Poor Richard 25
#025/30-April-99
POOR RICHARD'S WEB SITE NEWS
Geek-Free, Commonsense Advice on Building a Low-Cost Web Site
Editor: Peter Kent
Top Floor Publishing
http://PoorRichard.com/
Over 24,000 Subscribers in More Than 100 Countries!
IN THIS ISSUE
- Beginner's Column: Watch Those Online Reviews
- Dancing Babies and Singing Hamsters
- A New Way to Register Domain Names
- Using Other Name Servers
- Poor Richard's Internet Marketing and Promotions in Print
- The E-mail Publishing Book Free Offer
- Domain Name Oddity -- MSIE Vs. Netscape Navigator
- Where's Your Community?
- Poor Richard's Web Site and Other Top Floor Books
- Book Reviewers Wanted
- Reading Back Issues
- In Future Issues
**** IF YOU FIND THIS NEWSLETTER USEFUL ... FORWARD IT TO FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ****
Beginner's Column: Watch Those Online Reviews
If you are promoting products online, you may find that there are sites that accept reviews of your products from the public. The best known of such sites is Amazon.com, which allows anybody to post a review about any book. There are undoubtedly other Web sites reviewing different types of products, and we'll probably see more such review services in the future.
But these reviews are a double-edged sword, even if you have a good product deserving of good reviews. Overall the review services can help you promote your product. But sometimes you may get bad reviews that don't live up to the spirit of the review service. For instance, you may have people give your products bad reviews as part of a personal vendetta (I've had that happen!). You may get what I term "dingbat" reviews; reviews by people with the intelligence of the average cabbage, reviews that simply don't make sense. Reviews that make you wonder, "was this person actually using my product, or is he talking about something else?" And you may even get a type of review I've just recently run across -- the ad masquerading as a review.
A few weeks ago somebody who identified himself as "A reader from New York" (without leaving an e-mail address) reviewed one of my books at Amazon.com, "Making Money in Technical Writing."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0028618831/qid%3D917640774/002-1873041-8010417
The book, said the reviewer, was "Good... and bad ... This book was wonderfully written for people who want a career in technical writing. However, if it were more detailed like the information available at *****.com it would be even more useful." (I'm not going to name the Web site, as I don't plan to give them any free publicity!)
This review was a blatant ad. The Web site the reviewer referred to is a career site. Yet the site has almost no information about technical writing ... maybe a few words. Now, overall the review isn't so bad, of course. But if you're scanning the reviews and see the word "bad," it certainly doesn't help. And the star rating the reviewer gave me was low enough to reduce my overall rating.
I believe this review breaks the spirit of the whole review process. It's intentionally misleading ... "more detailed, like the information at *****.com" is nonsense, because there is very little information at that site. This review was nothing more than a way to push people to this other site.
What can you do about reviews like this? Generally you'll have a hard time getting review sites to remove bad reviews just because they're bad (though I'm waiting to see what happens when Amazon.com gets sued by someone over bad reviews). Still, if you can convince the administrators that the review is not a true review, then you may be able to have the review removed. Amazon.com agreed with me that the review appeared to be an advertisement, and they removed it.
So keep an eye on review sites related to your products, and if you find this type of review -- a vendetta review or an ad masquerading as a review -- don't hesitate to complain.
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Dancing Babies and Singing Hamsters
I've often said that the Internet isn't a multimedia system, and that too many site owners are trying to make their Web sites "cool" in order to attract visitors. I've also said that the Web simply can't compete in the "cool" realm against television, movies, videos, and so on. You've got to give people a better reason to visit your site than some slick piece of multimedia.
I'll stand by that statement today ... but I'll also say that in some circumstances it _is_ possible to use some slick trick to bring people to your site. But it had better be something very special, and probably something humorous. An example is the famous "dancing baby" that first appeared on the Internet, and amused people so much that it ended up in commercials and on the Ally McBeal television series. (If you haven't seen the baby, go to http://dancing-baby.net/Baby/Babygif.htm to see the original dancing baby. Or visit http://dancing-baby.net/Baby/BabyMus1.htm to see Moto Cross baby, the Blockbuster commercial baby, and more.)
