Low cost web presence for small and micro businesses

I am often amazed at how much people pay just to have a web site. In fact I remember one company paying $500 dollars to have a domain registered. I asked the business owner what was his site address thinking this was quite a sum of money and would like to check out his site. He said he didn’t have a site, this was just the registration of the domain name.

It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to get your business started on the internet. With a small amount of knowledge it needn’t cost your anything, but I suggest spending an appropriate amount where the business has a single page site and the domain name reflects their business name or service. A one page site will enable the business to have an internet presence they are in control of, will enable their customers to find them on the internet and provide important contact and product or service information.

My approach is different to most web designers. As a computer consultant I charge for my time so my approach is to assist clients with my knowledge and empower them by setting them up so they are in control. Most web designers will set clients up using their facilities (most likely reselling larger companies services) and the designer retains control. I set clients up so they are the owner of the domain and in control of the hosting. Since most people don’t know how to create a web page I create the page for them, but they are free to use anyone, even a family member to create the page, or modify the page I create for them. The small business owner is not tied to me in any way.

The latest site I set up is Herding Dog Training (www.HerdingDogTraining.com). The cost or registering the domain was $12 for two years (discounted from $9 per year). I assisted the client to set up their hosting service which is where they’ll host their web page so the page can be found by others on the internet. I have a hosting company I suggest for reasons which provide future opportunities for the client, but the client is free to use their own preferred hosting company if they know one. The cost for hosting is around $10 a month which they pay directly to the company each month.

What I do is act as a facilitator. The time involved to register the domain and set up the hosting is around an hour.

Most people can’t create their own web page, so I’m happy to create the web page for their site. Once created however they are free to change it and update it if they wish to learn the skills, or know someone who already has the skills. The cost of creating the page can vary from one to two hours, but the approach I use is to have the client create a web page using a product they know such as Microsoft Word. There can be a lot of time involved in designing even a simple page, so if people design the layout themselves, that is a lot of time and thus money that can be saved. I then take the design they’ve created in Word and recreate the document as a web page. The software I use is reasonably priced commercial software and can be purchased by the client to maintain their own page if they want. Converting a page usually takes around an hour to an hour and a half.

An additional benefit to the client is the time from when they provide the material to the time the site goes live, which can be a matter of only days. One client provided their material on Tuesday morning, the web page was provided for review on Wednesday and changes were made. We organised a meeting for the Friday to set up the hosting (they already owned a domain), I then did the rest and they were live Friday afternoon. Their site appeared in Google in the first position when searching on their business name on Saturday night. I use some techniques which enables Google to quickly find sites and with some luck, usually provides the client with a very good position in Google. I say luck, but whilst the technique consistently works, I cannot control what Google may or may not do. As part of creating the page I also perform basic search engine optimisation (SEO) as part of the service, something others may charge hundreds of dollars for.

So in summary, if you’re thinking about a site to start your presence on the internet keep in mind it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You can purchase an Australian domain for around $24 for two years and hosting for around $10 a month or less. If you don’t have the skills to set things up and don’t want to take the time to learn what you’d need to learn from the information provided on sites, a consultant like myself can assist you. I suggest to allow around an hour for registering the domain and setting up the hosting. If you need a page created and can create a document (most people are able to use Word to create a printed document they’d be happy to hand out to advertise their business) then you can have a web page created in one to two hours. You also don’t have to wait weeks or months as a site can be live within a matter of days. Keep in mind it also isn’t just about having a site. My approach often provides a strong presence on the internet, so make sure whoever you use can also give you a strong presence for your site to get you started without additional SEO costs.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Helping small and micro businesses get started on the internet.

Doncaster, Templestowe house prices buck the trend

MEDIAN house prices in Doncaster and Templestowe have jumped in the last quarter, according to statistics from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

They would make Victoria St in Doncaster and King St in Doncaster East much safer for pedestrians.

ELDERLY residents from two retirement villages will be able to cross the road in safety after the installation of two sets of traffic lights.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Son of former AFL player and Doncaster resident Nathan Thompson has been released from hospital

The attack, which happened about 4.50pm on April 11 at Doncaster Reserve, left Louis Thompson, 8, in Box Hill Hospital with deep bites to one leg while his little brother Benjamin, 6, was traumatised.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Nephew preyed on Doncaster woman

AUTHORITIES have pledged their support for victims of elder abuse after a court heard a Doncaster woman lived in fear of her heroin-addicted nephew.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Probe into Doncaster rail route, but what about parking?

There are three main options for a heavy rail connection to Doncaster... Read More

I keep reading articles about the Doncaster rail line and I can’t help thinking, “where is the parking?” If you check any of the public transport facilities with parking, the parking is usually gone very quickly in the morning which means a great number of people are not being serviced.

