'Net Features : go daddy

Talking Internet Taxes, Outright

Amberly Dressler — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:40:00 GMT

As one of the first beta testers for Outright, accounting software for small businesses and those who are self-employed that was launched in 2008, Kat Simpson has seen her fair share of changes affecting online sellers. Perhaps no fluctuations as impactful as the one facing Internet retailers today, however.

“We are in the middle of a new era and whether or not the Marketplace Fairness Act passes will make a huge impact on how we proceed,” said Simpson. “Currently my advice is hold and keep an eye on our Senate.”

Simpson, who started her business in 1997 selling household items on eBay for extra money around the house, currently has a branded store, Kat's Boutique, on eBay selling products invented by and used by women. She also sells some of everything on the Amazon FBA platform.

In addition to tax changes, Simpson has seen changes to Outright, a solution she relies heavily on. In 2012, Outright was acquired by Go Daddy, a natural fit as both companies are passionate about helping small businesses grow. Go Daddy helps companies get online, and Outright helps them stay there with bookkeeping needs.

“I use Outright each week to reconcile my books, keep an eye on expenses and prepare for taxes,” said Simpson. “Monthly, I use the Sales Tax Reports to help me file sales taxes in the 10 states in which I have a presence thanks to FBA and at the end of the year I rely heavily on Outright to help prepare my income taxes.”

For those companies needing extra assistance in regard to the impending Marketplace Fairness Act, Priyanka Sharma, Product and Marketing at Outright, says they’ll be there to help.

“Regardless of what happens, Outright is committed to helping small businesses understand their sales tax obligations,” Sharma. “We have easy sales tax reporting so that sellers can see how much sales tax they have collected and submitted. Additionally, our blog, The Bottom Line, provides tips and information for online sellers, including a state-by-state guide to sales tax collection.”

Outright’s sales tax report also shows sellers how much they have collected in sales tax. Its sales-by-state report shows how much they have sold for the year in each state, so that they can determine whether they have met the limits that require them to collect sales tax.

Domain Apps to Download Today

Amberly Dressler — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:55:00 GMT

Whether you are a first-time buyer or a seasoned pro, you can't go wrong with leveraging mobile apps that are designed specifically to make purchasing, selling and tracking domains more efficient and easier while on the go.

Here are seven domain apps to consider downloading today.

1&1 Domain App

Available On: iOS, Android

Features:

*Domain Search: Check whether the domain of your choice is still available

*Whois information: Identify the owners of domain names that have already been registered

*Shopping Basket: Select and order several domains with a single order

*Price and Order: Check the current domain prices and enjoy the ability to order multiple domains on your smartphone

Go Daddy

Available On: iOS, Android, BlackBerry

Features:

*Get search results for single and bulk domains in seconds

*Search more than 50 different top-level and country code domain types

*Remember your account and search history

*Save time with express checkout

*Quickly manage DNS, nameservers, contact info and more

*Save incoming files to Go Daddy Online Storage, even if your phone doesn’t support the file type

*Send email attachments from Go Daddy Online Storage

*Quickly share files with customers, clients and friends

*Manage domain DNS, nameservers, contact info and more

*Renew all your Go daddy products and services

*Bid, buy or browse domain auctions

Domain Storm by Network Solutions

Available On: iOS

Features:

*Domain availability search for our most popular extensions .com, .net, .org, .co, .info, .biz, .tel, us.com, and uk.com

*Brainstorming tool - shake your phone for domain name ideas

*Special pricing for .com, .net, and .org

*Related domain name suggestions including:

*Alternative domains are variations on extensions and spelling

*Expired domains with past renewal dates

*Premium domains are registered names available for purchase from the current domain holder at an established price

*Geographically based search criteria and domain recommendations

*Favorites list to track desired domain names

*Whois Lookup

*Search history

*Contact Network Solutions

123-reg Domains App

Available On: iOS, Android

Features:

*Search and buy domain names

*Add Whois privacy

*Save favorite searches for later

*Whois Search

*Read 123-reg posts and tweets

*Contact 123-reg for help

*View your domain names (Android only)

Domainr

Available On: iOS

Features:

*Search all domains, including country-code domains

*Internationalized domain name (IDN) support

*Registrars for all domains

*Share results via email

Protrada

Available On: iOS, Android

Features:

*Quickly and easily analyze over 150,000 undervalued aftermarket domain opportunities every day

*Bid, buy or make an offer on domains that meet your investing strategy

*Increase your bids from within the app

*Take control of your domain investment no matter where you are

DomainsBot App

Available On: iOS

Features:

*Instantly check the availability of a domain

*Multi-language support

*Acquire premium domains from the biggest inventories

*Look up Whois information

*Choose your preferred registrar

*No domain front-running

Amazon, Microsoft & Go Daddy News to Know

Amberly Dressler — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:15:00 GMT

Too much domain news, too little time? Spring into the new season armed with the domain news you might have missed.

Single- and Two-Character .ORG Auction Starts Today: Go Daddy and Public Interest Registry (PIR) have teamed up to auction 42 valuable single- and two-character domain names like I.ORG, S.ORG and TS.ORG on GoDaddy.com, March 18. This historic auction starts today and will last 10 days. Pre-approval is required, and a look at the current auction shows domains, like 3p.org and 5v.org, going for $10, while single-character domains, such as v.org and i.org, going as high as $50,000 (and likely only to increase as the hours and days go on).

“Businesses looking for short, effective domain names are going to love the .ORG auction,” said Go Daddy Director of Domain Name Aftermarkets Paul Nicks in a statement. “These names are the best of the best. I expect the auction of these single- and two-character domain names will not only generate high interest, but also help define the aftermarket prior to the introduction of new gTLDs later this year.”

Microsoft Releases ccTLD Registry Security: A few weeks ago, Microsoft released the Microsoft Country-Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) Registry Security Assessment Service, which is meant to assist ccTLD registry operators to find and fix security vulnerabilities before they are exploited. Those who own a domain registry and are seeking a solution to help identify vulnerabilities and receive guidance that may help to improve the security of your service, can visit www.microsoft.com/cctldregsec to schedule an assessment.

“Through programs and initiatives like these, we hope to help create a safer, more trusted online experience for everyone and support a dynamic environment for increasing the dialogue and sharing of best practices within our industry,” wrote Microsoft’s Online Services Security & Compliance General Manager Pete Boden, in the company’s official announcement.

Amazon Wants .book, .author and .read: Amazon is seeking these top-level domains, and the publishing world isn’t happy with the e-commerce and technology giant’s efforts. The Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers are objecting to Amazon’s request on the basis that its ownership would be a threat to competition.

Five Tips for First-Time Website Owners

Administrator — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:55:00 GMT

It's no secret the Web continues to explode as a resource for consumers and businesses, and Web traffic is only going to grow. In fact, global Internet traffic is projected to quadruple by 2015. If you're a business, getting your company online has never been more important for growth and success. Yet surprisingly, 75% of U.S. businesses do not have a website.

For this reason, OfficeMax and Go Daddy teamed up to offer create five tips for first-time website owners.

1. Name Wisely - Choosing a name for your Web address is a critical element, as it is the foundation of your online presence. Select a short, easy to spell and memorable name that clearly reflects your business, products and/or services. If your ideal domain name is already taken, don't panic. Try adding a transition or generic word like "the" or "company," consider a different top level domain (e.g. .net, .org or .info) or backorder the domain name in case the current owner does not renew.

2. Make a First Impression - Create your website with the end-user in mind. Make it visually pleasing and easy to find information and navigate the site, since most users only spend 10-20 seconds on a page. Categorize your Web pages by topic and provide clear and logical navigation with a toolbar that runs horizontally or vertically on each page. Use language that is direct and easy to understand and reinforces your company mission and values. While it may look creative or exciting, try not to go overboard with animation, videos or other special effects, as it can increase the load time of your site and be distracting, which may deter visitors. Your website may be the only interaction a customer has with your company, so make the visit useful and worthwhile.