A friend sent me information on another clever little trick: Hampster Dance. Yes, that's Hampster with a p, because the site is named after a hamster called Hampton Hampster. When you enter this site you'll see scores of dancing "cartoon" hamsters, with a song in the background -- a little ditty evidently sung by the dancing hamsters. It's a catchy little tune, to the point of being almost mind numbing. The page is really quite simple, but very funny ... though the funniest thing for me was watching my 8-year-old son staring at the screen giggling.
See for yourself: http://www.hampsterdance.com/
Did this bring visitors to the store? I'm sure of it. My friend sent me an e-mail, and e-mailed another 25 people, too, including the world's most widely read computer columnist. I'm mentioning the site in my newsletter, which goes out to 24,000 people. My kids have told all their friends, and so on.
The really funny thing about this site, though, is that it was very cheap and easy to create. Web-site owners have spent millions of dollars over the last few years creating "cool" stuff on their Web sites that nobody really wants to see. Yet this little promotion, which definitely works, could be done for next to nothing.
Although there are scores of dancing hamsters, there are really only four different image files, interspersed over and over. The image files are animated gifs (which I discussed in this newsletter almost a year ago: http://www.poorrichard.com/newsltr/007.htm#begin ). Any reasonable artist, with a few hours research into animated gifs, could create these images very quickly. The sound is a .wav file; again, these are very easy to create with free software tools and a fairly basic computer configuration (sound card and microphone).
Has the promotion helped the Web site? That I don't know. I think this would be perfect for a company selling rodent supplies online -- pet mice, hamsters, rats, and ferrets are big business, and I'm sure it would be possible to sell "accessories" online. But the company using this promotion is bringing people to their site in order to sell Hampster Dance stuff -- mugs, stickers, T shirts, stuffed hamsters (not, not real ones), and so on. They claim at their site that they're out of stock due to "EXTREMELY high demand," so maybe it's working well. Personally, as amusing as the site may be, it doesn't make me want to buy a T shirt, but if they get enough visitors they will sell products.
Anyway, this site is a great example of a number of things. Humor works. "Multimedia" doesn't have to be complicated, expensive, and slow to load. And a clever promotion really can bring people to your site.
By the way, if you want to see evidence that the famous dancing baby is actually Bill Clinton's love child, visit http://www.personalsingles.com/bubbaland/dancingbabybillclinton.htm ... where you'll see another example of a cute little trick used to bring in visitors.
A New Way to Register Domain Names
In "Poor Richard's Web Site" I wrote that new registration authorities were on their way, that pretty soon you'd be able to bypass Network Solutions and register your .com, .net, and .org domains somewhere else. This new registration system was supposed to begin over a year ago, and has been on hold thanks to wrangling between various parties involved. But it's finally coming to fruition. There are now five new registration authorities. In two months time, after a test period, there will be 29 more.
The new registration authorities are:
- America Online (United States)
- CORE Council of Internet Registrars (global)
- France Telecom/Oleane (France)
- Melbourne IT (Australia)
- register.com (United States)
After the test period, these companies will also be able to issue domain names:
- 9NetAvenue (United States)
- A Technology Company (Canada)
- Active ISP (Norway)
- Alldomains.com (United States)
- All West Communications (United States)
- American Domain Name Registry (United States)
- AT&T (United States)
- Domain Direct (Canada)
- DomainRegistry.com (United States)
- eNom, Inc. (United States)
- InfoAvenue (United States)
- InfoNetworks (United Kingdom/United States)
- InfoRamp (United States)
- Interactive Telecom Network (United States)
- Interdomain (Spain)
- Internet Domain Registrars (Canada)
- interQ Incorporated (Japan)
- MS Intergate (United States)
- NameSecure.com (United States)
- Name.Space Inc. (United States)
- NetBenefit (United Kingdom)
- NetNames (United Kingdom)
- Nominalia (Catalonia)
- Port Information System AB (Sweden)
- RCN (United States)
- Telepartner AS (Denmark)
- Verio (United States)
- Virtual Internet (United Kingdom)
- WebTrends (United States)
Network Solutions, the company that has, until now, had a monopoly these domains, will still maintain the central database. The other registration authorities will be able to register names, but they'll have to query the main Network Solutions database to see if the names are available, and to submit the information on new domains to that database. Network Solutions itself can still sell domain names ( http://networksolutions.com/ ). In return for managing the central database, Network Solutions will earn $9 for every new domain registered by the other authorities; the other authorities feel this is too high, though, so it may be reduced later.
