Sweetmantra: Internet Marketing Advice

Does Your Domain Name Have a Dirty Secret?

When it comes to choosing a domain name for your business, it helps to have a 'dirty' mind. Otherwise you might end up being stuck with a domain name that will get you into trouble with word-based content filters.

That's right, if your domain name inadvertently contains a 'naughty' keyword or phrase, your entire Website may be blocked by content blocking filters still commonly used by large corporations, libraries, schools, and overprotective parents. Your site might also be hindered from showing up in some search engines, and some of the email messages you send from your domain could end up being blocked by spam filters.

Here are some fictitious examples of what at first appear to be innocent domain names:

• HireThisExCopper [dot-something]
• EssexWorld [dot-something]

Look closer, however, and you will notice that the first domain contains the word "sex" and the second contains the phrase "sex world." Both of these domains could end up running into trouble with filters, especially the second one.

And can you spot what's problematic with these domain names?

• ScanAlley [dot-something]
• CanalTours [dot-something]

Both contain the word "anal" which also poses a risk of running afoul of filters.

You get the idea...

So before deciding on your next domain name, be sure to scrutinize it carefully. Look for any and all 'troublesome' words and phrases. The last thing you want is to have your seemingly innocuous domain name misinterpreted by word-based content filters.

Drunken Sailors on a Deadline: How Not to Buy a Domain Name

One of the most interesting things I get to do in my role as General Manager, Domain Portfolio at Tucows is manage the sale of domain names that we own to third party buyers. Since joining the company, my team and I have dealt with countless inquiries from prospective domain name buyers looking to acquire a domain name from our portfolio. I've seen all sorts of approaches taken, some good, some not so good, and I wanted to share with you the story of one sale that we made because it's a textbook case of how NOT to buy a domain name.

One morning, we received an "urgent" email and series of phone calls from an agency wanting to purchase a particular domain name.

That was their first mistake.

They explained that they were looking to acquire this domain name on behalf of one of their clients and that they needed to close the deal with us by the end of the day. Apparently, they had shortlisted several different domain names for this client and urgently needed to be able to tell their client that same evening that they'd secured one of the domain names.

That was their second mistake.

When it came time for me to negotiate the price of the domain name with the agency, it quickly became apparent to me that I was dealing with people who were spending money that wasn't their own and - worse - could care less. Technically, of course, this was correct - the agency was buying the domain name on behalf of their client - but they obviously didn't care how much their client would have to pay for the domain name as long as it was within a loosely defined range.

That was their third, and biggest, mistake.

Needless to say, I negotiated the price up, way up. In fact, I got us TEN TIMES the amount I would have normally sold that particular domain name for had the agency not been so flippant about the whole affair. Since the agency was in a hurry to meet a deadline and were willing to spend their client's money like drunken sailors, I was happy to assist them in accomplishing their mission. ;+)

So, what lessons might be learned from this affair?

• Rushing a domain name purchase, perhaps because you've left it to the last minute (ad agencies and clients, are you listening?), will likely mean the buyer will end up paying more than they normally should.
• If you are using an intermediary to negotiate the purchase of a domain name on your behalf (which is not a bad idea, by the way), make sure your 'agent' is motivated to get you the best possible price. Ideally, they should treat the money that have to spend with as much, if not more, care than if it was their own.
• Finally, regardless of whether or not you work with an intermediary, establish a clearly defined price range (or at least a maximum figure) at the outset, otherwise you will weaken your negotiating ability and won't know when it's time to walk away from the deal.

In other words, when it comes to buying a domain name, don't be a drunken sailor on a deadline. But if you are, have I got a deal for you...

Seven Fast Tips for Using Blogger

Now that I've established that Blogger doesn't suck anymore, I thought it would be helpful to share a few quick and easy tips to help you get the most out of Blogger, Google's free blogging software.

