Frequently Asked Questions (click the questions to get the answers)

General

Why do I need a website?
Why does my website appear not to fill the monitor screen?
What is a "web safe" or "browser safe" font?
I lost my Webmanager 3 Manual. Can I get another copy?

Technical

How do I change my monitor resolution?
Can I have a shopping cart and accept credit cards on my website?
What is the definition of cache (on my computer)?
How do I clear the cache on my computer?
How do I flush my local DNS Cache?
Will my website work in ____ browser?

Email

What are the configuration settings for my email service?
How do I set up my email in Outlook or Outlook Express (IMAP)?
What is the difference between POP3 or IMAP?
How do I set up my email in Windows Live Mail?
How do I set up a vacation message in Outlook?
How do I control my email spam?
How do I add someone to my "whitelist" or "blacklist"?
Where do I check my email that ends in my domain?
What should I do if I cannot log into webmail?
Why can’t I send/receive email in webmail?
Why Can’t I Send/Receive Mail in Outlook Express/Outlook/WindowsMail?
I receive mass emails in something that looks like Chinese writing. How can I fix it?Can I send a mass email?
I, or someone I know, received an email from my own email account, but I didn't send it. How did this happen?
With Windows Vista, I can't send emails and receive a message "An error occured while attempting to open the windows address book. Unable to find the WAB DLL."What are the email settings for my Blackberry?
How can I backup my email messages in Outlook (IMAP ONLY)?
I would like to move my email service to another provider. How can I move my messages to my new inbox? Where do I find forms for email additions, new domain registrations and DNS changes?

Marketing ∓ Search Engines

How can I market my website?
Do you do pay per click campaigns?
Why do I need to decide my key phrases before my website is developed?
How do the search engine rankings work?
What are the differences between Bandwidth, Page Views, Hits and Visits in my statistical report?

Services We Provide

Do you provide statistical tools for my website?
Do you design logos?
Do you show me how to update my website?

Photos and Images If my images are too large for my website, what do I do?

Answers

Why do I need a website? Back to Top

In the past the most common place for someone to look for a product or service was in the Yellow pages, which may supply an address and telephone number. These days anyone with a computer (over 80% of the United States households) would look for a website first to get an in-depth look at your company and not just your contact information. If they can not find a website for you chances are they will try your competition.

Why does my website appear not to fill the monitor screen? Back to Top

It depends on what your screen resolution is set to on your monitor. The reason the site does not fill up the screen is because your screen resolution is probably 1024 x 768. In computers with a screen resolution of 800 x 600, the web page will fill the screen. If we design for a screen resolution of 1024 x 768, people who have their monitor set to 800 x 600 will have to scroll left to right to see the entire page.

What is a "web safe" or "browser safe" font? Back to Top

These are fonts that most computers have installed on them by default. If an end user doesn't have a font installed on their computer that you are using on your website then they will not be able to see the font and then the computer chooses another font to use. This could make your website appearance skewed from what you intended. We only use web safe fonts in the body text of your site so it looks the same on all end user machines. To the right is a list of web safe fonts and how they look.

I lost my Webmanager 3 Manual. Get I get another copy?

If you need it right now, you may click here to view a pdf online (it's a large file, so it might take a minute). We can send you another copy if you will just This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it letting us know you need it.

Follow these steps to change your monitor resolution: Back to Top

1. Go to your desktop and right click on the blank space where there are no icons.
2. Click "Properties" on the box that appears
3. Click the "Settings" tab at the top of the next box
4. On screen area at the bottom right of the box, drag it to 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768, depending on your preference
5. Click OK
6. Click OK one or two more times when you are prompted.

