While some businesses are best equipped with the selection of a brandable domain name which will be marketed through word of mouth, others can benefit from keyword focused domains. Keyword domains are those which align with the search terms that prospective customers would use to search for a related product or service within the industry you operate. To demonstrate the impact, there are few stories better than the well-known case involving carloans.com.au.

Shaun McGowan of beep.com.au was initially chasing the lucrative carloans domain. After several unanswered attempts to contact the owner, Mr McGowan accepted that the domain was out of reach. Settling on the beep domain, he was able to develop the company into a brand. Few would argue his company was not initially successful – amassing turnover of $60m. Realising his domain wasn’t quite allowing him to maximise his business, he again targeted the carloans website to fast-track growth through its recognition and trustworthiness.

In itself, the carloans domain doesn’t necessary tick all the boxes of a conventional ‘brand’. There certainly wasn’t, and still isn’t, anything unique about the phrase “car loans”. After all, the similarly named carloan.com.au features as the second highest selling Australian domain name of all time, which could easily be a source of confusion amongst customers.

With the aid of a well-regarded domainer friend, Mr McGowan was able to acquire the domain. Transitioning from a catchy albeit non-descriptive domain to one which focused on common keywords had an immediate impact. The benefits were profound across the board. Not only did web traffic increase exponentially, but the volume of leads and sales generated by the business skyrocketed. From a previous turnover of $60m, the company was soon able to hit the $100m milestone. The business was also able to cut back on marketing expenses and improve its back-end operations, which would further help the bottom line.

While of course this story serves as an example from one end of the scale, the reality is, appropriate domain names can help you generate leads. Whether that is through a generic or descriptive keyword, as was the case here, or via a more traditional ‘brandable’ domain, each can play their part.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

The metric is formulated from a number of different components – the most prolific of these is backlinks, however others include content quality, loading times, web traffic and domain age. Backlinks are the number and quality of links that point towards your site from other sources.

Although you can’t directly change the Domain Authority of your website, certain actions can help to improve it. And considering that the overwhelming majority of websites have a score of 0, you stand to gain exponentially if you can make your domain stand out from the crowd.

First and foremost, optimising your backlinks is a vital step to boost your domain authority. What many website operators or business owners don’t realise is that you specifically need to have backlinks from high quality sources. Sources who themselves have a high domain authority. On the contrary, if you end up with links from poor quality sources, that is only going to weigh your website’s score down.

What some people choose to do is engage in collaborative partnerships with other websites, offering blog postings or related services to their viewers in exchange for a backlink that will also likely help generate additional traffic flow.

Alternatively, some elect to employ a content marketing strategy. There is no substitute for writing ‘quality’ content. After all, as more people visit the site to view it, or experience engagements with it (like it, share it), you will naturally start to contribute towards boosting your domain authority. Alternatively, some will design a secondary website with high value content for the purpose of linking it to their other one – in effect, one ‘piggybacks’ off the other.

Optimising internal links will also play a role in improving your domain authority. This is because of the SEO implications. Make sure you are engaging in correct SEO practices. Be sure to mix up the anchor texts which are used as the basis of your links. Optimise tags and coding. Utilise the right keywords. Respect word counts. Don’t go overboard with the internal links and neglect external backlinks.

Regardless of how you link to your content, it helps to utilise social media to maximise your reach. Promoting your quality content through social media channels will help drive web traffic, while the more engagement you can encourage, the better your prospects of improving your score.

Lastly, ensure the site is efficient for the end user. Keep loading times as short as possible, which may mean cutting back on the unnecessary visuals and ads. Ensure that mobile users are not neglected from consideration either. If you do neglect the mobile design of your site, you may find users’ frustration is reflected in bouncing traffic, which will inhibit your domain authority.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

Users may look up the contact details of a domain name registrant which they are interested in. In a local context, this includes all the major TLD variants within Australia. This feature is particularly useful for those who are looking to open negotiations with a domain holder with respect to acquiring a name. Another purpose served by the service is to ensure that a domain is not registered. Even if a webpage suggests that there is no active domain operating (for example, through an error message or similar), a registrant may have recently acquired the name and not yet attributed it to a web host.

Some of the notable information that one can establish from a WHOIS search is detailed below:

–          When the domain was last modified

–          The name of the domain registrant (e.g. personal name or business name)

–          A domain registrant’s eligibility to hold the domain (e.g. Company, Sole Trader, etc.)