1. Tweak the Navbar
   The Blogger navigation bar at the top of every page doesn't have to be a 'loud' blue and orange. While you can't eliminate the navigation bar entirely, you can make it less obvious and tie it closer to the look and feel of your blog. To do so, simply log in to your Blogger account, then navigate to Dashboard > Layout, then click on "Edit" on the Navbar. In addition to the default blue colour scheme for the Navbar, you can also choose tan, black, or silver.
2. Finesse Your Photo
   For the photo of you, the blogger, use a JPEG that is exactly 88x88 pixels in size. This size will look best both on your blog (where more people are likely to see it) and your User Profile page. To change your photo, navigate to Dashboard > Edit Profile.
3. Create Search Engine-Friendly Tags
   Since page titles are very important to search engines, and since Blogger automatically incorporates tags into page titles, make sure you create tags that accurately reflect the content of your blog. This will help increase the traffic you get from search engines.
4. Use a Compelling Description
   The description you use for your blog in the top header section will likely be used by search engines when they display your blog in search results. Make sure you craft your description to be compelling to readers (to motivate them to click) and search engines by including the most important keywords here. Go to Dashboard > Settings to add or modify your blog description.
5. Use Your Own Domain Name
   Just because your blog's URL is likely to be some variation of yourblog.blogspot.com this doesn't mean you can't have a snappier and more memorable URL for marketing purposes. Simply register a domain name like TheBestBlogEver.com (for $10 or less at registrars like GoDaddy) and forward this to your blogspot.com URL. (Blogger also now supports using a custom domain for serving your blog, however configuring this is not for the faint of heart.)
6. Protect Yourself From Spammers
   If you want to provide your email address to your blog visitors but don't want to get bombarded by spammers using email address harvesting software, modify the way you display your email on your blog as follows: billgates[at]sympatico[dot]ca or billgatesNOSPAM@NOSPAMsymptico.ca.
7. Measure Your Traffic
   Blogger doesn't offer any Website traffic statistics (yet), but that doesn't mean you can't measure your blog traffic. Use a free and basic service like Site Meter or, if you're a data junkie, try Google Analytics.

Seven Tips for Creating Better Internet Video

Long before I became an Internet marketer, I studied filmmaking and worked in the feature film and television industry. With the increasing interest in shooting original video content for the Internet, either for streaming or downloading, I thought it would be beneficial to share a few production pointers.

If you're planning on shooting video for the Internet, here are seven tips that will help improve the end product.

1. Start with the best possible image quality.
   Garbage in, garbage out, right? Use the best quality video camera you can get. Ensure your shots are properly lit and avoid low light and high contrast lighting situations.
2. Capture clean audio.
   Use a good quality microphone. Do not use the one on the camera. Shoot in a environment where you can eliminate or at least minimize background noise (such as traffic).
3. Minimize movement.
   Any extraneous movement within the frame is problematic as it only makes your footage harder to compress. Keep your subjects fairly static and always use a tripod. Where possible, try to avoid zooms, pans, tilts, and other camera movement. If you must introduce movement into a shot, keep it slow and steady.
4. Beware of detail.
   Avoid overly detailed or complex shots. Crowd scenes are particularly problematic. Make sure your backgrounds are not cluttered - a solid colour is best - and that the clothing performers wear does not have intricate patterns. Eliminate movement in the background. If you can't, use a shallow depth of field to minimize the problem.
5. Think big.
   Your footage will likely be viewed in a tiny display window, not on an IMAX-sized screen. So shoot and use lots of close-ups and make your titles large and simple.
6. Keep the editing simple.
   In post-production, avoid rapid editing. Quick cuts and shots of less than one second in length may get lost or mangled during compression. Stick to straight cuts. Dissolves and elaborate shot-to-shot transition effects can cause problems during compression. When in doubt, use a good old straight cut, although fade ins and fade outs are OK.
7. 'Dumb down' the audio mix.
   Subtle, densely layered audio tracks don't respond well to compression. Keep your audio mix simple and clear. In fact, pretend you are mixing the soundtrack so that it will be legible on the world's crappiest AM radio. (Remember those?) If you can make it sound good on that, it will sound good on the Internet.

Good luck, and happy shooting!

Protect Your Domain Name in Seven Easy Steps

I've seen far too many friends and colleagues accidentally lose their Website domain names by forgetting to renew them in a timely manner. This can have catastrophic results, but it doesn't have to happen to you. In fact, it can be easily avoided by following my list of seven simple steps.

