Domain names are the most important piece of your Internet presence puzzle - and the most-often neglected. To put this in perspective, your website is your Internet home and domains are the directions to that home. Your website is almost impossible to find without it! However, because your domain is rarely accessed or changed, it is often forgotten. You might be asking, "How do domains work?" and "How do I keep control of my domain and avert fraud?" Great questions! The best way to answer those questions is to start with an explanation of how the system works.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit organization that holds authority over every domain name. It licenses registrars such as Network Solutions, GoDaddy, and others to sell and manage those domains. Domains are purchased through one of these registrars.

You also manage your domain through a registrar or a web services provider (such as Worthwhile). Once you have purchased and setup your domain, you can use it to access your website. Your domain uses a process called DNS to direct people to your website.

Technical Trivia - Domain Name System (DNS): All Website content sits on a computer somewhere. Every computer on the Internet has a unique address made up of numbers. This is called an IP address (Internet Protocol). DNS allows you to type an address that is easy to remember like "worthwhile.com" instead of "123.23.234.45." It makes your Internet home much easier to find.

Worthwhile Tip: Make sure that the contact information for your domain is correct. Without valid email addresses it can become hard to manage your domain and you could lose ownership. What if the person who registered your domain leaves your company? Make sure you have a plan in place to keep that information current. A good way to do this is to have a trusted third-party manage your domain information for you. Companies such as Worthwhile can help take the worry off your mind by managing your domain for you. Click here and enter your domain to see who is listed as the administrative contact. Make sure the proper person is listed.

Domain Name Misspellings and Registering Multiple Domains

Say you're looking for online medical advice so you type WebMD.com into your browser. Misspell that address by one letter (WebND.com) and you'll come to a similar-looking site that specializes in natural health. WebND.com is trying to capitalize on the success of WebMD.com by using a misspelled domain name. This happens more often with variations in the type of domain (.org, .net, .us, .info, etc.). If your domain is very important to you, you may want to look into purchasing misspellings and variations.