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When you register a domain name, you get the right to use it. However, this doesn’t mean that your domain is not at risk. It might come under the attack of cybersquatters, the ownership won’t be renewed in time, or it might be lost in a legal dispute. We’ve compiled tips on how to protect your domain name.
Keeping domain name ownership safe is relatively straightforward, yet even large businesses sometimes face a risk of losing their domain name. Some basic, but often overlooked steps to protect your domain name ownership include:
These obvious steps already significantly reduce the risk of losing your domain name and protect your valuable online asset. However, if you want to protect your ownership further – here are four more expert tips to keep your domain name safe.
Buying domains from forums or individuals may seem attractive because of low prices or unique offers. However, purchasing domain names from such sources, because, in addition to unclear pricing policies and a lack of information about the domain’s history, you may face issues when registering and using domains or even lose it.
Reputable platforms offer reliability. Research the company’s reputation, read reviews from other users, and pay attention to its history. Reliable registrars ensure the security of your data and protect it from unauthorized access – here are some examples:
Domain registrars
Registrar companies are intermediaries between buyers and registries. You can purchase a domain name in any domain zone available, including .it.com extension, on their sites:
Hosting providers and site builders
Many companies that provide web hosting services or website constructors also offer domain registration. This can be a convenient option if you plan to use their services to host a website:
Online platforms for buying domains
There are platforms that specialize in selling and auctioning domain names. These platforms can offer unique or premium domains:
IT companies that offer domains as part of other services
Some companies that provide other internet services, such as digital marketing or IT consulting, may also offer domain registration services:
Before buying a domain name, it’s important to research its history. This includes finding out who owned the domain before, what kind of site was on it, and what backlinks it had.
There are various tools available to help with this research. Some of the most useful and informative ones are:
By researching the history of a domain, you can avoid situations where it was used for dishonest purposes. This can negatively impact your reputation.
If a domain has a bad history, such as being used for spam or fraud, it can lead to problems with search engines and even blocking. A bad domain can cost you time and money. Therefore, it’s crucial to thoroughly investigate all aspects of a domain’s history before making a purchase.
Signing a contract for registering a domain name is a crucial step in protecting your rights. If you register a domain for personal use, the contract should be in your name. This will make you the owner of the domain. If you sign a contract on behalf of third parties, you risk losing it because officially the domain won’t belong to you.
If you register a domain for a company, make sure to sign the contract on behalf of the company, not a specific employee. This will help prevent problems with the rights to the domain name in case of employee changes or other organizational changes.
The contract should include all the terms of using the domain name, including the registration period, cost, and renewal procedure. It’s also worth paying attention to the clauses regarding the transfer of rights to the domain and actions in case of disputes.
Domain names can violate trademark rights if they include protected characters or are too similar to them. This means that if someone registers a domain name that closely resembles the name or logo of a well-known brand with a trademark, it can confuse consumers and harm the company’s reputation. As a result, the infringing domain will be blocked.
To protect your domain name, you can register a trademark that matches your domain name. This will enable you to legally protect your rights to the name and prevent others from using it.
Registering a trademark is a process that may take some time, but it will give you additional rights to your brand. In most countries, the registration process can be done through national patent offices.
Maintaining a domain name is an important part of doing business online. It’s not just an address, but a valuable asset that needs to be carefully managed and protected.
Want to learn more about domain strategy in business? Visit it.com Domains blog and contact us on social media.
Continue reading at the it.com Domains blog...
Keeping domain name ownership safe is relatively straightforward, yet even large businesses sometimes face a risk of losing their domain name. Some basic, but often overlooked steps to protect your domain name ownership include:
- Renewing your domain name annually to avoid losing it.
- Enabling registrar lock to keep your domain secure from unauthorized transfers.
- Creating a strong password for your domain account to prevent unauthorized access.
- Implementing an SSL certificate for your domain to enhance security and protect user data.
- Limiting access to domain registration and passwords to only trusted employees and contractors to minimize the risk of theft.
- Keeping track of your domain’s expiration dates and setting reminders to ensure timely renewals.
These obvious steps already significantly reduce the risk of losing your domain name and protect your valuable online asset. However, if you want to protect your ownership further – here are four more expert tips to keep your domain name safe.
