They just don't get it - do they?

[draggar]

Recently I've been doing a lot of work with some organizations (NPOs etc.) and while they all have websites, most only use either a ccTLD or .org. I always check and usually see the .org (for ccTLD) and .com (for both) available and I'll usually email my contact letting them know that they are available and should register them. Of course they never quickly say "you're right! Let me register them!" they always comment that it is a waste of money and/or they don't need them. I let them know that it is important for two reasons:

1) It helps protect themselves from impersonators. The last thing they need is someone registering the .com of their organization and putting up a site that looks official. This means that they can ask for donations, people think they're donating to the organization but they aren't. In the international world this can be a legal loophole for them and if the org is small or not TM'ed then it can get even stickier.

2) .com is king. Yes, I preach that sometimes other TLDs are good but .com rules and some use their ccTLD (I've been talking to one a lot that is using a .co.za (South Africa) domain). Luckily he was quite receptive and registered the .com and .org.

They mention the costs - I tell them to go to their registrar and it's only about $25-$30 (US) a year. If they have someone manage it and they seem to charge too much (some have mentioned that "their guy" charges over $100 (US) a year per domain- I tell them they can go to any registrar (GoDaddy, etc.) and register it themselves. I even give them help on how to point the domain to their main site.

Many also use free email. Why? donations@(charity).com is MUCH easier to remember than (charity)_donations2007@yahoo.com plus it looks more professional and official. You're paying for the domain and if you have Hosting, most include email accounts. Hopefully their web person doesn't screw them too much with this.

[katherine]

One thing they need to understand (because it's not always obvious) is that they don't have to maintain two websites
They just redirect the .com to the .org or the other way round.
And yes it's amazing how companies/organizations own a domain, a website and yet advertise unprofessional E-mail addresses like hotmail.

[Gerry]

Recently I've been doing a lot of work...

I am managing two State Chapters for a National organization.

I went thru the same process of explaining the registering both the .org and the .com - and forwarding the .com to their .org site. It was best when I had a sample site(s) set up and could not only discuss the benefits but they could also see it.

It was an easy sell after they could see the redirect and was even easier to convince them to get both .com and .org FOR 5 YEARS EACH for about 80 bucks.

But you have hit on some very important points...when meeting with (or approaching a client), demonstrating to them added value and benefits will usually win them over.

[italiandragon]

@ draggar: you are kind but don't have high expectations about mankind.

[south]

@ draggar: you are kind but don't have high expectations about mankind.

Spend some time in South Floriduh. You will begin to understand.

[Maxwell]

The way I would explain it is that not everybody will remember to type in .org.

The same way that when the phone systems changed over so that you had to dial the area code before the 7 digit number, people frequently forgot to dial the area code out of reflex.

Tell them they can have the .com for under $10 a year now. Or add a few zeroes once it falls into somebody else's hands.