Domain Search & Portfolio Management: How Smart Entrepreneurs Manage Multiple Domains
Let’s face the facts: most companies have more than one domain to manage. Handling them all, along with their quirks and websites, can turn out to be quite an ordeal.
Effective domain search and portfolio management are the biggest challenges, but also the most important objectives of a successful online presence. Let’s explore how successful entrepreneurs identify, acquire domains via domain check, and manage multiple domains.
Understanding Domain Portfolios
What are these domain portfolios everyone keeps talking about? To put it in simple terms, it is the collection of all web addresses a brand, company or individual may own.
They include primary domains, as well as regional variations, product domains and defensive domains. Good domain management helps protect the brand and achieve better results in important markets.
Efficient Domain Search Strategies
To create a domain portfolio, one has to find domains to add to it. There are a couple of ways to do it, so we’ll tackle the most popular (and successful ones).
1. Using a Centralised Domain Search Tool
How to find all the domains that may be interesting to add to the domain portfolio? By using the domain search aggregators.
These technological powerhouses draw data from multiple registrators simultaneously, thus providing cross-platform search results. They will inform the interested party about:
- Availability across TLDs.
- Pricing for initial registration and renewal.
- Suggested alternatives and keywords.
It is a great way to gain insight, without missing out on cool opportunities.
2. Analyse Availability Across Extensions
Everyone wants .com, yet .com is pretty much taken all the time. A great alternative, in such cases, is using new gTLDs and geoTLDs.
Selecting among these options may not be easy and requires additional research. Even so, a well-planned portfolio expansion and domain search will prosper from these alternatives.
3. Cost vs. Value
Domain prices fluctuate, and not all extensions cost the same. Also, different deals, promo codes and bundles can easily affect the total price.
Getting the most expensive option may be the easiest way to handle thing, but it is also necessary to keep in mind:
- The long-term management costs.
- Resale potential.
- Domain’s contribution to the portfolio.
Best Practices for Successful Domain Portfolio Management
Imagine having to manage two or three domains. It doesn’t seem difficult at all.
Now, imagine managing a dozen or two dozen domains. That sounds like quite a task.
Having to manage domains across multiple registrars can be a nightmare. If possible, use a single registrar for all the domains.
Not only will the person managing the domain get used to the interface, but all bills, notifications, DNS changes and whatnot will be in one place. This also reduces the likelihood of accidental expirations.
Speaking of expired domains, the recommended practice is to enable auto-renewal. Yes, some domains may drop out of the portfolio every so often, but generally speaking, it is better to pay extra for a domain that is not used than to lose the domain that keeps the business afloat.
Using Domains for Strategic Growth
Expanding the domain portfolio is a strategic decision that doesn’t revolve only around making more websites and making more money. It also includes protecting the assets one already has.
Purchasing similar domains prevents imitation and typo-squatting. For example, trudyboutique.com may be a nice vintage store, but trudibutuique.com may be a scam that drop-ships cheap synthetic clothes instead of vintage couture.
Trudy, the imaginary owner of the imaginary vintage shop, will have trouble proving to her customers that they have been scammed. Negative reviews may affect her reputation, and all because she didn’t know how to build a domain portfolio.
Redirecting the additional domains to the official site preserves SEO strength and enhances security.
Microsites and Campaign Landing Pages
Not everyone is a small business owner like our Trudy. Bigger companies may use separate domains to mark events, promote new products or engage customers in different ways.
Again, let’s create an example for this. A soft drink company may be releasing a new flavour of their popular drink.
Instead of trying to gain momentum via the standard website, they create a new one, create mystery and buzz. When the campaign is over, they simply redirect the domain to the main site.
Keeping the Portfolio Safe
Having a domain portfolio is not enough. It is important to keep it safe.
One of the main concerns is domain hijacking. This phenomenon boils down to unauthorised access and transfer of the domain.
To prevent it, use double authentication and strong passwords. Also, if the person in charge leaves the company, update any passwords and login credentials.
Conclusion
Domain portfolio is nothing fancy or reserved for big companies. Anyone with an online presence should have one, as it provides safety and ensures the longevity of the brand.
Portfolio managers should take advantage of the latest security systems, as well as automation and search tools, to create an admirable portfolio that supports the brand.
