Success stories about business and entrepreneurship abound, but we learn the best lessons from when a business bungles and foozles (foozle: clumsily managed)!
Unlike most business resource web sites, this one is for information that you can use. The idea is to help you avoid making bungles already made by others. Learn from their mistakes by reading; it has to beat getting kicked around by the real world!
The following commentary is an example of what is meant by a business bungle and foozle. More different ones will be added to this site. You are invited to send me comments on this one, or suggest an entirely different one from your own experience.
As one unknown wit said,
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment!"
By open discussion on this web site of business bungles and foozles, the intent is to help those who wish to learn how to avoid mistakes they have not yet had a chance to make.
These are things to learn first!
READ ME FIRST:
It is amazing how many business owners still have an e-mail address that does not have their own web site as part of the address. Instead, they have theirname@aol.com or theirname@comcast.com, or the like.
Get it? Is spells beginner! If you do not have your own web address, i.e. DOMAIN NAME, such as "yourbusinessname.com" or "yourbusinessproduct.com", or your own name or the like, get it as soon as possible. You cannot afford not to have a domain name of your own.
Use a host server for your web page/site that includes e-mail service, and you are on your way. You can do the whole package for about ten to twelve dollars a month. If you feel you cannot afford this, then quite frankly, you should not be in business. TIP: Want to use the original primary registrar of domain names instead one of the multitude of subsequent resellers and plow through all of the wide range of "offers"? Then read on.
Consider this: each time you give out your e-mail address, you are also helping direct the user to your web site. Why direct them to AOL.com or Comcast.com or one of the other hosts? Harsh language? Yep! The truth? Yep! Read on!
If you have been in business for more than several years, be sure to add your founding date to reflect your experience. Think about it: when you look for someone to do work for you, you want someone who knows what they are doing. If a business has survived more than several years, the founding date is an asset (I have been doing what I do since 1981).
One more point: Use your web site as your source of literature about your company. You can print it out as you need it. A basic web site can be easily updated. It sure beats being stuck with a pile of outdated literature from a print shop.
WHY WASTE THOUSANDS ON AN EXPENSIVE WEB SITE?
It always stuns me when a small business operator will tell me how much they spent on a web site, and after spending so much money, they did not get good results.
A web address (name), site (home and other web pages) and e-mail address (@your site name) is a global address, and basically an on-line brochure about your entity.It does not matter where you actually are located, as it is an information resource (and in some cases, a virtual store, which has its own set of hazards). If your business has a limited geographic service range, an expensive web site may not be cost effective or gain the return on investment you desire.
Consider this opinion: web sites are not billboards, and expensive glitzy home pages do not stop traffic on the "information superhighway" (i.e. the Internet).
Unlike real highways where advertisers can use signs and glitz to get your attention, the only way anyone will find your web page is if it is a destination, PERIOD!
With millions of web pages on the Internet, your web site is like a small face in a crowded football stadium – no one can spot you from the other side unless they first know where to look, i.e. the destination for their gaze. If they are not sure where to look, most use a quasi-directory, i.e. a search engine, to see if they can stumble over where to look.
Hence, a key concept: your web site is a destination.Use it to provide more information about your entity.
How do you make your web site a destination?Make it easy to find for those you want to attract, and target your marketing communications accordingly. Be sure your web site supports your message and objectives (and if you want to operate an on-line store, it is still the "wild wild west" and the stigma of dot-con instead of dot-com makes most potential customers very cautious of small business operators on the Internet).
Your web site language should express clearly the benefits you offer your potential customers. Smart operators use their web site as an alternative to running up large printing and mailing bills for informational items that are important to their customers. On-line brochures, product or services descriptions, how to use products and services, how to find a location, business hours and contact information, etc., are examples.
Finally, be sure to add your web site name to all of your printed materials, telephone directory listing, etc., and give it to those who ask you to send them more information, etc.
So, do not start out by spending a fortune on your web site! Keep it basic. You can add to it as you gain insights into how it best serves your customers, and potential customers. MasterMinder® Success Systems TIP about web sites and names:
How about a source for your own web domain name, a multiple page web site, e-mail, an easy design package with lots of templates, and just cut and paste your text and images from your computer?Be able to make changes to your web site in the time it takes to click “publish” and see them on the Internet seconds later.All for under $120.00 per year!
I am not kidding (I have been a satisfied customer of Network Solutions for many years. I periodically look at alternative sources, so this is a freely made recommendation based on my actual experience). If you do not already have a domain name, seek one that is available and fits your marketing plan, and then buy it using www.NetworkSolutions.com . Their interactive web site will help you determine availability of domain names.
FLASH: Network Solutions has undergone a major upgrade in all of their features and services, including bundling hosting, domain name and email into an integrated package which includes a very powerful web site design capability. If you can use Word, cut and paste, and do simple formatting in Word, you can use their design package. Cut to the chase now, and paste the first of the following links into your browser to learn more about their nsSpace (small) service for only $95.40 per year. BUT if you are forward thinking, spend just a tad bit more, $119.50 per year and get an incredibly powerful level of Internet capability. Just paste the second link into your browser! BETTER YET, CONTINUE TO SCROLL DOWN ON THIS PAGE AND USE THE SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL ICON AND LEARN WHY IT IS ON THIS PAGE.