What does this mean to you? Right now, not much. Many organizations have been selling domain names to their customers for a long time. Register.com, for instance, has sold over half a million domain names. Previously they would simply pass the information to Network Solutions, Network Solutions would bill the person registering the domain, and the company would earn a commission. Under the new system Register.com will bill the registrant, but the new mechanism is, as of Friday, not yet in place. For the moment, prices remain the same, too -- $70 for the first two years. But this test began just a few days ago, on April 26th, so we can't expect to see real changes by now.
Eventually there will be a drop in the price of domain registrations, as the registration authorities start competing against each other. No longer does Network Solutions fix the price -- as long as the new authority pays the $9 fee, it can charge as little as it wishes. I don't expect big changes over the next couple of months. This is a test period, to set up the infrastructure that makes it all work. And right now, only Register.com is really in the business of selling large numbers of domain names. But when the other 29 companies start operating, too, we'll see big changes.
There's another part of the picture. We were supposed to have new top-level domain names by now: .arts, .firm, .info, .nom, .rec, .shop, and .web. This new plan does _not_ create these new top-level domains, though they may follow later.
Using Other Name Servers
In the last couple of issues I've discussed various domain-name problems I had when moving a domain:
Moving Domain Names ... and Losing Them http://www.poorrichard.com/newsltr/023.htm#domain
Missing Domains ... the Saga Continues http://www.poorrichard.com/newsltr/024.htm#domain
Domains Names -- Tell 'em When You Leave http://www.poorrichard.com/newsltr/024.htm#domain2
Hitting Your Site From Other Name Servers http://www.poorrichard.com/newsltr/024.htm#hit
I had a problem when the name servers that were responsible for the domain name did not change when I moved my domain. Originally it was my fault; I should have informed the administrator that I was moving the domain. Later, though, even after the problem had been rectified, those name servers _changed back_, to show the old information.
How can you check a particular name server? There are tools available for doing this, but here's a quick and easy way; simply change your computer's name-server settings. Your computer's networking properties are set up to show which name servers programs should use. For instance, if your browser wants to display a page, it has to know which name servers to check to get the location information.
Because I was having problems with the US West name servers, I set up my system to use them. I had my original registration information, which showed which name servers were responsible for my domain. If you've lost the original information, you can go to Network Solutions ( http://networksolutions.com/ ) and used Whois to check the name servers. There's a box at the top of the Network Solutions site with the text "Get a Web Address or search our database"; this system uses the Whois service. When you check a domain name, Whois shows you the name servers responsible for that name.
I simply entered the original name servers into my network configuration. For instance, in Windows 98 you right-click on the Network Neighborhood icon, and select Properties. Then click on the TCP/IP entry in the list box, and click the Properties button. Click the DNS Configuration tab, and enter the name servers into the DNS Server Search Order list box. (You have to remove the existing ones, of course -- write them down somewhere so you can change back later.)
When you move a domain from one place to another, checking the DNS servers like this may help you avoid problems -- you can ensure that the system administrator changed the information correctly. But note that in many cases it really doesn't matter if the name servers have bad information. If they're owned by a Web-hosting company, the bad information in those name servers won't do any harm, because nobody's using those name servers to get information about your domain anymore. If the company is a service provider, though, bad information can cause problems. US West has Internet-access customers using their name servers, so if US West customers tried to get to my domain they'd receive bad information. So I kept using their name servers for a while, just to check that everything was okay.
