Let’s say you just purchased a new house. What would you do with the keys? My guess is that you probably wouldn’t misplace or throw them away. Unfortunately, many people do exactly that with their domain name information.

Your domain is a crucial hub for all of your marketing and business operations: web, email, custom software applications, business cards, postcards, television ads and public relations. Everything in some form or another points to your web site address.

Since domain registration costs are anywhere from $10 - $35 per year, it isn’t worth the expense or hassle to let the domain expire.

Save your registration information

Yes, I understand that you probably have way too many usernames and passwords with bunches of different sites. And I’m not going into a lecture about password security here. That said, make sure to actually store your username, account number, password, related email address and registrar provider in a safe place.

What happens when your domain expires?

Some registrars will give you a grace period of a few days or weeks, but once your domain hits the expiration date, expect any services related to the domain (web site, email, etc.) to stop working. And to add insult to injury, many domain registrars will point your domain to a link page with paid advertisements (Google AdWords) based on the keywords for your domain - which means that your competitors might actually show up as links on your domain!

If you catch it quickly, most registrars will let you renew without a penalty, but if you dawdle too long, you may have to pay a reactivation fee which could be anywhere from $25 to hundreds of dollars.

What you should do right now:

1. Determine who the domain registrar is (Network Solutions, Register.com, GoDaddy, etc.) using http://whois.domaintools.com/
2. Locate and test your account information (username & password) with the registrar.
3. Update your contact information. Don’t use an email address that is at the domain that you are registering. Use a domain that is very permanent or through a web-based service like Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo.
4. Set your technical contact on the domain to your web developer or hosting company. When the domain registrar sends an notice about the domain expiring, all of the contacts on the domain receive the email notices.
5. Extend the life of your domain. If your domain is set to expire within the next year, add at least 1-2 more years. Some registrars offer deals for 10 years of registration for less than $100.
6. Put a note on your calendar with the URL for your registrar 90 days in advance of the renewal.
7. Print a copy of your domain registration information.

Free offer: If you email me [howard (at) wwwcomm (dot) com] with your domain name, I will send you a report that shows your current domain record and give you a quick suggestion as your best course of action with your domain name.

Motion graphics such as Flash can be used at the opening sequence of your web site but should be avoided elsewhere unless your company specializes in creating visual media that require motion or animation.

Companies that fit into this category include business involved with

• video games
• film or video editing
• advertisements
• online games
• online video

Even if your company is somehow involved in these activities, animation should be kept to a minimum on your home page, contact page, and “about us” page. Remember that the human eye is drawn not only to light colors, but also to movement.

If your business is focused on creating movement (as in the types of companies listed above), then you can use this to your advantage.  Otherwise, moving graphics or images can distract your customers and prevent them from finding more information about your product or services.  For some individuals this movement can be outright annoying and possibly distracting, causing them to leave your web site long before making a decision on whether or not to do business with you.

Keep in mind that not all consumers have computers that support heavy graphics.  If your effects are too elaborate and your customers have to wait too long for the page to load, this might cause unnecessary frustration and they might leave your site prematurely.

In general, keep your site elegant, simple, and focused on your business.  Unnecessary graphics can distract from the purpose of your web site and dissuade customers from returning.  In place of extensive animation, use colors and static designs that reflect the mission of your company and appeal to your target demographic.

This is the fourth and final article in a series of articles on “Making Your Web Site More Appealing.” 

Consumers will only stay on your web site if it is user-friendly and easy to navigate.  If your customers cannot find information with relative ease, they are bound to leave, possibly choosing to visit a competitor’s site instead. Not only do your navigation bar, tab browsing, and menus need to be easily visible and accessible, they need to provide thorough, relevant information. 

In general, basic tabs and navigation menus need to remain consistent throughout your site.  This means that all tabs, menus, and tools look the same from page to page and can be found in the same location on every page within your site.  Your audience needs to be able to navigate your site from any page with ease and consistency. 

Every tab and menu item needs to link to a page that has information relevant to the title of the link.  For example, if your site has an “About Us” page, the page should have company background, mission statement, location, contacts, etc.  Simplifying or eliminating some of this information can lead to customer frustration and disappointment with your company.  Always deliver what you promise. 

