| When you register a domain name for your Web | | | | search the WHOIS database, retrieve the expiration |
| site, your registrar is required to submit a listing to | | | | date and wait for the day to come - hoping that you |
| their WHOIS database, an online directory that | | | | will forget to renew your registration. Choosing |
| includes important information about domain | | | | auto-renewal can help you protect your domain name |
| ownership. While millions of people have registered a | | | | from an unwanted transfer of ownership that could |
| domain name, surprisingly few know what their | | | | result from a forgotten expiration date. Also, search |
| WHOIS database listing reveals about their domain - | | | | engines may view longer registration terms as a sign |
| and their business. Yet when it comes to the WHOIS | | | | of stability. |
| database, what you don't know can hurt you. | | | | #4: Who is the domain name's administrative |
| After all, over 30 million people do a WHOIS domain | | | | contact? |
| search each month. With so much riding on your | | | | If you buy your domain name, you can expect your |
| online business, it's smart to know what information is | | | | name (along with address, phone and fax numbers) |
| publicly available through a simple domain search. A | | | | to appear as the administrative contact. Private |
| standard WHOIS database listing can typically answer | | | | domain registration is the solution for those who wish |
| six questions: | | | | to keep their personal information out of the WHOIS |
| #1: Who registered the domain name? | | | | database. For a small monthly fee, your registrar will |
| When you buy a domain name for your Web site, | | | | replace your personal contact information with its |
| your name and address will appear in the WHOIS | | | | own. |
| database as the domain name registrant. As a | | | | #5: Who resolves the domain name's technical issues? |
| business owner, it is important that you own your | | | | If you feel capable of handling your Web site's |
| domain name. If, instead, you work with a free web | | | | technical issues, you may be listed as the technical |
| hosting provider who provides your domain name, | | | | contact. However, most domain name registrants |
| control of your online business is not truly in your | | | | feel more comfortable referring technical issues to |
| hands. | | | | their web hosting company. |
| #2: When was the domain name registration? | | | | #6: What are your Web site's domain name servers? |
| The registration date will always refer to the date | | | | All domain names point to nameservers, which are |
| the domain name was first created - even if that | | | | the location for the files that comprise your Web site. |
| domain was previously owned by someone else. Your | | | | Your registrar must submit two nameservers to the |
| domain name's "birthdate" can even impact your | | | | WHOIS database. Search engines may use |
| search engine optimization (SEO) success, as the | | | | nameserver information to determine whether your |
| major search engines tend to view older domain | | | | inbound links are coming from Web sites on the |
| names more favorably. | | | | same nameserver, which could hinder your SEO |
| #3: When will the domain name expire? | | | | progress. It's important to know what a WHOIS |
| A number of people use the WHOIS database to | | | | domain search reveals about you and your web |
| check domain names for expiration dates. If | | | | address. With this information in mind, you can take |
| someone wants to buy your domain name, they may | | | | steps to secure your online business. |