Manage your Internet Domains before they get hijacked.

Last week, a business owner walked up to me and said, “I think I need your help. Someone called me and offered me my Internet domains for $5,000. I am not receiving any e-mail and the web site you visit while trying to find me…is not mine. I think someone hijacked me.”

Yes, I think that happened too. I researched this and learned the business owner let her Internet domain registrations expire. She received several notifications from her Registrar, GoDaddy, warning her the registration was set to expire. She ignored them. One day, a competitor registered her Internet domains and hijacked her Internet presence. That brings up today’s lesson…

We merely register Internet domains.

“Don’t we buy Internet domains?” I’m sure you are asking. You do not buy them. Rather, you rent them, like you rent office space. You rent them from a registrar. The list is endless. I use GoDaddy. They’re a big name and their pricing is on the low end. Because you rent (not buy), you need to keep track of your Internet domain registrations.

How to keep track of your Internet domains.

Build a small table. I track mine in Microsoft Word. Some others use Excel. It does not matter which tool you choose. Choose one. Your table should look like this. Feel free to create one of your own for every domain you have registered.

The sooner you get your Internet domains under control, the sooner you can think of something else. You’re running a business here. Nobody can hijack your Internet domains as long as you keep the registrations current.

One last point…

Never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never let an internet domain registration expire