Domain registration is the process of purchasing a domain (eg opensure.net) and filling in the relevant fields so that they are accurate, comply with the law, correctly identify the owner of the domain and ensure that the right person is contacted when the domain nears expiry. Sounds simple, doesn’t it, but do you know who owns your domain?
You rely on your domain for email and bringing you business through your website, as a minimum. You might have several domains, either for different businesses under your wing or you may have registered a variety of TLDs and permutations of your business name (here’s a link to a blog post we wrote a while ago about how to choose an effective domain name for your business).
You have a financial and business investment in that domain name, so you might want to check that it was properly registered. When a new client comes to us with existing domains we always check the details, to ensure that everything is as the client expects it to be. Numerous times we have found that the owner is listed as the web developer they haven’t worked with since 2004, the IT manager who left 15 years ago or the secretary’s son who’s disappeared off on his gap year and isn’t in touch much. None of these is a viable business position.
There are legal processes by which incorrectly registered domains can be taken by a competitor, not a situation you want to find yourself in. We’ve had clients whose domains have simply disappeared because the contact details were out of date and the expiry notification emails were going to a neglected mailbox. This can be the point at which new people come to us and ask us to rescue them, but you don’t want to find yourself in that position. Once your domain disappears in a puff of smoke there’s no more email and no more website.
If you do one thing today, double check the details of your domain. If you’re not sure what to look for, ask us. If you’re thinking of registering a new one, ask us.