Switching Domain Registrars
Exploring the reasoning behind a decision that can save you thousands.
24 Jan 2024
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Major brands have had to adapt to new ways of working in uncertain markets. They are looking for ways to make a substantial cost-reduction with the smallest impact on their resources and people and one area that may have overlooked is domain management and online brand protection.
We have put together a short guide with 6 easy ways your company could save money below and encourage you to reach out to us should you wish to implement any of these strategies.
SUITABLE FOR: ANY BUSINESS. / POTENTIAL SAVINGS: ££££
“Administrative error” is a phrase that often crops up when a brand has let their domain lapse and it has been bought by someone else. It goes without saying that the cost of buying back that domain vs renewal costs is considerably higher. Many people simply do not appreciate that your domain is not only an integral part of your intellectual property but also the gateway to your emails, accounts and more. All too often the responsibility of renewing domains is given to low-level admin staff and although paying for renewals is simple on paper…the likes of Google, Microsoft, Dell and Samsung have all let vital domains lapse.
LEXSYNERGY’S GUIDANCE:
Your domain is your trademark and should be treated as such. Ensure that one person has domain management in their job description. At the most basic level, have a list of your domains, where they are registered, what they were bought for and when they will renew. Many firms will buy domains for short-term marketing and promotional needs. These are often left to lapse after that campaign is over. Lexsynergy would advise that these types of domain are very desirable to criminals and that the cost of renewal is small compared to the cost of taking down a fraudulent website and the potential reputational cost to your business. Save money simply by managing your domains in an effective way
SUITABLE FOR: ANY BUSINESS. / POTENTIAL SAVINGS: ££
It sounds like an odd thing to say but for many domain registrars, domains are not the main part of their business. Domains are simply the hook they will use to buy their other services such as hosting, emails and security. Another tactic that is quite common in the industry is to offer the first year at a very low rate but the renewal will be significantly higher. As an example .store is currently selling for $3.17 for the first year, but renews at a whopping $80.17. This is because GoDaddy knows there is an inherent risk in then finding another provider or transferring away, and as a general rule of thumb people will do whatever is easiest. These types of offers will often apply throughout the product line and so in year 2 of being with that business, the costs can go up quite significantly.
LEXSYNERGY’S GUIDANCE:
Quite simply it’s important to consider the true cost of the services you are agreeing to before you enter into a contract. Although signing up may be easy, some well-known domain providers make it incredibly difficult to leave their service and may need a number of weeks to transfer your domain away. Lexsynergy believe in transparency and openness. We rarely offer these types of initial offers and never hide away renewal rates. Where other providers benefit when you forget to renew, Lexsynergy never store credit card details and make it very easy to transfer domains away and delete accounts but very few of our clients chose to.
SUITABLE FOR: GLOBAL BUSINESSES. / POTENTIAL SAVINGS: £££££
For brands with a global presence, it is not uncommon to have local domain names registered with local companies. When a domain portfolio is scattered it means the brand loses sight of its exposure to typosquatters and other criminals. It also increases the chance of a critical domain lapsing and often represent poor value against other providers. Centralising your domain portfolio is the first step to protecting your brand online. Once everything you own is in one location it then becomes significantly easier to assess weaknesses or domains you may need to buy. When centralising your domains, its important to go to a provider who can offer the widest variety.
LEXSYNERGY’S GUIDANCE:
Lexsynergy is a global registrar who offer over 1,300 domain extensions. You might be surprised to learn that other domain providers actually use us for areas in which they aren’t accredited. We offer competitive pricing on every domain and with such a diverse portfolio, any global company can make significant savings by switching to us. In October 2020, one client was able to save over £64k simply by centralising their domains with us. This could very well have secured two or three jobs at that company in an area they may have overlooked otherwise. We assign a dedicated account manager who will make the transfer process quick and painless.
SUITABLE FOR: TRADE MARK HOLDERS. / POTENTIAL SAVINGS: £££
In the past you only needed to buy a handful of domains to ensure your Trademark was protected online, but in the last five years there have been an explosion of new extensions. Everything from .agency to .wine is now available and so the potential cost of buying all these domains can be steep. The good news is that rather than buying up each new domain, if you own a trademark you can instead block them. Two Registries who manage over 250 new extensions offer the block service for a flat fee which is considerably cheaper than buying each domain. The block will take affect for 5 years and new domain extensions that are released will automatically be added to the block list. (If they come from those registries)
LEXSYNERGY’S GUIDANCE:
in order to prove your eligibility for a block service, your trademark must be registered with the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH). Lexsynergy is a TMCH Agent and can assist you with the trade mark validation process if you've not done this. The block service will cover any domain name which directly contains your trademark so for example: pepsicola.biz would be covered but pepsiscola.biz would not as it is not an identical match. Blocked domains cannot be used but it is possible to unlock domains if you deide to use them at a later stage.
SUITABLE FOR: ANY BUSINESS. / POTENTIAL SAVINGS: ££££
If you missed the opportunity to secure your trademark, brand or corporate name as a domain name you may still be able to recover it through strategic negotiation or via the various dispute resolution procedures. Buying a domain name which is taken seems like a simple case of negotiation but can be anything but. Thorough investigation is key. Why did they buy that domain? How long have they owned the domain? What has it been used for? Has the domain name simply been parked? This is vital information which can inform the best approach, but still doesn't mean you should negotiate yourself. Quite obviously if you have bought foxnews.co.uk and someone from Fox News approach you to buy, the price will go up.
LEXSYNERGY’S GUIDANCE:
Recovering a domain name or negotiating its purchase requires experience and strategic planning. Lexsynergy work with our clients to explore the most cost-effective and efficient method of acquiring wanted domain names. The strength of our client’s rights is assessed against the registrant’s rights. We always take an 'anonymous' approach when buying domains which will automatically lower the price. Where we believe a domain has been bought with 'negative intent' we advise against engaging with a potential criminal but instead would register a formal dispute with the registrar.
SUITABLE FOR: ANY BUSINESS. / POTENTIAL SAVINGS: ££££
1.5 million new phishing websites are created each month. If you have a name that people recognise then criminals are actively seeking to use that name for their own gain. Brands have both a moral and legal obligation to act on behalf of their customers but keeping a track of infringements is no easy task. Weighing up the cost of taking legal action against the potential impact on clients is difficult, and a strategic approach is needed.
LEXSYNERGY’S GUIDANCE:
One area for investment which will be considerably cheaper than legal action is education. The more of your customers that understand how to identify a scam website or communication the better. Where a scam website is identified, it may still take weeks to have it removed. Warning your clients through social media and other communication points is a great way in demonstrating that you are fulfilling your obligation. A watch service is a relatively inexpensive way in which to be informed about the threat of cybersquatting, typosquatting, and other infringements and at the very least gives you the power to decide which sites need action. When it comes to taking down a website, Lexsynergy have a 100% success rate in domain disputes. Our Brand protection team have 25+ years experience, are all legally trained and offer our services for a flat affordable fee.
Exploring the reasoning behind a decision that can save you thousands.
We understand the challenges brands are facing, and we are here to help them cut costs intelligently, without sacrificing the quality of their service.
