3/13/15 Update: Thieves are stealing company web addresses, so please be wary of responding to suspicious "phishing" emails asking you to renew your domain or provide other sensitive account information. Also, guard and take responsibility for your own account user names and passwords. 

More details about "Thieves Steal Company Web Addresses" here.

5/4/14 Update to blog article originally published in November 2009.

There's always someone willing to part you from your hard-earned money or steal your identity. Domain name scammers are among them! These nasty Internet denizens will send you an official looking letter or email with dire admonitions that your domain is about to expire and you must renew or transfer your domain name with them (or risk losing it forever).

One of our customers got taken by this scam, and his domain expired anyway! That's because the company (Domain Renewal Group) did not renew or transfer his domain; they simply took his $30 check and cashed it! Fortunately, were were able to renew his domain with his official registrar. Our customer may have been lucky only to lose his money. Some of these scammers take much more because they are identity thieves, trolling for credit card and other valuable information!

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5/2014 Update: A customer received a letter from Domain Registry Services (https://www.droa.com/index.asp), paid for 10 years and a transfer at high cost. She learned it was a mistake to respond to the letter, and now must hassle to get her money back. Her domains are already registered elsewhere for much less money, and there is no need to transfer them. She simply needs to renew with her current domain regstrar and all will be well.

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Unless you are 100% sure they are legit, do not respond to these letters!

If you receive a letter about renewing your domain name — especially if you don't recognize the company as YOUR domain registrar — please contact us right away, before you send a check or give them your credit card information. We'll try to verify whether the communication is a legitimate message from your current domain registrar. (As an aside, most domain renewals cost about $10 per year. If yours costs significantly more, ask us about transferring your domain to another registrar.)

All this said, please do not ignore an expiring domain! You've invested time, money, and Goodwill in your domain name, so it's important to stay on top of expiration dates and keep your domain registration current. Also be aware that if a domain expires, no one can access your website until the domain registration is updated or the site is moved to a new domain name. And if someone happens to grab your domain after it has expired, you probably will be unable to retrieve it.

For some specific details about this domain scamming problem, check out this link.

Want to know more about domain scammers? Search Google for "domain renewal scam" or type the name of the company that has sent you a letter (between quotation marks) and add the word scam, like this:

"Domain Renewal Group" scam

System Update: 4.19 - [8/20/2011]
System Update 4.19 is available to all Precision Computing Arts/Fastwebdev web hosting clients, and it's chock full of useful and fun features, which are summarized below. If you have any questions or would like us to help you implement these features, please don't hesitate to contact us!

User accounts
The user accounts pages have been updated to make accounts easier to navigate and manage.

Tabs have been added at the top of the user accounts page that let you easily switch between the user groups and user accounts view. Navigation has been enhanced to make it easier to switch between user groups.

The user accounts details page now opens in a popup window for quick access. The selected user group checkboxes have been updated to make them easier to work with. A new link has been added to the user account detail page that lets you send a quick email to the user.

Mailing list
The site mailing list pages have been reworked to make the mailing list easier to use.

• Updated mailing list user interface.
• New email templates added (30+ new templates).
• New email templates automatically include social networking links in the template.
• Updated mailing list template user interface. You can now preview a template before selecting it.

New option to set the email "from" display name as well as a tracking code for the email. The tracking code is automatically added to links in your email. This allows you to track the effectiveness of your newsletters.

Form builder
New options at the top of the form builder make it easier to enable the contact DB and mailing list features on the form. The form builder user interface has been updated. There were a lot of options on the page which can make the form builder a bit confusing to configure. Some options have been moved into settings tabs.

Social networking
The social networking sharing icons now include the Google +1 button and LinkedIn buttons. You also now have the option to hide/display both the social widget buttons or the social icons. A new option to send a Tweet from with in the admin has been added to the marketing area. The blog manager has a direct link to send a tweet about a blog post.

Edit tabs [preview/experimental]
This update includes an experimental new site builder header. We have added an option to try out a new set of tabs at the top of the site builder to get feedback. The new set of tabs provides quick access to the new marketing/reports area as well as direct access to core ecommerce functions for store accounts. It will be easy for customers to switch between the existing tabs and the new tabs. To try this feature, select Admin > Editor Settings > Edit Tabs Style [Optmized]

Website edit header tabs

• admin
• view site
• edit site
• design
• marketing/reports
• help

Ecommerce edit header tabs

• admin
• website
• store setup
• products
• orders
• customers
• marketing/reports
• help

Marketing/Reports
The new marketing/reports sections provides easy access to the most important markting features that are integrated with the site builder as well as quick access to statistics, search engine submission and site guides. The core marketing features, blog, mailing list, social networking settings and twitter are all included.

