Author Archives: cheeks

5 Tips To Improve A Restaurant Web Site

Posted on December 2, 2011 by cheeks

I have a pet peeve — restaurant web sites which don’t work. There is no doubt that it is hard to produce a “good” web site. “Good” means a site that gives people the information they want, entices them to visit the physical business, and doesn’t frustrate them into going away. Every business category is full of examples of bad web sites, but restaurants seem to be particularly vulnerable to the kinds of mistakes mentioned here. Why is that? There are some common factors that apply to many restaurants and conspire to create a similar outcome. Restaurants are often small businesses, mostly single-location, where the owner-operator wears many hats. There is rarely a full-time marketing person available to guide the choices, and often the web site is produced by the owner, or the owner’s friend or relative. But even if the owner hires a web design firm, the “who is the customer?” problem rears its ugly head. The web designer’s job ultimately is to make the restaurant owner happy. The owner needs a web site that will attract and keep customers. But it’s very easy for the owner to get caught up in the excitement of the new design, and approve (or request) bells and whistles that seem nifty but add nothing to the overall value of the site (I’m looking at you, auto-playing background music). One of the hardest things for a web designer to do is tell the … Continue reading →

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Why You Should Care About .XXX Domains

Posted on September 18, 2011 by cheeks

A new domain name extension, .xxx, is about to be unleashed on the world. Unlike the familiar .com, .org, .tv, .mobi, and other extensions, .xxx domains are intended for use by a specific community on the net. The proponents of .xxx have been trying to establish this new Top Level Domain (TLD) for a decade.  The process has been bogged down in a political morass over whether .xxx should exist, who should run it if it does, and how it should be run. Fast forward to 2011.  ICANN, the international organization which holds sway over all Internet domain registries, has approved a plan for the .xxx TLD.  There seems to be concensus among unlikely partners that .xxx domains should exist.  Proponents include members of the adult entertainment industry who want to provide a safe environment to sell adult services, as well as religious and parenting groups who want to relegate smut to a red-light district which can be easily blocked.  The .xxx TLD, which will be administered by Florida company ICM, is in the “sunrise” period right now (more on that below), and will go live in December 2011. The .xxx TLD has unique features that make it different from all other domains that currently exist.  A few of these are: Domains are intended specifically for a certain community (the adult entertainment industry). Sites in the .xxx domain will be malware-scanned daily through a deal with McAfee. They must also … Continue reading →

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