Network Solutions - Holding Domain Ideas for Ransom

So you are thinking about building a website or two. You go to Network Solutions and look up some domain names. But then you look around and decide to register them elsewhere and they are not available? WHAT!!!!????

Network Solutions (as reported in several places on the web–Like Here. ) is temporarily buying those domain names and FORCING you to buy them FROM them at 3 X the money! Talk about anti-competitive.

If indeed it is true and it seems to be since they themselves have called it a “security measure”…It is time to BOYCOTT them. The answer is simple. Search for your domains elsewhere. Any other registrar is fine.

In my opinion, Network Solutions’ move is LOW CLASS and we need to vote with our feet. Security measure my eye….this is a revenue grab plain and simple. They say it is to stop “Domain Tasting”. Ye, tasting IS a problem. No, I don’t participate in domain tasting. And No. This isn’t the solution.

This is simply a way for this overpriced company to charge unsuspecting searchers who are looking for possible domains much more money.

Just my opinion.

Eric

Todd Kaufman Assessor - online reputation management in reverse

Todd Kaufman Loudon County Virginia just screwed up big time. I have never met Todd Kaufman. I have never been to Loudon County. I am not from Virginia. But I am in the business of online reputation management and I can tell you already, his mistake(s) could be career threatening.

That having been said, let’s learn from them. First off, Mr. Kaufman disagrees with post made by a local REALTOR on their blog. Does he engage and correct what he perceives to be the error? No. Does he call the person and ask to talk with them as he might if a reporter mis=reported something No. As reported in several real estate blogs, including here–what Todd Kaufman did was fire off a written assault on the REALTOR and threaten him with lawsuits and letters to his broker and NAR and anyone else he can name.

I hope you enjoyed your arrogant tirade as you tried to silence a blogger Todd. Now you get to pay the price. You see this thing called freedom of speech–it applies to bloggers as well as newpapers. And Todd, you now get a sideline seat to watch them take you on…yeah even ones like me who don’t know who you are, Todd Kaufman. You do not get a free pass to threaten those who disagree with you. If you try to intimidate a person from expressing their opinion, you make the problem worse. The world has changed and it is bigger than your ego.

And to think…all you had to do was comment on this blogger / REALTOR’s post and you could have actually ENHANCED your online reputation. Now you did it in REVERSE.

Let’s look at the results:

Google the following

Todd Kaufman

Todd Kaufman Assessor

..and several other choice Keywords…

This is truly how NOT to do it.

Merry Christmas from Southern Indiana

It is Sunday morning December 23rd. I am sitting on my couch and counting the blessings of this past year. Among the great things that have happened:

From a business perspective:

Southern Indiana Web Works was “officially” launched, offering search engine optimization and website design services to Southern Indiana and Louisvlle as well as consulting services to select clients worldwide.

We had a great year at the real estate office. More people than ever effectively using the website to find houses. Our continued success has been hugely gratifying.

I made new friends (and lots of ‘em) over at the Bloodhound Blog. I also continued to add friends from Real Estate Webmasters. While attending PubCon, I picked up quite a few new friends there as well.

We are now ready to launch 3 new projects with Southern Indiana Web Works in the coming year that will continue to make 2008 as successful as 2007 has been.

From a personal perspective:

My wife, kids and family are doing great.

The ability to speak at autism conferences has been not only fun, but we have made many friends there. Cameron and Jordan’s story have helped people to see what is possible on the autistic spectrum and to get out of “fix it” mode and into “the obstacle removal business”.

Bottomline: It has been a great year for us. We hope it has been for you as well.

We consider ourselves Christian, so we celebrate Christmas. Merry Christmas!

If you are of a different faith or tradition, happy holidays as well.

Thanks as always for your friendship and for your continued support of Southern Indiana Web Works.

Eric

What happened at PubCon?

Well, let’s just say it was a BUSY time….(grin)

And since I have been back, I have not had a chance to write much up. So instead of doing that, I am going to point you to a couple of posts from folks who have written some stuff up in posts on their blogs….

Yeah, I’m lazy..(grin) but then again, you didn’t exactly take a week out of your life and join us for this fun time either! (Show up next year!)

check out the Bramblog — Eric Bramlett has some good basic write ups of several of the classes.

another interesting short read is SEOlogs short write up is also a good thing…especially the comment about A/B and multivariate testing…worth reading twice.

Enjoy!

Eric

A/B and Multivariate Testing at Southern Indiana web works

For the past few days, i have been considering an additional service to offer Southern Indiana Web Works clients…

Since many clients are smaller customers, they have not been able to enjoy some of the same benefits that larger clients can afford. While we try to treat everyone equitably, it is an undeniable fact that larger budgets equal more tools.

