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Welcome to the newest revolution in the World Wide Web!
We provide low-cost web sites and complete commerce packages to small businesses around
the world. Our New Pricing structure is designed to give you more, for less!
For just $19.95/year, you receive a $200 value:
- Your own domain name. (Most other places in
the Internet are currently charging $35 per year just for this!)
- The basic version of your own complete
website.
-
One year of domain hosting. (The average
cost of hosting on most servers is currently $10 per month.)
If you have a business and do not have a web site now you need to have one.
Yes, the "dot com" market has been consolidating rapidly, but through it all one statistic has
remained constant: the amount of business - that is, the amount of money consumers are spending via the Web - is continuing to increase annually. In the next three years estimates of online purchases range from $200 to $400 billion.
Businesses which sell products and services can use the Internet as another selling avenue. As a business, why not take advantage of WebNow's easy interface, low start-up costs and extensive tools to quickly and painlessly enter the online market? (We can't think of any reasons not to, either!) You will not find a more effective design interface, or more services for a lower cost.
We have put together some Frequently Asked Questions for your review.
If you come across a term you are unfamiliar with, just scroll to the bottom of this document (or click
here),where you will find a list of common terms and their definitions.
How do I start?
Starting couldn't be easier. Just follow the screens to our sign-up. The process takes just minutes, and it will present you with a web site in your industry and with beginning content you can change (inserting your business name, hours, etc.) You can also test domain names immediately, to see what is available, and reserve your choice. Just click on "domain hosting" button on the home page, on the left, under "learn more".
What is a Domain?
A domain is a piece of the Internet that you
own, an address that is unique to you. When you sign up for a web site
with WebNow.com, even a basic web site, you get an address, but it is not a
domain. We know this confuses for people, so let's take an analogy in the
"brick and mortar" world.
Let's say you are walking down a commercial
street, one with many businesses on it. One business you would see is
WebNow. If you were to walk inside WebNow, you would see all the
businesses which sign up with us, and each would have it's own store. You
might also think of it as an office building with businesses inside which
have suite numbers. Anyone who has ever stood in front of a list of suites
in an office building looking for a particular business knows it more
difficult to find these businesses.
Certainly each of these businesses would be
able to advertise it's location to customers, but their location would not
be readily apparent to shoppers outside on Main Street. Getting your own
domain simply moves you outside onto main street, where all passersby can
see your store. It increases your traffic, name recognition and ease of
access.
Likewise, moving from having an Internet
address within WebNow to having your own Internet address, your own domain
hosted by WebNow, increases the number of visitors your site is likely to
have, and offers many other benefits. Search engines find domain addresses
much more easily than addresses which reside elsewhere, and therefore,
your customers will find you faster.
Let's Take Some Examples
A domain is your identity on the Internet. By having your own "Dot Com Address" you're demonstrating that you're serious about your Internet presence. A domain also puts you INSTANTLY in the top 1% of websites!
Domains usually have .COM, .NET, ORG, or .EDU at the end.
Examples of a domains:
- www.webnow.com
- www.yahoo.com
Please don't confuse this with a subdomain. Subdomains are names which are part of someone else's domain! Examples of that include: News.Yahoo.com or Finance.yahoo.com or Weather.yahoo.com. With WebNow, www.webnow.com/jimsith - is a URL or Web Address hosted off the domain www.webnow.com
To establish yourself on the Web, you really must have your own unique domain. For example, Jimsmith.com is a domain. It's a professional way to direct customers to your website.
How Domains are Registered
We contract through a registration company, who files your name selection with the group who controls domains. Though the actually registration of the domain can take up to a week, the domain is yours immediately! Once you purchase it, you own it and no one can use it but you. Likewise, your domain name can't be changed. (In this way it's very much like filing a trademark!
Your domain is linked to your site. Your current address will continue to work, and once your domain is active, both address will be valid! Some clients have 3 or 4 domains that pull up the same web site (for marketing purposes). The more domains you own, the more traffic your site will received.
Tips on Getting a Successful Domain
There are already 20 million domains registered. (We actually still get people asking to "check if Amazon.com or Apple.com" are available.)
The simple ones, like www.acountant.com or www.mechanic.com are already use.
In fact there is a large market for selling such domains!
Still, you can get good domains that reflect your business and your location.
Remember, a domain name is a marketing decision and while it can be a challenge to find something that works, we think you can get several appropriate domains for your business. At $19.95/domain per year, you can afford to get multiple domains! Here are some guidelines and examples:
Your business phone number can be your domain: i.e.. (808-555-1212.com).
You can use words which express the magic or innovation of your business, i.e. www.tadaa.com.
Your domain can be very descriptive, i.e. www.buildawebpage.com.
You can combine words and numbers, i.e. www.easyorder123.com.
If you make it long, make sure it's memorable, i.e. www.supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.com!