Can I have a shopping cart and accept credit cards on my website? Back to Top

Yes, we can offer a shopping cart and even seamless credit card processing. Check these out for e-commerce examples:

http://www.neonconcept.com

http://www.esimplyhome.com

There are two ways to accept credit cards on your e-commerce website:

A Pay Pal Pro account will allow you accept credit cards online without having to run them on a terminal in your store/office. This would be a seamless solution and there is a monthly fee with Pay Pal and a percentage each month. The fee to integrate this into your website would be about $25 that you would need to pay us (in addition to Pay Pal). You can accept Master Card and Visa this way. Here is the link to read more about Pay Pal https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_wp-pro-overview-outside

The second option is to use the credit card part that is built into your website but just subscribe to a credit card processing company that accepts Visa and Master Card. This would mean when you receive a credit card order, you retrieve the number from the secure back end system (by logging in like you do to upload products) and run it on your terminal. There would be no charge by us for this because it is already built into the system. Here is an example of a virtual terminal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_vt_hub-outside

What is the definition of cache (on my computer)? Back to Top

A cache (pronounced CASH) is a place to store something temporarily. The files you automatically request by looking at a Web page are stored on your hard disk. So, in turn, when you return to a page you've recently looked at, the browser can get it from the cache rather than the original server, saving you time and the network additional traffic.

How do I clear the cache on my computer? Back to Top

To clear the Internet cache on your computer (in Internet Explorer), follow these steps:

1. Open your browser and go to a website other than the one you are having trouble with.
2. Go to Tools > Internet OptionsIn the 2^nd box "Temporary Internet Files" or "Browsing History" (depending on the version of Internet Explorer you are using)
3. Click Delete Files (this may take a few minutes if this task has never been performed before) or "Delete"
4. If another box appears click the “Temporary Internet Files” deletion button
5. Then Click OK

How do I flush my local DNS cache? Back to Top

1. 1. Go to the Start Menu and Click Run...
2. 2. Type "cmd" into the textbox (without the quotation marks).
3. 3. This brings you to the command prompt. In the command prompt type: ipconfig /flushdns
4. 4. Press Enter
5. 5. Your cache should now be clear. Open the desired webpage in a new browser window to view changes.

Will my website work in ____ browser? Back to Top

We typically build our websites to be primarily compatible with the most popular browsers which are currently Internet Explorer and FireFox. This will account for roughly 96% of your website visitors. Safari, which is the next most popular, accounts for roughly 1.5% of visitors. While no two browsers will render the same page identically, it should be expected that some pages may produce slight visual errors when using a less popular browser. If you would like us to build your site with a certain browser in mind, we can work with you to make sure it meets the proper requirements.
 
 
 
 
 
 

What are the configuration settings for my email service? Back to Top

Depending on what device you are setting up your email on, you may need to use specific settings. Below are a list of the settings you may need. If you need specific instructions for your device or email client, please read below or contact your device/software vendor.

Server Configuration Settings:

How do I set up my email in Outlook or Outlook Express (POP3)? Back to Top

1. Open the program and click Tools > Accounts.
2. Click the Mail tab.
3. Click the Add button and choose Mail.
4. Type in your name, click Next.
5. Type in your full @yourdomainname.com email address (ex: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), click Next.
6. Next to "My incoming mail server is a" select POP3.
7. Next to "Incoming mail (POP3, IMAP, or HTTP) server", type in: pop.emailsrvr.com
8. What you type In the "Outgoing mail (SMTP) server" line will be dependent upon where you are located. If you are going to use our outgoing server, enter smtp.emailsrvr.com - otherwise, you will need to contact your Internet provider for your outgoing server information.
9. Click Next.
10. For the account or username, put in the full email address (ex: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and then put in your password and click Next and Finish.

NOTE: If using our outgoing server, click Properties for the account you just added. Click Servers. At the bottom, click My server requires Authentication and click the More Settings button. Make sure that it is using the same log in information as your incoming server. Click OK, Apply and OK, then click Close on the accounts box and that should do the trick.Alternatively, you can go to http://mail.pronetsweb.com/ and log in with your email address and password.

How do I set up my email in Outlook or Outlook Express (IMAP)?