One of the things that larger clients have been able to afford that I think we can now roll out to smaller customers is A/B and Multivariate Testing. Multi what???

Basically what we are talking about is AUTOMATICALLY testing your site for conversion between Page A or Page B…or testing multiple pieces of pages (that’s where the multivariate part is…).

Up until now this type of service would cost a large site many thousands of dollars, but it would be well worth it in the additional sales and conversions that testing brought. No making design decisions because you “like” them. Do it for the right reason…Because it works!

If you’d like more information, simply contact us using the contact form on the right column or give us a call!

Thanks for a great time at Pubcon…

I am sitting here at the airport with a three hour wait before my plane takes off…yeah, I know I should be doing something else. Maybe putting up some of the ideas from some of the classes. Or better yet maybe posting updates like I said I would. (grin)

Instead of doing that though, I thought it appropriate to say thanks for a great conference. Sometimes I think we need to do more of that, so let me be the first.

• Bramlett–It was great to meet you in person (finally!) and I truly enjoyed getting to you and Wes even better. You are a good example of how real estate is done on the web.
• Jim Olenbush–Likewise.
• Ki. Likewise.
• Ken Smith–fun hanging out with you!
• Jay– Likewise, my friend.
• Glen, Charles, et al… I enjoyed meeting you as well.
• cK -I really was looking forward to actually meeting you. Enjoyed it! Here’s to a great 2008 for Webosis.
• Stephan Spencer-I thought your presentation about WP blogs was spot on . While there may be something that I disagree with you on about how to set a blog up, I’d be hard pressed to find it. I enjoyed the chance that we had to talk right before the Google Engineer reception. You are in my opinion a good example of solid SEO practice. I will post a link up here on the blog when I get home to your presentation…folks who are trying to set up a Word Press blog the right way NEED to hear what you have to say.
• Bill Slawski–My first time meeting you in person as well! I have read SEO by the Sea for years and consider it a reference on Google patents. I enjoyed the conversation and look forward to more in the future.

There are a ton of other folks (too numberous to mention…) that I was happy to meet and / or  I was impressed by what they presented. Kudos to Webasterworld and Brett Tabke for a job well done.

Time to write another post for another blog…and then get on the plane.

PubCon Updates start this Tuesday

I will be at PubCon in Las Vegas this week meeting (and having fun!)  with the best of the best in the search engine business. I have been looking forward to this for quite a while and am REALLY pumped to get to meet a few friends that I have made online…but never met in person.

If you are going to be there, look me up! (Use the contact form to the right to send me your phone number!) If you are not and want to get updates on as much of the proceeding as I can write about, check back here often and live vicariously through me!

Eric on Copyright

While I often cite other people’s posts on my blog, I usually add to the conversation and offer my twist somehow. Very few posts pass muster to where I just say “read this”. This post is a great exception to that.

Copyrights are IMPORTANT. Consider it a public service announcement from my blog to your site. Great info Seomoz. Kudos.

Also did you notice the first comment on that post. Nice Job Disco. Love the wit and that made me grin.

Eric

Southern Indiana Newspaper - Looking for a theme

Being the HUGE WordPress fan that I am, I have been working on a project for the last few months. I have been building the next Southern Indiana Newpaper. It is going to be an online paper and it will have some unique twists that you may not be expecting! (More announcement on this later…)

What I need is a SOLID WP them for an online Newpaper environment. There have been some valiant attempts made, but none seem to be ready for prime time… if you have some ideas, PLEASE post them here.(even if they need MAJOR modification and programming changes that is OK…We can handle it at the web works!

Also, if you can tell me what you think is relevant for an online magazine / newspaper. My vision is to create it as the love child of this online newspaper and this online “living” magazine…will it work? Only time will tell!

When I look at the profitability of the newspaper companies’ website (essentially online newspaper) divisions, I somehow think that it will…

Thoughts?

Eric

Blogging from your cell phone?

OK, so I am CHEAP. As intrigued as I have been with the iPhone, I didn’t buy one. I ESPECIALLY was cheap since I didn’t buy one even after the price reduction wars…(grin). I still keep telling myself that while it is cool, I still cannot see the practical side of what it gives me that is worth the extra dough to get it….

Enter Joost de Valk’s post on a new WP plugin…can you say WordPress blogging platform on an iPhone? or other web enabled cell phone?…Now we’re talking! Hat tip to Joost for enlightening me….

True, it will not lead to super long posts…typing a ton on that thing is just too tough. But it makes a pretty nice little mobile platform, WOW!

Here is the link to WPhone.

Now to convince my wife that i NEED an iPhone…(grin)

Enjoy!

Eric

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