Website Design - WebConsulting | Website Optimisation, SEO & Design

How to avoid Domain Renewal Scams

Most website owners, whether they own just one domain or hundreds of domains, will at some stage be approached by unscrupulous organisations, trying to get them to renew their domain names or buy new domain names at hugely inflated prices.

I regularly get enquiries from my clients who have received a “Domain Name Expiration Notice” email or even a letter in the post from some official sounding business (such as “Domain Renewal Group” or plenty of others). However, I suspect that many of them just receive n invoice, assume it is legitimate and go ahead an pay it. This initiates a transfer of the domain to a new registrar, and means that future renewals will continue to be at the inflated price (unless of course they get another domain renewal scam letter in the interim)

Unfortunately, it is usually the small business owners who normally get burnt by these schemes. They know that they have a domain name, and that it needs to be renewed every now and again, but get confused by the technical details, assume it is OK, and go ahead an pay.

One of the problems is that these renewal scams are in many cases not illegal, but they are certainly unethical. They prey on the naivety of website owners who assume that the notifications and invoices they receive are legitimate.

How do Domain Renewal Scams work?

Domain name renewal scams are setup to work in a number of ways.

You might be sent an invoice for a domain name that is very similar to your current domain name – the scammer hopes that you don’t notice the difference and just pay the invoice.
You might receive notification that someone is trying to register your domain with a different top level domain or country domain and they are trying to help you “protect your intellectual property” by offering you first option.
Alternatively, you could be sent a letter that looks like a renewal notice for your actual domain name, but is from a different company to the one which your domain is actually registered.

Check your Domain

The job for domain renewal scammers is pretty easy, because in most cases information about who owns domains (including contact details) is publicly available, although, there is often an option for you to make this information private as a part of the registration process – for an additional fee.

You (and anyone else, including domain scammers) can check the details of your own domain by using a WHOIS service such as www.domaintools.com. Simply enter your domain name, and click submit to see what information is publicly available. Different types of information are available depending on the type of domain name you have, but the main things that you should be aware of is :

who your registrar is (this is the organisation that your domain is registered with) and
when is the domain due to expire.

How to avoid Domain Scams?

To ensure that you don’t get ripped of by scammers – either by paying too much for the renewal of your own domain, or tricked into buying a new domain that you may not need, you should:

Be aware of Domain Prices – make sure that you have at least some idea of what you should expect to be paying for your domain name. Take a look at WebConsulting’s domain name prices for an idea of costs for registering most common domains names
Be suspicious of ANY unsolicited bills – be sceptical of any emails, letters or invoices you receive that you weren’t expecting or that are from organisations that you don;t recognise
Know your domain details – follow the “Check your Domain” instructions above and make sure you know who your domain is registered with, and when it is due for renewal
Is your domain renewal due soon? – scam domain notification renewals will often be sent out several months before the renewal id actually due, whereas legitimate ones tend to be sent out with month or less notice.
Carefully read the Invoice – make sure to check that the domain name listed in the invoice is the same as your actual domain name. If it is the same, also check to make sure that the invoice is from the company that you have previously used to register your domain name.

Domain renewals and transfers

Whenever you receive a renewal notification – whether it is legitimate or otherwise, take a little time to check out current domain registration costs. These prices tend to have reduced over the years and can vary significantly even for legitimate domain registration providers. For example MelbourneIT (One of Australias original and for a long time largest, domain registration services) currently charges $75.60 for a single years .com registration and $140 for renewing a .com.au domain name for 2 years, whereas Webconsulting’s domain registration service currently charges just $12 a year for a .com and $28 for two years for .com.,au domains – a MUCH cheaper option for exactly the same service.

Transferring a domain name to another registrar is a pretty straightforward process, but do not leave it to the last minute, as in my experience there can sometimes be problems if a transfer is initiated within 1 week of it’s renewal date. If you think you are paying too much for your domains, and are looking at a making some significant savings on your domain registration costs, check out WebConsulting’s domain name prices , and why not transfer your domain today.

WordPress Fatal Error: Allowed Memory Size Exhausted (and how to fix it)

By webco

One of the more common errors that seems to crop up with WordPress installation is a Fatal Memory error something along the lines of the following :

Fatal error: Allowed memory size of XX bytes exhausted (tried to allocate XX bytes) in /directory/filename.php on line XX

This error may occur for various elements on the dashboard, or when trying to upgrade WordPress.

