Google Is Getting Into Domains. Should GoDaddy Worry?

Watch out, GoDaddy. Google is making moves on your turf.

It looks like the search giant is getting into the domain registrar business; Google has a "beta" site available at domains.google.com.

The service is invite-only for now, but it looks like it will provide a bevy of features typically found on registrars such as GoDaddy, Namecheap and Hover.

Google Domains boasts free private registrations, 10 million resolutions per year on Google's DNS servers, branded email that forwards to an existing mail account (not to be confused with Google Apps domain support) and domain forwarding. Google says it will support a variety of different gTLDs (generic top level domains), including offerings such as .photography and .guru that are rolling out over the next few months.

Google will also offer easy-access to additional site-building services from Squarespace, Shopify, Wix and Weebly for an additional fee for users that want an all-in-one approach to building out a website.

Google Domains isn't Google's first foray into the domain space. Longtime users may remember that Google previously offered the ability to purchase a domain through eNom or GoDaddy. But this time, it appears Google will actually be the registrar.

The company will even offer phone support. (Yes, we took a double take at the idea of Google offering phone support for anything, too.)

Domain registration is a heavily commoditized market. Most registrars are about the same price ($10 to $12 for a .com domain).If Google is charging $12 a year including private registration, that's about the same as what Namecheap charges, with its Whois Guard service as an add-on.

That said, the domain market is about to get a lot more interesting as a new wave of TLDs rolls out this year and next year. There are already significant differences in pricing for certain TLDs.

Across three different registrars (including two owned by the same parent company), the pricing gamut ran from $24.99 to $39.99 to register a .wtf domain when that TLD becomes available in August.

Google definitely has the revenue to undercut competitors by a significant degree, much as GoDaddy did in the mid 2000s. The search giant already offers a variety of developer-facing web services, similar (though less popular, perhaps) to Amazon Web Services. If the company is willing to make the right investments into more commoditized hosting services for "regular" users, it certainly has what it takes to take on incumbents such as GoDaddy.

Plus, if Google does want to get active in the domain business, it has a significant advantage over every other player in the ecosystem: Control of the search results on Google.com.

Google Domains is in invite-only mode right now.

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Google Launches New Platform to Connect Businesses With Customers

Google wants to create a better business directory and, this time, they mean business.

On Thursday the tech giant launched Google My Business, a one-stop way for merchants to manage their presence on a variety of the company's properties including search, maps and Google+.

Business owners that had been using Places for Business or Google+ will be transitioned to the new platform. There is also an Android app that can be used to manage business information and respond to customer reviews.

"The Internet is connecting more businesses with their people every day. However, our users tell us that finding these loyal customers can be complex and time-consuming. We believe it shouldn’t be," Google posted in a blog entry.

Google lauds the program as a way for businesses to better understand their customers and cater to their needs. The new system will integrate with Google's AdWords platform and provide businesses with data about customers and engagement.

The program is a simple way for Google to compile accurate business information that its various properties can then use to improve its other properties. Having a directory of accurate and easily referenced business data should be particularly helpful for mobile and contextual search, which heavily relies on combining user data with search results to provide better results.

Users already tend to ignore search results past the first few items. One study found that the first three returns of a search receive about 60% of the traffic.

Mobile search is an important part of the future for Google, which made its name as a search engine. Desktop search is expected to decline as mobile search grows — a trend that has already had an impact on Google's revenue.

Google isn't the only tech company to try to embrace businesses. Yahoo has also made moves to bolster its mobile search offering, partnering with Yelp to provide information that will be similar to the data compiled by Google My Business.

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FTC 'Consumer Complaint' Emails Are Actually Scams

No business owner likes to see customer complaints, but a new email scam could be even more damaging than an unsatisfied client, according to a new warning from the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC is warning businesses about emails sent with the subject line "Pending consumer complaint." The email looks like it's from the FTC and informs recipients that a complaint against them has been filed with the government. However, it likely contains malware, the agency said.

The emails ask recipients to click on a link or attachment for more information, or to contact the FTC.

