start over with a new name. It would be like changing your phone number, which would require you to reprint business cards, brochures, re-letter your vehicle, etc. etc. What a pain.

If you’re a BeeLine customer, in most cases we manage your domain name for you. Or, if you’ve opted to manage it yourself, we’ve given you detailed instructions on how to keep your domain name safe. When we manage names (recommended), we always notify you a couple of months in advance of the expiration. This leaves plenty of time for renewal before there’s any danger of the name expiring. That notification always comes from BeeLine, not from any other company or registrar.

Registrar: the company where your domain name is registered. Registration is always done online. If you manage your own name, you should have a user name and password for accessing your account on that site.

If you ever receive notification from any company claiming to be “renewing” your domain name, be absolutely sure you’re dealing with a legitimate company and that they are really your domain registrar.

If you’re not a BeeLine customer or don’t know who is managing your domain name, give us a buzz. We’ll be glad to tell you the status of your domain name for free. And, if you need help managing your domain or site, we can do that, too. We’ve helped dozens of companies straighten out domain name and hosting problems.