Misc updates

• The view/edit tab drop down menu now includes links to the settings pages.
• Message board no longer requires capcha when you are logged in.
• Displayable user name for message board when user accounts/login required to post messages.
• Updated mobile/browser detection for stats and mobile pages.
• The drop down tab menu for edit site now includes direct links to all of the settings pages.
• Calendar uses timezone offset.
• Site page search now includes blog posts and HTML pages.

Media library page
Use the new media library page to create a sortable media list with embedded media player. Upload your audio/video files. The media library automatically creates a RSS feed/pod cast for the uploaded media.

Text editor
The text editor 2.0 now allows you to easily setup H1, H2, H3 tags via the style drop down. Simply select your text and click the style drop down to apply one of the header styles.

Blog

• The blog user interface has been updated.
• New option to save a blog post as a draft.
• Added support for integrating Facebook comment system (enable from blog settings page).
• Blog manager now has direct links to easily send a tweet with link for new blog posts.

Basic traffic stats

• Basic traffic stats are now maintained for up to 3 years (this will only include stats collected after the update is installed)
• New option to reset all your traffic stats
• New option to reset your traffic stats referrers/search engines/keywords
• Stats have been updated to be tracked in the site owner's local time based on their time zone setting
• NOTE: Stats before this update will not reflect the correct timezone

Ecommerce

• Ecommerce reports are now displayed in the user's time zone (only applies to new orders completed after this update)
• For products that ship in their own box, you can now set the package dimensions
• New gateway (Moneris for US merchants)

Tell us what you think!
We are always looking to improve the quality of our services and your feedback is appreciated. If you have any ideas or suggestions, let us know.

Click above to read the entire blog article

Our friend and client Karalyn J. Eckerle of Cardinal Point Virtual Assistants wrote an excellent blog article titled "Are You Nobody? Do Your Customers Know Your Name?" We encourage you to read the entire article to fully enjoy her great tips and wonderful writing style. But if you're in a hurry and want some truly useful nuggets of marketing advice, read the Top Ten List below:

1. Branding (name association) is an important concept in business.
2. Word-of-mouth advertising is the most valuable marketing tool we have.
3. Become known in your field by telling people what you do, with passion!
4. Connect with folks through business cards that reflect your character and the type of work you do, and then be imaginative in your use of those cards.
5. Distribute at least 5 business cards every day, preferably with a customized note on the back.
6. A frequently-updated website and a blog are nearly mandatory in today's Internet-oriented business world. (Please contact us if you need help with these items!)
7. Visit Internet blogs and websites related to your business, and comment on blog articles that you find.
8. When commenting, leave a link to your own blog or website in your signature line.
9. Be a physical presence in your community, volunteering your expertise to become better known (plus, volunteering can be fun and emotionally rewarding).
10. Toot your own horn occasionally so people will know who you are and what you do.

We completed a website makeover for Karalyn's company, Cardinal Point Virtual Assistants, on January 19, 2011.

As our customer base grows, it's even more important that we track all support requests carefully, so that no customer requests fall through the cracks. The best way for us to do this is to ask that all support requests come via email. You can request support through our Contact page, or by using the email address you already have been using for support requests.

This doesn't mean we'll never talk with you! We love keeping the personal touch in our business. Often, a phone conversation or face-to-face meeting is the best way to achieve a great solution for you. Typically, we'll follow up voice conversations with an email message to confirm our understanding or to summarize work that we have done for you. But please do always make your initial requests in writing, via email.

The following guidelines will help us give you the best service possible via email.

• Please be sure the Subject line clearly describes your request.
• Should you need to make a new request, please send a new email with a new Subject line.
• To help us track our email conversations with you, please always copy the original message in any reply that you send. Most email programs are already set up to do this. Some, such as AOL, are not. For AOL, simply select (highlight) the text before you click the Reply button.
• If it is an emergency and you are on the road or do not have access to email, then by all means, call us. We'll always do our best to help you.
• If you need help with any of this, just ask! We'll do our best to answer your questions.

