Anyone who’s ever had an email address knows the dread of wading through all their junk-mail clogging up their inbox.  Also known as spam, these unsolicited messages account for as much as 94% of all e-mail sent across the internet, with over 100 billion of these messages sent per day according to a recent New York Times article.  These messages can range from annoying pharmaceutical ads to outrageous money scams to potentially dangerous viruses.  It’s easy to become overwhelmed with this junk, but there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself, your business, and perhaps most importantly, your sanity.

Quick Quiz: The phrase “Your domain name is about to expire” flashes across your inbox.  Do you A) Ignore it for the time being or B) Act immediately to remedy the issue?  The correct answer of course is B. Perhaps a better question might be, “Do you know when your domain will expire? Are you prepared?”

Domain name expiration and loss is an increasingly prevalent, costly, and potentially detrimental problem facing online businesses. It is now more likely than ever that your precious URL will be snatched away when it expires.  This is especially true if it is unique, catchy, or particularly market worthy.  In addition to businesses that want to use your domain name for themselves, other companies exist with the sole purpose of purchasing expired domains and selling them back at inflated prices, to you or the highest bidder!