3. Be Accessible - Provide opportunities for potential customers to contact you without jumping through hoops by posting contact information on the main page of your site. Surprising, 60% of small business websites do not include a phone number on their homepages. While there are likely multiple ways to reach you from email to fax or Twitter, focus on contact methods that you want people to use and ones you monitor regularly. When it comes to your email, share one that you use for public inquiries, as it's possible spammers will find it, and keep your personal email addresses separate.

4. Go Mobile - With more than 44% of U.S. consumers using smartphones to shop and research, make sure your website is also configured and optimized for mobile use. A whopping 93% of small business websites are not mobile friendly, which can result in lost business. If you find consumers visiting your site frequently from mobile devices, consider creating a mobile app for your business to better serve these customers.

5. Optimize It - Drive traffic to your site through search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines use algorithms to determine when and where your website comes up in search results. Major factors that improve SEO include the frequency and prevalence of keywords on your site and "tagging" select terms. SEO can be a rigorous process, so engage an expert or use a step-by-step website builder to help increase your website visibility.

Now with this in mind, go ahead, take the plunge and put your company online. You'll be glad you did and so will your customers.

Go Daddy Goes Mobile

Allison Howen — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:00:00 GMT

According to a recent Google study, nearly half of consumers (48%) feel like companies without mobile-optimized websites don’t care about their business.

Luckily, there are many options for businesses that haven’t taken the mobile plunge yet, including a new feature from Go Daddy. The popular hosting provider partnered with Dudamobile to bring mobile website building functionality to Go Daddy’s Website Builder service.

It is important to note that with this new feature, users don’t need to take any additional steps to activate their mobile site. In fact, once they publish their website with the Page Designer, the service automatically converts the standard website’s content to a mobile-optimized version. Moreover, Go Daddy clients leveraging a Deluxe or Premium plan can customize their websites even further in order to provide better usability to their mobile users.

Go Daddy Registers 50 Million Domain Names

Michael Garrity — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:00:00 GMT

Despite tough economic times around the world, the Internet continues to grow. As proof, Go Daddy, arguably the best-recognized domain registrar on the Web, hit a milestone last weekend when it registered their 50 millionth domain name.

It shouldn't be too surprising that Go Daddy was the first registrar to reach this mark, as the company's statistics show that it has either registered, renewed or transferred over one domain name every second of every day for the last few years. Currently, it is registering 2.5 times more domains per month now than five years ago.

Some experts in the industry are predicting that by the year 2015, there will be over two network connections for every person on the planet, and that almost 3 billion people around the world will be considered "Internet users."

Initially, Go Daddy was created to help business owners and individuals create and secure an online presence, quickly garnering a lot of attention because of its famous Super Bowl commercials. However, the company's 24/7 customer support services and feature-heavy cloud-based products helped secure its position even after the Super Bowl advertising hangover wore off. Now, it is also the world's largest provider of Web hosting and new SSL Certificates, as well as operating the largest domain name aftermarket, where names are auctioned, sold or purchased, on the Internet.

"For all the marketing we do, it's the word-of-mouth; a customer's personal endorsement that works as Go Daddy's most effective advertisement," says Bob Parsons, Go Daddy Founder and CEO.

The historic 50 millionth domain name was registered to Kranthi Kumar Kukkala of India for the domain DBAkit.com

"I am really happy to go with the Go Daddy and congratulate the company on its 50 millionth domain name registration," says Kukkala. "I like Go Daddy for domain and Web hosting providers because of its customer service, reliability and user-friendly set-up that work for any kind of computer user."

Major Deal for LinkShare & Go Daddy Merchants

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:40:00 GMT

Performance marketing company LinkShare announced they have successfully integrated with domain name registrar Go Daddy.

Retailers that subscribe to Go Daddy's Quick Shopping Cart service are now able to access LinkShare's affiliate marketing technology and network of publishers. This is pretty big news for small and mid-size Internet retailers as it eases the burden and cost associated with affiliate marketing and online promotions.

"GoDaddy.com is absolutely focused on helping our customers be successful...quickly and easily," said Go Daddy CEO and founder Bob Parsons. "Quick Shopping Cart allows you to set up a complete e-commerce site in no time. Now, LinkShare gets our customers products into a wide network of websites in a way that makes it easy for everyone."