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Avoid Being Locked Out of Your Own Website

April 14th, 2010

Locked

photo credit: _RoScO_

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

It’s a common problem that pops up from some businesses… “How do I get control of my domain?” It could be that you purchased the domain several years ago and have lost the account information, or perhaps you had originally hired someone else to manage the domain for you and you’ve since parted ways. Whatever the reason, it’s important that you always keep a record of where your domain is registered.

So what exactly is a domain?

It’s pretty simple really… your domain is your website’s address. For example, the domain of this website is www.pointclickmedia.ca.

How do I find out who my registrar is?

You can find out where your domain is sitting by performing a free WHOIS lookup. By entering your domain and performing the search you can find out some very valuable information about your domain including the registrar, the contact name associated with the account (who owns it), the next renewal date or expiry date, and more. In addition, a WHOIS lookup can also tell you where your web hosting is located. Although many domain registrars now offer hosting alongside their domains as one package, it’s still quite common for businesses to have separate vendors for domains and hosting.

OK, I’ve done the lookup and found out where my domain is registered. Now how do I access it?

The first step is to contact the person or company listed in your WHOIS search and request a domain transfer. By setting up your own account with a domain registrar and submitting a transfer request, the main contact person holding your domain will receive the request and can then allow the domain to be transferred to you. If you’ve been the account holder all along and simply misplaced the info, it’s as simple as requesting a new login/password from your registrar.

It should be noted that the person or company you may have originally hired to build your website may not necessarily be the domain registrar. There are many different registrars on the web for buying domains including Godaddy, Netfirms, and Webnames, just to name a few.

If you’re having trouble contacting the original buyer of the domain, try contacting the registrar directly and explain your situation. It’s possible that they may be able to track the person down or have the power to release the domain back to you.

Things don’t always go as smoothly as we like, especially when you need to rely on others to hold up your company image. If you’re having trouble tracking down your domain by taking the steps outlined here today, there are other alternatives. Contact Point.Click Media for more information.

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Posted in Tips and Tricks on April 14th, 2010

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