Private Domain Registration - 5 Reasons to Protect Yourself

It is easy to find out who owns a website. Simply do a WHOIS search on the website name. Name, address, city, state, zip and sometimes even a phone number will be returned.

Procuring a private domain registration is one way in which to protect yourself from unsolicited snail mail and telemarketers. The following advice is primarily for individuals and not for businesses.

Private domain registration provides:

- Identity Protection - When you register a domain name with a private registration, the registry details such as name, address and phone number are replaced by those of a third party. This third party is usually a separate company that is operated by the domain registrar for the sole purpose of offer privacy. You still remain the domain owner, the domain registrar is simply acting as a proxy.

- Spam Protection - Once your real identity has been covered by the third party, your personal details are not available. Spammers cannot send you spam email or junk snail mail. Neither can telemarketers grab your number and call you on the phone. This alone is reason enough for private registration.

- Control what you reveal - By using private domain name registration you control what you reveal. Since the third party information will appear in a WHOIS search of your site, you can then control what information you want to reveal on your own website. Private registration is sorta like opting out of the phone book.

- Keep your website private - By registering privately, your website can remain anonymous. OR you can give your website its own persona or you can choose to tell users what you desire based on your own comfort level.

- Affordable - with the low price of domain names these days, adding a few extra dollars won't break the bank. I have typically seen private domain registrations as low as $4 but never higher than $8 or $9.

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