So you’ve got your new website done and you’re ready to go live it. Congratulations! Sometimes however people -- small business owners, for example -- may get a bit intimidated if they don’t know anything about domain registration, name servers, etc. And why should they have to deal with those things, anyway? Here are the steps to get your new website live smoothly and painlessly.
In any case, any Your Web Department package includes your new domain registration. All that’s left is for you to do is press the 'Publish' button for any pages that are ready to go live. People will start seeing them.
Scenario B: You already had a website and are now transferring it to Your Web Department
Hey, we get that a lot. From disgruntled business owners who had one of their employees “in charge” of the website and then leaving the company, to those who finally gave up on their “free” WordPress website for which they had no support or had to pay a lot of money anytime they needed to change something or upload a file, the fact is that people switch to us.
In that case, once you’re new website is ready it’s time to point your domain to it, instead of the old website. If you’re familiar with domain registration, you may simply follow the steps below. But if you’re not, send them to your registrar, and they’ll make the changes for you:
Confirm that the NameServices are set to the registrar's local nameservers
Delete the A Record pointing to an IP address (unless the @ A Record can be pointed to the local IP)
Add a C Name alias of your domain (www)
Point it to goto.yourwebdepartment.com

NOTE: Some systems make this a two-step process whereby you need to create a 'www' C Name and point it to goto.yourwebdepartment.com and additionally create a '@' C Name and also point it to goto.yourwebdepartment.com
Finally, select the Forwarding option and forward "nameofsite.com" to "www.nameofsite.com"
If your domain registrar is hard to reach for some reason or you’d rather have us doing it for you, we can help. If you provide us with your login information, we can do the above on your behalf.
Now, remember: your domain name belongs to you/your business. It’s neither the property of the person to built the website for you nor the company that was hosting it before. And it doesn't become our property when you switch to Your Web Department either; it remains yours.
301 Redirects
If your website was hosted somewhere else before, we can temporarily enable a feature called "301 Redirects". It allows you to automatically redirect specific URLs (page addresses) from your old website to the new one in YWD. This way iold links can still "work". More information on 301 Redirects on this Help page.
How about email accounts?
Good point (no wonder, I made it). You can choose whether you'd like to keep your existing email acounts where they are (adequate in many cases) or transfer your email management to Your Web Department too. All YWD packages include a certain number of emal accounts.
If you're transferring an existing website to YWD, we recommend that you contact us a few days before going live to let us know how you'd like to deal with any existing email accounts.
Finally, keep in mind that our team can help you with any email-related issues as well.
Oh, and success on your new website!
Flavio Mester is a graphic designer as well as a systems analyst (in a distant life he was an architect). A founding partner of Your Web Department, he's responsible for the design and development of all the YWD website management platform interfaces. Flavio Mester on Google+ | Twitter | LinkedIn
There are a lot of free options for creating websites - and for some people, it could be the perfect solution. But for most, the old saying, "you get what you pay for" also applies to free websites. In most cases free means, "you are on your own".
YWD promotes self service, they like when people use the system to build their own website. But, they also know that most of their clients are experts in their business and not necessarily experts in building websites or the latest digital marketing trends - and that is where they come in. They are always creating new content, be it blog posts or new training tools to help their client businesses stay on top of trends and be as successful as possible on-line.
Facebook - why not, it's Free!
More and more, people seem to be using Facebook instead of creating a website. Facebook is a great tool for keeping in touch with customers, but stats tell us people rarely come back to a Facebook page. That means users are interacting with you via their news stream - and if they follow lots of people, your update could get so buried in their news stream that they may never see it. And unfortunately unless optimized by an expert, which these self made Facebook pages never seem to be, finding your address, or phone number or hours of operation is really hard for your customers. In fact I have yet to see a Facebook page optimized for SEO - not saying it can't be done, I just haven't come across a small business owner who knows how to do it. Unless you are going to be satisfied with only maybe interacting with the 23 people who like your page - you should likely invest in a solution that can help you create a great website that your potential audience can find.
What about the free template websites?
Sure, but you know that template means "could possibly look like someone else". And in my experience, cause I like to sign up for these every now and then to see what they include, they eventually ask you to pay something to keep your website live. And I have never heard of one of these solutions that has people at the other end who will pick up the phone or respond to an email to provide help.
WordPress is one of the best web platforms out there - some incredibly fantastic websites are being created on this platform - check out the Rolling Stones new tour website - it is beautiful! But I challenge you the small to mid sized business owner to create that website on your own. That website was built by a designer with years of experience, partnering with a developer who also has years of experience. They probably created their own plug-ins to make the website function the way it functions. And I can also tell you that they are not using the free version - any website built on WordPress that doesn't have WordPress in its URL isn't using the free version.
I have worked on quite a few projects that use WordPress and the end product is always good, but it always involves a designer, a developer and a price tag above $50,000.00.
There are a lot more complexities that come with using WordPress, and Monica Yother's post does a good job of highlighting a few of them.
