Business owners should know these important, basic domain name facts.
What is a domain name?
Simply, a domain name (your URL) is the address of your website. For example, our domain name is KeystoneMedia.net which is our website address.
It is important to own your domain name.
Your website and email address are your business’s valuable assets. Owning, and controlling, your domain name is the best business practice. It’s possible to lose access to your own website and email if you lose your domain name.
Maybe you think of yourself as ‘not very technical’. This is not a good excuse for allowing your web design firm to ‘handle’ your domain name. Unscrupulous people exist.
Make sure you, or a trusted member of your team, control your domain name.
How you can lose your domain name.
Domain names can and will expire. Domain names get renewed annually or in multi-year increments.
As your company grows, you will probably delegate administrative tasks, such as payables. Make sure all domain name documentation transfers as responsibility changes hands.
Know where your domain name is hosted.
As part of your domain name documentation, ensure you’re tracking where your domain name is hosted, also known as the domain name registrar. More popular registrars are GoDaddy, Registrar.com, NameCheap, BlueHost, and many more. Domain registrar account access information needs to be a part of your documentation.
Know your domain name renewal date.
This is so very important. If you let your domain name expire, someone can purchase it from under you. If you let your domain(s) expire, the grace period is typically 30 days. After that, all bets are off and your domain could go to an open auction.
While you can renew your domain name for multiple years, you need to track this and renew it when the time comes.
Bonus Tip: Keep your domain name contact information current.
This is a detail you don’t want to forget, but many do. Within your domain name hosting account, you can set admin, technical, and billing contact information separately. When you change your email address or telephone number, don’t forget to update this account.
Losing your domain name can be quite consequential and have far-reaching and devastating effects on your business. So don’t forget your domain name is completely separate from website and website hosting. Keep track of it and keep it safe.
Learn more about domain names