My website is hosted by webhosting.com which is AT&T and allows up to 5 websites to be published for the same basic fee on the same account. So that seems to be standard practise to host multiple sites on the same account.Originally Posted by Johns
and I can add/change whenever I need to................................
My website is hosted by webhosting.com which is AT&T and allows up to 5 websites to be published for the same basic fee on the same account. So that seems to be standard practise to host multiple sites on the same account.
I have a great idea. Pay a professional to build a site. we rank all over page 1 on google and bing for all things eyewear in our area. The company we used was http://www.elitewebstl.com/. They charge us a monthly fee to do ongoing SEO, updates etc. and we had to sign a one year agreement so the build fee wasn't out of site. The web company only does one type of your business in any set geographic area so they don't design competing websites in the same area.
Do what your good at which is being an optician or OD. Check them out. 50% of our customers find us online and the other 50% are referred in from friends or find us thru EyeMed etc. Best money ever spent.
5 years ago, I would have said, have your friend-relative do your website. but not anymore. Search, SEO, keywords, are way too important to leave to a non-professional. Optical people constantly complain about their customer going to 'non-professional' or online retailers to get their eyewear.. why would you leave such an important part of your business to a non-professional?
Your website is your window, it in many cases is your #1 source of referrals, it is your #1 marketing tool and you want to leave it to a non-professional? I don't understand that.. I wouldn't buy my glasses online, nor would I go to a chiropractor to ask about skin cancer..
If you do not go to a professional web-developer, you are basically doing the exact same thing that you complain about. You want your patients to pay for quality products and service, and so you should be willing to pay for quality website and services. (http://theopticalvisionsite.com/mark...what-you-sell/
There are bad web-developers as well as bad eyecare professionals.( http://theopticalvisionsite.com/mark...r-or-webserver), and please do not let the one spoil your opinions of all web developers. I now know quite a few..and it's hard work for them to optimize your site, keeping you on page 1 of google and other search engines, backing up your site, submitting links if you have a blog.. dealing with all the IT issues.. It is a lot of work.. for good and dedicated web-developers.. or maybe you have an IT person.
For those who say it's too much: How many times have to say or thought to your customers' You Get What You Pay For? (http://theopticalvisionsite.com/sale...-you-paid-for/)
The #1 way to get more hits to come up on search is to include a blog and get more involved in Social Media.. Especially a blog (http://theopticalvisionsite.com/mark...live-the-blog/)
Another thought on design- I have been to beautiful sites and they suck, and ugly sites and they are on page1 of google. A site must look good, but
1) it has to be mobile friendly)
2.) load fast
3.) easy to navigate
4.) Easy to read using no more than 12th grade level
5.) Use Keywords that get you found in your area or if niche product
6.) Easy to update and make changes by yourself
7.) Have google analytics installed unless you want to use your webserver's) we use both (http://theopticalvisionsite.com/mark...w-do-you-know/)
I didn't mean to rant, but I am on so many bad websites.. when on the other forums, they brag about how little they paid for their site... try googling them.. and see where they come up.. and their websites are horrible.. . If I was a consumer, I probably wouldn't shop there.. In fact, OK, I am picky, I look at it this way.. if a company, any company is not paying attention to their website, it tells me that are not paying attention to their customers.. Customers are searching constantly, and I want the information..
We are not perfect, but every 3-4 months we go and get for free an website evaluation to check out how we are doing. (http://theopticalvisionsite.com/mark...-free-ratings/) just to make sure we are on track and keep up with the many changes and really believe every one should do the same..
That is the end of my rant, I know it's hard to pay.. like your customers it hard to for them to pay for better quality/service... But sometimes you have to practice what you preach...
Preach it sister! Testify! :)
This is exactly what I'm trying to say. You are just more erudite. I appreciate your point of view. My husband was impressed with your knowledge. At the end of the day, some will get it, others won't. The end.
Last edited by NCspecs; 06-30-2012 at 11:09 PM. Reason: Trying to not put certain undies in a twist. ;)
All that comment is, is an advertisement for a web advertising service. IMO, should have been posted in the "Services for Sale" area, NOT a discussion thread.
Apologies if that seemed like a web services commercial.. we don't sell web services at all, just blog about sales and marketing.. which includes webservices, social media.. etc.. The links were meant to point to articles for more information.. not about pushing any web services..
Please refrain from advertising on this forum. The place for this in in the marketplace forum. Thank you.
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We own our own domain, but our IT guy is the one who made it 10 years ago and is refusing to let it go to us.
We had a 3rd party actually create our layout and webpage design, but we cant do anything further to it until out IT guy lets go of it. He locked down his servers and now er can not update any information on it. Everyone can view our page, and contact us through it, but that's about all we can do.
I suggest if you can, Own all the rights to you webpage, if you're not familiar with how to set it up, have a 2nd party come in and help you, there are many great webpage designing companies out there that can help you get it set up right so when someone in your area "Google" searches eye care, you'll be one top of the first page. It's hard to fight for that spot if you don't know how.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
~ Mark Twain ~
If you own the domain you have all the rights to it..................................
If you own the domain you have all the rights to it. Copy the website first and then contact the server and make the changes so that you or whoever you choose controls it. It is as simple as that.
Chances our, they don't own it. I own the domain names to most of the opticals in my markets. Some have redirects to our sites, others we sell to the owners. They are inexpensive to purchase, but it's amazing how many people don't think to do it.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
Question: are you paying the Domain Registrar for the name, or are you paying the IT guy? If you are paying the IT guy, essentially, he "owns" it right now. The only way you are going to get back control is to contact the Domain Registrar who currently holds the registration and have them convert the ID information over to you. Then, you need to get in touch with the company that is actually hosting the website, give them the domain registration information, inform them that the IT guy is holding your website hostage, and ask them to change the access passwords so that only you can access the website.
When you sub out design work like this, it is always a good idea to change the website admin password (access to the server) once the work is completed so that the sub can no longer access or control the website.
Good luck.
Yes it is as simple as that, but getting in contact with him and getting him to release control of it is the issue. He is a former Top Security IT for the military, there's no hacking his stuff and getting control of it even that way. He controls all access to his servers, so it comes to the fact that he's in total control until we unleash a lawsuite on him.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
~ Mark Twain ~
We paid out IT guy 10 years ago to creat the Domain name for us with a contract stating that we own the right to the domain name and registrar, where he was to set up the website and make it functional for our office and needs. He owns the server in which everything located on. He hosts the website on his servers, so we're in a catch 22 in that we own the domain, he owns the servers. The hardest part is that we can't really get in touch with him, we have sent several emails, texts, and phone calls to him about it with no return messages, or rarely get a response stating that he will get on it but is dealing with health issues of his mother. He's retired Seurity IT for the Military, and he only does computer work as a "hobby" for "small" pay. Sadly he's great at what he does and there's no getting around his firewalls and we can't get anyone to hack his servers to get us control of our domain. We were lucky enough to catch him and get him to allow access to our new webpage designer, but after 2 weeks and we told him things were completed, he relocked everything to where we can not regain control and place it on a faster server. It's a real nightmear.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
~ Mark Twain ~
Oh crap. Then, you have to go around him. Do the domain registrar thing I mentioned above, but then, sign up for a new webhost (I personally like Hosting dot com), and have the domain registrar point the domain name to the new host. When you are in a hostage situation like this, unfortunately, you have to go either the lawsuit route or the end-run route.
Yeah, the lawsuit is coming soon. It looks bad that he last thing we posted to our website was almost a year ago.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
~ Mark Twain ~
Don't waste your time.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
Here are some rules for servers :
http://www.aspspider.com/tips/Tip11.aspx
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