Why not take a few minutes right NOW to reduce the likelihood of losing your domain name?

Seven Easy Steps to Protecting Your Domain Name

Step 1: Identify who your domain name registrar is.
If you are not sure who your registrar is, use a WHOIS directory like Allwhois to determine the name of your registrar (the company you registered the domain name with).

Step 2: Determine your registrar's contact information.
Using the WHOIS record information, make note of the email and phone coordinates for the registrar (sometimes listed under "Technical Contact") and file this information in a safe place. And the registrar has to have a Website, so make sure you bookmark it.

Step 3: Confirm your domain name expiry date.
Also using the WHOIS record, check to see what "Renewal" date is listed. This is your expiry date and you MUST renew your domain name before then.

Step 4: Schedule an automatic annual reminder to renew your domain name.
Using your electronic calendar, day planner, or PDA, configure it to remind you to renew your domain name 60 and 30 and 15 days prior to the renewal date. Don't rely on your registrar to do this - this is YOUR responsibility.

Step 5: Renew your domain name before it expires.
This sounds obvious, but when you get the reminder message you configured for yourself, take action right away. Call your registrar's toll-free number or visit their Website to renew your domain name. In most instances, it only takes a few minutes to renew your domain name using a credit card, and the cost is usually in the $10-20 range.

Step 6: Verify that your renewal has been completed.
Wait 24 hours after renewing, then check the WHOIS record again to make sure your domain name's expiry date has been updated to reflect your recent renewal. Even if your registrar sends you emails confirming this, make sure you check the WHOIS record yourself to make sure.

Step 7: Doublecheck your reminder.
After successfully renewing your domain name, make sure you've put a reminder in your calendar, day planner, or PDA to renew your domain name prior to its next expiry date.

By following these seven steps, you can help ensure that you don't forget to renew your domain name, which in my experience is the number one reason companies lose their domain names.

Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly?

I'm one of the millions of Canadians who uses a mobile device (two, in fact) to surf the Web. Twice this past week I was thwarted in my attempt to access a number of popular Websites because the sites weren't designed to allow mobile surfers, like myself, in.

I have two observations to make regarding this:

1. Companies that continue to ignore (shut out) mobile surfers are going to start noticing that they are losing customers and, even worse, irreparably damaging their brands. As more and more people start to use mobile devices to access the Web, they are going to flock to the Websites of the companies that welcome them and their wireless brethren and avoid those that don't. Even when mobile surfers are forced to surf through a 'wired' device (e.g., a desktop computer), which Websites (and brands) do you think are going to be top-of-mind to them? Certainly not the ones that spurned them in the mobile environment.
2. It's not as difficult as you might think to make a Website (or at least some of its key content) accessible to a mobile surfer. You don't even need to create a separate WAP Website. If you avoid the use of frames, JavaScript/Flash navigation, image maps, and tons of images, your main site will be more mobile-friendly. Sound familiar? Pat yourself on the back if you recognized that many of the same best practices that make a Website easily found by search engines also make a Website easily accessed by mobile users.

If you're planning on launching, or re-launching, a Website, make sure you remember to consider the mobile surfer in your plans. Their numbers are only going to increase over time.

The Seven Deadly Domain Name Variations

So you've finally come up with a killer domain name for your new Web 2.0 venture. You've registered walrussite.ca for a year and now it's time to book the caterers for the launch party.

Hang on a minute - you're not quite done yet! In fact, you should seriously consider registering 10-20 additional domain names right now. That's because you need to protect yourself from The Seven Deadly Domain Name Variations:

1. Extension Variations: No matter how heavily you promote the .ca version of your domain name, a portion of your target market will still type in .com, so be sure to register...
   
   walrussite.com
   
   ... and point this domain name to the same Website as the .ca URL.  While you're at it, I highly recommend you register...
   
   walrussite.net
   walrussite.org
   
   Always think about the worst case scenario, which is what if someone else owned walrussite.net and pointed it at an 'adult entertainment' site? It's worth investing five minutes of your time and $10 a year to register that domain name to avoid this happening.



