I am looking for a domain name registrant. Where can I look it up?
The Whois is an easy-to-use tool for checking the availability of a .nl domain name. If the domain name is already taken, you can see who has registered it.
On the page looking up a domain name you will find more information about what a domain name is, how the Whois works and how the privacy of personal data is protected. Alternatively, you can go straight to look for a domain name via the Whois.
I would like to transfer my domain name to another registrar. What is the procedure?
To get your domain name transferred, you need the token (unique ID number) for your domain name. Your existing registrar has the token and is obliged to give it to you within five days, if you ask for it. The procedure for changing your registrar is described on the page transferring your domain name.
The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date. How can I get them updated?
To update the contact details associated with your domain name, you need to contact your registrar. Read more about updating contact details.
Why is my domain name in quarantine?
When a domain name is cancelled, we aren't told the reason, so we can't tell you. You'll need to ask your registrar. The advantage of quarantine is that, if a name's cancelled by mistake, you can always get it back.
One common reason is that the contract between you and your registrar says you've got to renew the registration every year. If you haven't set up automatic renewal and you don't renew manually, the registration will expire.
Ik heb een klacht over mijn provider/registrar. Kan ik daarvoor bij SIDN terecht?
Wanneer je een klacht hebt over of een geschil met je registrar dan zijn er verschillende mogelijkheden om tot een oplossing te komen. Hierover lees je meer op pagina klacht over registrar. SIDN heeft geen formele klachtenprocedure voor het behandelen van een klacht over jouw registrar.
What conditions do I have to meet as a registrar?
Would you like to be able to register domain names for customers or for your own organisation by dealing directly with SIDN? If so, you can become a .nl registrar. Read more about the conditions and how to apply for registrar status on the page becoming a registrar.
Your domain name is a trading name. A trading name that generates business and therefore has value. Not only for your customer profile, but also in a technical sense -- on Google, for example, or in terms of the e-mail addresses you use for customer contact. That's why businesses tend to hang on to the domain names that they've invested in. Sometimes, however, the advantages of changing names outweigh the drawbacks. How do you decide whether that's the case and, if it is, what's the best way to implement a switch?
Suppose you started out with the catchy domain name Franks-garage-amsterdam.nl. It suited you fine at first, but your business has evolved. You've now got branches outside Amsterdam. And your main line of business is no longer servicing and repairs, but selling used cars. So, for a while now, you've also been using the name frankscarsales.nl. It goes better with what you do and where you do it. So internet users looking for cars are more likely to click on a link to your site. The arguments for going over completely to frankscarsales.nl are strong.
The ranking catch
Unfortunately, the internet doesn't cope with change as well as you might expect. Longstanding customers may not realise that frankscarsales.nl is you. And you could drop down the search results and find that your mail bounces more often. The story of British newspaper The Guardian illustrates the risks. The graph below shows what happened to the paper's Google profile when it switched from theguardian.co.uk to theguardian.com.
Source: sistrix.com
Domain name first!
Part of the problem for The Guardian was that it changed domain names at the same time as rolling out a new website. Visitors consequently landed on an unfamiliar page, leading many to hit the 'Back' button, damaging the page's ranking. Experts recommend that, if you change your domain name, you wait several months before launching a new site. That way, search engines are completely familiar with the new name before your site goes live. Unfortunately, a domain name change is often part of a comprehensive rebranding exercise that includes a redesigned website. Users are then more likely to be confused and many will desert.
Redirects: think your strategy through!
Of course, you'll set up a redirect from your old domain name to the new one. But that needs to be done carefully. If Frank the car dealer has a page devoted to Ford Focuses, for example, the redirect needs to take visitors to the corresponding page on the new site, not to a more general page. Visitors don't respond well to landing on a page that isn't what they're expecting. It's also important to inventory all inbound links from other sites before proceeding. Inbound links are important, so think your strategy through and make sure the links still work.
Read the guidelines
Google has published guidelines on changing your domain name. You're well advised follow them carefully!