Where is the parking at Doncaster Shoppingtown? The parking is already shocking at times and often I prefer to go to Greensborough or Ringwood shopping centres, simply because of the parking and for no other reason.

Shoppingtown currently charges for parking. Will new parking for commuters also be charged?

The parking at Eltham station is often full shortly after 8am. From what I’ve heard the parking at the bus interchange at High Street and Doncaster Road also fills very early. I’m not hearing anything mentioned about parking facilities and I would think in this day and age this is a critical aspect of a modern transport system.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

The former frontman of Uncanny X-Men will bring tribute show Absolutely 80s to Doncaster Shoppingtown Hotel this month

Absolutely 80s teams Mannix with Scott Carne of Kids in the Kitchen, David Sterry of Real Life and Boom Crash Opera’s Dale Ryder to perform all of their respective hits in a Countdown-style show.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Two new pedestrian signal crossings have been installed in Doncaster

The $400,000 crossings on busy Victoria and King streets are part of the state government’s $601 million road safety projects for 2011-12.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Kevin Heinze Garden Centre, 39 Wetherby Rd, Doncaster

The centre’s trainee Horticulture Certificate Two students will hold their first Autumn Plant Sale offering up the fruits and fronds of their hard work in the Doncaster nursery.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Tower power near Ruffey Lake park

RESIDENTS are concerned about radiation in Ruffey Lake Park because of a Vodafone plan to add telecommunications antennas to an existing electricity tower.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

SEVEN poker machine venues across Manningham face a hike in rates

Five of the affected venues – Doncaster Inn, Shopping Town Hotel, Cherry Hill Tavern and Manningham Club – are owned by the ALH Group, Australia’s largest poker machine operator with 13,000 machines. Templestowe Hotel, Yarra Valley Country Club and the Veneto Club are the others. ... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Nine incidents where a projectile, fired from a slingshot, has caused damage

During March, windows were smashed and car panels dented in Doncaster, Templestowe, Bulleen and Donvale.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

NBN Co rollout plan map now available covering the next three years

A while ago I booked into the NBN Co for a tour of their demo facilities. I was the only person who turned up for the tour so I was given special treatment. For me that meant the ability to ask all the questions I wanted to ask so I could assist my clients with respect to the NBN rollout.

For me it is about knowing whether or not NBN is about to be rolled out to a particular area and how that couple affect a client. For example if a client is about to invest in new equipment to connect to the internet, it is a good idea to know if that equipment will be obsolete within the next twelve months.

One thing that I found very interesting was the thickness of the actual fibre optic cable. The cable is about the thickness of a match. Most of us won’t ever see the actual cable as we’ll see it enclosed in a protective sheath such as when it comes into our properties.

When ADSL first arrived I found many people would plug directly into their ISP’s connection with little to no protection from the internet and could easily infect their computer. I standardised on an approach which would provide clients with a better level of protection and greater flexibility. The same thing can happen with initial users of NBN’s service so it is a good idea to make sure you get professional advice to ensure you’re adequately protected and have the flexibility you require for your home or business needs.

The NBN for some now is just around the corner. If you’re considering moving to a different ISP, or purchasing new equipment, now is a good time to pause and consider your options.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.

NBN Co rollout plan for Doncaster 3108

NBN have now released maps for the rollout plan for the next three years.

According to the NBN site Doncaster is not in the schedule for the next year. According to the NBN site the NBN rollout activity is:

Fibre | Work to commence within three years - we will commence work in your area from Sep 2014 in phases with last work scheduled to commence in Sep 2015*.

It is estimated that the average time from work beginning to NBN services being available is 12 months.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.

 

One page web sites for local businesses.

Over the years I’ve been amazed that local businesses often don’t have a presence as simple as a one page web site. I suspect the main reason is if they approach a web designer they’ll often be quote hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, when to get started it can cost much less.

To put this in context, all a small business generally requires is one new customer, or keep an existing customer from going elsewhere and their web presence can pay for itself.

Many times when I’ve wanted to buy take away for family or friends, the only menus we can find online are the big companies, yet most of the time we use the smaller local businesses for ourselves. I’ve done some testing over the years and small take-away businesses can get a reasonable amount of business by having their menu online. At worst they don’t lose potential business from good customers when the customers need to see a menu online.

To show local businesses the value of promoting themselves online I’ve now sponsored a number of local business to provide them with an online presence. They are the businesses I use so now they’ll gain my business when I need an online menu.

