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Tips to Grow On...
Check this section each month for quick marketing tips that can help you make simple changes that reap big rewards.

Tip #3 by Tom
Who really owns your domain name?
You may be surprised...

While most companies rely on IT and Web professionals to set up and maintain their sites, it's important for business owners to understand how domains work - and how to avoid potential problems. It can be as simple as knowing who owns your domain.

To view your domain registration, go to http://www.dnsstuff.com and use their WHOIS tool. You may be redirected to the original registrar, depending on who that was and when the domain was originally set up. Domain names are owned by an employee, your Web site designer or your Web hosting provider. The actual owner of the domain is listed as "Registrant."

Here are the key players in domain name ownership:

  • Registrant:  As far as the registrar and ICANN (the non-profit organization charged with responsibility for domain name and IP address system management, among other things) are concerned, this is the owner of the domain name.

  • Administrative Contact:  Name/Address/Phone/Email is listed as the person to contact regarding the domain.

  • Billing Contact:  Name/Address/Phone/Email is listed as the person who is responsible for paying for the domain.

    Technical Contact:  Name/Address/Phone/Email is listed as the person to contact for technical issues affecting the domain.

    • Each of the above plays a crucial role when it comes to domain management. Why? All individuals listed above have the ability to make changes to the account. In some cases, that means they have the power to disable your Web site, email, or any other function that relies on your domain name. If you aren't 100% confident in your contacts, you risk downtime, Web problems, even losing your domain name.

    Here's how you can protect your site:

    1. Be sure that your company is listed as the registrant of your domain. This ensures that your company is the primary contact for all Web-related issues.
    2. Make sure that all of your contacts are trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable.
    3. Finally, be sure there is one contact that is responsible for renewal and change notices, and make sure that individual will communicate these notices to you with a sense of urgency.

    Most registrars offer an online control panel where you can manage your domain. Log in and make the appropriate changes. If you don’t have access, find out how you can make or request changes by contacting your registrar.

    For more information, feel free to contact me at tskinner@boudog.com.