The error indicates that there is a restriction on the amount of memory the system can allocate to perform a particular task, and there is not currently enough memory available. The problem sometimes starts to show up after a new plugin has been installed.

To resolve this issue you need to try and either reduce the memory requirements of your WP implementation, or increase the available memory.

Decrease WordPress memory requirements

If the error only shows up when trying to upgrade WP, you may be able to temporarily deactivate all plugins, undertake the upgrade, and then reactivate them. However, if the error is impacting on the functionality of your installation, then try and deactivate any unnecessary plugins.

If this works, and the error is resolved, be aware, that the problems may very well recur if you install more plugins.

Increase System Memory

Depending on your hosting environment, you may be able to allocate additional memory via the following steps. However, there will be a limit on how much memory is available to you, so there is a chance that these “fixes” will have no impact. If this is the case, you should contact your host provider and see if they are able to allocate more memory for you (this may involve upgrading your hosting, and / or paying extra)

To try and increase memory allocation, use the following following processes :

(note their are various methods to do this – depending on what version of WordPress you are running, so some of these suggested methods may not apply to you)

1. php.ini

Create or edit a local php.ini file in the wp-admin directory (and also, possibly the directory where the error is occuring and insert the following:

[PHP]
max_execution_time = 30     ; Maximum execution time of each script, in seconds
max_input_time = 60        ; Maximum amount of time each script may spend parsing request data
memory_limit = 84M          ; Maximum amount of memory a script may consume (64MB)
upload_max_filesize = 20M    ; Sets a file Upload limit to 8Mb
; safe mode
;
safe_mode = Off

2. Cache.php

open the file wp-includes/cache.php and place the following code immediately after the opening <?php tag:

ini_set(‘memory_limit’,’64M’); // set memory to prevent fatal errors

3. .htaccess

Create a .htaccess file in the wp-includes directory and insert the following directive:

# set memory limit for cache.php
php_value memory_limit 64M

4. wp-settings.php

open the file wp-settings.php (in the root directory) and increase the :

define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’64M’);

entry. Save the file and refresh.

5. default-constants.php

open the file wp-includes/default-constants.php and increase the :

define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’64M’);

entry (note there may be different setting for Multisite configurations)

Save the file and refresh.

6. wp-config.php

In your WP installation root folder, find the file named: wp-config.php

Open the file to be edited in your favorite editor

after the lines :

/** Database Charset to use in creating database tables. */
define(‘DB_CHARSET’, ‘utf8’);

/** The Database Collate type. Don’t change this if in doubt. */
define(‘DB_COLLATE’, ”);

Add this code to your wp-config.php file

define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’64M’);

Save the file and refresh your wordpress page and it should not give the error again.

And that’s it. Save, upload, test and check for additional errors. If necessary, you may wish to try alternate values for the memory limit (e.g. 32, 64, 128, 256) – although be aware that there will be a physical limit imposed by your hosting environment, so any values greater than that will have no benefit.

What if Nothing works !!!

Your host may not allow the Memory Limit increase, or they may have a setting which overwrites (or limits) the changes you made. If nothing seems to work, contact your host provider and find out if they allow you to increase that limit and which method ought to be used.

‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’64M’

How To Make And Maintain A Professional Web Site

By Guest Blogger

You should always remember the basics of running your web site. This article includes five of the hottest tips available to help your web site become talk of the world.

Useful Content

Make sure the information you are using is interesting, useful, practical and most of all relevant. When building your site be sure to consider your objectives and goals and then implement them into your site. Be sure to include links, articles, newsletters and promotions within your site as well. There is nothing quite as sad and annoying than a web site that has been neglected, be sure to go back frequently and update you site often. This will makes sure that your visitors will come back because they know you are offering up-to-date information.

Simple to Navigate

Make your site easy to navigate. If you really want your site to be easy to navigate then you should group all of your site links together in one place. The directs the attention of your visitors to one area of the page from which they have easy access to the rest of the site. You can place other links such as: media, career opportunities, contact us and about us at the top or the bottom of the page. These links are important in their own right but they are definitely not what your visitors came to see. When you have created the links and all the new pages for your site, be sure to include a home link on each of the new pages. These links will help you to guide your visitors back to the main page whilst removing the need for them to clink back several times to get there. Navigation is crucial so you should spend some time checking and rechecking all of your page and homes links.