You can use upper and lower case letters, and the "-" within your domain names. Whatever you decide for a domain name, make sure it focuses on what you do - and can be your brand name.
Make it fun! For example:
- Jims-Gas-Station.com
- Fillup-At-Jims.com
- Jims-Gas-NYC
- Jimsgas123.com
All these domains (and as long as they are available you can purchase and own all of them) can be linked to one site. You do not have to build a site for each domain. You can have many domains lead a customer to one site.
For example, WeNow.com took the domain because it offers many of the benefits we've just described - it's short and easy to remember, it covers its business (the Web), and it implies speed and ease (the Now part). By combining such words you can have a name which does the same for you! And remember, having your own domain address helps build your name recognition with your site and establish credibility online for your business. For example, NAMSINC.net is a customer. It's a national account and management service bureau that has become a major player in its industry by marketing its domain.
Finally, as an aside, to make your domain as effective as possible, you should have matching email. Matching E-mail is an e-mail address based on your domain, i.e. info@jimsmith.com or JIM@jimsmith.com. It sounds more professional than jim@hotmail.com or jim@acmeISP.com.
Do I need a Domain?
We think so. Every business serious about
business on the Internet needs a domain sooner rather than later. First,
it adds credibility to your presence on the Web. It may be the 21st
century, but the majority of small businesses still do not have a web
site, let alone their own domain. So owning a domain gives a company added
prestige, a way to say it is serious about business, and about customer
service and satisfaction.
A key ingredient to every business success is
traffic. The more people come into your store the more people are likely
to buy your goods and services. On the Internet, the way most people find
what they want is through a search engine. IT IS A FACT THAT BUSINESSES
WITH THEIR OWN DOMAINS RANK MUCH HIGHER IN SEARCH ENGINES THAN BUSINESSES
WITHOUT DOMAINS. A higher ranking on search engines means more people
visit your site. And like the "brick and mortar" world, the more people
who visit your site, the more customers you will have. Ranking high in
search engine results is important because studies have shown that the
majority of Internet surfers do not look beyond the second page of results
before changing their search parameters or moving on.
WebNow offers you two ways to establish
yourself with the search engine services, by the way. One you can do
yourself. The other you pay our partner submitawebsite.com to maximize
your domain efficiency. Again, you can start with one and move to the
other as your business grows.
So, do you need a domain? Yes you do, and the
earlier the better. You don't want to decide to buy a domain only to find
that the names you selected for your business are already taken. For less
than $2 per month you can own that name today!
What is Hosting?
First, to have someone host your site, you need
to have purchased a domain. Your site remains online as long as you
wish, and it remains a part of the WebNow Internet presence as long as your account is renewed each year. It works well
that way. But it works better when you have your own presence.
Having purchased your own domain (moved your
store front out to Main Street), you still must pay the landlord rent on
the land on which your store sits (and the server space your web site
takes up). A hosting fee pays for someone to maintain your web site
securely on a server (a powerful computer). Hosting a complete site with a
domain is just $10 a month for most online servers, which makes our $19.95
per year quite a deal we think.
WebNow sites are established on one of the most
secure networks in the work. It's called EXODUS, based in California. The entire
system is placed in a building so secure it could withstand an
electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear explosion. It even repels high school
hackers!
What is matching
email?
Email that matches your domain name is called matching email
(not very clever we admit, but a standard term in the industry).
For example, when you first establish your web site through us,
you get an email account which is your username@ our domain. But let's say you own a domain -
mybusiness.com. By purchasing matching emails, your email will now read businessname@mybusiness.com.
Sally's candle shop, for example, might be candlemagic@sallyscandle.com.
You set up these names.
When you purchase matching emails, you get:
- 5 accounts, each one megabyte a piece.
- Autoresponder function - you can use this to
respond automatically and IMMEDIATELY to anyone who sends you an email.
Senders will receive a message you have already written. Often these say
something along the lines of "Thank you for writing. We'll get back to
you as soon as we can. Etc." These add a quick, personal touch to your
business.
- Forwarding - you can have email sent to your
matching account forwarded to any other account you choose.
- Web Based Mail (Webmail):
Allows to you access your mail from your browser from any Internet computer in the world. This is handy for when you're traveling and want to send or check mail. The easiest way to access your matching emails is to type in http://mail.domain.com in your browser window. (Remember to substitute 'domain' in the address for the domain you in which you obtained the email.
- POP mail is the standard for mail software programs
that download mail to your computer.
Programs like Outlook, Netscape and Eudora use pop mail.
What is WebNow's pricing
structure?
We recently upgraded our prices to reflect a
simpler approach to the business of web sites. You are welcome to use a
trial site for 7 days. In addition to our basic site and email we sell
three services :
What do I get with a basic
site?
