Why It Matters to Renew Your Domain on Time?
Have you ever missed renewing a domain name? What happens to domains that are not renewed? Could an expired domain affect your business? These questions are more important than they might seem at first glance. Join us as we discuss expired domains and what they could mean for your online presence.
To understand the importance of timely domain renewal, it's essential to know what happens when a domain is not renewed. They become expired domains.
What are Expired Domains?
Expired domains are domain names that were once registered but have not been renewed after the registration period ended. These domains enter a lifecycle that includes a grace period, redemption phase, and finally, if still not renewed, release back into the public for new registration.
What happens when you don’t renew your domain?
Imagine you own a popular art shop with a well-loved website where customers frequently place orders. One day, you forget to renew your domain name and it expires.
Here’s what happens: Initially, there’s a grace period where you can still reclaim it, usually at no extra cost. If you miss this window, your domain enters a redemption phase where you can still get it back, but for a higher fee. If it still goes unrenewed, your domain is released back to the public and anyone can register it. Suddenly, someone else owns the online home of your art, and you might have to start all over or pay a premium to get it back.
It doesn’t end here, there are other risks involved. Let’s take a look:
Why is it important to renew your domain on time? What are the risks involved?
1. Loss of brand identity
Imagine your customers trying to visit your site, only to find something completely different. This confuses your customers and damages their trust in your brand. This can dilute your brand's value and may lead to a loss of business.
2. Business interruption
Your website goes down the moment your domain expires. New and old customers, both will see error messages instead of product listings, resulting in lost sales and diverting these customers to your competitors.
3. Email disruption
Consider an e-commerce website that relies completely on their domain for professional email communications with clients. If this domain expires and is not renewed, the email service would abruptly stop working. No orders can be confirmed, and no customer queries can be answered. This could damage relationships and disrupt operations.
4. Vulnerability to fraud
New owners of your expired domain can use the associated email addresses to impersonate your business. They could send fraudulent emails to your clients or partners, which could lead to serious security issues or even legal problems.
5. Impact on SEO
If your domain expires and someone else takes it over, all the SEO work you've done could instantly benefit the new owner. Your efforts to rank high on search results would boost their website instead of yours, forcing you to start building visibility from scratch with a new domain.
6. Increased Recovery Costs
If you decide to get your domain back after it has expired, you might have to pay a significant amount to reclaim it from its new owner. This can be costly if the domain has become valuable to others.
How to avoid domain name expiration?
Unlike large corporations, smaller businesses often can't easily recover from the impact of an expired domain. To avoid these risks, here are some straightforward tips to ensure your domain never lapses.
1. Don’t ignore reminder emails
Regularly monitor emails reminding you of upcoming domain expirations. However, be aware of "domain slamming," where unethical registrars may try to trick you into transferring your domain under the name of a renewal notice.
Always verify the source of these emails and if unsure, directly contact your current registrar for confirmation.
2. Hit that auto-renew button
We strongly recommend that you set your domains to auto-renew mode to avoid missing their expiration date. Ideally you can set a domain in auto-renewal mode seven days (at the latest) before the Renew Before date. Ensure that your credit account has enough funds to cover the auto-renewals or that the credit card saved in your account is current and set as default.
3. Register/renew your domain for multiple years
Domain names can be registered and/or renewed for up to ten years. The benefits of registering your domain for multiple years are many:
- You save time
- You avoid forgetting to renew your domain in due time
- You save money. Renewal fees can often be higher than first registrations.
4. Perform a full domain name audit
If your domain portfolio is large, we recommend you perform a full domain audit to be sure about the following:
- Do you know which domains you own or when they're set to expire?
- Are your WHOIS and account admin contact information correct?
- Do you have full control of the email address to which reminder emails will be sent?
Never miss a domain renewal
Making sure your domain is renewed on time is crucial for keeping your business running smoothly. By setting up automatic renewals, staying on top of your emails, and managing your domain registrations carefully, you can avoid unexpected disruptions and protect your online presence. Simple steps like these can keep your website active and your customers happy.