Fast Load Time

Don’t let your visitors get bogged down in loading times. You should try to avoid large graphics that will increase the amount of time it will take your site to load. You should try and keep in mind the idea that not all of your viewers will be packing the best technology available. Try to keep your site as open as possible to as many people as possible so that everyone has access to it no matter what kind of equipment they are using.

Targeted

You should always know who are the people you are aiming the site toward. These people are your target audience, they are the people you want to visit your site. You need to identify what the age group, gender, class and spending habits of your target audience are. This will help you to create a likeable atmosphere on the your site. You want to create a space for the few not the many.

Ask for Feedback

Aim to have your visitors tell you what they think and what they want. If you are looking for consumer to business contact then on your contact us page you should put your phone, email, fax and postal information here as well as a text box of instant feedback. This gives you the opportunity to hear from your visitors in way that benefits both you and customer. Make sure you never leave your customers hanging and always answer their comments, concerns and questions. If you are looking for ways to keep in contact with your customers then you might want to think about a simple newsletter or email marketing to keep your customers informed about what is going on even if they don’t visit all that often.

Use the information contained in this article not only to improve your own but to evaluate other websites. These tips will not only help you to make your web site strong and professional it will also help you to identify those web sites that aren’t.

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Your Logo Is An Important Part Of Your Business

By Guest Blogger

The Market Place Expects a Noticeable Logo for Each Firm. When it comes to the swoosh and the golden arches logo most people recognize them immediately. You must make your logo be a key part of your marketing from the beginning. As one mother has stated, when her son was only three years old he was able to tell the brand of a truck by the logo on it as it came down the road. Conversely, the father was keen to another truck brand and exhibits the bow tie logo with pride on his apparel and furniture. Read this site if you want logo contest information.

Logos are consider one of the forms of brand recognition, and they’re more than just something used by the country’s huge corporations. Brand recognition is key and many small companies should try and establish their brand in their local area when they begin operation. The brand can be included on everything from business cards, to coupons, to a website, an ad in the telephone book, or even on a sign on your truck.

Although utilizing a logo is easy, creating a good one is not so simple. Information on creating a good logo can be found on the Internet, as well as information on what to avoid when creating a logo. The most common one centers on employing clip art to create a logo yourself. Many people can recognize many clip-art pictures and designs when placed in front of us. For instance, a business was employing what is known as a ‘string bean man’ from a widely recognized clip-art resource. I instantly thought they could put some effort into creating a better logo than that and sadly, I wasn’t impressed.

Using a text based logo isn’t a very good idea either. Since the entire point of having a logo is the visual appeal, just simple text or monograms doesn’t have much visual appeal, which means people won’t remember it. Even as some businesses have effectively utilized logos with just text, it is an incredibly hard thing to accomplish. Read this site if you want logo contest website information.

On the other hand, extremely complicated logos are another bad error. Fancy, photographic special effects can make an image look muddy and unappealing when in print. Your logo should be recognizable in black and white as well as color. Many people use the yellow pages and newspapers where it is less expensive than using color and thereby saves an advertiser money. Whether you want it or not, colorful logos will be copies and faxed. A beautiful color image can translate into a large, black blob when sent through a fax machine.

Seeking out a professional to help you with your logo design is of paramount importance. A sweepstakes game that was born in 2000 was lucky enough to have a talented graphic designer on the team who created their logo. This logo, which still meets all of the recommended curriculum, is easy, enjoyable and easy to remember. Your logo should be equally attractive no matter what color it is printed in.

That graphic designer was quite an asset to have on the team. You should consider yourself as wise if a close acquaintance is a graphic designer. If not, shop around and find a graphic designer to help design a logo. Designers are not difficult to track down. Type logo into Google and you’ll see just what I mean.

However, based on search engine optimization, it is not recommended that you simply go with the company that pops up at the top of the list. Research four or five companies, finding out their expertise and price range. Once you’ve chosen your favorites, start comparing aspects like their customer service, refund policy, technical support, number of revisions allowed, and what file formats will be provided.

Check out the graphic designers and marketing consultants in your own area. No matter who you decide to hire for designing your logo, remember that this is an investment you will make. A bad investment might have prospective clients thinking that you might have selected a better design, which looks bad for your enterprise. When done well, a logo will be long remembered and the company that is identified by it will be remembered, too.

A Guide to writing a Good Home Page

By webco

The home pages of many business websites are suffering an identity crisis. They’re trying to do the job of several web pages, and doing none of those jobs particularly well. This post provides some general guidelines on the types of things you should (and shouldn’t) include on your small business website’s Home Page.

