Domain name: an intangible asset that must be protected

Your domain name is not just an URL. It is the foundation of your online presence and a strategic asset for your business, yet, it is often overlooked. Let’s take a moment to explore why it is vital to protect it effectively.

Domain name: the cornerstone of your business

A domain name is much more than a string of characters followed by an extension. It is your digital gateway: representing your online identity, your credibility, and often your first point of contact with customers.

So it’s a key element of your business that needs to be looked after, and not left to chance! Here are two essential tips before registering your domain name:

• The choice: It should be simple, easy to remember, and aligned with your brand. Also remember to register variations to prevent cybersquatting (usurping a domain name to exploit a name or a brand). For example, for the Coca-Cola company: ‘coca-cola.com’; ‘cocacola.com’; ‘cocacola.fr’; ‘coca-cola.fr’… etc. For more advice, read our dedicated article “How to properly choose your domain name?”.
• Early registration: Secure your domain name as soon as possible, even before the official launch of a project or brand, to avoid the unpleasant surprise of it becoming unavailable later.

Domain name: a strategic investment

A domain name is more than just an annual cost. It should not be seen as an expense but as a valuable intangible asset, recognised as part of your business’s intellectual property. Here’s why:

A unique digital identity

Your domain name represents your brand online and ensures visibility. It helps customers identify you and serves as an access point to your services or products. A relevant domain name can enhance your reputation, credibility, and market positioning, boosting traffic, conversions, and customer loyalty. Think of your domain name as an assurance for the longevity of your brand!

A valuable asset

From an economic perspective, some domain names can increase in value, because of their age, relevance or popularity. As we will explore later, this is not something to overlook, as domain names can be resold.

Furthermore, a domain name is an intangible asset. When it is identifiable, useful for the business, sustainable over time, and has a positive economic value, a domain name can also be included in your company’s balance sheet as an intangible fixed asset, in the same way as trademarks or patents. We invite you to contact your chartered accountant for further details on this possibility.

What are the risks, and how can you mitigate them?

Domain names face many threats: hacking, domain theft, cybersquatting, and more. You will have understood that protecting and monitoring your domain names is therefore essential to safeguarding your digital activities. The slightest negligence could result in considerable financial losses in the event of an attack. So, securing your digital ecosystem starts with rigorous management:

Choose a reliable registrar

Avoid low-cost registrars based in tax havens with limited customer support. While they may save you a few euros a year, they could expose you to technical or legal risks. Let’s take the example of a provider that is not truly accredited and is merely a reseller. If this company is based in a country with lax regulations, it could suddenly decide to cease its activities, leaving domain holders completely helpless. Furthermore, if the company has not updated the Whois information, the holders would have no recourse, as legally, they would no longer have rights to their own names. To avoid dealing with such companies, check the reputation of the registrar, customer reviews, and their terms and conditions beforehand. Opt for trusted, established registrars offering high-quality customer service and advanced security options.

Secure your customer account

1. A strong password: This applies to all your online spaces: set a unique and complex password! Even if this recommendation may seem basic, we can’t stress it enough: this is the most important step. Create long passwords with strong combinations (uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, special characters). You can use a password manager to create and store passwords. Remember: like underwear, passwords shouldn’t be shared and should be changed regularly 😉 To find out more, read our article “How to create strong passwords“.
2. Two-factor authentication (2FA): Essential for reducing the risk of hacking, two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection to your account by automatically verifying the identity of the person trying to log on, using a third-party application or a code sent by SMS. So, even if your password is compromised, your data remains protected.
3. Passkeys
   For even greater security, you can set up one or more passkeys. A passkey is a private and encrypted key system that replaces or complements your usual password. It is stored on your device and protected by biometric methods (fingerprint or facial recognition) or a PIN code. At Netim, you can protect your account with passkeys. Find out in this dedicated tutorial how to activate passkeys on your Netim account.
   

Activate Registry Lock

Registry Lock is a paid security service designed to protect a domain name against unauthorised or malicious changes. One of the first recommendations of the ANSSI (French Cybersecurity Agency), Registry Lock is a mecanism that locks some sensitive operations on a domain name: changing the DNS server, contacts, and transferring or deleting your domain. If the registrant wishes to make such a change, they must submit a request to their registrar. This will be followed by a multi-step authentication process.

Audit your link profile

A link profile audit involves monitoring and analysing the external backlinks pointing to your site to evaluate the quality of your site’s netlinking. This helps identify actions needed to optimise your SEO. Indeed, a domain name with toxic backlinks can harm your online reputation and your search engine ranking.

What to do with unused domain names?

Over time, your domain names portfolio may grow cumbersome. If you have registered domains for projects, brands, or products that are no longer relevant, here are three options for managing these resources:

Keep your domain name

For the simple reason that they could still be useful to you later, or become major resources in future opportunities, it may be wise to retain the domain names you already own. Given the complexity of finding impactful and available names, if your domain name has strategic value due to its age or relevance, think twice before letting it go! Moreover, the annual investment to retain a domain is often minimal compared to the opportunities you might miss by abandoning it, or the time spent looking for an attractive and impactful new name.

Delete your domain name

Deleting a domain name should be a carefully considered decision. Once deleted, it becomes available for others to register, potentially benefiting competitors. Conduct a thorough SEO analysis first: check if the domain still generates traffic or holds valuable backlinks. Ensure no one else can exploit your links or traffic before releasing it.

Deleting a domain name should be a carefully considered decision. As this action is irreversible, it is important to consider the risks beforehand, and understand that a third party will be able to register your domain name once it has been released. Before deleting a domain, make sure that it no longer holds any strategic, SEO, or market value. To do so, always start with an SEO analysis: check if the domain still generates traffic or has valuable backlinks. Be certain that no one can reclaim your links or traffic, to avoid giving your competitors an advantage.

Sell your domain name

After carefully considering the various reasons to keep it mentioned above, if your domain name no longer holds value for your business, selling it can be an excellent option. Start by assessing the value of your domain name: factors such as its age, traffic, length, extension, availability under other extensions, and market trends can all influence its final price. If your domain is linked to a brand, including it in the transaction could increase its value.

🖊️ Explore all our articles about the domain name universe.
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