Choose Your Domain Name Seller Carefully
Buying domains from forums or individuals may seem attractive because of low prices or unique offers. However, purchasing domain names from such sources, because, in addition to unclear pricing policies and a lack of information about the domain’s history, you may face issues when registering and using domains or even lose it.
Reputable platforms offer reliability. Research the company’s reputation, read reviews from other users, and pay attention to its history. Reliable registrars ensure the security of your data and protect it from unauthorized access – here are some examples:
Domain registrars
Registrar companies are intermediaries between buyers and registries. You can purchase a domain name in any domain zone available, including .it.com extension, on their sites:
- GoDaddy is one of the largest and most well-known registrars. They offer a wide selection of domain zones, hosting services, and additional features.
- Porkbun is a large domain name registrar with a wide choice of domain extensions. Their website features many new top-level domains (nTLDs), so you’re sure to find an extension that suits your needs and preferences.
- Sav is one of the largest and fastest-growing domain name registrars in the world. It helps creators transform their ideas into a successful digital identity with domain names, websites, and email.
- GMO Internet Group is a leading domain registrar in Japan, holding the top market share.
Hosting providers and site builders
Many companies that provide web hosting services or website constructors also offer domain registration. This can be a convenient option if you plan to use their services to host a website:
- Site.pro is a website builder where you can quickly and efficiently create and host your own website.
- LimeNetwork is a company that provides a variety of high-performance hosting solutions.
Online platforms for buying domains
There are platforms that specialize in selling and auctioning domain names. These platforms can offer unique or premium domains:
- Sedo is a platform for buying, selling, and renting domains.
- Afternic is the leading domain marketplace in the world. It offers over five million premium domain names for sale.
IT companies that offer domains as part of other services
Some companies that provide other internet services, such as digital marketing or IT consulting, may also offer domain registration services:
- Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, within the framework of which Microsoft offers domain registration.
- Amazon Route 53 is a Domain Name System (DNS) service by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Route 53 is tightly integrated with various AWS services, such as AWS Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) Instance, AWS Application Load Balancer, AWS API Gateway, and etc.
Study the History of the Domain
Before buying a domain name, it’s important to research its history. This includes finding out who owned the domain before, what kind of site was on it, and what backlinks it had.
There are various tools available to help with this research. Some of the most useful and informative ones are:
- Who.is provides WHOIS data, important dates related to the domain, DNS records, and more. It also shows you which domain zones the name is available for sale and at what price. You can set up email notifications to receive updates about any changes to the domain you are interested in.
- The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web, founded by the non-profit organization Internet Archive. It takes screenshots of the main page of a site on days with high traffic using specialized search robots. This allows you to see how the site’s main page has changed over time.
By researching the history of a domain, you can avoid situations where it was used for dishonest purposes. This can negatively impact your reputation.
If a domain has a bad history, such as being used for spam or fraud, it can lead to problems with search engines and even blocking. A bad domain can cost you time and money. Therefore, it’s crucial to thoroughly investigate all aspects of a domain’s history before making a purchase.
Sign a Contract with Registrars for Yourself or for the Company
Signing a contract for registering a domain name is a crucial step in protecting your rights. If you register a domain for personal use, the contract should be in your name. This will make you the owner of the domain. If you sign a contract on behalf of third parties, you risk losing it because officially the domain won’t belong to you.
If you register a domain for a company, make sure to sign the contract on behalf of the company, not a specific employee. This will help prevent problems with the rights to the domain name in case of employee changes or other organizational changes.
The contract should include all the terms of using the domain name, including the registration period, cost, and renewal procedure. It’s also worth paying attention to the clauses regarding the transfer of rights to the domain and actions in case of disputes.
Register a Trademark
Domain names can violate trademark rights if they include protected characters or are too similar to them. This means that if someone registers a domain name that closely resembles the name or logo of a well-known brand with a trademark, it can confuse consumers and harm the company’s reputation. As a result, the infringing domain will be blocked.
To protect your domain name, you can register a trademark that matches your domain name. This will enable you to legally protect your rights to the name and prevent others from using it.
Registering a trademark is a process that may take some time, but it will give you additional rights to your brand. In most countries, the registration process can be done through national patent offices.
Maintaining a domain name is an important part of doing business online. It’s not just an address, but a valuable asset that needs to be carefully managed and protected.
Want to learn more about domain strategy in business? Visit it.com Domains blog and contact us on social media.
Continue reading at the it.com Domains blog...
