Your domain name, otherwise known as your website name, is one of the more important factors to consider before applying for a web hosting service. Your website will carry this as an identity that will merge with your brand, which is why choosing an appropriate one requires a bit of thought.
Once you’ve crafted the perfect domain name, however, you will have to register it in order to not waste a perfectly good name. Losing a well ironed-out domain name is just as bad as registering a poorly-made one, so quick thought and follow-through are a necessity for this task.
While registering your domain name provides some comfort, some post-registry actions will assure that it won’t get stolen by malignant entities. Here are four basic tips in order to fully secure your domain name from getting poached.
Assign the ownership to the business entity
When registering your domain name, ensure to list the ownership under the business’ entity rather than a particular individual. While assigning it to a high-level executive or one of your website specialists is a seemingly good idea, this could become highly problematic should the person leave.
While planning for someone’s attrition might not be a happy thought, preparing your business to avert from a difficult legal battle is necessary. Domain name ownership transfers can take quite a bit of money and time to do, which could potentially ruin your business’ website entirely.
Secure your password properly
As basic as this sounds, assigning a proper security password for your registrar account is one of the easiest ways to secure it. Avoid the most basic errors of password making: continuous number sequences, an executive’s birthday, the name of the business, or the name of the owner.
Once its registered, ensure to secure the password in a safe area that is inaccessible to most people, to ensure that its specifics are only known to you. Registering backup contact details can help in password retrieval too, so take some time to add that as well.
Don’t forget to pay your dues
Domain hosting services are usually paid on a strictly scheduled basis—taking note of when these are paid and ensuring its met is a must. A slight mishap with payment could cause your website to shut down for prolonged periods of time, which is a sure-fire way to lose money for your business.
Paying in advance is always an option, as well as providing additional payment details. This way, you’re assured that the deadlines are met—limiting the chances your website will shut down.
Register your domain name’s variations
While a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate can help authenticate your website, your visitors may not know that a similarly-named website isn’t legitimate. To avoid potential legal issues and besmirched branding, register the variances of your domain names. Hackers and opportunists tend to use variations of a brand’s domain names in order to steal data—by registering these in advance, it can limit false websites.
Conclusion
Properly securing your domain name isn’t only to protect your business and your brand, it’s also to protect your clients. Many tend to shrug off a domain name as simple a website URL, but this is directly related to your brand recognition.
Hiring the services of a reputable domain registry and web hosting service is important in order to secure your business. Get in touch with us today and contract the services of one of the best website hosting services in New York City.