Domain Owners Be Educated & Beware!

This month I wish to warn you about an ongoing domain name scam and to educate you on the different types of domains. If you have a website then you surely own a domain. A domain is the address of your website. An example of a domain name is ValleyBugler.COM. The major domain extensions .com, .org, & .net can be registered for one or more years at a time. For maximum search engine ranking it is now suggested to register your domain for 5 years or more. This “tells” the search engines that your company is committed to developing your website.

Don’t lose your domain.
It is important to keep your domain registered or else you can loose it. There are lots of companies that wait for domains to expire and then register them up for their own gain. I recommend having a reminder on your calendar for the due date of your domain.

That being said, when a bill comes for you to renew your domain read it VERY carefully.
Every year I hear of businesses getting an “official looking invoice” from the Domain Registry of America, Liberty Domain names or Domain Renewal Group. Both of these companies (and others) send eMails and snail mail letters to registrants (the people that own domains) that look like invoices, but they are just solicitations. If you look closely it says that it is not a bill, but many people pay. ~:-) This is the same tactic that is known as slamming in the phone industry.

The result: Your domain is then transferred to their company for about $30 year! Most domains should cost about $15/year. This can be a mess. If you have any question where your domain is registered I suggest that you call your web site developer before paying any domain bills. If they don’t know, you can call my office and we can give that info to you. ~:-)

I’m often asked, “What is the difference between domain extensions?”

.com represents the word “commercial,” and is the most widely used extension in the world. Most businesses prefer a .com domain name because it is a highly recognized symbol for having a business presence on the Internet.

.net represents the word “network,” and was created for use by Internet service providers. In reality I see most businesses attempt to get a .com and they use the .net as a second choice. omOrginals Marketing! could technically be a .net, but we’ve embraced the .com.

.org represents the word “organization,” and is primarily used by non-profits groups or trade associations.

.biz is used for small business Web sites.

.gov is used for government Web sites.

.info is for credible resource Web sites and signifies a “resource” web site. It’s the most popular extension beyond .com, .net and .org.

.mobi (short for “mobile”) is reserved for Web sites built for easy viewing on mobile devices. There was a lot of hype with .mobi, but all sites should go mobile. I don’t see a reason for this extension.

.us is for American Web sites and is the newest extension. It has the largest amount of available names in inventory.

.cc was originally the country code for Coco’s Keeling Islands. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.

.bz was originally designated as the country code for Belize, but is now commonly used by small business who can’t get the name they want using the .biz extension. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.

.tv is for rich content/multi-media Web sites, commonly used within the entertainment or media industry.

.ws was originally designated as the country code for Western Samoa, but is now commonly used as an acronym for “Web sites.” It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.

.name is the only domain extension specifically designed for personal use. It is commonly used for easy to remember e-mail addresses and personal web sites that display photos or personal information about an individual.

.pro is a new extension. is open to all professionals and licensed business owners in any country, Business license owners are also eligible.

Be the master of your domain.
Be sure to review your domain registration bills and consider registering for 5 years. If you have any questions about domains and/or need help with registration we’d be glad to help. ~:-)