If you could choose a superhero power...

My choice? Invisibility, every time. But if you’re a business - meh!

Whether you operate your business online or off, you have to be visible or you’ll go under. Busy lives mean that online shopping is huge. Unless you live in a cave, it’s hard to miss the hype surrounding Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

You can't afford to ignore your online presence and identity. Everyone's connected, 24/7; with access to the Internet from laptops, phones, and tablets. Users are technologically aware. Whether you trade online or off, they’ll check you out online.

Will users trust your website?

You have to prove that your business is legitimate. You’re asking users to share their personal information and credit card details. You need to have visible security indicators.

Can SSL increase your conversion rate? 84% of end users said yes! Take a look at this study proving that users wouldn’t buy from a website if their data was sent over an unsecured connection. They’re looking for proof that your site is safe - security indicators. SSL certificates are the most effective way to do this.

We provide four types of SSL certificate, from basic to super-strength. Having one on your website proves it’s secure. Users will know it's safe to spend their money, and your conversion rate will increase.

Local corner shop or international business, where’s your audience?

Users are more confident using a website local to their country. Localising your website with a country code domain extension (ccTLD), will increase your traffic. Why?

• Registering a ccTLD requires more effort. You often have to apply to local authorities and there may be restrictions applied. Going through this process proves your commitment and loyalty to the country.
• Users will know that the website is in their language. They can pay in their currency and use their credit card without issue. Delivery is local, so cheaper and quicker. Times zones are also more appropriate for support questions.
• If a user is searching for an electrician, hairdresser, mechanic, or restaurant, etc. – they’re looking for it to be local. Where on earth is that .COM website located? Until they enter the site and click the Contact Us page, they’ve no clue.

We’ve got every ccTLD you can imagine at EuroDNS. Yep I’m blowing our own trumpet, live with it, it’s my job! Where are you targeting? If you’re a French boulangerie you can register a .FR. A London based hairdressers can register a .UK.

Are you talking your customers' language?

You’ve spent time choosing your name, logo, corporate colour, website design, and marketing material. Cool, but what about your tone of voice? Having a unique and appropriate voice is how customers will remember you. It’s the impression you’ll leave. Hide your logo and company name. Do you sound like you or do you sound like all your competitors?

Who are you, what’s unique about your company and products, what’s your company culture – hoodies or suits? Do you sell awesome skateboards, or are you a luxury brand selling chic apparel? Find your voice, use it, and connect with your audience!

Social media rules, okay?

Do you have the time and inclination to maintain social media accounts? If not, don't go there! It can be a full time job. It's more than just posting promos and funny pictures. You have to chat, give advice, and be ready to deal with an unhappy customer ranting that your company’s rubbish. Ignore your followers and they’ll not only lose interest in your posts, but also your company.

Use your chosen tone of voice and keep it consistent. Be flexible, in case you have to react to something unexpected or new.

Hey dudes we’re out of skateboards – totally trippy!

Ladies– skinny jeans are so last season!

It’s not a given that you have to use social media, it might not fit your business or target audience. But if your customers associate your brand with a positive experience, they might want to share that experience on social networks. It's worth considering.

BTW – Google looks at social sharing-counts as a sign of quality. Your social popularity will feed into your search engine optimisation – totally trippy!!!

Do you have the best domain name?

Finally, you have to get the right domain name for your website. The EuroDNS blog has articles to help you find the perfect domain name, which extension to choose, and registering multiple names. There’s even a crash course in domain names for newbies. You can choose from over 750 domain extensions, different ones to suit your needs.

• A ccTLD represents a specific country. Register multiple if you're looking to sell around the world, e.g. .DE, .EU, .US, .BE, .CA.
• New domain extensions can describe your industry, product, city, and more. Examples include: .LONDON, .DESIGN, .SERVICES, .WEBSITE.
• Plus there're the more generic ones like .COM, .ORG, .NET, .GOV, .XXX.

Basically - keep it simple, easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and relevant.

Check out the blog posts, and if you’d like some help or just fancy a chat, please give us a shout.

HEY, NOW I SEE YA!!!

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