Website Rip-Offs...Jeff Is Mad

February 27, 2008
Volume 2 Issue #8 

I'm mad! If you know me, you know I don't get mad very often. Now I may have a long memory and have been known to even the score for some alleged wrong after years, but mad...not often! 

Mad, me? It could be that I dont leave the World Headquarters (10 steps from the bedroom and about 30 paces from the kitchen) often enough, especially this winter. No visits to our beloved Beaver Island since October. A big outing is walking to the mail box at the end of the driveway. But, cabin fever isnt the reason. 

Why am I mad? I have been getting an increasing number of calls and emails from my clients in a panic because they are going to lose their websites. They get scary faxes or emails saying RENEW YOUR DOMAIN NOW with us or risk the consequences. Lots of confusing, legal sounding print accompanies the message.  

Im not mad because I get the calls or emails; I actually like talking to my clients. What makes me mad is the small print in the scary messages which reads transfer your domain to us which is somewhere hidden away in the message. These are solicitations to transfer, not renewals. Usually the price is inflated. One I checked cost $30 per year as compared to the $6.99 per year that my customer was paying for the exact same service. Ouch. 

How do you prevent getting ripped off? When you sign up for a domain name write down the following: (1) the name of the company you bought it from, (2) your user name and password, (3) where to log into the account, (4) how much it cost and (5) when you have to renew. Keep your email address up to date with the company because that is how they reach you. When it is time for renewal you will usually get a simple email from your registrar telling you it is time to renew with simple instructions on how to do it. Sometimes your domain name that you are using belongs to someone other than you, such as a template company; try to find out how you can get ownership of the domain name. 

When you sign up for a website this whole domain name issue seems like just a small obstacle to getting your site online. When you want to move your website to a different company such as from a Big Nationally Known Template Company With Numerous Outages and Indifferent Customer Service to a Great Smaller Company With Responsive Customer Service (names of companies have been not so cleverly disguised) you will need this information. In English, get the information about your domain name in the beginning. 

The whole issue of what goes into a website and who does what is confusing. I am going to attempt to clarify it for you with some clever analogies by explaining the 3 parts of a website. 

Part 1- Your domain name. This would be equivalent to the name you were given at birth, in my case, Jeff Stone, or for my domain name, NextLevelSolutionsForRealEstate.com. There is a company called your registrar who records your name in the big Internet Book. No one else can use that name as long as you have paid for it and are current with your payments. Cost is between $5-$10 per year but there are companies that charge between $30-$35 per year for the same service. For those of you without websites, it is still a good idea to secure a domain name for future use. 

Part 2- Hosting. Think of hosting as your home on the Internet. This is where people go to find you, just like your house. Hosting companies vary in the services they offer and the cost varies also. This can range from a few dollars a month into the hundreds when combined with (Part 3) for a very elaborate site. Hosting companies can help you register your domain (Part 1). They often combine hosting with (Part 3) 

Part 3- Content and Design. So far you have a name and a place to live; now you need some clothes and a personality. The clothes and personality part usually can be provided by a template company, an independent web designer or you could do it yourself. The cost of this third step varies the most. Content providers/web designers often host your site and combine the cost (Part 2 + Part 3). Content and design is the most important part of the equation because it reflects on how visitors to your site see you. 

Some points to keep in mind. 

Keep your email address current with your domain registrar, hosting and website content providers. They all use email to contact you. 

Find out how long your agreement is with your hosting company. You can easily switch hosting companies but you may be obligated to pay them for a year as is the case with some major, well known national template companies. 

From your website provider, find out what your rights are in using the content and design of your website. The design and content may not belong to you. 

I feel much better now that I have gotten my anger out in the open. I hope this newsletter helps you as much as it helped me. The next time you get one of those scary messages, feel free to call or email us. 

Monthly Tech Tip

This months tip is to gather the information about your domain and hosting providers. Put the information in a safe place. Make sure you know when your accounts expire and how much you are paying.