NOTE:If you “bought” your web site name from another registrar, you can switch to Network Solutions and still keep the name.It is yours.Call Network Solutions at 1-800-361-5712 for assistance with this rather than try to do it online.
Some of the features of the package described in the second link:
Disk Space
300GB
Monthly Data Transfer
3000GB
nsWebAddress™ Features
Free Domain*
1
Domain Pointers
100
Directory Pointers
3
nsMail™ Features Includes: Symantec Brightmail® Spam and Virus Protection, POP3 & SMTP, Unlimited Email Forwarding, Webmail, Address Book, External Mail, Multi-User Calendars, Task Manager, Photo Albums, Journal Manager, Internet Bookmark Manager
Website Development Features Includes: CGI-Bin Directory, Server Side
Includes (SSI), Perl
Ruby on Rails™
PHP 5(Unix® Only)
Zend® Libraries(Unix® Only)
Python®(Unix® Only)
Java® Servlets(Unix® Only)
—
JSP (Unix® Only)
—
ASP (Windows® Only)
.NET (Windows® Only)
Application & Database Features Includes: Real Audio/Video Stream, Windows Media Streaming, Automatic Database Backup
Cold Fusion® MX (Windows® Only)
—
MySQL® Database(Unix® Only)
25 (300MB)
MS Access (Windows® Only)
5 DSN
MS SQL® Database (Windows® Only)
2 (200MB)
phpMyAdmin (Unix® Only)
Cron Jobs
Caution:If you do not know how to use a simple word processing software, then learn how to do the basic functions of writing, saving, cutting and pasting sections of your text, and spell checking first (or ask your kids for their help).
TIP: If you do not have typical office functions software and cannot afford it, no problem:Go to www.OpenOffice.org for a free and powerful alternative to the expensive software dominated by you know who (well-known software company based outside Seattle).
Note: this web site is a simple example of what can be done using this tip.Some trademarks are the property of NetworkSolutions, and MasterMinder® is the trademark for my Self-Leadership and Success Systems.This web site is a free service to you, and is not sponsored by anyone other than me. While I do not work for Network Solutions, the link below was developed to allow Network Solutions to be a source of modest affiliate fees for placing it on this web site (cost of their services to you is the same when purchased either directly or via the affiliate link; the link just helps fund my visions as noted below). My core intent is to willingly sharing insights to make it easier for you to save time and money. Hence, no liabilities are assumed or implied in any way or manner by making these insights available to you (and all the other usual boring disclaimers that the legal profession can dream up).
Do you Tweet or have a FaceBook following? Would you like to help seed several vital not-for-profit visions? Do you or some of your friends own a small or home-based enterprise, or non-profit?
This web site is an example of what a non-expert can do using the Network Solutions "do-it-yourself" resources for a web name (domain), hosting, and free web site design package. This unique service even includes a thousand Email addresses @ your own domain name, not that of others. For more insights, just click on the flashing "Learn More" link, or you may go to www.4WebSiteToday.com.
Guests on my web sites who click on the "Learn More" button and become users of Network Solutions services will help me afford the time to "seed and feed" some vital not-for-profit visions, including http://USBA.us and http://cTc.tv.
SOME LOW BUDGET WEB SITES YOU CAN VISIT
Want to see examples of web sites based on this tip?Check them out!
Send an e-mail to me with your web site name when you follow this tip, so I can see how you did! Just use the instant input and send form below. NOTE: The web sites listed above are for myself, family, good friends and others who I have helped a bit with this; if your web site provides a good illustration of this particular source package, submit it for my review and I might add it to this list! If you need help, contact me for a quote. Thank you.
READY TO TRY THIS?
If you are a bit uncomfortable with trying to do something as bold as getting your own web domain, doing your own web site, having total control of your e-mail, etc., click on the icon below and print out a picture guide to help you get started. It will tell you a litle bit more about the host and show you screen by screen the steps to take to get yourself started. Contact me if you need some coaching on this, but first try to write what you want to have appear in the text boxes of your web site -- it will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. You will find contact information by clicking through to the web site www.JohnCRandall.com
SORRY, BUT ABUSE OF THE FOLLOWING OFFER HAS MADE IT NECESSARY FOR US TO REMOVE THE ON-LINE FEEDBACK FORM. PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMUNICATION BY MAIL TO P.O. BOX 2800, MECHANICSVILLE, VIRGINIA 23116.
YOUR CHANCE TO TELL YOUR STORY
Interested in contributing your actual experience? Please send me your real experience and insights in an e-mail. It will be subjected to editorial review, and not all e-mails will be posted.
Do not send second hand information, or any material that you have copied from any other source. Your permission to use what you submit is assumed, otherwise do not submit it, OK? NOTE: no liability is assumed or implied by this pooled knowledge, and users are encouraged to independently validate any observations they might feel would apply to their specific case.
If the e-mail situation is abused, we will require use of snail mail, and will not respond to or use e-mails.
VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS WEB SITE
As truly useful resources are posted and feedback supports the concept, tips will be saved as PDF files and cataloged on this page for quick retrieval and printing. If this gets a bit cumbersome, we will adjust accordingly. Let us hear from you.
Helping enterprise, individual freedom and the Truth to grow around the globe!
