The role of the URL on the internet

The ubiquitous URL is more important than most of us realise. The uniform resource locator is a name that computers use to identify where to go to find or send something on the internet. An internet protocol or IP number is the address of a machine connected to the internet. Every PC has one.

When you buy a URL, it doesn't do anything on its own - it is just a name. When you buy web services, they link your URL to the IP address of the server where your website is stored and your email is collected.
That link is held on a domain name server record - the DNS database holds billions of IP addresses, URLs and the links between them.

Confused? It's like using the postcode - the post office can find you, but the street name and town are much easier for us to recall. You could find a website from its IP address, but most of us would find the numbers rather hard to use and remember. By linking a URL to an IP address, we can remember a name and the machine has to find the IP address we want.

In addition, the URL forms the base for your email address. Part of your DNS record tells the world that any email addressed to somebody@myURL.org should be sent to a certain server. Then your PC or network can talk to that server and get your emails. So the URL allows everyone using the internet to find you without having to remember the actual IP numbers.
Choosing a URL is crucial. Something obvious and easy to recollect can help your brand. Buying all the .org and .com variants means nobody can compete for the name. Most importantly, check that a strong URL is available before deciding on the name for a new organisation.

Once you have bought one, make sure you file the confirmation of ownership along with the username and password if you bought it online.

Choosing the right system for sending mass emails to supporters.

Email might just be the revolution that finally delivers the direct marketing dream. You can personalise it, have any design and segment the lists to the nth degree - and all for a penny.

Well, that's the potential. As with all new technology, we in the charity sector first have to work out how to use it. Many charities have started sending emails to their supporters using their in-house email systems, such as Outlook or Lotus. These are great at what they do, but they weren't designed for mass broadcast - using these rather than a proper broadcast tool is like spending your budget on a glossy agency appeal and then sending it by carrier pigeon.

Problems with your PC

PC-based email systems have limited design capabilities and no address book manager, and they have no way of managing email bounces and unsubscribes - this will make life hard when you email 20,000 donors.

When you send an email from your PC, you are sending it down the internet from your office's internet provider address. This is not recognised by AOL, gmail or hotmail, so when they get 5,000 emails from you they assume it is spam and bounce the lot - and blackball your IP address for good.

An email broadcast tool provides all you need to send well-designed emails.

It should have a template manager, an HTML editor and an address book manager. It should handle your bounces and unsubscribes, stopping you from breaching the Data Protection Act. Most importantly, it should be an ASP system provided by an email broadcasting firm registered with the main web-based email providers. These tools shouldn't cost you more then £500 to set up and 1p an email. You won't get bounced as spam, and the direct marketing dream can come a step closer.