How much is your web address (www.domainname) worth to your business. Would your business survive without it. Here is how to protect it.

Written by Nilsson Denver

Friday, 04 July 2008 21:58

If tomorrow your domain name (www.yourdomainname.com) was no longer available to you, how would that affect your company. Your e-mail address is linked to your domain name, so if you lose the domain name your e-mails will not get to you. If your website can no longer be accessed, who will find you. If you sell items on your website, people will no longer be able to buy from you. So how do you protect you web address (Domain name) from being lost to you.

Firstly there are many domain name extensions
Examples are .com, .net, .org, .ie, .co.uk

They are managed by different organisations. In Ireland the .ie address is manage by the IE Domain Registry to be found at www.domainregistry.ie. When you buy a .ie web address from your internet or website provider, they get it here. You can find out who uses the .ie address and when it is due for renewal.

To see who is currently the user of a domain name and when it will expire goto

www.internic.net and www.Uwhois.com

You only have a domain name on rent. It is not yours to keep and if you don't keep paying the rental fee you can no longer use the domain name.

It is important you check the following at least twice a year to ensure you keep the domain name
a) The contact details the domain registry have are correct.
b) The postal address and e-mail address you supplied are correct. Because if they are not and they try to contact you, you could lose the domain name.
The company you bought your domain name from is reputable and also will send you reminders when the domain name is due for renewal.
With .ie addresses you can only buy 1 year at a time. For .com addresses you can buy up to 10 years at a time. So buy the 10 years so you can remove some of the worry, just don't forget to renew in 10 years time.
If necessary buy more than one domain name to ensure that no one else can piggy back on your hard work. So buy the .com, .net, .org, and .ie if you can afford it. Also buy misspellings of your domain name if your budget can afford it. Try this website www.micorsoft.com (it is not Microsoft)
When you have multiple domain names you can redirect them back to your main website address. SO you can have yourdomainname.com going to yourdomainname.ie. This way you capture all possible leads to your website.
When you pay make sure you get a receipt should there be any arguments over who has the right to use the name.
If you can trademark your name you will have a better chance of winning any disputes over who has the right to use a name.
Beware of letters from companies trying to get you to change from your current domain name provider and possibly charging more for the domain name and you may not even get the name in the end.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 29 July 2008 06:54

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