1. Open the program and click Tools > Accounts.
2. Click the Mail tab.
3. Click the Add button and choose Mail.
4. Type in your name, click Next.
5. Type in your full @yourdomainname.com email address (ex: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), click Next.
6. Next to "My incoming mail server is a" select IMAP.
7. Next to "Incoming mail (POP3, IMAP, or HTTP) server", type in: imap.emailsrvr.com
8. What you type In the Outgoing mail (SMTP) server line will be dependent upon where you are located. If you are going to use our outgoing server, enter smtp.emailsrvr.com - otherwise, you will need to contact your Internet provider for your outgoing server information.
9. Click Next.
10. For the account or username, put in the full email address (ex: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and then put in your password and click Next and Finish.

NOTE: If using our outgoing server, click Properties for the account you just added. Click Servers. At the bottom, click My server requires Authentication and click the More Settings button. Make sure that it is using the same log in information as your incoming server. Click OK, Apply and OK, then click Close on the accounts box and that should do the trick.

Alternatively, you can go to http://mail.pronetsweb.com/ and log in with your email address and password.

What is the difference between POP3 or IMAP? Back to top

POP3 works by reviewing the inbox on the mail server, and downloading the new messages to your computer's hard drive. IMAP downloads the headers of the new messages on the server, then retrieves the message you want to read when you click on it.

When using POP3, your mail is stored on your PC.

When using IMAP, the mail is stored on the mail server. Unless you copy a message to a “Local Folder” the messages are never copied to your PC.

How do I set up a vacation message in Outlook? Back to top

Follow this link for directions - http://email.about.com/od/outlooktips/qt/et_auto_reply.htmHow do I control my email spam? Back to topTo train your new spam filter, you can simply move spam emails to your spam folder. If you need to edit your spam filter settings, you can login to your email account via our webmail interface:http://mail.pronetsweb.com/From there, you can click "Settings" (upper right next to Log Out) and then Click "Spam Settings." There you can adjust your spam filter's behavior. Be sure to click save after you are finished.

How do I add someone to my "whitelist" or "blacklist"?

Fist login to your webmail account here: http://mail.pronetsweb.com/

From there, you can click "Settings" (upper right next to Log Out) and then Click "Spam Settings". You can then add email addresses or domains to your Safelist (this is your whitelist) or Blacklist. Be sure to click save when you are finished to apply your settings.

Where do I check my email that ends in my domain? Back to top

You can check your email at http://mail.pronetsweb.com

I receive mass emails in something that looks like Chinese writing. How can I fix it? Back to top

We have been told by the manufacturer of our mass email program that the problem is not with Professional Networks, Inc but that the customer's exchange server needs to be updated with the latest fix. Please contact your IT person if you are using an internal server or mail host so they may fix the problem.

Can I send a mass email?

Professional Networks forbids the sending of spam to any public forum or private email address. Spam is defined as any unwanted or unsolicited bulk email, commercial or otherwise. Customers who use their account to engage in the practice of spamming will be subject to immediate termination and will be fined at a rate of $20 per recipient per message. ProNets also forbids the sending of mass email to opt in mailing lists in excess of 20 recipients per 24 hours. Please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you are interested in sending a mass email to opt in recipients.

Professional Networks provides electronic storage space to its customers for the purpose of publishing private and commercial information. The customer is solely responsible for the content of their publications and agrees to abide by local, state, federal, and international law.

With Windows Vista, I can't send emails and receive a message "An error occured while attempting to open the windows address book. Unable to find teh WAB DLL." Back to Top

To correct the issue, open up My Computer and select C:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/office/Outlook. Right click and select Properties, Compatibility. Under compatibility, place a check in the box that states "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select Windows XP SP2.

Note: Vista compatible versions of Outlook: Outlook 2003 and 2007.

What are the email settings for my BlackBerry? Back to Top

Support for email accounts and email setup may vary by service provider.

