The domain name and search engines are the life line of internet today. The domain name is the name given to your business and by which the internet users know you. The more they are registered with the search engines the more they will be popular and frequented by the users.
So the question arises how long does the domain name be registered under your name. Your competitors have a edge over you if your domain name expires earlier than theirs as all the traffic will be directed towards their site and you will be losing the business which you earned in so many years.
The search engines ranking holds to key to the domain popularity and therefore if the competitor has the expiry date of two or three years you can easily renew your domain name for the next five or ten years to be on the top.
It is always good to register a domain name for at least ten years so that you do not have to take the headache of registering again and again for years on end. This way you are sure of the ten year period and by the time you can judge how fruitful your domain is for you.
Also bear in mind that if your domain name expires without you being aware of it. There are chances that other people might register it in their names and can benefit from your earlier efforts. There are many people who keep a watch for the expired domain names and they move immediately and take up the name for their own benefit and you will be the loser in the bargain. All the traffic which was coming your way will be passed on to the other new person. So it is always better to keep a check of the domain names and their expiry dates. You must renewed the registration well in advance or get it for a longer period of time or else what ever you have achieved during the domain remains in your hand will be gone.
If you are really keen on keeping the domain names for a longer period the company called Network Solutions registers the domain for 100 years and it costs about $999.00 and there are other companies who register the domain names for the 10 year period and they charge about $7.00 per year.
Therefore if you want to stay ahead in this competitive world you will have to decide for how long you want the control of your domain name. The search engine will give your number one position if it is registered in your name for a long time. And you will be able to enjoy the position or else you will need to start the process again.