That is not to say that there aren't some good and affordable folks out there building websites using WordPress, because I know that there are. I hope we are at the point in the conversation where you are starting to think, "I should pay to partner with an expert who can help me with all the things that I don't know about building websites or implementing digital marketing".
This is the perfect time for me to encourage you to read Monica's post (if you haven't already) or to sign up for LiveBuild or Get Started - doesn't matter which one you pick a real person will reach out to you to help you get up an running in what ever way works best for you.
Once you get started with YWD, you will likely find yourself thinking, wow, I can't believe how much flexibility and support I get for such a small price - a situation where you actually get way more than what you pay for!
We are pleased to have Pilar Galiana as a guest blogger. She is a digital marketing strategist who has worked with brands like Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Nokia Canada and TD Bank to mention a few. These days she runs her own small business, you can find her mobile site here, www.ellasays.ca.
This past week: Google's I/O conference ends today. They had a series of major announcements about their tools we like so much. Such as a new and improved Google Maps, new Google+ interface and added features and speed for Chrome on mobile. As expected Google efforts seem to focus on mobile and they are not alone Apple seems to be working on a new iOS with a new (trendy) flat look, but so far this is just a rumour. Windows phone reached number 3 (global shipments), surpassing BlackBerry for the first time, it is good to see that there is more solid choices in the mobile market. And finally the much talked about Facebook Home app is officially a bust, with AT&T pulling HTC Facebook's phone from their lineup. What does this means for the small business? For starters your own mobile experience is about to get better and as technology improves (at a very rapid pace it seems) more opportunities arises for businesses to connect with their audience. Without further ado, this week's tweet list; next week I'll be away but the roundup will come back on the 31st. Until then, enjoy the long weekend.
Still the best tool to reach the right audience-> Why E-Mail Newsletters Won’t Die
Email is still the most popular form of internet communication. When regulation aiming to stop spam was introduced, it indirectly helped legitimate marketers create good quality email lists. Now that most email list have a clear opt in and opt out, you can be confident that the people joining the list want to hear from you.
Google drive got more useful-> From the Web to Google Drive with just the click of a button
Once you have a Google account (such us a gmail email address) you can have access to Google Drive (amongst other Google tools). Google drive is quite useful to share and store documents and files. Now you can save website "files for download" directly into your Google Drive account. These files can be accessed from your desktop PC and your phone.
A new opportunity in texting-> How Messaging Apps Are Disrupting The Mobile Ecosystem
Traditional SMS phone texting is being replaced by internet based texting apps, such as: WhatsApp and KeeK with both networks boasting million of users.
Enticing that click-> Butter Up Your Social Media Calls-to-Action
When sharing content on our social networks we do it with the hope that people will click on the link to the full story on your website. Learn how to make the share more compelling for clicking.
Got this from a friend, great presentation-> The Small Business Guide To YouTube
Thinking about creating video for your business? Check this website first.
We asked and found the answers for you (at YWD that is)-> Asking the Right Questions About Mobile
At YWD we are committed to having the best mobile experience for our business websites. We are constantly looking and asking for the newest and most effective ways to deliver our clients website to the mobile visitor. This is why we offer the mobile version on every YWD package at no extra cost.
The jury is still out on this one but do it anyway just in case-> Does Google+ matter for small businesses?
There are contradicting thoughts on whether having a Google + business page helps your search results ranking. Even though there isn't a clear benefit for search, to setup a Google+ page is free and if a visitor does look your business on Google+ you will be ready for him/her.
Friday May 31st I'll have another round up, in the meantime you can follow me and YWD on the networks below:
Gustavo Jabbaz started his digital career as a designer and then became a developer and these days spends most of his time as a digital marketer. A founding partner of Your Web Department, he's responsible for day-to-day operations, marketing and development strategy. He is who you talk to when you need support with SEO and/or Social Media. Gustavo Jabbaz on Google+ | Twitter
Luxury Residence Club Resales (LRCR) is a professionally licensed real estate brokerage established specifically to serve Four Seasons Residence Club owners at Aviara and Scottsdale in Arizona. As a separate division, Luxury Residence Club Resales works exclusively with Four Seasons Residence Clubs, operating a highly-effective resale service for Residence Club owners.
The photographic material used on their website – which was recently transferred to the Your Web Department platform – conveys the sophisticated atmosphere associated with the Four Seasons brand. Here are a few examples taken directly from their website www.luxuryresidenceclubresales.com
Flavio Mester is a graphic designer as well as a systems analyst (in a distant life he was an architect). A founding partner of Your Web Department, he's responsible for the design and development of all the YWD website management platform interfaces. Flavio Mester on Google+ | Twitter | LinkedIn
As a small business owner in Canada that sends emails to their customers you'd better get ready for CASL. No, that's not a sexual disorder, it's the government's proposed Canadian Anti Spam Legislation. It also stands for, The Clowns in Ottawa Have Gotten It Wrong Once More. Rather than implement similar legislation already hammered out by the EU and the USA, Canada is not only late to the game our government seems to want to control the Internet.
