Frequently Asked Questions

I live outside the US.  Should I get my domain and web site from someone in my country?

I have a Mac.  Can I use a web host's site builder?

I live outside the US, should I get a domain with my country's extension (ex: .com.uk)?

A company I found has offered to set me up with a website, a store, a credit card account and supply the products for my customers.  Should I do it?

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I live outside the US.  Should I get my domain and web site from someone in my own country? You can if you want, but it isn't necessary.  A lot of the web hosts who are in countries outside the US actually host their servers in the US so even though you think you are getting a company based in, say, England, you are actually getting one in the US.   Also, I've noticed that the prices usually tend to be more expensive if you go outside the US.  I'm not sure if that's due to less competition locally or what.   I've tried several hosting companies outside the US (one each in Canada, Scotland and Australia) but I didn't like any of them.

I have a Mac.  Can I use a web host's web site builder? No.  Most web hosts require Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher and Mac only offers Internet Explorer 5.0 so Mac users can't use the web site builders the hosts offer.  I don't have a Mac myself but several people who do have written to me and said that they use Freeway Express for Macs and love it.  You can get it from Amazon.   If you get this you can use it with any web host's hosting plan.

I live outside the US, should I get a domain with my country's extension for example, .com.uk? It depends.  I only recommend that you get a country specific domain name if your site is only aimed at selling to people in your own country.  If you want to sell your product to anyone then go with the universally recognized .com, .net branch of domain names.  The reason is that a lot of people in the US don't feel comfortable ordering outside the country.  They automatically assume it's going to take longer to get the product.  If they see your domain ends in a country specific extension like .uk or .au then they are going to bypass your site.  I know it isn't right, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.  Give yourself and your new site every opportunity to succeed.  If in doubt, go with a .com.  One positive of going with a .com type domain name is that it usually always costs less than an outside-US country specific domain.  Sometimes there can be as much as $50 difference between the two!

A company I found has offered to set me up with a website, a store, a credit card account and supply the products for my customers.  Should I do it?  Remember the old saying - if it sounds too good to be true it usually is?    To be fair, not all offers like this are rip offs; however the ones that aren't are few and far between.  I've had people write in and tell me that they spent as much as $10,000 on a set up like this.  These ready made businesses are usually only good for the people who are selling them to you.  They aren't good for you.   A good rule of thumb is this:  can you buy the business, set it up and do everything you need to do for less than $100 total?  If not, keep going.  (Please note - I mean $100 for everything, not $100 to start and then so much each month.) If you come across a company that you think is really, really great and you want me to check it out and give you my opinion I will but most of these are bad news.