2. "Suck" Variations: If you're a big enough venture to be worried about negative PR, you should consider registering anti-corporate domain name variations like...
   
   walrussitesucks.ca
   walrussitesucks.com
   walrussitesucks.net



3. Typo Variations: Not everyone aced the spelling bee, so be sure to register the most obvious misspellings of your domain name. For example, you should at least register the following...
   
   wallrussite.ca
   wallrussite.com
   wallrussite.net



4. Plural Variations: Regardless of whether or not there are plurals of words in your domain name, you should register both versions just in case.
   
   walrussites.ca
   walrussites.com
   walrussites.net



5. Adjoining Letters Variations: Check your domain name to see if there are any repeated adjoining letters that might trick people up. In our example's case, the first word ends with an "s" and the second word begins with an "s" so you should also register...
   
   walrusite.ca
   walrusite.com
   walrusite.net



6. Transposing Variations: Your target market may remember that your domain name contains the words "walrus" and "site" but it's possible they may not recall the correct sequence of the words (Remember gordanandfrank.ca?). So be sure to register...
   
   sitewalrus.ca
   sitewalrus.com
   sitewalrus.net
   
   ...and while you're at it, consider registering the misspellings and plural variations that could go along with this.



7. Phonetic Variations: What happens if people only hear your domain name rather than see it in print? Be sure to register the 'sounds like' variations of your domain such as...
   
   walrussight.com
   walruscite.com
   walrussighed.com
   wallrusight.com
   wallruscite.com
   wallrussighed.com

While there are other domain name variations to consider, if you can learn to overcome The Seven Deadly Domain Name Variations you will be well on your way to protecting your online venture. At only about $10 a year per domain name, this is money (and time) well spent.

The Art of Domain Name War

I got into an interesting debate with a colleague the other day regarding the acquisition of a domain name for one of their clients, a large corporation.

During the course of planning a major integrated ad campaign, the team at my colleague’s agency realized they would need to create a mini Website to support the campaign. Not surprisingly, said mini Website would need its own unique domain name.

It was then discovered that the desired domain name, let's call it DesignerPets.com, had already been registered by a third party. (Note: I actually own DesignerPets.com, but it’s mentioned here just as an example.)

Because the client really, really wanted to use DesignerPets.com for the campaign, the decision was made to have the agency try to purchase the domain name from its current owner.

The agency was successful, and the domain name exchanged hands for a modest but fair four-digit sum. The negotiation and transaction was handled through an intermediary (not me, although I’ve acted in this role many times) who did not divulge to the original owner of the domain name the identity of the buyer or their plans for the domain name.

In my opinion, this (using an intermediary or 'broker') was a smart play, and one I always recommend to clients that want to buy a domain name from someone else. Had the original owner of DesignerPets.com known from the outset who was buying his domain name and why, he'd have wanted a ridiculously over-inflated amount for the domain name.

My colleague thinks this approach was “underhanded and unfair.” He is even concerned that the former owner of DesignerPets.com will go to the media and complain how he was "duped" (according to my colleague) by the large corporation. I suggested this would only make the former owner look like a sore loser.

Perhaps I've spent too much time following the writings of Sun “The Art of War” Tzu, but I think my approach of using an intermediary is just smart (albeit tough) strategy. Had the agency not taken this approach, they’d probably still be haggling over a price for the domain name, and their client’s campaign would have been delayed – or forced to use a different domain name.

Ten Viral Marketing Best Practices

A colleague of mine recently asked me if I had a list of viral marketing best practices. I guess I do - in my head - so it's about time I jotted them down to share with others. And before I forget.

