Like most of you, I view a lot of websites. But one site that I seldom visit, is my own.
Last week, I started noticing fewer E-mails asking for estimates. So I clicked on my website, only to find that it had been "parked" by Go-daddy. My ISP had let my domain registration expire (I made the mistake of letting my ISP company register my domain when I set up the website 3 years ago).
Apparently, Go-daddy has a new policy where they "park" a website the split second the domain registration expires. I had to pay $95 to reinstate it without going through the auction process.
Just thought I'd warn you guys that have websites. Don't dawdle about renewing your domain registration.
Absolutely. In years past they would go up for sale as normal. Now they put them in a high price category for what seems like forever. I watch all my and my clients domains closely. With Go Daddy your notified often when something is up for renewal. AND never allow anyone else to own your domain. If you don't understand the process figure it out and buy the domain yourself. Or allow a provider to buy it only in your name.
I went with homestead years ago started with a free site they offered with banner ads but went with the pay package silver pakage like $180 for 2 years they handle the domain fee also
the nice theing is of your bianuale fee isn't paid like a bank card change they leave the site up for a good time but you cant asses it to update it
I got mine though Yahoo as well as my web hosting service. They have my CC info on file and automatically renew it when it's due.
Being somewhat techno-savvy and a proclaimed computer nerd my domain and website are hosted not enabled by one company (misk.com at $49/yr for domain and hosting) ... no banners, no GoDaddy issues, and all the content and images remain under my control and ownership regardless.
In this way all the time and effort I put into the content and pictures, etc. does not 'vaporize' if I were to choose a different provider ... mostly because I am using a stand alone WYSIWYG program and upload to the host server compared to making changes directly on the host server.
What I understand for what I call enabled sites, is if you no longer wish to host through say GoDaddy, the content and images do not transfer so you will in essence have to start over when you move to a new hosting partner. Can be very frustrating and difficult to replicate depending on the site structure (ask me how I know :D)