–          A contact name and email address for the registrant

–          A contact name and email address for the domain’s technical representative

–          The domain name registrar overseeing the registration

The au Domain Administration has also developed a policy that governs the balance between a registrant’s right to privacy, a well-functioning marketplace, and the interests of law enforcement agencies on behalf of the wider community. Most notably, guidelines stipulate that registrars should advise registrants about their details being displayed online, while registrants must provide their consent to release such information. The onus is also on registrants to maintain accurate details, which is argued to be in their own best interests as well as those of the industry.

To safeguard against fraud and malicious practices, the auDA does not require a physical address to be provided as part of the published contact details. Similarly, creation or expiry dates are not listed within the search engine, for fear that those with sinister intentions could use the data to solicit or scam registrants. Lastly, users who wish to use the WHOIS search service are also limited by the number of searches they may make within a certain period, while a manual process also goes some way to deter and prevent unscrupulous activities by those seeking to make commercial gains.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

In this context, cybersquatting involves the registration of a domain by someone when they are ineligible to do so. More specifically, it is the “deliberate and abusive” registration of a domain name related to “marketable and trademark” terms. The registrant often uses the domain in bad faith and attempts to profit from this practice by: licensing or selling the domain to the trademark holder (usually, with a ridiculous mark-up); using  the incumbent’s name to promote their own business and compete against them; or by generating click-through revenue that has come from misdirected traffic.

Over the years, an abundance of cases have been brought to the attention of relevant authorities, both locally and abroad. From a global perspective, ICANN developed and administer the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy (UDRP). Locally however, the .au Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP) governs proceedings.

Where companies or business owners feel that their trademark rights have been infringed by the use of another party that is not connected to the business, they should first initiate contact with the other party and clarify their respective position and legal coverage. As some cases may be attributed to a genuine mistake or lack of knowledge, this will assist in understanding the context of the registration. More commonly, the registrant may make it clear that they are unwilling to cooperate, or try to sell the domain to the party with trademark rights for an exorbitant sum.

In this case, the trademark holder may initiate proceedings per the auDRP guidelines. This approach will require the applicant of the dispute to pay for the exercise, where costs are dependent upon the number of arbitrators appointed to oversee the case. It’s also worth pointing out that cybersquatting is not restricted to names that specifically match that of the trademark holder. In fact, they may also relate to similar names, or those with a misspelling, as defined by the au Domain Administration – something we covered in one of our previous articles.

The lessons from this topic apply to both sides of the spectrum – on the one hand, if you’re a buyer, make sure you check that you’re not infringing on the rights of any other parties when you register a domain name. As a trademark holder, not only does it pay to lock away your domain name as soon as possible so you don’t have to incur expenses to acquire it, but you should regularly monitor the web to ensure your trademarks or intellectual property are not being used without your knowledge.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

While we often think of business security being restricted to financial integrity and the physical premises of an establishment, the effect of a domain name falling into the wrong hands can have a profound impact – even if only for a short period of time! The problem isn’t just restricted to big-name brands either, with the rationale behind such incidents often attributable to personal motivations.

When security is compromised, one of the common repercussions is that the site is redirected to an alternative website. This might be a competitor within the same industry, a monetised click-bait site, or perhaps a website designed to compromise the integrity and reputation of the original domain. Alternatively, domain name hijackers who gain access to a domain may even try to cancel the domain’s registration, or switch it to another registrant.

With that said, below are some measures you can implement to keep your domain name secure:

Ensure Password Integrity

When setting up your password, ensure that it is not based on anything memorable or related to the domain name. While it might be easy enough to name it after the web page, or opt to use a default password, these will be among the first options domain hijackers use to try access an account. Use a mix of numbers and letters but don’t make it hard enough for you to remember that you then need to write it down. Of course, if you do have to write it down, keep it stored securely and change it from time to time.

Preserve Administrative Access

Log-in details should be restricted to those with direct responsibilities regarding the maintenance of the domain and/or website. Other requests should be directed through these designated gatekeepers to mitigate the possibility of the data being leaked inadvertently (or even deliberately).

It makes sense for a registrant to monitor their account from time to time, while one smart initiative is to amend the username login to reflect another email address. After all, because the Whois function explicitly states the default email address, malicious users may already have half the info they need to access your account if you fail to change this.

Maintain up to date contact details for the domain and your company to ensure that you receive all correspondence. Don’t make the mistake of registering a domain to a broker or another party, it needs to be registered under your company name.

