Chose your color

Frequently visited

Frequently asked questions

  • 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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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.

More frequently asked questions

.nl in the spotlight: verkopenisstom.nl

"Make sure people can see at a glance what your website is about."

  • Thursday 30 September 2021

Most .nl domain names are registered by people with business plans. And often a fascinating backstory. A backstory that deserves to be told. One of them is the story of Ronald Pijls and verkopenisstom.nl (selling is stupid), an online platform for sales training courses.

Although the platform is new, you're not new to business, are you? What's your background?

Portrait of Ronald Pijls of Selling is stupid!
Ronald Pijls registered verkopenisstom.nl

"I started out as a sales professional, but I'm a jack of all trades really. I started building websites back in 2003, first as a hobby, and since 2010 as a part-time professional web designer. I'm a performing artist as well! (See www.partykryner.nl, ed.) But, alongside those activities, I've always stayed involved in selling. For the last few years, I was working for an Apple reseller. Then, last year, my business was bought and I started looking for something new. I decided to use my sales know-how and developed a series of training courses on selling. A few months ago, I started making the courses available on verkopenisstom.nl ('selling-is-stupid-dot-nl')."

Can you tell us a bit about the concept?

"I was inspired by the American influencer Alzay Calhoun. He made a YouTube video called 'Selling is Stupid', where he argued against a focus on getting transactions done, as opposed to helping the customer. The same message is at the heart of my own sales training courses: helping the customer should be the primary objective for all sales professionals. Stop selling and start earning."

How has your audience responded so far?

Very positively. Especially on LinkedIn, where I'm getting more and more followers. That's my main source of leads now. There's a lot of poor-quality selling, particularly in the retail sector. Most people entering the profession have very little experience and no training. They don't know how to please customers. The situation has been aggravated by COVID-19: many retailers lost experienced staff."

How did you come up with your domain name?

"Well, it's meant to be a bit provocative. To get people talking. My target audience is mainly sales professionals, but I'm also catering for marketing professionals who want to understand how the sales process works. A lot of marketing communications describe the product, but not the problem. I registered the name through Mijn.Host."

What's the role of your website in getting this new venture off the ground?

"It's very important, because a website is much more permanent than a Facebook post, which disappears from people's timelines in a day or so. I built the site using WordPress. It isn't a sales vehicle as such, but a content platform setting out my vision of selling. I've produced an eBook that you can download from the site for free. There's no direct selling on the site. Its function is to showcase my services. The way I use the site reflects my sales philosophy."

How did you build the site and how are you planning to promote it online?

"I created the site in WordPress, using a theme from Divi. They offer high-quality, low-cost themes. I'm promoting the website on LinkedIn, where I do a lot with polls. I'm also making YouTube videos and plan to start advertising via Google AdWords. I'm currently doing some SEO with RankMathSEO and SEO Checker."

Where do you hope to be with your site five years from now?

"By then I'd like to be a full-time sales trainer with an online platform and my own publications, so that I can plan my own time and focus mainly on improving the training courses."

Do you have any advice for other start-ups?

"Give plenty of thought to your domain name and website. You often see names that have no appeal, or good names linked to poor websites. Make sure people can see at a glance what your website is about."

Want to read more business stories?

Take a look at other entrepreneurs and startups and their .nl.