Who Owns My Domain Name?
In the world of domain registration, there’s one question that often comes up: "Who actually owns my domain name?" To understand this, we need to know exactly what domain names are and how they work.
What is Domain Registration?
Domain name registration is the act of purchasing a name on the Internet for a certain period of time, from one to nine years. As long as you renew this domain before it expires, it remains yours. Domain registration is necessary for a website, domain-based email, and other web services to work. It also provides you personality and allows people to recognize you and your company. It is an essential part of your company's brand and identity.
All domain names are registered through ICANN—the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. Domain names can range from a person's name, to a business name, initials or abbreviations.
Why Should I Renew My Domain Name?
If you have a domain name for your business or for personal use, it’s important to renew it before the registration expires. Building your business and your brand with a particular, personal domain name takes time, requires determination and a lot of hard work. Letting the domain name expire, not only disrupts this process, it also causes any website or email account associated with that account to quit working until it is renewed.
This can cause a substantial loss of revenue. It can also allow your expired domain to be purchased by another company which can cause a loss of revenue when clients go to that domain to purchase.
Why Do I Need to Know Where My Domain is Registered?
In order to keep your website, email and any other Internet services you use accurate and working, you need to know where your domain name is registered and what email is associated with that account. This is also necessary if you’re about to renew your domain or transfer it to a new account, you will need to know who has your registration information. Failure to keep track of this information can result in lost time and revenue.
We have a client who hosts their website with us, and their domain is registered elsewhere. The person that registered the domain is no longer with the company. The company where the domain is registered sent renewal notices to the email on file and when the domain wasn't renewed the website went down and email couldn't go through. They couldn't remember who registered the domain and it took four days to get this issue resolved and to get their website back up and email working again. The trouble is, they had no idea who had emailed them or how much money they had lost due to a simple, inexpensive domain renewal.
Another reason to know where your domain is registered is the spam domain renewal "invoices" you probably receive in the mail. If you don't know, or can't remember where it's registered and you pay the fee, you allow the company that sent the invoice to move your domain to their account and you essentially lose control of your domain name. And the benefit of losing control? You'll pay hefty fees for renewing it every year! We get calls monthly from clients asking if they should pay the invoice. Our resounding response is, "NO!" I've attached a copy of what these invoices look like - they also say at the bottom that this is a solicitation and not an actual invoice.
OK, I'm Sold! Will You Handle My Domain Registration & Renewal?
Yes, you can transfer your domain to us, and we’ll be happy to handle it for you. We will keep track of your renewal date and make sure you receive the renewal notice from us in plenty of time for renewal. We can help you register new domains into our account for safekeeping too. Just contact one of us if you have any questions. Don't risk losing your domain name - register or transfer your domain name with ProFusion Web Solutions today!
