Web Site

[hmsganges]

I have just set up a web site for a Mother and Toddlers group but the address is rather long. How can I reduce it and how can I get on www or Google. HELP PLEASE!

[Zacs-Master]

Unless you say what the name of the group is, i don't think we can make any suggestions on how to shorten it.

[factor-fiction]

I don't understand what you mean by 'get on www'?
As for Google, if the site is live Google should pick it up, but I think the more people search on your site name the more it moves up the list

[Tuvok]

Did you pict the name and register it eg. through 123-reg or similar?

Or are you using a free site and thus have your name tagged onto the name of the hosting site?

If it is the latter, then as long as whoever you have used allows it you can get a domain name and point it to your site.

[factor-fiction]

Ah- are you using something like a Communigate site which allows community groups to have their own sub-site? Google still picks those up- I used to run some.

[Buenchico]

If you've registered a lengthy domain name (e.g. motherandtoddlergroupfor peopleformerlyconnectedwithhmsganges.org.uk) the only way to change it, per se, is to register a completely new domain name.

However if you simply want to have a shorter version of the name for, say, publication in a local newsletter (or on other websites), you can shorten it here:
http://tinyurl.com/
To get a random shortened address (such as tinyurl.com/fg4t7h), simply enter the over-long name into the blank field and hit 'Make TinyURL!'.
It might be better though to use the optional 'Custom alias' to choose something like tinyurl.com/gangeskids.

Once you've registered a domain name it should be automatically added to the list of URLs on the web; you don't need to do anything. Getting it picked up by Google (or other search engines) is another matter. They generally operate using 'web crawler' technology, meaning that they scour sites that they already know about looking for new links. So getting links to your site on other sites (such as that of local church or community groups) can be important.

[hmsganges]

Hi Clarion St
Was at Ganges from 1945 to 1946, Used to climb the mast daily but never made it to the button

[The Builder]

If you can get at the HTML code for your website, it helps to get you noticed by search engines if you include relevant "meta words" and "keywords".

This isn't quite so important as it was a few years ago, but in the right hands, can make a difference in your rankings.

[trt]

Are you going to answer to the Q from Zacs-Master, as we don't know how long it is?