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Conquering the Domain Game: Your 2024 Guide to Buying Domains, Renewals, & Dispute Resolution

28 October 2024
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Domain Names

A domain name is the foundation for your digital storefront and a vital brand asset. Protect your domain and manage renewals, transfers, and disputes seamlessly with this 2024 guide from our web hosting experts. 

Between your domain name search and investing in a relevant, simple, and brand-centric domain, you can’t set it and forget it because your purchase isn’t permanent. At a minimum, you must renew your domain name every year, but there are all sorts of other situations you’ll run into as a domain owner.

Dealing with domain ownership drama? Disputes over brand names? Are you trying to transfer a domain name to a different owner? And what is the ICANN domain name dispute resolution policy?

Our web design team regularly sets up and manages domain names for our clients, and we’d love to share what to consider along the way. The best offense is a great defense, so set up a schedule to maintain your domain ownership and use this guide to stay proactive in safeguarding your online presence. 

Domain Renewals: Don’t Let Your Online Identity Expire

When you buy a domain, it’s really more of a lease—if you don’t renew it annually, it goes back into the pot of free domain names to buy. If you’ve spent time working on SEO efforts, building your brand, and establishing a consistent base of organic traffic, missing a domain renewal and losing your name can be heartbreaking, as brand inconsistency and a loss of that investment are inevitable. 

If you don’t renew your domain name on time, you risk losing your online identity. It could also lead to:

  • Site downtime. With no domain name connected to your site, it disappears from the internet. When people type it into their search bars, they’ll quickly hit a dead end, disrupting your revenue and customer relationships.
  • Email downtime. The emails associated with your domain name stop working if you lose access to it. Of course, that dramatically impacts your ability to maintain and run your day-to-day business operations—especially if email is your primary form of communication.
  • Reputational damage. If people can’t access your website and you’re unorganized about domain renewals, it looks bad on your business. An unreliable site experience can seriously harm your credibility and hurt your reputation.
  • Domain hijacking. Cybersquatters make a profitable business of buying up domain names as soon as their domain registration lapses. They prey on disorganized businesses by buying those domains quickly and selling them back to desperate businesses for a premium. 

Preventing Disaster Before It Happens

Don’t let the stress of domain name drama get to you—all you need is a little proactive management to keep your domain safely in your hands. 

Nearly every domain registrar offers an auto-renewal feature that automatically charges your payment card when renewal time rolls around. Consider auto-renewal your safety net to truly set it and forget it. Be sure to check your payment information and update it to be sure your card can be successfully charged and prevent losing access to your website domain. 

Add a calendar reminder as a second line of defense. Set the reminder to repeat on the same date annually so you can quickly pop in, check on your account, and update any relevant information that could affect your renewal. 

Renew your domain for multiple years. Most domains, like .COM, can be renewed for up to ten years at a time. If you know you want to keep your domain name for the long haul, invest in a multi-year renewal and set a reminder for shortly before expiry. Often, a multi-year renewal offers some cost savings for site owners, too. 

Invest in a domain monitoring service. Domain monitoring services will keep track of your domain’s status, expiration date, and other important registration information. They can either automate the process completely or warn you as issues arise. As a bonus, most also email you when similar domain names are registered so you can track problems that could affect your brand’s visibility.

Domain Transfers: Moving Your Digital Home

Sometimes, a domain transfer is necessary if you change brand names or a better name becomes available to you. Though transferring your domain may feel pretty daunting, we’re here to help you seamlessly transition. 

There are a few reasons to transfer domains, including:

  • Better prices or features. Every domain registrar offers something a little different, so if you find a domain with better prices, features, or support, it could be worthwhile to make a move. Look at both the surface fees and the hidden fees because some registrars make their deals sound far better than they are once every cost is rolled in.
  • Aligning hosts & registrars. Some people like to transfer their domain registration to their web host for simplicity’s sake. It’s far easier to manage both within a single account, simplify your billing, and have one point of contact for support. 

Navigating the Domain Transfer Process

  1. Unlock your original domain name with your current registrar so it’s free to move to your new provider.
  2. Request the authorization code, aka the EPP code, from your current registrar, and keep it in a safe place—this is essentially a key to your domain name ownership.
  3. Initiate the transfer with your new registrar, following their instructions and giving all required information, including your EPP code, payment information, and contact information.
  4. Approve the email request from your current registrar to confirm the transfer and await the transfer completion. 

Most domain transfers take several days to weeks to complete, so get ahead and ensure your transfer finishes within the timeline you need. Plan well in advance, look out for transfer restrictions, and make a backup plan for downtime or site disruptions to your site and email services. 

Domain Name Disputes: Protecting Your Brand Online

You hope you’ll never run into domain name disputes where multiple parties claim the same right to your domain, but you should always be prepared for it to potentially happen. 

Some common disputes include:

  • Cybersquatting. People who wait for your domain name to lapse so they can snatch it up and sell it at a steep profit or register unused domain names to profit from someone else’s brand.
  • Typosquatting. We often make typos when we’re entering URLs into our browsers. Typosquatters register common misspellings of brands to capture and keep all that unintended traffic. 
  • Legitimate domain disputes. When multiple businesses with similar names compete over the same domain, we consider that a legitimate dispute. Everyone is acting in good faith. 

Steps to Dealing with a Domain Name Dispute

If you’ve found yourself in the middle of a domain name dispute, there are steps you can take to sort it out and come to a fair resolution. 

How to resolve domain name disputes?

Try negotiating and settling a deal first. If you can reach an amicable agreement with the other party, it’s the simplest way to get your domain name safely in your hands and start moving forward.

Which organization handle domain name disputes?

The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy covers domain disputes, expediting processes and outlining how disputes should be resolved. All registrars must follow the UDRP,  which means all disputes must be resolved by agreement, court action, or arbitration before a domain registrar will cancel, suspend, or transfer a domain name.

Who settles domain name disputes in the Internet?

In Canada, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) Dispute Resolution Policy covers disputes for all .CA domain names, addressing disputes and bad faith registrations.

If you can’t resolve your domain dispute through negotiations or registrars, you may need to take your case to a lawyer for negotiations and potential legal action. 

EB Media—Design & Web Hosting Services

Navigating the big world of domain names can be complex, but you don’t have to do it alone. 

At EB Media, our team can help you with all aspects of domain management, from registration and renewals to transfers and dispute resolution. If you’re ready for a free quote or want to discuss your next project, contact us today.

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