Why You Need To Protect Your Domain Name

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The recent explosion in e-commerce sales means that most brands now have websites. However, many business owners still neglect to do one key thing – registering their domain name and ensuring that they have full legal protection.

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How Do I Register A Web Domain?

When you’re looking to start up your business website, one of the first things you’ll want to do is to make sure you can find a unique, memorable site URL. This makes it easier for customers to find your website, bringing in more business. While registering your domain name might seem daunting, companies like https://www.names.co.uk/domain-names can help you buy domain names. Dedicated companies make this process very straightforward, so you have one less thing to worry about.

How Do I Protect My Domain Name?

In the UK, English and Welsh copyright law dictates that you must apply to an accredited Register in order to legally register your domain name. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) holds a list of these accredited Registers, which will help you to buy domain names in a legally registered, hassle-free manner.

Once you’ve registered your domain name, it’s vital that you remember to renew it. If you fail to renew your domain registration, you will no longer own the rights to your business’ URL. This opens the way for cybersquatters to buy your name.

What are the potential consequences of cybersquatting?

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1. An Opportunity For Extortion

Cybersquatters are a nuisance at best, but sometimes they’re up to more nefarious activities. One of the worst potential scenarios is that someone else could buy your domain name and refuse to sell it back to you unless you pay them an extortionate amount of money.

2. An Opportunity For Reputational Damage

Cybersquatters could also buy your domain name with the intention of causing reputational damage. This could take the form of redirecting your old URL so it takes visitors to a competitor’s site, or to sites you might otherwise not want associated with your brand.

It’s therefore easy to see why it’s vital to make sure that you register your domain name with an accredited Register and that you don’t ignore domain renewals reminders when you receive them. Putting a small amount of effort into maintaining your domain registration could save you from a lot of future hassle.

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