Email setup is done through your wireless service providers' BlackBerry Internet Service website. Every service provider has different steps to create an email account. However, once you log into your account and access the email setup section, you will need the following:

• Email Address: Your Full Email Address
• User name: You Full Email Address
• Password: Your Email Password
• Server address: incoming.pronetsinc.com

I, or someone I know, received an email from my own email account, but I didn't send it. How did this happen? Back to Top

There is a possibility that the email taht was sent was not from your account, but was instead spoofed to appear that it did.

E-mail address spoofing:

The sender information shown in e-mails (the "From" field) can be spoofed easily. This technique is commonly used by spammers to hide the origin of their e-mails and leads to problems such as misdirected bounces (i.e. e-mail spam backscatter).E-mail address spoofing is done in quite the same way as writing a forged return address using snail mail. As long as the letter fits the protocol, (ie. stamp, postal code) the SMTP protocol will send the message. It can be done using a mail server with telnet.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoofing_attack

How can I backup my email messages in Outlook (IMAP ONLY)? Back to Top

If your mail is set up as IMAP, you can move the folders off the server and on to your local machine - you'll just want to be sure to back up your email.

In Outlook, make a folder for the messages you wish to keep under Personal Folders. (Right click on Personal Folders and left click on New Folder and type in the name of the folder. If you're using Outlook 2007, Folder contains Mail and Post Items and make sure it's set to Personal Folders.

You should see your folders on the server underneath that - should say either This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or incoming.pronetsinc.com. If you expand that, you'll see your folders.

Click the folder on the server that you wish to move locally and drag it into the new folder you made under Personal Folders. It may take a while depending on the size of the folder. You can also do this with individual messages.

To back these folders up on your machine, you can use the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders backup tool. Here are instructions for doing that. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA010875321033.aspx

I would like to move my email service to another provider. How can I move my messages to my new inbox? Back to Top

There are several methods available for moving your email messages to your new inbox. Please see: http://www.pronetsweb.com/emailmove

Where can I find forms for email additions, new domain registrations and DNS changes? Back to Top

• Email Information Change/Delete Authorization Form
• Domain Registration/Transfer, DNS, Hosting, Email Set Up Form
• DNS Change/Delete Form

You may fax (276.236.7446) or email the above forms to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

How can I market my website? Back to Top

Treat your web address like you would your telephone number. Please include it in ALL of your invoices, as well as marketing and advertising media: Letterhead, Business Cards, Flyers, Price Sheets, Radio Ads, Television, Billboards, Magazine & Newspaper Ads, and Promotional Products such as mugs or pens.

Get your company AFFILIATED with national organizations, current vendors or other websites. It is usually FREE to trade links. Investigate, surf the Internet for a similar business or purpose, and contact them about trading links. Affiliation with other sites can generate traffic to your website.

Spread the word about your website and your offerings. Give out business cards by the dozen! Ask people to spread the word for you. Referrals are still a BIG part of business today.

Do you do pay per click campaigns? Back to Top

Yes, we do pay per click. Due to the amount of time it takes to research for the quote, we do charge the for the time involved.

Why do I need to decide my key phrases before my website is developed? Back to Top

We optimize your website for specific key phrases when we are developing the website with our proven optimization techniques. We do not simply add them to your meta tags once the pages have been designed. This helps us to be able to achieve high rankings for your website.

How do the search engine rankings work? Back to top

At Professional Networks, Inc. we specialize in helping your website rank well in the major search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN and more. We optimize the website as we build it and our methods have proven very successful in the past. Also, we hand submit your website to the search engines that helps better your rankings. We are continually researching and working to help your website climb to the top for the key phrases your website is optimized for.

Your website is optimized based on key phrases that actual web users were searching for. You may think someone is looking for "Galax, Virginia Events" when in actuality, they are searching for "Events in Galax, Virginia". Special care is taken to make sure your website is optimized based on what customers are looking for.