Quick Guide to Writing a Business Website Homepage

Target audience:

Your business website´s home page must be all things to all the people who type your URL in their navigation bar, whether it´s their six-hundredth visit or whether they just happened to catch your web address painted on the back of your car.

Content:

For the benefit of new visitors, a home page must provide a snapshot of who you are and what visitors can do on your website. Your first one to three paragraphs should give a quick overview of what visitors can do on your site. For example, you could include a short paragraph each on “buy widgets”, “learn more about widgets”, and “meet other widget enthusiasts”, with links to your shopping cart, informational articles, and message board, respectively.

For returning visitors, the home page must serve as a touchstone for navigating the site, announcing new developments and pointing out especially popular or useful pages. For these visitors you don´t have to write anything new especially for your homepage. Anyone who’s coming back to your site is already interested and is going to want to jump right into the deeper pages of your site, rather than linger on the homepage wondering whether it’s worth their time.

Your home page should include teasers for the inside pages of your site. For instance, you could have a tip of the week, linked to a web page on your site with an article explaining it. Good navigation (list of links to the four to eight most essential web pages on your site) is also a must.

For both new and returning visitors, always give a prominent place to a featured product or service (or two or three) with a picture, one or two-sentence description, and a link to its own web page or its place in your “products and services page,” catalogue or shopping cart.

You should also probably feature a satisfied customer preferably with a photo. But always include a testimonial quotation, and a link to a case study or customer story on its own web page, which you should definitely find time to write or have written for you by a website content provider.

Title:

Don´t title your home page “Welcome to [name of your site]”. Don´t include that message anywhere on your homepage, in fact. It”s a waste of space. This was normal in the 1990s but it”s pretty outdated now. Everyone already knows they”re on your site. What you need to tell them is what they can do there. Try something like “Buy, Study, and Discuss Widgets”.

Also make sure your title incorporates any keywords you think people might use to search for your product or service on the internet. Search engines decide how to categorise pages largely based on the homepage title and first heading text.

Length:

Ideally, the first few paragraphs of the homepage (the ones aimed at new visitors) should not be more than 100-350 words total. The teasers for inside pages targeted to returning visitors should not be more than about 100 words each.

Making Sure Your Website Has the Best Homepage Possible:

Before your homepage goes live, test it out on a few people. Don’t just ask your volunteers how they like your homepage. Courtesy may prevent you from getting an honest response. Instead, ask them to find how to buy your latest product or if they understand what?s the most important development in your company recently. If they can navigate to the correct page within about eight seconds (the average human attention span on the web), you’ve done well.

You may just want to hire a website copywriter, online copywriting firm, or website content provider to create your homepage for you. After all, you wouldn’t build your own office building, would you? Of course, that´s not an entirely fair comparison; more people will see your business website homepage than will ever see your office building.

What a Business Website Homepage is Not:

A homepage is not the place to dump a long description of your business. That´s for the “about us” or “company information” page. On the homepage, this information will just bore most people.
A homepage is not the place where you list and sell all your products (unless you only have one or two). You should have a special products and services page for that, and preferably a shopping cart or catalog. Trying to make people buy right on your homepage is a little pushy. The homepage will also get over-crowded as your offerings expand. Instead, just include a list of product categories with links to inside pages, along with direct links to your biggest sellers.
A homepage is not the place to include the full text of your announcements and press releases. Just include a teaser paragraph of each article on the homepage, with a link to the web page with the full text. If people want to read the full text, they can. If they don´t, you haven´t bored them to tears.
A homepage is not your company president´s or owner´s personal blog. It´s OK to rant, rave, or preach the need for world peace. Just don´t do it on wesellwidgets.com

As you´ve probably noticed, a good website has multiple pages. You should have special web pages for special topics: an “about us” page for company information, a products and services catalog, the president´s blog, etc. When you advertise or send out links to your site, you should link directly to the most appropriate page, rather than just the homepage.
Of course, that doesn´t mean you don´t need a homepage, just that you don´t need it to do every single thing you want your website to accomplish.

How to avoid Domain Renewal Scams

How do Domain Renewal Scams work?

Check your Domain

How to avoid Domain Scams?

Domain renewals and transfers

WordPress Fatal Error: Allowed Memory Size Exhausted (and how to fix it)

Decrease WordPress memory requirements