The EU and USA regs take a targeted approach to the problem of business spam. Whereas the CASL will make it illegal to send any commercial electronic message without the express consent of the recipient. It does not matter that they are your customer. It does not matter that when they signed on to your service that they checked a box indicating that they agreed to your service level agreement, which gave you permission to email them. It doesn't matter that every email you send has an opt-out link. From now on you must get EXPRESS permission to email them. You will need to go back to ALL your customers that you communicate with and get them to reaffirm their desire to be contacted by you. And if you don't the penalties are up to a million dollars per email transgression.
I'm sorry for being a sleep at switch here. When I heard about CASL back when it was published in 2010, I thought, “Wow, more CRTC crap. Who cares? Where's my coffee?” But after seeing a recent presentation by James Minns of Shibley Righten, I became overwhelmingly concerned about the affect on our business and the amount of time necessary to make sure we're adhering to the legislation if it is passed under its present guise.
Did you know that it will be illegal for your salespeople to send a casual, “How'r you doing John?” email to a customer if you have a link to a commercial enterprise in it? “Cathy, you gotta see the new shoes at David's.” If you put a link to David's shoes, you will be toasted.
We are law abiding citizens here in Canada. What if we want to correct the situation? Well, you'll be barred from communicating to your customers on your email list because even sending an email to ask for permission will be illegal. What are we expected to do, go door-to-door? Send snail mail? Oh wait, Canada Post are not required to stop sending us garbage to our mail boxes. Why is that? Perhaps because they are a crown corporation and the government makes money off the practice? Stop Paul, please don't be so cynical.
If you're a small business with a mailing list or even if you email customers regularly, read the legislation. It is ridiculous in its present form. While the law has been passed, it's not in force yet. Contact your MP. They will know NOTHING about it, of course. They will be happy to send you a form letter thanking you for your support in the next election, but do it anyway. Even better? Contact your lawyer.
Paul Chato has been many things: a graphic designer, programmer, comedian, head of network TV comedy, game producer, 3D animator, playwright, event host, director and anything else that matches his fancy. Most of the time he is a managing partner at Your Web Department and is most excited about LiveBuild™. Check out LiveBuild
This past week: There are encouraging sings that the US economy is on the recovery (no recession double dip). Good news for all businesses, and hopefully this will be an incentive to work their online presence and reverse the status quo for small business websites. Only 25% of small businesses in the US have a website and for Canada it is only 40%. Hard to believe these numbers in a time when accessing the Internet is becoming second nature to all of us; and clearly there are no businesses that cannot benefit from having a website. Without further ado; my list of tweets that will help your business do better online.
If your website isn't earning its keep, for sure-> Does your business website need a redesign?
This is true for every business, if your website is not helping your business, it is time to rethink the design and how it engages your audience (or potential customers). Your business needs to generate leads or sales, it has to be your marketing hub whether your marketing efforts are in print or online.
Listening is a good start-> 5 Questions to Ask Before Implementing a Social Media Strategy
Before you jump into the social media world for your business, you should look around at what others and your competition are doing. Luckily there are plenty of guides on social media on the web and most likely you will find plenty of posts on how to do social media in your business space.
They all help, keep on sharing-> Twitter & Facebook links affect SEO on Google and Bing
It has being said before, the url shorteners do give the SEO juice to the full URL. So don't worry, every share of your website or blog helps on the search result page rank.
The art of marketing B2B businesses-> How B2B content can make you popular
This is a tough one to crack, and I'm talking from experience. It is very hard to promote an abstract product such as website management and service. But it can be done, you just need to be creative.
"Do good for our customers and they will do good for us"-> Customer Service Lessons from Amazon
This is something we try to do with YWD clients (and prospects). This philosophy seems lost with big brands but in today's social media, review and check-in world; sharing good will is a must.
It does!-> Why Facebook Buying Waze for $1 Billion Makes Complete Sense
Waze is a GPS app that helps you find the best route for your destination. Once again Facebook is betting heavily on mobile, expect them to come up with something innovative if the buyout is completed.
Next Friday I'll have another round up, in the meantime you can follow me and YWD on the networks below:
Gustavo Jabbaz started his digital career as a designer and then became a developer and these days spends most of his time as a digital marketer. A founding partner of Your Web Department, he's responsible for day-to-day operations, marketing and development strategy. He is who you talk to when you need support with SEO and/or Social Media. Gustavo Jabbaz on Google+ | Twitter
Let’s say you’re just starting a business, and you didn’t even have a domain name for your website (like www.cakesbysandradean.com for instance). You may have 
Facebook - why not, it's Free!
We are pleased to have Pilar Galiana as a guest blogger. She is a digital marketing strategist who has worked with brands like Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Nokia Canada and TD Bank to mention a few. These days she runs her own small business, you can find her mobile site here, 
As a small business owner in Canada that sends emails to their customers you'd better get ready for CASL. No, that's not a sexual disorder, it's the government's proposed Canadian Anti Spam Legislation. It also stands for, The Clowns in Ottawa Have Gotten It Wrong Once More. Rather than implement similar legislation already hammered out by the EU and the USA, Canada is not only late to the game our government seems to want to control the Internet.
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