A domain name is an identification string within the Internet, the address that refers to your online identity. It advertises your business online. Without a domain name pointing to your website, people would not be able to locate your online business.
The expiration of a domain name, without you taking note, can lead to you losing ownership of the domain name, loss of faith and credibility of your business, loss of hours of hard work put into developing the site as well as the investment ensuring its high ranking in search engines. The diagram below portrays the Domain Name Life Cycle for .ng domain names.
These tips are to help you ensure your domain names get renewed as of when due and also avoid losing your domain name due to not renewing on time. It is a good reminder to avoid losing your domain names due to negligence.
1. Register responsibly: When you register your domain name or have your domain name registered on your behalf, it is very important to provide valid information/details that will appear in the NiRA WHOIS database. The information provided would be utilized when sending out reminders when the domain name is about to expire. Ensure accurate Name, email address, physical address, telephone number, etc. Cross check whatever is inputted and ensure its accuracy.
2. Keep Your Contact Information Up To Date: Remember to keep your contact information up to date with your registrar and registration/renewals. As expiration notices are sent, if the email address is wrong or is no longer active, your domain registration could lapse without you receiving these notifications. Please check the email address against your domain name via the link http://whois.nic.net.ng/whois.jsp.
3. Being a domain name registrant you should control the contact email and not the developer, marketing agency, or some other entity. Sometimes when changes are made on issues concerning the website or your organisation, the domain registration update is forgotten. The domain name registrant should always have control of the domain name.
4. Don’t use @domainname for the email address because if the registration lapses, further renewal notices will be missed.
5. Always check your domain on the “WHOIS” (http://whois.nic.net.ng)
6. Study and understand the domain name life cycle. Please access the link Domain Life Cycle
Your domain name is your identity or the identity of your business. Be in custody of this important property/identity.