Oct 29, 2024
By:Emily Harper
Have you ever thought about how much of your personal information is exposed when you set up a website for your business?
You already know that creating a website and having an online presence is essential for reaching your customers. But what’s equally important is protecting your private information while you’re growing your business.
When you registered your domain name for your small business, you had to provide personal information, such as your name, address, phone number, and email address. This information becomes part of a database that can be accessed by anyone on the internet—sounds a little invasive, right?
Luckily, domain registrars offer a service called domain privacy, which is a tool for keeping personal information safe while maintaining a professional and secure website.
In this guide, we’ll explain domain privacy, why it’s essential to your business, and how to get one for your website.
When you create a website for your business, registering a domain name is one of the first and most important steps you can take.
A domain name is your online address and a key part of building a professional online presence. But when you register a domain name through a domain registrar—a business that sells and manages domain names— there’s more to consider than just securing the perfect name.
One crucial service domain registrars offer is domain privacy. Domain privacy is a protection service that hides your personal information from being publicly displayed in the WHOis database.
The WHOiS database gives you key details about domain names, like when they were registered, when they expire, and who owns them, along with contact information. By using a WHOiS lookup tool, available on most domain registrar sites, you can quickly find out a lot about any domain you're curious about.
However, this means others can learn more about your registered domain as well unless you have domain privacy protection. Because without domain privacy, your personal contact information is visible to the public. This leaves you vulnerable to unwanted spam, telemarketers, scams, and even identity theft.
This is why it’s so important for you to take additional steps in securing your personal information. It’s extremely vulnerable to know that anyone with access to the internet could find out vital information about you and potentially use it against you. But, when you opt-in for domain privacy protection, your personal information is replaced with proxy details. This means that your information is kept hidden from everyone—including fraudsters and companies that sell your information to telemarketers.
Many website builders, like LOGO.com x Wix, offer domain registration services that include the option to add domain privacy. Depending on which registrar you choose, this added layer of securing your personal information could be included when you register your domain name or cost a small fee. But either way, it’s a necessary investment that can prevent headaches down the road.
After all, can you really put a price on peace of mind?
Domain privacy works by substituting your personal information with generic contact details provided by your domain registrar.
Here’s how it typically works:
The WHOIS database is like a phone book for domain registrations. It contains all website owners' contact information, making it easy for anyone to find out who owns a specific website.
While it might not seem like a huge deal for people to know that you own your website, you might change your mind once you know that your name, address, phone number, and email are all accessible information without domain privacy.
Domain privacy works by replacing your personal information in the WHOIS directory with the registrar's contact information. This helps prevent your information from falling into the hands of scammers, spammers, and other malicious individuals who might misuse it.
We’re all very familiar with spam. Whether it’s an email, text message, or social media direct message, most (if not all) of us get a spam message daily.
Online spam is similar to spam phone calls—it’s unwanted and disruptive and often tries to trick you into sharing personal information or buying something you don’t need.
Just like those annoying calls, online spam can clutter your inbox, waste your time, and even pose security risks to your business.
With domain privacy in place, your personal email address and mailing address are hidden, keeping your inbox and mailbox free from unwanted clutter. This helps protect your privacy and prevent scams and phishing attempts that could put your business at risk.
Believe it or not, some companies use the WHOIS database to gather contact information for marketing purposes.
They then sell your details to other firms, resulting in more unsolicited emails, phone calls, and advertisements.
Domain privacy prevents these firms from accessing and using your personal data to make a profit. You get to maintain control over who contacts you and keep your business safe from intrusive marketing tactics.
When you register a domain, competitors can look up your information to gather insights about your business activities.
What kind of insights?
Using the WHOIS records, they can learn about your marketing strategies or even find out who your customers are. Domain privacy keeps your business activities hidden, adding an extra layer of security and allowing you to grow your business without competitors watching your every move.
According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there were 2.6 million reported cases of fraud and over 1 million cases of identity theft in 2023.
Identity thieves and fraudsters use a variety of tactics to gather sensitive information. Once they have access to your personal details, they can use them to commit fraud, steal money, or impersonate you or your business.
Protecting your domain and keeping your contact information private is one of the first lines of defense against these threats.
The four most common ways that these scammers contact their victims are through:
Using domain privacy hides your personal details, making it much harder for scammers to contact you. It’s a simple step to keep your information safe and avoid becoming a target for identity theft.
Controlling your personal information is more important than ever.
If you run your business from home, do you really want your home address listed publicly online for everyone to see? This is not just about privacy—it’s also a matter of safety. You probably don’t want random strangers to know where you live or have your phone number so they can contact you anytime they wish.
Domain privacy keeps your contact information hidden, allowing you to protect your privacy and maintain a professional online presence without compromising your security.
You control who gets access to this information, which helps protect your family, your home, and your peace of mind.
If you’re still on the fence about domain privacy, think about how you want to manage your online presence.
The internet can feel like a vast, open space, and adding domain privacy is a way to set boundaries that align with your business values and comfort level.
Remember when you first started your business?
You probably put careful thought into how to present yourself to customers, build trust, and create a sense of security for your clients. Protecting your domain is an extension of that mindset.
