Forum Moderators: phranque
We've lost our business, period. So now we have to get it back or go find something else in life to do. I'd rather work to get it back.
Here's what I'm thinking, but I sure could use some input.
My site sells retail and wholesale widgets. Both sides are on the same server, same hosting company, just different pages.
We just registered a new domain and will put it on a host within 24 hours. I'm thinking the easiest solution will be to move my retail pages to the new domain. Then replace my retail index page on the old domain with something like, "We've moved, please click here", and it would also have the logon screen to my wholesale widgets.
All the retail pages would be removed from the old server. A simple redirect will send everyone to the new index page on the old server - the "We've Moved" page.
Is this a good plan, a bad plan? I can't do anything with .htaccess because I can't get to it.
Any other suggestions are appreciated.
All the retail pages would be removed from the old server. A simple redirect will send everyone to the new index page on the old server - the "We've Moved" page.
Hmmm, maybe that was supposed to be: A simple redirect will send everyone to the new index page *from* the old server - the "We've Moved" page.
I think I'm starting to get paranoid here, definitely feeling like the odd man out. And I don't agree with having to do all this - it's too reactionary. Someones going to get hurt with all this knee-jerking :) But it's not my boat, I just get to steer it sometimes.
I really could use some suggestions tho...
You're not alone. You are in very good company.
"We've moved ... you will be forwarded to our new site after 15 seconds.
If you are not forwarded automatically, please click here"
... That kind of thing.
Your options are pretty limited without .htaccess or any similar mechanism. :(
Jim
So what is it that you're trying to accomplish by doing all this? Not trying to be critical here, just that the answer depends on the objective.
We're trying to get a sale. Something close to pre-Florida sales would be nice. Fact is we're bottomed out, having put all our eggs into G's basket. The idea is a new site might draw enough customers to allow us to have a little piece of canned ham with the Mac & Cheese on Christmas day.
AdWords, Overture aren't producing results. I think folks that buy my particular type of widget are loathe to click on a sponsored site. And the thing is, I've bid high enough to get good ad placement. So, we're still spending money, but not making any.
Like I said, this is all reactionary, because this place has never had any kind of plan for anything. (And I doubt this shakeup will result in a plan either)
Oh, and I really don't mind criticism. It helped me become a better programmer, back in the day. It just could help me become a better web person. The simple fact is, I'm overwhelmed, underinformed, and never liked pressure anyway. I'm ready to walk away tonight. Meanwhile I'd like to get another sale.
heh.
Well, what I was kinda fishing for is... well let me just say that if you think that you just need to start again on a fresh domain then what you mentioned would be fine. But if you want to *disassociate* the new domain from the old then you wouldn't want to interlink them (and in addition to what you mentioned make sure the new domain has different whois info right from the beginning).
And what about backlinks... if you can't do a 301 (.htaccess or httpd.conf) then the new site will have zero links out the gate... so if you're *changing* the onpage factors on the new site - and since you'll be starting fresh with backlinks anyway - have you considered keeping the old site in place and trying something radically different with the new one?
Just food for thought. Wish I had more answers than questions for you :)