"These emails pull out all the stops to look official: They have an FTC seal, references to the "Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA)" and a "formal investigation," and what look like real FTC links," Amy Hebert, a consumer education specialist for the FTC, wrote on the agency's blog. "The truth is that they're fakes."

The FTC advised those who receive such emails to not open them or click on any of the links, as they may contain malware.

"Malware can cause your device to crash, and can be used to monitor and control your online activity, steal your personal information, send spam and commit fraud," Hebert wrote.

Businesses that receive such emails should forward them to the FTC's email address for deceptive spam - spam@uce.gov — and then delete the message immediately.

This article originally published at BusinessNewsDaily.

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With Educational Apps on the Rise, Textbooks Are History

With more educational apps being developed everyday, smartphones and tablets are on their way to replacing those clunky textbooks in the classroom.

In the latest video of our Mobile Minute series, Market Developer Paul Sowada discusses the future of education and technology.

"Bringing your phone to class used to be a one-way ticket to detention," says Paul. "Fortunately, schools all across the country are easing up on their outside technology policies. Pew research says 73% of teachers now allow smartphones and tablets inside the classroom".

Educational apps such as eduPad can help students both in and out of the classroom, while parents can use apps like Common Core to look up teaching standards for their local school district.

The Mobile Minute is a series from Mashable and Mutual Mobile, an emerging technology company that pushes innovation for top brands such as Audi, Google and Citigroup.

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There Is Now a 'Smartwatch' for Kids

Smartwatches are projected to become one of the hottest tech product categories in the upcoming years, so it was only a matter of time before the kids market took notice.

Tech toy company VTech introduced at the 2014 International Toy Fair the KidiZoom Smart Watch — or what the company is calling the world's first smartwatch for kids. Although it doesn't connect to the Internet like its adult-counterpart smartwatches (so it's not technically a "smartwatch"), the 1.4-inch touchscreen device allows young users to snap photos, take video and play games directly through the watch.

The software for the device, which will likely cost $49.99 when it hits the market this fall, looks so good that upon first impression it reminds us that full-fledged smartwatch concepts need step it up. With so much potential looming from the category — and valiant efforts have been made from Samsung and its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, as well as the Sony SmartWatch 2 — the pressure is still on for a company to shine in the connected watch sector. And sure, the KidiZoom Smart Watch won't compete as a true smartwatch, but it's easy to use and has colorful graphics, which is more than what others can say.

First and foremost, the device is a watch. Users can switch from a digital to analog clock and customize the wallpapers that sit behind the time. It's crisp and vibrant graphics. It was extremely intuitive to use — as it should be, especially with a target demographic as early as age 3. The company is still deciding on an age range, but said it will likely start there and go up to age 9.

The KidiZoom Smart Watch comes with only two buttons: one for the home button and another to capture video and still photography. A memory card is also built within the device, while a USB port allows users (or more realistically, their parents) transfer pictures, video and audio files to a PC. It's also considerably lightweight, so it doesn't weigh down on young users' wrists. It's only available in blue and pink for now, but the spokesperson said VTech is looking to add more design and style options in the future.

Because KidiZoom is VTech's range of cameras for kids and the smart watch is an extension of that brand, there's no surprise that the camera plays a big role in the device. The company hasn't said how many photos and minutes of video can be stored on the KidiZoom SmartWatch just yet, but it features special effects that include customized photo frames, filters and distortion effects.

Other features include a rechargeable battery, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch a voice recorder with voice changing effects (i.e. robot mode) and three built-in games, such as a a puzzle game, a matching game and a memory game.

IMAGE: VTECH

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7 Tools for Creating an Optimized Mobile Website

Come on, be honest with yourself. Is your website really giving your visitors an optimized, intuitive experience? Or are you still serving mobile visitors a site that was designed for desktop?

If you feel like you're behind the eight ball, there's hope. Here are seven great solutions to help you quickly and cost-effectively develop a mobile version of your site.

MobDis

MobDis is a service that lets you build websites with a mobile-first approach. Rather than starting from a template or from an experience that originated from your desktop website, the application makes creating a mobile site feel like you are editing a Word or Illustrator document, starting from a plain white page. It literally breaks the constraints that many people feel when they look at their full site and wonder "how will we ever shrink this down to mobile size?" It encourages you to build from the ground up, thinking about the optimal content, functionality, and conversion actions for a mobile audience.

