Getting ready to leap!
We'd like to thank the community for all the feedback and ideas provided over the past year. Since it launched in March 2009, .tel has come a long way in terms of development to offer a more technically feature rich and personalized product.
This also includes adding support to help the .tel ecosystem - the tools and services developed around .tel by the community - become more robust and secure, which means we've seen additional services expand to help with more specific uses around directory building and managing advertising. As such, we've seen more and more people utilizing .tel every day.
| We now believe that it is time to take a fresh look at our roadmap and refresh the way in which people can use the .tel enhanced functionality. We'll be temporarily freezing the development of additional features in the current .tel control panel, in favour of a new improved interface that will offer more functions for advanced users, and will help those new to .tel enjoy their experience. Over the next few months, functional updates will be minimal while we focus on improving the user flow and delivering the new interface. We will keep the community informed on the progress and roll-out of this important product enhancement through future issues of the .telegraph and on the Telnic forum. |  Huw Stead, Engineering Director |
Location, Location, Location
 | Unless you are familiar with the area, finding someone's office or shop without a map can be a challenge. Thankfully, all .tel domains publishing their location automatically show a map with a link to a larger view. We encourage all businesses to publish their location as well as their postal address in keywords to make it as easy as possible for customers to find them. See Tip 5 on how you can set your location manually on your control panel. Even simpler, you can use phone to get your exact location, and save it to your .tel page with a free "My.tel" on iPhone or Android device (also available for download via the app store). Location is not only about navigating to a hotel, post office or attorney's office. It's also for finding out where all your friends are, and that's easy with the free SuperBook app for iPhone that can show you the distance to other people in your address book, so that you can see who's near you and give them a call with one click. |
For this type of search, useTelPages.com. It will get your current location automatically, and search there – or read the Where field and search for all addresses and locations in that area with the radius specified below the map. Click "Clear location" if you want to search globally. To get quality search results, we also recommend using the Filters, so that you can get well-populated .tel pages with phone numbers, images, IMs and email addresses. |  |
As with other webmaster tools, you can configure various parameters and embed this map into your website. This way, IFM.tel, a manufacturer in automation industry, can easily demonstrate all their local branches on one map, and give direct links to each branch. City-based or industry-based directories will also find this tool useful to demonstrate the scope of their services. For more information on how to use "Map your .tel", please visit the Tools area. |  |
Effective network marketing with .tel
| We continue sharing.tel success stories with the community, and this time we're interviewing Mrs Lee Martin, AvonRepresentative.tel. Who are you, where are you based and what do you do?My name is Lee Martin, I am a mother of 4, I was looking for something to do from Home and Avon seemed to be a great fit for my busy lifestyle. I am based in Port St. Lucie, Florida. How important is being discoverable on the internet or contactable by your clients to you? |   |
Being discoverable on the internet is everything to me. There is a huge customer base online, something that could take years to find can perhaps only take months to find online.
How do you enable your clients to reach you?
Home, Mobile Phone, Email, Website. I also list phone numbers for Avon's Corporate Headquarters in North America and Globally.
When did you hear about .tel domains and what were your thoughts?
I saw the commercial for .tel when .tel first came out. I thought .tel was an ingenious idea. Many times I have navigated websites, looking for contact information, and with .tel all contact information is right there in a snap.
Who might benefit from a .tel?
I believe everyone can benefit from a .tel, small businesses, large businesses, individuals, lawyers, etc.
What's your experience been having used it for a while?
It is so much easier to tell someone they can reach me at avonrepresentative.tel as opposed to giving all my contact information or my website: youravon.com/leemartin... it is just more memorable where they would not even need a pen.
How does having a .tel help your business specifically? It saves time when I need to give customers my contact information.
What are the major benefits of having a .tel for your company?There are many Avon Representatives out there, and by having a .tel my customers can always find me and not locate another Avon Representative by mistake. I can update it very easily as well for a daily special. |  |
What other online marketing tools/campaigns do you employ?
Google Pay-Per-Click.
How does having a .tel fit into your marketing strategy?
I plan to have it as my number one marketing strategy. With the proper keywords listed in my .tel, I believe I can get on page one of search engines within a few months organically. If this happens, it will be the only online marketing strategy I use.
How would you explain to a layperson what a .tel is and what the benefit would be to them?
I tell them many times I have been to a website, searching for the contact us bar. With .tel, everything is right there. Perhaps they only want to call you, why should they have to go to your website to do so. With .tel your phone number is right there. Same with emailing you... When one is on a mobile phone, they can actually save money by not opening your website to call or email you. With a .tel, it is fast and easy.
What do you think the future holds for .tel?
I believe all businesses need a .tel and by advertising their .tel, more businesses will get their .tel when they see what it can do for its customers. The future is extremely bright, we just need to continue to get the word out.
I also purchased the name: www.AvonRep.tel which I just completed setting up.
Sheena Khanna, living the .tel life
| Hello everyone, I'm Sheena Khanna and I'll be looking into the TelPages search over the coming months. I'm really excited to be experimenting with such an exciting and revolutionary tool. Currently I own Sheenak.tel, I bought this in December last year and have been using it as a online business card ever since and as a method whereby my friends and family can keep in contact with me. |  |
To celebrate the launch of the new advanced TelPages and to assess just how useful it is, I'll be using it to plan days out, book restaurants and other activities on a day to day basis. Today I'll be looking into booking a hotel for my short UK break, ordering flowers for a friend's birthday and booking a Thai restaurant.
