When you move or change your phone number, you notify all those you want to know about your new contact information. When your credit card is canceled or expires you update all your online accounts and providers with this new information.

If your credit card expires or you cancel it, you update all the companies that you use that card with so that your automatic charges can be made without issue or possible cancellation of services. Here again, your Domain Registrar needs to be updated or your domains cannot be renewed.  And now, that will cost you big money if your domain expires and goes past 12 days into the redemption period. Large fees are now being levied on domain owners who shirk their responsibility in keeping their domain records and accounts up to date.

When your contact or credit card information changes,
you need to ensure that you add your Domain Registrar (where
your domains are registered) to that list of those you update.

Several times each week I am called upon to work with online business owners who find that their domain names have expired.  “Why wasn’t I notified!?”  Many times these folks try and point at the Registrar or even to me being at fault as to why their domains were allowed to expire.  “How could this happen!?” Because you didn’t update your domain record to reflect your current info and new e-mail address! It is your sole responsibility — no one can do this for you. You have no one to blame but yourself.

If you read all that small print in Domain Name Agreements you will see it is your responsibility to keep those records up-to-date. Most reputable registrars even send out notices each year reminding domain name owners to make sure their records are updated.   If you don’t make these efforts, only you are to blame for domains that expire or are actually lost to someone else.

If you have an invalid e-mail address on your domain’s record, you won’t get these important reminders and notices. If you have an expired credit card, your domains cannot be auto renewed.

Domain name record accuracy should not be an afterthought. It should be right up there with notifying business associates, family, friends and utility companies when you change any of your contact or payment information.

Why not stop right now and go check your records and makes sure they are up-to-date and that your records reflect current information?

At your service,
Judith

As in Über Serious, Über Committed, Über Competitive, Über Realistic!

Über or ueber comes from the German language. It is a cognate of both Latin super and Greek ὑπέρ (hyper), as well as English over (as in “overkill“).

Super… Hyper… Overkill!

To get found, to get exposure for your business; to stand out from the rest is a task no longer for the weak of heart.  Über has to be part of your vocabulary and part of your modus operandi! That is simply a fact.  Not something I’ve made up or say to make things more difficult than they have to be as some have actually insinuated.

It is clear there are those who hang on to what they prefer to believe or what they can deal with rather than opening their eyes to the reality that is doing business online in today’s environment.   I see just as many clients today as I did when this all began get ripped off, throw good money at those who don’t have a clue (but have a good pitch), try services and software that claim to take all the work, time and necessity for knowledge and skill acquisition off the table.

Rare are the niches that are not yet saturated with serious business start-ups and fly-by-nights alike. It is to the point where opening up the physical “brick and mortar” may offer a competitive advantage.   A complete turn around from the days where the Web was supposed to shut down Main Street.  At least with a brick and mortar you can rely on locals knowing where you are who will frequent your establishment.  Online?  You are lucky if you get found — that is unless you add “Über” to your program!

Now, online is the arena of rabidly Über competitive serious businesses. If you don’t look the look, walk the walk and back up the talk — you won’t get orders or inquiries.  To think that online you can market an established business for pennies on the dollar or start a new business and quit your day job in the year 2008 is a thought based in wishful thinking.   That is unless you are friends with Über!

Don’t get me wrong. There are still opportunities and potential for those who approach their program from a business point of view based on solid established principles, methodologies (including some that may not even have been tried or thought of yet) and the necessary costs to get there. These smart businesses, with an “überly” realistic attitude,  know the difference between the hype and the reality.

They embrace the challenges that are required to succeed and rather than ignore them and try to find an easier way (that many times is non-existent), they attack these perceived obstacles and make things work for their enterprise. They are truly Über Netrepreneurs because they know nothing less will suffice!

Leave the hypey sales pitchy blah-blah-blah behind.  If it sounds too easy, too cheap, too quick — know that it is.   Embrace the reality of what online business entails because only then can you even hope to attain the success you desire.  Can you say Über?

At your service,
Judith