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My First
Year In Cyber Space
By Michael Southon
My first year as a Cyberpreneur was a steep learning-curve. I was an
academic before starting an online business, so I had a lot to
learn.
But even if you were in offline-business before going online, you
may still have to learn some new skills - online business is a whole
new ball-game.
Here are some of the things I learnt in my first year in Cyber
Space:
(1) Be careful who you register your domain with.
Some domain name registrars make it very difficult to change your
web host. I registered my first two domains with a registrar that
caused me more headaches than I care to think about.
When I needed to transfer one of my domain names to a new web host,
my original email address had changed. I was no longer able to send
them an email from that address and so I couldn't authenticate my
request for domain transfer.
So I tried to update my personal record with my new email address. I
got a message saying that I could only change my email address by
sending an email from my original email address (which no longer
existed).
So then I tried using my password. Again, I got a message saying
that my request for transfer of domain must come from my original
email address.
This bureaucratic nightmare went on for 4 weeks. To add to my
frustration, I was communicating with a machine, not a human being.
By the end of that time I had no less than 35 computer-generated
emails telling me that my domain could not be transferred.
Finally, I sent my request for domain transfer in a 5-page fax,
including photocopy of my passport. They then sent me an email
saying my request for domain transfer could not be processed because
my request was not on company letterhead. So I designed a letter
head and re-submitted the 5-page fax. Finally, 6 weeks after my
first request, my domain was transferred.
To avoid this kind of experience I recommend you use register.com:
http://www.register.com
Using their online Domain Manager, it took me less than 2 minutes to
transfer my domain!
(2) A slow-loading index page is still one of the main reasons that
online businesses lose customers.
Surveys show that the average surfer will wait no more than 8
seconds for a web page to load before moving onto another website.
So 'load-time' is a vital consideration when you choose a web host.
Below is the URL of a web host directory that allows you to compare
the load-time of different web hosts:
http://www.hostfacts.com/resources/speed.php3
I use this tool whenever I'm looking for a new web host.
(3) Once you've designed your home page and uploaded it to your
server space, check to see what it looks like to other people. What
you're seeing may not be what other people are seeing.
I once designed a home page I was very proud of - I had added a
piece of JavaScript that gave the day and date.
Then one day I checked my home page at Anybrowser.com. I was
horrified to see that my homepage was invisible except for my
company logo and the navigation bar.
For 2 weeks my home page had been virtually blank to most visitors!
So take a minute and look at your website through the eyes of your
visitors:
http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html
(4) If a customer asks you for a refund, give it to them
immediately, even if you think it's unjustified. You'll be out of
pocket by a few dollars, but your name and your integrity will be
intact.
There are so many scams on the Internet that your most precious
commodity is your good name. Remember these words from Shakespeare:
"Who steals my purse steals trash;
'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed."
(Othello, Act III. Scene III.)
(5) Reply to emails quickly. Nothing impresses me more on the
Internet than a rapid response to a business enquiry. Try and
respond within 2 hours, or at least within 24 hours.
(6) Never reply angrily to abusive emails. Remember: your reply
could be passed on to other people and used against you. An abusive
email can be very disturbing (I've had three in the last
year-and-a-half), but the best thing to do is ignore it. Better
still delete it - that way you remove it from your life and you
remove the temptation to reply.
(7) Lastly, never give up. Most successes are due - more than any
other factor - to sheer persistence:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent
will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men of talent.
Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan,
'press on' has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the
human race." (Calvin Coolidge)
© 2001 by
Michael Southon
Michael Southon is the author of the popular new eBook, 'Ezine
Writer!' Discover how to dramatically increase your traffic and
sales, starting today: http://www.ezine-writer.com/
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