Imagine if, years into owning your company, someone swooped in and claimed your web address. You may have held your primary domain name since launching your business, but if you lose control of it, even temporarily, anyone could take over the domain, confusing your customers and weakening your brand.
A reputable domain name is essential to online business. It’s the digital business card that lets customers find your company and engage with its goods and services. Here’s how to register, manage, and protect your domain name.
What is domain management?
Domain name management is the process of registering, configuring, securing, and maintaining web domains to control a website’s stability, accessibility, and brand.
The domain management process starts with domain name registration and then addresses domain settings, DNS configurations, ownership records, and domain renewals. For larger companies, a point person from IT typically handles these tasks and provides domain management services.
Here are some specific elements involved in domain management:
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Web domains. A web domain (e.g., example.com) is the unique name used to identify a website on the Internet. Domain management ensures it remains active and functional.
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Domain registrar. Domain registrars, like GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Shopify, are private companies that allow users to register, manage, renew, and transfer domain names. Domain registration starts the domain management process.
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DNS management. The domain name system (DNS) controls how a domain connects to websites, email servers, and other internet services. DNS settings like A records, CNAME, and MX records define how websites and emails are routed.
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WHOIS. The WHOIS database stores public contact information about domain owners, which bad actors can exploit. Domain security options (e.g., privacy protection) hide sensitive details from cyber threats.
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Renewals. Domains often expire one to 10 years after registration, but they can be renewed to avoid expiration and potential loss.
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Domain security. Domain security is an ongoing effort to secure digital property. It includes locking domains to prevent unauthorized transfers, monitoring for potential cyber threats like phishing or domain hijacking, and enabling two-factor authentication (2FA).
Why domain management is important
Whether you operate a .com, .net, .org, or .gov domain, staying vigilant about online security is crucial. Here are three reasons to take domain management seriously:
1. Avoid domain hijacking and loss
The risk of an attack on your site grows as your business does. Bad actors target high-traffic sites to charge the site owner larger ransoms. Weak security (e.g., no WHOIS privacy protection or two-factor authentication) can expose your domain to hijacking, phishing attacks, or unauthorized transfers. If an unmanaged domain expires, competitors, resellers, or hijackers can also purchase it, causing a loss of business and branding.
2. Maintain SEO and site traffic
The lower you appear in search engine results pages (SERPs), the lower your traffic—and the lower your revenue. Misconfigured DNS settings, expired domains, and a lack of redirects to related domains in a domain portfolio can signal an untrustworthy site to search engines and hurt your website’s visibility.
3. Improve portfolio management
Your business needs multiple domains as you grow, even if you operate a single brand. Purchasing misspelled versions of primary domain names or different top-level domains (TLDs), like .net and .org, prevents competitors from acquiring similar names, protects your brand, and improves traffic. For example, if you own the “jennyjewlery.com” domain, you could buy “jennyjewlery.net” and “jenniejewlery.com” to redirect mistaken visitors to your page.
Managing domains across multiple registrars can be complex. Portfolio management centralizes these domains to simplify renewals, DNS management, and security settings and reduce administrative overhead, potentially lowering costs.
How to manage your domain
- Secure your domain
- Enable auto-renewals
- Obtain trademarks
- Update DNS and name servers
- Expand your domain portfolio
Domain name management ensures your portfolio doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, but it can be complex for larger businesses. If you’re experiencing issues, consult your domain management provider for expert guidance. For small businesses and entrepreneurs, here are five key steps to protect your identity, maintain your website’s stability, and maximize your domain portfolio value:
1. Secure your domain
Use strong passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA), and name server locking—which limits access to your domain—on your registrar and any associated accounts (e.g., web hosting, email) to prevent unauthorized transfers or hijacking.
Activate WHOIS privacy protection in your domain registrar’s settings to hide your identity and contact details from public databases and prevent data theft or spam.
2. Enable auto-renewals
Enable automatic renewal for all your domains to prevent accidental expiration, ensuring continuous ownership. If you forget to renew your domain, there is typically a grace period before the domain goes to auction—but after that, cybersquatters can buy the domain and try to sell it back to you at an exorbitant rate. Recovering a domain after its expiration date can be messy and expensive. Automate renewals so you don’t have to worry about it.
3. Obtain trademarks
Registering a trademark for your business name can help create stronger legal protection against cybersquatting. If someone registers a similar domain name, you can file a claim under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP). If you do, consider getting a lawyer or a specialized agency to assist with the process.
4. Update DNS and name servers
Keep your website and web hosting functional by correctly configuring your name servers (a part of the DNS) and overall DNS settings (e.g., CNAME, A records, MX records). If you migrate your site to a new web hosting provider, update your name servers to prevent website downtime and ensure your site remains accessible when someone types your URL into their browser. If you transfer your domain to Shopify, there are plenty of tools and how-to guides to ease this process.
5. Expand your domain portfolio
Review and purchase related extensions (e.g., .com, .net, .org) to protect your brand across generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Redirecting an extension to your main site may increase your web traffic, which can lead to more sales. Transfer all extensions and domains to one provider under a single account to simplify management.
Conversely, if you’re holding onto domains that may be valuable but have no use for your business, consider selling them via domain marketplaces or brokerages—an online service that specializes in the exchange of internet domains—to create extra revenue for your business.
Domain name management FAQ
How do I get control of my domain name?
You gain control of your domain name by registering it with a reputable domain registrar, enabling security protections, and ensuring you have access to the account and all associated login credentials.
What is the difference between hosting and domain management?
A web host provides the server and storage needed to run a website. Domain management involves controlling a domain’s registration, DNS settings, security, and renewals to ensure its stability and ownership.
Do I really own my domain name?
The non-profit governing body ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) does not allow permanent domain name ownership. When you register a domain name, you lease it from a domain registrar for a set period, typically one to 10 years. You must renew the domain to maintain control and prevent expiration.
