Category Archives: Uncategorized

07Sep/20

Slow Internet?

I’m just like you, I’d bet. Frustrated with S-L-O-W #InternetSpeed right now. But actually, I was shocked that the internet itself didn’t crash and burn. Having some background in #InternetTechnology, I thought surely this would be that proverbial straw… Forbes and other resources indicate that traffic has increased 70%. My own sense is that estimate is way too low, but then I am not out there collecting statistics on usage. Just a hunch.

The #GoodNews is, are there steps you can take for yourself to make sure that the things you control are all OK.

He’s not going to tell me to reboot, is he?

Yes, occasionally reboot your #CableModem, #Router, and the devices you connect with to make sure they are running clean and error-free. To reboot your cable modem many #ISPs (#InternetServiceProviders) have a #VoiceMenu when you call their service line that gives you an option to #RebootYourModem. Many also provide that option through a #MobileApp.

You can also run an #InternetSpeedTest at http://speedtest.net/ to see if your service is measuring up at any given time.

Baking cookies for a tech-savvy friend or neighborhood geek never hurts, LOL.

At any given time consider that an issue you may be having could be one or more of the following:

  • Your own device – PC, phone, tablet, etc.
  • Your physical location compared to your router if you are on #WiFi
  • Local or common wiring in your locations – some of it may be YOUR responsibility, and some will be your service provider’s responsibility
  • Any of the physical parts such as the actual card in your computer where the cable plugs in or the #WiFiMagic takes place
  • Your cable modem
  • Your wired or WiFi router
  • Your local service provider (#COX #CoxCable #CenturyLink #ATAndT #Verizon #Comcast #BrightHouse, etc.)
  • The internet backbone itself
  • All those same devices listed above in the location owned by the sites and servers that you are connecting to
  • And the actual server(s) you are connecting to
That’s a LOT of “moving parts” and at any given time any one of them, any combination, or all of them at once could be having issues that contribute to what appears on your end as poor performance. So, it may be your ISP. Or maybe not.

OR, maybe the Almighty is just giving your bum and internet break!

Excuse me now, I gotta stand up and move a bit…

#PoorInternetPerformance #SlowInternet 

06Sep/17

How can I tell if a Domain Name is available?

“Available” is the operative word. A lot of domains are “available” based on how much you are willing to pay. But let’s assume you are not on a hunt with a determination and budget to go after your prey like a big game hunt. You are not looking for a trophy to hand in your mansion den. You simply want a name that is appropriate for your business. What you want to know is, is the domain I want available at a reasonable cost? How do I find out?

The simplest test, naturally, is to just place your cursor in your browser’s address bar and type it in. But that will only tell you if there’s a website attached. It’s not necessarily an indication someone does not already own it. Conversely, the fact that someone owns it does not mean it’s not available…even at a reasonable price.

The first question to answer is, does someone already own the name I want? For that your search can begin right here:

Simply type the name you want into the search bar on the right. You don’t have to put in the dot-com part, but you can. That’s called a TLD or top-level-domain. This is especially useful of you are looking for a specific TLD.

The result will let you know if your domain is owned by someone else or not. If it says it is not, that simply means someone already owns it. But it does not necessarily mean it’s totally unavailable.

If the result indicates your desired name IS available you can proceed to purchase it from 30fold Domains. The result will usually include other TLDs you can purchase as well. If you are concerned about protecting your brand, this may be a good idea.

What if the search result indicates that the domain name you want is NOT available? You have choices. You can try an alternate Top Level Domain (TLD).  Perhaps a dot-club, dot-org, or dot-dentist if they are appropriate. There are hundreds of TLDs that are specific to concepts, professions, and geography to choose from.

Another choice is to find out who the current owner is and see if they are interested in selling the name. Domain names are like property on the internet. People buy and sell them all the time. Speculators will think of a good name, buy it cheaply, then search of businesses they think may buy them and pitch an offer. This is a good time to simply try browsing the site. Sometimes there will be a “for sale” notice on it.

You can also use something called a WhoIs search to find out who the owner is. That’s less fruitful these days because people often mask their ownership. In this day of scams, spam, and identity theft, that’s not a bad option – something to keep in mind when you do register your domain. 30fold Domains offers domain ownership privacy as an option. If you choose to not add privacy expect emails, phone calls, spam, website and service offers and more to pour in.

Back to the topic at hand. You can use a WhoIs search to try and find the domain owner. If you do find them, simply drop a note or make a call and let them know you have an interest and ask if they are interested in selling. But have a price in mind before you call. Unless you are really going big time, this is a place where you could spend thousands for something that originally sold for $10-20. Like anything you purchase, decide what it’s worth to you before going to the negotiating table.

One more place we should not leave out is the auction sites. Just like you can bid on trinkets and treasures on eBay, there are sites set up specifically to handle auctions where owned domains are bought and sold.

But my favorite of all tools for capturing a domain I want without overpaying is a tool we have right here at 30fold Domains. Here’s how it works. You pay a set fee for a domain someone else owns. This tool will then sit and watch it just like the tools on your favorite auction site. It will watch for the domain to expire, then immediately grab it automatically and notify you of your prize. It’s called Domain Back-ordering. It does have a drawback. It only works well if someone is letting a domain go and allows it to completely expire.

27Jan/15

Professional Email Marketing

Professional Email Marketing

“Professional Email Marketing”—almost seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it. We often think of SPAMMERS, and unprofessional sales people when we hear the term “email marketing,” but nearly everything these days is marketed through email from new cars to fake watches. The question is how to I engage in email marketing without being a SPAMMER, and without breaking any SPAM laws. The answer is, it isn’t easy, unless of course you are using s tool like 30fold Domain’s Express Email Marketing. Express Email Marketing is a perfect tool to help you collect customer information, then keep up with those customers through online newsletters and email newsletters. Let your website visitors easily subscribe and unsubscribe.

Express Email Marketing will help yo with your list creations, as well as creation of professional looking email campaigns and newsletters. And it integrates with the other tools form 30fold Domains.

Plans start at under $10 a month.

Regardless of which tool you select, becoming a professional at it takes some education and practice. Here are some of the basic elements.

Have something to say. Sounds intuitive, I know, but think about how many newsletters you get that waste your time and say nothing important at all. Provide value to those whose in-boxes you intent to fill.

Use a professional tool. This too, goes without saying. Your readers need to be able to subscribe or unsubscribe without your personal intervention. A good tool will help you be mindful of the laws in the country or region to which you are emailing.

Have a target customer profile, and market to that target. If your target is young married mothers from 25-35 who stay at home with their children, aim for that target when you gather email addresses as well as when you write. The more specific you are the less likely you are to have a reader who thinks your emails provide no value. Poor targeting (bad aim) is the number one cause of email getting marked or thought of as SPAM.

Build your list. How? Well, let’s start with how not to. Don’t mindlessly scrape addresses from websites. You actually need people’s permission to send them commercial email. The legal definition of SPAM has little to do with the value, veracity, or volume of your content. It comes down to, “did the recipient give you express permission to send them email?”

You can gather people’s permission in many ways, from simply asking to online forms they fill out. We will perhaps go deeper into the mechanics in another post, but there is already a ton of content that will educate your on professional email marketing.

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