Poor Richard's Internet Marketing and Promotions in Print
The sequel to Poor Richard's Web Site is finally in print. Written by myself and Web promotions and research expert Tara Calishain, Poor Richard's Internet Marketing and Promotions provides the same sort of commonsense advice that made Poor Richard's Web Site so popular.
The advice in this book is real-world stuff. Not just theory, but things that actually work. For instance, I used some of the techniques described in the book to make Poor Richard‚s Web Site˜one of the most widely reviewed titles in computer-book history. The book contains many powerful techniques for getting people‚s attention online, such as these:
- Using low-cost press releases to reach hundreds of journalists
- Giving away products at other peoples‚ Web sites
- Preparing your Web site for successful search-engine registration
- Using associate programs to multiply your sales presence on the Internet
- Using awards to bring people to your site
- Buying advertising without breaking the bank
- Using newsletters -- your own and other people‚s -- to promote your site
To see what some of the pre-publication readers had to say, go to ...
http://www.poorrichard.com/promo/testimon.htm
For sample chapters, the Table of Contents, and ordering information, visit ...
http://www.poorrichard.com/promo/
The E-mail Publishing Book Free Offer
In the last issue I offered a free electronic copy of Poor Richard's E-Mail Publishing to the first 200 people who contacted me. I had the first 200 within 8 hours, was up to 350 by the end of the day, and now have almost 600 requests. Sorry to those of you who didn't get a copy!
As for the rest of you, thanks for whatever feedback you've given so far. More chapters will be going out in the next few days.
Domain Name Oddity -- MSIE Vs. Netscape Navigator
In the last issue I asked my readers about an oddity I'd noticed with my browsers. While I was having the domain-name problems, I noticed that while Netscape Navigator could not find the site, Internet Explorer seemed to be able to, with the exception that it couldn't display the pictures.
The overwhelming response was that it must be a characteristic of how these browsers work with the cache. I don't use Internet Explorer much, but a number of readers pointed out that Explorer was probably pulling the page from its cache when it was unable to find the page online, though for some reason was unable to pull the images. Navigator, on the other hand, the browser I'm more familiar with, simply gave up when it was unable to find the page; which strikes me as odd ... why wasn't it pulling it from the cache? On the other hand, Navigator has had long term caching bugs, bugs going back several years.
Thanks to all of you who wrote in with ideas.
Where's Your Community?
[The following is an article by Jim Daniels, who writes extensively on subjects related to Internet marketing.]
"Build a community and you're building a business." That's the new and proven business model in cyberspace.
Hotmail.com, Geocities.com, ICQ.com. The list goes on and on. These companies and thousands like them have built thriving online businesses based on that model.
It's quite simple really. If enough "netizens" gather at your site, finding a way to create revenue is easy!
You can sell them your products or services. You can invite others to market to them and take a percentage. You can collect advertising dollars. You can even invent your own revenue model. The whole idea is this; when you create an online community, a solid customer base simply comes along for the ride.
Now, let's scale things down a bit. I realize that like myself, many small business owners do not have the type of capital it requires to create their own Hotmail or Geocities business model. But that's not to say you can't take advantage of the community building model!
Here's a prime example....
Visit http://bizweb2000.com/wwwboard/ and you'll see one of these "scaled down" communities. That URL is the address of my "CyberMarketing InfoBoard". It is simply a self-propelled community where anyone and everyone can go to learn about internet marketing. Got a question? Ask it there. Got a solution to someone else's dilemma? Post your answers there.
Perhaps a bulletin board would tie in nicely at your site? After all, a "Q & A forum" fits in well with just about any subject matter, and it makes for a nice community! If you're looking for repeat visitors to your site, you won't find a better way to get them.
Before you jump right in though, here are a few tips to consider before setting up a bulletin board at your site.
