What you need to know about your domain.

by | Jul 26, 2009 | E-Commerce, Non-Profit, Tools You Can Use, Web Site FAQs

The importance of your domain name registration information cannot be overstated. Your domain name, (i.e. url, yourstore.com) is the online equivalent to the title to your business. You would never misplace an important document like that. Don’t lose track of your domain.

How could that happen? It’s as simple as changing your e-mail address and failing to notify your domain name registrar*. When they try to notify you that your domain is expiring, you don’t get the message. Before you know it, your web site isn’t showing and you’re jumping through hoops and paying unnecessary fees to get your domain back. Or worse, you can lose your domain to squatters who pounce as soon as a domain exits its redemption period.** (I’ve had at least one client who lost their domain this way.)

So – check your contact info today. Better yet, go in and enter multiple e-mail addresses in your contact info (at different domains, please). Find your domain name registration login and keep it safe. Enter Papyrus as your technical contact if you don’t have another e-mail address. And while you’re at it, check your expiration date. The latest search engine optimization news says that Google prefers a domain name that is registered multiple years in advance. It’s a sign of committment. Just don’t forget to update your contact info in the meantime.

*Domain Name Registrar: the company you paid in order to use the domain. Common registrars are GoDaddy, Network Solutions, Register.com, 1and1.com et al. If you paid me to register your domain, I’ve already entered at least two different email addresses in your domain account.

**Redemption Period: you have a small window of time (e.g. 30-45 days) to renew a domain after it expires and before it is available to the open market. Domain “investors” watch lists of domains about to expire and will pounce if one comes open. Don’t think that your domain would not appeal to them. If it was valuable enough for you to register it, they are willing to bet you will pay them to retrieve it.

Non-Profit Web Site Usability

by | Jul 22, 2009 | Non-Profit, Usability

Web usability guru Jakob Nielsen recently released a study on the usability of non-profit web site and receiving donations online. The article is at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/nonprofit-donations.html. The important excerpts are:

“Non-profits would collect much more from their websites if only they’d clearly state what they are about and how they use donations. Our new usability studies revealed considerable frustration as potential donors visited sites and tried to discern various organizations’ missions and goals — which are key factors in their decisions about whether to give money….Well-designed non-profit websites are particularly suited for attracting new donors and efficiently supporting small-scale impulse giving. Websites are less effective at sustaining long-term donor relationships. For encouraging customer (or donor) loyalty, e-mail newsletters remain the Internet tool of choice.”

“What donors want:

We asked participants what information they want to see on non-profit websites before they decide whether to donate. Their answers fell into 4 broad categories, 2 of which were the most heavily requested:

  • The organization’s mission, goals, objectives, and work.
  • How it uses donations and contributions.

That is: What are you trying to achieve, and how will you spend my money?

Sadly, only 43% of the sites we studied answered the first question on their homepage. Further, only a ridiculously low 4% answered the second question on the homepage. Although organizations typically provided these answers somewhere within the site, users often had problems finding this crucial information. “

“The donation-killers:

  • 47% were usability problems relating to page and site design, including unintuitive information architecture, cluttered pages, and confusing workflow.
    • Amazingly, on 17% of the sites, users couldn’t find where to make a donation. You’d imagine that donation-dependent sites would at least get that one design element right, but banner-blindness or over-formatting caused people to overlook some donation buttons.
  • 53% were content issues related to writing for the Web, including unclear or missing information and confusing terms.”