Every so often we get a new client who wants a new site because their current one isn’t doing them much justice.

It turns out that they’re paying a monthly or yearly fee but don’t actually know what there paying for. It’s not their fault because they don’t know the ins and outs of setting up a website but after some investigations by myself we find that the client doesn’t actually own there domain name, their web company does.

The sneaky web company they previously used offered them a package which included the domain name (named after the customers business), hosting and web design but in actual fact they did not register the domain name under the client, they registered it under themselves instead.

What’s wrong with that? (you may say).

In some cases the actual business owner may not want ownership of the domain because they don’t actually want it for long, maybe its just apart of a marketing plan but in most cases, small businesses buy a domain name pretty much for security.

Domain names are never actually owned by anyone, they’re only registered for a period of time (like a lease) but its the registrar who has the power to use, sell or renew that domain which essentially makes it theirs.

If the web company registers your domain in their name then they own your domain name, not you.

In doing so you don’t have any control over your domain name, so:

- If you want to part ways with the web company
- sell your domain name
- move host
- sell your online business

You can’t!

It may not actually be a problem for you until one of these scenarios pop up. In order to gain control of your domain you can ask the registrar(the web company) to release it in which case they may not be willing to sell or they can dictate any price they want.

What to be wary of :

Friends & Family!
From my own professional experience these cases usually happen when a friend of a friend exclusively sorts out your website for you (possibly as a favour). To put it simply its usually someone you know (but not very well) and don’t see very often (a friend of a friend). Big web based companies are not ruled out though (they’ll contact you by phone instead smile) .

The type of company.
It could be a web design company, hosting company, a SEO or marketing company and even an I.T. Company.
In most cases but not exclusively they won’t have a lot of info on their site about domain names and hosting (particularly pricing).

Their prey!
Again not exclusively but they find much more success from businesses who are not particularly web based or web savy such as a shop owner or tradesmen.

How clever are they?
They are extremely clever in that they market their offerings as a simple package and that’s why it works better for non web based businesses. It seems like an easy all inclusive way to get online but be wary, they can use some intricate shenanigans to get the most out of your online presence whilst also damaging it in the process. (gets a little techy below)

A scenario I found last year.
The web company set-up a site for their client. (they were friends of friends)
The web company used a flash, home splash page for the site and flash for the rest of the site.
The web company then set-up meta tags, descriptions, titles and hidden text to advertise their own web design company using unique keywords.
In doing so they increase their web design businesses SEO and the clients own business gets no SEO on his very own site (which also has nothing to do with web services.)
Normally this can get you blacklisted but Designers/developers and many in general know that…

flash is not spidered by search engines.

Every so often we get a new client who wants a new site because their current one isn’t doing them much justice.

It turns out that they’re paying a monthly or yearly fee but don’t actually know what there paying for. It’s not their fault because they don’t know the ins and outs of setting up a website but after some investigations by myself we find that the client doesn’t actually own there domain name, their web company does.

The sneaky web company they previously used offered them a package which included the domain name (named after the customers business), hosting and web design but in actual fact they did not register the domain name under the client, they registered it under themselves instead.

What’s wrong with that? (you may say).

In some cases the actual business owner may not want ownership of the domain because they don’t actually want it for long, maybe its just apart of a marketing plan but in most cases, small businesses buy a domain name pretty much for security.

Domain names are never actually owned by anyone, they’re only registered for a period of time (like a lease) but its the registrar who has the power to use, sell or renew that domain which essentially makes it theirs.

If the web company registers your domain in their name then they own your domain name, not you.

In doing so you don’t have any control over your domain name, so:

- If you want to part ways with the web company
- sell your domain name
- move host
- sell your online business

You can’t!

It may not actually be a problem for you until one of these scenarios pop up. In order to gain control of your domain you can ask the registrar(the web company) to release it in which case they may not be willing to sell or they can dictate any price they want.

What to be wary of :

Friends & Family!
From my own professional experience these cases usually happen when a friend of a friend exclusively sorts out your website for you (possibly as a favour). To put it simply its usually someone you know (but not very well) and don’t see very often (a friend of a friend). Big web based companies are not ruled out though (they’ll contact you by phone instead ) .