Secure Systems

First and foremost, computer and email security itself plays a vital role. Ensure your system is protected against potential viral threats, and avoid using the same login combination as your email account. Should you receive any suspicious emails about your domain or web management account, proceed with caution and conduct the necessary due diligence. A reliable registrar and web host are also critical security measures, as is their ability to provide good customer service.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

First of all, let us consider domain name resellers. Resellers act as an intermediary between registrants and registrars. They will typically acquire domains to offer them to prospective registrants. They are tasked with overseeing the transaction, and maintaining all the necessary details and documentation. Furthermore, they are the conduit between a registrant and registrar, working with both to address any issues that are brought to their attention by either party. It is not uncommon for resellers to also function as registrars, as the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Overseeing their integrity and efficacy, resellers are bound by consumer legislation as well as guidelines established by the auDA in the “au Domain Name Suppliers Code of Practice”. While extensive in length, the policy covers areas including: general conduct, methods of communicating with registrants, services offered (particularly, bundles), advertising principles and guidelines, disclosure obligations, the process and rules in dealing with complaints, and protection afforded to consumers.

Whereas resellers do not require accreditation or authorization from the au Domain Administration, registrars require such approval. As part of their role within the industry, registrars manage the registration component of the domain. For example, if one decides to renew or terminate the tenure of their domain, the registrar is responsible for executing this task. Also, not only do they oversee the registration of domains or any changes, but they are sometimes tasked with the responsibility to push domains into a hold or delete status subject to a dispute resolution outcome.

While it might appear simple enough for any reseller to also operate as a registrar, they must contend with arduous requirements that are designed to preserve the veracity of the industry. Not only do registrars need to invest a significant sum of money to clear initial hurdles, they must continually renew their licensing rights. And if you thought that was it, it isn’t. Registrars must also be able to demonstrate competency in others areas, particularly their ability to comply with policies and regulations, while also operating a robust web platform.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

While the policy’s intent has been met with favour from large businesses who already own their primary domain name, many smaller businesses and individuals are often left surprised when the auDA questions their entitlement to the misspelt name. In most cases, said domains are revoked on the basis that a party has no ‘legitimate’ right(s) to use the name.

However, as a registrant, it’s important one familiarises themselves with the respective proceedings surrounding a prohibited misspelling. First and foremost, always check the most recent list of prohibited misspellings published on the auDA’s policy page (link above). The list is populated by domains which are spelled incorrectly, including:

a) the singular version of a plural name, or the plural version of a singular name (eg. woolworth.com.au, safeways.com.au);

b) a name with missing letters (eg. yhoo.com.au);

c) a name with additional letters (eg. quantas.com.au);

d) a name with transposed letters (eg. goolge.com.au, wetspac.com.au);

e) a name with letters replaced by numbers, or numbers replaced by letters (eg. 9msn.com.au);

f) a hyphenated version of a name (eg. e-bay.com.au, micro-soft.com.au);

g) a name prefixed by “www” (eg. wwwseek.com.au); or

h) any other name that auDA determines is a deliberate misspelling, having regard to the surrounding circumstances.

However, said prohibitions are applicable where the domain misspells an entity, brand or personal name, and the registrant has done so to trade upon the reputation of the other party. Therefore, the auDA make provision for the specific context of the domain name, including similarly named parties.

Following routine audits by the auDA, the governing body may ask the relevant registrar to delete the domain name after 14 days of being held in suspense. During said time, the onus will be placed on the registrant to prove their right(s) to maintain the misspelled domain name, which if successful, will result in the name being reinstated and removed from the misspelling list. However, it should be made clear that this does not absolve DRP or trade mark rights.

Similarly, if another party believes a name should be deemed a prohibited misspelling, or the registrant believes the name should not be on the misspelling list to begin with, they may make a complaint to the auDA. In both cases, again, the onus will be on the registrant to prove their cause within the specific timelines as requested by the auDA.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

What many business registrants fail to recognise, is that their domain name is often part of the brand they are operating. That is, customers know and associate a particular domain with the company, even if the two are not necessarily aligned. In essence, you will have a portion of your web traffic that comes from direct ‘type-in’ entries, which you may compromise by failing to clarify any changes.

When one does decide to change their domain, they should always let their target audience know about the change beforehand. This can be done via announcements or banners on the website’s home page, or through mailing list correspondence. One could also retain the former domain for a limited period to advise of the changes and redirect traffic accordingly, however, you don’t want to be relying on this method too long if you are pursuing a change in branding and looking to keep costs down. Having said that, if the domain could become valuable property to competitors, you may want to maintain its registration.

One way to circumvent a change in web address is through a “301 redirect”, which redirects web traffic from your old name to your new domain. This strategy relies on a little bit of tech know-how. Basically, commands are installed on the old domain to notify web traffic about the change in domain, before then transferring them automatically. Depending on the complexity of the website in question, the migration can vary in difficulty.

