Verisign launches small biz resource site

I thought I knew how to eat hot wings. I mean, what’s to know? Order wings, wait for them to cool down, pick one up, dip, eat. I sort of nibble around the sides and press my fingers in the middle to get more off the bone. It kind of feels like I’m eating a tiny little cob of corn. Bite, bite, bite, pick, bite.

I like this little ritual so much, I decided to take my son to my favorite place for wings. I explained the sauces, talked to him about the merits of blue cheese versus ranch, and ordered a dozen medium wings to get things started. When the food arrived, my son smiled and said:

“OK, let me show you the right way to eat chicken wings.”

And he picks one up, stands it on one end, and gently presses the meat down around the top of the bone. Then he puts the wing in his mouth—lengthwise—closes his teeth, and strips the meat away. All of it. Like he’s peeling off a sock.

“Where in the world did you learn that?”

“The Internet, dad. You can learn anything on the Internet.”

From the mouths of babes, right? It’s amazing I need that kind of a reminder, but it’s so true. If there’s something you want to learn more about, if there’s something you want to learn how to do, chances are good you can get started online.

Even starting a business. For sure, that’s what we’re trying to do here on our GoDaddy blog, The Garage. But we’re not alone. There are thousands of resources out there. And we just came across another we think you’ll like.

Verisign’s new small business resource

We’ve been working with Verisign for years (they’re the company behind the granddaddy of domain names —.COM). They recently launched  www.start-online-with.com. It’s a site where they share experiences of small business launches. The site is geared to those who desire to put their passion online.

Because let’s face it: getting online is one of the first steps you take when launching your big ideas. It’s an affordable and efficient way to test it, work out the kinks, and find your first customers. But taking those first steps can be daunting and technical. We need all the help we can get.

Each section of their site (initiate, plan, implement, promote, build loyalty) corresponds to a part of your journey. Just getting started? Ready to take your marketing to the next level? They’ve got some material here that can help. And BONUS! a lot of them are short videos you can watch on your lunch break (while you eat delicious chicken wings the right way). Here are some of our favorites:

Understand the jargon — website glossary. This is a simple guide that covers some of the basic terms we use when we talk about websites. It’s great if you’re just getting started and feel like everything is over your head. Take a look — I think you’ll surprise yourself with how much you already know.

Branding: leveraging your brand online. Developing your brand is hard. This article talks about the basics. Unique design, logo, and defining who you are and what you do. Next steps? Define who your customers are and develop a mission statement. It makes marketing your big idea a lot easier.

Visitor numbers: quality over quantity. This is a great introduction into the types of things you should measure when it comes to your website. Traffic is important. All companies and all big websites look at general traffic numbers. But it isn’t everything. This article outlines some other things to look at and how to increase your stats.

Ready to put your passion online? Learn more at www.start-online-with.com

Image by: dcJohn