1. Wait until you have a decent flow of traffic to your site before you open your board for business. A very slow board can be worse than no board at all. If visitors stop by your board and there are just handful of posts over a long period of time, they may not return.
2. Choose a simple bulletin board interface like the one I use at my board. Not only is it easy to navigate, it is simple to moderate and remove posts as necessary. (More on selecting an interface below.)
3. Don't try to run your board all by yourself. Hire a small team of qualified moderators as I have done at my board. Experts who know the value of networking will gladly accept a position as moderator. My own moderators spend an hour or so per week in trade for the name recognition and new business it brings them.
Okay, are you ready to build your own board yet? Here some details on making it happen...
A multitude of free "bulletin board cgi scripts" are readily available on the web. My bulletin board cgi script came from Matt's Script Archive at:
http://www.worldwidemart.com/scripts
You can go to that URL and download Matt's WWWboard or, if you prefer a different style, more bulletin board scripts are available at:
Once you settle on the actual script you want, you'll need to install it at your server. This requires modifying the files you download with the script, and uploading them into the proper directories at your web server. Since most scripts differ, it's best to read the "readme.txt" file that comes with your script. It will spell out all the details of installation.
Once your board is up, tend to it daily.
Don't allow blatant advertising or self-promotion at your board. This makes for a board that people will not bother to re-visit. You may want to post a "no advertising" statement and police your board by removing undesirable posts as quickly as possible.
As far as what posts get deleted and what stays at your board, you have the final say. After all, you are the moderator. It's your community. Tend to it wisely and it will re-pay you many times over!
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Article by Jim Daniels of <http://www.bizweb2000.com>. Jim has been helping folks profit online since 1996. If you're interested in the latest online marketing techniques, get the Free BizWeb E-Gazette. Visit www.bizweb2000.com or mailto:freegazette@bizweb2000.com
---
A few additional comments (from me, not Jim):
You can find a list of bulletin-board programs in my book, "Poor Richard's Web Site", along with a discussion of features such as these. You can also find the list of programs in the links page at http://www.poorrichard.com/links/index.html#263 , or go to http://www.poorrichard.com/links/ and search for "BBS Programs." (Note that this is a very large page, so give it time to load.)
Also, see the discussion on installing CGI scripts in an earlier issue of this newsletter; you may need to hire someone to install the script for you as they're not always easy to work with:
http://www.poorrichard.com/newsltr/003.htm#cgi
Poor Richard's Web Site and Other Top Floor Books
Top Floor Publishing now has three books in print:
For Poor Richard's Web Site http://PoorRichard.com/
Poor Richard's Internet Marketing and Promotions http://PoorRichard.com/promo/
The CDnow Story: Rags to Riches on the Internet http://TopFloor.com/cdnow/
Order direct from the publisher, and you'll get a 100%, 1-Year Guarantee. If you feel the book wasn't worth the money, send it back for a refund!
And remember, these books are discounted at the Web site, and you pay just one shipping cost regardless of how many books you buy!
Book Reviewers Wanted
Do you review books for newspapers, magazines, newsletters (electronic or paper), Web sites, or other media spots? If so, would you like to review one of the books I mentioned above?
Contact me at reviews@TopFloor.com. Include your full mailing address, the name of newspaper/magazine/whatever in which the review will appear and the probable date of publication, and the editor's contact information.
Reading Back Issues
If you need to refer to back issues of this newsletter -- and search the archives -- you can find them at the following location: http://PoorRichard.com/newsltr/
In Future Issues ...
I'll explain how to make sure your Web site is available, despite domain-name "propagation" delays ... the scoop on sales tax and how (or whether) to charge online customers ... Y2K secure server problems ... a widely distributed shopping-cart system to avoid ... a very good shopping cart system to consider ... a program to help you manage all those Web-site passwords you've been accumulating ... a tip about online-review scams that can damage your product's reputation (and how to deal with them) ... and plenty more.
In future issues I'll cover all sorts of things too numerous to mention ... just keep reading, and forward the newsletter to friends and colleagues!
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