Minimize the number of clicks it takes for your customers to find the information they seek.  All general information about your company, including contact information, background, company goals, and goods and services, should be no more than one click away from the home page.  The fewer the clicks, the quicker customers can find what they are looking for, and the happier they will be. 

Individuals and businesses working in visual mediums generally have a large number of samples or examples of their work.  These artists, media companies, and graphic designers generally have a lot of information to share and need to group their work into a web site that is easy to navigate.  If you have lots of examples of your work, be sure to split your samples into categories that allow your potential clients to find relevant projects with ease.

Furthermore, your web site needs to have information about who you are and what you do somewhere on your home page.  A link to this page should be present on every other page on your site.  That way, if potential customers land on any page in your web site as a result of a general search, they can easily find more information about you and your company by visiting your home page.

A professional web design company should be able to help you organize and promote your information in the best way possible.

Color choices and color placement directly influence the emotions and decisions of the consumer.  In order to manipulate these variables to your advantage, you need to know how consumers react to different colors and designs. Keep in mind that different colors promote different feelings.  For example: 

l Cool colors like blue and green are generally considered calming.

l Hot colors like bright yellow or red are associated with anxiety and frustration.

l Warm colors, like gold and orange, are usually associated with light, warmth, or autumn depending on your demographic. 

Sticking to a single color can look boring, but using a variety of colors can cause confusion.  While professional web design companies can help balance the effects, it’s important to know how mixing colors can work for you. Combining warm and cool hues not only help create a memorable web site, they can also reflect your brand and mission. 

Professional graphic designers and Web design specialists are trained to create web sites that promote your unique business in a way that generates repeat traffic. By using your company’s colors and mixing them with a palette designed around your target audience, Web designers can help you create a memorable Internet presence.

Always keep in mind that the human eye is attracted to light colors and contrast. If you want to draw your consumer’s attention to a specific part of your page, contrast a lighter color against a uniform dark background. For example, you can use a lighter color for your tab browsing while keeping a darker color for your background.  The content of each page should be the focus, however, so you want to be sure that the background of your article or graphic is brighter than the rest of the page. 

Lines and curves can work to your advantage, too. Your consumer’s focus will follow lines and curves until they end. You can use this to direct your reader’s eyes down the page to a specific video or graphic. Take a look at a web page that you like. There is a good chance you can see how the page uses contrasting colors and simple linear structures to keep your eyes focused on the content of the page.

Web designers specialize in creating color combinations that not only reflect your business but also keep the consumer focused on your product.

This is the second in a series of articles on “Making Your Web Site More Appealing.”  The next article will focus on Navigation and Menus.

Before settling on a web site design, you should first consider the needs and interests of your target audience.  As a business owner, you’ve already researched the demographics of your potential customer base and have built your marketing plan around the needs and interests of that audience.  Some of the same rules that govern advertising strategies also apply to website design. 

For example, younger consumers tend to have shorter attention spans and gravitate towards websites with quick information and interactive materials.  Bright colors, videos, and shorter sentences appeal to this unique demographic.  The more you can engage them in interacting with your site, the better. 

On the other hand, older, more educated audiences, have a tendency to want the opposite.  Business owners and executives gravitate more towards quality rather than quantity and value sites that provide more information and less graphics.  Cooler colors, static pictures, and educational materials appeal to this audience. 

Age and education are not the only factors, however, and you’ll need to be aware of all the variables of your target audience before settling on a web site design.  Gender, income, and geographic location all play important roles in establishing the needs and desires of your client base.  In order to get a better feel for the types of sites that attract your target demographic, browse web sites and magazines that have proven appeal to that market.  News web sites, online networking sites, and dating sites all target specific audiences, and you can get a good idea of what appeals to your target market by studying the layout, color scheme, and navigation of these sites.  

Once you have a good idea of what appeals to your ideal customer, hire a web design company that can help you build a web site that attracts your target audience.  Certain web designers specialize in developing web sites that appeal to the specific demographic of your customers.

This is the first in a series of articles on ”Making Your Web Site More Appealing.” The next article will focus on Colors and Designs.