 | Now that summer is in full swing I've decided to plan a short break in Devon for mid August.The most obvious place for me to start is hotels. I've chosen Torquay, South Devon as my destination… the big question is will my TelPages search be fruitful? I visit TelPages.com and there are 3 search boxes available to me: Who, What and Where — very simple and easy to follow. I type in Torquay under the Where field and hotels under the What field and click Search… |
| The results are great — there are various links relating to Hotels in Torquay and I visit the second link. I am then directed to a webpage featuring a couple of hotels, so I click on the first Barcelo Torquay Imperial hotel link, this directs me to a page where I can book the hotel, has a phone number and a description of the hotel. |  |
 | Second on my list is to send flowers to a friend as it's her birthday tomorrow.She lives in London so I'll be basing my search on a florist that is located in London and will have no problem delivering on such short notice. I revert back to my TelPages search page, and under the Who section type in florists and in the Where section I type in London. |
The very first link is Florists-london.tel, so I click on this and the .tel page provides me with a telephone number, website, and address. After browsing their website and choosing a bouquet I like, I also call the number provided on their .tel page so I can speak to someone at the florist and ensure it will arrive by tomorrow in time for my friend's birthday.
 | Last but not least, I'm looking to book a Thai restaurant for dinner this Friday.I'd like to book a restaurant in central London. On my TelPages I type in Thai restaurants in the What section and London in the Where section. The search brings back 289 results for me to choose from. |
On the first page I come across london.uk.thairestaurant.tel which is a directory, providing me with a breakdown of Thai restaurants in different parts in London such as Kensington, Islingston, Camden and so on. I select Westminster, as this is based very conveniently close to my office and will be easy to reach and I come across a restaurant called Thai Square in Shaftesbury Avenue. I view the map on this page and see is it close to Piccadilly Circus station which is very central and easy to get to. There's also a telephone number which I promptly call to book a table (especially after viewing such great reviews on this restaurant on the internet).
I think I've managed to get some great results today—tune in to next month's .telegraph to see how I get on in Torquay!
Another Kind of Dogshop
| I'm Elisabeth Bethge from nearby Stuttgart in Germany. I work with my husband as a agency in the inox steel business (jeckstaedt-handelsvertretungen.tel) but my hobby and life are dogs. I own three dogs: two Jack Russells and a spanish Podenco and that's why I decided to start my own business concerning dogs. I opened a dog shop for healthy dog food and supplements as well as high quality customized and embroidered harnesses, collars and leashes. Furthermore I love working in a non-violent way with dogs and their owners when there are misunderstandings and they have problems with each other. |  |
As I have just started up my business it is extremely important to be discoverable on the internet by new customers. I call my shop "another kind of dog shop". One part of my marketing strategy is the flexibility in opening hours. Another part is the counseling I offer, where I answer all kinds of questions concerning dogs to my customers. So, being contactable is absolutely necessary. I'm reachable via e-mail, mobile, phone and personally.
Every time I wanted to change something on our "old" websites I had to call the web-designer, wait until he had had time for making the changes, and then pay for his work!
| In October 2009, a friend called me and told me for the first time about .tel. My first thought about it was that this was something I could create and change whenever I wanted to. I'm working with advertisements in dog magazines, business cards, with advertisement on my car, and, very important, mouth-to-mouth propaganda. But all these different fields meet in my .tel because that's the address I give my customers. Customers get a lot of information and that's why it is so important to have a .tel that is personalized and easy to remember. |  |
When I approach a new thing, my first questions are: what is the benefit of this for me, concerning time, money, organisation or whatsoever. .tel users benefit from all of this: time, money, organisation and …fun!!! Starting with business, I found out that the more important a person is, the less information will appear in his business card. I love my business cards, there is only www.elisabeth-bethge.tel written on it. The fun you have when people look at them, you can't get more attraction for a business card!!!
It gives me autonomy, it helps me create new ideas and to inform my customers as fast as possible about new products, trade fairs and whatever! It is my big partner in advertisement and for getting new customers. My customers find the necessary information about products as well as contact information anytime, and all of this by phone - they don't need a computer!
Winner of the .tel treasure hunt
After 10 weeks of running our .tel treasure hunt competition, we have a winner... Andy Chantrill. Congratulations to Andy!
 | Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.I'm 28 years old from Castle Donington, in the heart of England, and my professional background is as a software developer and systems administrator. I came across .tel around October 2008 after seeing the presentation at DEMOfall - the concept blew me away; it's the most exciting technology I've come across since I got my first 2400 baud modem. I've been interested in the commercial applications for .tel ever since then, having registered over 50 category keyword names for directory services. |
How did you find out about the .tel competition?
From May's edition of the .telegraph newsletter.
Did you enjoy the story and playing the competition?
I was quite immersed in the story and thought it was great fun - I was definitely with Emma all the way.
What did you think of the format? Did you think that it showed off .tel in the right way?
I loved it. I certainly spent a lot of time using TelPages and wandered down many a blind alley trying to solve the clues - I saw .tel names being used by all sorts of people and businesses in different ways.
How easy did you find it to play? Which bits did you find most difficult?
I struggled on a couple of clues - going from New York to Prague had me stumped for a while, but I had the luxury of time to solve those. The final riddle was definitely the most difficult and ended up being a 6 hour race to the finish!
How will you be spending your well-deserved vouchers?
I haven't made any plans yet. I have friends all over the place who I'd like to try and visit (Malta, Brussels, New York, Philadelphia, Vancouver), but I'd also like to explore some new places. I'm having a lot of fun day-dreaming about all the wonderful places I could go!
How do you use yours? - Seven Nation Army
Use your .tel to drive all your communications, serve as your brand, and generate revenue with advertising. Rock band Seven Nation Army, use SevenNationArmy.tel to share their up-to-date contact details and information. Seven Nation Army have been kind enough to allow us to create a little advert about them. Tell us how you use your .tel, and you too may be featured in future
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