10 Common Issues in Domain Management & Solutions

A domain name is a distinctive identifier for users to locate your website online. For anyone to view your website, they have to type this identifier into their browser. Google, for instance, owns the domain Google.com. A domain plays a crucial role in defining your internet persona. It impacts the credibility of your website, as well as its usability and branding.

However, owning a domain isn't enough to ensure your success online identity. You can encounter various issues as a website owner, which calls for effective management of this domain. Read on as we explore 10 issues and how to mitigate

What is domain management, and why does it matter?

Domain management is the act of registering, configuring, and maintaining the use of a domain name. It may involve the renewal of the domain name, updating the pertinent contact details, and configuring DNS settings.

This undertaking is essential because if your domain expires, it can lose internet traffic and revenue. Further, managing your domain is vital in keeping out hackers and preventing unauthorized access to confidential company data. Additionally, it is useful in ensuring compliance with domain name management best practices and industry standards, such as ICANN regulations.

What are the common issues in domain management?

Lack of knowledge

Website owners, especially small businesses and solopreneurs, may not fully understand all that goes into domain management. They may miss vital technical details in registering, renewing, or configuring their domains. This could negatively impact their website's performance and security. Additionally, it can introduce a bevy of subdomain name registration issues.

Solution: Site owners should invest in learning about the nitty-gritty of domain name management. Fortunately, there are a number of online resources and industry publications that they can utilize. Alternatively, consult with experts in the field, and keep tabs on updates in ICANN policies around the same.

Missed renewals

If a company switches domain administrators without the proper handover, the new entrant could miss registration renewal notices for one or more domains. Alternatively, unbeknownst to the administrator, the credit card linked to the domain account may expire before the renewal date. Either way, a missed renewal could result in the domain name becoming unavailable, perhaps through its acquisition by someone else. This could lead to lost traffic, brand damage, and a host of legal issues.

Solution: Organizations should automatically renew all their domains to mitigate this. Further, opting for credit on account rather than credit card payments would be prudent.

Domain disputes

It is typical to find multiple parties claiming ownership of the same domain name. This could arise from the accidental registration of similar domain names or trademark disputes between organizations. More commonly, someone could buy a domain name in advance, with the intention of holding the proper rights owner to ransom for the domain. This is called cybersquatting.

Solution: As a prevention measure, conduct proper research before registering your domain name to avoid trademark disputes. Additionally, you would be wise to register several names bearing close similarities to your domain, such as common typos. This prevents competitors and cybercriminals from using those similar names. In case of a dispute, seek legal counsel.

Complexity and risk in domain name management

If one business holds several domain names hosted by different providers, managing them could introduce a degree of risk and complexity. Further, if the company uses more than one administrator to oversee its collection of domains, it complicates this management. This is because each administrator may employ different management practices. Additionally, all admins have access to the company's sensitive data. This leaves the company's data vulnerable to a breach if any of them have weak security measures.

Solution: Delegating domain management to a single enterprise-class domain administrator who puts security first is prudent. This can streamline the entire management process and offer you consistent and reliable support. It is also recommended to invest in domain name management tools that can automate various aspects of managing domains and provide live alerts for any potential issues.

Difficulties in domain name transfer and inadequate service support

Companies often need to transfer domain names after mergers and acquisitions. These transfers are often technical and complex manual processes and insufficient support can make them even more challenging. Ultimately, this could cause delays in the transfer process, or even the loss of the domain to a competitor.

Solution: Employ a reputable and qualified administrator to tackle the domain transfers on your behalf. This admin should provide round-the-clock multi-channel support in case of any issues. It is also prudent to proactively plan for any potential domain transfers. This includes ensuring that the domains are not locked for transfer or close to their expiry dates.

Insufficient domain name security

Cybersecurity threats are ever-evolving, and protection measures should be regularly updated to combat domain name security issues. Insufficient security in this regard may lead to website downtime, or worse, data breaches.

Solution: Employ corporate-focused registrars that have the required protocols and tools to keep out any security threats. For small businesses and solopreneurs, implement best practices for domain security such as strong passwords and 2FA authentication. Additionally, use SSL certificates to encrypt your website traffic and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

No domain name monitoring

At times, website owners or managers may fail to monitor their domains for potential threats or issues actively. This could expose their websites to security risks and damage their brand's image.

Solution: The best way to counteract this is to remain vigilant in domain security management. This involves regularly checking for any changes to the domain name information, expiry dates, or SSL certificate statuses. Additionally, look out for any online trademark infringements and cybersquatting. Fortunately, you can utilize domain name monitoring tools that provide alerts of potential threats in real time.

Spread across multiple registrars

It is commonplace for large organizations to find their domain names spread across multiple administrators. This could result from mergers and acquisitions, some business units acting independently, or other reasons. Using multiple admins can introduce ambiguity around the business's total number of domains, the information linked to each of them, and the individuals authorized to access them. This exposes the corporation to a high-security risk.

Solution: Have all your domains under a registrar's management that can support several registries and domains. This facilitates implementing domain management best practices, such as using naming conventions and maintaining a central domain inventory.

Accounting discrepancies and payment mishaps

When a company owns several domains with different billing cycles and payment methods, the accounting side of domain management can prove quite challenging. This could result in some missed payments, leading to service disruptions from expired domains.

Solution: Implement clear accounting practices for domain management. Additionally, select an enterprise-level registrar that offers reliable and transparent billing, as well as alerts of upcoming payments. Further, regularly review and reconcile all domain-related accounting records to ensure accuracy and address any mishaps accordingly.

Difficulty handling registry requirements from multiple regions

Different regions usually have varying regulations for registering domains bearing their country's extension. Additionally, each registrar may differ in the domain extensions they offer. As such, your regular registrar may not support the extension of a country where you're interested in doing business. This would compel you to engage a registrar that does. Ultimately, this introduces the issue of having your domains scattered across different administrators.

Solution: Engage a corporate domain admin who is well-versed in regulatory requirements worldwide. They should also support the registration of domains from all over the globe and offer you expert advice on how to proceed.

Benefits of effective domain management

• Ensures all relevant domain names remain under the control of your company or organization
• Prevents unauthorized access, hacking, or domain hijacking
• Simplifies the process of registering and managing domains in different countries
• Facilitates easier domain name transfer
• Saves money by preventing losses emanating from missed renewals
• Enables companies to spot and take advantage of new domain name opportunities

Summary

A domain name is a vital part of your business's online identity, as it is unique to your company. However, owning a domain name does not create a successful online presence. You must actively manage and monitor your domain to ensure it doesn't fall into unauthorized hands. We've discussed the top 10 issues that website owners face regarding domain management, as well as their solutions.

Since domain management requires careful organization and maintenance for smooth operations and optimal performance, so does Software Development. Discover why Software Development is a great Career Choice here: 10 Reasons Why Software Developer Is a Great Career Choice