FAKE "bills" for website domains

Help Girl Geek!

We just got a bill for $89 for our domain name registration. I says it expires tomorrow. We don't want to lose our website. We've tried unsuccessfully to reach this company, List-Corp by phone and email. Should we pay this?
P

Hi P,

Absolutely NOT! IT IS A FAKE -- an advertisement/solicitation that fools many naive site owners, who don't read the fine print. They format their ADVERTISEMENT to look like a statement and then add urgency to it by saying your domain name is about to expire in a day or so.

I've gotten them from Domain Registry of America and others.

Again, I urge you to keep good records and to pay for your domain at least 5 years in advance so you don't lose it.


Annette Vaillancourt
Girl Geek Web Designs: Custom Web Design and SEO for Small Businesses on a Budget
Call for a Free Initial Consultation
1-877-866-4335

Choosing a File Extension for a Domain Name

Dear Girl Geek,

What are the advantages over the different file extensions (.com, .net, .org, etc.) and how does one know which to use when choosing a domain name?

Thank you.
Pam

Hi Pam,

The file extensions are actually designated for certain types of websites. Obviously .com is the most popular one because it is familiar to everyone. Here's my understanding of the uses for each:

.com = commercial sites
.net = internet sites
.org = non-profit sites
.edu = educational institutions
.gov = government only sites
.ws = website
.tv = television related sites

So choosing a file extension kinda depends on what kind of site it will be referring to.

Hope this helps.
Thanks for asking!


Annette Vaillancourt
Girl Geek Web Designs: Custom Web Design and SEO for Small Businesses on a Budget
Call for a Free Initial Consultation
1-877-866-4335

Don't Lose Your Domain Name

Hi All,
I can't believe it. One of my website clients forgot to renew his domain name, LakesideCounseling.com, and it was immediately snatched up by for resale, a company in D.C. called BuyDomains.com.

When I tried to get them to release it back to my client for the original $12 he probably paid for it, they told me they'd sell it back to him for the "current market value." They estimated the value at $1,888!!! They told me most expired domains go from between $2000 - $4000. Sheesh!

I've also seen some domain registrars buy every version of your domain name that you don't buy, to resell to you at a higher price later. (The registrars I've seen do this are GoDaddy.com andRegisterFly.com.) The registrar I've had no trouble with are Register.com or Enom.com.

So, here's my suggestions:

1. buy all versions of your domain name, i.e. .com, .net, .biz, .org if you have a unique business name and want to stop anyone else from using it or having to buy it later at a higher price. It's not that expensive.

2. Buy your domain names in 5-10 year blocks. It's often cheaper that way anyhow, since most domains register for $9 - $12 a year, and you may get a discount for buying over time.

3. Buy plurals of your domain names too for similar reasons. For example, I own both http://www.girlgeekwebdesigns.com/ and http://www.girlgeekwebdesign.com/ and have them both pointing to my site.

Again, it's not that expensive on the front end, and may save you $$$$ and heartache down the road when you're business name is well known.

Ask me anything!

Annette Vaillancourt
Girl Geek Web Designs: Custom Web Design and SEO for Small Businesses on a Budget
Call for a Free Initial Consultation
1-877-866-4335