Don’t be Taken in by Scams

Acquiring a web site or even a permanent email address for your company can be a series of confusing steps. There is domain name registration, site design, content development, and actual hosting, all of which might be done by different companies. Scam artists take advantage of this confusion. According to the Federal Trade Commission, two favorite Internet frauds involve trapping customers into long-term hosting contracts with big penalties for cancellation, and “cramming,” or billing you for services you never authorized (sometimes hiding these as part of your phone bill). Another dot-com dirty trick is to register the domain name you requested, but to do it in the name of their company, so that later you may be blackmailed into paying exorbitant fees to keep something you thought you already owned.

Unreliable Hosting Means Downtime

Even when you are not the victim of criminal behavior, an incompetent or fly-by-night web hosting company can cause heartache and cost you money. Imagine trying to send an email and learning that the host server will be down for a few days to a week for repair. Suddenly an important pipeline of communication between your company, its customers and vendors has been severed. If 24-hour support was not offered, there may not even be anyone to call.

What Good is a Domain Name?
And What Can I Do with One,
Even if I Have No Web Site

A Domain Name is the web address entered into your browser after “www,” such as “ourcompany.com.” This readable address identifies one or more IP addresses (long strings of numbers used by computers called Domain Name System servers). Registration is the act of making sure “ourcompany.com” is available (meaning no one else owns the right to it), and paying a fee so that you do have the right to use it. The cost can range from $15.00 to $35.00 per year, and must be renewed annually or purchased in multi-year registrations. This can be done through companies such as Network Solutions (www.networksolutions.com)and Domain Registry of America (www.droa.com), which operate under agreements with the National Science Foundation.

Once you have a Domain Name for your company, it can be used as the address of your web site. Yet companies with no need of a website today often undergo the minimal cost of registration, reserving their domain name for future use. In addition, registration makes it possible to acquire multiple email address based on the domain name, such as Chuck@ourcompany.com. This step alone gives your business and its employees a more professional appearance in the marketplace, organizes email traffic, and reduces lost information.

Once your domain name is registered, your next step is finding a reliable Internet Service Provider. This company charges a monthly fee to handle your email, host your website, or both. The actual design and creation of a website may be accomplished by yet a third company. It’s easy to see how you can get lost and unscrupulous companies can take advantage.

Shiloh is on Your Side

Avoiding problems requires common sense. Don’t agree to anything that sounds too good to be true, and turn to the people you trust for advice and good service. Shiloh can help you with the most important steps in securing your company’s presence on the Internet. Working through Network Solutions, Shiloh helps you search for and register an appropriate Domain Name. In cooperation with Interland.com, Shiloh offers up to 25 email accounts for a low $30.00/ month. Even if you have no plans for a web site, securing permanent, recognizable email addresses can be a significant benefit. It provides customers personalized contacts directly with the service personnel responsible for their accounts. It avoids email lost to the great “community” inbox and assures that appropriate attention and response is given to each inquiry. Best of all, you will be set for future expansion, already part of a system with fast connection times, high bandwidth, and proven security and reliability. When you are ready for a web site or to move your current site to a more competitive host, the hosting service you need is only phone call away.

Call your Shiloh representative for more information on how we can help you with low cost, efficiently organized email services, customized to your company’s Domain Name, or answer any questions you may have about acquiring an Internet presence for your company.