WHOIS Privacy and Website Success

[namionc]

Hi people.

I wonder if WHOIS Privacy will or could decrease your chance of success with a given website.

I remember reading an official Google blog entry stating that Google may consider WHOIS Privacy as a factor in determining a webpage's "quality." They clearly stated, that this alone does not necessarily have any weight, but it might be combined with other factors. (I'm trying to find the article again.) Also, even if that's not the case, it might appear dubious or unprofessional to have a privacy service in the WHOIS details for a perfectly legal site.

The alternative would be to found a LLC and register it in the name of the LLC, however, that is at least at the moment not an option for me.

So, my question is, may WHOIS Privacy prevent a web site from becoming as successful as it would have been without WHOIS Privacy?

Or asked differently, if Facebook or Twitter started out with WHOIS Privacy enabled in their early stages (first year or two, or before they incorporated), do you think they would have become as successful?

It would be nice, if someone who actually owns a successful site that had WHOIS privacy enabled could comment on this.

 

[namionc]

Over a week passed, 76 views, but no one has even the slightest idea?

 

[gazzip]

In the UK on .co.uk domains I beleive if you are a business you are required to NOT have privacy set on your domain.

I'm not 100% sure of this but it makes sense, people like to know who they are dealing with and hiding that info may cause others not to place their trust in your website.

That's my 2 cents


.

 

[namionc]

In the UK on .co.uk domains I beleive if you are a business you are required to NOT have privacy set on your domain.

I'm not 100% sure of this but it makes sense, people like to know who they are dealing with and hiding that info may cause others not to place their trust in your website.

That's my 2 cents


.

Yes, I understand your point.

Maybe I should add that I'm not selling anything, use of my website is without any costs, and users do not have to give out their real name or any personal information.

 

[lothos]

lots of websites use domain privacy without any issue.

 

[SiberForum]

I suppose that can protect you against spammers and that indeed will help you with your business.

 

[glaxxon]

The average user doesn't know or needs to know who owns/runs the domain/site. So imo it shouldn't matter much.

 

[carob]

Afaik it makes no difference.

Domain registrant and person or business operating a site can be two different things - you could run a site and give contact details on there and still have whois privacy.

An aternative is use a business address such as an accountant or such.

Where it can make a difference is domain privacy can stop Google from deciding that sites that link to one another are related and so devaluing the links.