Frequently Asked Questions
Many people make the assumption that the implementation of a website for their business or enterprise is a complicated and very technical exercise. This is not the case. Whilst there are technical issues in terms of the website design and hosting processes, as well as in the provision of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), these issues are performed by us. This section has been provided with the most common questions asked.
If there is an issue not covered below, please Contact Us and we will be glad to answer any query you may have.
| Domain Name Q&A |
| Web Hosting Q&A |
| Email Q&A |
Q "I don't have a domain name yet. How do I get one? What is required? How much does it cost?"
A The process of Domain Name registration is relatively straightforward and we, at C-Me Online, will gladly perform this task for you. Certain Domain names may be registered in a few minutes, others may require an application process, which may take a few days to be processed. There are many domain name registrars, that have a list of all currently registered domain names.
When selecting a domain name for your business or enterprise, it is important to keep the domain name as short as possible. This reduces people mis-typing your domain name, thus increasing visitors to your website. We always assist and advise our new clients in regard to their chosen domain name, check its availability, and register it on your behalf.
Domain names are registered and charged on an annual basis (for the most part). The type of domain you purchase is equally as important. The most common domain extensions are .com , .org etc. Country specific domains may also be registered (for example, .ie , .co.uk , .fr , .es) - in many cases, the application process for these require the submission of a company document, business name registration certificate etc. This ensures that only the registered owner of said business may register these domain names.
Many people will register multiple domain names for a single website - this is advisable for businesses that span multiple/international markets. Multiple domain names may be all 'pointed' to a single website.
The cost of registering a domain name depends on the type of domain name required, but they usually range from €10 - €35 in price (renewable annually)
Q "I already have a domain name registered, but I don't have a website. What is required?"
A Usually (but not always), where a domain name is registered to an individual, or business, but is not being used to 'point' at a website, it is simply a case of providing a hosting service for your website (which we provide), and 'pointing' your existing domain name at this website.
Domain names have various identification entries attached to them, in the background, which include routing to the website and routing for email. We will carry out all of these functions for you.
Q "I don't have a domain name, but the domain name I want is currently registered to someone else, but is not being used. Can I buy this domain name?"
A Many domain names have been registered/purchased by third parties, but are not actively being used. It is possible to make contact with the registered owners of these domains, and negotiate a purchase/transfer price between the 2 parties concerned, but be warned, this will always be a more costly exercise!
Q "What other advice can you provide me, in relation to selecting a domain name?"
A There are two fundamental areas that need to be addressed when choosing your domain name. Firstly, ensure your domain name isn't 'passing off' as an existing company or business. This involves intellectual property rights.
The main restriction on the use of a name (for any business whether sole trader, partnership, LLP, LTD, PLC or company) is that the name used for the business, or a very similar name, may already be in use by an existing business. The other business (which could be any type of entity, including a foreign company conducting business here) may be able to sue for the tort of 'passing off'. This is a common law action with no statutory basis. The laws governing intellectual property infringement & passing off differ from country to country, and it is imperative that, should you be unclear whether your domain name may cause an infringement, you seek specialised legal advice from a dedicated intellectual property law firm.
Secondly, where a domain name is made up of multiple words, write it down, read it, and read it again. Because spaces cannot be used in domain names, they may be interpreted differently.....Some funny (and not so funny) examples include:
| www.whorepresents.com | Who Represents is an online service that allows you to search for the agent that represents a celebrity. Great business idea, but look closely at the domain name again........ | |
| www.expertsexchange.com | Experts Exchange is an online knowledgebase for programmers and other IT professionals to exchange advice, tips and queries. We use it ourselves. However, it became obvious that this could be interpreted as "Expert Sex Change" (Oops!), and the business behind this online service is now www.experts-exchange.com | |
| www.therapistfinder.com | Need a Therapist - try therapistfinder.com !!!! |
Hosting FAQ's
Q "What is hosting?"
A A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center.
C-Me Online provides web hosting to our clients. Our web servers are located in a secure data centre, and are managed 24-7-365, ensuring constant up-time. Backups of all data is performed daily. Web hosting also includes the managing and routing of all email services provided.
Q "How much does web hosting cost?"
A It's the old adage of "how long is a piece of string?". Web hosting varies in cost, but like everything else, you get what you pay for! Many cheap hosting companies do not provide anti-spam filters for email, nor do they provide 24-7-365 backup and support, which is imperative. More importantly, many web hosting services do not include the provision of automated and offsite backup of data.
The more traffic your website will experience, or require, the more advanced a web hosting package you will require. We will advise you on this and provide you with the most cost-effective and practical solution for your web hosting requirements.
Web hosting is charged annually, and in many cases, is included free of charge for the first 12 months (where website design services are ordered).
Q "I already have my website hosted through another hosting provider, but would like C-Me Online to design our new website. What happens?"
A This depends on the existing web hosting company. In many situations, we will gladly design your new website and upload it to your third party hosting's server. However, we do regularly run into issues of a technical nature with certain web hosting companies services (or lack of), and therefore will advise our clients to change/move to our own web hosting service. If you wish to remain with your existing hosting provider, we charge a nominal fee.
If you decide to host your website via C-Me Online, not only are you assured of 99.9% up-time, with a round-the-clock, 24/7/365 backup and support mechanism, but also, you will have one less company to deal with, from an administrative and accounting perspective.
Q "If I decide to host via C-Me Online, what do you provide?"
A As stated above, the type of hosting plans offered vary, depending (primarily) on the level of traffic your website(s) will attract. Our basic hosting package includes:
- 10GB of dedicated storage on one of our servers
- 200GB data transfer allowance per month - more than enough for most small to medium sized business websites
- Anti-Virus & Anti-Spam built in
- Unlimited number of Email accounts per domain hosted
- Unlimited subdomains
For most businesses, this type of hosting package is ideal. However, if, at a later stage, you require a more advanced hosting package, we will upgrade you, and handle all of the technical issues for you.
Q "If I already have my website designed and hosted via C-Me Online, and I subsequently decide to change to a different hosting company and/or website design company, what is involved, and is there a charge?"
A To date, all of our clients are exceptionally satisfied with the work and service we provide, as well as being very happy with our highly competitive rates. If however, you wish to move to a different web hosting company or an alternative web designer, there is a fee of €200, which must be paid in advance of this transfer.
Email FAQ's
Q "Do you supply email services?"
A Yes, we provide full email hosting with all of our web hosting packages. There is no additional charge for this service. With our hosting, you may have an unlimited number of email accounts. Likewise, we include a spam filtration service with all of our email services.
Q "How do I set up my email on my pc/laptop/netbook/iPhone or Android Smartphone?"
A We will provide this service to you, free of charge, with our web/email hosting package. In the case of an Exchange Server (eg. Microsoft Exchange), your IT support technicians will do this for you.