WebNow.com basic web sites are a great way to
"get your feet wet" - put your name into the Internet and get comfortable
with this new way of doing business. Each site gives you:
- Up to 15 pages, including people and product
pages, general descriptions, business links and much more.
- Places for up to two custom photos you can
upload and display on your site.
- Up to two items per web page (i.e. two
people described on your people page, two products or services described
on your products page, etc.)
- Demo versions of traffic statistics, and
surveys. They will work for 7 days before being deactivated.
Remember, for just $19.95 you get your basic
site, your own domain and a year of hosting!
What do I get with a Deluxe
Package?
For just $99 per year, you can greatly expand
your web site. It wasn't long ago that businesses were paying programmers
$150 per hour or more just to create a basic home page. Now you can get an
expanded, e-commerce site for a fraction of that! Here's what you get:
- More space for customizable photos
Up to 100 photo spaces with photo management and gallery options
Up to 30 megs of space
- More space for content.
Expanded listings per page
Searchable content and interactive pages
- Greatly expanded sections to sell products
and services.
- Fully operational traffic overviews and
reporting.
(Free site traffic reporting stops at 30 days.)
- Functional surveys you can change, track and
report with.
Easy to Use - just a few clicks of your mouse.
Effective - Use surveys for: registration, polling, even signing customers
Manageable - You can specify and show results with feedback options, more
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- Discussion groups for your site:
Host interactive forums, even assign moderators!
- A site search engines will find more
easily.
No unwanted banner adds on your site.
What do I get with the Complete
Merchant Site?
$99 buys you the ability to sell products
through your website with a secure server and shopping cart. With the
ability to sell upto 300 products on one website, you can't go wrong.
What does WebNow offer in FTP
service?
File Transfer Protocol service will be
available from WebNow in Spring of 2001. FTPs are a great place to store
your own additional HTML pages, documents, in fact, any file you choose,
from sound and image files to data files. You will be able to place a
catalog of products and services online, and have customers reference it
through your site. The HTML page or other type of file will appear within
the frame set of your current web site page, so your customer will never
leave your site.
NOTE: This is an advanced option and requires
knowledge of HTML and FTP operations. We recommend before you begin to use
this service that your familiarize yourself with FTPs. Books like "HTML
for Dummies", (we didn't name the thing, honest) available from Amazon.com
and other places - can give you a quick overview of the basics. To access
the FTP directly, it is also necessary to have an FTP program. Most are
free and available via download over the Internet from places like
tucows.com and cdnet.com.
Definition of
Terms
Domain
A piece of the main street of the Internet. You
own the name on the Net, that is, no one can use that name but you. You
must pay someone a monthly fee to host the site for you. The initial
charge for the domain name normally runs about $70 for two years. After
two years, you must pay to re-register the name or forfeit it. You may
sell your domain at any time to another business or person. In that way,
it is like property you own. Purchase a domain through WebNow and get a
year's ownership, along with hosting and basic web site, for just $19.95.
Search Engine
An online tool surfers use to find web sites on
the Internet. Examples include Yahoo!, Excite, Alta Vista, and Go. Surfers
can type in a specific domain name (ibm.com) or a general are of interest
(Maui surf board shops). The search engine will show the surfer web sites
which match the parameters given. Often there are thousands of potential
sites and web pages. Studies show most surfers do not read beyond the
second page. (This drives home the point that it is imperative for a
business to rank high in search engines.)
HTML
The programming language that people use to
create special effects with the text on their web site. YOU DO NOT NEED TO
USE HTML TO CREATE A WEBNOW WEB SITE. All you have to do is type in the
text boxes much like you would in your word processor. However, we have
included basic instructions below which you can refer to when you are
ready, to help you create some of these effects on your own site. The
acronym stands for Hyper Text Markup Language.
FTP
FTP stands for file transfer protocol. It's a
site from which one can immediately download and upload files, but it has
NO web site as such. (They normally have no home page, but appear on your
computer screen as just another file folder.) Often, you need a special
program (i.e. bullet proof FTP, cute FTP, etc.) to download from FTP
sites. We will be offering FTP service this Spring. Browser The program a
person uses to surf the Internet (i.e. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera,
etc.) Sometimes people get confused between browsers and search engines. A
browser is software on your computer. A search engine is a web site your
browsers accesses to find sites on the Internet. Browsers can be used to
find some web sites by typing the domain name into the browser's
'location' window found near the top of the program.
E-commerce
Stands for electronic commerce, the way to do
business over the Internet. It encompasses purchasing products and
services, funds transfer, and all aspects of buying. WebNow offers a
complete package of e-commerce tools for small business, including secure
credit card transactions.
Secure Connection
This generally refers to the data encryption of
the files resting on a hard drive, and information transferred via
networks. WebNow uses 128-bit encryption, making it difficult if not
impossible for hackers or any unauthorized people to access private data
on our servers or on your web site.
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