The type of company.
It could be a web design company, hosting company, a SEO or marketing company and even an I.T. Company.
In most cases but not exclusively they won’t have a lot of info on their site about domain names and hosting (particularly pricing).

Their prey!
Again not exclusively but they find much more success from businesses who are not particularly web based or web savy such as a shop owner or tradesmen.

How clever are they?
They are extremely clever in that they market their offerings as a simple package and that’s why it works better for non web based businesses. It seems like an easy all inclusive way to get online but be wary, they can use some intricate shenanigans to get the most out of your online presence whilst also damaging it in the process. (gets a little techy below)

A scenario I found last year.
The web company set-up a site for their client. (they were friends of friends)
The web company used a flash, home splash page for the site and flash for the rest of the site.
The web company then set-up meta tags, descriptions, titles and hidden text to advertise their own web design company using unique keywords.
In doing so they increase their web design businesses SEO and the clients own business gets no SEO on his very own site (which also has nothing to do with web services.)
Normally this can get you blacklisted but Designers/developers and many in general know that…

flash is not spidered by search engines.

The search engine totally ignores all the clients content, the info which should have been spidered and reads only the web company info instead pretty much rendering the clients website useless and invisible. The chances of getting blacklisted were reduced because all the search engine could see was a web company’s website not the clients business website. In the eyes of a search engine, nothing was actually wrong.

It was simple, very clever and also sneaky.

Do you own your domain name?
If you’ve bought a package like this in the past, or going to buy a domain name, be careful. Buy the domain name and package yourself or with someone you know to ensure that your the registered name on the purchases.

To find out the owner of your domain checkout whois.

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The options for selling online are vast so here’s a run down of the technical jargon and what you need to know to start selling online.

A shopping cart & a normal site?
A website is used to display information through static pages allowing you to create information easily.
A shopping cart requires more functionality such as grid layouts, additional functions, processes and pages to simulate a commerce environment. Shopping cart systems are large add ons or full systems for a commerce operation rather then a normal website.

Which shopping system to use
Shopping systems round up into four categories:
1.)Brochure/cart site combo (joomla/virtuemart)
2.)Pure shopping system (zencart or oscommerce)
3.)Pay monthly option (core commerce)
4.)Buy now button

The brochure/cart site combo
The functionality of a normal website with an added E-commerce operation giving flexibility to evolve your brochure site for the future.
Other website/cart combos can be limited on the shopping cart and that’s why there ideal as a combination method rather then a pure shopping system.
Virtuemart and joomla is an extensive combo system, matching up to a dedicated shopping cart system (our preferred choice.).

The pure shopping system ( zencart or oscommerce)
If the purpose of your new website is purely to sell products then a system like ZenCart or OS commerce is ideal. It’s literally an online shop, giving you every feature you’d need to handle a retail operation.
Payment gateways such as PayPal, RBS and NoChex recognise these systems as fully fledged shopping carts and make integration into their gateways a standard.

The buy now button.
Have no budget! The buy now button is your best option, integrative into any website. Opening an account with a PSP will allow you to create a buy now button and use it on your site. There’s no shopping cart just an instance to “buy now” and take a payment. Ideal if you’re selling one or very few products and don’t need any functionality apart from a sale.

The pay monthly option
If you’re willing to let go of ownership then pay monthly sites like (corecommerce) may be an option. They’re pure shopping systems built and hosted on their own servers. Professional and quick but with two drawbacks.

1.)You don’t own the installation or the host and therefore it may be a little binding.

2.)It requires a monthly fee which may turn out to be a bigger investment.

Payment service providers. (PSP’s)
Paypal, Worldpay, NoChex, Sagepay, Payflow are all payment service providers, online banks that put your transactions through.
Each has their own plans and features so pick carefully as pricing varies. You’ll have to create an account with them, verify yourself and business alongside integrating them with your bank. (speak to your bank for more details)

Payment Gateways
Payment Gateways are portals provided by Payments Service Providers, serving as a connection where your customers can make a transaction. You have the choice to make transactions live on your site in which more web development may be required or to take the customer to the PSP site which is a quicker option.
PSP’s have a list of shopping systems that they know are compatible with such as Zen Cart. This makes the setting up of a gateway connection quick and easy but the shopping system itself may not be ideal for your needs. Alternatively you can use a system which does cater for your needs but is not listed by the PSP, requiring a little more web development.

