1. Differences Between Public and Private Domain Registration
When setting up a new website, you have to register the domain with the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) - a non-profit organization which
manages domain names. When doing so, you have the option of registering the domain as
either public or private.
If a domain is registered as public, then the information you used to register the domain -
your name, address, e-mail address, and phone number - can be accessed by anyone
through WHOIS (a protocol that determines a registrar). If you register your domain as
private - which usually costs a little extra - that information is protected, with the WHOIS
query either providing the information of a proxy registrar or stating the information is
unavailable. In the case of using a proxy, you still have complete access and control over all
aspects of the domain even though it is technically registered by someone else.
So, should you register your domain as public or private? Private Domain Registration - Is It
Really worth The Additional Cost Non-public Domain Registration - Is It Really worth The
Extra Cost Personal Area Registration - Is It Worth The Added Value
If you choose to register it as public, that's okay; you should probably just be sure to put
information that you wouldn't mind people seeing - a company phone number or a company
e-mail address as opposed to a personal one. For some potential customers or visitors to
your site, registering your domain as public may give your company more legitimacy because
you're willing to put your real information out there. However, this does make your
information more susceptible to spam; if anyone can access your company e-mail, then
anyone can add it to an e-mail list.
If you decide to register it as private, your information will be protected. Most domain
registrars who provide private registration will also be able to create a unique e-mail address
to be listed in WHOIS so if anyone does try to contact you that way, they will be able to. You
can have that e-mail address forwarded to a preferred e-mail account, or ignored altogether.
The extra cost of registering your domain as private is minimal - usually $10 per year.
Ultimately, the decision is up to you. It depends on what information you're providing to the
registrar and how closely you need to protect that information. It's likely the vast majority of
people out there aren't even aware they can look up your information through WHOIS, and
those that do know probably don't care. If your company is legitimate (which it should be!)
and your website already provides the information necessary for someone to get a hold of
you, you might as well spend the extra few cents each month in order to better protect your
information so you don't have to deal with spammers or potentially have your information
compromised.