Managing your domain name is a very simple task, but one mistake
could mean the difference between your site being on-line or
off-line. When managing your domain name there are a number of
items you need to pay close attention to. Attention to detail and
patients is all you need to successfully manage your domain name.
Your WHOIS Record.

Your WHOIS record is a record of essential ownership information
about who owns and controls the domain name. It also states what
Name servers the domain name is pointing to. When registering your
domain name or viewing your WHOIS record there are a number of
terms that it is helpful to know.

WHOIS Record Terms:
Registrant: The name of the person/organization that registered
the domain name. The Registrant information also includes the
contact information for the domain name owner.

Administrative contact: The name person/organization that will be
responsible for all administrative issues pertaining to the
domain name, including registrant information.

Billing contact: This is the name of the person/organization
responsible for billing issues related to the domain name.
Technical Contact: The Technical contact is the name of the
person/organization that is responsible for technical issues for
the domain name. This information is very important! It is not
unusual for the Technical Contact to be the registry that
registered the address.

Make sure you keep your Technical Contact information up to date.
Registrar of record: The domain name registry that registered
domain name. This name may be different from the name of the
company you used to register the domain name.

Record last updated: The last time any alteration or update was
made to the domain name's WHOIS record.

Record expires on: The date the domain name expires. Keep a
careful eye on this date. If you let the domain name expire you
risk loosing control of the domain name.

Record created on: The date the domain was initially registered.
Domain servers (Name servers): This contains the DNS (Domain Name
System) information for a domain. The Name servers represent the
names of the IP address where your domain name is pointed. If you
enter this information incorrectly, your domain name will not be
pointed at the servers where your site is hosted.

There are usually two lines of Name server information. The first
is the site's primary DNS information, while the second contains
secondary or back-up information.

Your domain name is one of the most important parts of your web
site. Unless you're hosting your site on an Intranet or in a sub
domain of another site, surfers will not be able to reach your
web site if you do not have a domain name.

Make sure you keep your domain name contact information up to
date. An out of date email address or incorrect contact
information may keep you from receiving important information
regarding your domain name and could cause you to lose control of
your domain name.

If your domain name register does not offer a web-based interface
for you to change your domain name information, transfer your
domain name to a register that does! You need to be able to
change domain name information at anytime.

Managing your domain name is a very simple and important task.
Your domain name is the name that the world uses to find you on
the Internet. Guard it carefully and it could be the name for
your success on the web.

About the Author
Copyright © 2003 Richard Williams

About the Author:

Richard Williams is President of RMS Enterprise. He is a web
site developer and on-line entrepreneur. He has over 10 years
of on-line experience and has worked as a software trainer and
database developer. RMS Enterprise operates the web site:
http://www.pricedlow.biz where you can register your domain
name for $8.75.