(PLEASE NOTE: We cannot offer free support, except during FREE Website 10-Day Trial Period.)

We are incredibly grateful for our customers, long-time and brand new. Our long-time customers are our bread and butter, and we thank you for sticking with us, especially during these difficult economic times. To our new clients, welcome! We like to share new-client websites with everyone and hope you will enjoy visiting these sites. Below are links to our most recent creations.

 New Leaf Renovation (Home Renovation Services and Home Remodeling. We provide home improvement, remodeling, and home renovation services throughout the Portland, Oregon metro area. We specialize in remodeling and renovating kitchens and bathrooms).

Kristen Moeller (Kristen Moeller is a highly respected coach, author, speaker and radio show host who holds a master’s degree in counseling and has more than 20 years experience in the field of personal development. Her Best-Selling book, “Waiting for Jack: Confessions of a Self-Help Junkie – How to Stop Waiting and Start Living Your Life” (Morgan James Publishing, April 2010) explores why we wait and look outside ourselves for answers.)

Coexist Celebration (New Thought and Ecumenical Spiritual Experiences. COEXIST creates a place to celebrate the deepest truth, that we are ONE HUMAN FAMILY. Whatever your spiritual practice or religious community, we promote acceptance among all races and religions.)

Celebration Church (A Christian church founded on the principle of honoring all faiths that teach love. Registered non-profit organization, with Music Ministry and weekly messages led by Reverend Barry Dennis.)

Coming soon...a website for Barry Dennis (author, minister, musician, speaker and spiritual leader of Celebration Church and Coexist Celebration, in the Portland, Oregon area).

There are many ways to improve your standings in Search Engines such as Google and Yahoo (the two most-used search tools on the Internet). The fancy name for this is "Search Engine Optimization," or SEO. Some SEO requires very specialized knowledge; other SEO requires simple common sense and facility with website design tools. Please contact us if you would like assistance with SEO tasks, especially those that fall into the "common sense" categories below.

What does it mean to optimize my website?

To ensure that your site works well with the search engines, your site should be properly. Be sure that your site keywords and phrases are displayed in the places that search engines look at when indexing your website. To do this, review the areas listed below...

• The visible content on your pages is the important area that search engines look at.
• Place your highest priority keywords and phrases in the content area of your pages.
• Your home page must include your most important phrases.
• Keywords must be placed near the top of your content area.

• The browser title appears in the title bar of your browser window.
• Be sure that your global browser title reflects the most important keywords.
• Use page specific browser titles for specialized pages. Page specific keywords are displayed right after your global keywords in the browser title

• Search engines will look at the names of your pages and links when indexing your site.
• Keep your page names short.

• Create text links on your site that take visitors to important pages.
• Use your keywords in the text links.
• For example, if you had information on televisions...Instead of creating a link called "click here" or "product specials", you could create a link called "Plasma Television Specials"

• Search engines rely heavily on links to determine the relevance/ranking of your website.
• You want other websites to link to your site. This will generate traffic from those websites, and also will increase the ranking of your website.
• Links from websites that are very popular and related to your keywords and phrases will give you the biggest boost in search rankings.

We've been busy creating and updating websites including First Hand Healing Massage Therapy in Tucson, Arizona; Rincon High School Class of 1970 Reunion in Tucson, Arizona; New Leaf Renovation in Portland, OR; Real Volleyball, Susan Hutchison Stables, and Cassidy & Associates Real Estate in San Diego, CA; Larry Gotkin handmade knives, edged weapons, jewelry, and pet portraits in Tucson, AZ; and PerioCDent non-surgical periodontal dental hygiene in Atlanta, GA. We hope to begin a new site soon for Mission Valley Shell in San Diego!

Precision Computing Arts welcomes four new websites, two for new customers and one for a repeat customer.

