SHORT ANSWER: An expired domain is a domain name that was once registered to an individual or a company whose registration has expired.

LONG ANSWER: You can register your domain name in either your name, as an individual, or in your business’ name, your choice. Once your domain name is registered, it’s yours for one year, then you have an option to renew. After that, each year, you renew your ownership of that domain name. Domain name renewal costs anywhere from $5 to $15, depending on which domain name registrar you use.

Most domain name registrars give you the option of a multi-year renewal, which saves a few dollars and the headache of renewing every year. Multi-year renewals are a good idea if you have a domain name you are pretty certain you will want for the foreseeable future.

Even if you decide to let go of the website attached to the name, you can always use it for PPC and affiliate ads like the big guys do!

A domain name with an expired registration, meaning no one owns the name at the moment, is known as an “expired” domain name. If you fail to renew your domain name, it becomes available for purchase.

Who would miss a domain name renewal?

• Perhaps the domain name turned out to be not so good!
• Absentminded website owners who simply neglected to renew their domain names;
• Webmasters who got tied up in other ventures or interests;
• Webmasters who discontinued a site due to time constraints;
• Webmasters who ran out of money to continue to operate.

You should get several renewal notices from your domain name registrar for each domain name as it comes time to expire. Make sure the email address on file with your domain name registrar is working so you don’t miss a renewal!

When a domain name expires these days, the bigger domain name registrars assume control of the name for a few months before allowing it to be sold again. They do this so they can make money on any traffic you may still have finding its way to the name. The domain name will now point to a parked page with PPC ads, with all monies going to the registrar. Smart!

Here’s the rub: if you decide you want the name back after it’s expired and the registrar has assumed control of it, the registrar will charge you anywhere from $50 to $150 (those are the prices I’ve seen) to pull that domain name out of limbo and reinstate it to you! (Even a domain name that didn’t produce much traffic for you might produce a penny one day!)

The lesson here is, if there is any chance you can use that domain name, make sure your email address is good so you don’t miss your renewal!