Once you've created your mobile site, MobDis gives you every possible option on how to display it. You can host it with MobDis on your own domain or on a subdomain on their website. You can also export your mobile site and move it to your own hosting environment. You can even publish it as an app and submit it to the Apple or Android app stores. Cost is $28 per month.

DudaMobile

DudaMobile gives you two options for creating your mobile site, both of which are super simple. If you're looking for a jump-start on your mobile design, DudaMobile can scan your site and pull content, images, and other information into a template that you can then customize or edit to best fit your goals. Once the content has been converted you can use their drag-and-drop editor to remove site elements that might not be necessary and move around page elements to make an optimal experience for mobile visitors.

On the other hand, if you want to take a more thoughtful, ground-up approach, choose one of DudaMobile's templates and build your mobile site from there. Their advanced site editor allows you to configure template settings, navigation, HTML, CSS, and more. But even users without tech skills can easily make edits with their simple drag-and-drop tool. Cost is just $9 per month.

goMobi

Like variety? GoMobi gives you a selection of 40 site templates to get you started — each of them totally customizable. Create your own menu, build forms, add and optimize video, and display reviews, all with simple click and go integration. And unlike many of its competitors, goMobi also supports e-commerce sites, allowing visitors to purchase directly from your mobile site.

The team at goMobi really seems to understand mobile interactions, and have integrated a ton of features that go way beyond click-to-call and basic mapping functions. You can create special offers, let people leave you a message or request a call back, and translate your site into their language with a single click. GoMobi is available through hosting partners and other Internet service providers.

Landr

Landr is specifically designed to help marketers capture more leads from mobile devices by creating mobile landing pages. That's right: landing pages. It seems to be the only tool available that allows you to build single pages that are focused on getting the conversion. It's built to simplify the mobile experience out of the box so visitors see exactly what they are looking for and nothing more. Landr's "less is more" strategy is a particularly good option for marketers who need the flexibility of creating campaign landing pages without the involvement of IT. You can even run A/B tests with multiple Landr pages. Cost is $12 per month.

MoFuse

MoFuse is another monthly subscription tool that allows you to easily build and host your mobile site. But one option that distinguishes it from the others is that you can hire their team to completely build your mobile site for you. Custom features include a range of design tools, m-commerce functionality, mobile analytics, mobile advertising, GPS-guided store locator, and more. If you are looking for mobile marketing services in addition to a site build, you'll like MoFuse's SMS text marketing package and its search and SEO support.

SproutMobi

Few people would dispute the fact that building a successful mobile site is not just about the tools. You have to have the right strategy, and that's where SproutMobi really shines. For $99 you'll get a dedicated developer/consultant who will help you develop your strategy, identify the right features and functionality for your audience, and build up to 10 customized pages for you. They'll even set up the code to reroute mobile traffic to your mobile-friendly site. Once they build your site, you'll be charged $10 per month for unlimited hosting, support, and access to make your own edits via their content management system.

YoMobi

While many of the tools and services listed here offer free trials, YoMobi takes that a step further with a free standard plan that includes hosting, unlimited pages, and all the bells and whistles. The only catch: your site will display a discrete mobile ad. But for those on a really tight (as in nonexistent) budget, this just might be the best way to get your dedicated mobile site up and running. Have a little money? Spend $6 per month on a custom plan and you get all the YoMobi features without the pesky ads. This plan also allows you more customization options as well as a custom m.domain name. Both plans come with free SMS and email blast capability, click-to-call, and GPS-guided location finder.

Bonus Tool: Conversion Ninja Toolbox

All the tools above can help you quickly build a mobile version of your website. But if you're the kind of person who always wants more, check out Conversion Ninja Toolbox, a free online directory of conversion rate optimization resources for every step of the conversion optimization process, from wireframing to testing, and everything in between. Some of the tools are free and all listings are unpaid and include user ratings and comments.

This article originally published at ClickZ.

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