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