WHAT TO SELL!
After reading the above your probably thinking that its actually too much hard work. It doesn’t have to be when we’re here to take the load off your shoulders. The real thing you need to think about is what to sell.
As a service provider you your sales depend on results rather then products but you can combine the two.

Subscriptions:
Maybe its not a product that you want to sell but a subscription in which everything is kept online without the hassle of posting and packaging.

Add on products:
Alternatively from your own products you could also sell existing products in the forms of tools to help manage your clients service with you. IE manuals, equipment, software etc.

Information
Books, E-books, CD’s and downloads are all products that can be produced from your current services an sold as expert info. These products generate income but act as marketing tool to extend the income into a larger service contract.

All in all an E-commerce system with a good line up of products can generate great additional sales but essentially lead to bigger things. Get in touch to see how we can help.

The term sub-brand sounds like an easily and understandable concept:

“Using an established brand to launch another brand.”

eg. Virgin -> Virgin Atlantic -> Virgin money -> Virgin mobile -> Virgin media

Virgin make it work very well, there an established company with a big reputable name but more often then not sub-brands using the same name don’t work out too well especially if your a small business.

Small businesses usually don’t have the brand power to pull off a sub-brand but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the sub-brand work for you because you don’t have to trade directly off of the mother-brand.

eg.

Major brands & sub-brands with different names

Coca cola -> Lilt – Five-alive

Whitbread – > Premier Inn – Costa Coffee

Volkswagen → Audi, Volkswagen, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and overseas SEAT and Skoda.

The examples above do ask a tricky question. Are they really sub-brands or separate entities on their own? Each sub-brand is very different from the mother-brand, promoted in a very different way and holding their own set of brand values. In some cases the sub-brand were individual companies on their own before being bought out by a larger one.

At the end of the day the structure and decision of sub-branding probably came down to a business, financial, strategic and creative decision with the help of a brand consultant. What would work best for both the motherbrand & sub-brand. Look at it in another light you’ll see the possibilities.

Eg Using the mother-brand to name the sub-brand

Coke & Lilt -> Coca cola Lilt -> Coca cola Tropical -> Coca cola Jamaica.

Lilt sounds best.

Whitbread & Costa -> CostaBread -> WhitCosta ->Whitbread Costa

Costa!

Naming & strategy:

Naming plays a big part in sub-branding and small businesses often make a mistake to take the mother-brand and use it for the sub-brand. In general people think its a way to create brand power for the mother-brand but in essence it should be the other way around and that can only be achieved if you already have brand power.

Using the same name can work but it depends on the nature and relationship of the two brands. If it’s a simply extension of the business with a good link then its possible but if your creating a new business its wise not to relate it back to your existing one as a sub-brand.

Your best bet is to create something BRAND new altogether.

Ask these questions:

1. Will the mother-brand & sub brand create confusion amongst for your TA?
2. Is the mother-brand limited to sub branding opportunities?
3.Will the mother-brand & sub brand lead to a conflict in interests?

The art of SEO & Branding.

Despite my comments of small businesses using wrong tactics to sub brand many excel with the help of the internet and SEO, in fact its small businesses which have pushed sub-branding to another level.

I’ve seen small businesses using several websites with different names to sell one service in a differrent light. With the use of keywords they have practically created several separate identities for one business. They’ve been able to reach wider audiences and capitalise on the sub brand. Some have been done very quickly and lightly with the intention of pulling in a sale without the full brand values whilst others have gone all out to create a pure sub brand as an extension of a mother-brand.

Sub branding may sound like big business requiring brand power but it doesn’t. At the most basic level it just requires a little creativity, business acumen and clear thinking to make it work for smaller businesses.

How to get started with sub-branding a small business?

First thing to decide s whether you actiually need a sub-brand?

Just think of your business in another light? Think of another target market that you want to reach and adapt your values & image to suit them. Categorise your existing clients according to their different industries as well as their size.  Create an additional brand to target them individually and you’ll have the makings of a small business sub-brand.

Coaches seem to have stepped up the gears in the past years. I’m seeing more of them take a stronger approach to brand, design and marketing. They’re not just setting up shop, their pushing the boat out to make sure that their seen as a unique operator amongst the crowd.

