If you are starting the process of setting up a website for your business for the first time, or possibly not getting the results you desire from your current site, chances are that one of your obstacles will be selecting a proper domain name.

Here’s what to look for in a good domain name:

1. Keep it short.
This will help in a number of ways: it will make it easy to fit into logos, makes a better brand, is more easily recognizable, and is harder to misspell.  Long domain names don’t fit in forms, on billboards, or in Google PPC ads. Do your best to keep it as short as possible.

2. Make it memorable.
You want something that is easy to remember, so that your customers don’t have to stop and try to remember what it is. But whatever domain name you choose, it should stick in the mind.

3. Make it unique.
If there is a company with a similar name, try not to use “The” as part of the name and don’t use hyphens either. But you also need to
find a name that can’t be confused with your competitor. You certainly don’t want to help increase their traffic instead of yours!

4. Keep it simple.
If people can misspell something, they will. The longer and more complex your domain name, the harder it is for your customers to type it in correctly. This goes with not using hyphens.

5. Make it relatable.
Do your best to use a domain name as close to your company name as possible.  If this proves difficult, try finding one that exemplifies what your business is all about.

6. .com is the way to go.
If at all possible, get a .com domain. It is still widely considered the most respected. If you can, it’s worth the small investment to purchase your domain with .net and possible even .org extensions as well, just in case someone enters that by mistake, they will still end up at your website and not someone else’s site.

Need help selecting your business domain name?  Not only can we help with that problem, but we will help with all your interactive needs.  So contact us today.

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Do you know what’s actually in your website page footer? You know, at the bottom of your pages. Usually it’s where the copyright information and who designed the site and stuff like that goes. But what else really belongs there?

Some would undoubtedly say that no one looks down there anyway, so why bother putting anything else? While that may be true for some site visitors, it’s certainly not true for all of them. Many people will take the time to look at every detail. Think of it like this, your page is like a piece of property with certain parts being prime real estate, so why not take advantage of each piece?

The footer is a good place to put links for the entire site, unless you have a huge site with tons of pages, but even then it’s still a good idea to place links for the main top level pages.

You may have even seen some websites where they have a contact us form or other information in their footer. While this can be a good idea for some sites, it doesn’t work for every one. Too much information in the footer can be distracting and cause the potential customer to miss other more important details at the top of the page. So be careful what you put down there.

Should you have any questions, please contact us for more information.

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What are static and dynamic websites?

What’s the difference?

True, it’s not always easy to tell which type of site you are looking at upon first glance. But it might surprise you to learn that there are many static websites on the Internet. If the site looks basic and only seems to provide some basic information about the company, it is very likely that it’s a static website.

Disadvantages of Static Websites

• Requires web development (coding) expertise to update the site.  Do you know how to do that?
• The site is not as useful for the user. Only basic information can be found, which will not be enough for the visitor to make a decision to purchase.
• Content can get stagnant.  It is not uncommon to come across a site where it has been left untouched for years.

Dynamic sites on the other hand can be more expensive to develop initially, but the advantages are numerous. A dynamic website can give the site owner the ability to update and add new content to the site whenever you want through an easy to use content management browser interface. For example, news and events, or even new products could be posted.

Advantages of Dynamic Websites

• Provide a much more functional website.
• Are much easier to update.
• New content brings people back to the site and helps with search engines.

Summary
Many sites from the last decade are static, but more and more people are realizing the advantages of having a dynamic website. Dynamic websites can make the most of your site and either use it as a tool to help your business grow with the times or create a professional, interesting experience for your visitors.

If you would like help changing your site from being static to dynamic, please contact us to see what we can do for you.

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Trying to create a secure password can be difficult enough in and of itself,
but trying to remember it can be incredibly difficult. For most people, using
familiar words is the most common route. But this can prove to become commonplace,
using the same password for many sites simply because it’s easier to remember.
So what to do?

Ryan Carson’s blog “How to Create a Memorable Super Secure Password”
provides some great ideas on how to create a memorable password based on a method
by Eric Meyer. The basic idea is to combine two words that you won’t forget,
say two of your favorite things, and combine them with a couple random numbers
in the middle. This makes the password much more secure.

The blog also pointed to a potential problem with the “Forgot Your Password”
function that most login pages utilize. If someone is determined to get your
password and the site uses one of the common password reminder questions such
as, “What is your mother’s maiden name?” it is conceivable
that your password could be easily found through a Google search.

The point is, if you have a login page on your site; please make sure that
your “Forgot Your Password” function uses a question that is different
or perhaps a little more personal and not so readily available.

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