Archive for the 'Tech' Category
Monday, June 30th, 2008
I cannot stress enough the importance of registering and maintaining your own domain name. I just got a call from a client that had let a previous host register his domain name for him, and every year it has been a huge headache and far more expensive than it should be.
This year he finally is transferring it to his own oversight, but he waited until the last day and now it is stuck in limbo because he cannot access his email, which is tied to the domain (he should have used a different email that would not go down if the domain did.)
I know many people are not technical and they just want someone to take care of it for them, but this is kind of like letting someone else manage your telephone number. It is better to just pay that bill on your own because your phone is too important.
You can register and manage your own domain name at www.outstandahosting.com - and you will get 100% control of either hosting it there or hosting it elsewhere. So when you are no longer happy with your website host, they cannot hold you ransom - you just log into your domain management account and chance where it points.
Here are 5 tips to keep your domain safe.
- Use One Account
You may register a domain in one place, then find another place that is $1 per year less. Don’t do it. Just keep all your domains in the same place so you can manage them well. Any price $10 per year or under is fair.
- Never Use the Domain email
If you use the domain email and the domain goes down, you are stuck because you cannot approve changes that come via email. Set up a gmail account or use different emails in the different contact areas.
- Register for Multiple Years
Google likes to see that you register your domain for more than one year. It is also easier to manage if you just pay for a few years up front, and will often save you a little money.
- Multiple MX Records
Your email gets forwarded to an email server by the MX Record. You can have multiple MX Records as a failsafe for your email. I have never seen an email host without at least two options.
- A Record
Your A record is where everything gets sent that is not otherwise specified. In many cases, you only have to set up your A Record and your MX Record, and your hosts will take care of the rest. Then if you later chance hosts, you just change these addresses - they cannot hold your domain hostage and overcharge you for changing.
I am writing this because it really is important that you take the 1/2 hour or so to understand it and do it yourself. Even if it is a free add-on from your service provider, go straight to a registrar like www.outstandahosting.com and do it yourself. Then things will just stay simple and you will never experience the frustration of transferring a domain.
Posted in Internet Marketing, Small Business, Tech | No Comments »
Monday, June 4th, 2007
After a nice, week long vacation I return to my pc. It’s strange how much I rely on using a pc in my life yet I went on for one week without missing it much. I did sneak in a few peaks at my email, but otherwise my vacation was computer free.
Coming back, I see there is a lot of work ahead of me. I will be writing more now that I am back again. In the mean time, take a look at this neat piece of innovation from Microsoft, called Microsoft Surface. It looks like something from the future right in your home. How practical, affordable, and the likelihood of it catching on remains to be seen, but the nerdy side of me drools over the possibilities.
Posted in Miscellaneous, Tech | No Comments »
Friday, May 11th, 2007
Google recently updated Google Analytics. With it, there are some fancy new graphics and features. While it looks nice, some of it can feel a distracting with its overwhelming set of features. The key is not to get too distracted by all of the bells and whistles and be able to stay on target with your goals. Seth Godin summed it up well in his recent post.
It’s really easy to let ego take over and think about just trying to increase site traffic, but don’t forget that there was an original reason for the site in the first place! Unless your purpose was to just drive more traffic and create awareness, and you have no other conversion goals, then you may want to think more on how Google Analytics can help you attain your original goals.
Posted in Buzz, Internet Marketing, Tech | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
When trying to touch base with a customer and maintain some level of brand loyalty, it is important to take note of detail. If you are sending a personalized message, proper care should be taken to ensure the right name goes on it, and if there is code involved, that it is properly tested. The image below is a case in point.
I received this message from Microsoft regarding my XBox 360 Live membership. The last time I checked, however, my name was not “Failed to convert to string from variant type 1″. Now this isn’t an email from some random guy on the internet, this is Microsoft. A company that prides itself in hiring elite programmers and other intellects. Everything else about the 360’s service has been top notch, so it seems strange to see such a blatant oversight occur in this email. Having worked with mass emailing before, I can understand oversights…during the testing phase, not with the letter that is launched. Considering this email gets sent to people across the U.S. everyday, I wonder how many others experienced this, and what their reactions were?
Bottom line, if you plan on making good customer contact, test thoroughly and always proof read. It only takes a few minutes of your time and you could prevent inserting your foot into your mouth.
Posted in Buzz, Tech | 2 Comments »
Thursday, March 8th, 2007
One of the best things a company can do to create a lot of buzz is to exceed expectations. Recently, Sony did just that at the Game Developers Convention.
President of Sony Worldwide Studios Phil Harris was the keynote speaker that night and sent the message that had game developers and gamers alike floored. How did they do it? They introduced a robust new online system called “Home”.
Home is a system that combines the best of both worlds from Xbox Live achievement system and Second Life’s online world. Players can create and customize their own character and interact with others in a fully realized virtual world. Lounges with simple games like pool, bowling, arcades, and more are all fully realized and interactive.