If you're plotting the next Subservient Chicken or Liberal Leadership on eBay, here are 10 best practices to keep in mind:

1. First and foremost, think high concept: The viral 'thing,' whatever shape or form it takes, has to be highly provocative in some way. This, of course, is easier said than done, otherwise we'd all be drowning in these things. (And thank God we're not.)
2. Work backwards from the headline: Think about what the headline of the blog entry - or the subject line of the email - about your viral marketing concept would be. Hint: if it won't make a concise headline or subject line, then it probably won't make a good viral marketing concept.
3. Keep it simple: You have to hook people fast, so don't overburden your concept with too many elements or distractions. (Yes, sometimes you can be TOO clever.) Your concept should be able to work when plugged into the following fill-in-the-blank sentence, "Hey, did you hear _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____?" For instance, "Hey, did you hear that Canadian Websites now need to be licensed?"
4. Humour Sells: Nothing says viral better than a good belly laugh. If you can have people laughing in their cubicles (admittedly not an easy task, even for comedy writing experts), you are well on your way to viral fame.
5. Sex Sells: But that's way too easy and probably not appropriate for what you, sophisticated Internet marketer, are trying to promote. Leave the 'naughty hotties in a hot tub' concept for the beer company ad agencies.
6. Big Names Sell: A viral marketing concept that leverages a well-known person, place, or thing may work better because less explanation is required to understand what the concept is about, and the association with the known entity will strike a common chord with many people. Get legal advice before you use a Big Name, though. Or not, depending on your appetite for lawsuits.
7. Topicality Sells: A viral marketing concept that is 'torn from today's headlines' can have a leg up over the competition. Since everyone is already talking about the topic in the first place, the communication pump is already primed. The trick here is that it can sometimes take a while to come up with a killer concept, and by then it may no longer be a topical subject.
8. Don't Try Too Hard: If you ask, or beg, for viral pass-along status, chances are people will see right through you. A really compelling viral concept will stand on its own and people will want to share it with others without being prodded by the folks behind it.
9. Reality Sells: People are overwhelmed and usually unimpressed by what they perceive to be 'corporate' advertising; what often works best in the viral space is unvarnished content by real people, or at least made to look that way.
10. Mystery Sells: Everyone loves a good mystery, so a viral marketing concept that keeps people guessing will only contribute to the buzz factor. At some point in time, however, there must be a payoff, otherwise you'll really piss people off. Unless that's the point in the first place. Off you go.

Have fun. I'm going to watch the Honda "Cog" commercial again...

Site Search Best Practices

We all know that anything to do with search is hot these days.

And now the smart companies are starting to take a closer look at the search engines on their own sites.

Whether you call this "site search" or "internal search" or 'who-knows-what' search, I predict this area is going to see a lot of excitement and evolution in the next few years.

I recently completed a fascinating site search consulting project for a large media company. Since they publish a number of magazines, they have a vast content archive and a vested interest in making it as easy as possible for Website visitors to be able to get to their content as efficiently as possible.

My company was hired to help the media company understand how to improve their site search. During the course of the project, my colleagues and I developed an unofficial list of what we started to refer to as "Site Search Best Practices." These best practices are independent of any one particular site search system (i.e., the technology solution) and will be of benefit to any company, large or small, that is implementing site search.

So, without much further ado, here are some of our Site Search Best Practices:

1. Make sure you are measuring usage and other key metrics related to site search so that you can keep track of the impact that any fine-tuning to the system makes. You can't manage what you can't measure.
2. Most site search systems allow the Website owner to configure the default search results layout a number of different ways. For instance, you usually have control over whether or not the results display the article's full URL, author's name, publication date, etc. Consider your particular target market and configure the search results layout in a way that is most relevant for them. If you don't know, ask them!
3. Include a highly visible link to 'search tips' content on every search results page, preferably adjacent to the search input text field, and make sure this content is written in plain English and kept up-to-date.
4. Automatically display 'search tips' content if the user's search does not generate any search results. Don't just strand them on a page that says, "No results found."
5. Follow Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices when creating new content/pages (and design templates) because a page that is well configured for an external search engine will also be well configured for an internal search engine.
6. If you are using a content management system (CMS), ensure that your internal content development team understands how to properly input and tag the content they are creating and why this is so important.
7. Synchronize your site search system's crawling/indexing schedule with your content publishing schedule, whether that be daily, weekly, or monthly. And make sure it stays in sync.
8. Configure the site search system to automatically notify representatives of your company's IT department AND content/publishing department in the event the system goes offline. Because it will, and you want to be the first to know.

Since the site search landscape is in a constant state of flux, I consider this list to be very much a 'work-in-progress.'