	David Thomas Law (referral from Karalyn Eckerle): David Thomas has practiced law in the state of Washington for over 25 years in the areas of estate planning, probate administration, real estate and business. His focus is on planning for and avoidance of controversy.
	Karin Finley Jewelry (referral from neighbor Lisa Dawes): Karin Finley creates individually designed and executed one-of-a-kind jewelry using various enamel techniques and incorporating copper, silver, gold, semi-precious, and precious gems.
	Shelley Wilson, MFT (referral from Nancy Lucas): Shelley Wilson is a Marriage and Family Therapist in Newport Beach, CA, who specializes in Individual Counseling, Group Counseling, Relationship Counseling, and Emotional Eating Counseling.
	Frank's Stuff (second site created for Frank Watson): Frank Watson, based in Hilton Head, SC, has some cool stuff to buy and rent, including a wonderful motorhome that is available for touring to a variety of fabulous vacation destinations throughout the Southeastern United States.
	Using Constant Contact (a great system for staying in touch with people on your mailing list), we designed and published a newsletter written by Registered Dental Hygienist, Lynne Slim of PerioCDent. We designed Lynne's website a number of years ago and remodeled part of it in July 2009.

We LOVE Qualified Referrals from Clients & Friends!

The above work was made possible by referrals and existing clients — thank you Karalyn, Lisa, Nancy, Frank, and Lynne! In addition to earning our undying gratitude, qualified referrals will earn you a free gift that we know you will enjoy. And, as always, we offer discounts for "bulk" jobs of 8 hours or more (see details here).

Precision Computing Arts welcomes two new websites for the same customer! Please visit Frederick Michael King's art-related websites at:

• Earth Fire Designs (www.earthfiredesigns.com) features hand carved ceramic murals, tile, architectural elements, and fireplaces.
• King Contemporary Art (www.kingcontemporaryart.com) features contemporary wall mounted metal sculptures and encaustic wax paintings for private, hotel, and corporate spaces.

We also invite you to visit the new website for Mr. Shrine (www.mrshrine.com). Ralph Wilson (aka Mr. Shrine) and his partner Kathleen McLeod create and teach others how to create folk-art shrines, mini-art car kits, pins and magnets on copper, painted luggage, and more.

For more details about these three sites and their special features, please visit our Artists & Painters portfolio page.

Referrals Appreciated!

Don't forget that we LOVE referrals from our existing customers. These three sites were made possible by referrals from existing customers — thank you Brian and Kathleen! 

Precision Computing Arts / Fastwebdev welcomes:

• WestCoast Natives (Ryan Gorretta) - We're creating a new website for him; he's creating new landscaping for us! Watch for www.westcoastnatives.com, coming soon.

We made some exciting updates to:

• PerioCDent (Improved design and new information)

Many thanks to our new clients and to our loyal long-time clients who have kept us in business during tough times. We are grateful to be a part of YOUR business and look forward to working with you in the future.

We're always looking for referrals, so if you are happy with our work, please tell your colleagues, family, and friends. We offer consulting fee discounts for every referral that becomes a client, making referrals a win-win for everyone.

Hey, Precision Computing Arts / Fastwebdev Clients!
Would you like to see your name on our Client News blog pages? If so, please submit your news by contacting us or by clicking the Comments link below.

Precision Computing Arts / Fastwebdev welcomes:

• Diva Matters Ministry (Dee Richardson)

And we're pleased to tell you about some exciting updates to:

• BeckRidge Chorale (Upcoming performances)
• Susan Hutchison Stables (Horse show results and new horses for sale)
• The Grand Galleria (Terrilynn's new artwork)

Many thanks to our new clients and to our loyal long-time clients who have kept us busy with interesting projects. We are grateful to be a part of YOUR business and look forward to working with you in the future.

We're always looking for referrals, so if you are happy with our work, please tell your colleagues, family, and friends. We offer consulting fee discounts for every referral that becomes a client, making referrals a win-win for everyone.

Hey, Precision Computing Arts / Fastwebdev Clients!

Would you like to see your name on our Client News blog pages? If so, please submit your news by contacting us or by clicking the Comments link below.

Precision Computing Arts / Fastwebdev welcomes these new clients:

• Decorative Concrete & Design (website makeover, Frank Watson)
• Diva Matters Ministry (new website - coming soon, Dee Richardson)
• Rininger Lock and Supply (website update and shopping cart integration, Glenn Younger)

We're also pleased to have done website makeovers for these existing clients:

• FridgeFreeze (John Roemer)
• VaccineRefrigerator (John Roemer)
• Laurel Ridge Sport Horses (Laura Robertson; coming soon)

Many thanks to our new clients and our loyal long-time clients who have kept us busy with interesting projects. We are grateful to be a part of YOUR business and look forward to working with you in the future.