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The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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.
"We never considered any extensions besides .nl, because our focus is on the Netherlands."
Thursday 2 July 2020
.nl is big, very big. The number of .nl domain names now tops six million. Most registrations are for business – entrepreneurs using domain names to bring bright ideas to life. And, behind every bright idea, there's a story. A story of vision and ambition. A story of exploration in the world of e-commerce.
From left to right Mariska de Blieck, Josette Jimmink, Carolien Wierda, owners of Boost.
This week it's the story of Josette, Mariska and Carolien: three North Holland entrepreneurs who provide yoga and mindfulness programmes in the workplace. Lockdown started in the Netherlands just as the trio were launching their business. Showing great resilience, they switched their focus and launched deonlineboost.nl on 17 June. They describe the service as an online programme to boost energy and reduce stress.
How long have you been in business together?
Josette: "Since March, so four months. We were planning to deliver our programmes offline, but just when the first one was scheduled to run, lockdown came in. That ruled out all face-to-face training in the workplace."
Was that when you came up with the idea of deonlineboost.nl?
Carolien: "Yes, lockdown forced us to rethink. We did a lot of brainstorming. What now? What are we going to do? We tried to put ourselves in the shoes of someone working from home and or cautiously returning to the workplace. And our conclusion was that what we had to offer was going to be needed more than ever."
Mariska: "It's essential for your immune system. In working life, people are exposed to stimuli and stressors all the time. When the pandemic took hold, fear and uncertainty were added to the mix. Working from home means putting in more energy in less time. So we developed a special online programme for boosting energy and reducing stress."
Did you have any experience of doing business online?
Carolien: "We'd delivered a lot of online courses and webinars. One of us has experience from having her own business in the past, and Josette's brother is handy with IT. He helped us set up the website."
How did you come up with your domain name?
Mariska: "Choosing a name was tough! We were bouncing ideas around for a good while. We eventually settled on deonlineboost.nl because it described what we're offering in a straightforward, down-to-earth way. Words such as 'yoga' and 'mindfulness' don't necessarily appeal to everyone in the target group. In fact, some people probably find them off-putting. We never considered any extensions besides .nl, because our focus is on the Netherlands."
How did you manage to realise this online concept so quickly?
Josette: "There was a lot of work involved, because we wanted everything to be right. My brother did the layout and design, using WordPress. I'd say that we devoted easily eighty hours to it, probably more, because the site design and the programme design are inseparable really. We spent a lot on photography and copywriting as well."
Mariska: "Building the site was a real learning experience. The process forces you to ask yourself who you are, what you're doing and why. It imparts structure to your business vision and to your programme. Getting on line quickly meant going through that process, which was very useful to us."
You went live on 17 June. How are you marketing the programme?
Josette: "We began by approaching contacts who we thought might be interested in our business programme, which is intended for whole organisations, departments or teams. We also recorded promo videos for LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Content marketing is another thing we're focusing on: we've created a content calendar and we're blogging on a regular basis. Then we're also doing public relations in our area and encouraging word-of-mouth advertising in North Holland.
The first clients are now using the programme and there's a lot of demand for the online programme, even though the virus-related restrictions are easing now."
Finally: do you have any tips for other entrepreneurs?
We did everything online. Virtual collaboration turned out to be very efficient and increased our productivity. Zoom, WhatsApp video calls, shared drives: the situation made us embrace them all.