Adding domain privacy isn’t just a technical move—it's a thoughtful decision about how you engage with the world and keep your personal data safe. Ultimately, the decision is yours to make. Some business owners prefer to be open and visible in every aspect, while others find it necessary to keep certain details private.
So, while you consider whether domain privacy is right for you, reflect on how you handle privacy in other parts of your business. How do you protect your customers' data? How do you keep sensitive information secure?
Protecting your domain works on the same principles, adding an extra layer of security in an unpredictable online environment. Plus, isn’t it comforting knowing you won’t be bombarded with spam calls and emails?
Adding domain privacy to your website is an easy and effective way to protect your personal information.
Here’s how to go through the process usually works:
The first step is to choose a domain registrar that offers domain privacy protection. Most reputable registrars provide this service as an add-on when you register your domain.
But, before you commit to anything, take a moment to explore the registrar's website to confirm they include domain privacy in their offerings and check if it's bundled with specific plans or offered separately.
Once you've selected a registrar, proceed to register your domain. As you fill out your details, you will come across an option to add domain privacy. This is usually presented as a checkbox or add-on in the checkout process, making it easy to include with just a click.
Be sure to review the details to understand what's included. By opting in, you’re choosing to keep your personal information—like your name, address, email, and phone number—protected from public access in the WHOIS directory.
After you opt-in for domain privacy protection, the registrar will automatically replace your personal information with their generic contact details in the WHOiS directory. This step is done behind the scenes, so you don't need to worry about any manual changes.
If you already have a domain and didn’t choose privacy protection at the time of registration, don’t worry! Most registrars allow you to add domain privacy at any point.
Simply log into your account on the registrar's website, head over to your domain settings, and look for an option to add privacy protection.
After you’ve added it, the registrar will replace your information in the WHOiS database, just like they would if you were purchasing a new domain.
LOGO.com x Wix makes it quick and hassle-free to register your domain and protect your personal information.
Here’s how to get started:
Registering your domain is as easy as typing your business name into the search bar at the top of the “Domain” section in your LOGO.com dashboard. Click “Search,” and you'll see the available options. If your preferred domain name isn’t available, don't worry—you can choose an alternative extension.
For example, if ‘LOLMedia.com’ is taken, you might opt for ‘LOLMedia.shop’ or ‘LOLMedia.online.’ This flexibility helps you find a domain that best represents your brand.
If you’re drawing a blank when it comes to creating a domain name for your business, we have you covered! Simply head over to our Domain Name Generator and let the magic of AI create a list of potential domain names for you!
Once you’ve picked your main domain name, you'll have the option to secure additional Top-Level Domains (TLDs).
While it’s not mandatory, adding variations of your domain (like .net, .shop, or .org) can help protect your brand identity. It’s also a good way to prevent others from registering similar names that could confuse your customers.
If customers are typing in variations of your business name or guessing at the domain, having extra domains will make sure that they can still find you.
A great example of this is Google. They didn’t just secure Google.com, they also purchased Googl.com, Gogle.com, and other common misspellings of their brand name — ensuring that anyone who mistypes their name into a search bar will still land on their website.
When you’re ready, head to checkout and enter your personal and payment information.
But you’re probably wondering, “Where do I add domain privacy protection?”
Well, here’s the great news: LOGO.com prioritizes protecting your privacy by automatically including it with every domain you register through us. In just a few clicks, you’ll secure your domain and gain peace of mind, knowing your contact details are safe.
Not sure if your domain is protected? It’s easy to find out by using a WHOIS lookup tool. This tool lets you see the publicly available information tied to your domain name, allowing you to check whether your personal details are hidden.
Here's how to do it:
1. Visit a WHOIS lookup website such as whois.com or use Wix’s built-in Whois Lookup Tool.
2. Type in the full domain name of your website and start the search.
3. Once the search is complete, review the details displayed. If you see your personal information (like your name, address, or email), your domain does not have privacy protection. However, if you see generic information from your domain registrar instead, then your domain privacy protection is active.
As a small business owner, you’ve probably worked hard to create a professional image and build trust with your customers. But without domain privacy, your contact details are up for grabs, putting you at risk of scams, unwanted marketing, and even identity theft. Imagine potential customers receiving spam messages linked to your business—it doesn’t exactly scream professionalism.
Choosing domain privacy protection helps you avoid these pitfalls. It gives you control over your personal details, keeping them hidden from spammers, fraudsters, and competitors who might be snooping around.
Instead of dealing with endless spam calls, phishing emails, and the stress of possible identity theft, you can focus on what truly matters—growing your business and serving your customers.
More than just security, domain privacy offers you peace of mind. When you know your information is safe and secure, you can build your online presence confidently. It allows you to create a boundary between your personal life and your business, giving you the comfort of knowing that only the information you choose to share is public.
So, how do you want to shape your online presence? Do you want to risk exposing your personal details, or would you prefer to operate in a space where you’re in full control? The decision is personal, but it’s one that can significantly impact your business's reputation and your own sense of security.
If you’re ready to take this step, visit LOGO.com x Wix to register your domain and set up privacy protection today!
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