Sometimes a company’s website can disappear from the Internet.

I don’t mean “disappear” because Google isn’t showing the listing, that’s another issue. I mean that if you type in the correct web address, an error page is served.

There can be techy reasons for this happening but a common reason is lack of payment for a domain name because of an expired credit card.

A notification was probably sent to the owner, but sometimes the email address of record happens to be one the owner has abandoned or it goes to a web master no longer maintaining the site. So the email notice goes unopened and the website goes down.

I recommend putting in your calendar or your tickler file a reminder to check your account settings yearly or, at least, around the time your domain renews. Check for the following:

• Up-to-Date Email Address
• Up-to-Date Credit Card
• Auto-Renew is On

With those items in place you shouldn’t have any problems in the form of a disappearing website.

Easy Web Tip 317: Review your account settings on all of your web sites yearly.