Power is given to more than just the gamer, though, which is where the brilliance comes in. Game developers can use the virtual world to display trailers for their upcoming games, banner ads are literally banners in the virtual world and aren’t limited to just advertising in the game industry. Sony gave them full flexibility to create their own online environments for players to visit, lending itself to more creative freedom for marketing. Users will be able to navigate areas from their favorite companies and chat with other players inside, play games, etc. Sony gave developers full freedom to advertise and create as they pleased within this new system. This creates a very friendly, enticing platform to work for.
The introduction of a new trophy system gives a nod towards 360’s achievement system, gives a win-win situation as well. Players are happy to have their bragging rights visible in a room full of trophies, developers are happy because other players see it as well, bringing more buzz for their game.
I could go on and on about how Sony really listened to both game players and game developers this time and not met their expectations, but exceeded them and turned us all for a loop, but I’ll let the presentation do the talking. Check out the speech for yourself on Gamespot for a glimpse at the future of PS3’s gaming. As an added bonus, you’ll see footage of another innovative title, Little Big Planet, that shows the brilliance of giving people simplicity, flexibility and control in gaming. Sony has finally made itself a very strong contender for XBox Live, it will be interesting to see how they fare against each other. This is a prime example of creating huge buzz by giving us all the unexpected.
Disclaimer: The image in this article is from gamespot.com. Please visit their site if you wish to see more.
Posted in Buzz, Tech | 1 Comment »
Thursday, January 11th, 2007
Every now and then a product comes a long that gets me as excited as a nine year old boy with a new toy. For me, it’s the iPhone from Apple. Although Apple has talked about making something like this before, it wasn’t until recently that they hit us hard by unveiling the product.
They have a way with design that is at the top of its class, and the iPhone is no different. There is a lesson to be learned here: Having high technology is great, having great design can take you far as well (just look at the craze for the Nano over its superior original iPod), but having both implemented intuitively is the real deal. It comes with what I would expect as far as features, but its implementation and technology are leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Multitouch screen technology combined with accelerometer and ambient light sensor allow for some slick things. Just check out the site to see for yourself.
Unfortunately, the only provider for this phone is Cingular, and the contract for that exclusivity lasts until 2009. Who knows if Apple will release something else for other providers before then? Either way, it will be interesting to see if Cingular service sales go up once the iPhone hits the market. Until then, I’ll just sit back and drool at it.
Posted in Tech | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 6th, 2006
I recently started using a new tool for organizing my work day tasks. A web tool that is simple, free, quick to use. What is it? Google. Yes, Google, that same giant that has been around for years. By using an add-on I can manage my daily tasks without having to resort to some expensive, high tech software.
I just add it as my homepage and I’m set. It is so simple, and I am sure many are out there using this feature as well. I guess maybe this Blogger is just easily amused. Either way, it is one way to keep organized.
Posted in Tech | No Comments »
Monday, November 27th, 2006
If you haven’t already checked it out, Microsoft has a great new Blogging tool called Windows Live Writer. It is in Beta form now and already supports some popular blogging sites such as wordpress, blogger, and typepad. This post is actually written using this new tool. Check it out.
Posted in Tech | No Comments »
Thursday, October 5th, 2006
A teenager listens to his iPod Nano in a subway station. A man next to him is listening to a podcast on his iPod. Across from them is someone else downloading songs to his mobile phone. It’s official, multimedia is an active part of our lives.
Tech companies are jumping on the multimedia band wagon in droves. The evidence is clear: Mobile phones can browse the web, play mp3s, videos, and take photos. iPods have extended themselves to include Podcasting, a brilliant tool that has increased marketing for the product rapidly. Televisions now have SD card slots for slideshows of pictures from digital cameras.
Gaming has been seeing a rapid transformation into the multimedia era as well. Both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are (or in PS3’s case, will be) online, and boast a slew of multimedia features. Now gamers can connect to devices via USB port on their consoles. This opens the door to many possibilities such as photo sharing, downloading mp3s, and more. The online component of the systems give gamers the ability to download movie trailers, game demos, desktop themes, and more.
What does this all mean? It means that to be competitive and successful in the electronics industry, you will need more than just power as your selling point. Devices now have more features than you can shake a stick at. They have become the new swiss army knives. When marketing a device, ask yourself this: Does our device support any kind of connectivity? Having PC connectivity is one thing, but can it connect to other devices, such as an iPod or PSP, as well? People like it when their devices talk to each other. It opens the door to more possibilities and gives them a sense of freedom. Online connectivity has been more prevalent in devices and paves the path to more marketing opportunities as well.
The bar for the tech industry has been raised, and it will take a lot more than just processing power, mega pixels, and storage capacity to win people over. People expect more from their tech toys now. Can your product deliver?
Posted in Tech | No Comments »