The other aspect to consider, is the tangible performance that your former domain was achieving. If you’re switching to a name with a higher domain authority score, increased web traffic, or improved search ranking, then your worries will be minimal. On the other hand, if you’re transitioning to a newer domain or one that lags current performance, you’ll want to map out how you’re going to bring this up to the same standard pretty quickly, or your business performance could deteriorate.

Something else that should not be taken for granted are the links pointing towards your website. Not only does this include internal links which you may need to update, but also those from other sites. Unless you’re prepared to keep the old domain active, these links will effectively become useless. In such circumstances, you’ll need to ask external parties to update their links to reflect your website’s new domain, which can often amount to nothing short of an arduous task.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

First of all, it’s not uncommon for domain names to be assigned to automatically renew as the expiration date nears. This can be verified either through the user control panel available via a registrar’s website, or by contacting said registrar.

If this option is not selected, registrants will need to take on the onus to renew the domain name themselves within 90 days of its expiry. Reminder emails will often be sent out in advance, which makes it ever so important to ensure that you maintain secure and accurate account details at all times. Often, if purchasing domain names through dedicated registrars, the first term will be offered at a discount compared with the renewal rate. As such, you may want to consider your needs when selecting a registrar.

For those who don’t want to renew their domain, then disabling any auto renew feature and allowing the name to expire will automatically trigger the domain deletion process. However, this can also catch out unsuspecting registrants who wish to retain their name. In 2011, this happened to investmentproperty.com.au, when its owner forgot to renew the domain and it was later sold via our auction service for $125,000.

When Australian domains lapse, they become dormant and transition into a holding status (expired hold), whereby server updates are prohibited. The domain will be held in this pending phase for a period of 30 days, allowing the registrant an opportunity to renew the name. If the registrant fails to renew the domain in this period, it then enters a 24 hour deletion stage. During this period, the name cannot be renewed. Once the deletion stage has been processed, the domain becomes available for other parties via backorders, or the drop listings advertised daily.

In such instances where you fail to renew your domain within the allotted time, your access to recourse will be significantly limited. While there are still provisions for disputes involving trademark domains, generic words are effectively a certain loss. Not only do you run the risk of disrupting your business operations (by cutting off web traffic and email services) but you could do irreversible brand damage or even empower a competitor. The key takeaway? If your domain name means something to you, or your business, don’t let it expire!

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

Essential to one’s success is their familiarity with the domain up for grabs. Negotiating with another party who is better informed than you is only going to result in the other party walking away with a better deal. If you’re a buyer, you should at least be familiar with the domain’s performance metrics, its current purpose, its target market, relevant end users of the name, the revenue model being used, previous sales, and branding implications. All in all, you need to know its approximate value (to you).

On the other hand, as a seller, it would be remiss not to be aware of the name’s value, similar names, the level of demand associated with the domain, and further details about the interested buyer. Often, buyers are reluctant to display their real identity and will submit offers with a fake profile. These buyers are normally genuine, however, as a seller, to gain leverage you should do as much as possible to uncover their ‘story’. Buyers however, can stand to gain trust and rapport by being open about themselves and their intended use – provided they are not the next Mike Mann of domain name investments, or with pockets lined like Bill Gates.

Neither party should give away too much information with regards to how keen they are to acquire or dispose of the domain. Unless you’re looking to be played for a fool, avoid indicating your general finances. If you do leave hints as to your financial position, don’t be surprised if the other party’s expectations suddenly change. Keep financial discussions focused on the domain in question, indicating the price you are prepared to purchase or sell the name – this doesn’t need to align with what value you place on it.

Furthermore, with initial offers, leave yourself scope to adjust up or down respectively. Commencing negotiations at your limits will almost inevitably lead to disappointment or an impasse. With that said, leaving scope does not entail making a ridiculous offer – be it far too low, or far too high. You need to show that you are serious about the transaction, and a ‘modest’ offer is means to prove that. As a seller, when receiving lowball offers, firmly emphasise the level below which you are not interested in discussing the sale of the domain.

Some buyers also make casual enquiries about the domain’s use rather than whether it is being sold. The problem though, is that this tactic may lack the conviction to persuade the seller your query is genuine. Beyond the initial offer is where the haggling can star. Generally speaking, you will require a fair degree of patience as parties discuss back and forth. Adding some urgency can work to the buyer’s advantage, as a seller could worry they may lose their only buyer. If the seller advises that there are multiple parties interested, try to push for details to verify the legitimacy of these claims. Failing that, follow your instinct and remain firmly committed to the value you place on the domain.

Last but not least, ensure the transaction is documented through means which will afford you legal protection and/or recourse.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au