When your website is launched on the World Wide Web and we do the first submission to the search engines, they will send crawlers to rank your website against the millions of other websites at their leisure (which sometimes takes up to 6 weeks). Keep in mind that these other websites you are competing with are optimized for the same key phrases as your website and have been ranked anywhere from 1 day to 10+ years. The process of climbing in the rankings is not immediate, so more than likely your website will not be on the top 10 in Google or Yahoo the week after the site goes live. However, we do provide you with a ranking and statistical report about three months after the website is launched so you can see where your website is ranking and how much traffic it is getting. We can also provide you with your own login to SmarterStats, a great tool that shows a wealth of information about your website traffic.

If you are concerned about your search engine rankings after your website has been live for at least three months, please let us know. If there are certain phrases you are not ranking for that you feel you need to be included, please let us know.

We do offer Pay-Per-Click services for targeted key phrases that are competitive. Additional fees apply for these services and we would be happy to provide you with more information.

What are the differences between Bandwidth, Page Views, Hits and Visits in my statistical report? What are "Referring Sites" and "Phrases"? Back to top

Bandwidth - Bandwidth represents the total number o kilobytes that were sent to people visiting your site. Bandwidth includes all resources requested by the users.

Hits - A hit represents a request to your web site for a file such as an image, a web page, or a CGI script. One web page may contain several related resources, and as a result, a visitor viewing one web page may trigger several hits. Hits generated as a result of an error (either a 400 or 500 level error) are not counted as actual hits to your site, and are kept separate from successful hits.

Page Views - A page view is a successful request for a file on your web site that is considered to be a page. These usually mean files with extensions such as .txt, .asp, .aspx, .php, etc. Views generated as a result of an error (either a 400 or 500 level error) are not counted as actual views for your site, and are kept separate from successful views.

Visits - Visits represent the total number of times people have visited your web site. A visit is counted whenever a web site user requests one or more files from the web server. If the user becomes idle for more than a certain amount of time (usually 20 minutes), a new visit is generated when they come back.

Referring Sites - This section shows you what websites end users are coming from. If you see "No Referrer" then they probably typed it directly into the address bar.

Phrases - This section shows what key phrases people are typing into the different search engines to get to your website. Keep in mind, these two sections only show the top 10 results for those sections, but there could be hundreds of other key phrases or search engines.

Do you provide statistical tools for my website? Back to Top

For websites that we develop, the client will receive a free monthly email summary of their website statistics with the option to subscribe to an in-depth reporting tool. We normally do a quarterly ranking report as well that shows them where they are ranking in the search engines.

Do you design logos? Back to Top

We can do logo design. The fee is $200 for 3 choices if you provide us with an idea of what images, colors, etc you want to use.

Do you show me how to update my website? Back to Top

Yes, we do train our clients on how to update their website. Normally, that is built into their quote. They come here and we sit down and go over it step by step with them and also give them a user's manual.

If my images are too large for my website, what do I do? Back to Top

Need to resize photos but don’t have the software? We ran across a great tool that’s easy to use and best of all it’s FREE! You can size several photos at one time by using the “batch” tool as well. Check it out at http://www.picresize.com/ (but use at your own risk).

We also recommend Ulead PhotoImpact software to help reduce image size while keeping good quality. The software can "batch" several photos down to a smaller size very quickly and easily.

To purchase the software, you may visit the Ulead website.

If you have the software and need help with batching, click here to view the pdf instruction sheet.

You may also use this free tool if you have only have a few photos to resize: http://www.shrinkpictures.com/How do I add someone to my "whitelist"? Back to topEmail addresses can be added to your whitelist by adjusting your spam filter settings via your webmail interface (http://mail.pronetsweb.com/). Read more about your spam filter here: Controlling My Spam Filter There are several methods available for moving your email messages to a new hosting provider. Please see http://www.pronetsweb.com/emailmove for more information.