Protect Your Brand Online: Which Domain Names to Register and How to Keep Them Safe

By VitalHost Team ·

Your domain name is the address customers type, the name on your email and the link on every business card. It is also the one asset on the internet that you can lose in an afternoon if you are not careful. This guide covers two things: which names are worth registering, and how to keep them safely in your hands.

Which domain names should you register?

1. Your main name

Register the exact name of your business, in the extension your customers will expect. For many businesses that is .com.

2. Your local extension

A country extension tells customers, and search engines, that you serve their market.

If your main name is a .com, consider registering the local version too, and pointing it to the same website.

3. The obvious variations

Think about how customers might type or misspell your name, and how a competitor or a scammer could use a near-identical name:

  • the same name with - or without
  • common misspellings of your brand
  • the singular or plural of your name

You do not need to buy dozens. Register the few that could realistically confuse someone, and redirect them to your main site.

4. Match your social media handles

Check that your name is available on the social platforms you use, and keep it the same everywhere. A consistent name is easier to find and harder to impersonate.

You can search names and compare prices on our domain search and pricing pages.

Keep your domains safe

Registering the name is the easy part. These settings protect it.

Turn on auto-renew

Domains do not renew themselves unless you let them. If a domain expires, your website and your email stop working, and a lapsed name can be picked up by someone else. Turn on auto-renew and keep your payment method current: managing domain auto-renew.

If a domain has already expired, read about the grace and redemption periods. Reclaiming a name late usually costs more.

Keep the registrar lock on

A registrar (transfer) lock stops anyone moving your domain to another provider without your approval. New domains registered with VitalHost are locked by default, but a domain you transferred in may arrive unlocked, so check it: locking and unlocking your domain.

Use WHOIS privacy

Without privacy, your name, email, phone number and address can appear in public domain records. That invites spam and makes social-engineering attacks easier. Understanding WHOIS privacy explains how it works.

Keep your contact details current

Registries send important notices, including verification requests, to the contact email on your domain. If that address no longer works, you can miss a warning and risk suspension. Review it using the contact information guide.

Secure the account that holds the domains

Anyone who can log in to your registrar account can control your domains. Use a strong, unique password and switch on two-factor authentication: securing your client area with 2FA. Be wary of emails claiming to be from your provider, and read our guide to recognising and avoiding phishing.

Consider DNSSEC

DNSSEC adds a signature to your DNS records so that visitors cannot be quietly redirected by tampered answers. If your extension supports it, see enabling DNSSEC.

A five-minute domain audit

  1. List every domain you own and when each one expires.
  2. Turn on auto-renew for the ones you keep.
  3. Confirm each is locked and has privacy enabled where available.
  4. Check that the contact email is one you read.
  5. Make sure your login is protected with two-factor authentication.

Your domains are the foundation of your online presence, and a few minutes of care now can save you from a serious problem later.