FAQ for Original Dot Com Dealers Upgrading to Gen II

These Frequently Asked Questions are related to dealers that currently have an original Dot Com web site and are considering upgrading to the new Gen II program. If you have a question that isn't addressed here, please let us know! If you do not currently have a Dot Com web site with us, you'll get more use out of our New Dealer FAQ.

  • Do we have to upgrade to this program, or can we keep things just the way they are? You can certainly stay with your original Dot Com Program web site if you like! We can't force you to upgrade to this program, and we wouldn't want to. Besides, we believe that the benefits of the new Gen II program really speak for themselves.
  • What about prices, have they gone up? Comparing the original Dot Com program to the new Tiger Cub Package, the prices have actually gone down, even with many more features added. Original Dot Com users pay a base rate of $180 per year, with an extra $70 every other year for domain name renewal. That averages out to $215 per year with the domain fees. However, the new Tiger Cub package, the most basic service we now offer, is a flat $192 per year, with no additional domain fees, ever. So you're actually saving $23 per year. Sure, $23 is nothing to write home about, but you're also getting a lot more for that money, including web stats, generic pages, a much better Site Editor, and better looking web designs with more pages, that you can change the look of every year for FREE.
  • When we upgrade to our new Gen II site, will we lose the information that we've got on our current Dot Com site? Not at first. Dealers with an existing web site from the original Dot Com program will have their new Gen II site installed on a special sub-domain that will exist side by side with your current site. This will allow you access to both web sites, and both editors so that you can copy and paste any content that you want to save to your new site. Once you notify us that your new GenII site is ready for the public, we'll move it to your main address, and at that time you will officially lose your old site. Again, this won't happen until you indicate that you're ready.
  • What about the set-up fee, we paid a setup fee a few years ago joining the original Dot Com program. Existing Dot Com Dealers receive 50% off the setup fee. We tried to make it so we could do it without a fee at all for existing dealers. However, truth is, this is a major overhaul of the entire structure of the web site, and it actually takes us more than twice as many man hours to set up a Gen II site than the original Dot Com sites. This is further compounded by the fact that upgrading an existing dealer actually involves more work and more time than brand new sign-up, since we install your new Gen II site on a separate sub-domain, allowing you to keep your existing site up while your new one is being populated with content, then we have to migrate your sub-domain to the permanent domain once you tell us you're ready to make the switch.
  • So we can only upgrade to the Gen II program at the time of our annual renewal? No, you can upgrade to the Gen II program any time you like. Instead of the the full annual fee of whichever program you choose, we'll prorate the amount, and credit you for what time you have already paid for, so you only pay the difference on the time until your next renewal. You can see a specific example of a prorated fee structure here. Upgrading anytime from an old Dot Com site to the lowest package, the Tiger Cub, won't require an annual fee adjustment at all.
  • So what's the easiest way to move the existing data from my existing Dot Com site to my new Gen II site? It's fairly easy to open your old site in one browser window, and open your new GenII Site Editor in another browser window, then copy and paste your text from your old site to your new Editor.

    (TIP: Easy copy and pasting can be done with keyboard shortcuts. Highlight the text from the public view of the page you want to copy, then hold your CTRL key and hit the C key on your keyboard... then highlight the text in your editor you want to replace, or simply position the cursor where you want the paste to begin, then hold your CTRL key and hit the V key on your keyboard)

    Of course, the EASIEST way to move all your data is to let us do it for you. You'll find the Auto Build option on your Upgrade order and will add a small fee to your cost unless you're upgrading to a Turf Tiger package, in which case Auto Build is complimentary if you want it.
  • We love the new tools and all the improvements in the new Gen II program, can we upgrade but still keep our original site design? No. The new GenII program depends on your web site design being completely separate from your actual web pages. The original Dot Com program web sites all have presentation and content mixed together in your actual web pages, which was standard web design practice at the time of the original Dot Com program.

    You'll need to upgrade to one of our new CSS Compliant designs, however if there aren't any that currently suit your taste, simply let us know, we have many more templates in production and can certainly entertain specific design requests ... this is your program, we want you to be more than just happy, we want you to be proud of your web site.
  • So other than the new designs, the improved editor, and the new tools, what's the difference between the actual web site on the Original Dot Com program and a new Gen II site? Again, even comparing just the basic Tiger Cub package to the original Dot Com sites, you'll find too many differences to list here! Some of the things you'll notice right away about the actual site structure:
    § You now can edit the "What's New" and "Financing" page with your own information at the top of each page, before the Scag.com information gets pulled in. Many Dealers wanted to be able to add additional financing options to the ones that Scag offered, and we figured out a way to let you do that. You have edit space on the "Contact" page now too.
    § You can add pictures and images wherever you want. The original sites had preformatted areas for pictures, if you wanted to get creative, you had to actually learn a little HTML code and force your image into a text area. Our dealers said they wanted more freedom to put images wherever they wanted, and now you can. Point, click, select the image, and your done. Float the image to one side of your text or the other, it's up to you.
    § You're never locked into your original template design. Because your pages contain no visual formatting information anymore, we can install a new design and paint your site with a different look whenever you choose.
    § Again, by removing the visual formatting from the actual web pages, your site is lighter, meaning it will load quicker, and because the page is just content, Search Engine Spiders will love it because they no longer have to wade through hundreds of lines of useless code and images just to get to your content, which is what they rank you on.
  • How do I upgrade? Is there a special form that we use since we're an Original Dot Com'er? No, we ask that you use the same form as new dealers, just make sure you check the box that says you're a current Dot Com Dealer so we can figure your discounts before sending you an invoice. Many of you have been with us for a few years, and we'd like to take this opportunity to make sure that all our information in our database is as up to date as possible.

What's next? Check out the different package levels, see the new designs, or check out the new Editor!