Is your Domain Name in Trouble?

How long ago was it that you purchased your Domain Name? Is it time
to re-register? Check your expiration date today! If you have six
months or less on your contract, re-register today, before something
happens and it's too late.

Don't think it can happen to you? It has already happened to many
small and large businesses. They waited until the last minute,
business got so busy that they forgot altogether, or an error
occurred with the registrar company and before these businesses knew
it, someone had come along and snatched up their domain name, right
out from under them.

One business man had close to two weeks to re-register his domain
name, so he went online to make a payment and renew the domain for a
few more years. However, something happened with his domain host
that prevented him from making a payment online, so he called the
company and asked them to take care of it. He gave them all the
necessary information and paid with his credit card, by phone.
Thinking the problem was solved, he went about his daily business.
A week later, his domain name "officially" expired and someone
purchased it right out from under him! All that work, gone!

A work at home mom had a fairly successful online business, but for
whatever reason, didn't get her domain registered before the
deadline. Know what happened to her site? A porn site snatched it up.

Others have lost their domain names due to harvesting software
programs that now let others know the second your domain name is
vulnerable.

Talk about a WAKE UP CALL! If you have a domain name, register it at
least a few months in advance of it's expiration date. That way, if
anything does go hay wire, you have time to fix it before you lose
your domain name.

You put a lot of hard work and hours into your website. You put in a
lot of money for advertising, so that people know where to find you.
You have gained the respect and admiration of many people and
businesses. Don't throw caution out the door thinking this cannot
happen to you.

Jeanne of Devine-Designs has experienced her fair share of what I
like to call scrupulous behavior. When she started Expat-Moms, she
began it on a free web host server (like geocities, tripod, and the
like). Her reasoning was simple... test the waters and see how
successful the business was before going all out, financially.

Once her cold feet turned warm, she went to purchase the domain name
http://expatmoms.com, but to her surprise, someone had bought it out
from under her! Now, the site sits unused, while her new domain with
the hyphen is doing extremely well.

Jeanne isn't the only one this has happened to. "Harvesters" often
snatch up domain names in hopes of re-selling them at a higher, if
not outrageous price!

How do they know which domain names are going to be viable? Simple.
They go to free web host servers, find the business name chosen, then
purchase the domain name in hopes that the owner will one day get so
big that he or she goes looking for that domain name. Others simply
go to a keyword program, like Overture and purchase domain names
using the top keywords.

TIPS:

Pick your company wisely. Try to find a company that sends out
reminder notices. If the company you use doesn't and you are happy
with where you are at, please mark your calendars every year! I have
a monthly bills to be paid sheet, and I list my domain names, web
host, and other business related expenses as a monthly expense. That
way, I know every month what is due out the door, when.

If you must insist on using a free web host server, take the
precaution of ordering your domain name and have it redirected to
your free web host server, for under $30 per year!

Be safe, and check the expiration date of your domain name today. If
it is up in six months time or less, order an extension or renewal of
that domain name today... and try to order at least two years or
more.