Learn How to Protect Your Domain Names
Many domain names are lost every day. Be aware of the conditions that can lead to a loss of your domain name.
Domain Name Expiration - If you don't keep your contact information current then your registrar will not be able to notify you when the expiration date is near. Most domain registrars no longer send registration information to your home address, so making sure that your registrar has an updated email address is very important.
If your domain name reaches its expiration date, and shortly thereafter, domain speculators will use automated tools that can grab the domain name within minutes and seconds of its expiration. Some speculators will try to sell the domain name back to you or redirect the domain name to an Adsense or other pay-per-click site to profit on the existing traffic. If this happens to you or your business, the registrar will not be able to help you.
Register Domain Names for Multiple Years - Register your domain name for multiple years to reduce the possibility of accidentally losing your domain name. In some circles it is believed that a domain name registered for multiple years is beneficial to your site rankings, although I've not seen actual proof that this is the case. Either way, domain registration is cheap so register it for at least 3-5 years at a time.
Domain Name Hijacking - Domain names can be hijacked by submitting false domain transfer requests. These requests can look authentic, and can trick domain owners and registrars into turning over control of the domain name. Hijackers are interested in the ransom value of a hijacked domain name or redirecting it to a site for the traffic value.
Once a hijacker has control of the domain name, they can easily update the contact and owner information. When the original registrar loses control of the domain name, they can not assist you with reclaiming it, and attorney fees for assistance can be prohibitive.
Keep Contact Information Current - Domain registrars are required to contact domain name owners at least once per year to verify their contact information. If a domain name owner fails to respond within 15 days, the registrar can legally cancel the domain account. Immediately respond to these verification notices.
Consolidate Domain Registrars - If you own multiple domain names that are registered with different registrars, consolidate them so that only one registrar is servicing the domain names. Having too many registrars contacting you about domain names can make you vulnerable to hijacking or domain expiration memory lapses.
Godaddy domain registration has a nice feature that allows you to easily transfer multiple domains and a convenient feature to syncronize all your domains so that you are renewing them all at the same time.
Orangetree Internet Service LLC, located in Santa Cruz, CA., provides technical assistance to small and medium sized businesses with Domain Registration Services, including domain portfolio management. Contact us at 830-212-1884 for more information.