A common question, with a not so clear cut answer, is what happens if my domain name expired?  The short answer is, hope it has been 30 days or less.

When a domain is set to expire and the owner doesn’t renew it, it will go into a 30 day holding period during which the owner has the chance to renew it with no penalty.  After 30 days it goes into a redemption period during which the owner can renew it for an addition fee (usually somewhere between $100-200 depend on registrar).  Following those 60 days it then goes into cancellation mode and will eventually be back up for sale to the public somewhere between day 75-90 (again depending on registrar).

If you have reached the 60+ day mark and still want your domain, you have several options.  You can use a drop list registrar, you can place a back order, or you can take your chances and hope nobody else wants it.

A drop list registrar is one who uses extra resources to try and grab valuable domains (or domains people have requested) at the moment they are dropped from the ICANN database for the public to buy.

A back order is a cheaper option (usually around $20) but doesn’t guarantee you are the only one wanting the domain.  It simply gives you the first shot at getting it (along with anyone else who paid the fee).

Waiting and hoping that nobody else wants it and hasn’t put in a drop list request or back order is obviously risky if you have a good domain that you really want to keep, but most likely if that is the case you would have renewed it in the first place.

Can you own multiple domain names for one site? YES! In fact, a lot of people should own multiple domain names. Not only are we talking the .org, .net and .biz versions but multiple spellings as well. For example, one of my clients is One Putnam Centre. Notice that centre is spelled the British/Canadian way. This is fine, however, when you do an radio ad and say visit us at OnePutnamCentre.com most americans will spell center with an “er” instead of an “re” at the end. So a second domain should be purchased with the spelling OnePutnamCenter.com and redirected to the main page of the website.

Owning extra domains is a fairly small yearly charge compared to the amount of traffic it might get you. A cost a think is well worth the price.

Purchase your domains now through godaddy.

Many people approach me and ask if it is a good idea to buy their name or their family name, for example, thejohnsons.com or davejohnson.com.  My reaction is mixed on this subject.  Most of the time I ask if they have any plans for the domain, like a blog or a website.  If they say no then I say there is no reason to buy it.  If they think they might have plans for it in a couple of years then, yes, by all means get it while you can.

There is no reason to buy and hold onto a domain if it is only going to have a page parked here logo on it for the duration of your lifetime. However, if you have plans for a family page in the next couple of years, buy it up.  Most people are surprised by the fact that there is almost always someone out there with the same name as themselves and it is pretty likely that they will want that domain name at some point.

Good reason to buy your family domain:
•    Family Blog to keep everyone up to date
•    Family photo gallery (grandparents love to see the kiddies)
•    Family project (building a house, finishing a basement, remodeling)
•    Pregnancy log

As always be careful what you put on the Internet because it is public for everyone to see and read.  Family information might need password protection or require a certain amount of anonymity to keep everyone safe (but that is a whole other post).

This question is undoubtedly the most asked question I get.  Where do I buy a domain?  There are several good registrars out there but my recommendation is godaddy. Godaddy is a reliable registrar that offers a lot for the money.  I also recommend looking up some coupon codes before buying.  You can usually find codes at retailmenot.

Along these lines people often ask when they need to get a domain.  I really believe that if you have a business idea and a domain name in mind that you should buy it.  It will only cost you around $10 dollars a year to hold the domain and it will ensure that when you are ready to use it you have it.  If you do buy a domain ahead of time, make sure you keep track of all your login and expiration information.  A domain that you own does you no good if you can’t login to the control panel.

Happy domain hunting.