I started creating logos and then went onto complete corporate idenities from web to print but today we’re performing more and more work for coaches with fully interactive websites accompanied with sub-brands, e-shops and more printed material. The new innovative approach is definitely a step in the right direction but is the motive behind the progression the right resolution. Life coaches know they need a brand presence to step out from the crowd but which route should you take?

Problems of a life coach business.

Coaches always make the statement that each of their clients have very different problems. I’ve learnt that so is every life coach. They each have methods for solving problems and its particular compared to the next coach. The average Joe see life coaching as quite generic but each coach has their own twist, style, methods and resources.

This in fact is a unique selling point and possibly the making of your brand. Every life coach sells the same service but its you that makes your company individual. You’re selling yourself as apart of the service and you have to make sure that you portray some of that character in your brand.

When branding a lifecoach business add a little bit of you inside as well.

Your Target Audience:
Most life coaches I come across deal with this problem in a huge way and it takes some time to figure out the answer. The problem is that they’re trying to attract two audiences under one roof, the corporate clientelle and the public.

The first thing to do is split up the groups into three or four because there’s a hidden couple of groups which emerge from the other two. Its not a corporate customer and its not a member of the public, its the self employed or small business owner. They want to focus their career or personal life but their circumstances don’t quite fit into either of the two. This group sits in between making the whole situation a blur. How should you target these groups?

- Should you have 2-3 brands to target each audience?
- One business with 2-3 sub-brands?
- Or a general appeal to all?

Having 2-3 brands is the best idea allowing you to create separate offerings without confusing the groups and not boring the other two audiences. The public don’t want to know about training courses and communication for profit they want to know how it will affect them personally. The corporate clients don’t want to hear about being happy but profitable.

But what about the middle group of professional individuals? They want to know how to do it all but not on a corporate scale, a personal one.
Having separate brands to target each audience provides a specialist and driven strategy allowing you to market the business effectively, drawing a line between the two with no confusion. This is however the costly option requiring most work from you (managing 2-3 brands, 2-3 firms, and 2-3 services).

The second option of having one brand with two sub-brands is the most approachable strategy for you rather then the client. It’s like the above solution except cheaper and manageable allowing your business to develop in your own time, however it must be done strictly keeping a clear indication of what services are offered to the different audiences. It’s 2-3 brands under a motherbrand, an allround solution which is effective but not as clear as the first one.

The third option is the cheapest but not the best as it confuses the audience. It can work but it must be clear and concise. Once you’ve done that it falls under option 2.

Whatever strategy you take, create a clear message to each audience and keep each service individual. Consider your mother-brand and services then break them down into sub-brands.

Design:
Targeting businesses with services is easier then marketing to the public. Businesses want something in-particular, a sense of professionalism, with clear benefits, results and a relation to their business. The public however are attracted by personal attachment and visual results which is hard to do when you don’t know the person or have a product.

The strategy to solve these problems is sub-grouping for your target audience because as large a variety the public are, they still fall into groups and effective design can target that particular group.

Effectively your packaging each solution and directing it at a particular audience, marketing the benefits and results of your sub-brand even though its still available to a wider audience.

Marketing:
With the above design strategy, marketing becomes simpler. Before you had the problem of attracting 2-3 audiences with one piece of communication, neither swinging here or there but with 2-3 brands focusing on 2-3 audiences you can create 2-3 documents, 1 focusing on each for a stronger and specified message to the recipient.

This leads to 2-3 forms of delivery. The previous distribution was sent to both audiences via the same strategy but can now be separated and delivered specifically to reach each target.

The fact is life coaching is not a tradesman, public body or product which offers visual solutions to a problem but it targets the same general public as a service provider.

The strategy of brand, design and marketing for life coaches is an important one which can solve problems and create its own personal niche in the b2b and b2c sector.

Preparing for the grand launch of Dee’s Shoe Repair in Dagenham Essex, Mr Dee needed to market the grand opening fast & furiously.  Fusing all graphic design with the pre-existing shopfront we created a selection of printed materials from flyers to business cards in time for teh launch.

Followed up by a second round of flyers during a street carnival Mr Dee’s shoe repair has set its place firmly in Dagenham.

Congratulations on the new shop Mr Dee.