 

Flying Dragon Chinese Restaurant, Papa Loui's Pizza and Pasta, Bolton Fish Shop, Panic Pizza Doncaster East, Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips

If you own a small business and would like to have your menu online for your customers, but don’t want to pay a small fortune, then send me an email. The way I set up a small business is I create a one page site with their menu and then help them sign up for hosting and registering their domain, By getting the business to register domain and sign up for hosting they retain total control which is a strategy in business. Most web design businesses tie businesses in so if they want anything done, they have to go back to the designer to get expensive changes done. My approach is to have businesses use me if they want to, but because they have total control over their site, they can easily have someone else, including a family member or friend, look after their site. No lock in means businesses use my services because they want to, not because they have to.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Helping micro and small businesses with a cost effective online presence.

Jason Kioa, Doncaster Pilgrim Uniting Church

CHURCHGOERS have been warned to stop breaking one-hour parking restrictions in Doncaster Hill, as new figures reveal Manningham Council reaped an 84 per cent increase in parking fine revenue last year. ... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Residents Against Inappropriate Development In Doncaster founder Les Clark said it was a solid achievement

DONCASTER residents campaigning for greater clarity in Manningham Council’s development guidelines have had a win.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Bus from Box Hill to La Trobe still unfunded

ALMOST two years after it was proposed, a bus link from Box Hill to La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus via Doncaster remains unfunded.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Lucas Crandles and his creative team to produce their debut TV series The Weatherman.

Through a crowd-funding website, Lucas Crandles and his creative team raised the bulk of their $73,950 target in the final 24 hours of their drive to produce their debut TV series The Weatherman.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Andrew is the pastor at the newly opened Freedom Revolution church

Andrew is the pastor at the newly opened Freedom Revolution church will be hosting a whole bunch of community giveaways and fundraisers soon... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Doncaster Pizza - Papa Loui's Pizza and Pasta

I decided recently to drop in to The Village on High Street and purchase a Pizza from Papa Loui’s. I ordered a capricciosa and said hold the anchovies. The pizza was very enjoyable. OK. I have to admit, I do like pizza and wasn’t disappointed.

Papa Loui’s is located on High Street in Doncaster. They’re well positioned for picking up a pizza on the way home to Doncaster, Templestowe or Templestowe Lower. Papa Loui’s prices are also very good.

You can now find Papa Loui’s menu on the JustLocal 3108 page. Call ahead when picking up pizza and save some time.

Bon appetit.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au

Computer repair Doncaster

When looking for a local person to repair your computer in Doncaster, the first place a lot of people now turn to is the internet. You’ll see quite a few responses to a search, but one question you may wish to ask is: “is the computer repair business really local?”

The first tip is look at the telephone number. Numbers like 1300 numbers are usually run by large organisations and the support person could come from anywhere. Next is check out the web site and see what their contact details are. Large businesses have deep pockets and can afford to place extensive ads on the internet making it hard to find a local support person. If you can’t find their contact details and in particular a local address, chances are they aren’t local.

I’ve found many people prefer to use the services of a local person if they can. I know I certainly do.

If whilst searching for a computer repair or support person you find Online Connections, you’ll see I’m based in Templestowe and service Templestowe, Doncaster, Doncaster East, Templestowe Lower, Montmorency, Lower Plenty and Eltham. Being in Templestowe I can be at your place at a convenient time. I don’t have to fight traffic travelling half way across Melbourne to get to your place. You deal with the principal of the business so we get to know each other and that can make future support calls quicker and thus cheaper.

Being local I don’t charge a call-out fee, travel time, or a minimum charge as many others do. If the problem is quick to fix, and I’ve fixed quite a number of computers with minor issues, then you only pay for the time involved. I’m also happy to set an upper limit so you don’t get bill shock. If I can’t fix a problem for whatever reason, then there is no charge. I’m not happy unless you’re happy.

Next time you’re looking for a local computer support person in Doncaster, delve a bit further and make sure you’re talking to a local.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require computer support.
Servicing home users and businesses in Templestowe, Doncaster,
Doncaster East, Templestowe Lower, Montmorency, Lower Plenty
and Eltham.

BUNNINGS has hit a VicRoads roadblock in its bid to develop a store and apartment complex in Doncaster

Responding to the proposal, it is understood VicRoads has indicated it does not want a main entrance to the development from Doncaster Rd because of existing traffic snarls in the area.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

The panel included Tim Gosbell, Robert Abboud, Lydia Wilson and Ms Wooldridge.

A TRAIN line along the Eastern Freeway was voted most popular of three Doncaster routes at a public forum on Thursday.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

The Doncaster RSL are having trouble finding volunteers to sell Anzac day badges.

LOW on members and money and short on time, the Doncaster RSL sub-branch has a sign on the back window that gives some insight into its desperate situation.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.

Doncaster Hill to Box Hill train line

WHITEHORSE council has called on other eastern suburbs councils to help lobby for a Doncaster Hill to Box Hill train line.... Read More

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problems.
No problem too small.